Summer is here. Finally time to get out of the house as much as possible and get #allthethings in until Chicago winter has me baking and staring at the dead plants outside for months on end. I love doing all the things, but my wallet doesn’t love it. So here are some of our favorite things that don’t have a price tag attached to them:
1. Pottery Barn Kids Storytime: MOST PBK stores have a free story time a couple times per month. They have a punch card and kids can get rewards for coming in for story time! Visit http://www.potterybarnkids.com to find one near you! We go to the one in Deer Park Shopping and the staff there brings out the anywhere chairs and the kids enjoy it!
2. Miss Jamie on the Farm. What a gig she has! She has a contract with Mariano’s to circulate shows in the cafe area and goes to all area Mariano’s throughout each quarter. Check your local Mariano’s for her schedule. She sings songs, dances, and entertains the kiddos with her barn themed show. The kids all love it and love her! BONUS: You can get toddler and kid friendly lunch (and a salad for you too!) at the hot bar. My kids love lunches there and you can portion correctly so you aren’t buying enough mac and cheese for 3 meals!
3. FIT4MOM Free playgroups. So obviously I am involved with F4M, but every locations offers free playgroups most days per week (we do 6) with crafts and outings several times per month. Its a great way to meet other local moms with kids your child’s age. For a location near you, (they are everywhere in chicagoland) visit https://fit4mom.com/locations.
4. Barrington Splash Pad. This place is a really decent size and is (no joke!) FREE from 9-1 each day! I need to invest in some sort of leash type thing for B for this summer here, but its a totally kid friendly place! Parking gets crowded at times, but it is worth the trip to visit for free! (barringtonparkdistrict.org)
5. Beach Babies @ Lindy’s Landing in Wauconda. Though it may be a day-trip for some, Wauconda has a ton of summer stuff for kids! Lindy’s is a favorite with a resort feel to it. It boasts a private beach as well as a patio with views for daysssssss. They offer a cure little Beach class for kids at 10:00am on Wednesdays during the summer. BONUS: you can snag a fruity drink or lunch after! Wauconda also has a Flavorit place which is a mom and pop ice cream shop that reminds me of my days growing up vacationing in Door County. They also have a downtown with tons of shops, restaurants, and coffee spots! BONUS 2: The public Library is down the street and is by far one of our favorite libraries to visit- My kids stay contained there for the most part. (http://lindyslanding.com)
Have anymore tips on free summer stuff to do with kiddos? I would love to hear it! Shoot me an email or a comment so I can check it out!
Coffee. Workout. Wine. Repeat. AF 