mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents | Dallas Blog

Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Nine Reasons To Go to Cici’s Pizza Tomorrow, Really

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I was invited to learn about Cici’s New #BetterBelieveIt Taste Better at a local Cici’s Pizza. And now I want you to know Cici’s ain’t the same place you and I used to eat at. All the comments are all my own. 

Do you remember your first time at Cici’s Pizza?

For me it was in college when I had $4 left in my bank account and I was starving. But after searching for that extra dollar in change I found in my car, I was able to scrape together $5…That got me an endless supply of pizza or at least as much I could put it my mouth at that setting. This is how many of us did it for years – go to Cici’s and get high quantities of pizza. It wasn’t exactly our favorite pizza, but you couldn’t argue with the value for your $5.


Apparently, I wasn’t the only one that thought Cici’s Pizza was alright, but wasn’t my favorite pizza to eat. I wanted more toppings and less crust to bite through. I wanted to taste my pizza, not just eat it.

Nine-Reasons-To-Go-to-Cicis-Pizza-Tomorrow #BetterBelieveIt

Thankfully, they listened to my request and many others and this month Cici’s Pizza launched a new pizza.

1. The sauce is zestier with a new recipe (really)

2. The pizza is cheesier by doubling the cheese on more (really)

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3. The toppings are tastier with better quality toppings and adding more to each pie (really)

4. The crust is yummier with a new made-from-scratch with garlic butter and less thick so there’s room for more stuff

Cicis-Pizza #BetterBelieveIt

But there was a lot more about Cici’s Pizza that I learned that I didn’t know, too.

5. While Cici’s Pizza doesn’t serve a gluten-free pizza, you can bring one from home and they will cook it for you!

6. Cici’s Pizza serves the community in so many ways including school fundraisers. youth sports discounts, birthday party packages, lunch and learns and a lot more.

7. Macaroni and Cheese Pizza? Yep. They got that and whole lot more like Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Spinach Alfredo and other fun combinations, I never knew they had. Actually, you can create your own and they’ll bring it to your table. All you have to do is ask.

8. For $5.99 you can get a full pizza buffet with dessert, salad bar and pasta for adults (it’s even cheaper for the kids.) That’s a deal. Don’t believe me? You better believe it!

9. I am giving away a gift card for $10 to Cici’s Pizza for you to try for yourself!   

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Top Makeup Tips To Teach Your Teen {Giveaway}

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Looking at several little girls apply their lip gloss and nail polish at our Princess Spa Party got me reminiscent about the early years of learning about makeup. Like many other girls I learned from my friends and the pages of Seventeen, Cosmo and more. Sad to say that I’m still learning as an adult how to properly apply makeup and match the right products to my skin.

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If I had just had some training for that then, I might actually have a clue now…


Actually there is.

Blushington Makeup & Beauty Lounge, your destination for beauty services and makeup application, offers three tips for tweens/teens (and a great reminder for moms) to ensure their make up look is spot on for the right look for their age.

  1. Always stay age appropriate! A heavy smokey eye at age 15 is not okay for school, no matter what is seen on the red carpet.
  2. Skip the foundation and go for a tinted moisturizer instead. If your skin is prone to acne, opt for a heavier concealer as an alternative.
  3. To keep skin feeling fresh, always remove makeup at the end of the day! Sleeping in makeup can cause clogged pores and irritation.

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Blushington also offers teen and tween makeup classes for $50 per person. The classes are aimed to help teens with age-appropriate makeup choices and give them techniques that will boost confidence and cover blemishes — without looking overdone. Blushington recently started carrying the BeautyBlender sponge applicator, which is a great tool to use on teens.

BeautyBlender Sponge Affiliate Link

Blushington is also offering one lucky reader a ticket to a Teen/Tween Makeup Class at the Dallas Blushington location!

What a great gift for that special teen or tween in your life!

To enter, just complete the form below and answer the question:

“What’s your favorite makeup tip?”

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Safer Blinds Mean Peace of Mind with Blinds.com {Giveaway}

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I appreciate Blinds.comfor partnering with me  to learn about the importance of safer window coverings! Not only did they help me to update the look of the house, my children are now safer, too. Learn more about child-safe window coverings and how you can win a $100 or $2,500 gift card from Blinds.com.

Like every expectant parent, whenever my husband and I were preparing our home for #1, we did everything the “book” said to do. We installed locks on the cabinets and drawers as well as removed any sharp corners. We inserted a 1,000+ plastic prongs in the outlets. We removed all those cute trinkets around the house that gave it character that could possibly be found in a little one’s reach and ultimately their mouth. We tied up every blind in the house so there wasn’t a string that the baby could get caught in and choke.

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Basically, we prepped the house for Reo Recon. And man it wasn’t pretty.

Stepping into many other friends’ homes, the same window-tie up method has left a pretty ugly mess of their blinds and that’s if they actually did anything. Many people don’t even know that having corded blinds or shades is a real hazard to a home with kids.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about once a month a child between 7 months and 10 years dies from window cord strangulation and another child suffers from a near strangulation.

However, with so many options now available, parents can completely remove the risk by choosing many of the child-safe styles on Blinds.com, like the ones I just installed, the Levolor Accordia Light Filtering Cellular Shades in Whisper.

While when I first began looking, I didn’t know where to start or exactly sure what choices were “out there,” but I was able to use this helpful quiz to guide me through all the options available like cellular shades vs. honeycomb shades. If I needed even more help, I could also chat with an agent for free assistance to ask questions.  With free shipping and free samples, Blinds.com can guide you through every step of the process to ensure you make the right choice for your home! And even if you make a mistake like I did with my Levolor shades, their pledge is if a Levolor brand product doesn’t fit (no matter whose fault it is) Levolor will remake your blinds or shades for free. Blinds.com offers the same promise with our SureFit guarantee to cover ANY product sold on Blinds.com! Incredible policy!

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While replacing your window coverings with cordless blinds or shades is the only real way to remove the strangulation risk, there are several tips available from Blinds.com than you can do NOW to make  your home a little safer. For instance, if you have an older home like me, you can actually order a free window cord retrofit kit from www.windowcoverings.org.

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If you are in the business of shopping for replacement blinds for your home or childproofing your home for your first child, now’s a great time to buy window covers during the Safer For Kids Collection sale, running all October long! And to sweeten the deal, Blinds.com is also offering $100 Blinds.com Gift Card to one MamaChallenge reader to help you find your perfectly safe window coverings.

No matter how good the deals are, if you have 35 windows that need new window coverings, you’re going to need more than $100. Thankfully, Blinds.com is also hosting a giveaway for $2,500 Gift Card on Blinds.com, so make sure to enter their contest to increase your odds of winning, while decreasing your risk of child safety issues!

If you win $100 Blinds.com Gift Card, which room of you house will you use it in? 

Mama-Daddy Date Night on a Dime {Giveaways}

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Research reveals that over 90% of couples who go out on dates have increased relationship satisfaction.

However, when your schedule seems packed full of kid functions and other obligations, it’s hard to make it a priority to spend time doing something you enjoy vs. something you “have to do.” However, when you’re married, “you have to work at it.”

MD


Taking right back to a “work concept,” organizational/business engenue Steven Covey referred to a marriage as an emotional bank account. If you don’t put in a deposit after awhile, you’ll be overdrawn – meaning: hurt, sad or much worse. unfortunately, in reality you don’t necessarily have to spend an arm and a leg to have fun, so we’ve got some great ideas for date night on a dime for moms and dads!

So make a point to make your relationship have value!

1. Put it on the calendar!
Just like doctor’s appointments and soccer practice, if it’s not on the calendar, it won’t happen!

2. Be creative with datenightnorthtexas.com.
What if you had loads of creative date ideas, plenty to talk about while on your date and even deals and discounts provided by local establishments to make it easier for you to get out of your rut and try something new – all in the palm of your hand?

3. Be frugal
Follow websites and blogs for contests and other fun ways to do things for free!

DATE NIGHT IDEAS (AS SEEN ON WFAA GOOD MORNING TEXAS!) 

Traditional Dinner Night Out

Movie Night

  • Groupon for a $6 movie ticket to a movies like Studio Movie Grill OR any other specials available {Giveaway}
  • Pay-What-You-Can Dallas Theatre for each show for $1! Next show is Rocky Horror Picture Show!
  • This Side Up! Family Center: This is a one-of-a-kind non-profit which provides a safe, family- friendly environment while giving parents all the tools, skills and quality activities they need to move from surviving to thriving! We have received numerous awards and recognition as a new community non-profit bringing much-needed focus on family strengthening!

Hear the Music, Taste the Love 

  • It’s fall festival time! Enjoy yourselves at any festival like the upcoming free Cultivate festival or any of the many festivals we have in the area for cheap admission and in many cases FREE!
  • Rather do something more low key? Go to a brewery or whiskey tour and enjoy a little education/tasting like at Deep Ellum Brewery in Dallas or Rahr & Sons Brewing Company {Giveaway} in FW where $10 gets a tour, three samplings includes a pint glass or there’s a few free tours with samples for purchase. Find comprehensive list of breweries and distilleries in DFW on Eater.com
  • Use Uber to safely get home and today all GMT watchers will get a FREE RIDE up to $20 credit with CODE: MAMACHALLENGE {Giveaway}

Uber

Get Your Workout On

Cultural

Make your own bucket list of places to eat and experience together!

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Win Your Way to Family Fun at Addison Oktoberfest {Worth $158}

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When you think of Oktoberfest, you get this image of a set boobs holding a stein of bier.

This is G-rated, folks. (Photos from Addison Oktoberfest PR.)

This is G-rated, folks. (Photos from Addison Oktoberfest PR.)

True dat.


However, both the famed Munich celebration and Addison Oktoberfest, considered one of the most authentic Oktoberfest celebration in North America, offers a cultural experience for families as well.

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Addison Oktoberfest offers some amazing things for families including:

  • Das Kinder Stage – a kids stage featuring German style entertainment all three days of the event
  • Fun folk dancing – Not only can kids enjoy a little Chicken Dance, but groups like Texanischer Shuhplattler Verein and STV Almrausch Dancers teach families to do easy German folk dances. Additionally, youth teams from schools in Plano and Carrollton also perform their award-winning folk dances.
  • Carnival – The fantastic carnival area at Addison Oktoberfest is much like the carnival in Munich. Rides can be purchased individually, or guests can purchase a $25 wristband which offers unlimited rides. There are two ways to get the $25 wrist bands – they can be purchased onsite (only offered onsite on Thursday and Sunday) or they can be used ANY day when done as part of the Oktoberfest Kids Package below.
  • Lebkuchen Decorating Classes – While everyone can come and buy tasty Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and other baked treats from the Kaffee und Kuchen Haus, for only $10 adults and kids can take a hands-on Lebkuchen Decorating Class. Advance registration is recommended, and classes are offered all four days of the event.
  • DAWG (Dallas Area Working Group) Pretzel Run Agility Challenge – family fun as working dogs run a pretzel-shaped agility course – Thursday only
  • Oktoberfest 5K and 1M Family Fun Run – benefiting Wipe Out Kids Cancer, this fun race is a family favorite!
  • Dachshund-Day or Dach-Sunday! – On Sunday, kids of all ages will enjoy the Dachshund Parade in the Schloss Addison Tent and the Dachshund Races at the bowl stage.

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Families wanting to plan their Oktoberfest experience will enjoy the Oktoberfest Kids Package (ages 4-12).

For $35, the package includes:

  • Kids Admission
  • Unlimited Carnival Ride Wristband
  • Oktoberfest Souvenir Color Changing Cup
  • Laugen Pretzel
  • Oktoberfest Souvenir Button

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Buy your package (and see other packages available) at Addison’s Oktoberfest Ticketing. 

And you can also win this AMAZING FAMILY FUN PRIZE to Addison’s Oktoberfest on mamachallenge.com.

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ADDISON OKTOBERFEST FAMILY CONTEST
4 General Admission tickets to use anytime
2 carnival armbands
$40 Tasty Bucks
2 Box combo cards from Raising Canes
2 Kids meal combo cards from Raising Canes
(note – Raising Canes sponsors Sunday’s Dachshund Dash!)
Contest value:  $158

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If you’ve never been to Oktoberfest then you have to check out this post on the songs you should know before entering the Schloss Tent!

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Drink Your Way Through Italy, Washington and Texas at Grapefest 2014

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If the title alone isn’t enough reason for you to get excited, perhaps you should stop reading now.

With an event called Grapefest in a town called Grapevine, you should get the notion these people are serious about their wine and their fun.

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Considered the largest wine festival in the Southwest,  GrapeFest, held along Grapevine’s Historic Main Street, Sept. 11 – 14, is a four-day fest actually for the whole family. This year’s features some of the world’s best wine regions with Washington, Italy and of course, Texas.

Some of the favorite festival events include:

    • The Champagne Terrace (my favorite)
    • People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the nation with more than 140 Texas varietals from 44 Texas wineries
    • GrapeStomp
    • KidsWorld
    • Palette Pleasers at the Palace
    • ItalianCarFest
    • Five stages offering live entertainment
    • The Texas Wine Tribute and much more!

Last month I enjoyed grapestomping at Messina Hof (which comes to Grapevine in November) so next week I’ll take my turn at at the GrapeStomp at Grapefest. Teams of two take turns to stomp approximately 18 pounds of grapes for two minutes. If your team stomps the most juice, you just might qualify to stomp some more at the Grand Champion StompOff on Sunday, with the winners being awarded the coveted “Purple Foot” award, a beautiful glass foot from Grapevine’s Vetro Glassblowing Studio. Entry fee is $5 per person. Special GrapeStomp events include the Senior GrapeStomp at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 12 and the Mayoral GrapeStomp on Saturday, September 13 at 11 a.m. A free special stomping area is also available for kids 13 and under.

And you’ll totally find me at the Champagne Cork-Off on Saturday. (This isn’t a photo of me, but I plan to be as motivated to win! ) I am serious about bubbly!

Photo courtesy of Grapevine CVB.

Photo courtesy of Grapevine CVB.

So are you ready to go? Great! I’m giving away FOUR PASSES TO Grapefest on MAMACHALLENGE’s Facebook.

So head on over to make sure you get your tickets to Texas “winecountry” at Grapefest!

28th Annual GrapeFest
Thursday, September 11 at 10 a.m. Admission is free to everyone all day Thursday and until 5 p.m. on Friday.
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
$8 for adults, $5 for seniors (62+) and children (6-12).
Weekend passes are available for $18 and souvenir weekend passes are $23.
Admission is free for children five and under.
www.GrapevineTexasUSA.com/GrapeFest

Experience Fort Worth’s Best Homes & Food at A Wish with Wings Kitchens Tour {Win}

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Top chefs creating delicious dishes in some of the most beautiful homes in Fort Worth? Sign me up – especially when there is A Wish with Wings involved!

As part of their fundraising efforts to grant “Magical Wishes for little Texans with life-threatening conditions,” A Wish with Wings sponsors the Kitchen Tour, a one-day event that allows you special access to experience a few of Fort Worth’s finest homes while munching on bites like ricotta pumpkin cheesecake, tuna tartare, chorizo stuffed dates from Fort Worth’s best chefs. Last year’s event included Chef Blaine Staniford of Grace, Chef Jon Bonnell of Bonnell’s, and Chef Anthony Felli of Del Frisco’s. 

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Since first opening their doors in 1982, a Wish with Wings has served more than 1,300 Texas children and families to grant wishes like they did for my son.  Each magical wish brings hope, happiness, joy and laughter to a child facing an uncertain future, while giving the families the priceless gifts of memories to last a lifetime.

Luxury Fort Worth Homes included on the tour:

9552 Bella Terra
9585 Bella Terra
9341 Bella Terra
4660 St. Benet Ct
4616 Palencia Drive
9517 Marbella Drive
4666 Sidonia Ct.

All proceeds from the Kitchen Tour benefits A Wish With Wings, Tickets may be purchased in advance for $20 each and $25 on the day of the event. Reserve your ticket today by visiting www.awishwithwings.org or call (817) 469-9474. KTlogo Kitchens Tour

Benefitting A Wish With Wings
Montserrat – Luxury Fort Worth Homes
Saturday, September 20, 2014 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Reserve Your Ticket: (817) 469-9474
www.awishwithwings.org

You can also win two tickets to the Kitchen Tour! 

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Raisin Treats for All of Us to Eat {Giveaway}

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#LoveYourRaisins5#ad

With summer almost behind us, it was time to get back into “school” mode. Thankfully a visit from the was the perfect opportunity to talk back-to-school lunch ideas and innovative snacks using nature’s own sweet snack, raisins!

LoveYourRaisins


California Raisins are a natural, healthy and convenient food that is perfect for back-to-school/after-school snacking. With sweetness kissed-by-the-sun that is pure with zero fat, no cholesterol and packed with fiber, potassium and iron, raisins are some of the most economical and wholesome ways to enjoy fruit!

#LoveYourRaisins#ad

With a natural sweetness with no added sugar, their delicious taste is ideal for tons of recipes like this Honey Nut Raisin Snack Mix! And you’ll find tons more of great ideas on the

Print
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California Raisins’ Honey Nut Raisin Snack Mix

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups brown crispy rice cereal
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup rolled gluten-free oats
  • 2 cups California raisins
  • 1/2 cup California golden raisins

Instructions

  1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add honey, almond butter and cinnamon and bring to a full boil. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in cereal, almonds and oats. Spread 1-inch thick on a baking sheet then separate into 1-inch clusters. Let cool completely then stir in raisins. Store in an airtight container.
  2. For crunchy clusters, spread cooked mixture 1-inch thick on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir to form clusters and let cool completely. Stir in raisins.
  3. * Recipe courtesy of California Raisins on CaRaisins.org.

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Just in time for back-to-school, you can win a prize pack from California Raisins with a plushie, lunch container, and other fun ways to enjoy raisins by answering this very easy question:

Tracking PixelWhat’s your favorite way to eat raisins? 

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf California Raisins.

BABYBJÖRN Gives Us WE the Baby Carrier {Giveaway}

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Affiliate link may be included.

If you’ve had a baby, then you know amount the struggles of holding a baby, keeping them happy and trying to do anything else with your hands – especially if you don’t have any help! Going to the grocery store, the mall or just even walking around become the most uncomfortable and complicated experiences of your life, all because of your bountiful baby of about 12 lbs.

Thankfully, someone  has either shared with you that there is a way to survive without attempting to invent a second set of hands or boy, do I have a solution for you!


Baby Carrier We - Front Carry

BABYBJÖRN, the family-owned Swedish company, which pioneered babywearing in the ‘60s just launched their newest baby-must have with their new BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier We.  Similar to the recently launched Baby Carrier One, the We is suitable for use from birth up to 3 years old, with options to carry your baby on your front close to your heart or switch to a back-carry position with one simple movement. The ergonomic carrier offers maximum comfort for you and baby, supporting the child’s head, back and hips and offering adjustable padded shoulder straps and waist belt.

Baby Carrier We was developed based on the results of hundreds of interviews conducted with families in several countries. BABYBJÖRN found that parents want a simple baby carrier that they can use for a long time and another big bonus: an affordable price.

Baby Carrier We - FrontBABYBJÖRN’s Baby Carrier We is made of high-quality cotton and polyester. The materials are certified for use in baby products in accordance with Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Class 1, which guarantees that they do not contain any health-hazardous or allergenic substances. The company will also launch Teething Pads for Baby Carrier, which will be compatible with Baby Carrier We and Baby Carrier One. Made from a soft, waterproof fabric with no harmful chemicals, these teething pads are easy to slip on and off and can be machine washed, keeping the carrier cleaner for longer.

BABYBJÖRN’s Baby Carrier We can be purchased for a suggested retail price of $139.95. The Teething Pads for Baby Carrier will be available in early Fall for a suggested retail price of $24.95. For more information, please visit www.babybjorn.com, and follow BABYBJÖRN on Facebook and Twitter.

ENTERING BY SHARING:

What’s the one baby item you can’t live without? 

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Save $ on B2S w/ JBF, Aug. 20 – Sept. 6 {Win a Gift card}

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by JBF Fort Worth.

If you know what the title says, then you are already a mom in the know.

If not and it looks more like some crazy stuff on a text message, then let me introduce you to your new best friend, JBF Fort Worth (that’s Just Between Friends!)

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Photo Credit: JBF FW Facebook

Considered Texas’ LARGEST children’s and maternity consignment sale, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014 – Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014 at Fort Worth’s Will Rogers Memorial Center – Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hall. I’ve always been a big fan of these sales since you have the chance to get clothes at a huge discount, not to mention these items have already gotten a mom’s eye, so I’m able to find several outfits in my favorite styles!

My first time at JBF Fort Worth was when my daughter was born and I completely stocked her closet for winter and spring for less than $100. Now that I have a first-grader and my daughter just turned three, I have lots of clothes to sell, but no time to organize them for consignment.

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So I found the next best thing: Drop-N-Go Tagging and they do all the work for you!

First time parents can sign-up to shop early (registration for the First Time Parent Sale ends on August 28), as well as volunteering & consigning will get you an early pre-sale pass! More information on early shopping, check the website!

Family Fun Fest
In addition to the amazing deals with 1/2 off everything on Saturday, Sept. 6, the whole family is invited for fun activities at the FREE Family Fun Fest, 10 am and 2 pm.

Wall of Wishes Beneficiary

Each year JBF Fort Worth partners with a local organization to create the Wall of Wishes. This year’s beneficiary is NewDay Services! Much like an Angel Tree that you see during the holiday season, you will see a display items that are needed by an area non-profit group. The items on the Wall will be items that you can purchase right at JBF. You will make your purchases and then leave the items at JBF where the charity group will come pick up your generous donations at the end of the sale. What an easy way to help families in need!

NewDayServices

NEW Teacher Passes
Teachers, School Administrators, and Homeschoolers get Free Passes for JBF Fort Worth valid on Sunday, August 31, 2014 from 3 pm to 7 pm. Please email Joanie@JBFSale.com for more details.

They’ve also brought back the Frequent Shopper Card with savings when you come back and shop a 2nd day and spend the minimum amount!

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And to make it an even better deal, one reader will will $15 Gift Card to JBF FW!

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Now be nice and make sure you share this with another mom!

 

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by JBF Fort Worth.

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