Money Momma – Rockland NY Mom

Take the Trip…

Posted on January 22, 2020 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Health and Wellness, Money Momma, Opportunities, Reviews, RNYM's Picks, Self Care, Services, Things to Do!, Thoughts.., Travel .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

A little while ago, I posted about how I am done giving gifts of “things” and am moving toward gifts of time and experience. I am about to turn 40. I don’t only believe in time and experience for others, I do for myself too. I’ve always dreamed of traveling, especially to Europe, but everywhere. For one reason or another it just hasn’t happened. Well with 40 knocking on my door I decided to do something about it.

EDIT TO ADD: I wrote and was supposed to post this article early fall, but I am kind of glad that I didn’t. Due to normal “Life” situations, I am more glad than ever that we got a chance to do Disney this year as well as to have taken this trip myself. I do not know when the next time I will be able to take the family on a trip or go myself might be able to happen. Those who know me know that I am not exaggerating, my new advice…..When you have the chance, Do it. I intend to try to figure out how to continue to travel, and bring the family along, but its going to take a whole lot more work now.

Due to unforeseen circumstances RNYD was not available to travel (which is cool anyway cause he’s much more of a home body), so I begged my bestie Michelle to come with me. I gave her a list of places on my bucket list and let her choose. I also wanted to hit up a cruise if possible because I have never done one. She was game, and she choose Greece. Perfect for a cruise, and really one of my top two trips.

We picked a cruise and booked it, since it left and returned to Rome and neither of us knew when we would be back, we decided to take 2 days to explore there as well.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

I will never book a trip with a travel agent other than Scott Walters (sorry dudes say what you will, he’s bailed me out 2x now).
Cruises are great because you don’t have to pack up your stuff every day to move, you have a home base.
You can make friends on cruises, which is neat for when you are done sightseeing for the day you can meet for dinner/drinks/dancing later.
Get the drink package (just saying)
Try all the different foods
Clarks are the best sandals ever (and yes you can find some that don’t look like your grandmothers shoes).
Greece is REALLY HOT in the summer so May or September may be better.
I AM OBSESSED WITH TRAVEL.

At each of the islands we went to Scott sent us 2-3 excursions that he thought we would like based on our “profiles” and we chose 1-2 for each. The tours that we took were so complete that I actually don’t think we missed anything, BUT we didn’t have tons of time so it was more like a taste test, I may have a list of places that I’d like to get back to if I ever check off my list the other trips I want to take.

Travel Agent Extraordinaire Scott Walters helped me out immensely on this trip, and I am so grateful. I have just reached out to him again, about a possible trip for 2021, that I would like to start saving for. I am so excited, and hopeful that we can make it happen despite our challenges. He’s been super helpful in understanding and helping us with the physical needs of our family, and I am hoping that his expert advise will help us to be able to make the trip happen for our whole family.

cott Walters (845) 558-1225

scott@goawayoftentravel.com

http://www.goawayoftentravel.com

A full service travel agent specializing in family vacations to amazing destinations. From simple weekend getaways to multi generational once in a lifetime bucket list filling journeys, Go Away Often Travel can get you there. It’s YOUR VACATION, let me do the work! Worth noting here that I always thought I couldn’t afford a travel agent. Turns out that you don’ t pay one, they are paid by the people they book your trip with. The few times I have reached out to him to see if he should be consulted about a trip and he couldn’t help me with a deal, he encouraged me to book on my own to save the money.

3 Great Ways to Unlize that Tax Refund (if you got one)

Posted on April 15, 2019 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Health and Wellness, In the Home, Money Momma, RNYM Savings!, RNYM's Picks, Rockland Real Estate, Uncategorized .

Disclosure: This is an unsponsored post. Those listed below are vetted directory members and we speak from experience.

It’s tax time. If you are anything like us, you’ve got a decent refund coming and ideas for what you’d like to do with it, but MAY be unsure of who you can use and trust to accomplish those things. Here’s a list of RNYM APPROVED places to use that savings to improve your life <3

Save it–

That’s cool we always try to sock away half- saving up for a vacation home on a lake someday. We also spend $100 a month on gift cards to save up for the holidays, so now is a good time to get a jump on that. Put some away for the other two options, and then maybe save up for something big like we are :o)

Travel-

We recently took our first REAL “family trip” to Disney- and let’s just say we are hooked. The kids are PERFECT ages and were such an absolute pleasure that I am DYING to take them on our next adventure. Picking a travel agent is NOT easy, but you need one knowledgeable, trustworthy and interested in the good time you will have. I’ve used several locals and can honestly say that Scott Walters is your guy. He saved me more than a few times for Disney. Best part? You don’t pay extra for his assistance, you pay what you would if you booked it yourself, but you’ve got his help with the details!!

Here’s his info-

Scott Walters (845) 558-1225

scott@goawayoftentravel.com

http://www.goawayoftentravel.com

Update and Upgrade the House-

For the 11 years that we have lived in our home we have used at least a portion of our refund to improve or update the house. We’ve got a great directory members for that. We have some of this that we have to do too. (It never ends does it?)

Northern Windows is Perfect for windows, siding, doors, insulation and so much more. Steve is GREAT, candid, easy to talk to and has reasonable pricing.

The last has me <3

PURGE

I don’t know about you but I am DYING to clean out and organize right now… yeah we’ve got someone for that too!!!

https://www.lorganize.com

Tel: (914) 230-6238

Clutter can be overwhelming and most don’t know where to begin- that’s where I come in!

My goal is to ease that anxiety, declutter your space and organize your home. 100% judgment free!

When you clear the clutter, your clear your mind!

Services:

Organizing, De-cluttering, Packing, and downsizing.

•Closets

•Bedrooms

•Playrooms

•Kitchens

•Mudrooms

•Garages + more!

Free Assessments

Fully Insured

Housing Rights for Families with Children: Know Your Rights!

Posted on April 11, 2018 by RocklandNYMom Posted in In the Home, Money Momma .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Housing Rights for Families with Children: Know Your Rights!

For moms and expectant mothers: The federal Fair Housing Act generally prohibits discrimination in any type of housing-related transaction (like buying or renting an apartment or house, or a landlord providing services or facilities in your housing) on the basis of a protected class, including Familial Status. Familial Status means:

Families with children under the age of 18 in the household
Pregnant women
Any adult seeking legal custody of a child under 18
Both traditional and non-traditional family structures

What sort of conduct is discriminatory? Well, discrimination can come in many forms. For example, any of the following may be discriminatory:

“No kids” or “adults only” policies
Marketing exclusively to families without children
Permitting families with children only in certain sections/areas
Restricting children in common areas because of “unsafe conditions”
Rules prohibiting parents and children, or male and female children, from sharing a bedroom
Charging families with children a higher rent or security deposit than tenants without children

Here at Westchester Residential Opportunities, our fair housing group investigates discrimination in housing-related transactions. If you suspect you or someone you know has been the victim of discrimination, or you just want to understand your rights under the fair housing laws, please call us at 914-428-4507, or visit us at www.wroinc.org.

KidStuff Coupon Books

Posted on October 4, 2017 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Items, Money Momma, Reviews, RNYM Savings!, RNYM's Picks, Services .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

As a school teacher and a parent I am more than aware that schools need funding. What they receive from the government just doesn’t cut it. Not with changing technology, consumables, and the numbers of attendees always on the rise. We are so very lucky to live in an area where we have active PTA groups who work tirelessly to raise funds for the fun and educational events that are provided for our children.

This post is for the PTA parents who are looking for ways to raise funds. KidStuff coupon books are an effective fund raisers that are ONLY for schools. No other groups can sell them. Additionally, 50% of the sale of each book goes DIRECTLY to the school. That’s $12.50 a book! No other fundraiser can boast that kind of return.

This means that if each child in a class sells just one, a class of 20 students earns $250 for their school, it adds up so quickly.

The other perk is that its a fundraiser that’s actually USEFUL. I keep two of these books on hand every year. One is in my car for when I stop somewhere and could use a coupon, and the other is in my desk where I do a lot of my shopping planning etc. I almost NEVER make a purchase without checking the book first. In fact, I have friends who sometimes come to my room to go through the book before they plan a trip or run to the store. This is especially helpful around the upcoming holiday season.

What kind of coupons can be found in the books?

Clothing Stores
Eateries
Theme parks

To see the whole list please visit: www.KidStuffCouponBook.com

To sell KidStuff books at your school you can contact them at 1-888-404-5437 option 1- or email info@kidstuffcouponbook.com . As always we appreciate that you let them know that you heard about it here.

We are lucky enough to have 2 Kidstuff books to give away with this post. To enter the drawing, please comment either on this post or on the facebook post and tell us why you are interested in Kidstuff books- whether it is for fundraising for your school or for the great savings inside. The contest will end 10/6/17 and winners will be notified via PM or email. Good Luck!!!

Money Momma Dining Tip #6

Posted on September 29, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Money Momma, Out and about..., Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as we were invited for a meal with Bailey’s North. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tip #6- Take Advantage of Family Dinner Take-out Specials

Baileys North

Usually Jamie (Money Momma) does these posts but she knows how passionate we are about BBQ, and so we got to review :o) The tip however, is hers.

Sometimes you just don’t feel like cooking for one reason or another. At the same time you don’t want to have to get “dressed” and pray that your kids make it through a night out in a restaurant either. For these exact reasons there are restaurants who have family “dine-out” options that are delicious and affordable (we might just be making you a list of restaurants and which day to look for them).

One such restaurant is Bailey’s North. Located in Haverstraw, Bailey’s North is an extension of the Baileys restaurant in Orangeburg. They are a take our only establishment at this time (there are a few small bar tables if you wanted a cute little lunch and the conversation is great so you could do that too). They offer meal deals almost every day of the week which Chef Dude posts on their Facebook page.

(E) and RNYD check out the menu for next time…

Once a week (on Wednesdays) Baileys North Features a family dinner special for $24.99 that knocked our socks off. On the night that we tried it, the special was pulled pork, coleslaw, mac & cheese, salad, and corn soufflé. When we went to pick it up it was ready for us (no waiting) and we even got to meet Chef Dude! He is so proud of his product and wants to make everyone so happy that he asked that we be brutally honest and let him know if his recipes needed tweaking.

The fabulous staff at Bailey’s North (minus Chef Dude who declined the paparazzi).

While we were there we picked up a new BBK rub and sauce to try (RNYD loves his BBQ). We could barely wait to get home to eat. The car was filled with a mouth watering aroma.

Our new condiments..

Once unpacked we were ready to dig in. The pork was perfect. Not super saucy (read yummy AND not too messy for (E)), or too spicy for (A) who claims to not like “too much spice”. At the same time, it was flavorful enough to earn praise from RNYD and RNYP (Pop). The corn soufflé was fabulous (more like a desert than a side), and the coleslaw? WOW! I don’t like coleslaw and I practically ate it all by myself.

Ohhh…. the corn soufflé.

The whole family smiled from ear to ear through dinner and not much was said unless it was a compliment or someone asking for more. Not only was everyone full and happy, but with 5 of us eating, we still had food enough for two days of leftovers. As soon as dinner was over I “Liked” their Facebook page so that I can keep up with the current specials. Then, I invited my friends to do the same.

We loved the food so much that I have already looked into their catering menu for RNYD’s 40th Birthday (in March).

A small side-not that we found interesting (some Rockland History), Bailey’s North is in an old butcher shop. Due to its history not only can you have them make you some fabulous meat, if you want to BBQ on your own you can purchase the meat from them. They sell the same cuts that they cook if you prefer to do it yourself.

Magical Escape Part 2- Review

Posted on July 30, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Day Trips, Day Trips, Money Momma, Reviews, Travel .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as our Money Momma, Jamie was invited for a visit with her family. All opinions expressed are her own.

Mountain Creek Trip PART 2 – CRYSTAL SPRINGS RESORT

Out of the action and into the relaxation! Just a short mile or so trip down the road the 4 of us left our day of fun and Action Park Waterpark and went to check into our room at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort. The room we stayed in while skiing (insert link) was perfect and plenty big enough but just to see some more of the features of this beautiful property we chose to stay in a family suite this time. The room was gorgeous with a fully functional kitchen and washer/dryer (lifesaver). The kids had a blast pretending that we moved into a new house and running onto the child safe balcony to see the view of all the pools and the top of the mountains. This is when we turned our attention from adventure to relaxation. The suite allowed (T) and me our own room while the kids had a pullout bed in the living room. There was still plenty of room in the living room to set up a portable bed for (S) who insists he cannot possibly share a bed with his sister.

Since we had our own little kitchen we decided to order in some Italian food and unwind from the day. There are plenty of food options on resort property that we knew we would take advantage of the following day. When we were finished we put the kids back into their bathing suits and headed down to the biosphere (insert link) for a night swim. It seriously feels like it transports you to a tropical island. FYI the biosphere has a retractable roof so even when it’s raining, vacation is still a go!

Thanks to a fun-packed day, staying up late, and a very comfortable hotel room, both kids crashed and slept well through the night.

Being at Mountain Creek and Crystal Springs Resort means there is always something going on for the kids to do. Options include (but are not limited to): swimming in one of the four different pools at the hotel, playing miniature golf, taking a ride on the mountain gondola, or riding a zip-line. We were also excited to see that they have now opened their Mountaintop Adventure center which has a whole other array of activities including; lake swimming, kayaking, horseback riding, and archery.

To make reservations and see for yourself click the ADVENTURE CENTER LINK

After discussing it with the kids we decided that we wanted a day to relax and chose to stay and play at the hotel. It’s like being at a fancy family camp because all day long there are different activities on premise to participate in. Guests are given a schedule and a map upon check-in and the rest is at their leisure. This is really a great tool with a family because not everyone will always want to do the same things or maybe they aren’t old enough to do everything listed. There was something for all age groups. (R) and (S) loved swimming in and out of the pools (yes all four) and playing with the human size chess game. (T) and I took a walk around the beautiful chef’s garden which features outdoor dining with dishes prepared from the food grown RIGHT THERE. It was really cool to see farm to table where one might not expect it and we both agreed that a trip to Mountain Creek without the kids is definitely in order (without a doubt).

Once the kids were done swimming and we enjoyed a lunch that was served poolside on our lounge chairs. The food was reasonably priced and was really delicious. They also have adult beverages available as well as full towel service so there was no need for me to be carrying the bag of towels I had brought (that’s right, less packing mommies!).

With the car loaded up and 2 kids asleep in their car seats we were again grateful for the very short drive home. This whole trip reminded us why Mountain Creek and Crystal Springs Resort remains one of our top choices for a family day trip or getaway!

A reminder that you have until tonight (7/30/15) to enter our Action Park Giveaway for 4 free tickets to Action Park!!! For our Review Click Here!

Action Park – A Magical Escape- Review!!

Posted on July 27, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Day Trips, Day Trips, Money Momma, Out and about..., Reviews, Travel .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as our Money Momma, Jamie was invited for a visit with her family. All opinions expressed are her own.

From Day Trip to Magical Escape

Action Park at Mountain Creek and Crystal Springs Resort

I’m not exactly sure how and when it happened, but (T) and I woke up recently and realized we no longer have babies; we have 2 KIDS! Somehow with a 4 year old and a 3 year old we have hit a parenting sweet spot where diapers are no longer needed, naps can be skipped if we are having fun, and the kids are ready to try new adventures. This led us to wonder if taking them on a weekend getaway would be easier or if we should just think about day trips. Instead of agonizing over what to do we decided to pick the best of both worlds. We made a summer trip over to Mountain Creek, a place only 55 minutes from our home but one that feels like an island escape.

We started our visit off with a trip to Action Park, the legendary waterpark that is part of the Mountain Creek and Crystal Springs resort property. We had been told that the park was hilly but we were willing to give it a try because the kids had such a great time on our last trip to Mountain Creek during the winter (click here). We had NO ISSUE with any of the hills, and I don’t just mean me. My 3 year old (S) wasn’t struggling, wasn’t complaining, and didn’t get tired. Unless your desire is to ride the absolute tallest of the waterslides, we did not find the park to be any more or less hilly than any other waterpark.

The large area for the children ages 0 to 7ish is actually completely flat with plenty of lounge chairs for the parents. We were able to park our stuff on a chair and let the kids enjoy a combination of waterslides, splash parks, junior lazy rivers, and tube rides all right in the kid’s area.

Both the food and the bathrooms are conveniently located right next to the kids section!!! It’s the little things that make me smile. At one point (R) went down a slide screaming “this is the most fun ever!” and went running back for another turn.

While (T) played with the kids in their special section, I took some time to take a walk around the rest of the park and watched fellow guests enjoying a variety of rides.

There is of course the standard wave pool (which we found very safe considering they require life jackets for under 48 inches and hand them out for free) but there are also some really cool attractions that just cannot be seen anywhere else.

Cliff jump anyone? Self-controlled roller coaster? How about an oversized CONE that sends riders up and down in an inner tube?? Action park had it all (perfect for pre-teens and teens) and even animal shows to boot! (S) couldn’t wait to get to the animal show so (T) took him while I used that time to ride some of the bigger rides with (R) who met the height requirements.

I have to give this park credit on their crowd control. We were there on a Saturday, it was hot and sunny. I could see all the people, and knew it was crowded, but we never waited more than 10 minutes for any ride or had any problems finding a chair. Even the most popular attractions had their lines moving quickly and with tubes immediately available for the next rider. If we wanted, we also could have rented a cabana for the day that was covered in shade either up above or on a small beach. If we had an infant or had traveled with another family that probably would have been the option we went with.

We were able to spend the entire day with plenty to do for the whole family. As we were leaving and discussing a trip back at the end of the summer we saw a sign that said we could apply the price of a day’s ticket to the cost of a season’s pass. The season pass more than pays for itself after 2 visits! Being only a 55 minute drive we will definitely be back, this becomes a great option for a family like ours. However this time we decided we weren’t leaving. We were headed to check into Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort for our overnight and second day of our Mountain Creek getaway!!

Stay tuned to read the next installment of Jamie’s Mountain Creek review. In the meantime Rocklandnymom.com is giving away a family 4 pack to Action Park! To enter comment below and share this post on your Facebook page! Winner will be chosen Thursday evening (7/30/15)!

Money Momma- Dining on a Budget Tip #4

Posted on July 23, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Money Momma, Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as our Money Momma, Jamie was invited for a meal with her family. All opinions expressed are her own.

Tip #4 Keep It Simple

Wayne’s World

It happens to the best of us. We want to cook dinner….we planned to cook dinner. The food is bought. The stove is ready. But we are just….Too….Tired. Or something comes up, we run late, or any other of the thousands of reasons sometimes dinner just cannot get cooked no matter how good my intentions were. Those nights are the nights that are NOT budgeted for and those are the nights that we are really looking for a great deal AND some great food. So tip #4 is to keep it simple. Sometimes the joy in dining out is just to have a simple, relaxed, experience that requires no work on the part of mom and dad. These are the nights that the family should head for a “fast casual” dining option like the new Wayne’s World Pizza, Salad, and Froyo shop in Nanuet.

Wayne’s World can only be described as a “happy place”. There are bright colors and many signs hanging around the well-lit restaurant (not to mention a giant frozen yogurt wall). This is one of the only restaurants I have ever entered where (T) and I would have let our kids dine on the floor without thinking twice. It was that clean! Wayne himself was greeting his customers and the staff was preparing for a children’s softball team to arrive for their end of the year dinner. The table next to us was there to celebrate Grandpa’s birthday.

Wayne’s World is family owned and operated and they genuinely create a happy environment that is community oriented and family focused. Even the chefs and wait staff all seemed to be smiling along with the guests who are dining on a variety of foods like simple pizza, create your own salad bar, traditional Italian dishes, and Wayne’s World originals like a fried mozzarella sandwich and Nutella pizza!

If you are looking to sit down for waiter service the dining room is a fun place to be with large TVs and a view of the pizza oven. There are also stools up front for those just looking to grab a quick slice on their way to their next destination. (R) and (S) were mesmerized by the huge make your own yogurt station and couldn’t wait for their turn at the literal kids candy topping bar. We actually used this as an incentive to get (R) to eat her dinner ;o). It wasn’t even necessary, she loved the pizza and chicken nuggets and asked for another slice of bread!

There was no question in my mind that I wanted to try the make your own salad bar but (T) was stumped. “I like everything on the menu!” he kept declaring. In the end he wound up with some delicious muscles, the homemade meatballs, and a Caesar salad. The meatballs were fabulous (as per (T)) and I was very excited to be able to have a healthy salad dinner that had all the perfect fixins!

We packed up our left overs and let (R) and (S) make their way (Finally) to the yogurt bar. They ran back and forth with their cups trying to decide what flavor to try and what toppings to pick. (R) even made friends with some of the other children in the restaurant who were also creating their own yogurt. Together they set off for a 4 year old’s dream yogurt adventure.

I was way too full for dessert but (T) and the kids ate every last bite. I didn’t have to cook or clean and we all got to eat what we wanted for dinner at a very reasonable price.

Visit Wayne’s World family coupon packs and birthday party deals (this place would be amazing for a team or scout party)! For more information you can check their website www.waynesworldpizza.com or follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/waynesworldpizza.

Want to give Wayne’s World a try? RNYM is giving away a $25 gift card to a lucky reader who likes, comments, shares, and/or comments on the blog and shares this post on their facebook timeline!

Money Momma-Eating on a Budget- Tip #3

Posted on July 15, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Contests, Food, Money Momma, Reviews, RNYM's Picks .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as our Money Momma, Jamie was invited for a meal with her family. All opinions expressed are her own.

Tip #3 – Make it a guy thing… or a girl thing

But DON’T bring everyone. Yes, I meant to say that. Not everyone in every family likes the same types of foods, making it difficult to expand the list of restaurants that work for your home. This actually can be turned into a “special” experience and save your family a little bit of money in the process. (T) loves to eat ribs and always begs me to go to Tony Romas on kids eat free night (Tuesday). I am not a huge meat eater and I don’t even have to look at a menu to know that there is not one single thing (R) will like. It’s a dilemma that every family has. No one wants to spend money dining out if not everyone is going to love the food. The solution… make it a guys night! Or a girls night… but don’t worry about splitting the family!! (R) and I will stay home, eat grilled cheese and do each others nails. (T) and (S) are off to the all mighty dinner experience at Tony Romas. The best part? Both kids think they are getting special time with us while we are only spending HALF of what we would normally spend on dinner. Since Tony Romas runs PLENTY of family specials all week long, it seemed fitting that the guys make a trip there during the Money Mommas dining on a budget series. (for purposes of writing this piece, I did attend the “guys night”)

We were seated right away despite the fact that we arrived at prime dinner time on a Saturday night. (S) was presented with a Kid’s menu that came with a pack of crayons so he could work his way through the pictures and games. I was pleasantly surprised by how big the booths were! I was carrying 3 people’s umbrellas, my usual mom bag, and a big bag of pillows that we had just purchased. Everything fit with lots of room to spare. The restaurant was packed with families. It was like a date night where kids are allowed. The atmosphere was festive yet calm, with a view to people watch in the mall if you desire. The wait staff was great with little (S) (age 3), even pausing to let him place his own drink order (lemonade of course). All of these points are great,but the real highlight of Tony Romas is basic… the food is delicious!

When ordering a main entree at Tony Romas, 2 sides come with the meal AT NO EXTRA COST! This is unusual for a steak house. Frequently, the sides are sold separately at an ala carte price. We asked them to bring out the sides on separate dishes so we could all taste a little of everything (no problem). (T) and (S) had a grand ol time eating their ribs together, which I should point out were two different types of sauces…one on each end. They actually have 7 sauces to choose from and (T) had a difficult time making up his mind! I’m not sure it really mattered though as most of the sauce wound up on (S)’s face as (T) taught him to eat ribs like a “man”. Tony Romas is well known for their steaks so I had the filet and I was not disappointed. In fact, I ate almost the entire thing. So much for me not being much of a meat eater. By the time I looked up the boys had finished a full rack of ribs and were wiping their hands and mouths with the warm, wet towels our waitress had brought over. I’m not sure where either of them found room to put it all considering they worked their way through a plate of calamari and an onion loaf earlier. That was the first time (S) had seen an onion loaf and every time he took a bite he clapped his hands.

The desert menu says it’s mini desserts but their was nothing mini about them! I can’t even imagine how big the full size must be. (T) and I devoured the red velvet cake, New York style cheesecake, and chocolate brownie in no time. All the of the cakes at Tony Romas are from Juniors bakery.

Tony Romas is now a definite family pick when we are looking to go somewhat more upscale, remain family friendly, and still know we are getting great value! Remember kids eat free every Tuesday and there are daily happy hour specials during the week.

Want to give Tony Romas a try? Now is your chance to win! Go to Rocklandnymom FB page, like, comment and share this post (or comment here) for a chance to win $25 toward a meal at Tony Romas!

Money Momma Eating on a Budget- Tip #2-

Posted on July 7, 2015 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Food, Money Momma, Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as our Money Momma, Jamie was invited for a meal with her family. All opinions expressed are her own.

Tip #2 – Try new places when the kids can eat for free

Every family has one; the picky eater. The one you have to always make sure you have a granola bar and apples for just in case they would rather starve than eat whatever you have given them for dinner. In our family, this title belongs to 4 year old (R) and most meals end with me sweating and her telling me she isn’t hungry. This puts a damper on any type of new dining experience because we do not want to pay for a dinner (R) will refuse to eat. Our solution to this predicament? Try new places on the nights kids can eat for free with a purchase of an adult meal.

(R) my picky eater.

This past week we put this plan to work as we went for the first time to Stir Crazy in Palisades Mall. This experience can only be described as fun fun fun!!! From the cool Asian decor to the fact that the main meal is a create-your-own stir fry event that the customer WATCHES them cook, this restaurant just screams to families for a great time. There are weekly chances to try it as kids EAT FOR FREE every Tuesday and Thursday with the purchase of an adult meal and beverage.

When we arrived the first thing we noticed were the stroller parking and special high chairs that accommodate infant carseats. This is such a convenience for us when we have the stroller for (S). It also proves to me that they are prepared to serve young children. (R) and (S) had a great time running from statue to statue trying to count how many Buddha’s they could find. We were a little bit worried about a melt down because (R) had been to 2 birthday parties that day and was exhausted. (R) was completely occupied the whole time watching the chefs cooking through a glass window that she didn’t even remember that she was tired. The drinks the kids ordered came with giant twisty straws that they had to figure out how to untwist. This was another child geared detail that we all enjoyed.

As the kids worked on their straws, (T) and I looked over the menu and listened to our waiter explain the dishes. Suffice it to say, there are a number of unique dishes on this menu that cannot be found elsewhere and it turns out EVERYTHING on the menu can be customized. The happy sounds coming from our fellow diners confirmed that the food was as good as it looked. As always, I paid close attention to the kid’s menu making sure that there was at least one thing that (R) might eat. (S), being a more adventurous eater, chose the ninja noodles (which he called ninja turtle noodles) and we convinced (R) to take a bite. I was ready to get right into our main course (which could be called an event) but (T) was dying to try the crazy shrimp appetizer. This dish is such a customer favorite that when it left the menu for a short time, it had its own write in campaign to bring it back. (T) says he can tell why people missed it!

(T) enjoys the shrimp!

Ninja Noodles

Finally the main event! Our waiter arrived with our personal woks and we made our way to the stir fry bar. We piled our woks high with fresh vegetables, multiple Asian treats, and a variety of sauces. Creators also get to choose their meat and select a base (rice, lomein, pad thai noodles, etc), all of which were as fresh as the vegetables. Then it’s show time! The Chef takes over and the cooking, complete with exploding fire, takes place right before our eyes. We held up (R) and (S) who were mesmerized by the show. (R) was so enticed that she asked to eat some of my noodles when we got back to the table! We could tell the kids had fun because as we were packing up to leave (S) went running up to the table next to us and informed them quite loudly that “Budhas have big bellies!!”.

Stir Crazy is an excellent place to try with the whole family and T and I will certainly be back… on a Tuesday or a Thursday when our kids eat for free!

Stir Crazy is giving one lucky RNYM reader a chance to create their own stir fry. For a chance to win a $30 gift card to Stir Crazy go to Rocklandnymom facebook page, like this post, comment with STIR FRY and share this on your timeline.

Stay tuned for Jamie’s full list of both free and kids meal deals due out soon!!!