Plan your next birthday party with SUBWAY Catering ($50 GC Giveaway) #SUBWAYcatering

**CLOSED** The winner is Sheena Tatum-- Congratulations! 

This post is sponsored by SUBWAY, but opinions are all my own.

Planning birthday parties can be a stressful task. There's the guest list, invitations, decorations, tableware, food and so much more. If your schedule is as busy as mine, time is precious. I love to offer my guests nice food and drinks and feel like that part of party planning is the most time consuming. Sometimes just coming up with a menu will make me crazy. I have been introduced to a great way to take the stress out of party menu planning and get back the countless hours I would lose. SUBWAY Catering is here to save your sanity. The website is very user friendly and you can order your entrees, sides, dessert and drink all with a few clicks of your mouse! I did it for myself and believe me, it was life-changing! I have been party menu planning the wrong way all my life. Let me break it down for you...

The first step is to go to the SUBWAY Catering website and find a location you would like you use. Some stores even offer delivery service for more added convenience. Next, you can view the menu items which range from platters & trays, giant subs, to-go boxed meals, dessert, sides and drinks. The offerings vary by store. Here is an example of what it looks like:

You can select what types of entrees you want. I went with the Classic Combo Platter and was able to pick which variety of bread I want, cheese or no cheese and all of the toppings and sauces. 

I went with the option of having a variety of breads and I am so glad I did! If your guests might be picky about toppings, you can opt for a toppings platter so they can pick and choose as they please. Once you finish with your order, choose your pick-up date/time, you then pay for it online. You can even use a SUBWAY gift card like I did. It's a very quick process and you will receive an email with your order number. I suggest signing up for an account because YOU WILL need it for future orders. The entire ordering process took me about 20 minutes. Imagine not having to make a shopping list, go to the grocery store, shop around for ingredients or stand in line to pay for it all. Oh and you are bound to forget something along the way! SUBWAY Catering really made this task so easy. 

I threw a mini belated birthday/you-are-doing-a-super-job in school party for my son William. We purchased some Power Rangers themed decorations, plates, napkins and cups from Party City. They had everything we needed and it was easy to get in and out of the store. I called ahead to my local SUBWAY store that I placed my order to make sure it would be ready for my 11:30 AM requested pick-up time. It turned out that my order was ready ahead of schedule. I made the quick five -minute drive and my order was handed to me right away. I had such a great experience with the staff and they even offered additional plates and napkins for my party. Everything was put together so nicely.

Here are some photos from our intimate little party..

Don't these sandwiches look delicious?!

It was so nice having a variety of subs that everyone found something (or several things) they liked. The cookies were very fresh and chewy the way my family likes. 

My son is my picky eater and he enjoyed his sub. I had to take the toppings off of his. The bread was so fresh and soft, so I think that encouraged him to eat it all. Our family enjoyed everything! This was truly the easiest party I have ever planned. I was discussing future events and already know that the menu portion is taken care of. I may never cook for a party again! SUBWAY Catering platters and subs are a great choice for birthdays, graduations, office functions, class parties, field trips, sporting events and more. I had a great experience and highly recommend you give them a try!

SUBWAY Catering has teamed up with Party City for an exciting new promotion! With any SUBWAY Catering purchase, from now until May 30th, you’ll receive a special link giving SUBWAY customers $10 off a $50 order at Party City. Be sure to connect with SUBWAY on Twitter and like them on Facebook for product promotions and updates.

To help you save time on the next birthday party you plan, SUBWAY has generously offered a $50 SUBWAY gift card for one very lucky Mom Files' reader to win! Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on May 21, 2014. Please follow giveaway rules in Rafflecopter widget. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Wordless Wednesday- What Happiness Looks Like

This photo was taken at a recent field trip to the zoo with William's kindergarten class.

Red Robin introduces new Interactive Allergen Menu ($25 RR GC Giveaway)

May is National Allergy Awareness Month. Red Robin restaurant has come out with a new Customizer Hub for guests to to modify their food or beverage order to suit their taste or dietary preferences. If a guest has a food allergy, the Red Robin team member will ring in the order with an allergy alert and bright type so it is clear on the table order. The Customizer Hub is so easy to use and starts out by letting you choose your allergen-specific triggers. Here is what it looks like:

Once you pick the ingredients to avoid, you can go into specific menu categories or choose from suitable options to customize your meal. 

What makes this so great is that they offer suggestions on what is suitable and also foods suitable with modifications. My daughter was able to order a Teryaki Chicken sandwich and we requested it with no mayo. We have some good family friends who have food allergies and sensitivities that we frequently meet up with at Red Robin for lunch or dinner. I have introduced them to the Customizer Hub and they are thrilled with how much easier it is to order their meals. It helps to be able to know in advance what menu item ingredients are and what to avoid. 

Red Robin offers so many choices that are sure to satisfy any taste. I couldn't go to my favorite burger place without having an actual gourmet burger. I tried one of their newest burgers called the Black and Bleu. Oh my word, it was hands-down the BEST burger I have ever tasted. It starts off as a juicy, half- pound Black Angus burger {handmade and flame-grilled to order} and is topped with sautéed, blackened portobello mushrooms, grilled onions, house-made Bleu cheese sauce and Bleu cheese crumbles with Dijon sauce on a Ciabatta bun.  It says that it's a "fork-and-knife" type of burger. That is exactly how I ate it!

My husband was commenting how family-friendly Red Robin is. We noticed a lot of birthday gatherings as well as large groups while we were there. I highly recommend you give Red Robin a try if you haven't already. 

Information about the Interactive Allergen Menu:

·         Red Robin’s Customizer Hub on RedRobin.com allows Guests to test-drive different combinations of ingredients and enjoy their Red Robin menu favorites while keeping within their dietary restrictions. The Customizer Hub gives guest two options: “Customize Your Nutrition” and “Build a Customized Allergen Menu.”

·         Red Robin’s Interactive Allergen Menu provides order recommendations based on guests’ allergies and allows them to view a menu that is tailored to their specific dietary needs. 

·         Red Robin trains all restaurant Team Members to allow guests to modify their Red Robin food or beverage order to suit their taste or dietary preferences. If a guest has a food allergy, the Red Robin team member will ring in the order with an allergy alert and bright type so it is clear on the table order. 

·         This allergen alert appears in easily noticeable bright, red and bold letters on the order and notifies the kitchen that a special allergen kit is required for the order. Red Robin uses allergen kits to prepare all allergen orders. The kits include tools that are for use on allergen orders only and are purple to clearly distinguish them from other kitchen tools. Purple is the color of Allergen Awareness.

·         Red Robin provides the guest with information so they can make an educated decision on what to order themselves, whether it’s for food intolerances or food allergies.

**Just in time for Allergen Awareness Month, Omission Pale Ale will be available at participating Red Robin restaurants nationwide, beginning May 12. Omission Pale Ale, a gluten-free beer, is part of a delicious line of craft beers brewed with malted barley, but specially crafted to remove gluten. Red Robin believes it is important for Guests to have options and information to make educated decisions and is offering Omission Pale Ale on its Interactive Allergen Menu.

Connect with Red Robin on their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for product updates and promotions. 

Mom Files is giving away a $25 Red Robin gift card to one lucky reader. Enter below:a Rafflecopter giveaway  

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on May 17, 2014. Please follow giveaway rules in Rafflecopter widget. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I received a gift card to Red Robin for my family to test out the Customizer Hub. The Red Robin information and gift cards have been provided by Red Robin. All opinions are mine. 

Meet our new addition

Hi everyone! I wanted to introduce you to our new family member, Rocco Anthony. Rocco came into our lives last week and we are all completely smitten by him. He is a purebred long coat cream and tan chihuahua. He's only 11 weeks old.

Rocco's breeder recommended that we keep him indoors and away from people and other pets until after his next set of puppy shots. He weighs probably 2 pounds and is a great snuggler. Our family just wasn't the same since our beloved Milo passed away in January. The house has been too quiet and we have all been battling the blues and anxiety. Rocco has really turned things around for us emotionally and seems to fit right in with his new family. Funny thing, the breeder told us he had never put his ears up or even seen the light of day, so this would be a big adjustment for him. When we brought him home he shook out of fear for maybe 5 minutes and after that, his ears popped up and his tail wagged steadily. He adjusted immediately.

We are working on the potty training and sleep patterns. It feels like we have a newborn baby all over again. Rocco is a good eater and seems to be growing overnight. We purchased a play yard AKA "dog condo" for him to have a safe place to be when we leave the house for extended periods of time. He's not spoiled at all ;-)

So far things are going well and we all are enjoying Rocco being a part of our family. He even barked for the first time yesterday. He enjoys playing with his toys and is going through the puppy chewing phase. William really enjoys having his own dog. We are happy he has one to grow up with just as the girls did with Milo. We look forward to making a lot of great memories and feel like a little bit of Milo's spirit lives in Rocco. I promise to go easy on the "crazy dog lady" posts. I wish you all a great week!

SPARQ Home Soapstone 16" Pizza Stone Review

I received a Soapstone 16" Pizza Stone from SPARQ Home for review. I have always wanted a pizza stone and couldn't wait to try this one out. I was so impressed with the way the pizza stone was packaged. It was wrapped with such care and detail that would ensure your stone would not be broken upon delivery to your home. 

The actual pizza stone is beautiful! I was wondering how on earth you are supposed to bake on it since it resembles something you can serve on. I decided to bake a frozen pizza last night. I preheated my oven and let the stone preheat for about 5 minutes before putting the pizza on it. The stone is very dense and heavy so it gets very hot. I was afraid that it would get too hot and burn the pizza crust underneath. I was pleased that it did not end up burning and my pizza had the most amazing crunch. Sometimes when I bake frozen pizza, the crust will brown too fast and the inner part of the bread will not bake enough. My pizza stone baked the pizza to perfection! It tasted like we got it from an authentic pizza restaurant. My family loved the texture of the pizza crust. I don't think I can ever eat frozen or homemade pizza unless it's baked on my Soapstone.  It was really easy to clean and because of how heavy it is, I will store it inside my oven.

Look at how gorgeous that crust is! Isn't the pizza stone so pretty too? 

Some details of the SPARQ Home Soapstone Pizza Stone: 

This Soapstone 16" Pizza Stone allows you to cook like a pro. Handcrafted from one solid block of soapstone, this durable pizza stone does wonders in baking with its even heat distribution.

The 16" is great for entertainers to host pizza night or can function as a cheese board to pass around the room. These stones are stain-proof, naturally non-stick, and can be used on the grill or in the oven to prepare that perfectly crisp, never burnt pizza you've been craving. All sizes are also available with a marble trivet, making these serving pieces oven-to-table.

Our 16" stone is handmade by SPARQ in Colorado by the guys who know soapstone and understand its amazing qualities. Plus, our pizza stones are eco-friendly because they are handmade with soapstone from factory excess.

The Pizza Stones come in 10, 12 and 16 inch sizes and can be purchased with a serving trivet. The 16" is such a good size and retails for $69.95. Once you use this stone, you will ditch your old pizza baking methods. I think I will try to bake cookies on it next. Any of these stones would make a great homewarming gift, hostess gift, wedding gift or even Mother's/Father's Day gift.

To find out more about SPARQ Home products, visit them online and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

I received a product sample for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own.