Deals & Discounts

More than 16 percent of Cook County residents experience food insecurity, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2009, and in some communities more than 40 percent of people are uncertain where they will get their next meals. Partnering with a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across Cook County, the Greater Chicago Food Depository collects donated and purchased food and distributes it to underserved families.

Last year, the food depository distributed more than 18 million pounds of fresh produce to ensure people had access to nutritionally sound meals. Volunteers pack food into Producemobiles, which transport fruits and vegetables to low-income communities. Each week the food depository provides access to nourishment for more than 142,000 people, of which more than one-third are children and nearly 40 percent are working families. During the next few years, the food depository aims to expand its fresh-produce supply to represent 30 percent of its overall annual distribution.

Join G-Team and donate $10 to help provide fresh fruit to supplement the meals of low-income families. Each G-Team member's donation of $10 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository can purchase and distribute one week's worth of fresh fruit to a family of four.

Unlike traditional Groupon deals, G-Team campaigns typically don't offer you a "discount" or "savings." So "buyer" beware-when you click "Buy" to donate your time or money to a worthwhile G-Team cause, the only discount you may receive is 100 percent off free, priceless karma. Read more about G-Team.

The ocean has long been a stage for humanity's grandest achievements, from Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe to Columbus's discovery that lobsters look like tiny monsters. Set sail for seafood with this Groupon.

$25 for a Shared Seven-Course Japanese Prix Fixe Meal for Two (Up to $51 Value)

Japanese and contemporary European flavors blend together in a formidable menu featuring fresh oysters and green-tea-washed mackerel pike extolled by Time Out Chicago. Choose one dish for each course:

Course One - Sashimi Dish

• Half-dozen fresh oysters with spicy daikon oroshi
• Four raw cherry stone clams with spicy yuzu sauce
• Seared zuke salmon
• Beef sashimi with chili mayonnaise, truffle oil, and chive
• Spicy squid with cucumber

Course Two - Salad Dish

• Wasabi-marinated seaweed salad
• Golden beet salad with prosciutto and blue cheese
• Apple and spinach salad

Course Three - Fried Dish

• Avocado tempura avocado
• Tiger fries with spicy truffle mayo
• Spicy chicken wings

Course Four - Appetizer

• Grilled beef tongue
• Braised pork belly
• Homemade veggie tofu
• Gyoza

Course Five - Grilled Item

• Marinated spare ribs
• Japanese sardine with marinated pollock roe
• Mushroom butter yaki
• Green-tea-washed mackerel pike

Course Six - Entree

• Choose any rice or noodle dish from the menu

Course Seven - Dessert

• Choose any dessert from the menu

Lure Izakaya Pub

Sleek wooden panels and minimalistic tables stand stoically within the Michelin-recommended Lure Izakaya Pub, amplified by monsoons of colorful florescent light and nonstop wafts of innovative Japanese tapas. Chefs arrange succulent pork belly, house-made tofu, and freshly netted seafood into small plates shareable at both dinner and brunch. The menu also gives star billing to a rotating roster of new creations crafted from seasonally available ingredients, as well as wood-grilled tapas flavored with a hint of cherry, apple, or the second little pig.

Sushi can be thought of as a super food, since it contains precisely proportioned nutrients in every bite and temporarily enables the capacity to whistle in multiple languages. Harness the power of the sea with today's Groupon to Blue Fin Sushi Bar in Wicker Park:

• For $15, you get $30 worth of sushi on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
• For $15, you get $35 worth of sushi on Sunday-Wednesday.

Blue Fin Sushi Bar's cutlery-wielding chefs present dozens of rolls in a modern dining room that mirrors their forward-thinking interpretations of traditional sushi. Extra-spicy tuna adds a polychromatic pop to the top of the Kamikaze maki ($14.95), which emulates the way seaweed rises up from the deep to pull the sun over the horizon daily. Jalapeno lends kick to Ocean Drive roll ($14.95), empowering it to face the tempura-fried might of the Rainbow Dragon roll ($15.95) and its crunchy shrimp, spicy mayo, tuna, and salmon. Tongues leap out to smack lips in anticipation of the Shiroyama roll ($11.95), each piece crowned with a baked scallop and spicy mayo, much like the anointing of the Queen of the Lobster Ball. A full bar keeps throats slick with libations, and guests can bring their own brews for a $2 fee per person.

Art involves creativity and a release of inner emotions, unlike Latin, which involves rote memorization and stifling emotions through three years of law school. Enjoy magnum opuses instead of magna cartas with this Groupon.

$9 for One Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago (Up to $18 Value)

Stepping through the doors of the Art Institute of Chicago can be a breathtaking experience, and not only because of the exquisite architecture under its high ceilings, such as marble staircases; the Institute houses thousands of works of art from all over the world, works spanning five millennia of human creativity. Guests can take a miniature world tour-without becoming an ant and crawling across a globe-by exploring the Institute's collections, which include new sectors dedicated to African and South Asian art. Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte -- 1884 and Gustave Caillebotte's Paris Street; Rainy Day draw visitors into the expansive Impressionist collection, with works by artists including Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Mary Cassatt. A two-story modern wing displays remarkable works by European and American artists. Visitors can also take in traveling exhibitions such as Light Years: Conceptual Art and the Photograph, 1964-1977, running through March 11. Exclusive to Chicago, the exhibit explores the emergence of photography in the world of contemporary art and includes works by Eastern European artists rarely shown in the U.S.

Children under the age of 14 and Art Institute of Chicago members are admitted for free, and Illinois residents are admitted for free the first and second Wednesday of every month.

The Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago seeks to educate and inspire the public with collections of artwork from all over the world, representing the immense potential and variety of human creativity. Intricate sculptures created in South Asia date back as far as the second century, and photography exhibits trace the work of lens masters all the way back to 1839. The Institute's contemporary sectors build on that embrace of humanity's more recent mediums of inventiveness by showcasing wild outgrowths of artistic genres, including new media, conceptual installations, and self-portraits painted using only blue cheese salad dressing. A two-story modern wing, meanwhile, houses nearly 1,000 influential pieces by American and European artists such as Pablo Picasso, Rene Magritte, and Salvador Dalí.

Bowling is a model for interpersonal relationships-the ball is your scream and the pins are other people's opinions. Make a striking statement with today's Groupon: for $12, you get a bowling outing for up to six people at Fireside Bowl (up to a $48 total value). The outing includes the following:

• One hour of bowling (up to a $30 value)
• Shoe rental (a $3/bowler value)

Guests stand astride the chasm between past and future in Fireside Bowl's vintage alley, designed and built in the 1940s and complete with a throwback bowling vibe punctuated by modern amenities. Groups of up to six orb slingers, garbed in pairs of provided bowling shoes, sidle up to lanes to stare down smug pins during hour-long increments, allowing players to partake in multiple quick games or one leisurely frame. Computer-scoring systems monitor each lane to document the number of vanquished pins, and the alley's traditional decor, which includes wall-to-wall murals, evokes a relaxed, timeless ambiance.

Without the ability to order saganaki at a Greek restaurant, people could only acquire flaming cheese by rescuing a Full House box set from a burning video store. Feast on fiery fromage with this Groupon.

$10 for $20 Worth of Greek Fare and Drinks for Dinner

Flaming saganaki is $6.50, moussaka layered with ground beef, lamb, and eggplant is $13.95, and two whole quails marinated in fresh lemon oil are $16.95. See the menu.

Greek Village Taverna

Greek Village Taverna's white-washed exterior, which is trimmed with blue shutters and draped in vines, whisks diners to Grecian shores even before they enter the lavishly decorated interior, ready to be plied with classic eats. As servers ignite brandy-soaked saganaki at white-draped tables, diners peruse a menu of traditional Greek fare and Mediterranean specialties. Chefs plate fresh seafood and spear grilled meats onto kebabs, then broil tender cuts of lamb to bronze it for swimsuit season on the Greek Islands. Tongues that utter specialties such as moussaka and spanakotiropita are rewarded for their efforts with platefuls of the much-beloved dishes.

Rustic wooden barrels top the bar's shelves, while stucco-style walls, indoor greenery, and sumptuously hung curtains transport visitors to the streets of a Grecian village as quickly as a homesick Aegean Airlines jet. On Saturdays, a belly dancer's smoothly rotating hips hypnotize tables at 7:30 p.m. until live music reanimates them at 8 p.m.

Finding the real-world locations used in a film can be daunting without a guide to point out the city's matte paintings and CGI fire hydrants. Sniff out movie magic with this Groupon.

$15 for a Ticket to The Blues Brothers Bus Tour (a $30 Value)

Departing on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m., passengers-mounted in a comfy motor coach-explore the streets of Chicago on the heels of the titular characters from The Blues Brothers, visiting the sights and settings of the 1980 film. Multiple video monitors throughout the cabin play corresponding clips as the bus passes sites from the movie such as the orphanage, Soul Food Cafe, and Ray's Music Shop. The 90-minute tour covers miles of city streets as guides provide amusing behind-the-scenes anecdotes gleaned from research, DVD commentaries, and John Belushi's personal memoirs, published as a stack of cocktail napkins in 1981.

Chicago Film Tour

Trundling down the iconic avenues and streets of the Windy City, Chicago Film Tour's coach glides by local sights featured on the silver screen in movies such as The Dark Knight, The Fugitive, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Each of the 30 locations on the signature tour features an accompanying movie clip played on the bus' video monitors. Occasional special tours center on sites from one particular film, and passengers can bring their own beverages and snacks on board to re-create their favorite moments in product placement.

Like puzzle pieces, pasta is known for its diverse shapes and ability to easily become lost inside a couch. Discover distinctive noodles with this Groupon.

$12 for $25 Worth of Italian Fare and Drinks

The dinner menu includes house-made pasta dishes, such as gorgonzola-stuffed gnocchi and tortellini with Italian prosciutto and peas ($8-$12 each), and entrees such as fresh sauteed Atlantic salmon and roast duck ($12-$16 each). Italian and California wines cost $6-$7 per glass.

BaPi Italian Ristorante

Chef Cristiano Bassani crowns BaPi Italian Ristorante's romantic white tablecloths with traditional Italian dishes forged from upscale ingredients. Fresh vegetables and herbs festoon entrees anchored by a menagerie of seafood and succulent cuts of veal, rabbit, and duck. House-made gnocchi, ravioli, and tortellini procure travelogue-writing tips from imported egg penne noodles, and chefs bake bread daily to soak up a stable of tomato, meat, and cream sauces as rich and colorful as a rainbow's stock portfolio. Italian and California red, white, and sparkling elixirs populate the eatery's wine list. BaPi Italian Ristorante can also equip sizeable fetes and finicky ovens with catering pans that sate up to 60 partygoers or one moderately peckish narwhal.

A spotless car attracts favorable attention from the opposite gender, avian graffiti artists, and the person whose house you just drove it through. Make a clean getaway with this Groupon.

Choose Between the Following

$40 for an interior detail with Lexol cleaner and conditioning or a hand-wax detail with carnauba wax and tar removal (an $80 value)

• Exterior hand wash
• Armor All application
• Floor-mat shampoo treatment

$95 for a showroom detail (a $200 value)

• Exterior hand wash
• Clay service, polishing, and carnauba wax
• Scratch remover
• Glass polish
• Leather cleaning and conditioning
• Interior shampoo treatment

Detail Kings

Owner Paul Kludac and the car buffs at Detail Kings harness the restorative power of elbow grease during full-service, hands-on car-wash and detailing services performed at three cleaning facilities. Whether locking in shine with Armor All applications, evicting paint-dulling contaminants with clay service, or hiding minor swirls with carnauba-wax massages, technicians remind outer shells to return to their showroom origins.

During mobile vehicle-detailing sessions at homes or offices, the skilled staff hauls cleaning tools inside a trailer that contains its own water and electricity, busting highway-earned grime on the inside and out. This commitment to car cleaning know-how has earned the shop celebrity clients, including Michael Jordan and Police Car #2 from The Italian Job.

Menus are laminated to prevent staining from diners' spilled coffee or attempts to pen "lobster" into every item's description. Get the dish you really want with this Groupon.

$15 for $30 Worth of Steakhouse Fare and Drinks During Dinner

Sandwiches start at $7, baby back ribs and seafood start at $14, and steak dinners start at $25. See the full menu.

Saban's Place

Founded in 1962, Saban's Place stands as a nostalgic throwback to old fashioned, family-run supper clubs. Chefs fire tried-and-true steak and seafood dishes such as broiled fillet, new york strip, and sauteed walleye flanked by hot rolls and a choice of potato. Dinners also entitle patrons to cruise the salad bar, where house-made dressings stand ready to be drizzled onto crunchy bites of lettuce or a discriminating toddler's pacifier. Chefs conclude meals on a sweet note with freshly made desserts.

If you're going to make a stack of dough disappear, it had better be a pile of pancakes. Cash in on a deal sweeter than maple syrup from PC's Pancake Cafe: Pay $12 for $24 worth of food and drink at this flapjack palace, known for its signature apple pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice. Sip a steaming mug of Royal Kona blend coffee as you sink your fork into the gooey Granny Smith apple pancakes, baked and blanketed in a cinnamon glaze. Bring the family in for gourmet thick-cut bacon, omelets made to order, and crepes and waffles. Or stop in at lunch for a rich array of big salads and sandwiches, like the Italian beef or Navy Pier -- tuna salad on a kaiser roll with melted American cheese. Whether you prefer a short stack or a tall stack, this deal will leave you with plenty of silver dollars in your pocket.

Like diamond-encrusted shoelaces or socks without holes, pedicures make feet fancy. Keep it classy with this Groupon: for $28, you get two pedicures at Heyo Nail (a $56 value).

Heyo Nail's digit designers treat tootsies to a panoply of treatments that last roughly half an hour. Stiletto fillers dip into a softening soak made of liquefied lullabies before technicians file and shape talons. Calluses shrink and cuticles become supple as the experienced tech details and massages each digit, and a coat of polish turns tootsies into 20 colorful sock baubles.

Cookies are often referred to as "the thinking person's treat," primarily because of their ability to double as an abacus. Think ahead with this Groupon.

$20 for a Gourmet Cookie Basket (a $40.99 Value)

Choose from more than 60 varieties of seasonal and occasion-themed gift baskets that hold one dozen assorted cookies and two decorated cookies.

Cookies in Bloom

Cookies in Bloom's dedicated bakers craft daily batches of preservative-free cookies from scratch, often hand-decorating them with thick buttercream frosting. The treat-forgers create more than 300 different shapes of cookies in flavors that include chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter. The shop‘s thematic gift packages laud anniversaries, teachers, birthdays, and congratulations, and brownies and cookie cakes secure givers a special place in recipients' hearts or in the line at the DMV. Each sweet treat can arrive on doorsteps across the country packaged safely and with a crumble-free guarantee.

Facials have long served as catalysts for social mobility, buffing away the blemishes of aspiring runway models and providing entry-level job experience for adolescent pressure washers. Blast away bumps and social barriers with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options

• $29 for one advanced microdermabrasion treatment (a $125 value)
• $55 for two advanced microdermabrasion treatments (a $250 value)
• $99 for four advanced microdermabrasion treatments (a $500 value)

The noninvasive facial treatment gently exfoliates epidermises with medical-grade baking soda to diminish fine lines, wrinkles, and evidence of sun damage.

Yazmin Facebody

The aestheticians at Yazmin Facebody target wrinkles, sun damage, and acne with Éminence products that exfoliate skin while guests relax in a spa environment replete with calming earth tones. Light-based microtherapy facials stimulate collagen and restore elasticity, and advanced microdermabrasion treatments gently exfoliate epidermises with medical-grade baking-soda crystals. Other signature facial treatments call upon extracts from menthol, grapefruit, and poppy seeds to manage breakouts and shape up slovenly pores. Warm wax de-fuzzes more than a dozen areas of the body-including arms, legs, and glued-on gorilla masks-and Yazmin's infrared body-slimming treatment cocoons torsos to improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Massage therapy is among the best ways to achieve relaxation, on a par with listening to actor Ed Harris chant in whale song. Sink into serenity with today's Groupon: for $42, you get a 50-minute Swedish massage at Tiffani Kim Institute Medical Spa, located near the Chicago Avenue Brown Line CTA stop (an $85 value).

The expert staff at Tiffani Kim Institute Medical Spa adroitly eliminates kinks and stress with Swedish massages. The modality necessitates that staffers vacillate among kneading, rolling, and pressing motions to calm aching muscles and jump-start circulation before swaddling feet in hot towels.

Treatments take place in a medical-spa space carefully designed to ease stressed-out psyches and lull twitchy bodies into blissful torpor. Exposed brick and hardwood floors evoke domestic relaxation, and soothing earth tones and comfy chairs relax waiting-room-bound guests and take the sting out of mistaking new-patient forms for unusually relevant crosswords.

For the past quarter-hour, your kids have been stuck inside playing games with names like Chase the Dog and Jump on the Bed. Make some change with today's deal from Nickel City in Northbrook: Pay $15 for admission for two plus 120 nickels, 300 tickets, one large pizza, and one pitcher of soda (a $30 value). Use the nickels to play more than 100 video and redemption games, like Skee-Ball, Bozo Buckets, and basketball. Or let the kids flex their fingers on a free-play video game, like Pac-man or Tetris. After an afternoon of fun, winning tickets can be used to pick up prizes ranging from stuffed animals to high-end electronics. Coin some new games with this deal, while saving your pretty pennies. Want more? Check out Nickel City on Facebook.

Between hiding gossip site web surfing from your boss and concealing the fact that you're actually a Yankees fan from your White Sox-loving friends, you're a master of disguise. Today's deal helps you hide something else: earth, which you'll transform into beautiful pottery. Get a 90-minute pottery class good for children or adults for $15 (regularly $40) at Terra Incognito in Oak Park. You'll learn how to make a lace drop plate, perfect for serving up meatloaf disguised as cupcakes. The plate is ready to pick up two weeks after your class, leaving plenty of time for your family and friends to wonder how you managed to take something nondescript and shape it into a beautiful work of art. Want more? Check out Terra Incognito on Facebook.

You may read the Chicago RedEye every morning, but that doesn't mean your face should rosy, too. Breaking news: With today's deal from Enfuse Medical Spa in Bucktown, you can get one fractional Alma Lasers Pixel Perfect skin-resurfacing treatment for $99 (regularly $750). A medical esthetician will begin your session with an included skin consultation to better understand your individual skin type and issues. The scoop behind this painless procedure is that a gentle laser light aimed at your skin stimulates new collagen production and targets the tiny vessels below your skin's surface. The treatment heals redness, uneven complexion and texture, wrinkles, scars, and fine lines. Afterward, you'll have a new edition of smooth, youthful skin, so don't miss the deadline on this 87%-off deal.

Humans wear clothes to protect their hairless bodies from the elements and flaunt their ability to change out of tuxedoes in front of penguins. Ruffle feathers with this Groupon.

$30 for $60 Worth of Name-Brand Jeans and Women's Apparel

Request Jeans women's denim starting at $68, new spring T-shirts and tops starting at $57, and jewelry costs $60 or less.

The Denim Loft

On-site jean hemming and advice from affable staff members assist The Denim Loft's customers in their search for a flatteringly fitted pair of jeans. In addition to denim from top brands such as Rock Revival and Joe's Jeans, the boutique completes looks with dresses, customizable jewelry, and perfume for women and kids.

Muscle pangs, if not treated in a timely manner, can evolve into chronic aches, which inevitably give way to the achy-breaks that so often shatter our hearts. Beat pain to the punch with this Groupon.

$59 for a Heated Siesta Massage ($120 Value)

An aromatherapy massage makes up 50 minutes of the 90-minute treatment, augmented by a scented steam bath, hydrotherapy, hot towels, and a soothing scalp massage.

Serenity Day Spa

Floor-to-ceiling alabaster columns span Serenity Day Spa, an idyllic oasis staffed with certified aestheticians and massage therapists adept at drawing out inborn beauty encumbered by age and pent-up stress. Pastoral murals splash their soft hues against the walls of the spa's private rooms, where pampering professionals cocoon clients in customizable body wraps and alleviate deep aches with a wide array of massages, from traditional Swedish bodywork to holistic reiki. Personalized skin analyses prelude facials and peels designed to combat the natural effects of aging or getting a bear hug from Father Time, and a comprehensive menu of waxing services ensures that fur-ridden guests can shed superfluous strands from toes to top hats.

Massage helps to relieve aches caused by old sports injuries or a habit of entering buildings by motorcycling through the window. Rev up the relaxation with this Groupon: for $99, you get a spa package at Spa Constantine (up to a $210 total value). This Groupon is valid at the spa's two locations in Downers Grove and Oak Park. The spa package includes:

• A 60-minute Swedish massage (a $75 value)
• A 60-minute facial (up to a $90 value)
• A pedicure (a $45 value)

Classical sculpture and mirrors create an Old-World atmosphere at Spa Constantine, where spa travelers navigate the lengthy list of spa services to discover treatments that improve health, appearance, and mood. A one-hour Swedish massage addresses bodily complaints, appeasing them with effleurage and promises of ice-cream-sundae baths to alleviate tension and aches while encouraging circulation. Cranium covers can relish one of seven eligible facials, including the gentle La Europa with botanical extracts, the hydrating La Sea for dry mugs, or the rejuvenating La Lift for skin that's recently undergone microdermabrasion or a chemical treatment. Well-traveled paws find respite with a pedicure, during which they surrender nails, cuticles, and calluses to foot attendants. The technicians also rev leg engines with a lotion-fueled massage before bringing polish planes in for a landing on keratin runways.

Both of Spa Constantine's locations tout opulent furnishings, from carved wooden benches softened by gilded pillows to tall golden pillars capped by plush greenery. Pedicure stations cradle clients in reclined chairs with whirlpool tubs, and pedicurists use the glow from crystal chandeliers to differentiate toes from dropped grapes or missing glass eyeballs.

Whether one is in a neighborhood bar or a mannequin shop, a new friend is not far away. Meet a new BFF with this Groupon.

$10 for $20 Worth of Bar Fare

Classic eats include half-pound charbroiled cheeseburgers ($5.75), italian-beef sandwiches ($5.50), jumbo shrimp ($6.50), and Home Run Inn pizzas ($9). See the full menu here.

The Shamrock Club

The Shamrock Club, "River North's neighborhood bar and grill," offers a low-key, relaxed atmosphere to soothe senses inundated by the busyness of the city's bustling downtown. Inside, patrons devour casual eats of mozzarella sticks and corned-beef sandwiches while swigging drafts, watching the game on TV, or solving complex geometric theorems before friendly battles on the pool table. Casual sidewalk seating and tables sit out front, patiently waiting for outside company in warm months.

Like the walls of an art museum, the face can be a showcase for perfectly mixed flesh tones or reddish blotches signed by Monet. Clean up your facial canvas with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

• $49 for a salicylic 20% or 30% chemical peel, 15-minute exfoliating microdermabrasion treatment, or a 30-minute session of dermaplaning (up to a $125 value)
• $79 for two chemical peels, two microdermabrasions treatments, or two dermaplaning sessions (up to a $250 value)

Fine Skin Dermatology and Medical Spa

Fine Skin Dermatology and Medical Spa director Renuka H. Bhatt, MD keeps a close eye on her staff of board-certified dermatologists, aestheticians, and physicians' assistants as they work to foster skin rejuvenation. Like schoolchildren solving a word problem about peaches, techs trained in IPL hair removal deftly subtract fuzz, and visages in need of a pick-me-up can turn to a range of dermal fillers and UV-light treatments. Throughout their myriad treatments, skin specialists employ skin-preserving product lines such as NeoStrata, Pevonia, Kinerase, and Obagi.

As long as you're clued in, a two-headed penny in a coin toss can be a good friend. Let us give you a heads-up on another little secret: Today's deal from Two Tails Market & Eatery is a win-win. Take $25 worth of Chicago Stockyards prime meat and the highest quality fresh seafood from the gourmet market for $12. Or, stop by for a relaxing meal in the comfortable restaurant, and you'll get $30 worth of food and drink for $15. Be sure to try the spicy grouper sandwich, pan-seared and served on fresh French bread with chipotle mayo. Or, opt for the hearty prime rib au jus, served sizzling hot with your choice of sides. Either way, with this half-off deal in hand, the odds of enjoying some delicious eats are in your favor. Want more? Visit Two Tails Market & Eatery on Facebook.

You've got flannel sheets on your bed, a great new Snuggie, and enough instant hot chocolate to sip your way through the rest of the winter. Bundle up your lawn with today's deal from Express Mulch Company, where you'll pay $52 (regularly $104) to layer your outdoor beds with 2 cubic yards of mulch -- all delivered and professionally laid. Express Mulch's top-notch tools allow these lawncare experts to reach even the most remote areas for home and business landscaping services. Hop on the company's mulch calculator to get an idea of your yard's unique needs, then grab this deal. At half-off, it's easy math -- and an easy decision -- to keep your outdoors comfy and cozy all winter long.

Braving ice and snow requires specialty equipment: snowshoes for walking, snow tires for driving, and flamethrowers for gently freeing pets from snowdrifts. Stock up on snow gear with this Groupon.

$39 for $80 Worth of Snowboarding and Skateboarding Gear and Apparel

Men's shoes start around $34.99, helmets start around $39.99, and complete skateboards start around $129.99. (These prices do not include sale items).

Shred Shop

The idea behind Shred Shop was conceived over cocktails after an intense snowboarding session in Jackson Hole, circa 1988. Since then, Chris Bachman has evolved the notion of bringing a snowboarding store to the Midwest from a tiny mail-order company into a 10,000-square-foot, all-encompassing snow and skate shop. Passionate shred masters help customers to choose from a massive inventory of gear from top industry brands such as K2 and Lib Technologies snowboards and Never Summer longboards. With an inventory dedicated to latest in shred capability and style, the two-story retail space stands as a colorful emporium of action sports equipment that also stocks up on gear for watersports and accessories for the futuristic realm of gaseous sports.

Watching a show during dinner is the most exciting way to liven up a meal, next to juggling silverware at the table or paying the violinists to play the entire Black Sabbath catalog. Delve into a meal while being entertained with this Groupon: for $39, you get one general-admission ticket to Medieval Times in Schaumburg, complete with a four-course meal (up to a $67.60 value, including fees). Choose from the following performances:

• Thursday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m.

At Medieval Times, ironclad knights clash for the title of King's Champion in front of a wide-eyed audience that peppers the battlefield with cheers and jeers between bites of a four-course dinner. Each two-hour tournament channels the pageantry and spectacle of 11th-century Spain, pitting six competitors against each other inside a spacious, sand-filled arena for the honor of earning the title of champion and the favor of the royal court. A spirited musical score infuses epic onslaughts with an extra dose of tension as adversaries joust atop stallions, deflect ferocious blows, and slice through suits forged of authentic junk mail. To further immerse guests in the fairy tale, Medieval Times encourages each guest to declare their allegiance by cheering loudly for the knight in their corner.

Like royal guests centuries ago, spectators bask in the revelry while feasting upon a finger-friendly bill of fare without the aid of forks or the "choo-choo" sounds of parents. The four-course feast includes a tomato-bisque soup starter, oven-roasted chicken with a garlic-bread side, single spare rib, and an herb-basted potato. Servers periodically fill patrons' goblets with soda or water and conclude each meal by serving a sweet pastry dessert.

Though Medieval Times sometimes features a discounted price online, this Groupon still offers the best deal available.

We have a tendency to speed through yellow lights in this town, but there's no need to risk it for today's deal. Get the green light to spend $20 on food and drink during dinner for just $10 at Green Chilli in Naperville. Using only the freshest produce and meats with a healthy dose of spice, these chefs put out dishes so aromatic, they could stop traffic. The menu yields plenty of vegetarian options, from crisp potato and green pea samosas to paneer tikka -- cheese marinated in yogurt and a house blend of spices. Or, switch lanes for a hearty entree of tender lamb, butter chicken, or fish curry with tamarind juice. Be sure to brake for a traditional dessert, such as double ka meetha -- fried dough laced with cardamom syrup and served with a nutty, sweet cream.

Competing in video games has become one of the most popular ways to settle an argument, surpassing thumb wrestling, rochambeau, and flipping a sea turtle. Honor a new tradition with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

$15 for a game-play package (up to a $40 total value)

• Five hours of game play (a $35 value)
• Rental of five games, one per hour (a $5 value)

$19 for a party snack pack (up to a $49.50 value)

• Eight well or soft drinks (up to a $32 value)
• One large one-topping pizza or 24 chicken wings (up to a $17.50 value)
• No gaming time is included with this package

Game Pazzo

Walls of terra cotta and sage burn with the glow from a pantheon of computer screens displaying intensely pixilated battles. Adjacent to pool tables and bags setups, slate tiles and dim sconce lighting frame gaming stations, which comfortably cradle players in leather seating with built-in speakers. The terminals eschew traditional arcade games such as Galaga and PacMan for the 3D stylings of modern consoles that include Wii, Xbox, and PS3, supplemented by a fully stocked shop where gamers can buy, trade, or rent new and used titles. Game Pazzo's vast number of screens ensures that no more than two players ever need to share one, and the venue's LAN provides an arena for up to 10 friends to bond before trying on bridesmaid dresses. In the corner stands a stage for karaoke and Rock Band battles, with genuine converted guitars to make musical games as authentic as playing Donkey Kong with real barrels and an actual gorilla.

The in-house bar and cafe offers libations and grub for kids as well as grown gamers. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights feature Rock Band and karaoke, Wednesday nights offer trivia matchups, and scheduled tournaments give gamers a chance to earn bragging rights and prizes after showing off prowess at games such as Call of Duty and StarCraft. Birthday parties and corporate-event packages are also available.

Just like drawing a mustache on your face with magic marker, experiencing too much stress can make you look older. Reduce the appearance of facial lines with this Groupon.

$39 for an Anti-Stress Facial ($85 Value)

• 10-step treatment lasts 45-60 minutes and includes a cleanse, tone, mask, hand-and-face massage, moisturizer, and eye repair
• Enzymes and lactic acid resurface skin, and stem cells hydrate it
• Benefits aging, dehydrated, dull, tired, and uneven skin
• Can upgrade by paying the difference between the Groupon value and the desired treatment

Salon De Vive

Skilled aesthetician Cristina acts as the only skin specialist at Salon De Vive, where she orchestrates a friendly and inviting environment and offers beautification services such as facials, waxing treatments, and makeup applications. With 17 years of experience under her belt, Cristina helps to improve the look of skinscapes, making skin shimmer like the surface of a lake at twilight, but without skinny-dipping lovebirds constantly frolicking in it.

If left untended, hands have been known to flee arms and take up residence with Addams families. Keep hands from autonomy with this Groupon.

$35 for a No-Chip Manicure and Regular Pedicure ($70 Value)

A one-hour pedicure (a $35 value) paints toes to complement a durable manicure (a $35 value).

Sanela B Salon & Spa

Sanela B Salon & Spa's trained stylists wield Wella, Osis and Aquage products to prettify prized follicles and Cirepil wax to remove unwanted ones. Though staff members specialize in wigs and hair extensions, they keep up to date on the latest beauty trends by constantly continuing their education in other areas such as hair color, eyelash extensions, and eyebrow extensions. Certifications in complex treatments such as chip-free manicures guarantee that hands and feet feel beautifully primped like boy-princes resting atop cushions of fresh fruit.

Amateur photography often leads to sinister red eyes, cropped faces, and strongly worded cease-and-desist letters from Bigfoot's attorneys. Capture visual mysteries with today's Groupon: for $50, you get a four-hour DSLR Photo Essentials class at Balanced Exposure in Schaumburg (a $225 value). Balanced Exposure is located on the 14th floor of Zurich Towers, next to Woodfield Mall.

At Balanced Exposure, professional shutterbug Russell Lowe and his staff illuminate the finer points of digital-camera performance and operation. During the comprehensive DSLR Photo Essentials class, teachers with more than 20 years of experience guide beginning photogs through the workings of DSLR or hybrid digital cameras, acquainting them with the settings, flash, and time-freezing capabilities of their own cameras. Novices learn how and when to tweak shutter speed, aperture, and white balance to capture the best possible photo in every situation, from low light to stroboscopic discotheques. For this class, snap-happy pupils must bring their own camera, memory card, instruction manual, photo ID, and pirate lens patch. Students can check the schedule for class dates and times.

Yoga is a much easier way to exercise both mind and body than testing Einstein's theory of relativity by racing a beam of light. Travel at lithe speed with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

$89 for a holistic-well-being package (a $179 total value)

• One 60-minute Abhyanga massage with warm herbal oils (a $125 value)
• Three walk-in yoga classes (a $54 value)

$105 for a massage package (a $215 total value)

• One 60-minute Abhyanga massage (a $125 value)
• Any other 60-minute massage service (a $90 value)

North Shore Yoga

Instructors at North Shore Yoga and therapists at Integrated Healing Center promote holistic well-being with a one-two punch of movement-based classes and salutary bodywork sessions. Owner Sharyn Galindo honed her yogic talents over 10 years of dedicated practice, including occasional sojourns to Mysore, India and Thailand where she studied Ashtanga techniques while accumulating enough frequent-flyer miles to vacation on Jupiter. Under her tutelage, North Shore Yoga instructors emphasize Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga styles, helping students deepen stretches by heating rooms up to 84 degrees for the majority of sessions. To augment a lifestyle of physical wellness, Integrated Health Center's therapists dole out healing bodywork and alternative treatments, including acupuncture and massage sessions that can help address clients' individual needs by incorporating aromatherapy or organic, herb-infused oils.

Even girls next door know that being down-to-earth doesn't mean you can't look heavenly. With today's deal from Sixth Sense Spa, dare to bare like a Bunny with a signature Playboy bikini wax -- also known as a Brazilian -- and a lip wax for $25 (a $60 value.) The estheticians at this chic Evanston salon will go above and beyond to make sure that you're feeling as pampered as a resident of the Playboy Mansion. Google reviewers fawn over the "practically painless" waxing -- especially for sensitive skin. Sixth Sense uses all-natural products and tailors each treatment so you'll have a smooth experience. Whether you seek a sleek alternative to shaving or want to get groomed for spring break, this deal will leave you feeling like a star.

If your most recent eye exam was to evaluate the length and curl of your lashes, today's deal from Diabetic Eye Centers of America lense some real expertise. Pay $39 for an adult or children's eye exam and $150 to spend on prescription eyewear (a $200 value). Located in LaGrange, this family-friendly practice serves people of all ages, with a niche in caring for the diabetic community. An optometrist will evaluate your eye health and vision strength in a comprehensive exam. Kids will love the gentle care, while you'll appreciate the professional, pristine environment. Once you've got your prescription, browse the selection of designer frames, choose the pair that suits your personal style, and put your eye on the prize of better vision.

An edgy haircut is the best way to showcase your inner rebel without piercing your nose, tattooing your neck, or refusing to take your trash bags out to the curb. Get reborn to be wild with this Groupon.

$60 for a Haircut-and-Highlights Package (Up to $155 Value)

• Haircut (up to a $40 value)
• Partial-foil highlights (a $75 value)
• Deep-conditioning treatment (a $25 value)
• Eyebrow wax (a $15 value)
• Complimentary stress-relieving hand treatment

Though Jevonne Riley sometimes features a discounted price online, this Groupon still offers the best deal available.

Jevonne Riley, an Aveda Salon

Jevonne Riley's hairstylists repel frizz and frayed ends with botanical-based Aveda products combined during coloring, styling, and waxing services performed amid slate-gray walls and umber flooring. A complimentary consultation hammers out clients' tastes before all-over color or partial foils edit hair hues to bring out inner spunk or hide previously outer spunk from the police. Shears rein in overflowing tendrils, carving fringe, layers, or bobs, whereas waxing services whisk unwanted fuzz from the face. Great Lengths hair extensions elongate manes, and Aveda sensory rituals supply clients with complimentary sips of tea, makeup touchups to enhance natural beauty, and a neck-and-shoulder ritual to relax away stress. Jevonne Riley's stylists also preen noggins for special occasions such as weddings, proms, and 20-year book-club reunions.

Downton Abbey has shown us that modern society could do with a healthy dose of decorum, elegantly styled attire, and of course, much more tea. Have a proper cup with today's deal, which gives you $40 to spend on high tea or events at High Tea with Gerri for $20. Or, go for some solo sophistication with high tea for one for $16 (regularly $32). You'll have an intimate afternoon sipping freshly brewed teas from antique china, munching on eight different varieties of tea sandwiches, including beef tenderloin rounds and Scottish salmon pinwheels. Sandwiches are followed by scones, apple rhubarb pie with fresh mint and cream, and assorted petite pastries to cap off the traditional experience. While Lord and Lady Grantham are up to their dickies in English drama, you can spend a highly civilized day in Riverwoods.

A good film is life without the boring bits or any of Carrot Top's scenes. Savor a celluloid delight with today's Groupon to Facets Cinematheque. Choose between the following options:

• For $14, you get a movie package for two (a $32 total value). The package includes:

  • Two tickets to any screening (an $18 value).
  • Two small sodas (a $6 value).
  • Two small popcorns (a $8 value).

• For $14, you get an All-Access movie pass (a $29.99 value). The pass includes:

  • One month of free admission for the pass holder and one guest to all screenings
  • Unlimited rentals of up to four DVDs at a time
  • Discounts on Facets Film School reservations and DVD purchases
  • One personal movie consultation with a film expert

A nonprofit theater helmed by passionate cinephile Charles Coleman, Facets Cinematheque lights up its silver screen with indie films, award winners, foreign flicks, and documentaries collected from film festivals around the world. Celluloid-caretakers curate a collection of reels that seldom see screenings elsewhere in Chicago-frequently enjoying their city debut within the intimate 125-seat theater. Occasionally, production-team members or film experts join audiences immediately following the show for question and answer sessions known as Film Dialogues, taking questions, exploring themes, and providing tips for removing stubborn popcorn kernels from teeth. Upcoming films can be found on Facet's website and currently include After Fall, Winter, a disturbing tale that delves into the relationship between a dominatrix worker and a down-on-his-luck writer, opening February 27.

Eyeballs absorb moving pictures thanks to the dual capabilities of Facet's projection system, which handles both digital and 35mm films with equal aplomb. While the ephemeral stories fill brains with new ideas, two sodas and popcorns, acquirable at the old-fashioned concessions stand, fill mouths with flavors that have defined every classic movie-going experience since Orson Welles first invented the snack. Alternatively, All-Access movie pass holders extend their cinematic adventures with unlimited DVD rentals, deep discounts on DVD purchases and film school reservations, and a personal movie consultation with one of Facet's revered celluloid experts.

Americans have always been determined to blaze new trails, whether wading through the waist-deep layer of tumbleweed covering Arizona or hacking through the petrified forest of national flags on the moon. Conquer the final frontier, the ocean, with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options

$157 for a PADI Open-Water Referral Course (a $304 value), which includes:

• One classroom program
• One pool program

$227 for a Full PADI Open-Water Certification Course (a $453.99 value)

• Includes one classroom program, one pool program, and four open-water training sessions
• Grants PADI certification

$180 for an Advanced Open-Water PADI Certification Course (a $344.45 value)

• Includes a weekend at Haigh Quarry featuring five specialty dives
• Requires PADI Open-Water Scuba Diver certification

Each weekend dive package includes all training materials and scuba equipment except masks, fins, and snorkels.

Berry Dive Center

Inside one of Illinois' oldest PADI-certified dive centers, Berry Dive Center's eight instructors call upon a combined 100 years of experience to increase the underwater expertise of small student cohorts. Lessons unfold in both pool and classroom, with instructors sharing textbook techniques and safety tips before offering personalized critiques during supervised practice dives. The PADI five-star IDC facility keeps skills sharp with PADI certification courses and weekend excursions to Kankakee's Haigh Quarry, with adventure-diving opportunities such as exploring wrecks, deep-water diving, and apprehending goldfish smugglers. The center's dive shop also stocks a full line of diving equipment and manuals.

Your molars and incisors netted you a robust piggy bank when you were little; unfortunately, the tooth-to-quarter exchange rate has plummeted since growing up. In fact, dental issues now set you back a pretty penny unless you land today's deal from Smile GPS: Pay just $39 for a full dental exam, X-rays, and a comprehensive cleaning from a trusted professional (a $300 value). Smile GPS -- a nationwide dental care provider -- has multiple convenient locations throughout Chicago. During your visit, an expertly trained professional will identify dental issues and map out plans for improvement -- all finished by a thorough cleaning. No need to brace for exorbitant dental costs; just let today's 87%-off deal function as a tooth fairy godmother, granting you and your wallet a wish.

Staying pretty has been a tricky task ever since the evil Ponce de Leon destroyed the Fountain of Beauty in the early 16th century. Seek beauty in a modern-day haven with this Groupon.

Choose From Three Options

• $10 for one eyebrow wax (a $20 value)
  
• $28 for three eyebrow waxes (a $60 value)
  
• $44 for five eyebrow waxes (a $100 value)

Eliza Jane

Tucked away in downtown St. Charles, Eliza Jane's girlie-girl boutique glimmers with trendy accessories and colorful jewelry crafted by 35 local artists, three of who are teen entrepreneurs. A pressed tin ceiling and soft lights hang above a hardwood floor, where the colors pink and white feature strongly among accessories-such as kitchsy purses, vintage bracelets, and stuffed animals-that overflow from tall glass shelving units and tables covered with printed cloth. After customers snag a specialty gift for baby, teacher, or self, Eliza Jane's staff can swaddle it in complimentary pink and brown wrapping. Ladies in need of a pick-me-up can pamper bodies with nonchip mani-pedis, facials, and waxing treatments, or visit the facility's computerized nail art machine for a set of instant nails.

Tables at fine-dining restaurants are known for their fancy white-linen outfits, unlike tables in home kitchens, which are notorious for going nude. Get the tools to teach your kitchen some manners with today's Groupon to Cook Au Vin. Choose between the following options:

• For $125, you get a BYOB pastry and baking class for two (up to a $260 value).
• For $65, you get a BYOB pastry and baking class for one (up to a $130 value).

Cook Au Vin's French-born head chef Vincent Colombet helps students to follow in his artisanal footsteps. During three-hour classes, groups of up to eight students don provided caps and aprons and pore over recipes for sweet French desserts. Under the watchful eye of professional pastry chefs and veteran sticks of butter, participants try their hand at dishes such as French-style macaroons, chocolate ganache, and napoleon pastries. As a fun-fueling bonus, students can bring bottles of champagne or port to sip during class while nibbling on their ultimate creations and learning the French word for "eclair."

The best children's shows place a high premium on audience interaction, unlike the opera or traffic court. Rustle up some kid-friendly fun with this GrouponLive deal to see The Houdini Box, presented by the Chicago Children's Theatre at the Mercury Theater. The box office opens one hour before and doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Choose between the following options:

• For $18, you get one youth ticket for main-floor seating (a $30 value, including all ticketing fees).
• For $24, you get one adult ticket for main floor seating (a $41 value, including all ticketing fees).
  
  

For either ticket option, choose from the following performances:

• Friday, February 24, at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, February 25, at 11 a.m.
• Sunday, February 26, at 11 a.m.
• Saturday, March 3, at 11 a.m.
• Sunday, March 4, at 11 a.m.
  
  

Chicago Children's Theatre continues its mission to deliver inspiring theatrical experiences for all ages with its production of The Houdini Box, which was recently acclaimed as "utterly beguiling, immensely inventive" by the Chicago Sun-Times and heralded as one of the top 10 shows to watch for in early 2012 by Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune. Penned by author Brian Selznick, whose The Invention of Hugo Cabret inspired Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated film Hugo, The Houdini Box whisks theatergoers through the colorful, music-packed adventure of the play's star, Victor. Spellbinding tricks, onstage musicians, and Broadway's finest puppet thespians blend seamlessly with a live cast, unfurling the story across elaborate sets as the protagonist relentlessly chases his dreams of being a magician. Following the show on February 24, audiences will receive an extra dose of wonder during a performance by magician Brett Schneider, who captivates with stunning illusions and by screaming at a tub of margarine until it turns into actual butter.

Clothes make the man, or make a stack of dogs appear to be the man. Embrace man's best trends with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

• $25 for $50 worth of vintage clothing, accessories, and home goods
• $45 for $100 worth of vintage clothing, accessories, and home goods

krispyfringe showcases a rotating stock of lightly used vintage goods for the home as well as clothing, such as a mustard-yellow button-up dress ($24), green, leather skirt ($44), and hot-pink platforms ($16).

krispyfringe

Within the highly stylized interior of Krispyfringe, an array of vintage handpicked articles of clothing, accessories, and home goods transports guests into covet-reveries beckoned by each item's tactile and aesthetic sumptuousness. The ceiling's centerpiece, a swooping chandelier of naked light bulbs designed by a local artist, illuminates the shop's curated clothing sections. Delicate fabrics and bright colors abound in rescued sundresses and billowy blouses saved by Krispyfringe's owner, who has been stockpiling fashionable threads for some 20 years. Custom-built furniture-also for sale-supports displays of sparkling jewelry as well as a massive collection of saltshakers and peppershakers ready to grace table tops or perform in contemporary renditions of Beauty and the Beast.

If you squint really hard, the Tribune Tower almost resembles the tower in St. Mark's Square, and the water taxis might as well be gondolas. Get even closer to an Italian getaway with today's deal: $40 to spend on food and drink for just $20 at Via Veneto Ristorante. You'll feel like you're vacationing in Venice as you savor authentic Italian dishes at this North Side restaurant. Try classics like baked clams, fried calamari, ricotta gnocchi, spaghetti pescatore, and veal parmigiana. Wind down your meal with profiteroles, freshly piped cannoli, or a generous slice of rich tiramisu. With food this good, you'll hardly notice that the guy serenading you on the CTA is no gondolier.

Actors can communicate complex feelings in seconds, unlike supercomputers, which require volumes of binary coding just to express simple disdain. Succeed where the machines failed with this Groupon.

$99 for a 10-Week Acting as a Craft Course ($290 Value)

• Placement based on experience
• Beginner's sessions:
  • Mondays from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
  • Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
  • Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Advanced sessions Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Curriculum includes emotional recall, sense memory, cold readings, Shakespeare, and on-camera acting
• Scene study exercises and monologues
  
  

Chicago Actors Studio

Chicago Actors Studio encourages imagination and emotional exploration as it educates aspiring thespians in the dramatic arts. With affiliates in New York and Los Angeles, the studio welcomes students of all ages and experience to hone their skills through practiced scene study and individual monologues. The 10-week Acting as a Craft class showers a broad curriculum of skills upon actors-in-training, teaching them the nuances of acting onstage, on camera, or on top of a speeding train. Classes cover cold readings, as well as the initial steps toward becoming a master manipulator of voice and movement. Students ready to share their skills can benefit from expert wisdom in the Audition Power class, where instructors teach the tiny tricks necessary to quickly build relationships with scene partners, handle callbacks, and dress appropriately for the role.

While there are many different words for it, beauty never needs a translator. Turn your look into a universally understood statement with today's deal from Mia's Salon in Bartlett. Pay $42 for a haircut, shampoo, and style with your choice of partial highlights or all-over color (an $84 and $85 value). Mia's experienced, trendy-savvy staffers will give your look a natural accent, whether you want a dramatic change or just un pequeño trim. Or, spend $87 (regularly $175) for a Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy treatment, which infuses keratin directly into your cuticles to reduce frizz and curl while adding shine and silkiness to your locks. While Mia may mean "mine" in Spanish, these 50% savings are all yours.

Exfoliation is the best way to keep skin free of blemishes, signs of aging, and leftover adhesive from bumper stickers congratulating former honors students. Clear your epidermal canvas with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

• $79 for a 90-minute oxygen signature salt or sugar body scrub (a $160 value)
• $95 for a 90-minute oxygen signature salt or sugar body scrub with a 30-minute Swedish massage (a $200 value)

One of two exfoliating agents gently uncovers fresh skin cells as essential oils relax the senses. A 15-minute massage with hydrating cream concludes the service, and a Swedish massage piles on indulgence in the form of more hydrating lotion and gentle strokes that help ease tension and loosen tight muscles.

Oxygen Spa Studio

Soft, flickering tea lights glow against Oxygen Spa Studio's white walls as trained therapists rejuvenate bodyscapes with more than 15 massage styles. In the absence of a formal reception desk, personal beauty butlers welcome guests and guide them through the boutique spa while a wall fountain provides a gently trickling soundtrack. Speckles of lush green plants break up the ivory oasis, and the spa's floor-to-ceiling windows fill the space with natural light and calming glimpses of the muted outside world and slow-motion battles between rival cumulus clouds. Amid private treatment rooms stocked with intricately tiled showers, therapists tend to tight tendons and achy joints with traditional techniques, such as deep tissue and myofascial release, peppering in aromatherapy, body scrubs, scalp stimulation, and toe-centric footwork to further encourage deep relaxation.

Working out on vibrational gym equipment challenges your muscles to the sounds of a ceaseless, reassuring hum, much like bench-pressing a refrigerator. Shake up your fitness routine with this Groupon to Pure Vibes Fitness.

• For $45, you get three 30-minute personal training sessions (a $117 value).
• For $49, you get a pass for 10 fitness classes (a $150 value).

The certified trainers at Pure Vibes Fitness help guests shape muscles with the toning tremors of Power Plate vibration technology in private or small-group workouts. During personal training sessions, clients stretch, squat, and lift weights atop the Power Plate platform, which prompts 25-50 muscle contractions per second. Each week, upwards of 80 group classes-including bootcamp and kickboxing-limit attendance to a small group, ensuring each one receives tailored tips from the dedicated instructors. In Boxing Bootcamp, patrons blend rapid jabs with cardio moves to take down snarky punching bags, and they carve strong and lean physiques during TRX suspension training. For a total-body workout more effective than buying a treadmill for each foot and hand, patrons can condition limbs with TRX and kettlebell training along with sessions aboard the Power Plate in Power 3 classes.

Pairing an outfit to a manicure hue helps ensembles to look well composed, unlike an outfit paired by a St. Bernard, which shows no regard for the color wheel. Give fingers a solid foundation with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

For $25, you get a 90-minute no-chip manicure with sugar scrub and paraffin dip (a $50 total value). For $75, you get three 90-minute no-chip manicures, sugar scrubs, and paraffin dips (a $150 total value).

Ida's Salon

High ceilings, large front windows, and vases brimming with flowers greet customers at Ida's Salon, a celebrated Northbrook beauty emporium boasting a skilled staff dedicated to pampering clients with a fleet of services. Wielding handpicked Schwarzkopf color and hair care products, mane masters shroud head threads in new hues or snip strands to match the latest trends or the mirror's mood ring. The Keratin Complex straightening treatment smoothes out frizz for several months, while nails bask in renowned OPI and Shellac polish during European manicures and pedicures. Customers can peruse the gargantuan display of cosmetics before a makeup application or revel in multi-shaded scarves, seasonal clothes, and glamorous jewelry for sale throughout the ample space.

If you wrap your furniture in protective bubble plastic and make your kids wear elbow pads whenever possible, then you'll be happy to find out that playgrounds now exist without sharp edges. Rest easy with today's deal from FunFlatables: $40 (regularly $90) for ten open play jump sessions at the 5,000-square-foot Bloomingdale location in the Stratford Square Mall. Let your little peanuts pack in tons of fun as they scurry through air-supported castles, glide gracefully down puffy slides, or bounce about this inflatable play and party center. With open play available for big kids and tots alike (there's a special TotLand area for toddlers), your little ones will think that they just landed on cloud nine. Plus, each clean and vibrant space has concessions and comfy seating areas for adults. This deal promises all the joy of frolicking safely -- without extra padding in the price tag.

In a perfect world, you wouldn't work -- you'd just bang on the drum all day. Save your hard-earned dough and still get a bangin' night out with today's deal: Pay $17 (regularly $35) for a ticket to "Drum!" at the Rialto Square Theatre on February 24 at 8 p.m. Feel the rhythm at this ornate theatre -- a Joliet landmark for more than 85 years -- with a part Irish step dance, part street percussion production that rocks 20 musicians, dancers, drummers, and singers . This energy-filled production originated in Nova Scotia and celebrates the fusion of four Canadian cultures through a heart-pumping mix of poetry, video, rhythm, and song. Deemed "sensational" by the Chicago Tribune, "Drum!" is as far as you can get from dull office life, so count yourself in for this deal now and get inspired to tap away the stress of the day.

Boxing referees have a dangerous job that requires intervening with brawlers and trying to keep their bow tie from spinning every time the bell rings. Honor frazzled peacekeepers with this GrouponLive deal to see a Chicago Golden Gloves boxing tournament at Gordon Tech High School. For $10, you get two general-admission tickets to the opening weekend of the tournament. All bouts start at 7 p.m., and doors open at 6 p.m. Choose from the following dates:

• Thursday, March 8
• Friday, March 9
• Saturday, March 10

Bells ring, fists fly, and fame beckons as approximately 350 of the area's toughest amateur boxers vie for the coveted champion title across 12 bruising nights of the 2012 Chicago Golden Gloves boxing tournament. A hallowed sports tradition since 1923, Golden Gloves training has inspired many generations and both genders of fisticuffers to clobber their way to the top of the fight card. The opening weekend allows boxing fans to savor the hunger of burgeoning pugilists as they slug it out across novice, senior-novice, and open-division bouts in their quest for the hefty golden belt. Former championship winners include U.S. Olympians and notorious knucklers Joe Louis ('34), Sonny Liston ('53), and beat-poetry pioneer Cassius Clay ('59, '60), along with illustrious alumni such as Michael "Lord of the Dance" Flatley.

Krav maga teaches self-defense tactics for a variety of potentially dangerous encounters, including grappling during fights on the ground and satirical wit for attacks in print. Prepare yourself for any situation with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options

• $35 for 5 krav maga classes (a $75 value)
  
• $65 for 10 krav maga classes (a $150 value)
  
• $99 for 20 krav maga classes (a $300 value)

While learning krav maga, the Israeli art of self-defense, students of any size train to counter attacks with intuitive movement and work to use natural inertia in their favor. Instructors teach rapid-trigger punches, powerhouse kicks, and disarming techniques to help students react to a variety of potentially life-threatening situations. Students practice moves and clever one-liners on heavy bags and target pads to build skills, strength, and endurance.

Ultimate Martial Arts

Ultimate Martial Arts' 5,600-square-foot facility hosts fitness and self-defense classes, helmed by five-time, undefeated Philippine national tae kwon do champion Dante Peña. Two studios lined in rubber mats challenge visitors to conquer TRX suspension bands and heavy bags while training to protect themselves from attackers and aggressive encyclopedia salesmen. Krav maga, jujitsu, and boxing classes impart the fighting arts, as yoga and TRX strength workshops improve muscle tone and flexibility.

Kids often like to imitate grownups by playing house or filling out their imaginary friend's tax returns. Preview postpubescent excitement with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

$39 for a 30-minute makeover for 2 kids (an $85 value)

• Hairstyle
• Nail-polish application
• Makeup application
• Photo session with pictures on CD to be picked up at a later date

$449 for a 90-minute punk-rock-party package for 10 kids (an $899 value)

• Makeover for each girl
• Costume dress-up
• Dance and games onstage
• Interview with "paparazzi"
• Snacks and drinks
• One large pizza
• Cake and candles
• Place settings
• Goodie bags filled with cosmetics, candy, and accessories
• Group photo and individual photo session for host, with pictures on CD

Glamour Girlz

Candy-coated shades of pink, lime, and turquoise coax mini mavens into Glamour Girlz, a kids' makeover mecca perched on the upper level of Northbrook Court. Under the supervision of friendly staff, glittery accessories gild little pigtails, earlobes, wrists, and fingers, and mini makeup kits gloss cheeks and lips with color without the need to melt crayons in an Easy-Bake oven. Divas can opt for one-on-one pampering during an individual makeover package, or invite friends for a full-blown party with photo shoots, dress-up sessions, and mock paparazzi interviews about revelers' favorite limo colors.

Isn't everything more fun with a glass of wine and a bit of pampering? Redefine your after-work happy hour with today's deal from Chicago Avenue Salon in the heart of West Town: Pay $69 for a haircut, partial highlights, and a blowout (a $150 value). You'll also enjoy an included paraffin hand treatment for dipping and wine for sipping. Sit back, relax, and let these experienced stylists lighten your locks, perfect your 'do, and soothe keyboard-weary hands with a moisture-locking dip in warm paraffin wax. The stylists use organic, all-natural products and have a great handle on how to update your look in flattering, fashionable way. With an ultra-modern, airy feel, this salon offers a welcome escape from the work week -- and this deal will make sure you see your glass as half-full. Want more? Visit Chicago Avenue Salon on Facebook.

You'll look for luck in all places, but bombarding Buckingham Fountain with pennies will only get you so far. If you dream of slimming down, throw a few coins at Mystic Fountain Wellness Center instead: Pay $39 and receive a 45-minute body-slimming wrap (an $85 value), or pay $99 for three wraps (a $255 value). In these sculpting sessions, you can lose inches with a head to toe wrap that's soaked in aloe, seaweed, and other beneficial herbs to flush out toxins from your body and ultimately reduce the size of fat cells. Give Buckingham a break -- thanks to this center in Skokie, your wish for a slimmer silhouette might finally come true.

Your limited knowledge of Russia involves long novels and furry hats, but today's orchestral deal from the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts will show you the more refined side of Mother Russia's passion and drama. Spend $13 (regularly $28.50) for a balcony ticket to see the Tschaikowski St. Petersburg Russia State Orchestra perform on Wednesday, February 29 at 8 p.m. at the beautiful Bezemes Family Theatre. Get closer with $17 for a parterre seat (regularly $38.50), $22 for an orchestra seat (regularly $48.50), or $25 for a platinum seat (regularly $56.50). This talented ensemble tours the world and performs specially commissioned pieces, meaning these melodious savings will transport you to a musical landscape as unique as the colorful domes adorning Red Square.

Even if it's overcast outside, nothing brightens your day like having sunny, glowing skin. Illuminate your outlook and your appearance with today's deal from Perfect Skin Solutions in Lemont. Opt for an epidermal leveling treatment -- AKA dermaplaning -- complete with a Lactic Bright Peel and anti-aging facial treatment for $75 (a $275 value). Using a thin, surgical blade, an esthetician will safely remove your outermost skin cells for a fresher, smoother look. Or, also for $75, slough away dull skin with a microdermabrasion and Lactic Bright Peel, and an anti-aging facial treatment (a $275 value). Each 75-minute package includes a contouring masque, vitamin-C serum, hyaluronic acid to boost resilience, and deep moisture repair to revitalize your complexion. The friendly, experienced esthetician prides herself on delivering great results, so pick up this 73%-off deal -- we forecast better skin days ahead.

Babies are born with soft skin because their mother's stomach protects them from the elements and because they have nine months of free time to apply moisturizer. Achieve the soft skin of a newborn with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options

• $50 for one microdermabrasion facial (a $125 value)
• $84 for two microdermabrasion facials (a $250 value)
• $125 for three microdermabrasion facials (a $375 value)

Thorough one- to two-hour exfoliating treatments gently mute the appearance of age spots, scars, and blemishes.

Eve Beauty Salon

In a relaxation haven perched just outside of the city, Eve Beauty Salon's stylists have spiffed up beauty-seekers for more than two decades, specializing in contemporary haircuts and bridal makeup. Hair whisperers stay abreast of the latest styling, cutting, and coloring techniques for men, women, and show horses alike. After locks luxuriate in a hot-oil head massage or lengthen with the aid of fused extensions, countenances soak up hydration and stoke a natural glow with the help of 24-karat-gold and rose-petal facials. Eve Beauty Salon rounds out its laundry list of services with eyelash extensions, henna tattoos, nose piercings, and henna tattoos of pierced noses.

Like phone lines and giraffe necks, blood vessels become a problem when they get tangled up. Free tangly spider veins with this Groupon.

$99 for a Consultation and 20-Minute Sclerotherapy Spider-Vein-Removal Treatment on the Leg ($600 value)

Vein Care Specialists' highly skilled physicians lessen the appearance of small spider veins by 75 percent to 95 percent with minimally invasive sclerotherapy treatments. After a brief consultation, the doctor injects incriminated veins with sclerotherapy foam that irritates the vessels until they gradually fall apart like a sand castle disintegrates from the tears of a crying child. Patients must wear compression stockings or pantyhose for one week after the treatment. More significant spider veins may require additional treatments.

Vein Care Specialists

For 18 years, the skilled and professional staff members of Vein Care Specialists have cleared exteriors of unsightly or painful varicose and spider veins. Board-certified Drs. Salvador Yunez and Alvaro Montoya rely on extensive training and years of experience to scrutinize and diagnose veins and decide on the appropriate treatment. The doctors choose from an arsenal of treatments-including sclerotherapy injections, endovenous laser treatments, and ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy-to make veins vanish forever like chameleons thrown into a black hole.

The demand for artificial tanning has reached an all-time high due to the massive amounts of sunlight hoarded by solar panels and basic calculators. Find an alternative bronzing source with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

• $29 for two weeks of unlimited services (a $99 value)
• $49 for one month of unlimited services (a $149 value)

Planet Beach Contempo Spa

Each of Planet Beach Contempo Spa's 274 locations spread across the United States, Mexico, and other nations hums with electronic power as machines perform the delicate task of relaxing and beautifying bodies. After human attendants guide guests to their treatment rooms and help them find their preferred settings, automated tanning beds, red-light "reverse tanning" therapy beds, hydromassage tables, and cyber-relax massage chairs tirelessly tend to skin, muscle, and bone. Mental tension dissipates as lungs breathe in extra oxygen or air scented by aromatherapy candles in private relaxation rooms that shield the mind from the outside world or pitches from telepathic salesmen.

If music is the language of the soul, it's time your Hannah Montana-loving tyke did some searching. At Music House, Academy of Music and Dance, you or your child will embark on a journey to horizon-expanding harmonies, and with today's deal, you can get 30 days of unlimited group music or dance classes for kids or adults for $29 (regularly $69). Since 1951, this neighborhood music school has helped more than 20,000 Chicago-area students find their musical voices and dance moves. The professional and caring instructors will teach everything from hip hop to ballroom, or instruct you or your child in the musical dialects of the piano, strings, winds, or brass. Plus, music lessons can improve overall cognition and provide a fun after-school activity, helping kids stay out of treble -- which is always good for the soul.

You grew up building forts, finger-painting, and playing house, but kids today only seem to have toys that beep, light up, and probably somehow control air traffic. Stow the gadgets and let your little ones get back to basics with today's deal: a four-week enrollment and a lifetime membership fee at Gymboree Play & Music in Orland Hills or Dyer for $39 (a $109 value). Children ages 0 to 5 can join a Play & Learn, music, art, or sports class for four consecutive weeks. For more than three decades Gymboree has fostered a creativity and confidence in kids in a fun, safe environment. Parents actively participate in most classes, so it's a great chance to bond with your child and interact with other families in the community. Not only will you show your boys and girls a good time far from a computer screen, but your kids will also gain an appreciation for saving a buck.

The bath-time meltdown. The bed-time pity party. The veggie stand-off. No matter how much we try to deny it, drama plays a large role in kids' daily routines. Give your kids the right kind of drama with today's deal from Drama Kids International: Pay $65 for a KinderKids ten-week drama session (a $130 value) or pay $70 for a primary composite ten-week drama session (a $140 value). If your munchkin is between 4 and 6, the creative drama activities in KinderKids will help build confidence and enhance early social skills in weekly 45-minute classes. In the primary sessions, kids ages 7 to 11 get the opportunity to build on existing talent and learn creative speech techniques, movement, and improv during weekly hour-long classes. Give yourself a standing ovation for setting the stage for a dramatic experience both you and your little ones will relish. Want more? Check out Drama Kids International on Facebook.

Applause is the easiest way to show appreciation for a performance, sidestepping the awkwardness of asking for autographs after each monologue. Let the show go on with today's GrouponLive deal: for $15, you get one general-admission ticket to see The Price by Arthur Miller at Raven Theatre (up to a $30 value). Performances are held Thursdays at 8 p.m. Choose from the following dates:

• March 8
• March 15
• March 22

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller captivated audiences for more than six decades with insight into the lives of tragic, everyday heroes seen in masterpieces such as Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. This spring, Raven Theatre's artists of the American experience showcase a lesser-known chapter in Miller's legacy with The Price, a tale of two estranged brothers deadlocked in a tug of war over their deceased parents' belongings. Viewers squirm to the edge of their seats as Victor, an underpaid cop, feuds with his successful sibling, Walter, during a conflict that unearths family attachments and Walter's childhood habit of storing his socks in the cookie jar.

Much of the Raven's ensemble has been with the company for decades, taking on writing, directing, backdrop-impersonating, and design duties in addition to starring on the intimate stage. Giant sheet-metal letters welcome culturevores from a neighborhood corner in Edgewater into the minimalistic yet warm theater, named one of CBS Chicago's Best Neighborhood Theatres.

Some people love cake, some people prefer pie, and some, like your practically Ninja Turtle-child, like pies of the pizza variety. Give your little Leonardo a birthday filled with the good stuff with today's deal from Wa-Pa-Ghetti's Pizza in Wheeling. Toss $30 and get a pizza birthday party for five kids (a $60 value). Each child will make their own pizza in the restaurant kitchen and tour the space. The birthday girl or boy will take home a special T-shirt, and all guests will decorate and take home a hat and apron and enjoy unlimited pop and juice. The only thing for you to worry about is sampling the pies to see what three decades of family-recipe honing tastes like. Cowabunga! Want more? Check out Wa-Pa-Ghetti's Pizza on Facebook.

Health-and-Wellness Retreat in Lakeside Setting

A former dairy farm may seem like an unusual choice to open a health-and-wellness retreat. Yet in 1983, Heartland Spa & Fitness Resort transformed one into a holistic spa center and garnered national attention-perhaps due in part to one famous guest, Oprah Winfrey. Surrounded by 32 acres of woodlands on a 3-acre lake, the spa has been praised as "uniquely Midwestern and unpretentious" by the Chicago Sun-Times. The red barn and surrounding grounds now house workout facilities and a spa, replete with an indoor pool, whirlpool, and sauna.

A low-fat, low-sodium, house-made meal courtesy of Heartland's chef greets arriving guests, kick-starting 24 hours of healthy eating. Afterward, settle into the five-bedroom, two-bathroom Coach House for a good night's sleep. The next day's breakfast starts the day with nutritious vegetarian dishes, including egg-white frittatas, oatmeal, and peanut-butter-and-banana muffins.

Heartland Spa & Fitness Resort's two-to-one staff-to-guest ratio ensures all guests are supported and pampered as they unwind. An underground tunnel connects the manor to the spa barn and shields out the cold. Yoga, Pilates, tai chi, cardio kickboxing, and other fitness classes take place throughout the day, and a locker room fully equipped with a sauna and hot tub makes for a relaxing reprieve. Other spa services await, including an aromatherapy manicure ($40) or a Brazilian bikini wax ($50). Before departing, guests enjoy a peaceful lunch in one of Heartland's common areas, which are technology-free to avoid interruptions from cell phones and tractor beams.

Gilman, Illinois: Close-Knit Community South of Chicago

About 90 miles south of Chicago, the small town of Gilman evokes a bygone era. The pedestrian-friendly downtown brims with restaurants, antique stores, and a gentleman stationed at every corner to tip his hat. The Gilman Historical Society chronicles the farming town's history, with one exhibit showcasing U.S. veteran memorabilia and uniforms dating back to World War I.

If you've taken an extended time-out from your resolution to eat better and exercise, it's time to get back in the game with today's deal from 1Body4Life Medical & Weight Loss Center. Pay $59 for a whole new playbook (a $245 value): Head to Rockford and get four weeks worth of FDA approved appetite suppressant, two B12 shots, a Zumba pass for you and a workout teammate, and a meeting with a doctor to set a weight loss goal, get a dietary analysis, and pull together a personalized program. Or, you can kick your health overhaul into overtime when you pay $109 for the same package in Crystal Lake, but replace Zumba with four weeks of fitness training (three times per week) and add a nutrition seminar (a $340 value). With expert coaching from a triple board-certified doctor, a fitness championship is in your future. Want more? Check out 1Body4Life Medical Weight Loss & Wellness Center on Facebook.

If your child's experience playing the triangle in the second-grade concert fell a little flat, today's deal will help him have first-string fun. At Clarendon Hills Music Academy you or your child will get two 30-minute private lessons for just $30 (a $60 value). Musicians of all ages can tune in at this world-class music studio for your choice of piano, drums, voice, or bass lessons. Clarendon Hills utilizes a highly effective, revolutionary approach to instruction with hand-picked instructors who help students craft a personalized lesson plan that focuses on playing music they actually listen to. With a balance of theory and practice, students will pick up the notes they need in a hurry, which will send your child's self esteem to a high note. Looking for more? Check out Clarendon Hills Music Academy on Facebook.

Like learning computer programming or knowing when milk has gone bad, losing weight is nearly impossible without professional assistance. Call in the pros with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

• $99 for a 10-person boot-camp course (a $500 value)
• $299 for a one-on-one boot-camp course (a $700 value)

Physiologists design personalized training programs for month-long courses supplemented with meal-planning services and remote coaching.

Renuil

In 2011, Renuil founder William Stoneman applied 20 years of accrued medical expertise to build an integrated wellness program on the cornerstones of cutting-edge medical advancements and community stewardship. The facility's programs address the nuts and bolts of exercise routines and diet plans and also tackle the psychological roots of habits such as emotional eating and the belief that one is a vacuum cleaner. The anti-aging program assuages cosmetic concerns by instituting changes that run deeper to combat arthritis, diabetes, and cardiac problems. The wizards of wellness prioritize stable, sustainable health plans by setting realistic lifestyle goals and advising against wasteful coal diets.