Set a World Record with Chick-fil-A!

By Katie M

We just got word that Guinness World Records Activities and Records will debut in Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meals. Look for record-breaking games and challenges in your kids' meals. Contest starts today, and tomorrow night is Family Night at all area Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Triad!

Chick-fil-A® is partnering with Guinness World Records® to challenge children across America to set their own records this summer. Beginning today through Aug. 28, the series of five activity-filled Guinness World Records® packs features “Do Try This at Home” challenges, intended to promote fun parent-child interaction and active playtime with friends.

“We hope reading about the Guinness World Records achievements and attempting some of the fun activities will inspire kids to strive to set their own records in life,” said Angela Savage, Senior Kids & Family Marketing Consultant for Chick-fil-A, Inc. “The warmer summer months are the perfect time to encourage children to be active and get outside to play with their parents and friends.”

The five Kid’s Meal items include:
- A collection of Guinness World Records cards containing world records set by animals. Each card includes a tangram on the back. Did you know the tallest living horse is Radar, measuring 6.5 feet tall without shoes?

- A Guinness World Records sports and games booklet, including world records broken by athletes around the world, as well as two score wheels to track “Do Try this at Home” challenges. Did you know the longest distance leapfrog was performed by 14 students who covered 996.2 miles?

- A 30-second timer to help you perform the “Do Try this at Home” activities, such as “how many jump-rope skips can you make in 30 seconds?” or “how many golf balls can you hold in two hands for 30 seconds?”

- A set of cards on a ring that contain Guinness World Record holders and corresponding challenges. Maxwell William Mobley, 7, became the youngest registered entrant in a Wild West Arts event. The “Do Try this at Home” activity suggests children make a race course around the yard and race a friend to see who can gallop through the course the fastest.

- A booklet of Guinness World Records hobbies and pastimes with related “Do Try this at Home” challenges. Chick-fil-A Operator Arthur Greeno set a record in 2008 with the largest cup of lemonade. The cup contained 834 gallons made from 11,730 lemons!

WHEN:
The materials will be available in Chick-fil-A Kids Meals from July 26 to Aug. 28 (while supplies last). Children who receive the same activity twice can exchange the duplicate for another activity during the five-week promotion. After the promotion, parents can order toys online at http://www.shopchick-fil-a.comas long as supplies last.

*Information taken directly from a press release issued by Rob Entsminger of Jackson Spalding for Chick-fil-A.

Read more...

Smarty Alert: New Brixx Promotion!

By Katie M

All this month at Brixx in Winston-Salem: Get any two pizzas and either an appetizer or a kids meal and spend just $20! Be sure to print off this blog and take the coupon into the store to redeem this deal!

Smarty Sponsor Brixx Wood Fired Pizza is located at 1295 Creekshire Way in the Shoppes on Little Creek in Winston-Salem (off Hanes Mall Boulevard). We’ve blogged in the past about how much we love this fun, friendly neighborhood restaurant for its best brick-oven pizzas around! And if you didn't already know, Brixx also serves signature sandwiches, pastas, salads, desserts and 14 different wines by glass as well as 24 great beers on tap.

Brixx is open Monday – Saturday from 11 am to 1 am, and on Sunday from 11 am to 11 pm. Phone: 336-837-0664. It’s the perfect place to feed the entire family, and when you go, be sure to tell them Triad Smarty Pants sent you!

**Readers take note: The expiration date for this promotion is 4/30 not 3/31 as stated on the coupon above. We will correct this coupon soon, but you can still redeem this offer through the end of April.

Read more...

Going Out to Eat Without Breaking the Bank!

By Rachel H

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite thing to do is to go out for a meal. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee (even though I don’t drink coffee) … you name it. I love the atmosphere, the food, and the fact that someone is serving me! We have gone out to eat as a family ever since our kids were born. If you love eating out as much as I do, a word to the wise is to start them young! If you take them out enough, they learn very quickly how to act in a restaurant and you won’t have to give up something you love because you are afraid of your child running into the waitress or climbing across the table.

Of course the downside is that going out to eat can get very pricey, especially when you add in kids’ meals, drinks, appetizers, and the tip. Since I am not willing to give up my only vice, I’ve had to find ways to dine for less. Here are a few of my favorites…

Go to www.Restaurant.com. All you do is type in your zip code, and all participating restaurants in your area will pop up. Then you can purchase $25 or $50 gift cards for as little as $10 or $15! Once you buy some, you will get on their email list and they will send you specials. Last month I got a $25 gift card for Hutch & Harris for just $4.00!!! I got a $25 gift card for Prissy Polly’s for $4.00 as well. The only catch is that there is usually a minimum you need to spend at the restaurant to use the gift card. The one for Hutch & Harris, was a minimum of $35, which is no problem, but Prissy Polly’s minimum was $50, so we’ll probably use that next time we have friends over and get a bunch of BBQ to go! You print these gift certificates out from your computer at home. It is also a great way to try out some new restaurants that you normally would not visit.

Another online coupon site is www.rewardbuck.com. It works similar to the website I described above and it also includes printable coupons for area attractions.

Another way I save is that I always buy an “Attractions” coupon book. You can pretty much buy these from any child in school because they are probably selling them for their school fundraiser or a sport they play. This book is full of buy one get one free coupons for many restaurants in your area as well as many stores and children’s venues. If you have somehow avoided getting harassed by your friends to buy one, you can also purchase one online here. Greensboro & High Point areas are in the Piedmont Triad Book, and W-S, Kernersville, Clemmons areas are in the Western Piedmont Book.

And last, but not least, always check TSP’s Kids Eat Free blog. There are plenty of places in the Triad where you can dine out, purchase an adult meal, and get your child’s meal either at a discount or for free. This blog is always accessible by clicking the “Most Popular Posts” pink button on the right of the website, or you can find it under the Categories on the left-hand side of the website. Click on Restaurants, Food, or Saving Your Wallet. Always call ahead first to make sure they are still honoring the Kids Eat Free night. If you find any that have changed, please leave a comment at the end of the blog.

So toss aside those oven mitts and spatulas tonight and take the family out! What tips do you have for Dining Out on a budget? Share them below!

Don't forget to register for our October Giveaway - a $250 package from Zoe Zen Photography. Click here to learn more about Zoe Zen and register.

Read more...

April Smarty Giveaway: Ten $20 Gift Certificates to Twin City Diner!

By Katie M

Listen up, Smarties! Winston-Salem’s Twin City Diner is giving away 10 gift certificates worth $20 each for lunch or dinner at their restaurant. That means 10 lucky newsletter subscribers are eligible to win a gift certificate! I love, love, love this restaurant and if you have never had the opportunity to eat here, now’s your chance!

So be sure you are all signed-up as a newsletter subscriber on Triad Smarty Pants before you register below! (If you have any questions on your subscriber status, you can email us here for more information or check last week’s blog on confirming your subscription.)

In the meantime, here’s some scoop on Twin City Diner:

As I mentioned above, I LOVE this restaurant. In our family, eating out is a luxury and I’m not someone who eats lunch out whenever I want. But....I have a standing lunch date with Twin City Diner, located at 1425 A West First Street in Winston-Salem, at least once every three months or 3,000 miles on my car! That’s right – I selfishly plan my car’s oil changes around lunchtime so I can walk across the street to Twin City Diner (most likely with at least one child in tow) and enjoy a great lunch in a super kid-friendly environment! And if I’m lucky, I get there more often than that!

Twin City has been serving Winston-Salem since 1988, and has been recommended by Southern Living magazine for its famous Gus’ Burgers and BBQ Baby Back Ribs! The restaurant, which recently had an interior make-over and looks fabulous, also updated its menu and offers an unending list of dishes (from wraps, salads and burgers to entrees) that can please any palate and any budget. The kids’ menu is great too with most items around $4. You can eat inside or - now that the weather is nice - sit outside on its cute patio-area. Click here to see their full menu online.

Their hours of operation are:
Monday - Tuesday, 11:00am - 10:00pm
Wednesday - Friday 11:00am - 11:00pm
Saturday 11:30am - 11:00pm
Sunday 11:00 – 3:00 pm

So, hurry and enter for your chance to win one of the 10 $20 gift certificates! You must be a newsletter subscriber to enter. Just click here to complete the short survey, (this giveaway has now ended) and you’ll be registered. This promotion ends at midnight on April 8, and winners will be announced shortly afterwards. Good luck, Smarties!

Read more...

Smarty Sponsor: Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches

By Rachel H

Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 12th! If you haven’t heard, the yummiest sub franchise on the planet is now in Winston-Salem. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is located on the corner of 4th and Cherry Streets in downtown Winston. This downtown location opened in August and is now geared up for its OFFICIAL Grand Opening Extravaganza! They will be selling subs for $1.00 between the hours of 11am and 3pm on the 12th. $1.00 Subs! Yeah, you heard me - $1.00 Subs! (There are also five locations in Greensboro, and one more by Hanes Mall in WS, but those locations are not offering the dollar subs this time).

I must say that these subs are VERY yummy, and even if the line is long, it moves WAY fast! Now I will tell you this – it may not be the best place for Stay-At-Home moms to hit on this day. It will be crazy crowded and you’ll have to find a parking spot. BUT I wanted to make sure I got this announcement out to all you moms who work in or around downtown Winston, and also ask you tell your hubbies and friends who work in the area to go to Jimmy John’s for the grand opening!

A few tips from a professional Jimmy John’s Sub Lover:
• Check out the menu before you go online at www.jimmyjohns.com. If you want to get the dollar sub deal, you have to choose one of the #1-6 options or the BLT.
• The subs come EXACTLY as they are described on the menu. If you want to modify your sandwich, tell the cashier ASAP! They make the subs so fast that it will be in your hand before you have said, “no mayo."
• The subs are for IN SHOP only, not delivery. (They will still deliver, but not the dollar deal.)
• The dollar subs are a limit of one per person! Please don’t send an order with your friends, because they are huge sticklers on the one per person rule and it would be so sad to have your friend crying in the sub shop.

Read these rules and follow carefully. Believe me, you don’t want to be the customer who holds up the freaky fast line! Have fun and remember: if you don’t make it to the dollar deal day, JJ’s subs are always inexpensive and yummy, so you can go another day.

Read more...

Kid-Friendly Restaurants in W-S

By Katie M

I got the idea to blog about this from my mom friends at CharlotteSmartyPants, and like Jen P who wrote the original post, I too am providing a short list and that is only because we don’t get the opportunity to eat out much. Below are my top choices, but I know there are many more restaurants out there that are probably on your short list. These are restaurants I picked because they are kid-friendly, and not because of extensive childrens’ menus or low prices. So, when you reach the end of this blog, be sure to post your favorites – and your reviews – in the comments section!

Las Estrellas
http://www.lasestrellasmex.com/
Currently they have one location on Silas Creek Boulevard – but TriadSmartyPants recently learned that they are opening a second location in the building that used to be South by Southwest Restaurant– and that makes us muy alegro! First of all, when you go into Las Estrellas you are immediately immersed in its authentic Mexican atmosphere. The wait staff is super friendly (although not always that quick) and the atmosphere is pretty hectic and busy which is just perfect for dining with little ones. The menu offers endless choices at extremely low choices, but the best part of your meal is the chips and salsa they serve when you are seated – they are to die for. My daughter loves their hard shell tacos (I swear she could eat tacos every day of the week) and my 21-month-old son who is extremely finicky with food finishes his entire plate of refried beans and a cheese quesadilla. It’s a must go!

Mellow Mushroom
http://www.mellowmushroom.com/
It’s always a treat to eat downtown and it’s an ever bigger treat to have pizza from Mello Mushroom. While this place usually crowds up pretty quickly, it’s never been a problem for us – but then again we dine with the early birds before 6 pm. You can sit in or eat out and either way there are a million things to look at, including zany murals and shiny objects on the walls, which always help keep the attention of kids of any age. They serve pizzas in all variety and every dish is a sure palate-pleaser for not only my husband and I but also our children. Plus (and I can’t stress enough the importance of this for our family) the restaurant is loud – always a good thing in our book.

Midtown Café and Dessertery
http://www.midtowncafedelivery.com/
Love this place! While the prices can be a bit high for your usual breakfast, brunch or lunch (and now they serve dinner!), Midtown always gives me a good feeling when I go there. Their food is great (my favorite is their homemade chicken salad), and the presentation is creative for the kids. My two love ordering the Catepillar (which is available any time of day) and that’s a plate full of eight miniature pancakes shaped liked a caterpillar with chocolate chips eyes and a slice of bacon. Need I say more?

West End Café
http://www.westendcafe.com/
I’m sure this is a favorite among a lot of Winston-Salem’ers. Located in the heart of the West End district, this is another place that gives you a good feeling as soon as you walk in. And the wait staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Not only is my 21-month-old son finicky about his food, but he also doesn’t sit very well when we eat out. But West End has that covered. Once, when our table had just been served, I had to take my son outside to blow off some energy. But, while we were outside someone from the management staff brought me my meal so it wouldn’t get cold. Another time when we were short of table-top toys in my diaper bag, the waiter was quick to bring us a ready-to-use bucket of toys they keep in the back “just in case.” Brilliant. And just all ‘round good food!

Mayberry’s Ice Cream Restaurants
With three locations in Winston-Salem (Miller Ave near Five Points, on Country Club between PeaceHaven and Jonestown, and in Reynolda Village) it’s hard to avoid stopping in at a Mayberry’s. A great place (and super casual which is always my style) for a quick sandwich or burger, or hot dog and chicken nuggets for the kids. But the best by far is its ice cream bar and selection of sundaes.

Chick-fil-A
http://www.chick-fil-a.com/
And like Jen P, I can’t write about kid-friendly restaurants without mentioning Chick-fil-A. What’s great about the two locations in Winston-Salem is that if you have time to kill after your meal, you can let your kids run ragged in the indoor playground at the Hanes Mall Blvd location. Or, if you’re like me and have a million things to do –but can somehow squeeze in a trip to the Chick – the Knollwood location works great because the kids don’t have the playground option. I don’t need to tell you about the food – you know it’s all good.

I'd love to write the same blog - or run a guest blog - about kid-friendly restaurants in Greensboro, High Point, and other Triad locations. If you have suggestions - or want to contribute a blog - email me here!

Read more...