Polliwalks “Fish Lips,” perfect for the kid with a Jonas complex.

All-New Math by Craig Damrauer

Last week I asked you how your Valentine’s Day went. Fifty percent had a fabulous day (or weekend), twenty-three percent don’t like made-up holidays, and twenty-one percent didn’t celebrate at all. My Valentine’s weekend was supposed to be fantastic, with the Munchkin going on a long weekend vacay with the grandparents. However, a little thing called the flu had to interfere, and instead we spent Valentine’s day dozing on the couch and checking our temperatures every few hours.

As for today, I’m all about Miley Cyrus and her Oscar gown.

The art of the miniaturist has been sadly neglected since the 18th Century, but Althea Crome’s work offers hope it may not be so forgotten in the future. Behold the strange, yet compelling powers of the conceptual artist who knit Coraline’s sweaters.

We here at Teeny Manolo often look at the search terms that land people on the site. I recently saw one that requested “what shoes make a boy looks cool?”

Here you are, my anonymous friend. From skate shoes to sandals to dress shoes, I’ve got them all.

Circa Kids – Lopez 50K (Toddler/Youth) I love the color combinations on this very cool skate shoe. Tons and tons of positive reader reviews on this as well. Along with a great price, these shoes are winners all around!

Merrell Kids – Mesa Z-Rap Waterproof (Toddler/Youth) These highly rated waterproof shoes will have him ready to face any kind or terrain or weather!

Puma Kids – 917 Lo V (Toddler/Youth), I really like the colors and styling of this low-profile shoe, especially the T-toe.

Skechers Kids – Airators – Supercharger (Toddler/Youth) I can’t include a list of boys’ shoes without having Skechers. My own son wears Skechers and loves them. He finds them very comfortable, which for him is saying a lot.

Tsukihoshi Kids – Euro (Toddler/Youth) This shoe has some of the highest ratings of any kids’ shoe on Zappos. Great styling and construction make this shoe a popular choice.

Teva Kids – Toachi (Toddler/Youth) I chose this shoe because of it’s unusual construction, which is something between a sandal and a sneaker. The closed toe is one of the best features of this shoe.

Bass Kids – Exeter(Toddler/Youth) You can’t go wrong with this classic dress shoe. It’s on sale, too!

Vincent – Fredrik (Infant/Toddler/Youth) Contrast stitching, water repellent upper, and breathable mesh lining combine with sleek styling give this shoe a five-star rating.

adidas Kids – Akwah IV K (Toddler/Youth) While this may not win any beauty contests, this shoe is comfortable and very reasonably priced for tons of fun on the beach.

Sperry Kids – Colton/a> (Youth) Another classic, the slip-on pennyloafer.

Vans Kids – Rowley (Youth) Vans have made a comeback in a big way. Have your kid rock the ramp with some of the best skate shoes around!

Although my home and native land is also the birthplace of basketball, it must be said that the sport has not really taken off in the True North perhaps because, however Strong and Free it may be, it’s also on average 2 inches shorter than its neighbors to the South. While such an abundance of shortness poses no barrier to the Filipinos, who surely boast the highest number of basketball hoops per capita in the world, it must be said that they are rather farther away from the towering giants who dwell below the 49th parallel and, thus, less likely to be challenged to pickup games.

But we at TeenyManolo have found one town in the sub-Arctic lands which is positively consumed with basketball fever, and that town is Bathurst, New Brunswick. And why? Given the history, they have every reason to loathe the sport.

Eight teenage boys from Bathurst, N.B., will show the country what courage and perseverance look like when they walk onto the basketball court, ringed by cheering crowds, in Fredericton on Saturday.

A year ago, their high school and their small city were turned upside down when seven members of the Bathurst High Phantoms boys basketball squad were killed in a highway traffic accident.

The wife of their coach, Wayne Lord, also died when the team van collided with an oncoming truck on an icy road, as Lord was driving the players home from an evening game in January.

Bathurst High disbanded its boys basketball program, and Lord quit coaching, as he and the community coped with the tragedy.

In the fullness of time, the school hired a new coach and formed a new basketball team for the new school year, and resigned itself to competing in a lower league than the experienced team of past years.

And they won.

And won.

And won the Provincial Championship just yesterday, in fact.

…they surprised everyone, working their way into the Tier-2 provincial finals, and — despite the recent hospitalization of their new coach — to a resounding 82-50 win on Saturday over a brave group of boys from Campobello Island High, who faced the daunting task of playing a team almost willed toward victory by those who knew their tragic history.

“We did the impossible pretty much,” said 10th-Grade guard Alex Robichaud, who stood on the court after the game, marvelling at the lights of the TV cameras and the excited fans that circled around him on the court.

“I didn’t think we’d get this far. It means everything to have won.”

“Grief is an ongoing issue for all of us,” [Peggy Arseneau] said. “But we’ve kind of parked it in a place in our heart right now, because everybody’s rallying behind this team. The love and the pride in our team is just overwhelming.”

Arseneau and other Bathurst fans wore red t-shirts emblazoned with the sweater numbers of the seven players killed last year, along with the words: “Boys in Red . . . Never Forget.”

Nowadays, it is considered a bit gauche to spend a hundred bucks or more on a face cream infused with diamonds. People are focusing more on their budgets, and rightly so. The efficacy of any cream will be affected if all you are doing is worrying about paying your credit card bills or your mortgage.

So, how can you get beauty on the cheap? Here are some of my favorite tips.

1. Keep your razors longer Did you know that if you simply gently pat your razor dry after every use, it will last up to twice as long, if not longer? What dulls the razor is the buildup of rust, and if you can keep the razor as rust-free as possible, it will stay sharp. I swear I used one disposable razor for at least three months with no appreciable dulling.

2. Lather for less Forget about those expensive shaving gels. Simply use the cheapest hair conditioner you can find. It still smells good, provides a nice slick surface, and leaves your legs soft.

3. Organic on a budget Target sells Avalon Organics, and one of their best products is a citrus-infused day lotion with SPF 15 for about $15.00.

4. Double Duty Go ahead, let your products multi-task! Use your regular gentle face lotion for your eyes as well, just make sure there’s no sunscreen in it. If you buy an angled brush, dip it in a bit of water, then your eyeshadow to eliminate the need for a separate eyeliner. Tinted moisturizers also serve a dual purpose.

5. Vaseline Use a dab on your fingertips to smooth frizzy ends. Combine it with lipstick for a high shine. Combine it with your blush for added shimmer, but just a little! Use a small amount of it with eyeshadow on the browbone for more shimmer.

6. Go natural Many items found in your kitchen have been used for years as beauty aids. Dry skin? Dab some olive oil on it. Combine cucumber and honey for a toner, or yogurt and honey for a mask. A simple Google search will reward you with tons of recipes.

7. Your turn Share with us your favorite bargain beauty tips!

Just because we haven’t had one of these in awhile, and this kid is the craziest dancing machine I think I have ever seen!