Search Results for: tag chuck e. cheese

Getting a Bargain at Chuck E. Cheese’s

Call me a glutton for punishment, but I actually like to go to Chuck E. Cheese. When I was younger and living in Silicon Valley, we’d head on over to the Tully Road CEC and play for hours. It’s huge! Three different levels are segregated so that most of the toddler-friendly activities are on the bottom, and most of the teen games are up top. We’d go in, coupons in hand, and play for hours for about $5 apiece. Things have changed some since then (mainly the prices!), but Chuck E. Cheese can still be a bargain. It just takes … Continue reading →

Coupons From My Health Insurance Company?

Has this ever happened to you? I got a large envelope from my health insurance company in the mail today. It wasn’t a bill, and it wasn’t a “letter of doom”. Enclosed were several coupons that I can take to the grocery store. That was unexpected! I, like many others, have a love-hate relationship with my health insurance company. I love that I didn’t have to come up with the entire cost of my Epi-Pen this year out of pocket – I hate that my insurer didn’t help out with much of the cost. I love that being insured means … Continue reading →

Throwing a Green Birthday Party – Part 1

My son recently had his sixth birthday and we had the party at the local bowling alley. However, it wasn’t very green. The bowling alley supplied paper plates and cups, but I doubt they were recycled afterward. If you are having a child’s birthday party soon and would like to green it up, check out some of these tips: Earth-Friendly Birthday Party For some reason, when I plan my son’s birthday party, I think of Chuck E. Cheese, the bowling alley, or the local laser tag place. But, he’s 6 – what does he love most in the world? Bugs, … Continue reading →

Trader Joe’s Good Deals

It took me a long time to visit a Trader Joe’s grocery store. One of the reasons was that it wasn’t located conveniently to our home. The other was that I never saw any sales for it. I heard that they sold a lot of fresh and organic products, which made me think they were also expensive. But after a move and a few of their clever fliers, we tried Trader Joe’s, and there are a lot of good deals. Yesterday, I posted about a recent shopping trip to Trader Joe’s, so today, I wanted to share some of the … Continue reading →

Warning to Parents: Don’t Buy Your Kids Shiny Balloons

Parents, who are planning to purchase their children giant bouquets of shiny metallic balloons to celebrate graduation, take note: Utility companies from coast-to-coast are asking you to attach mylar balloons to a weight before giving them as gifts. In many communities electric companies are urging parents and other family members to bypass the popular shiny balloons all together, and stick with the traditional rubber variety. According to utility workers, unsecured metallic balloons can be a hazard when they float into energized power lines and cause a short circuit. The short circuit can lead to a larger power outage, which can … Continue reading →

Author Lauren Carr and the Many Animals That Inspire Her, An Interview

My next interview victim –er, I mean subject—is mystery author Lauren Carr. The thing that struck me most about her interview is how ingrained animals are in her life, and therefore in her books. Lauren shared a bunch of wonderful pet-related anecdotes that elicited more than one knowing head nod or chuckle from me. Will it be the same for you? Read for yourself and see if you can’t relate to her life with pets. Courtney Mroch: What kind of things do you write about? (Genre, subject matter, themes, what have you.) Lauren Carr: I am the author of the … Continue reading →

Sneaky Mama’s Top 9 Tips for Picky Eaters

A few weeks ago, I promised to share some of my secrets to get a picky eater eating more than 2 foods. This is what came of that: The Sneaky Mama’s Guide. I welcome questions on your picky eating problems and I will share a one or two recipes each week until I run out of all my picky eating ideas! I hope it is helpful. I cannot pretend to have all the answers for getting your picky eater to eat. I do hope however, that over the course of several weeks you find at least one tidbit in this … Continue reading →

Affordable Family-Friendly Festivals

You’ve heard it echoed in neighborhoods, playgroups, offices, grocery stores, even in the doctor’s waiting room. Seems like you just can’t escape “it.” “It” is the insanely high price of gas and nowadays, it’s the topic of conversation wherever you go. Ironically, it was a topic brought up last weekend during a mini-road trip my family took to attend a local Kite Festival. Ironic, because like many families, the skyrocketing price of gas has forced us to eliminate our “big” summer road trip. Instead, we have opted to save gas (and money) by attending a variety of area festivals that … Continue reading →