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. Where we once sat back and talked uninterrupted about our respective weeks, we now went through constant rounds of "don't touch that!" and, "honey, leave those nice people alone." All seemed lost, and we resigned ourselves to spending our evenings out at Chick-fil-A... until we found restaurants with play spaces for kids (we also spent an exhaustive amount of time eating near the green area at CityCentre).

Talk about a game changer - it's like these restaurants knew that us parents needed a space to unwind a bit with the kids in tow, and they delivered with patios that opened up to enclosed playgrounds, sand pits (ok, this one is a catch-22 because of sand everywhere), and toys.

Summer days mean extra sunlight, lots of time with friends and filling our days with as many engaging and entertaining activities as possible. However, thrifty is in my genes - and being primarily a one income family, is a necessity for us - and while I love to plan full days of fun with my kids, I also love to primarily plan days that don't require opening my wallet often, if at all. To help any other families who may want to save a buck without sacrificing any fun, here's a bucket list of 30 FREE activities we'll be taking advantage of this summer. 

He ties shoes, fixes every broken toy, plays ball in the backyard and always knows how to make mom smile, and he is the hardest person to shop for. Dad is a superhero in his own right, and with Father's Day right around the corner, it's time to start brainstorming ideas to let dad know just how much we appreciate him. Give dad the gift of a fun experience. It doesn't matter if the dad in your life is active or into the arts, is someone who appreciates fine dining and a superb wine or wants to spend the afternoon outdoors with a cold beer and crawfish, we've got you covered with fun Father's Day events spanning all of Houston - from Kemah to The Woodlands and back.