Dining Out With a Family of 4 - On a Budget

I love to cook... but I LOOOOOOOVE to go out! Many people ask how we are able to eat at so many restaurants so often with 2 children. Here are a few tips that we use that may also help you.

1. Drink water! Not only is this a healthier option than most of what you would normally choose, but it will save you $6-$8 (or MORE) for a family of 4.

2. Nix the kid's meal. Kid's meals rarely impress me in a restaurant and 9 times out of 10, my 6 year old wont eat it anyway. Most options are either fried or a boxed form of mac & cheese. YUCK! Why pay $4 for something you can buy for 50 cents? Consider splitting an adult meal for the kids. It is probably more appetizing anyway! Children have palates, too. Honest! Sometimes, splitting between the 2 kids is impossible. My 8 year old usually eats a small, adult entree alone now. But getting a soup in addition to my meal is usually enough for my 6 year old.

3. Do not over-eat. Not only is it bad for you, but it is costly! Portion sizes in most restaurants are over-abundant as it is. Is there really a need for an appetizer, regular size entree AND dessert? Perhaps there is! Maybe it is a special occasion. But you should really consider that before making your choice.

4. NEVER be afraid to use coupons. I sign up for every free rewards program there is. If I happen to go to that restaurant, great. If not, no harm, no foul, right? Signing up for a rewards program usually gets you on a list for extra coupons, too. So, if you like to dine out, do your research!

Hopefully this has helped you a bit.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Living in Florida has it's advantages! My mother flew in from California 2 weeks ago. Her cousin, Billy, from Pennsylvania joined us. My mother had been planning a trip with all of to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure for MONTHS! It was pretty cool if I do say so myself, which I have no problem doing as most of you already know! However, for those of you eager to go into the most wizard-laden spot in Orlando, I have a few tips for you. Keep in mind I did NOT go on a weekend or holiday. I went on a Friday and it was shoulder to shoulder madness!

1. THE RIDES: The official website says the best time to ride the Forbidden Journey is first thing in the morning when the park opens. Unless you are THERE when the park first opens, I suggest going around sunset. Also note, the pass that allows you to go around everyone does NOT apply for this ride. Keep an eye on the marquees around the park that shows you the current wait times for the most popular rides. If you get carsick easily, this is NOT a good ride for you. I felt sick for 30 minutes afterwards. The Flight of the Hippogriff is a GREAT ride for all ages. Hold on to hats or anything else that is loose. We did not ride the Dragon Challenge.

2. THE WAND: One of the best-selling souvenirs is a replica wand. And who wouldn't want one?!?! For $25 (yeah, a little steep but it is a theme park) you get your choice of wand from Neville's, to Harry's, to the want of the Dark Lord himself!! Now, you have a few options of HOW to do this and that is really where the time-saving tip comes in. You can stand in line for the "wand presentation" (reviews say it is lame) which chooses only ONE person from each group for the presentation. The wand chooses you, yadda-yadda. The day I went, the line was 2 hours just to get in the shop and every report I have seen said that is minimal for that particular attraction. If you want a wand you can go around the BACK of the line and enter Dervish and Banges from the back side. You can also get one at a kiosk between the exit from Forbidden Journey and the exit from the Flight of the Hippogriff.

3: BUTTERBEER, PUMPKIN JUICE AND FOOD: Many people see the Butterbeer cart in the center of town and think "OOOH That line is long! I should get in line now!" Well, they would be wrong. The best place to get one of these treats is in the Three Broomsticks Tavern. Also, it is far better frozen and it is AMAZING! As for the Pumpkin Juice, you can buy these all over but I believe the only way to get the bubbly version is in Three Broomsticks. I have heard the bubbly is much better. To me, it tastes like an over-sweetened and spiced version of apple cider. The food at the Three Broomsticks was REALLY good. We got the feast and it fed 4 adults and 2 children with left overs! It was a great deal.

4. HONEYDUKE'S/ZONKO'S - THE CANDY/JOKE SHOP: There was a line to get in here when I was there. I am sure there is a fire code restriction for the amount of people. But Zonko's (the joke shop owned by the Weasley twins) is right next door and the 2 stores are connected inside. Walk past the candy shop (walking away from the Three Broomsticks) and enter Zonko's to get in Honeyduke's if there is a line. The Honeyduke's chocolate bars were terrible but the fudge flies rocked! Either take a soft cooler bag with freezer packs for your chocolate, or get your candy from Honeyduke's as your last stop in the park before going home. Honeyduke's WILL NOT transfer food to the front of the park for you (like other stores in the park will) and I guarantee the candy will melt. I took quart sized ziplocs, filled one with hotel ice and double bagged it. It worked GREAT as a freezer pack!! Zonko's was unimpressive to me.

5. THE TRAIN: Stop and take a picture of the family by the Hogwart's Express. This only takes a second! You will regret it if you don't!

I am a dork and somehow missed Filch's Emporium and the Owl Post. I wont make that mistake next time ;)

For Hosh :)

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All in the family...

I do not blog enough… Sorry (Reese). I have so much on my plate I find it difficult, sometimes, to sit down, put pen to paper (or finger to board in this case) and expel myself (that is really what blogging is, isn’t it?) into a concise note to the world. Without further adieu, here goes!

My daughter’s 6th birthday party is this weekend. Six… How did we get here? It really does seem like last week when I was snuggling and nursing her in bed in the GA house. Time flies… I always have heard older people say that; “Cherish these moments because they are gone too soon”. I guess I am old! We are having a little chef’s party in our house. We did something a little unorthodox (who me?) and invited all 18 of her classmates instead of just the girls. I was really worried about inviting them ALL and I was warned it was “a mistake”. Quite honestly, it is a darned good thing I did! Not one girl RSVPed. 8 children are on the list (including my 2, 2 neighbors and a sibling of a classmate). THREE classmates out of the 18 are coming. Is that normal?? Should that be what is expected here in FL?? Granted, I picked a bad weekend because the Gasparilla Children’s parade is that day. It is a big thing in Tampa I guess, but I don’t think that should matter. I digress… less mess for me to clean up at the end. I just hate to see a disappointed child hoping her (new, Tampa) friends would celebrate with her on her big day.

My son is reading Harry Potter. He is in second grade and has this passion for reading that I don’t think I ever had. Maybe I did once. Harry Potter is a mid 5th grade reading level and is over 300 pages. Second grade… I know I was never THAT into reading. My mother is an avid reader. Perhaps it skips a generation! I do know that both of my children are in the top 5 percent of their classmates which pleases me. But it also makes me want to go in and work with all the kids a little more. I guess that is why I volunteer so much. After all, ALL of those children are the future of this country, right?

Let’s see, daughter, son…. AH YES! Husband… Since I probably will not write again for a few weeks… or months… the anniversary of the first time I met Ed is February 11th. This year it will be 12 years. He is still my bestest friend, the one I go to about everything. I am not the type to say “he is my soul mate”. I am not the hopeless romantic that believes there is one person for every one person out there. How depressing would that be?? Who the hell came up with that anyway? Some lonely soul looking for an excuse, I bet. Anyhow, I do believe my life is unimaginably better with him in it. My coffee tastes better in the morning (mainly because he makes it, HAH!), my mind is sharper because he keeps me on my toes and challenges me, my house is livelier because of the wonderful children I made with him, my life is richer because I know that even on my crappiest day he is there to hug me and tell me tomorrow will be better. Bah, what a sap I am!

Thanksgiving 2k9

There are many reasons to be thankful this year. First, my immediate family. My husband (though, yes, he can be a royal pain in the tuchas at times) is my missing puzzle piece. He is the yin to my yang and whatever other cutesy metaphor you can come up with. My children are daily, hourly, minutely reminders of my love for him. They are amazing. One may be sassy at times, the other may be scatterbrained occasionally, but 'nuggling up with them seems to make everything all better no matter how bad the day had been. The light in their eyes show me a daily path towards how to be a better person. Next, there is my mom. That woman is incredible. Sure, she may be a little rough around the edges, but if you know her, I mean REALLY know her, she is gooey and warm inside like the perfect brownie. I mean that in a good way, of course. They say you turn into your parents when you get older. I see that happening already and I can't say that is a bad thing. Next is my in-laws. Anytime I ever need a pick-me-up I can always count on my mother-in-law. She is the personification of what I always aspired to be, Susie Homemaker. She gives 110% and then 20% more and manages to keep a smile on her face all the while. Then, of course, there are my friends, old and new. They help me keep my sanity on a daily basis, put things in perspective, and offer small pearls of wisdom without even realizing it. I am, of course, thankful for other things like my new home, being a SAHM, health, etc.

12 MORE things I have learned

12. The more rain there is, the less my husband sleeps. Not from the rain, mind you, but from the frog orgy that occurs later in the evening. "Hey, tadpole! I LOVE what you've done to your croak!"

11. I adore my David apron. I just don't feel right wearing it in front of my mother-in-law. You know, THE David by Michelangelo? Thank you, Dinki! ;) My children chuckle every single time, though. It just never gets old!

10. No matter how many stupid applications I ignore on Facebook (and I ignore them all), there are still 15 more sent to me every day. How on earth do people have time for them?

9. Fat may be unattractive but so is skinny... Have a cookie for God's sake. You look like you're about to fall over! Diet Coke is not a sustainable source of life!

8. No matter how angry or grumpy I get at my husband sometimes, I cannot imagine life without him. I think that is why I do not sleep well when he is out of town.

7. One deep dish quiche is only enough for one breakfast for 4 in my house and for some reason that just doesn't seem right...

6. I am a very determined person when I am passionate about something. Sometimes that is a good thing. Sometimes, not so much.

5. I do not understand why in GA my daughter must be in AT LEAST a booster seat for the next couple of years but in FL she could be in just a seat belt. It is probably the same as the Darwin Theory law that allows motorcyclists the choice if they want to wear a helmet.

4. Most motorists in AT LEAST California, Georgia and Florida believe turn signals are optional. Maybe this should go with #5...

3. PTA volunteering is a full time job... and 100% worth it

2. Old people and birds vacation in FL in the fall and winter. The rest of the world vacations in FL in the summer and spring. Insects, on the other hand, vacation in FL all year round and their favorite pastime is taking steroids.

1. Halloween should be once a month. Not for the candy. Candy is just whatever... But for the dressing up! I think I will have Halloween once a month... The rest of the world can follow my lead!!

12 Things

12 Things I Have Learned:

12. For some reason, stores and restaurants in Tampa like to crank the air conditioners incredibly high. This makes it so that people with glasses fog up when they exit the stores… into the parking lots… BLIND!

11. In Georgia, it is typical to see people wave at you from their car when you are in a neighborhood of any kind. Not in Tampa.

10. No matter what kind of a house you have, it is a pain in the ass to clean it. But the bigger the house, the bigger pain it is to be had.

9. Trying to budget a household groceries is an enormous headache and pretty much a full time job! It is a job that my darling husband doesn’t get… at all.

8. Public school is NOT private school. When my 2nd grade son is doing the math work that my kindergartener daughter was doing over the summer, there is a serious problem.

7. Shopping of any sort is cheaper, faster and less stressful without my children. I think that is a painfully unfortunate reality.

6. When you have your own pool it is just as disappointing when it rains. But, you get more hand and face prints on the slider door from children watching for it to stop.

5. Laundry multiplies like bacteria if you leave it alone in a dark room for more than 24 hours.

4. My feelings are squashed a lot less if my children do not like their “take out” dinner as opposed to my cooking. Why on earth do we cook? Oh that is right, refer to #9.

3. Telling a child “no” today does not equate to “no” tomorrow in their brains. Repetition is part of every parent’s routine.

2. Even though I couldn’t wait for school to start, I missed my children more than I ever thought possible.

1. I never ever want to move or sell a home again.