Being quite outgoing and sociable, I love social media.  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn – you name it, I know it.

I remember the month I joined Facebook in 2008.  As friend requests were sent and received, I remember the joyful feeling of being able to socialize with friends and family members without having to plan a reunion or attend an event.  At the time, I was a stay-at-home-mom, and Facebook was a connector for my group of friends very early.

I recently posed a question to our Facebook fan page and received hundreds of responses to one simple question:

If you could suggest a side item for restaurants to offer with their children’s meals, what would it be? 

Below is just a sampling of the responses:

Grapes, Salad, Baked Potato, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Honey Glazed Carrot Sticks, Steamed Vegetables, Black Beans, Celery Sticks & Peanut Butter, Pretzels & Nutella, Yogurt, Green Beans, Whole Grain Pasta Salad, Cup of Soup, Broccoli, Baked Sweet Potato, Strawberries, Blueberries, Apples, Pineapples, Unsweetened Applesauce, Graham Crackers, Mandarin Oranges, Whole Grain Mac & Cheese, Banana, Mixed Nuts, Brown Rice, Couscous, Pickles, Veggie Straws, Cucumber Slices, String Cheese, Apples Cut Like Fries

The bottom line is this:  Fried Chicken Fingers and Fried Potatoes are not good for kids. Or anyone for that matter.  And in offering a limited menu for children with unhealthy choices, you are excluding families that may want to dine out at your restaurant but do not because of the children’s menu.   Families want choices – Chicken Fingers/Fries, Pizza, Hot Dog are quickly becoming second & third choices.  My 7 year old knows these are unhealthy choices. She chooses fruit over French fries and enjoys a salad over chips.   It’s all about choice. (I’m still working on her brother)

The list above was generated in just a couple of hours on Facebook.  Imagine what restaurants could cook up if they put just a little effort in developing a delicious, healthy kids’ menu that offered choices. The effort is certainly made for the adult menu – why not make mini versions of a few of the adult meals?

The National Restaurant Association recently launched the Kids LiveWell program  in conjunction with Healthy Dining. The Kids LiveWell program features restaurants that offer healthy choices on their kids’ menus.  Having these choices available and teaching our children how to make healthy choices when eating will encourage a lifestyle of better health for our kids.  Who can say no to that?

Need help?  Contact the National Restaurant Association about becoming a Kids LiveWell participant.  Check out our Pinterest boards for ideas on how to make your children’s meals healthy and exciting!  And will have kids begging to go back to YOUR restaurant!  Couple that with a stand-alone kids’ special – and you’ve got a winning combination for families that WANT to dine out economically and healthfully.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer

Have you gotten on board with Pinterest?

It’s the newest social media craze for sharing stuff you love across the web. Out To Eat With Kids has its own boards, and I am loving being able to share stuff that interests us! Here’s a peek at the boards we are populating with ideas, resources, gluten free choices, participating Kids LiveWell restaurants, kids menus, and ideas we’d like to share with restaurants. Pinterest is just plain fun! I am excited to see how this new social sharing site can help us offer OutToEatWithKids users more economical and healthy choices.

http://www.pinterest.com/owkids – follow us!

I would like to welcome everyone across the country that has stumbled across Out To Eat With Kids!  I hope you find it a useful source for dining out economically and healthfully with your family.  If you run across a special that is no longer valid, please let me know (info at out to eat with kids dot com). Unfortunately, I am not the first person the restaurants think about calling when they decide to switch things up. (a mom can dream, right?)

I would like to thank everyone who:

• uses the site
• has downloaded the mobile applications
• posts on our Facebook wall
• comments on questions
• tweets to us
• follows our Pinterest boards
• emails us corrected specials
• submits new restaurant information
• tells their friends about the OWK

All of these efforts reinforce the vision I had for this resource when my babies were little:

I was exhausted from my day, didn’t want to cook and wanted to go out to dinner affordably. I needed a reliable resource to find stand-alone kids’ specials. 

Please continue to support OutToEatWithKids as we push forward the initiative to share healthy choices in addition to economical ones.  The National Restaurant Association, in collaboration with Healthy Dining, recently launched their Kids LiveWell program – look for the logo below on restaurants listings.  These restaurants have children’s menu items that meet the parameters for healthful dining, and you can click through to view these items.

I am excited to have these choices available and am looking forward to offering more information for families on healthy & economical dining!

Here is our official announcement!  Very excited to announce that Out To Eat With Kids will now be promoting HEALTHY & ECONOMICAL Kids’ Meals!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Out to Eat with Kids Features Kids LiveWell’s Healthy Children’s Meal Listings; Creates the Only Online Resource for Healthy and Economical Kids’ Meals

CHARLESTON, SC (February 1, 2012): Charleston-based company Out to Eat With Kids announces today its promotion of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell initiative. Out to Eat with Kids will now incorporate restaurant listings with healthful children’s menu options into their online database of free or reduced-price kids’ meals. This will make Out to Eat with Kids the only online resource and mobile application for both healthful and economical kids’ meals.

Launched in July 2011 by the National Restaurant Association in conjunction with HealthyDining, the Kids LiveWell program promotes healthy eating by endorsing restaurants that meet nutritional standards for children’s meals, including caps on calories, fat, and sugar; and requirements for protein, whole grain, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy. Parents using Out to Eat with Kids will see the Kids LiveWell logo next to participating restaurants.

President and founder of Out to Eat With Kids, Jennifer Bilbro, says that the time was right for such a promotion. “Parents care about saving money, but for many, making sure their kids are eating well is even more important. Promoting the Kids LiveWell program was a natural choice for Out to Eat with Kids—we’re offering parents the full information set they’re looking for when dining out with their families. It’s really a natural fit.” The National Restaurant Association’s own research confirms the timeliness of the collaboration, citing “Healthful kids’ meals, whole grain items in kids’ meals, and children’s nutrition as a culinary theme” as three of the top ten restaurant menu trends for the year 2012 and smartphone apps as a top technology trend (“What’s Hot in 2012,” National Restaurant Association, 12/8/11).

For more information about Out to Eat with Kids, please visit www.outtoeatwithkids.com. More information about the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program can be found at: www.restaurant.org/kidslivewell.

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Out to Eat with Kids Founded in 2010 by mom and social media consultant Jennifer Bilbro, Out to Eat with Kids is an online/mobile database for economical and healthy kids’ meals. Out to Eat Kids consolidates data on free and reduced-price kids’ meals along with listings for healthful and nutritious children’s menus. Out to Eat with Kids launched nationally in January 2012 and is headquartered in Charleston, SC. For more information about Out to Eat with Kids, visit www.outtoeatwithkids.com, or connect on Facebook and Twitter. Mobile apps can be found on iTunes and the Android Market.

National Restaurant Association Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry’s largest trade show (NRA Show May 5-8, 2012, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart, including the National ProStart Invitational April 27-29, 2012, in Baltimore, Md.); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids’ menu options. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.

Chili’s is welcoming in the holiday season by offering 30 deals.  Now until December 24th, you can find a daily coupon for a special offer.  Click the logo to see!

OutToEatWithKids.com is highlighting the Wednesday, November 30th special:  FREE KID’S MEAL.  The coupon is below.  Enjoy!

Braving the stores this weekend to take advantage of amazing sales?  Put IKEA on your list.  Kids Eat Free at participating IKEA locations November 25-27, 2011.

This special is available for kids 12 and under at participating IKEA locations.  Adult meal purchase is not required.

Good luck with the shopping!  This is one store where your kids won’t mind tagging along.

Well, unless you’ve been disconnected from television, Facebook, Twitter in the last 2 hours – you know what happened at approximately 1:51 pm on August 23, 2011.  Earthquake in Mineral, VA that was felt from New York City to Charleston, SC.  Thankfully, it appears that damage is minimal, and as of this post, there are no fatality reports just minor injuries.

Where did I see it first?  Twitter.  Then Facebook.  Within minutes, there were hundreds of posts and tweets from people up and down the east coast asking if they felt something, wondering if they were crazy, and trying to get confirmation from friends and sources about the incident.  I didn’t have to go to CNN….official reports posted from news stations directly to my Facebook newsfeed and Twitter feed.  And my friends sharing their experiences seconds, minutes after it happened.  That is my breaking news.

Powerful.

If you’ve doubted this “new” medium for disseminating information, rest assured it’s here to stay.  Where it will be in 5 years might be different than today, but if you want to reach an audience, you can’t afford NOT to be present if you are a business.

OutToEatWithKids.com has the power to connect businesses with potential customers of your restaurant using the power of social media.  A captive audience.  An audience that wants an affordable dining out experience.  An audience with children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Stay safe everyone!

Jennifer

First of all, thank you!

Thank you for visiting OutToEatWithKids.com and supporting this website that has become my passion over the last year.  I look forward to every restaurant submission, comment, complaint, and suggestion that comes my way.  I want this website to be useful and beneficial to users and to restaurant owners.

Highlights of the new site:

1.  State Option – users now have the ability to search by state.  We are soooo close to having the entire states of SC, NC, and GA listed and will be adding the other 47 states over the next several months.

2. Share buttons – see a special you like or you think a friend might enjoy?  Click the share button and choose email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to share that listing.  Goodness knows, it’s much more fun to go out to dinner with friends (especially ones that have kids!)

3. Restaurant Social Links – See your favorite restaurant?  LIKE their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter to get first hand information about other specials they may offer.  Giveaways galore…..someone is always having a contest and giveaway on Facebook.  Support YOUR local restaurants.  Who doesn’t like FREE stuff?

4. YouTube - We have our first “homemade” video being made right now and can’t wait to share it with you.  Video your child or family next time you’re taking advantage of an OutToEatWithKids.com advertised special.  Email it to us, and we’ll add it to our YouTube channel.  Bottom line: kids are funny!  We won’t share their names or anything like that….just want to see them enjoying dining out economically with their family.

How Can You Help?

• Spread the word: share our page on Facebook, tell your PTA, announce to your moms’ group, send an email out to your BFF, tell your buddies at the golf course

• Tell the restaurants you visit about OutToEatWithKids.com, whether they do or do not offer a kid’s special.  It doesn’t have  to be free.  We can work with any small restaurant or large corporate chain in designing a special that meets their needs as well as the customer. (have you seen the mom and dad specials we’ve been plugging…hello!!!)

• If the server doesn’t “know” about the special and your bill comes to your table without an advertised discount….ASK to speak with a manager and tell them, ask them.  Very often, particularly in restaurants with a high turnover rate of servers, IMPORTANT information may not be getting from the top to the bottom:  don’t be afraid to ask.  Be nice, of course……you attract more bees with honey!  That’s good advice for ANY situation.

• Use Social Media to thank restaurants for offering a kids’ specials or even asking them if they’d be willing to offer one.  If you’re a little shy and don’t want to make a presentation next time you’re at your favorite spot, use social media resources like Facebook and Twitter to talk to business owners.  They DIG this….the fact that you take time to write on their wall or mention them in a post is complete flattery!  They are busy….maybe they haven’t even thought about offering a special.  But your post may just be the nudge they need to get on it!

• I know it may come as a big surprise, but I’m not the first person restaurants call when they decide to stop offering a kids eat free special or kids eat for $1.  So…if something changes and you happen to be the first one to become aware of it, could you send me a note?  That would be terrific!

If you haven’t been to Discovery Ice Cream in the Towne Center in Mount Pleasant, S.C., you must!

Discovery Ice Cream is a locally-owned store with delicious home-made ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and the infamous “robot ice cream.”  Vismo is the a robot that kids can program to create their own layered ice cream treat, complete with sprinkles.  He’s quite cute, musical, and loves performing for the kids.  DIC serves coffee, lattes, and expresso for the grown ups too.

Vismo

In addition to the ice cream, Discovery Ice Cream is a Melissa and Doug retailer.  There’s even a play area where the kids can test drive many of the M&D toys after they have enjoyed their treat.  The selection is HUGE, and it’s an affordable, one-stop shopping for birthday gifts.

Play Area

Discovery Ice Cream also hosts birthday parties.  Children design their own ice cream flavor, and all of the guests get to take the creation home!

Just a few of the Melissa & Doug toys available

To check out their weekly specials on our website, click here.

I think Thursday might be my favorite day of the week.  The anticipation of Friday and the weekend feel the best BEFORE they are actually here.  It’s almost Friday!  It’s almost the weekend!

What do I love more than Thursdays?  MAIL…..most of it, anyway!

I love opening my Money Mailer and Valpak when they come in the mail.  There’s just something about having an in hand “coupon” right at your fingertips!  Check online for coupons in your area!

Here are my favorites!

Money Mailer

1.  Calder’s Buffalo Pub in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Kids under 6 years old eat free ALL DAY, EVERYDAY.  This is on the website for OTEWKids, but it’s always nice to be flipping through the mail and find this!  Calder’s has delicious chicken wings, which are perfect when watching a game!

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza

2.  Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Mt. Pleasant is one of our favorite restaurants.  They do a kid’s night on Wednesdays from 4-8, but the Money Mailer has this coupon to use on days OTHER than the kid’s night.  What a bonus!  They bring the kids pizza dough to play with at the table, and there’s a window to peek at the pizza makers while you’re waiting on your food.  And since there is a pond right next to the restaurant, my kids always save their crusts to feed to the ducks or turtles, who have come to expect this from the guests.

Palmetto Pig

3.  If you love barbecue, you have to try the Palmetto Pig at the Towne Center in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.  This is South Carolina BBQ and reminds me of Dukes BBQ I grew up on in Orangeburg, S.C.  Love this Money Mailer ad that showcases a free kid’s meal on Tuesday AND Wednesday nights.

Don’t forget to check YOUR local listings on the website, outtoeatwithkids.com to find out where to dine with your family economically WITHOUT a coupon!

Enjoy your Thursday.