Cookies for the Traveler in All of Us

Item: Biscoff cookies

Price: $26.95 (200 cookies)

Where to Buy: Biscoff.com

Review: My favorite airline is Delta not because of low fares or on-time departures. Nope. It's because of those delectable in-flight snacks called Biscoff cookies.

Stronger that a graham cracker, yet sweeter than a ginger snap, the Biscoff cookie is the highlight of the flight. And unlike a lot of in-flight treats nowadays, they're still free (or at least they were the last time I flew Delta more than a year ago).

Luckily, I don't have to wait for a flight to get my Biscoff fix. Over supper one night, my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and I learned of our shared regard for the cookie-biscuit. Lo and behold, I received a whole tin of the treats from them for Christmas one year.

Biscoff cookies not only make a great mid-morning treat at work, but also inspire me to plan my next trip -- via Delta, of course.

Image from: Biscoff.com

Priceline: Not Always the Best Deal

I've long been a fan of Priceline. I've lost count of the number of hotel rooms I've reserved for a fraction of the listed price both in the US and in Canada.

I've turned to Priceline several times now for rental cars, with mixed results. Last year I got a rental car in Columbus, Ohio, saved a few bucks, no problem. A more recent Priceline experience, however, proves that it's always wise to do some research before submitting your Priceline bid.

The goal: A 3-day rental to and from Detroit. Before I submitted my bid, Priceline's site showed that I could get a car from Alamo for $12 a day. So I submitted a bid of $8. No luck. $9. Nada.

What surprised me was that Priceline came back with a counteroffer -- of $13 a day. Huh?

Obviously I ignored the offer, made my way to Alamo's website and rented a car for the weekend for $49 and some change.

The lesson: Priceline has some great deals, but it doesn't have a monopoly on them.

Special Effects for Funky Photos

Item: BeFunky Photo Effects

Price: Free

Where to Try: BeFunky.com

Review: Add professional-looking special effects to your favorite photos in seconds -- no artistic skills required.

With nine options (including the "Warholizer" and the "Cartoonizer") there's hours of photorific fun at BeFunky.com. For example, see what "Charcola" did to the image above.

The site is free -- you don't even have to register to try it out -- and after uploading your photo, your new funkified image is displayed in seconds. What you do with the image is up to you-- you can purchase the image on shirts, mugs, magnets, keychains, stickers and more right on the site.