Color Cube

Not to get all feng shui on your asses, but the importance of having toys in one's workspace cannot be overstated. Play breeds productivity, at least in my book, and ought to be as integral to the 9-to-5 as coffee and conference calls.

My co-worker's Color Cube utterly enthralled me for fifteen minutes this morning. If you know me and my ADD, you know this is an accomplishment. The MoMA store describes this little block of brilliance as a collection of "multi-hued cubes that can be flipped and opened continuously" with an array of colors that create a "distinct visual experience." I describe it as "da bomb."

Color Cube
$10.00
http://www.momastore.org

Kashkaval: Cheese Market and Wine Bar

Wine bars are a dime a dozen in Manhattan, but GOOD wine bars where you can get a $12 plate of assorted tapas to sop up your $20 bottle of Montepulciano ... those are tough to come by. Kashkaval is second to none, especially in Columbus Circle, where you could conceivably pay close to $20 for a glass of wine at a nearby hotel bar. It looks like a deli out front but it's a party in the back, and if tapas ain't enough to sate your appetite, spring for the Chicken Cilantro, Kashkaval Fondue or craft a cheese and meat plate -- though you're not really springing since all entrees run $12 a pop, leaving you with enough cash to down a second bottle of wine, just in case it's one of those nights. (And isn't it always?)

Kashkaval
856 9th Ave, between 55th and 56th Streets
(212) 581-8282
Subway: A, B, C, D, 1 at 59th St.-Columbus Circle
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-midnight; Sun, 11am-11pm
Reservations: Not for parties under 6
Pay by: American Express, MasterCard, Visa

In cheap and awesome we trust

New York City and a budget go together like moderation and an open bar. It's a tough combination -- always has been, always will be. But now more than ever, unless you can clap your hands like you've got Lil Wayne's bankroll, you're probably wondering how the hell to live it up in this town when the Dow's fluctuating more than Britney Spears' waistline.

Bling for the Broke is here to help. Check this blog for tips on hot restaurants, bars, events, and products that will make your life better without raping your wallet. B4thaB (as the cool kids call it) will shoot to showcase something stellar at least once a day.

Remember: Right now, money IS a thing. But it doesn't mean you can't live like Jay and Jermaine, at least in theory. Cheers.