GOT TROUBLES? Got worries? Got anything else that's keeping you from whistling on the way to work? Me too. That's why I decided it's time to Get Happy. It's as easy as boiling a cup of water and dropping in a bag of Get Happy, one of the Republic of Tea's growing line of herbal Be Well teas. Within minutes, the crisp, citrusy aroma of tea is sure to make you smile. The best thing about this happy fix? Because it's made with lemon balm, lemon myrtle, rhodiola and caffeine-free red tea, I can guzzle as much as I need — gallons, if that's what it takes to do the trick.

Other solutions to life's little problems that Be Well teas address include a slightly medicinal-flavored immunity tea that combines a half-dozen wonder herbs that promise to keep me well, and a minty flavored Get Growing tea that I'm hoping will help my fingernails grow as long and sleek as Oprah's. I'm not sure it will work, but I can tell you that it's certainly a delicious cup of hopefulness. Each colorful tin of 36 tea bags is $10. Republic of Tea can be found at Cost Plus and other specialty retailers.

SIP INTO SUMMER: Warm weather makes me hungry for fruit: fresh, ripe berries, plums, peaches and apricots. Since it's too early in the season to sink my teeth into the real thing, I decided to make do with the next best thing — the fresh crop of fruit-infused vodkas just introduced by Skyy and Stolichnaya. San Francisco-based Skyy Spirits

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rolled out its Skyy Infusions, five new fruit-infused vodkas, each so aromatic that a tiny glass perfumes the whole room. Stoli released just one, Stoli Blakberi, which has an even prettier aroma if you love fresh, ripe blackberries (despite its goofy spelling).

The Skyy line includes cherry, passion fruit and grape, but my favorites are the citrus and the raspberry, which I poured up with Torani raspberry syrup ($6.50 for 25.4-ounce bottle), a squeeze of lemon and a splash of sparkling water. It was a great sparkly stand-in for lemonade. At the suggestion of Stoli, I scoured the garden for a few other flavors to go with my fruit — some lavender and mint from the neighbors, a little basil and oregano from my yard, even a little cucumber from the fridge. The oregano didn't work with any of the flavors, but the rest of the herbs were just the trick. Muddle some basil with raspberry; lavender with blackberry; mint with passion fruit ... and you've got some interesting grown-up cocktails. Both Skyy and Stoli offer myriad cocktail recipes on their Web sites: www.skyy.com and www.stoli.com. Skyy Infusions are $19 for 750 ml. Stoli Blakberi is $23.99 for 750 ml.

SWEET NOTHING: The last time I plucked a handful of cotton candy off a kid's cone, I realized it was a bit of a letdown. As I pulled at the cloud of pink in my fingers, I realized that I eat cotton candy not because it tastes good. I eat it because it's so bizarre — it's like eating nothing, nibbling on air.

Now imagine, just for a moment, that same pillowy softness dissolving into a sweet mouthful of maple. Or licorice. Or cinnamon. That's exactly what Pure Fun has created — cotton candy that actually tastes good. I loved this candy from first bite.

It comes in 2.1-ounce tubs that are packed with four billowy 60-calorie servings each, enough to transport any cotton candy lover all the way to heaven and back. After reading press materials for this candy company, it's easy to understand why their candy tastes different — it's certified organic and kosher, and made with all natural flavorings.

The Toronto-based company also makes hard candies: lollipops, candy canes and jawbreakers. I liked these, but I'd trade all of them for a few more tubs of their cotton candy. Pure Fun cotton candy is about $6 per tub. Hard candies are about $4 per 3.5-ounce package. Look for Pure Fun at Whole Foods stores or order through www.amazon.com.

PICKY OR ICKY? I don't even need to open "The Great Wings Book" ($16.95, Ten Speed Press) by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison to know that this book does not have my name on it. I can count on two hands the number of wings I've eaten in my life. Am I wing-phobic? Yes. When I see wings, I do not see a delicious pile of food. I see a tummy ache on a plate, a greasy mound of artery-clogging bones that just aren't worth eating. I admit that the flavor combinations in the book are inspired: chipotle and honey, tequila and juniper berries, blueberries and ginger, lemon and chiles. But knowing that there are some 50 to 100 calories in each wing guarantees that not a single recipe in the book will ever happen in my kitchen.

Reach Jolene Thym at 510-353-7008 or at jthym@bayareanewsgroup.com.