Splurge-worthy Tuesday: Facial tissue with lotion

Picture from Google Products

For the past couple weeks, my daughter and I have been battling Spring Cold 2011. She has it beat and I am on the mend. The worst part were the unending runny noses. It wasn't just a matter of having to wipe my nose every once in awhile. We're talking bring the whole box of tissues in the car, have to ask for more at the service desk while shopping at Target, leaving piles all over the house, you get the idea. Needless to say, after a couple days my nose was red and painful. My daughter's was, too.

Enter the savior of the hour: Kleenex (or Puffs) with lotion! My parents bought us a box, and the difference was miraculous. Our noses were saved! When the box ran out, I bought more. So worth it. I'm not going to stock it thoughout the house in every room, but next time we're battling a cold it will be first on my shopping list!

Do you have any splurge-worthy items that help you when you're sick?

Splurge-worthy Sunday: An awesome dinner out



http://www.rinatarestaurant.com/

 Just got back from an awesome date night with my husband. We received a gift certificate to Rinata for Christmas (with free babysitting thanks to my in-laws!). I had heard that they have a Sunday night special, so we decided to use the gift certificate tonight. And what a great meal it was for a great value.

Rinata has Sunday night Date Night. They offer a 4-course meal for $20. There were two or three choices for each course. They also offer 1/2 price bottles of wine from 4:30-6:00 every day and all night on Monday and Tuesdays. Our 5:30pm Sunday reservation was perfect because we could take advantage of the wine deal, Date Night menu, and also get home in time to put our daughter to bed.

First Course: There were three choices, a soup, an olive plate, and an eggplant dish. We both chose eggplant. It was a long piece of eggplant flattened and rolled up with goat cheese and pine nuts, all in a tomato sauce. Yum!

Second Course: Two salad choices. My husband had the Caesar which looked tasty. I had the beet salad and was not disappointed. The beets were earthy and delicious, and served with spicy greens and some nuts. I love beets so it was a perfect choice for me.

Main Dish: There were three choices- a pork shoulder with ziti and red sauce, clams in a butter/white sauce with pasta, and a risotto. I had the risotto with local root vegetables, which were carrots, celery root, and parsnips. It was creamy and very tasty. My husband had the clam dish, the clams were done very well and the pasta sauce had a nice hint of spice.

Dessert: We both had the tiramisu. There was also a gelato choice. We both enjoyed the tiramisu.

Overall it was a great value. We both think that the portions would probably be larger if they were ordered off of the regular menu rather than the Date Night menu, but we both left nicely full. There was also a nice basket of warm bread with an olive oil/tapenade. Service was great as well, with our waiter making a perfect wine recommendation.

So, if you live in the Twin Cities and are looking for a nice dinner out with a great value, try Rinata. We have also eaten at their sister restaurant Al Vento and enjoyed that as well.

Splurge- Worthy Wednesday- Working out?!

As you may recall, I posted here about the fact that it's OK to quit the gym if you aren't using it enough to justify the price. But what I didn't say is that for some people, working out is their favorite splurge and one that brings them joy. I have friends who are into marathons, triathlons, yoga, pilates, kickboxing, you name it. And they spend a good amount of money on bikes, shoes, mats, trainers, entry fees, etc. It's great, they get a lot of satisfaction, motivation, and positive health effects from their chosen workouts and the money they spend.

I, in fact, just got back from my first ever fitness yoga class at a local studio. They were offering a deal so I bought five sessions for $40. I'm going to give a few different classes a try. Who knows, maybe I will enjoy it so much that yoga and pilates will move to my personal splurge-worthy list! I'll keep you posted

Splurge-Worthy Sunday: Digital SLR Camera

I have been reviewing the 339 pictures we took this weekend while at a friend's lake house. It was an amazing time with great people and I am so thankful that we have many great pictures to remember it by. While we own a small point-and-shoot camera, we use our Nikon D80 most of the time, including this weekend. I gave it to my husband for our five-year anniversary, and it was definitely quite a splurge. However, the quality of the photos is worth it. We have decorated our home with photos we have taken, printed up to 20 x 30 inches, and they are stunning! Now that we have a baby, our photography has taken on even more meaning and value. I am so glad I splurged on the D80, it has been more than worth the price.

Anyone else have a splurge-worthy camera?

Splurge-worthy Saturday (one day early)

My five month old daughter and I flew from Minneapolis to Milwaukee this morning. The whole process, from our front door to seeing my family here, took three hours. We were in the air for 42 minutes. If we would have driven, if would have been a full tank of gas plus over six hours of driving plus probably three rest stops for baby-related needs. The round-trip ticket on Delta was $160. This meets my definition of splurge-worthy.

What is splurge-worthy to you? You'll see some more of mine in the weeks to come.