Check It. DODOcase.

Having ordered an iPad 2 online just a few weeks ago, I'm about to make my first foray into the tablet world. And that also meant getting just the right case.

I'll be carrying around my iPad quite a bit, but will be using it mostly for recreational purposes -- watching films and browsing the internet and such. So I didn't want something that was too clunky, while also making sure it would stay protected. I was originally enticed by Apple's own smart cover, but I knew I wanted something a bit more unique.

So after doing some research, I'm going with the DODOcase. Designed to look similar to the classic Moleskine, with its leather bound case and banded clasp, I figure this cover is the perfect aesthetic compromise for the booklover in me. Plus, it's got a great bamboo tray and they're all handmade locally in San Francisco. And even with all that, the price is still at the same rate as most other iPad covers, at $59.95. Getting tech-saavy and looking good while at it -- I'm moving up in this world!

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: DODOcase

Check It. Moleskine sleeve.

I'm not going to lie. I love my Moleskine. I keep one of blank lined pages available to write whatever passing thoughts I have, and I live and die by my horizontal day planner. I ordered one just as 2009 was ending so I wouldn't have to be a day without one. That's how much I like my Moleskine.

There are also a slew of other handy pocket-sized and larger Moleskines, equipped for your writing, creating, jotting needs. There's one for watercolors and painting, writing musical notes, travelling, organizing, and, my favorite, scheduling.

In response to this boom in popularity, Moleskine covers have become pretty prevalent. The above Molecover is made for these tiny journals, and although I am interested in protecting my Moleskine (how else would I know where to be on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m.?) part of it's allure is its sleekness.

It's perfectly slim enough to put in my purse without taking up too much room. A sleeve would just add bulkiness. The covers of my day planners have always lasted me the entire year, too, so for my lifestyle there isn't really enough wear-and-tear to justify such a purchase. But for those who love their Moleskines as much as I do, there are some options, like this one, and this design-it-yourself one, that can preserve your notebook for all of eternity.

I just need mine to survive this year, maybe a few more, but these new mushroom businesses seem a bit superfluous.

-- Lauren Williams

Make It. Using a register [A budget].

So maybe I'm stuck in the Dark Ages where people read books by candlelight and only lived until they're 35, but I have begun to use a check register. Or, more appropriately, I have begun to record all my transactions in my Moleskine. (I love my Moleskine. That should be a post itself).

But keeping a register has really helped me keep track of my finances. Being one of the last remaining human beings to not use online checking, I need to keep track of my daily transactions, and keeping a running tally of my checking amount has helped tremendously.

It is a bit cumbersome to whip out a notebook each time you buy something, but if you make a mental note and write it down later, it gives you a more exact figure to be able to budget for.

And, when you're not near a computer it's kind of nice to have a written record of what you have spent and exactly how much you have. If you use a notebook or Moleskine you can keep important receipts in it too.

-- Lauren Williams

Photo credit: Amazon.com