♪ >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. okay! it's booze day tuesday, july 30th. you know what today is? >> it is the day you can't get blt blurred lines" out of your head. >> robin thicke is here.

i'm so happy for his success. >> he was rehearsing at 6:30 and i was across the street at the gym and i ran -- ran at him like -- he sang "blurred lines," and it was a par-tay. >> par-tay. look at gifford in there knowing the words. >> i do not know anything. i'm the only person in the world who doesn't know it. it's the biggest song of the summer. >> i wanna hold it on your cko e kotbe, yeah, yeah. >> seven consecutive weeks number one on the billboard hot 100. by the way, i'm not trying to brag -- >> let me brag for you. >> it's very unseemly. hoda did pick it for her "ihoda" pick on may 9th. so let's count the weeks there. >> may 9th. june 9th. july 9th -- >> actually those are the months that we were counting. but anyway, who's counting? you can pick them, honestly. >> but you are right about him because he has this huge gigantic kind of break-out hit for a guy. careful. he's been working at it forever. >> he's very talented.

>> and he's great with the crowd. you could tell how much they loved him. >> it just oozes out of every pore of him. >> don't say ooze. >> she doesn't like ooze, she doesn't like moist or hole. >> those are the three words -- >> in that order actually. >> there's some drama at the courthouse. >> already. >> today in new jersey. >> the trial hasn't even begun. >> if you are a fan of "the real housewives of new jersey," then you know these two people. one is teresa guidice or guidice. she's been on with us many times and each time she said you can pronounce her last name any way you want. >> i just got back from italy. so i say it's guidice. >> her husband, giuseppe or joe did not like the crush of cameras that were coming as he was walking into the courtroom because they are facing 39 counts of fraud. so anyway, what's the situation? >> still coming.

>> apparently he slapped a photographer or camera on the way into court. >> here's the thing. when you're famous like they have become -- >> oh, there you go! the slap heard all the way to bayonne. yes. maybe even newark. >> this is a tax thing. and among other things. >> among other things. this is serious stuff. i mean, we're so used to reality not being reality. you know what i'm saying. but this is real. this is huge and they could each separately spend 50 years in prison. >> yeah. they failed -- the accusations are they say they failed to file tax returns for five years. teresa's attorney said that she will plead not guilty and the attorney said we look forward to vindicating her. and she issued her own statement saying -- >> today is a most difficult day for our family. so it's in its fifth season. >> bravo has no comment. >> they're going to wait and see how it turns out, i'm sure. yeah. >> i think it's one of those things that you heard rumblings about it on the show.

you saw all the antics. >> weren't there bankrupt proceedings? >> yeah. they had this huge house. they were buying furniture with cash. >> you can't hide money. they allegedly were reporting an income far less than what they were actually making and hiding it in various places and then not reporting any income at all for years. i don't know why anybody -- if it's true, why anybody thinks they can do that and not ultimately pay a price for that. >> and here's the thing. when you live your life publicly like they've chosen to do, any time there is anything like that, people are going to take a closer look. i don't know when this ever would have come to light had they not been on tv, you know, sitting in a lavish home, living that life. >> our hairdresser, laura, was telling me that one of her friends had been approached to be on this particular show and she realized that she couldn't afford to be on it, in a weird way. think about it. thank you. say that you are paid $60,000

for the season, but they want you to throw parties that they can cover, da, da, da and all of a sudden you find yourself paying for lavish parties that are not production costs to the production company, you're paying for it. all of a sudden next thing you know, you're in hock trying to be a tv star. >> there are more and more people who are loving this idea. more kids i meet, by the way, used to say they want to be in journalism. now they just want i want to be on tv, i want to be famous, i want to be a star. one of those is anthony weiner. he wants to be a star. he wants to be the mayor of new york city. and he has now dropped to number four in the polls. that was a fast drop because that was literally a week ago that he was leading the polls. >> he keeps saying he doesn't care, he's going to stay in it for the voters of new york. i don't know how you can when you watch your poll numbers drop that far. so many democratic voters more than half say he should get out of the race.

he said in an e-mail to supporters, i waged this campaign on a bet that the citizens of my city would be more interested in a vision for improving their lives rather than old stories about mine. >> well, except they don't seem to be old stories. that's the trouble. it was a new story this past week regarding the new allegation of a new woman. a year after he supposedly had stopped doing such behavior. >> i'm a little sick of her, too. there's pictures of her in a bikini, i mean, it's like when you have that moment in the spotlight, which she's having, i get so turned off -- >> let's not make a hero out of her. >> right. not great. okay. the royal family, we can all rest at night now, is going to call the baby georgie. so there. in other breaking news -- >> prince charles was the one who broke that exciting information. >> you know what it reminded us all of? another georgie. >> oh, yes. that would be a -- >> i'm getting married.

>> oh, my god, you're getting married! >> yes! >> oh, i can't believe it! frank, come here! >> you come here. >> georgie's getting married! >> what? >> georgie's getting married! georgie's getting married! georgie's getting married! >> yes. okay. >> i love her voice. >> you know. some names don't make good baby names, though. >> george. >> george is not a great -- look at -- george. it's not like cody. you know. >> cody! >> you can grow up to be a man. cody. >> what about georgie? hey, georgie? georgie. georgie porgie. >> yeah, that's the -- i don't know. it's a very famous name obviously in english history and some of those georges were tough. some of those georges were bad. some of those georges were great. i think this little george is going to be awesome. i love the way they're going about their whole life, their parenting. i love the way she came out in her scrubs the first day.

remember that was -- it looked like she was still in that blue thing. >> it is a dress she wore that was cut -- >> see, i thought it looked like those things you put on when you -- like a dress. then i'm not so impressed. but anyway, i think they have a great attitude, we're going to be hands-on parents and try to be as normal as we can be in a completely abnormal situation. >> i love that. they're doing it kind of their way. you know, often there's talk about how kate recycles her dresses, like every time in one of those magazines -- >> diana used to do that, too. i thought it was awesome. >> another woman does it. princess anne. there was, and is, still a princess anne. no one pays attention to anne. >> no. >> okay. anyway, and anne likes it that way. that's the only picture i've ever seen of her smiling. >> anne wore the same dress in '87 as she did in 1996. >> there were times it was not a winner. >> i like that coat. she wore it again in 2001. this one got a workout. >> three times. >> i like the rewearing of dresses.

because so what, but -- and no one's ever brought it up until now. until we did. >> oh! okay! >> look at me in a different outfit each time. but hodie -- you know what? it's frugal of you. >> i almost wore that black and white one today. i like that one. >> no kidding. we need your help, college students. we need our college counterparts. this is a contest. if you haven't heard, we want to find you and your college friends who you often say to yourselves, we're just like kathie lee and hoda. but you cannot use any alcohol -- >> none! >> none. >> we need a couple of things. a photo and a video under a minute. we know college is out and you guys are out ka votering and you're not even in touch with all your college pals but get in touch with them and send us a one-minute long video. that's it. just send it to klgandhoda.com. again, no alcohol, no champagne or nothing.

>> how much can they be like us then? >> they're going in san diego to the kona chi resort. are we? >> we're sending them there or we might even bring you to the studio to hang out for a bit. or did i just make that up? >> we'd love to have you. >> you are know not coming here. you thought nothing could top the cronut? sink your teeth into this one. >> get a taste of one of new york's hottest new trends. >> i want my cheesecake. it is national cheesecake day. >> speaking of hot. you're going to want more of this. you know what we're talking about? >> "people" magazine's sexiest rocker, mark mcgrath. but first these messages. >> stick around.

you could say he's back, but the truth is mark mcgrath never left. >> never. his sugar ray front man started playing music with his high school buddies back in 1992. >> but after a string of tv

records, he turned his sights on tv hosting gigs, went on to become a dad and a husband. good for you. >> now mark returns to his rocker roots with the "under the sun" tour in 2013. you're back! >> good to see you. i took a look at your schedule, you have like two days off in two months. >> we keep it moving. we keep it moving but we got such a great tour. smash mouth, vertical horizon. the best music of that golden era of the '90s represented each night on stage. >> you put the wholehing together. >> i did. last year a buddy of mine named art, we put the tour together. summer land it was called originally. he wanted to go hard rock. i wanted to include everybody. i wanted in vogue. if you had a hit in that era, you're welcome to come on that tour. there's lots of great music in that era.

>> when you reached out to people were they like count me in? >> are a lot of them retired? >> everybody's like -- you got your colostomy bag? you ready to go out and party? that was me. no. everybody was happy to go out and do it, play these giant venues and see the looks on people's faces. they forget how many hits smash mouth had. to see people arm in arm drinking wine coolers and crying during "fly," that's off the charts. that was actually in the hollywood hills in the summer not too long ago. >> so do you miss -- i know you did "extra" for a while. do you miss the hosting gigs? >> you know what? i leave it to the professionals. the fountain of youth it here. you two are beautiful. >> what are you smoking? >> you want some? no. i picked up some skills, but the stage is where i belong. i love playing music. i feel so lucky to do it. >> now you're a dad. >> my best creation ever. >> you cleaned up your act since those early touring days. >> yeah. i used to be a bunch of booze and maybe ladies of the night backstage. now it is mommies and formula. so things have changed backstage a little bit. >> how old is the baby? >> they're twins. 3 years old. they are the light of my life. and it's tough being on the road now because i see them on skype and they're crying,

daddy, when are you coming home? and bring angry birds. that's all they care about. i'm home for like five seconds and they're like presents, presents, presents. >> what's the song of yours where everybody just screams? >> it is the one where people said my daughter, "fly" is the first song she ever sang or we got engaged to "fly." once you can tap into the public like that, i mean it is a special moment. it is like you are sharing the songs of the universe. i hate to sound too tony robbins, but it becomes a property of the universe. >> where does your inspiration come now when you write these songs? wife and kids? >> absolutely. >> so is the music boring? >> it is boring. >> happiness and stuff like that? >> but it is inspirational. ladies, i know you love to quiz your guests. right? i'm going to turn the tables on you guys. >> we're ready. >> you ready? give me my drink and give me my cards. i'm an irishman, ladies. never too early. >> disclaimer. i saw the answer. >> no more. >> oh.

>> they were on my card. >> here is your first one. this song was our breakout hit in '97, bigger than robin thicke's "blurred lines" ever hopes to be. on the hot 100 for four straight weeks. take a listen. ♪ i just want to fly >> "fly." >> there you go. that was easy. >> with all due respect to robin. this next one, '99 hit single off our third album, helped propel the album to certified triple platinum. >> triple. >> here it is, ladies. take a listen. ♪ every morning there's a halo hanging over my door ♪ >> wait. i know. ♪ over my four post bed >> has to do with the morning. anybody? >> "every morning." >> half a gong on that one. >> one more! >> that tour is really hit be everybody. here we go.

your last and final question is -- this song off the same album, your favorite album obviously, made it to number seven on the billboard hot 100 and featured a music video shot in black and white. >> oh, what is it. ♪ someday >> oh, i love that song. >> you gave the title away. >> oh, there it is. >> now he, it's fun. >> oh, there it is. >> we don't know why you broke up but we're glad you're back together. >> it is an honor to be on your show. >> thank you, guys. >> that was huge. sara gets a sneak peek at the latest culinary creation from the guy who created the sweet trite, the cronut. it is?? julie! ah come on, i know you can hear me. mike mike mike mike mike... what day is it mike? ha ha ha ha ha ha!

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we're back with sara in the city. 2013 will forever be known as the summer of the cronut. we're not the only ones obsessed. >> crowds have been lining up at

the dominique an sil bakery in manhattan for a taste of the doughnut/croissant creation and now the genius has come one a new delicious dessert. >> it is a frozen s'mores. i still didn't get a crack at it. it's summertime in new york city and crowds have been lining up for a cronut? i still haven't had one but i know two people that have. >> oh, my god. >> let's just live here for a couple moments. >> maybe today will be my chance. at this bakery, you may know them for their cronuts but today we're going to cool it down a notch and make some frozen summer s'mores. meet the man behind the cronut craze. >> it was something we launched

back in the beginning of may. hybrid between croissant and doughnut. and it's been very popular now. >> and i don't get one. >> not today. look what i have for you. >> reporter: well, not so sorry. i am getting a peek at his newest treat, the frozen s'more. we started by baking the marshmallow. >> sugar, water, honey. so we're going to bring this to a boil. >> you don't just buy a marshmallow? you make that, too? >> we make everything in-house. >> reporter: then we coated the ice cream with chocolate wafers. >> so i'll just snack on a cronut before we go. >> sure, if you can get one. >> i know the guy that makes them. >> yeah? >> yes. >> is he cool? >> he's adorable. >> reporter: and finally, turned up the heat. so the order is after it's frozen, you put it in the frozen thing and torch it. >> exactly. >> that's all? >> yeah. it's getting hot in here.

>> be right back. >> my gosh! that's so cool. still no cronut. this treat looks certainly satisfying. really good? >> yeah. >> close your eyes and let's go to the campfire together. what if i told you i had not eaten all day, and i'm so hungry. and, no, i'm not too proud to take candy from a kid. >> but you didn't get your cronut? >> you know what though? we thought you should have a cronut. >> you have a cronut? >> we thought you should have a cronut. >> oh, my gosh! >> they're crazy. >> no, you eat it. >> i want the bigger one. >> okay. okay. we are back with more of your relationship.

♪ nothing you can say can tear me away from my guy ♪ we are back with more of "today" on this booze day tuesday. it's time to get the other view with answers to your relationship questions. >> yes, he is a human dynamics coach, and the best selling author of "get the guy." he is matthew huffy. >> we love him. >> i have a cartoon now. >> you do. you have arrived. >> i have arrived. you can kill me now because i'm done. >> let's go with our first question from sara. >> okay. is a guy not interested in me if he plans a date night, then calls right before to say he also has plans with his friends so can they join? >> i mean, you know me. i don't often say a guy is just a complete idiot if he does something, but that seems strange. when a guy says, i'm going to bring along my friends, or i have plans with my friends, as a woman i think you've either got to say -- if you're going to be laid back and you've got friends with you, say let's all join together. let's all do it and

either he will turn out to be a great guy who just slipped up or you're going to realize this guy is an idiot. >> what should you do? ask him? did you just slip up or are you an idiot? >> i would say give him the benefit of the doubt that night. get some of your friends together and go out, which by the way, as a woman, you have to have friends as well. make sure you've got friends at that point. >> and see how he treats you in front of those friends. >> is he showing you interest? it is also a good time for you to show off a little bit. the best thing to do with a guy is impress his friends. we're very -- when it comes to the value we place on people, we don't like to say that when someone else likes them, then i like them too. the truth in life is, if other women are saying, that guy's hot, it starts to raise your value of the guy even if you didn't think he was hot before. so be charming with his friends. >> okay. have a good time. >> another one. >> debbie says, i just started dating again after years of marriage and i'm not sure of the rules these days. should i let a man pay for me and open my car door or are those days over?

>> that's a good one. >> chivalry is alive and well? >> i just did a blog about this on my website how to get the guy.com. which was literally about is chivalry really dead? and the thing i talked about, first, it's become very confusing for guys because we are in a world now where women are crazy powerful in relation to us and we're trying to figure out where we still matter. the mistake that guys make is they shoot themselves in the foot, because they're like, well, if women want all of this going on, if they want equal pay and the same rights and the same treatment, we'll give it to them in all respects. we won't open the car door, we won't pay the bill. where guys are so stupid is we've run out of so many ways of impressing women, we should be holding on to every way of impressing women we can. >> yeah. >> so when it comes to opening the car door, do it because you're immediately going to be different from every other guy. >> i love him. he's 26 years old. how did you get so wise? >> guys aren't taught right. this is the problem and they're not taught right by everyone in their world. >> if someone does not do that

for you, can you ever expect that maybe they will at some point or is that just the way they are? >> yeah, 100% you can. because here's what you've got to imagine, if i'm a guy who's never been conditioned to do those things for a woman, by suddenly meeting a women who teaches me that's her standard, that's her expectation -- >> then you do it. >> then i'll begin to do it if i really want to impress that person. so as a woman, you have to have the confidence to enforce a certain standard. >> so just sit in that car until he comes around. >> here's what you say. look, if you want -- >> you could be there a while. no, you've got to communicate better as a woman. so if you want the guy to open the car door for you, tell him i would love for you to do this for me. if he says that's stupid, every time we get in the car i'm going to walk around to your side and open the car door. yes, you know why? because it will make me feel safe. >> well now they've got those button so the guys just -- >> then walk around and open the car door. >> now i open it for frank. little old people humor.

another great guy with some good advice. >> after this. >> we love him. >> he and frank. great guys in the world after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] when did we start thinking that eating a tiny breakfast would help us weigh less? ♪ with the special k breakfast, eat all this, with new, hearty special k multi-grain cereal. data shows women who eat breakfast tend to weigh less than those who don't. so eat right, not less. a new perspective. what will you gain when you lose? ♪ >> with hotwire's low prices, i can cross even more places off my travel wish list. this year alone, i hit new york and texas. see, hotwire checks the competition's rates every day so they can guarantee their low hotel prices. >> men: ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e, hotwire.com. ♪ [ hosmer ] i kinda knew their reaction would be a little like,

you know, "what are you thinking?" oh, i had a knot in my chest. i didn't really want her to go but...i knew she could do it. i felt like there were bigger and better things for me to do. [ mom ] she took what she was doing seriously. [ hosmer ] my self-confidence just went through the roof. [ dad ] it was awesome to see her transform from a girl, in a small town, to a soldier. [ male announcer ] you made them strong. we'll make them army strong. talk to your son or daughter about joining the army. find out how at goarmy.com/parents.

♪ >> oh, yeah. we are back and it is time to ask lou about all those pesky problems around the house you wish you could take care of yourself. >> today lou manfredini is host of "house smart," and he has the quick fix for all your home repairs. we always learn something from you that's terrific. >> thank you. >> we have a question from nikki. she says, how die get rid of sugar ants? >> so you bait them because it is all about getting rid of the queen. so a lot of people go to these traps which are kind of nice and they have bait inside these as well. but one of my favorites, whether it is combat or this terro, these little bait stations -- which kind of remind me of the cheese and

crackers you used to send the kids off with? >> yeah. >> sort of reminds me of those. take your scissors and snip off a little bit here. this little station, once you do that, you place it down in here. it is like a little buffet for the ants. >> oh! >> and they all come to this thing and they all say hey, everybody, there's a buffet. >> par-tay. >> you'll see a ton of ants first, that will freak you out a little bit. but then what happens is they go back to the colony and they say, hey, queen, i brought you some food. >> insidious stuff. >> she doesn't know about this. >> whether it is sugar ants, regular ants, you name it, this kind of baiting works and it will eliminate the ant problem. it takes about two weeks. everybody thinks it is going to happen in a day but it takes about two weeks, then it is done. >> what about the children? you don't want to leave those around so children can get to those. >> obviously you don't want kids drinking that kind of stuff. it is not going -- >> it won't kill them. >> same with pets. if you have a cat or dog -- >> yeah. be careful. >> so one of the tricks is

depending where you put it. you can put it under a milk crate with something over the top because the ants can still get there. >> that's very attractive, too. >> rachel has a question. rachel wants to know how to get oil-based paint off of wood floors. >> if you haven't had any luck with any of the removers, one of the tricks is, here is a sample of a wood floor. we put latex paint on this for the sake of demonstration. wrap the area with blue painter's tape over the floor and then take a little sanding block and lightly sand it. this takes a little bit of time. what we are trying to avoid is getting down to that wood to ruin the finish. then once you get most of this off, you're going to take a little plastic putty knife, a scotch brite pad and a little mineral spirit on to the wood and then gently go with the grain and remove that paint. which works really well with oil-based paint. >> we'll have to take your word on that one. >> vickie says she replaced old toilets. last time the plumber came he replaced the inside works with the newer model stuff and when i

flush the toilets, i have to reach inside the tank and put the flapper down manually. >> oh, my gosh! >> first of all, get your money back from the plumber. if all the parts are new and just can't work, the trick will cost you 25 cents. take a quarter or some fender washers there. take a little silicone caulk. this is going to be difficult to see, but you're going to squirt a little of the the silicone caulking on to the quarter. then on top of that flapper, you place this inside and stick it on there. >> so it weighs it down? >> it weighs it down. this needs to be dry. you need to take the water out and let it dry. do this 24 hours later. that little added weight of 25 cents -- done. >> but, lou, what about those deep found stains that we get in toilets? in toilets. >> that was the extra word you were supposed to eliminate. okay. if it is a white toilet, if it is a white sink and you have a deep down stain, this is a product out of a little company out of iowa called wink that is

the stain remover. i have nothing to do with this company whatsoever but you squirt this inside there. wink rust stain remover. that's exactly what it says. if this does not get the stain out, you need a new toilet. you wear some rubber gloves. >> i knew where he was going with that. >> and you take a scotch brite pad. after you squirt this in. white toilet, white sink, guaranteed to work. >> buy a black one the next time. they're great. you never have to clean the thing. >> all right. coming up, are you looking for a last getaway before the summer ends? >> pack your bags, everybody! we've got the five best deals from ireland to the caribbean right after this. summer is not over. good morning, i'm crystal egger with the weather channel. we're wrapping up july with more soggy weather for the east. temperatures will stay down once again below average around the upper midwest and the great lakes and rain moves all the way into the southeast. more soggy weather in places

like atlanta. 81 degrees this afternoon in atlanta. 83 in new york city. only 80 in chicago. below average once again, only 78, louisville. 101 today in dallas, so much of the heat out to the desert of the southwest. by tomorrow, thursday forecast. severe weather back into the northern plains and that includes parts of south dakota, nebraska and into kansas here. looking at some showers across colorado's high country. dry in the west and notice all that rain starting to push into the east. that brings soggy weather on thursday to the northeast, but i think we're going to clear it out just in time for the weekend. notice temperatures will stay in the 70s there from new york city up into boston. friday looking much better. across the southeast it dries out. showers expect across much of florida. scattered thunderstorms, as well and kansas city at 86 degrees with a chance of late day rain. looks like seattle is going to get in on some showers with 70 for the high on friday. by saturday, some wet weather

pushing across the lower ohio valley. much of the country looks pretty good on saturday then by sunday we'll bring some scattered rain back into the southeast. 75 in chicago. we're going to be at least a week across the great lakes with below average temperatures. so no big warm-up at all. 72 in chicago on monday. more rain expected across the east as we have seen much of july. august will start out just the same and on tuesday we'll hit 92 in albuquerque. 99 in dallas. remember, you can always get the latest weather weekday mornings, "wake up with al" at 5:30. what do you think about caffeine? we consume over two billion cups of coffee every week without a second thought. 5-hour energy has less caffeine than some starbucks coffees, plus it has vitamins and nutrients. it's simple... caffeine with vitamins and nutrients.

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we were just talking about how this summer is just whizzing by. it is hard to believe, but it is not long before the kids head back to school. if you're looking to fit in a family vacation but haven't made any plans, your timing really couldn't be any better.

>> the summer winds down, travel deals heat up. and jenin, senior travel editor for orbitz has five end of summer deals you will not want to miss. and do you get better deals as the summer kind of winds down? >> you do. most people take their vacations in june and july. so as we head into august -- there are schools in the country that go back as early as mid-august so now is when demand starts to drop even in big destinations. so if you know where to look, you can get a good deal. >> the chirping is -- there is a real bird. >> a real -- >> yes. >> new orleans is a hot destination. >> i'm so glad you picked this. >> yeah, and it is summer festival season in new orleans. so if you can stand the heat and i mean literally stand the heat, you can travel there for so cheap they have a satchmo fest going on right now that celebrates the music of louis armstrong. they also have culinary new orleans going on, which is their restaurant month during the month of august. >> you walk down bourbon street, there's live music from every venue. >> i just like to go there to

eat. restaurants are amazing. the way to go is to book a package combining your airfare and hotel together. here is a package we looked at from philadelphia. airfare plus five nights staying at the saint hotel, it is beautiful, right in the french quarter. $586 per person. just to give you an idea, if you just booked that hotel alone you'd be spending $555 just for five nights at the hotel so for a couple dollars more have you the airfare. >> let's go to utah. >> beautiful this time of year. >> i mean, you know, this is postcard picture perfect mountain views. top rated golf courses, spas, outdoor activities galore. and they're about to go into their off-season which is the fall in these mountain towns so now is the time when the hotel rates start to drop. the four-star sundial lodge. at the canyons resort. $117 a night on average in the month of august. >> fantastic. how about florida? >> that's always a good start. >> hot also. >> it's easy to get to a lot of great destinations. i like st. petersburg for families. and, you know, this is kind of going against the flow because like i said,

most people do their beach vacations in june and july so you're not going to have as crowded beaches. again we looked at a package deal from chicago, round trip airfare plus five nights, this is staying at the vinoy renaissance, st. petersburg, a beautiful four-star property, talking $700 per person for airfare and five nights. >> that's are great deals. >> now the caribbean. >> yeah, i wanted to include the caribbean because we know that caribbean and mexico, they're well into hurricane season but that really means deep discounts right now for travelers. i chose st. maarten because obviously it has the gorgeous beaches, everything you want in a tropical destination but if have you a couple of rainy days, there are a lot of indoor things, as well. there are 12 casinos on the dutch side, boutiques. >> kids love the gambling. >> yeah, and so here i like the westin dawn beach resort and spa. this has high customer reviews on orbitz.com. always look at what other people are saying. >> what other people are saying about it. >> exactly, exactly, and this one is $169 on average in the month of august.

>> just have a couple of seconds. dublin? >> love dublin. i've got to get the price in. people earlier in the summer spent $1,000-plus just for their airfare. it is a great jumping off point for a lot of other things to do in the countryside. you're not going to believe this. round trip airfare from new york, five days of car rental plus five nights at the five-star radisson blu st. helen's just outside of dublin -- >> what? >> just under $1400 per person. that's amazing. >> ireland, one of my favorite. >> and the people are so great. >> thanks. >> enjoy the kids. smokin' hot and sweet. we aren't just talking about the barbecue. >> we fire up the grill. but first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ when you're ready come and get it ♪ it is time for "today's kitchen." >> what's cooking, and we're adding some flavor to your typical every day barbecue. >> ryan scott is host of "food rush" on live well and it's live network. and he's spilling his secret ingredients. what is it? >> cherry cola. >> what? >> i'm going to make a barbecue sauce with cherry cola. >> okay. >> and the great thing about it it has so much sugar already so

you don't have to put -- it does, sara. what do you want me to say? so instead of putting in so much brown sugar, we'll add onions and -- >> what is in here? >> it has hall pain know -- >> take the summer indoor grill into your drink. what i did is i made a grilled peach jalapeno sangria with gewurztraminer inside there. it has a little spice to it. >> it sure does. >> you can do strawberries, peaches, nectarines and like it. >> you can save some calories that way. >> yes. >> can you make it with diet cherry cola? >> let's build this. we sweated some onions. no caramelization. making your whole barbecue sauce is as easy as three or four ingredients. ketchup. you love ketchup, right? i remember that and a little bit of brown sugar. a little bit then the tabasco.

>> yeah, i like a little kick. let's dump the soda in here. >> do it, ryan! >> cook it down until it looks gorgeous like you two. and this right here. >> ooh. i like that. >> want me to paint it? >> yeah. when the sauce is nice and thick like this, take your ribs, low and slow in the oven for a couple hours. just like that. let it sizzle. what happens is last minute you put the barbecue sauce on there, it gets nice and glistening and delicious and crusty. i know, hoda, you're hungry. i know you said you were ready to eat the whole platter. try these. >> oh, my god. >> i made these for you. are they good? cheers. >> oh, my god! >> are they like fall off the bone? that's what you want, low and slow in the oven. really fun and sara comes and -- that's my finger. that's my finger. >> what i did here, corn gets served with butter during the summer. and sour cream. i do mine with grilled corn and basil pesto. look at that.

pour it right over the top of the corn on the cob. finish with a little bit of spice and take a little bit of hungarian paprika. >> that looks good. >> dairy-free. >> don't ruin it! >> it's hungarian. you're spicy this morning. all right. so an homage to my brother, which is a fireman, and he is a really good cook and i made a grilled potato salad in his name. it is made with homemade ranch dressing. but in here you can see here is the peaches that i grilled in the sangria. here's heirloom to tate mows and guess where they went? in my jalapeno baked bean. try this potato salad, has a little bit of homemade ranch dressing in there. sara. baked beans. >> thank you, brian. tomorrow, robin thicke's wife. >> thanks. >> she's adorable. plus, how to deal with annoying people at the pool or beach. and jill martin has a surprise for me. see you tomorrow. ♪

jeff: from "lord of the rings and" and "lost," dominic monaghan. now you're doing reality, which is tougher? >> the real element of reality is harder. jeff: real man is the reality star. >> that looks like "survivor." why not just come and do it? jeff: then inspirational story of amazing outreach. sports was your outlet. >> it was my life. [applause] hello, hello! a little about me. i'm recently married. i work with my wife on the show and i'm learning how to be adad to two amazing kids in a blended family.