Spa day, is a special day!

Last week my little sister Phyllis turned 21. So in honor of such an auspicious occasion my other sister Lisa and I treated her to a relaxing spa day. I love going to the spa, I always come out so relaxed and at one with the world. It is so nice to be pampered and taken care of, and there is nothing like that delicious tiredness that comes from doing nothing but relaxing.

Well, since my fancy financial planning classes tell me that going to the spa every week is not a smart use of mah muney - I have been trying to come up with what you could call (roll eyes up and then right to left), DIY spa treatments. Here goes...

*Sauna Treatment*

Now since sitting in the sauna is basically sitting in a really, really, dry, hot space - this is one of the easier treatments to replicate. All you need to do is park your car somewhere in the direct sun (I suggest the Kalahari desert) and let it sit there and preheat for about 6 hours. Once the car has reached the approximate internal temperature of 160F, you are all set!

As quickly as possible open the door and hop in so the heat doesn't have a chance to escape. You will probably be a little...uncomfortable at first, but just relax and embrace the heat, allow it to work its magic and focus on sweating out all your toxins. Voila! A near authentic spa treatment that didn't cost a dime.

Well that's all I've got for now but stay tuned, there's more on the way.

Allyson in Financial Land...

So I am, somewhat reluctantly, enrolled in this financial planning class that was being offered at work, and today was the first of our four meetings to be held over the next four weeks. During said class our instructor, I will call him "K", kept asking questions like: "Where are you?", "Where are you going?", "How will you get there?"; and as I sat there in that room I was overcome by a feeling of empathetic sisterhood with Lewis Carroll's Alice. Too many questions to which I had no...yup no answers.

Anyway, while sitting in this class, taking copious notes, K stated that "comfort spending" is a big No, No.

(Insert sound of pins dropping, crickets chirping, bull frogs, whatever!)

WHAT!

I was shocked. All that I though I knew about the world suddenly changed in an instant. The rotation of the Earth slowed slightly. No comfort spending?! But that is one of my favorite things, one of the only things that can soothe the wounded and cranky beast in my psyche!

Now I really wish I could have seen the look on my face, actually come to think of it I am probably better off not having seen the carnage, but my sister obviously saw it (by the way my sister and her husband are taking the class as well) and she ever so gently reached a hand over to cover my clammy, ice cold one, and gave it a squeeze. She said that it was going to be okay, I don't believe her.

So here is the real point of all this psychotic rambling: Is it possible to be happy without compulsive pleasure spending? I just don't know, but I will consult with the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter (especially him, I hear he made a line of fabulous hats for the Kentucky Derby one year), Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and get back to you.

My new favorite thing.

I have found a new favorite thing to add to my collection of favorite things. Among these many treasures, some of my ultimate favorites are: new fabulous shoes (shocker I know), red nail-polish, Target, Williams-Sonoma, getting my hair cut, dark chocolate, TiVo, cute aprons, cookbooks, Marscapone gelato, and Diet Pepsi - but today I add another prize to this list.

Ladies and gentlemen, I beg to put before you my new favorite thing.

Soft and salty, warm and chewy - I am pleased to introduce to you the Pretzel Bite! If you not had the occasion to become acquainted with these little darlings, please do so as soon as possible. Now you might say: "Well Allyson, its just a pretzel cut up into bits." and I would answer: "True, but there is something magical about these tiny, buttery, salty, puffy little devils that cannot completely be explained."

Check these out at your nearest pretzel stand, you will be glad you did.

Don't forget the mustard!