October 2007 Archives
You're running late, haven't made it to the store, or are just dog tired. Fortunately, the Birmingham area has an abundance of possibilities for family-size take out that allow you to dine at your own kitchen table and spend time together over a quality meal without any planning, marketing, or preparation on your part.
Use BirminghamMom.com's list to phone in your order during your commute or before you leave the office (if your phone is web-enabled, you may click on the highlighted phone number to dial the restaurant directly). Your dinner can be ready and waiting for pick-up on your drive home.
If your kids are older, you may prefer to have them call in the order so you can just swing by and pick it up on the way home. Better yet, have your husband bookmark this page and let him handle dinner.
Holiday purists will complain that the leaves are just starting to turn and already there are Christmas trees twinkling in store windows. However, if you're a BirminghamMom who has any intention of having a relaxed holiday while Santa delievers the must-have toy of the season, you'll want to get to work now.
1. Tune in more closely during your family's casual conversations for clues on hobbies, books, or interests that would be thoughtful themes for gifts.
2. For young children, a trip to the toy store to select a gift for a friend's birthday party is also the perfect time to browse. You can observe what toys interest your child without their expectation that you will purchase for them.
3. Develop reference prices as you watch sales circulars, knowing that many toys will be on sale during the week before Thanksgiving, and often with free shipping from online retailers.
4. Amazon.com is Santa's best friend. Not only are selections delivered to the front door, contents are concealed in cardboard boxes, so there is less effort required to keep curious little eyes away.
5. If your kids want a popular item that is potentially in short supply, better get it now and hang on to your receipt incase you're entitled to a price adjustment later. You may have a chance to find a Wii in October, but you'll kick yourself if you're scrambling to find one in stock anywhere after Thanksgiving. Same goes for the iPhone your spouse has been eyeing - pardon the pun.
6. For the truly fearless, you can always duke it out with fellow champion shoppers at the doorbuster sales. However, I recommend you make your purchases ahead of time so you can enjoy "Black Friday" (the Friday after Thanksgiving) and Christmas Eve as a shopping spectator.
Whether you are running late to pick up the kids, will spend most of your evening at the ball field, or hate to order a meal just to watch your child pick over it, you can visit the following restaurants for kid-friendly options that will help you justify taking a pass on cooking.
*Adult entree purchase is required for kids' meal; other requiements may apply
Do you know of other kids eat free/dining deals? Share a kids dining find.
A chicken roll-up and drink at Zoe’s in Patton Creek nets me 35 cents in my Upromise account. Not much, perhaps, but this take me no more effort than swiping my debit card, which I would have done anyway. Consider that your husband and parents can also have their purchases contribute toward your childrens’ Upromise account, and you see there is a great opportunity for your account to benefit over time.
I have become a Upromise fan since I realized how effortless it is to use this program, which credits your Upromise account each time you make a qualifying purchase and ultimately applies your credits to a 529(b) plan.
Read more to find local resturants that support Upromise
