Going out to eat on a budget by capitalizing on free meals for kids

Are you like me, working during the day and than running your kids to all their extracurricular activities in the afternoon and by the time you get home, it’s already dinnertime and you don’t have anything ready to eat? As a mom on a budget, knowing what restaurants offer free kids’ meals can help out when you are on the go or when you want to go out for a nice dinner. The savings can add up. I did some checking and found at least one restaurant a day, if not more, offering free kids meals.

Monday

On Monday all day long, you can visit the Mexican restaurant Carmelita’s, with locations in Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg, for a free meal for kids 10 and younger when you purchase an adult meal. Also on Monday and Tuesday, Cody's Original Roadhouse Bay Pines offers free kids meals for children 10 and under. You can get 2 kids meal per adult entrees purchased. Plus they have a person who will make balloon figures for the kids! Also Lee Roy Selmon’s offers a free kids meal. Quaker Steak & Lube has kids meals for kids 8 and younger form 5 p.m. to close with an adult meal purchase. They also have free games for kids.


Tuesday

The biggest night for free kids’ meals is Tuesday. Beef 'O' Brady's allows kids 12 and under to eat free all day on Tuesdays with the purchase of a regular price adult meal. Also on Tuesday, Delosa's Pizza & Italian Restaurant in Largo offers a free kid’s meal per adult meal purchase.

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse in Clearwater allows children 10 years and under to choose an item from the kid’s menu with the purchase of an adult dinner. Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q offers a kids’ eat free night on the first Tuesday of the month after 4 p.m., but only at the Tyrone location. You can get 2 kids per adult meal over $8.99 from 4-8pm.

Also Slyce Pizza on Indian Rocks Beach will give kids 12 and under a slice of pizza with an adult food purchase. The new Texas Roadhouse in St. Petersburg also has a kids night on Tuesday.



Wednesday

CD Roma Restaurant in St. Petersburg has a free kids night on Wednesday with the purchase an adult meal. It is from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and you can get up to two kids meals with an adult entrée.


Saturday 

On Saturday kids eat free with an adult meal purchase at Proino Breakfast Club in Largo from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. All weekend long kids can eat free at Steak ‘N Shake all day. For every $8 spent you get one free kid’s meal. You need to eat inside the restaurant.



Any day

Pick a day, if you like pizza, than take your kids to the Untouchables Pasta & Pizza in Largo. They offer a free kids’ meal every day with the purchase of an adult meal.

Personally, I have found it’s sometimes cheaper to eat out than cook at home when you get free kid’s meals.  I also enjoy not having to wash the dishes! One last money saving tip is to order water. Drinks can add up quickly. Enjoy!

Morean Arts Center’s Student Exhibition “My Personal Hero” more than an art exhibit

 

It was a pretty emotional moment to finally find out what my 10-year- old daughter, Randi drew and wrote about for the “Word & Image Exhibition: My Personal Hero.”  Several months earlier I received a note from the curator of exhibitions at the Morean Arts Center informing us that her artwork had been chosen for display in the Risser Gallery at the Morean Arts Center. Attached to it was a save the date card. I had no idea at that time what this meant except what my daughter told me and that was she drew a picture and wrote about her Papa.  I knew I needed to make sure her Papa,  who lives out of town was here for this event.

 The artwork was a project her art teacher did at her elementary school. I found out later it was

actually an assessment all Pinellas County fourth and fifth graders had to do and they were graded on. The top ones from each school were entered into the Morean Art Center’s exhibit. At the awards ceremony we were told that there were more than 500 entries and

79 students were selected to have their pieces on display. Randi is one of those 79. Two other students from Randi’s school also are part of the exhibit. One student wrote about her mom and the other one about the art teacher.

There were beautifully framed pieces of artwork all over the gallery made by the students. Randi’s drawing stood out on the wall because of the bright yellow and red hearts she painted. She also drew  a super hero type character of her Papa with the word “care” on his shirt and him saying “I care about you.” The students also had to write about why this person was their hero.  Randi wrote, “My personal hero is Tom Tubbs, my Papa. He is my grandpa, but I call him, Papa. I love him very much. One reason why I love him is because he always cares. He cares about me very much. Everything I do, he cares. He always asks me if I am ok when I am sad. Another reason why he is my hero is because he fought in a war. He flew the helicopter in the war, and he could have died. My Papa is such an inspiration to me because he cares and fought in a war. When I grow up, I hope to care as much as he does.”

It was incredible to see how people reacted to the paintings when they read what it said especially when it was about them being a personal hero. My father-in-law was so touched. You could tell it just melted his heart to see his granddaughter cared so much about him. Other kids painted and wrote about their moms, dads, grandpas, grandmas, teachers, cousins and friends.

Who’s your hero? Most of us have someone we consider a hero in or life or someone we admire. Why not take a minute to let your hero know what they mean to you. Acknowledging a person with a personal note or letter can have such an impact.

For the past 18 years, the Morean Arts Center has partnered with the Pinellas County School System to showcase student’s artwork. Each year, there’s a different theme. I think this year’s theme was more than an art exhibition, but a life exhibition and something that will last beyond April 15^th when the student’s display is over.

The exhibit is free of charge and is located at 719 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg. 

Why family is so important in times of crisis

My mom and dad with Governor Mike Huckabee in Israel

I was reminded once again why family is so important especially in times of sickness. My parents recently went on a trip of a lifetime to the Holy Lands in Jerusalem. It was something my mom has wanted to do for most of her life. They finally did it with a group led by former Governor Mike Huckabee and his wife Janet. 

My mom with Janet Huckabee in Israel

Their trip was phenomenal until my dad slipped on mud at the Dead Sea. He broke his ankle, knee and tore his rotator cuff. He ended up going to a hospital in Tel Aviv where doctors put a cast on his leg. Luckily the Huckabee’s had an orthopedic surgeon who was travelling with them. The surgeon was a godsend. He helped my dad and watched over him after he got hurt. My dad wasn’t the only one to break a bone. Two others also broke bones. A lady broke her arm and a Pastor broke his leg.

Even though my dad had just fallen, he
still managed to get himself down
to the Dead Sea

After the fall, my dad was out of commission and couldn’t do the rest of the tour. His fall happened on the sixth day of their ten day tour, so my parents ended up flying out of Israel a day early with the help of Janet Huckabee who found a flight for them. A special thank you also to the orthopedic surgeon who knew to cut my dad's cast before he got on that long flight.

When they arrived back in Seminole not only was my dad in pain, but my mom was also not doing so well. She was so sick she ended up in the hospital. She tested positive for the flu. She was also tested for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). MERS is a new viral respiratory illness new to humans being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control. My mom had all the signs of MERS, which are very similar to the flu including she has a low immune system because of her rheumatoid arthritis and she had ridden a camel in Israel.

My mom and dad riding a
camel in Israel

Because of this the infectious disease doctors wanted to test her for MERS. The test takes several days to get results, so she was put in isolation at the hospital and monitored for four days receiving lots of intravenous fluids. Everyone who entered her room had to put on a mask, gown and gloves. The nurses had to wear protective eye gear.

Me in the hospital with
all the gear.

Luckily the tests came back negative for MERS. While she was in one hospital, my dad had to have foot surgery at another hospital. It was suppose to be outpatient surgery, but he was so worried about my mom his blood pressure sky rocketed and he had to stay the night.

It was a crazy few days. Thank goodness my whole family lives close by. I have a brother and two sisters and we were all on alert taking care of both parents around the clock. While my mom was in the hospital, my one sister and I took turns staying with her. My youngest sister and brother took turns staying with my dad since he couldn’t move to well because of his broken leg.

My dad in the hospital in
Tel Aviv

If you’ve ever had any experience at hospitals, you know it’s important to be there if you can when a loved one is in because they need an advocate. I know it was crucial that we were with my mom, especially since she was on isolation. We made sure she got the medicine she needed and were able to talk to the doctor about her condition.

I don’t know how people do it when their parents get older and things like this happen and they stay months in the hospital or need round the clock care. As a mom of two little girls, a wife and working it can be exhausting. I don’t know what I would have done without the help of my husband to take care of our girls and my siblings and their spouses who all pitched in to help. My mother-in-law also helped watch our daughters. It’s times like these when you know how important family is and how a crisis can make your family even stronger. 

Start Talking to your Kids about Video Footprints

Youth Pastor Andrew Larsen gives tips to parents
about social media safety at Faith Community Church

I attended a parent’s social media workshop at Faith Community Church recently with the youth pastor Andrew Larsen.  Even though, I feel I am pretty up on social media, I know there is always something new happening that I need to be aware of. As parents, we need know as much as we can about social media so we can keep up with our kids. Larsen made a really good point that now parents don’t only have to talk to their kids about the birds and the bees, but we have something new to talk to them about called video footprints. A set of prints that can’t be taken away once they are in cyber space.

Some students at Osceola Fundamental High School know this all too well after several students were mortified when improper photos they sent to friends ended up getting posted on social media and their classmates saw it. Parents need to talk to their children and remind them anything they send, post or share with even their “friends” can be broadcast to the world with a click of the button and it can’t be taken back.

I have two young girls ages 9 and 10, so they aren’t into what the teens are into yet, but I am concerned and worried about what social media is going to be like in a few years. Look at how it has taken off in just a few years.

Every day there is a new app out there. If you can think of it, there’s an app for it. I am not kidding. I don’t really download apps so when Larsen started naming a few apps, I was saying in my mind, “really??” Did you know there’s an app to let you know the best time to go to the restroom during a movie? There really is. Unbelievable!

Larsen mentioned that most parents are on Facebook, but our kids are on Instagram. Instagram is a photo sharing site and not for kids under 13 years of age. Larsen says when apps give age restrictions parents should abide by them. He also said to be cautious of the geo specific apps that are out there, like the app that was used in the Osceola High School saga. The geo specific apps have changed the most out of all the apps.

Larsen had 5 great tips.

1.     Talk to your kids early and often.

2.     Be curious about your kid’s devices and what they are doing on them. Ask questions.

3.     Leverage social media’s potential for good.

4.     Go dark as a family and turn off and unplug your devices at night. Make sure kids turn in their devices to you before they go to bed.

5.     Remember what is at stake. It’s not about technology; it’s about your kids.

As parents, we have to be in control what are kids are doing on social media. I know it’s easy to let the device be a babysitter for younger kids or become a shallow relationship for teens. Limit the screen time your kids have on devices. Check up on your kids. It’s not invading their privacy. It’s being a good parent, so your child doesn’t get hurt.

Advertising to Kids with Secret Menus

Photo from #HacktheMenu

Have you heard about the secret menus restaurants have online? Well, the secret’s out and kids are loving it.

Recently at a networking meeting, the president of our group told us about the secret menus that several restaurant chains have on the internet. I had never heard of it before, so I had to check it out for myself. Yes, there are indeed secret menus online. What I found was it is actually quite popular with kids and teens.

Cotton Candy Frappuccino from Starbucks
Photo from #HacktheMenu

I was talking to my two girls and my nieces to see if they knew about it and my nieces told me they knew about the Starbucks secret menu for a cotton candy Frappuccino (“Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. 1 pump Raspberry syrup for a tall, 2 pumps for a grande or 3 pumps for a venti”). Once my kids heard about it, they were begging me to take them to get a cotton candy Frappuccino. Of course I did take them, but bribed them to do some extra chores around the house beforehand. I actually wanted to see for myself what this secret menu was all about.

Of course the cotton candy Frappuccino isn’t on the menu, but the barista knew what we were talking about when we ordered it and made it for us. Some barista’s don’t know so it’s good to know what the ingredients are so you can tell them, just in case they don’t know. We ordered the cake batter Frappuccino and they didn’t know that one. It’s a vanilla bean crème Frappuccino with almond flavoring on top.

After pondering the secret menu concept, I realized how companies are now marketing to our kids. It’s not just newspaper and television ads and flyers in the mail anymore. Companies are marketing to kids in a whole new way especially to kids with electronics and access to the internet. The idea is that a secret menu is fun for kids to look up online and find things that aren’t on the everyday menu at the restaurant and order it.

I think of Starbucks typically as catering more to adults, but now they have kids wanting to go there. What a genius marketing idea, because kids can’t go by themselves, their parents have to take them.

Howard Schultz, the company’s CEO, spoke about the secret menu stating that it was his customers who drove its creation – “I’m stunned and amazed at the concoctions that people order with our Frappuccino. I never imagined it and the secret menu that has developed as a result.” Through its secret menu, Starbucks is empowering its regular customers with a feeling of inclusion, and is creating a buzz that makes others want to join too. By simply responding to customer requests for variations on basic menu items, brands have found a way to offer their customers a fun and exclusive experience that many share about on social media. These hidden menus are helping to create fans out of the brand.

Other restaurants offer these secret menus like Burger King, Chick-fil-a, Olive Garden and Dairy Queen to name a few. Click here for the list of Secret Menus. 

Now that the secrets out, at least you know what’s behind the secret menu and how it’s advertising to our kids. 

A Centennial School Celebration has big meaning to a mom and her kids

The school in 1919.

For the past few years, I’ve been wondering just how common it is to have your kids go to the same elementary school you went to when you were a kid? I never attended any of my parent‘s schools, not even to their college, which seems to be a little more popular these days.

Both of my two girls go to the same elementary school I went to when I was younger. When my oldest daughter started in kindergarten at the school, one of the teachers I had in fifth grade was still teaching there. When I went up to her to say hello, she teased me and said she was retiring because I made her feel old since my kids were now going to school there. She actually did retire the following year, so now there aren’t any of the teachers that were there when I was there. My older daughter does have one of the teachers both my two sisters had when they went to school there, which is pretty cool.  

The school today

The school I am talking about is Seminole Elementary School. If you live in Pinellas County you probably know someone who has gone to school there or has worked there. Next year the school will be one hundred years old, so thousands of students have walked the halls there.

The oldest part of the school, which was build in 1915 is the building located off of Park Boulevard. When I went to school there, the building was our cafeteria. Today the building is referred to as the centennial building and is used for the R Club, an afterschool program.

I always laugh because when I tell my youngest daughter a date like my birthday or when I graduated from high school it is in the 1900’s and she says to me, “you mean back in the nineteens?

I guess when your are born in the 2000’s, that was a long time ago.

It seems like yesterday though when I went to school at Seminole Elementary. I can remember how it was set up. Today, the students have art in what was once the office. The office today is one of the newer buildings on campus at the opposite end of the campus. Even with all the changes of some of the classrooms, my oldest daughter is in the same fifth grade classroom I was in when I was there.

What’s exciting is she will be graduating from the school the year of the centennial celebration. 

Of course, I somehow ended up on the centennial celebration planning committee, which is something I enjoy helping out with since I went there along with my siblings and now my kids go there.

We have a date for the event, which will be help on the school’s campus on Saturday, May 2, 2015.

The community is invited to attend the event. We want to reach out to prior students, teachers and administrators that were at Seminole Elementary.  We plan on having the entertainment made up of prior students. We are looking for food vendors and sponsors for our event.

If you want more information you can email the planning committee at SeminoleES100@gmail or look on www.facebook.com/seminoleelementary to get updates on the big day’s events. If interested in helping plan the event, meetings are held at Seminole Elementary School on the first Monday of the month at 3:15 p.m.

Since I started help plan for the centennial celebration, I am finding that more and more people in the community have gone to Seminole Elementary School, but not too many have gone there and their kids have gone there.

A passion to give back to others and make people smile

This is when members of PRO volunteered at All Children's Wonder Land last Christmas. (from left to right: Debbie Kampel, Affiliate Mentor; John-Paul Mario, Affiliate Chair, Robyn Fiel, Affiliate Director; David Bennett, President & CEO.

So many times there are people and organizations that don’t get recognized for the good deeds that they do. I know a lot of them would say they don’t need to be recognized, but sometimes it’s nice to publicly acknowledge the good they are doing for the community.

One particular organization that gives back to the community is the (PRO) Pinellas Realtor Organization Affiliate Business Partners. I am a member of this group and see how passionate they are about supporting their charity All Children’s Hospital.

As a parent and mom I know how important All Children’s Hospital is for our children. This hospital is state of the art and the care is top notch. I have had to take my girls there on several occasions and know what a wonderful place it is.

When Pinellas Realtor Organization affiliate chair John-Paul Mario decided a few years ago to make this hospital the charity of their organization, affiliate partners joined in supporting the cause. In the past 2 years, the organization has given more than $26,000 to All Children’s.  “My passion is giving back to others. My need is to have everyone around with positive energy. This is the most important part of my life. I believe in giving because your rewards are much greater. My personal goal is to see everyone with a smile,” said John-Paul Mario.

Last December, John-Paul made it his mission to start taking food on the weekends to the Ronald McDonald House, a housing facility for family members who have children in All Children’s Hospital. It is for family members who want to be close by their loved one, but maybe don’t want to leave the hospital campus. This is a place they can stay the night and have a meal.

Every week, John-Paul delivers food to the house. He loves to cooks, so sometimes he even cooks meals for the families down there.  “We average about $525 a month for needed items. I usually go shopping on Thursday or Saturday morning at Sam’s Club and deliver the items to the house,” said John-Paul.

The money collected each month is from the affiliates meetings. Each meeting the affiliate member introduces themselves to the group by name and company name. If an affiliate member adds a tag line or more information about their company, John-Paul will ask you to pay $5 to their charity All Children’s. Most people are glad to pay and even donate more because the money is going to a worthy cause.

The affiliates also collect toys for the children at Christmas and Easter.

“We are so appreciative of the support that the Pinellas Realtor Affiliates has given All Children’s Hospital. They have raised money, donated toys and advocated for the cause of our kids. John-Paul and the affiliates dedication to our patients has been unwavering and a testament to their passion for giving back,” said All Children’s Special Event Manager Taylor Traviesa.

This week is the Affiliate Business Partners 4^th annual wine and food festival and all the money raised will benefit All Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. They hope to break last year’s record of raising $7,000.

One man’s passion to give back to others has turned into an organization’s passion into making a difference in the community and the lives of children.

Thank you to organizations like this and others who may go unrecognized, but your good deeds are not unnoticed and your rewards are the feeling you get knowing you made a difference. 

**update to article: The organization raised more than their goal. They raised $8,400.

Free medicines...see if yours is on the list

When the weather starts to change, you know sooner or later someone in your family is probably going to catch a cold.   If you or your child gets sick and the doctor prescribes antibiotics, it can get expensive. But did you know that the Publix pharmacy gives out free antibiotics? It’s true; they offer some of the most prescribed medicines absolutely free. You can get a 14- day supply of the following generic oral antibiotics: Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Cephalexin, Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim, Ciprofloxacin, Penicillin and Doxycycline Hyclate.  This can be a real money saver when you have to get medicine.  The free medicine isn’t just for children, but for everyone. The best part is, you don’t have to join any clubs and it doesn’t matter if you have insurance or don’t have insurance. It’s free with a prescription.

Not only does Publix pharmacy offer free antibiotics, but they also offer other free medicines. As part of the Publix Pharmacy Diabetes Management System, you can get up to a 30-day supply (90 tablets) of generic immediate-release metformin for free. You can also get a 30-day supply of an ACE inhibitor, lisinopril which is used to prevent, treat, or improve symptoms of high blood pressure, certain heart conditions, diabetes, and certain chronic kidney conditions.

Well we are on medicines; you may want to check and see if any of your daily medications are on the $4 generic lists at Sam’s Club, Walmart or Target.  These companies offer hundreds of generic prescriptions for $4 for a 30-day supply and $10 for a 90-day supply. All you need to do is go to their web sites or get a list at the pharmacy of medicines that are $4.  It can save you a lot of money if you are on medications for several months.  It doesn’t matter if you have insurance or not. You don’t have to be a member of a club except for Sam’s Club. 

Here’s an example of just how much money you can save.  If you take the medicine Synthroid 50 MCG for your thyroid, you may be able to get the generic Levothyroxine 50 MCG. The cost of Synthroid is a little more than $20 a month, but the Levothryroxine is on the list of $4 generic drugs. That is a savings of $16 a month.  In a year you would save over $192 on just that one drug.  There was a study done by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health that said if those eligible patients filled their prescriptions with the $4 generic drugs, the potential national savings could be nearly $6 billion.  That’s why I am making you aware of these programs because if you are on these medicines you can be saving money.

Not only are there free and discounted medicines are your local pharmacies, but you can also get free health screenings. This is more than just checking your blood pressure. Some of these health screenings can save you $150.  You can go to my blog and I will link you to several pharmacies offering free health screenings. Click on the company name for list of free screenings. Sam's Club, Publix

Medicines can add up, especially if you are on more than one type of medication. The next time you go to the doctor it might be worth asking if any of these free drugs can be substituted for what you are prescribed.  Better yet, call your doctor now to find out so you can start saving.  You never know unless you ask.

Free summer food service program expands in Pinellas County

The Pinellas County School District, with assistance from the Florida Department of Agriculture, is once again offering free breakfast and lunch throughout the summer to students 18 and under who live in geographic areas where 50 percent of more of the student population receives free or reduced-price meals during the school year. Called Summer BreakSpot, the program expects to serve more than 7,000 lunches to Pinellas County children this year, an estimated 1,000 increase over last year.

Hot and cold meal choices will be available at 130 locations, including schools, churches, community organizations and housing developments. Mobile food trucks also will travel to five locations throughout the county to better serve students near their homes.

Meal times are contingent on the location with breakfast typically served from 7-9 a.m. and lunch served from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. No registration is required to participate. Additionally, a pilot weekend meal program initiated last year, Nourish to Flourish, will continue at 10 locations. 

To find a meal location, visit www.summerfoodflorida.org, dial 211, or text FoodFL to 877-877 on a cellular phone.

Free Kids Workshop Today (Saturday) at Home Depot

Hey Kids and Parents....today you get to build a pint-size riding lawn mower

• FREE hands-on workshops from 9:00 a.m. to noon; designed for children ages 5 - 12
• All kid get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last.
• Children must be present at the store to participate in the workshop and receive the kit, apron and pin.
• Kids Workshop activities are scheduled on a first come/first served basis. Please do not arrive before 9:00 a.m.
• Home Depot asks that you register on line to help them plan.

Here's the link to register and to see what's next month. Click here.

Mom 2 Mom Family Fun Now on Facebook

You can check out Mom 2 Mom Family Fun now on Facebook.
Go to  http://www.facebook.com/Mom2MomFamilyFun

Take a minute to "Like" the page. Thank you!