If you work here, we've got you covered.

You don’t know how many times we’ve snuck out of work for just a little longer at lunch to score a mani-pedi and grab something to eat back at our desk. I was feeling particularly guilty about this at the nail salon one afternoon, until my boss ended up in the chair next to me. She just smiled and acted totally normal, signaling to me that this was actually a very common practice among us corporate girls. I guess our ability to multitask both in and out of the office is one of the main reasons we are so adept at navigating the working world.

Anyhoo, I was thinking about all of you ladies working in the 600 West Chicago Avenue Building and the areas surrounding it today when I spotted a sweet lunch special right next door to a major manicure/pedicure deal…

Monday through Wednesday at H2O Nail & Spa you can indulge in a full manicure and pedicure for just $35! It’s only been there for a few years, but the place still looks brand new and shiny inside and the staff is always friendly. Plus, they offer a rewards card so you can earn your way to a free manicure or pedicure with each sneaky trip.

The @spot cafe's tempting dessert case.

Once you’ve had your nails did, pop in next door to the @spot cafe to pick up some grub. Each day of the summer they offer a different $5 lunch special. Savvy PLRGs will make their appointments for Mondays when the special is Grilled Cheese & Tomato Bisque- it is sooo yummy.

Oh, and one last tip- though the menu at @spot is delicious, this isn’t some fast food joint, so if you think you’re going to be strapped for time just call in your order ahead of time from the pedicure chair.

(Lacey Brenly)

Hold onto your toupees, ladies! This week marks the 50th anniversary of Ron Santo’s career with Major League Baseball, and, to honor this momentous occasion (among other festivities), the Cubs are offering a limited amount of $10 bleacher tickets through July 4.

Last time we checked these super cheap tickets were still available to all the games, including the holiday weekend games, which are looking to bring gorgeous drinking and boy watching weather. Just make sure to use promo code SANTO when purhcasing your tickets at Cubs.com to score the deal.

Go Cubs Go!

These two guys totally know what's going on....That's Ron on the left, if you don't.

We love it when Yelp pools their resources to score major deals for their users. June 21-27, Yelp Eats! is back with $25 three-course menus at some of Chicago’s hottest restaurants. Now, we all know PLRGs love a good meal (note to Yelp- a Gym Week is much needed as a follow up to Eats Week), so we put our heads together and created our ultimate Yelp Eats! calendar. We’ve taken all the guesswork out of where to go which night, so all you have to do is make the reservation!

MONDAY, JUNE 21
Green Zebra
After a weekend of hard partying, you may need to detox a bit come Monday. At Green Zebra, you can forego the typical greasy hangover food for something lighter like chilled pea soup with preserved lemon to start and an asparagus tart with caramelized shallots for an entree. For dessert? We’d go with the strawberry shortcake with Greek yogurt.

TUESDAY, JUNE 22
May Street Market
In our opinion, May Street Market by far has the most daring and diverse menu in the Yelp Eats! line-up. This is a great night to dine out with someone you want to impress with your culinary and budgetary prowess (hint- Tuesday is also BYOB night, so double save!) You’ll start things off with odd, but tasty combos of pork belly caramel corn or blue corn calamari. For dinner, grilled tilapia with artichoke puree and olive spread is the quintessential summer dish. And, while we’d like to venture into new territory, the cupcake flight is a must for dessert!

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23
1492 Tapas
How about something with a little spice to get you through the rest of the week? 1492 Tapas, nominated by Metromix as one of the most romantic restaurants in Chicago (nudge and a wink to all the BFs out there), delivers traditional Spanish fare including every PLRGs favorite- tapas! Your appetizer choices include lobster stuffed mussels, goat cheese croquettes and the 1492 House Platter. The paella is not be missed as the main course, but allow a little extra time for this special dish.

THURSDAY, JUNE 24
La Madia
Grab your girlfriends, then grab a slice at La Madia. With this menu, you’ll get your choice of app- asparagus and ricotta bruschetta or prosciutto with mozzarella and teardrop tomatoes- plus one of two truffle laced pizzas or a frisee salad. We recommend saving room for dessert (leftover pizza will be great for lunch on Friday) where you can indulge in their homemade gelato “of the moment” or blood orange ice with Prosecco.

FRIDAY, JUNE 25
Bin 36
A Friday night out with work pals is a great way to end the week, especially when there is wine involved. At Bin 36 there’s something for every taste, light or decadent, so all your coworkers will leave satisfied. To start, you can be good and get the Bin 36 Market Salad or cheat on your diet and go with the rich and creamy mac & cheese. For the entree we’re salivating over the brown sugar cured, slow roasted pork loin chop and house-made ricotta gnocchi.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26
State & Lake
It’s Saturday night and you want to eat somewhere you can see and be seen. Your BF wants to go somewhere that’s not to “frou frou” with real manly food. Well, State and Lake, located on the ground floor of The Wit hotel, fits the bill for both of you. Your three courses begin with a choice of Valencia salad or Pub Soup. For dinner, he can order the slow roasted pork with tomato jam and polenta (pork always makes guys feel macho) and you can savor the roasted salmon with escarole. Being that the restaurant is in the heart of downtown, once dinner’s over you’ll be ready to party.

SUNDAY, JUNE 27
Spring
By Sunday you may want to unwind and dine someplace with a more tranquil atmosphere and Spring in Bucktown is just what you’ll need. They offer up a menu of New American cuisine with Asian Influences in a wonderfully spa-like setting. As a first course, they’re serving Yellowfin Tuna tartare or a farm egg ravioli, but our fave is the coconut lemongrass soup (it’s heavenly). Choice of entrees include Rosa Bianca eggplant masala with coriander yogurt emulsion, Australian Barramundi with cilantro pesto or Maine diver sea scallops with roasted mushrooms and sweet soy. The portions are usually reasonable here, which is great because you’ll still have room for dessert- a Valrhona white chocolate dome with wild strawberries and rhubarb or the lemongrass and kaffir lime panna cotta with brioche donuts.

For a full listing of details and participating restaurants, both in the city and in the suburbs, click on the image below. Happy dining!

(Lacey Brenly)

For any PLRG who has ever had one of those, “I wish I knew how to…” moments, have we got the hookup for you. PLRG’s we’d like you to meet I WISH.

Roll me. Immediately.

I WISH is Chicagoland’s premier private and group lesson provider. Read: Want to learn how to roll sushi? Belly dance? Salsa dance? Make salsa? These are your guys.

According to them, “I WISH combines highly personalized lessons in almost any subject with the convenience of classes brought right to you. I WISH also coordinates neighborhood classes, which are a unique way to mingle with other members of your community while learning something new in a fun environment.” Sounds to us like a great opportunity to learn a new skill while picking up some hotties or hanging out with friends.

So here’s the scoop. To our adventurous, loyal, deal-finding readers-we got you the hook up. Click HERE to score some PLRG only deals on some I WISH World Cooking Tour classes and Healthy Party Favorites Done Right, or visit www.iwishlessons.com and check out their neighborhood class schedule to test-drive that new hobby you’ve always wanted to try!

(Lindsey Duda)

PLRGs will love the sleek & chic decor at C-House.

Whether you enjoy eating oysters for their salty seafood taste that pairs oh-so-nicely with a dirty martini, or for their rumored aphrodisiac effects, get excited. C-House Restaurant (located in the Affinea Hotel) just announced the arrival of the “One Buck Shuck” oyster menu, available every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 4pm-7pm. The specials include $1 oysters from the amazing raw bar plus $3 oyster shooters, $8 fried oysters, $6 oyster gratin and $6 oyster po’boy sandwiches (served with spicy slaw and aioli on a brioche roll).

Because we’re so into oysters this month (especially at these prices) we wanted to share with you some fun facts about these slimy ocean wonders that are sure to entertain. You can never have too many random “did you know” anecdotes anyway, right?

1. Oysters, like humans, are either male or female. Also like humans, oysters have the ability (and do) change their sex (minus the visit to Dr. 90210)! Oysters have gonads that produce eggs AND sperm, and on average an oyster will have a “sex change” at lease once during their life.
2. Oysters are not the only shellfish that can make pearls- clams and mussels also have the capability although it is far more rare than with the oyster. So how do they do it? Pearls start to form when a foreign object or substance gets into the oyster’s shell. The oyster begins to cover the item with the same material that makes up its shell, called nacre (mostly calcium & protein). Slowly but surely a pearl is formed. When man (pearl harvesters) helps this process by opening the shell and inserting the foreign substance, the pearls are known as cultured. Because they are less rare, cultured pearls are typically less expensive than non-cultured pearls.
3. Greek Goddess Aphrodite is said to have emerged from the sea on an oyster shell. The link between the oyster and the Goddess of love and beauty has remained, and today oysters are said to be linked with eternal love (and an increased sex drive). Back in the day, Romans considered oysters to be so valuable that they even traded them for gold.
4. Contrary to what many people believe, oysters are extremely low in calories, fat and cholesterol. They are also nutritionally well-balanced, containing protein, calcium, zinc, iron, lipds and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, D.

Will you score Christian's shoes for half-off?

UPDATE: Yay! So, Oprah’s hooking us up with 50% off at Payless, through close of business Friday. Go to Oprah.com for deets and to print your coupon or have a code sent to your cell phone.

When we have trouble getting to sleep at night, we always find ourselves watching the late-night reruns of Oprah. But, for once, we were more than happy to wake up exhausted this morning because we were able to catch the promo for Thursday’s show.

Set your DVRs, ladies, because Thursday’s show will feature some of your favorite reality show stars, including Heidi Klum & Christian Siriano from Project Runway. The promo promises “HALF-OFF” for Oprah viewers, but of what we are not sure…

What we do know is that both Klum and Siriano are each about to launch new lines of footwear. Klum has been working with Rick & Brian Cytrynbaum, co-founders of  Modern Vintage and Majestic Mills to create her collection, while Siriano has designed an exclusive line of shoes for Payless. Either way, we’re pretty sure the half-off deal will be fierce!

(Lacey Brenly)

PLRG isn’t the only one celebrating an anniversary. One of our all time fave mags, InStyle, is turning 15 this month! Not only do they have a mammoth issue on newstands now, but they’re also offering up a special promotion to all of their readers.

InStyle is inviting all of the PoorLittleRichGirls out there to check out 15 for Fall where you’ll find exclusive deals and special offers from from a host of hot fall collections (27 to be exact). A complimentary facial and make-up application from Shiseido, $15 off a purchase at Express and free shipping from Zappos are just a few of the perks you can score.

But, InStyle knows some of you are feeling the economic pinch these days (what PLRG isn’t?) so they’re also inviting readers to enter daily to win one of four “15 for Fall” $1,000 shopping sprees!

If you win the shopping spree, or just feel like treating yourself, we recommend checking out the Editor’s Picks for tips on what you’ll need to update you wardrobe this fall and how to wear it. Be sure to download the iPhone app too, so you can access all the “15 for Fall” info wherever you go.

(Lacey Brenly)

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is right up there with Spanx and vodka on our list of favorite things ever. As the legend has it, back in the 1960’s Nordstrom needed a way to boost sales in the “dog days” of summer.* So, rather than mark down this seasons’ merchandise, Nordstrom did something revolutionary. Each summer they marked down their brand new Fall and Winter merchandise before the season, allowing customers to stock up on in season cold weather essentials at prices almost 50% off!

The tradition continues Friday, July 17- Monday, August 3. But, for those in the know you can also shop the Pre-Sale and guarantee your purchases (and size, color choice, etc.) prior Friday. They’ll just hold your items, run your credit card Friday morning and you can pick up your stuff after work.

If you do wait until Friday to actually shop the sale get there early. REALLY early. Women have been known to actually camp out in line and wait for the store to open. But, with such sweet deals on winter staples, do you blame them?

*The sale actually began at Best Apparel in the 1940’s. Nordstrom, which was just a shoe store at that time later acquired Best Apparel and expanded the sale. It was this aquisition that put Nordstrom on the path to it’s present day “department store” status.

(Lacey Brenly)

People might try to tell you that the big difference between Catholic schools and others schools is the class size, the curriculum or the community. But, in my experience, what makes Catholic Schools so unique are the nuns. Very different from teachers, nuns are mysterious (just what are they wearing under those habits?) and crafty people (they can turn just about anything into a  punishment).  A few weeks back, the PLRG team went to check out the show “Put the Nuns in Charge” at the Royal George Theater, and now we have a new adjective to describe these holy ladies- hilarious!

If you’ve never seen any of the Nuns 4 Fun shows (Late Night Catechism, Sunday School Cinema, etc.) you’re in for a real treat. Each show is a “class” for adults being taught by a Catholic Nun and just like any good class, student (or in this case, audience) participation is a big part of the learning process.

So, it was no surprise when Eryn was immediately called on stage so Sister could make an example of her. “Eryn, is this something you think Mary, the blessed mother of our Lord, would wear?” Sister, played by Kathleen Puls Andrade, asked. Sister then gave Eryn a tissue to cover the 2 inches of her bare neck and a bracelet with the initials WWMW (What Would Mary Wear). Conveniently, Sister pointed out, if the bracelet was read upside down, it then would stand for Mary Wore Minimal Makeup. The crowd was already roaring with laughter as Sister went on to discuss the sinful Ms. Britney Spears and remind Eryn that she needs to look to Mary the Mother of God, not Mary Magdalene for fashion direction. 

Ok, so this isn’t your typical Sunday School class, but these aren’t your average nuns either! The talented crew at Nuns 4 Fun have over 70 years of combined acting and comedy experience (and maybe a few bad Catholic School memories) to draw on. Written by Vicki Quade, “Put the Nuns in Charge” is a sequel of sorts to one of Chicago’s longest running comedy shows, “Late Night Catechism.” This time around, Sister is teaching her class about the Seven Deadly Sins and along the way she draws on plenty of examples from the world of celebrity and pop-culture to prove her points (she’s got something to say about everything from Mel Gibson to iPods).

Put the Nuns in Charge made for a perfect girls night out, busting chops with Sister and reverting back to our grade-school selves. We think you and your girls (oh, and boyfriends, family, etc.) will have such a good time at this show, that we’ve worked out an exclusive deal to get you in for half the price. Just mention PLRG when booking your tickets to get them for just $15 a piece (regularly $30)!

Late Nite Catechism (8pm Thursday & Saturday)
Put the Nuns in Charge! (8pm Friday & 5pm Saturday)
Sunday School Cinema (3pm Sunday)

Royal George Theatre
1641 N. Halsted
312.988.9000

(Lacey Brenly)

Finding something decent to eat for lunch under $10 can be a challenge. Sure, there’s plenty of cheap food out there, but does it taste any good? How about the quality?

This month, you won’t have to compromise if you stop by Bin 36 on your lunch break. The entire month of April, they’ll be serving up select sandwiches or salads with a soda included for just $9. McyD’s has nothing on Bin’s Wood Grilled Burger, 8oz. with your choice of cheese or their Salad Nicoise, the classic made with rare ahi tuna.  

Check out the menu on the Bin 36 website for more tasty $9 options. 

(Lacey Brenly)