First Watch Comes to Dunwoody!

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



  First Watch sign

If you’re in or near the Dunwoody area, brace yourself: there is an amazing new restaurant opening up that will blow you away!  Earlier last week, I had the pleasure of getting a “sneak peek” dining at First Watch in Dunwoody yesterday, and -well, yum!

I met up with Diana, my blogger pal over at Sandy Springs Macaroni Kid, and had my toddler son tag along as well.  We were kindly greeted upon entering, and promptly seated, with a high chair immediately produced for my son.  Our server, James, was patient and kind.  Patient was a must for me, not only because I had a toddler with me, but because I just couldn’t’ decide what I wanted — there were SO MANY tasty options from which to choose!

You see, at First Watch, the menu is chock full of fresh, healthy dishes prepared made to order.  It’s a breakfast, brunch, and lunch place, so there’s plenty of dishes that offer an egg white options (all cage-free) at no charge, as well as fresh seasonal produce from local growers whenever possible.  Since I am a sucker for breakfast foods, I sat staring at the long list of delicious entrees, including ten different omelets, wraps, crepes, skillet hashes (five choices!), and drool-worthy pancakes, french toast, and much much more!  Many of these dishes were served with a cup of fresh fruit, too.  Oh, and all patrons are welcome to complimentary Sunrise Select Premium Blend coffee.

FirstWatch_eggsbenedict

This was Diana’s meal – most of which went home in a box!

 

Their lunch menu includes a variety of fresh spring mix salads, sandwiches, and soups.  To entice you even further, they offer a “2 For You” lunch option: pair any two 1/2 salads, 1/2 sandwich, or a cup of soup.

I was treated to delicious sweet tea.  As a Southern girl, that was essential.  My tea was so delicious, I think I got two refills, and then asked for a to-go cup!  They also offer your standard gammer of beverages, sodas, juice, milk, hot chocolate, San Pelligrino water, and herbal teas.  And don’t forget that complmentary coffee, too.

First Watch Kids Menu

Remember my son was with me?  So I got to test out the kids menu as well.  I’m seldom really impressed with kids’ menus: they tend to offer standard not-so-healthy options that my kids don’t even eat anyways.  (Seriously?  My kids don’t care for chicken nuggets or mac and cheese, and I’m ok with that.)  I digress.  The kids menu, which was presented on a placemat with crayons for my son to color upon (or -um- nibble on the crayons…) offered simpler versions of the dishes on the regular menu, including pancakes, waffles, ham sandwich, turkey sandwich, french toast, fresh fruit crepe, or a simple bacon and egg.  All served with a cup of fresh fruit, and a beverage of choice – all for $4.99.

This is the french toast he was served…  YUM!

First Watch - kids menu

I was amazed how accommodating the staff were.  My son took a strong liking to the fresh fruit, particularly the strawberries and blueberries. He gobbled up all of his, then mine, and Diana offered some of hers as well.  During one of the many check-ins the staff had with us, they noted he liked the blueberries and strawberries.  Next thing I knew, they brought him out a big bowl filled with strawberries and blueberries.  He was in berry heaven, and did a great job gobbling them up with his spoon!

First Watch
All in all, I was super-impressed with my entire experience at First Watch.  I can’t wait to take my husband and daughter with us again very soon.  And my parents.  And my in-laws.  And neighbors.  And -well- you get the drift – now go see for yourself!  🙂

Also, when you sign up for their Sun eClub, you will get specials and coupons delivered right to your inbox, including BOGO coupons, as well as a free entree on your birthday!

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Summer Reading Program: Dig in to Reading!

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



The Summer Reading Program is just the first in many for my “Whatcha Reading” series.  Promoting literacy is such an integral part of my life, as a teacher and a mother, and I wanted to extended it to all of you. Therefore, I aim to bring a series “Whatcha Reading” to AFM. Here you will find book picks for children, adults, as well as tips for promoting literacy within your home.

Summer Reading Program WhatchaReading

Among my many lofty goals to accomplish this summer, summer reading tops the list. (Specifically, working on teaching my daughter to read. But I’ll dive in to that topic on another day…) We recently hit up our Gwinnett library, and signed up for their summer reading program, called “Dig in to Reading!”

Upon signing up, our “kit” included some great tools to help us get started, including a log to help us reach our reading goals, stickers, a some bookmarks. (That it also contained a coupon for a FREE Chick-fil-a kids meal, good anywhere in Gwinnett, and a coupon for a FREE slushie at Sonic were but mere bonuses!)  Along with their program, there are events happening at each location throughout the summer, including puppet shows, story times, and more!  If you’re a resident of Gwinnett, I highly encourage you to check it out!

Similar summer reading programs for children can be found throughout the metro Atlanta area.

Check with your local library to see what they have to offer!  Here is Dekalb’s program, and here is Fulton’s.
Summer Reading Program

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Frugal Family Fair Outings

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



We have a large county fair that comes in town each fall, and we always take our family on a Saturday and spend the whole day there.  Going to the fair can be rather expensive, especially with a large family.  We plan for several months in advance, so we can be sure to have money saved and be fully prepared for that day.  I’ve listed a few tips below on how to get the most for your money, and to make the day as fun (and less stressful) as possible.

Frugal family fair outings

 

Frugal Family Fair Outings

1.  Buy all access passes, in advance if possible.

Our local fair (Gwinnett County) offers the option to purchase tickets or all inclusive hand stamps.  Tickets are $1 each and each ride is at least 3 tickets.  For a flat fee of $20-25 (depending on the day), you can purchase a stamp that will allow you to ride everything.  For our family of 8, that can cost us $200!  We were able to purchase hand stamps in advance this year at a local drug store for $17 each, which saved us $64!  Even without the advance purchase discount, $200 is still a good deal for a family of our size.  We would have only been able to ride 6-8 rides each if we purchased $200 in tickets.  Instead, we were able to spend 8 hours there and ride as many things as we wanted.

Frugal family fair outings

2.  Bring your own snacks and drinks.

Fair and festival food is not only greasy and unhealthy, it is also very expensive.  Some fairs will let you bring in a bag with drinks and food.  We chose to eat a good lunch and head over around 2:00pm.  I packed beef jerky, peanuts, chips, cheese cubes, and water.  We carried it in a backpack that we took turns holding.  I also have water bottle holders that I made from old ties that my kids were able to use to carry their own drinks (see picture below).  12 water bottles get really heavy, really fast, when one person is carrying them!  Our fairgrounds also have a nice, cold water fountain, so we were able to refill bottles as they were emptied.  If you are particular about the taste of water from a fountain, you could always bring packets of flavoring, such as Kool-Aid or lemonade to add to your bottle once it is refilled.  If you don’t have the option to bring in food or water, look for a booth that will allow you to purchase a reusable cup that can be filled at a discount.  Ours offered fresh lemonade for $5, with a $3 refill option, and $3 cokes with a $1.50 refill.  Also be sure to check and see if you can leave and get a stamp for re-entry.  If so, you could always leave a cooler in your car and take a break to have sandwiches before going back in for more fun.

Frugal family fair outings

3.  Bring along a friend or family member.

Last year, my parents joined us at the fair to lend a hand with the kids.  They didn’t want to ride anything, so there was no charge, and they enjoyed spending time with their grandkids.  They stayed for a few hours with the little ones in the kiddie land, which let us take our older kids to ride some of the larger rides.

Frugal family fair outings

4.  Let your kids earn money to buy their own treats.

We started a month before the fair with a system for our kids to earn money for goodies.  We do not give our kids a regular allowance, but instead offered them extra tasks they could do for pocket money.  We gave them the option of $1, $3, and $5 tasks, ranging from cleaning out our van to organizing the pantry shelves.  The younger ones were able to earn money buy doing simple things like sweeping the stairs or neatly organizing their bookshelf in the playroom.  They were very motivated to earn cotton candy money, and we didn’t have to listen to whining about what they wanted once we got to the fair.  And of course, it’s a great learning opportunity as well!  My oldest earned $13 to spend, while my 7 year old (not so motivated) only earned $5.  The younger one was kicking himself when he saw how much his brother was able to buy with his extra earnings.

Frugal family fair outings

5.  Plan to stay for several hours.

If you purchase an all inclusive pass, then plan to stay as long as you can so you can really get your money’s worth.  We left after lunch and arrived at around 2:00, and stayed until 10:30 that evening.  Normally my children are in bed by 8:00 at the latest, but some of the rides are just more fun to do once the sun goes down.

Frugal family fair outings

6.  Take a picture of your kids before entering the gate.

This is a great tip for any outing to a crowded venue.  If you happen to get separated from your child, you can show the security exactly what they look like and what they are wearing.  It is also important to discuss with your kids what they should do if they get lost.  My younger ones knew to stay where they were and tell an adult in uniform that they could not find their parents.  My older children knew to meet us by the restrooms, as they have a large yellow balloon above them that can be seen from anywhere on the fairgrounds.  Of course, be sure to go over the rules about strangers, and point out to children what the police officer and fair worker uniforms look like.

Frugal family fair outings

Going to the fair can be a wonderful way to spend the afternoon with your family, and give them something to look forward to each year.  With the right planning, you can save money and stress, and be able to just relax and enjoy the time with your family!

Do you have a local fair that you go to every year with your family?  What are your tips for a fun outing with the kids?

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Catch Air – Birthday Party Review

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



Catch Air Review

When the time came to plan for my daughter’s third birthday party, I knew one thing was certain: I didn’t want it at MY house!  With a newborn son and a highly energetic three year old, the last thing I wanted was to set up and then clean up for a party.  However, I wanted something special for my daughter, as we’d never really had a party for her yet, and since she’d had a big year, complete with becoming a big sister and all.

Catch Air Review

Within the span of a month, we took her to a -um- certain dark play place with a big mouse, and later to bouncy-type place featuring a particular primate.  Then we were invited to birthday party at Catch Air in John’s Creek location, and suddenly the choice was clear: my little girl was going to have her birthday party at Catch Air John’s Creek.

Catch Air Review

Catch Air, a combination bouncy house and indoor playground, had something to peek the interest of any child.  Plenty of inflatables throughout the facility for jumping,  along with simulated “fitness equipment”, ball pits, slides, token games, humongous train set, “balloon house”, a hamster roller, an interactive dance floor (think: the piano scene from Big)  and much all keep kids ages 12 and under occupied for hours and hours of entertainment!  And there’s four locations in the north metro area, including John’s Creek, Cumming, Suwanee, and Marietta.

Catch Air Review

Overall, I was exceptionally pleased with my experience at Catch Air in John’s Creek.  With a personal party coordinator leading the way, they took care of the set up and clean up (every mother’s dream!), as well as supplied the “party accessories”: table cloths, plates, forks, drinks for the party kids, and even invitations.  …and if you’re an absent-minded mother, like yours truly, and forget the all-important birthday cake candle, they’ve got you covered!  After 80 minutes of play in perhaps the coolest indoor playground I’ve seen, Carol got to have a “dance party” with Buzz Lightyear (her movie character du joir).  Buzz then led the kids over to the double sinks, where we all washed our hands before going in to the party room.  We were allotted 40 minutes in the “party room”, set up for the obligatory singing of “happy birthday” as she blew out the candles.  The party coordinator assisted in bringing the cake over, then cutting it up and helping to serve.  She then stepped back and let the kids have their fun.

Catch Air Review

Afterwards, I was also pleased to see the party room get thoroughly wiped down — a level of conscientiousness that I cannot say for other similar places.  The bathrooms were exceptionally clean and well-lit; although the floor seemed slightly slippery with socks on.  As a mother and uber-germophobe, I could really appreciate the level of attention the staff paid to cleanliness.

Catch Air Review

We were allowed to bring outside dry snacks, drinks for the adults, and the cake.  You have the option of ordering Papa Johns pizza or Chick-fil-a (and those of you who know me will be shocked to hear I opted out of CFA — I still don’t know how I passed *that* up!!), for an additional fee.  (Please note: the food options differ at the other locations.)  Our party coordinator assisted in setting up all the snacks and beverages, which allowed my husband and I the opportunity to just sit back and watch our daughter play.

Catch Air Review

Again, my experience with Catch Air was fantastic.  For $5-8 a visit for walk-ins (depending on your child’s age), and discount codes available frequently on their Facebook pages, you can’t go wrong taking the kids here.  There’s even free wifi for parents, as well as coffee and a snack bar available.  There’s four locations (Johns Creek, Cumming, Marietta, and Suwanee) in the north metro area.

Care to try out Catch Air? I highly recommend “liking” Catch Air on FB, since they frequently post “passwords” to get you discounts for walk-in visits!  Also, here’s a few more suggestions for snagging discount tickets to Catch Air: Groupon has tickets from time to time, but you can also buy a 10-visit pass and save directly at your location.  You’ll want to ask if your location’s pass is good at other locations; some allow it, others don’t.  🙂

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

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