Fiesta!

Beat the humidity with an ice cold margarita on the cheap.

As Tori Spelling said on NBC's The Today Show this morning, "It's Hump Day!" After explaining to Kathy Lee that Hump Day can mean more than just the obvious, I started pondering on what the perfect summer Hump Day drink would be-- and where a Diva-on-a-dime could find the best deal on that drink.

Here's what I found:

Drink: Margarita
Why? On a humid afternoon like today, there's no better way to cool off (well, unless you have access to a pool or boat). Plus, the salt will help to replenish your overheated body.
Where? Masa Restaurant (439 Tremont St., South End).
Deal: $5 each, all of July.
Pair with: July's $24.95 three-course summer menu. And if you'd prefer sangria, Masa is offering $5 pitchers all July as well.

Dinner in under 10 minutes and $3

This, I am quick to admit: I may be a Diva-of-many-trades, but a domestic Diva I am not. Until, that is, I found a hidden treasure at Trader Joe's (899 Boylston St., Back Bay).

A bag of frozen mushroom risotto may not sound appealing, but, as I enjoyed my dinner, I was utterly convinced this wasn't what I heated up on my stove top four minutes prior, and rather, something I'd enjoyed in Italy two years ago.

It gets better, too: One bag of Trader Joe's brand mushroom risotto was $2.79, with three servings, 140 calories per serving. This "domestic" Diva had two dinners out of this find. There's a few other varieties of risotto, too, if mushrooms don't float your boat.

Everything (makeup) is a dollar

Why Nordstrom's latest makeover to one brand may save you tons on your makeover-- or makeup-- needs.

Nordstrom has recently bought the makeup line ELF (eyes-lips-face) and has plans to repackage the the product with their own name and label. As a result, makeup with ELF packaging is getting the boot, and most of the items are available for $1 on ELF's web site.

For orders over $15, enter CAROLINA to save $7.50. For Divas who spend over $75, free shipping is included.

Got the Tuesday blues?

I've got just the remedy: Sushi, tequila, and salsa dancin'.

Beginning tonight, and EVERY TUESDAY through August 24, Sushi-Teq (510 Atlantic Ave., Theatre District) will have complimentary tequila tastings (one of its 69 varieties) and free salsa dancing lessons. It's from 6-8 PM. And did I mention there's outdoor (and waterfront) seating?

A few words of wine-buying wisdom...

...From some of Shoestring's finest bargainistas

Eat & Drink: Bargain Booze Buying Basics
Tue, Jun 2, 2009 1:59 PM
Shoestring Magazine

From perfectly timing your purchases to working it at your local wine shop, take this guide to the bank with our tips for buying — and saving on — all your adult beverages this summer.

read more

What's in store this week

Say hello to June with some stellar deals this week that won't break your bank account.

1. $10 Wine Crash Course: Summer Sippers in Wine. Need I explain more? Tuesday, June 2, 7PM at the Wine Gallery (375 Boylston St., Brookline).

2. Join Groupon. You're e-mailed a different offer in the Boston-area each day and, if the minimum amount of people required for this deal sign up, you all receive the discounted rate; if not enough people sign up, the deal is null-and-void (the special offers rely on a group rate-- hence groupon-- and differ depending on what the offer entails). Some recent offers have included steeply discounted mani/pedis at a Newbury salon, tennis lessons at a local country club, and a massage at over 50% off.

3. Take a blissfully free yoga class. lululemon (Prudential Center, Back Bay) and The SportsClub/LA (4 Avery St., Theatre District) have partnered up to offer a yoga class for attendees to "experience the sweetness, strength, and power connected to backbending." Thursday, June 4, 6:30-8PM. To join, e-mail samrein@mp-sportsclub.com or call 617-375-8537; mention the plug in lululemon's May 28th e-newsletter.

4. $1 oysters/half-priced apps/$2.50 drafts in the North End. Mondays through Fridays/Mondays through Fridays 4-7PM/anytime, respectively, at The Living Room (101 Atlantic Ave., North End).

5. If you're a Bank of America, see fine art for free this weekend. Bank of America's Museums on Us program gives cardholders free general admission to over 100 museums nationwide on the first weekend of each month. Saturday, June 6 through Sunday, June 7 (closes at 7PM) at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Ave., Fenway/Kenmore). Bring a photo ID and any Bank of America card.

Stay in shape on a Dime

Because, hey, before you know it we'll be gym-rats again!

The ever-anticipated Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and for those of us Divas in the Northeast it means three key things:

1. We can finally wear white without worrying about that fashion-faux-pas, which was ingrained into our minds long ago.
2. Our tanlines are no longer non-existent.
3. It's "summer."

My point here is this: Take advantage of the next few months of beautiful weather and consider taking your workout routine outside. As a frequenter to the gym for as long as I can remember, I never thought I'd be one to say, "I'll be 'freezing' my gym membership this week." But I just said it, and I am. Because I realized two MAJOR benefits of doing so: I'll get fresh air after a long day in the office and save a pretty penny each month.

If you're locked into a gym membership, inquire about "freezing" it-- some gyms will charge you a small fee per month to keep it "frozen," while others may not even allow it. Because of the state of the economy, however, plenty of gyms in the area are offering promos to those "freezing"-- not canceling-- memberships (such as no-charge "freezing" for X-number of months).

Once you've "frozen" that membership, warm-up outside with one of these no- or low- cost exercises:

1. Running. Burns 600 to 700 calories/hr. There's plenty of routes in the area to conquer head-on, including the Charles' River Esplanade or down Beacon St., retracing the Boston Marathoners' route. Look up other local routes at MapMyRun.com.

2. Walking. Burns about 250 calories/hr., depending on your pace. Make it as simple as walking, instead of other transportation, or go for a power-walk along one of the MyMyRun.com routes.

3. Swimming. Burns 500 to 600 calories/hr. The Mirabella (North End) Pool (Commercial St., North End). $10 for the entire summer. Enough said.

4. Tennis. Free outdoor courts throughout the city (Patience not included! Courts can be busy and waits can be long, especially on weekends). There are two courts on the Common, one in the South End's Southwest Corridor, two on the Esplanade close to North Station, and several at North End park on Commercial St.; check out a complete list of court locations (and which ones are lit) here.