Relaxing on the patio with good food and drinks is something that, prior to kids, we used to love to do... and then we had kids and going out to eat became nothing short of a nightmare that quickly got nixed from our weekend plans. All seemed lost, and we resigned ourselves to spending our evenings out at Chick-fil-A until we found these awesome Houston restaurants with play spaces for kids (we also spent an exhaustive amount of time eating near the green area at CityCentre).

And for more ideas on where to eat around the city, visit our Houston Restaurant Guide for families.

Due to the coronavirus health crisis and restrictions, information is always changing. The information in this post is current as of June 23, 2020.

If Coronavirus quarantine has got you down, help is on the way. Governor Abbott's "Open Texas" plan is off and running, granting families and businesses gradual relief after months of Stay-at-Home orders. Getting out of the house has never sounded as appealing, and Houstonians are embracing the ability to frequent local hotspots again, even if it's not under quite the same circumstances as it was pre-quarantine. After two months of lockdown, only seeing each other in car parades and 8pm howls, giving our kids quarantine haircuts and virtual birthday parties, we finally have the beginnings of a plan to get out and enjoy the beaches, hiking trails, and more. If we do it responsibly, we should be able to enjoy some fresh air without putting people's lives at risk.

The plan to reopen Texas has three phases, and we are currently in Phase 2. Read on to find out what that means for schools and businesses, as well as trails, beaches, farms, and more that we can now visit—as long as we adhere to social distancing protocol and cover up with face masks.

The impact of quarantine on simple (but necessary) tasks like buying groceries has caused families to rethink how and when they get their food. Rows upon rows of store shelves have turned up empty of shelf-stable products like rice, pasta, and beans and necessities like milk, eggs, and bottled water are being limited in the quantity you can purchase.

While some stores like H-E-B are experiencing both long wait lines to enter the store and a spinning dial of wait times for the next available delivery or curbside pick-up, Houston is thankfully home to many different grocery delivery and pick-up options, both from regular grocery stores and from local CSAs and Farm Shares. We've rounded up several different grocery options for you to utilize during these uncertain times, including many local farms who could likely use the support! 

Because things are changing at a rapid pace, we recommend checking stores that may currently have no available delivery or pick up times frequently; you just may luck out with the next available spot! 

For ideas on what to do as a family during this time, visit our Coronavirus Pandemic Parenting Guide.