We once spoke about how much we learned on a daily basis simply by being online. Personally, I'm currently enrolled at U of YouTube, working towards my PhD in braiding hair and makeup application.

Related note: IMDb is THE BEST procrastination tool. Ever wanted to know every single movie that Nicholas Cage was in? Of course you do and obviously you need to find out right this minute before you write your English paper. 

Of course, there's more to the web than tutorial videos and IMDb-ing Nicholas Cage. There are so many fabulous services, handy sites and hidden gems online that the world must know about. We put together a few staff picks for awesomesauce sites we've found while browsing online. Feel free to leave us your own fave sites in the comments - let's share the wealth!  

Ali's Picks: 
 

FreeCycle.Org: A non-profit available across North America that allows you to give and get good quality used items 100% for free. One of our members got a bunch of stuff for her baby from that site that is in pristine condition. Think of it like Craig's list but everything is 100% free. The goal is to keep stuff out of the landfills. Love it!
 
eSalon.com: A service available in USA and Canada that asks a series of questions to determine the right colour shade of hair dye to send you. It includes evaluating a photo of you by stylists. The product they send is salon quality and comes with your name on it, mixed specifically for you for a fraction of what it costs to go to the salon.

Alexandra's Picks:


Snapguide.com: Whatever you want to learn how to do, Snapguide has the instructions for you in a useful, step by step visual format. Whether you're looking for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe or you need to know how to easily build a desk, Snapguide has user made manuals with clear instructions. I'm a visual learner so the pictures are especially important for me. They also have a handy app!

Coursera.org: Think of Coursera like auditing a university class, only it's online and free! They offer courses from universities all around the world, including U of T, Columbia University and even Princeton. Courses that are available range in subject. They have everything from microeconimics to nutrition to the history of the internet. It's important to note that you won't receive a degree or certificate for this, but it is an incredible resource for those who love to learn.

Mandy's Picks:
 

Songza.com: A great site that offers you a ton of different playlists based on genre, mood and occasion. It's curated by professionals! I especially like it for the gym. I no longer have to think of what I want to listen to and I don't have to make my own playlist. 

TuneIn.com: You can listen to online radio, stream music and podcast through TuneIn Radio. I really love this easy to use app for my car ride to and from work! 

Claire's Picks: 


TheGroceryGame: Ever wondered if that sale price is a deal or a dud? GroceryGame tracks the major drugstore and grocery chains' sales every week, tells you which deals are rock-bottom prices, and which coupons are available to pair with the sales for additional savings. This service is currently available in US, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and China.

SOS Cuisine: This Canadian-based alternative to GroceryGame has their focus more on meal planning and recipes (including special sections for those with dietary restrictions) than deal hunting. They do however provide weekly comparisons of the major Canadian grocery flyers.

MyFitnessPal: This site is a food and exercise diary in one! Set your weight/intake goals and MyFitnessPal will set a calorie/fat/sodium/carb budget for every day. They have a huge database of most grocery and chain restaurant foods and a recipe calculator. Enter the ingredients of your grandma's lasagne and the tool will tell you the per-serving calorie/fat/sodium/carb counts. Log your daily exercise and watch the program tweak your calorie targets for that day! MyFitnessPal is also available as an app for all major smartphone platforms.