Hey 2011, you coulda been crappier.

Oh to think just 12 months ago, none of us knew where Zuccotti Park was, you hadn’t heard of a stay at home girlfriend before and hungry Brooklynites were wondering if they could drink AND eat when you can only afford to do one of those. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Team Brokelyn, we hope your life has been made easier, smarter, more fun or at least slightly affordably drunker in the past year. In case you missed them, we present you (drumroll plz) THE 10 MOST POPULAR BROKELYN STORIES OF 2011! (more…)

Dr. Bronner: Budget hero or guy who tricked you into putting soap in your mouth?

According to the wacky, cultish 3,000-word rant on the label, when combined with adequate sleep, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap has the power to “clean body-mind-soul-spirit instantly uniting one! All-One!” I’m not sure exactly what that means, but the soap boasts more than 18 uses: a toothpaste and a household cleaner; a pet wash and a cure for lice. With eight varieties (one of which is only $8.99 at Trader Joe’s), this “magical multi-tasker” could be the solution to many of our financial freak-outs at the pharmacy register. So with a bottle each of peppermint and rose soap in hand, I set out to find out which of “Doctor” Emanuel Bronner’s loftiest claims to embrace, and which to avoid. (more…)