Another Great Deal from Restaurant.com

I know I've had some Restaurant.com deals on here before, but this one is ridiculous. You can get a $25 gift certificate to a restaurant in your area for just $2. That's one hell of a deal. All you have to do is click on the link above and use the Promo Code "NAPKIN" when you check out. It's pretty darn simple.

Just a quick reminder. The Restaurant.com 80% off special ends today. You can grab a $25 gift certificate for just $2. Use the promo code SPECIAL to get this great deal.

Benefits of SAHM for Dad

Today is another Fatherhood Friday over at Dad Blogs. If you haven't checked it out yet, shame on you. There are a ton of talented dads (and moms) that you should be reading.

Most of my time on here has been singing the praises of stay at home moms and talking about what husbands can do to support them. Because I think that's important. Staying at home is a difficult job and requires as much assistance as possible. And I am more than happy to do my share to make sure this lifestyle works for my family.

But today is about me. After all, this is MY blog. I do all the work around here, so why shouldn't I get to talk about myself for a while. Don't worry, we'll get back to our regularly scheduled programming shortly.

Today we're going to talk about how dads/husbands benefit from the SAHM lifestyle. I think it's pretty obvious how children benefit. And there are plenty of discussions out there about a SAHM's gains from staying at home (and some obvious minuses). But what about the dad? What does he get out of this deal? Obviously I can only speak from my experience, but here is what I see as the benefits for me so far.

1. Less chaos. Especially in the mornings. Granted our kids are not in school yet, but our mornings have gotten considerably easier. We don't have to rush around to get 5 people ready for the day and out of the house by 7:15 in the morning. Which is good because we're not really big on mornings in our house. Now we have the ability to have a more relaxed start to the day, and I think that carries over to the rest of the day.

2. More home-cooked meals. Now before someone jumps down my throat, let me say that I don't expect my dinner on the table when I walk in the dinner every night. Far from it. But staying home has allowed my wife to cook more often. Which is great because my wife is a damned good cook (whether she thinks so or not). So this isn't about me thinking a woman should be in the kitchen, this is purely about my stomach. And my stomach is happy!

3. More time with my kids. Even though my wife is the one staying home, I still get to see my kids more. We have more time in the morning. I get to see them when I go home for lunch (though I do kinda miss my lunch-time runs). We spend more timing playing in the evening as opposed to getting ready for the next day.

4. Most importantly, my wife is happy. And that means the world to me. She loved her profession, but she was ready to stay home. The stress of working and running a family (I have no illusions about who wears the pants) was a big strain on her. That has all gone out the window. She is more relaxed. She is happier. She is awesome. And that makes me happy (and awesome!).

Time Is Running Out

The Restaurant.com sale is almost over. Your chance to buy $25 gift certificates for $2 ends on Sunday. Remember to use the promo code SPECIAL.

And today is Friday (like you didn't already know) and that means you can get free chocolate at the Mars Company website.

Don't you just love great deals?

Treat Your SAHM To Dinner For Less

Restaurant.com is having another ridiculous sale: 80% OFF. That makes for $25 gift certificates for a mere $2. This is a superb deal that you can't pass up. Just click on the box above, search for restaurants in your area, use the promo code SPECIAL and enjoy a nice meal out on the town for a pittance.

Guys, Mother's Day may have already passed, but just think of the brownie points.

SAHMs Need To Dine Out Too

I realize we're all on a budget around here, and the first thing that usually goes is dining out. Plus, it's never easy to go to a decent restaurant (and Applebee's doesn't count as a good restaurant) with kids.

But right now there is a deal going on over at Restaurant.com that is just too good to pass up. If you've never been to Restaurant.com before, here's the deal. You can buy $25 gift certificates to a number of restaurants for only $10. That's a pretty darn good deal.

There is a special going on right now, though, that makes it darn near impossible to ignore. If you use the promo code "TASTY" when you check out, you save 70% on each gift certificate you purchase. That makes a $10 purchase only $3. Which means you get a $25 gift certificate for only $3!!!!!!

I bought 3 $25 gift certificates for a total of $9! That is $75 worth of dining out for only 9 bucks! Sorry about all of the exclamation marks, but this is a hell of a deal.

The only catch is the promo code expires on May 16th. So you have 2 more days to take advantage of this deal. Get yourself over to Restaurant.com, use the promo code "TASTY," call up the babysitter and get yourself some much deserved me time at your favorite local eatery.

Eating Out While Eating At Home

Eating out is not really an option for most single-income families. It just costs too much and can be more of a hassle than it's worth. But I still like to eat out. It gives me a chance to try new dishes that I would have never thought about or do not have the culinary ability to create.

We've actually found ways to emulate foods that we really like at restaurants. Our kids are addicted to bean burritos right now (which for a very gassy crew by the way). So instead of hitting the Taco Bell drive thru every time they want a burrito, we have started buying Taco Bell refried beans at the grocery store and making them at home. You can also find recipes that mimic your favorite restaurant meal on the Internet (like Panera's Brocoli Cheddar Soup, Papa John's Garlic Sauce or McDonald's Southwest Chicken Salad).

There are even websites dedicated to these "copycat" recipes. Check out CDKitchen and The Recipe Link for some more ideas.