Wednesday’s the One

We didn’t shop at Macy’s, but we did go to Kohl’s to do a painless return and use the $10 Kohl’s Bucks. I love that there’s no minimum spending in order to redeem it. Leave it to my husband to find a sleep suit for Mads that was $10.40. Yup, we paid $0.40. Sweet!

Oh, but before that we got gas from Stop and Shop and we only paid $1.99 per gallon. That’s 70 cents off per gallon for gas rewards!

Finally, we went to L.L. Bean and found out we had two coupons when we were checking out. That’s a savings of $20 right there.

It was indeed a good day of savings!

Fire Truck Birthday

What a cool idea for a birthday party! The birthday boy got to sound the siren and steer the wheel; the rest of the party got to get in the back and explore the bells and whistles. All the kids got fire chief hats. WZR loves putting his on and off. The party favors included a bag with a paper fireman with his removable gear and suit, coloring books, crayons, etc. from the fire station and from the hosts a neat paper fire truck that held a toy fire truck, play dough, and other fun stuff. Thanks!

Terrific Thursday

Despite the cold and wet weather, we had a terrific day. I mean, when I picked Mads up from Lunch Bunch she ran up to me and told me she had a great day and that she learned science and math today. This is the moment I longed for when I made the decision to be a SAHM. I look forward to many more of these. We also had a great play date; thanks, Lyn. It was nice to see the girls laugh and play in all the different rooms. They covered each other with princess outfits and went on journeys in the trunk. WZR loved the bouncy house and the other toys. In our discussion about TJ, I forgot to mention the iced oatmeal cookies that we tried for the first time. REALLY GOOD! During the short drive home, both kids fell asleep. The house was warm and smelled good from the beef stew (with carrots, onions, potatoes, diced tomatoes, spices, and the bay leaf I haven’t found, yet) in the crock pot. I love slow cooking.

Swimming in Seafood at the Mermaid Inn in Manhattan

For seafood lovers: whether it’s a romantic date or a group gathering, you won’t be disappointed at the Mermaid Inn in the East Village. It was a nice night for a stroll to the restaurant from Chinatown, and although we were early for our reservation, we were seated immediately at a table of our choice. The front of the restaurant is brighter, more casual, and louder, whereas the area just past the kitchen is dimmer, more romantic, and quieter. Patio seating is available, as is outdoor seating on 2nd Ave., but we decided to stay indoors. We started with the mussel special in garlic sauce, then I had their Blue Plate Special with the lobster roll, mashed potatoes (normally comes with signature fries), and a Blue Point Beer (only $20). Their lobster roll entree is normally $26, so this was REALLY a delicious bargain. Of course, I don’t drink beer, so I had their peach cooler (yummy). My husband enjoyed his shrimp and scallop scampi. If you’re surprised that there is no dessert on the menu, it’s because a complimentary small cup of chocolate mousse/pudding with whipped cream is served at the end of the meal. The service was also excellent! This was actually my third visit to the restaurant and I would go back again! We’ll have to try the Upper West Side location (Amsterdam Ave. between 88th and 89th). By the way, you get to go home with a miracle fortune-telling fish; definitely a fun way to end the evening!

Special Feature: Frank Pepe Pizzeria in Fairfield

Coal fired oven pizza from Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is irregularly shaped, haphazardly sliced, but that thin, crustiness is oh-so-good! Top their white pizza with fresh clams or fresh local tomatoes, basil, garlic, and mozzarella (new Fresh Tomato Pie) or have it any way you like it with their selection of toppings. Just make sure you’re eating it HOT! In other words, if you live more than 15 minutes away from the restaurant, the pies might not taste as good by the time you get home. You’ll see a lot of take out, though. Lucky them! Is it kid-friendly? Yes, but be prepared to change diapers on the floor, or wait. Speaking of waiting, Pepe’s in Fairfield opens daily at 11:30 am and closes at 10 pm. The busiest times? Yup, typical lunch and dinner rushes. In our experience, at 5:30 pm on a weekend, there is a 10-15 minute wait (not cool if you have kids and it’s scorching out). At 2:30 pm, go in and seat yourselves, but don’t be surprised if your selection of tables is rather limited. Their menus are on an 8-1/2 by 11 inch pieces of paper. Nope, no pictures or fancy names for their pies. Trust me, this helps you decide quickly. An appetizer to share is not a bad idea. And order pitchers of drinks to share.

Kid Central at Stew Leonard’s

On such a hot and humid day, all I could think of was supermarket-cold air conditioning. So we went to Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk. We ate lunch first. WZR enjoyed his kid’s meal of 6 chicken nuggets, fries, juicebox, and ice cream for only $3.99 (no, he didn’t eat it all himself). THAT’S a bargain. Mads had a hot dog for $1.49 (she doesn’t like the bun), and I had a burger (2 mini ones stacked up high) for $2.99 that wasn’t dry. Soooo good. They had peach ice cream. We actually got a bonus ice cream, but I’m not complaining. The animatronics were well-received only by Mads. WZR preferred the ones on trapezes because they don’t speak. At least the “banana lady” was back from vacation. Oh, only the calves and chickens were interested in visiting with us today.

Awesome iPhone photo app

Autostitch is really amazing! Two of my posts have panoramic photos so far, thanks to my iPhone and this new app my husband found for $1.99. If you like taking photos, especially at parties, this is a good one to add to your collection of apps. There IS really an app for everything!