Jill Cataldo

NOTE: CONTEST HAS ENDED! Our winners are Shopaholic4206, Pepsi4Power and Ynotpat! Congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered!

I'm sure it's no secret to any of my readers that my schedule's pretty hectic. Between teaching several coupon workshops a week, writing my syndicated newspaper column, filming my "Sixty Second Savings" video series, blogging Deals of the Week, being a (mostly) stay-at-home mom with my young children, and the myriad of other activities that fill my life, my husband and I don't always get much time to have a "date night." So when I was invited to have a free dinner for two downtown at one of my favorite Chicago restaurants, I jumped at the chance!

My readers know that I love giving products away on my blog -- whether it's groceries, coupons or other contests, it's fun to share giveaways with an audience who, like me, loves free things. Over the past few months I've posted some fun contests for my readers, and a few weeks ago I received an invitation to attend an appreciation dinner at Ben Pao, which has amazing Chinese food and is one of my favorite dining destinations downtown. General Mills and MyBlogSpark sponsored the event as a thank-you to their bloggers who've posted giveaways of General Mills products. Not only was the dinner free to attend, but attendees would also receive a $50 MasterCard gift card to cover gas and parking in the city, providing a truly "free" night out. (How long do you think it took me to RSVP? Do I need to mention again how much I love Ben Pao's food? "Yes!")

On Thursday night, my husband and I arrived at Ben Pao and saw that the entire restaurant had been closed for the event. We weren't really sure what to expect, but we checked in at the counter and were seated. The server informed us it was a prix fixe menu, where soup, appetizers and desserts would be the same for everyone, but we could choose one of eight entrees. I chose an orange chicken platter, he chose shrimp lo mein, and we enjoyed a fabulous meal as course after course was served. (I can't honestly remember the last time just the two of us went out without the kids..!)