At least it's Friday

5:15 am - I am awakened by the sound of the kids bedroom door slamming.

Ugh. Silas is awake. (He's the only one that slams the door and he only does it when he wakes up during the night. Go figure)

From the hallway he starts yelling "Mommy, where are you?" I'm here... in my bed. Like normal people.

I call out to him several times but he's not listening. I realize that Graham is still in bed beside me. It must be real early. I get out of bed to retrieve the boy.

I set him on my bed and pick up my cell phone.

5:20.

"Uh, Graham... it's almost 5:30." He should have been headed to work already.

I guess that's what happens when you come home from work & nap on the couch all evening and then wake up after the kids are in bed and get on the computer till 11:30.

Graham hopped up and started getting ready to go. Silas fell back asleep on Graham's pillow.

And now I am wide awake.

I lay there for a bit trying desperately to find that oh-so-sweet sleep, but no. It doesn't come.

So I get up and grabbing a mug of hot cocoa I make my way to the living room.

It's 6:15.

Ugh.

Kids Eat Free

We eat out A LOT. Way more than we should and probably more than most families, especially with lots of kids. We are trying to eat at home more and because of the current stages of our littles we find that take-out is a better option...for now. But when we do eat out it's always great to have a deal. Helps make things a little more affordable.

All of these are found in the DFW area.  Unless specifically mentioned by location remember that participation may vary so call your location before visiting, and deals are changing all the time. In most cases a kids meal refers to a child 12 and under unless noted.  If you know of any that should be added to the list let me know…. I always love a free meal :)

Applebees -  Monday or Tuesday Nights (varies by location) -1 free kids meal per adult - additional kids are only $1.00.

Black Eyed Pea - Tuesday - 5 pm till close- 1 free kids meal with the purchase of an adult meal

Blue Mesa Grill - Sunday     9am-3pm - Free kids brunch  (6 and under) with purchase of adult brunch

Boston's The Gourmet Pizza - Tuesday, all day -  Kids eat free with adult entree purchase

Buffalo Wild Wings - Wednesday  - Dine-in only - .99 kids meals with adult meal purchase

Cafe Brazil - West Berry Street - Sunday thru Thursday, 5pm-10pm - 1 free kids meal per adult meal purchase. 

Cici’s Pizza – Kids 3 and under eat free 7 days a week.

Cowtown Diner - Mon- Thurs 5pm-close - 1 free kids meal per adult entree purchase. 5pm-close

Denny's - South Freeway (Hulen) - Tuesday & Saturday 4-10pm - Up to 2 free kids (10 and under) entrees from kids menu per 1 regularly priced adult entree purchase

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit – Sundays - 1 free kids meal w/ purchase of adult meal

Firehouse Subs – Wednesdays & Sundays - Kids 12 and under eat free from 4-9pm - 1 per purchase of medium adult combo

Fuddruckers – (not free but cheap) 12 and under can eat for .99 (drink is included) from 4-9pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Garden's Restaurant (in the Ft. Worth Botanic Garden) - Sunday 11am-2:30pm - Free kids (8 & under) buffet with adult brunch

Golden Corral – Kids eat free on Tuesday Nights.

Habanero's Fresh Mex - Basswood Blvd - Sunday, All day  - Free kids meal with adult entrée purchase  

IHOP – Kids eat free everyday during certain promotions. They usually have some kind of signage in the window.

Luby's Cafeteria  - Wednesday - 1 free kids meal per adult entree purchase. After 4:30pm.

Phil's Philly Grill (Hulen Mall) - Tuesday, all day - Buy any large Philly Combo and get a Kids Meal for free    

Pizza Hut – Kids eat free on Tuesday Evenings

Pizzaria UNOs - kids eat free Tuesdays. 1 free kids meal per purchase of adult meal.

Qdoba Mexican Grill – Kids eat free at Wednesdays (some locations) and Sundays (some locations) .

Simply Fondue - Sundance Square - Sunday, all day - Free kid's fondue with adult fondue purchase

Souper! Salad! – Kids 4 and under at free and kids 5-12 eat for $2.49 on  Sunday.

Steak n’ Shake – Saturday & Sunday, all day - Kids can eat free (12 & under) with a purchase of an adult entree valued at $8 or more.

Sweet Tomatoes-Kids under 2 eat free

Texas Roadhouse – Mondays or Tuesdays (check your location) kids 12 and under eat free.

Texas Land & Cattle – Kids 12 and under eat free on Saturdays from 11am – 4pm. 2 free kid’s meals for each adult entree.

Tres Jose’s - Sunday - 1 free kids meal with the purchase of an adult meal


For deals in other areas check out: http://www.outtoeatwithkids.com . They also have an app for Apple & Android devices which would be great for when you’re traveling or just out and about and need to eat :). One of our favorites from the list is Tres Jose’s but I can‘t wait to add Café Brazil and Qdoba to the rotation!

We've also found some great deals on Restaurants.com. Sometimes they, or deal sites like Groupon, will run a special where you can get a $25 gift certificate for only $2-$3. Last time I did this I purchased a $25 gc for $2 and at checkout they offered an additional $50 gift certificate for only $5 more. So for $7 I got $75 in gift certificates. Now, most of these are amounts off of a purchase. For example, I got 2 Yucatan Taco Stand gc where we will get $25 off a purchase of $40. We love this place and would eat there anyway and with our large crowd it not hard to spend $40 especially if everyone gets a beverage. So essentially $15 for a $40 meal. Not bad in my book.

The shopping game

I recently read a blog comment where a woman shared that throughout the year she would buy clothing items at garage sales, thrift stores, and clearance racks when she found a good deal. Then when it was time to do "Back to School" clothes shopping for her kids she'd give them each fake money and they could shop through her bargain finds. They got 'new' clothes and she didn't break the bank. I liked this idea but wanted to tweek it for my purposes.

A little over a year ago I spent some time weeding through my children's clothes. And then, I kid you not, that very same week we received 3 garbage bags full of hand-me-downs. Don't get me wrong. I'm always SO thankful for the provisions God makes, but my house was becoming overwhelmed. The laundry situation was out of control, my children didn't take pride in what they own, and this blessing of abundance was becoming a burden. As we get ready to add another person to the house I am even more motivated to get rid of the stuff. My mom, sisters, & I are having a garage sale this weekend so now was as good a time as any.

I spent the last two or three days washing, hanging, and folding every article of clothes my children own. I've gone through countless boxes from the garage. Everything is clean and easily accessible. So now the game. Using a slightly updated version of my clothing list, I made vouchers for the girls. Each one has a specific article of clothing needed. For example, 'One nice dress', or 'a pair of black church shoes'. They will then take the vouchers and 'shop' through their clothes. Anything that's left will either go to the garage sale or Goodwill, or a few choice items may be saved for a younger sibling. And if they are in need of an item (let's say a pair of jeans) then they'll have a voucher for that item left over at the end of the game and I know exactly what to keep my eye out for. I'll do this for Izzie (with a little of her input, maybe) and then later on for the boys. Now, there are some additional guidelines. The items they choose have to pass mom's inspection. They must fit well, be modest, & have no stains or holes.

To avoid the previous dilemma of 'gifts' adding to the closets, we'll institute an "Exchange Program". Say Chelsea gets a new dress for Christmas, she'll need to pick one of her older dresses to exchange for it.

Does this make any sense? The girls are very excited to 'shop' and I'm thrilled to be getting rid of some stuff. I'm tired of looking at this mountain of clothes constantly needing my attention.

Simplicity

“If honor be your clothing, the suit will last a lifetime; but if clothing be your honor, it will soon be worn threadbare” ~ William Arnot

That’s what I’m striving for. I feel like our life has become so cluttered with ‘stuff’ that we are losing grasp on the important things. I’m constantly overwhelmed by the amount of dishes and laundry. We clearly own way more than we need and it’s becoming a problem.

With the school year coming to a close I find it’s a perfect time to start fresh in many areas. I’ve started compiling a list of chores for the girls and weeding out the unnecessary ‘things’. First stop… the clothes. I’ve thought about what we truly need in the way of clothing.

Here’s what I’ve come up with for the children:

• One of each:
• Winter Coat
• Sweater (to wear with church dresses)
• Casual jacket
• Scarf
• Winter hat

• Two of each:
• Gloves/mittens
• Swimsuits
• Shorts for wearing under dresses

• Three of each:
• Pair of pajamas
• Jeans or casual pants

• Four :
• Dresses appropriate for church

• Seven of each:
• Undies
• Pairs of socks
• Other outfits – shorts or skirts w/ tops or casual dresses

When winter rolls around the shorts will be swapped out for warmer counterparts. Things outgrown will be passed down to younger siblings, sold at JBF, or donated to the church clothing closet. I’m going to try to adhere to the same guidelines for myself with the exception of three “Special Occasion” outfits. Graham has different clothing needs because of work.

You might think this sounds like a lot. This is actually about what Chelsea owns now with the exception of more undies and PJ’s. My other children have three or four times this much. Mackenzie can fill an entire closet on her own and Silas probably owns over 20 onesies that fit him currently. This is crazy, especially when the result is what feels like 100 loads of laundry. God has blessed us immensely with many things, and it is our responsibility to be good stewards with what we have.

Next on the list…. TOYS!