Instead of blogging in my spare time, I’ve decided to invest that time reading, enjoying my kids, hanging the laundry out to dry, choosing simplicity, and talking with my husband, among other things. I find that I’m much more relaxed and able to enjoy these precious days with my family, rather than always feeling as if I have so much that is being left undone.

For now, I’m not going to make any final decisions regarding FrugaLouis. I want to live with this break for awhile, and then revisit the issue.

In the meantime, if you’re a St. Louis mama who might be interested in taking over a blog such as this one, shoot me off an email!

If you and your date are willing to go with waters, then it’s possible you can get a meal for $5 + tax. When my husband and I went to Subway this week for our date night, we did succumb and buy a parfait for $1.29 and split that to give our meal a bit more substance. But a $7 meal for two!? Not bad!

After our fine dining experience (ha!), we headed over to Game Nite‘s new location on Watson Road in Webster Groves. We tend to think of ourselves as “gamers”…until we walk into a store like that and realize that there are people out there who are seriously hard-core! Case in point: the left wall of the store as you walk in is covered with shelves of different board, dice and card games. These games are part of the owner’s private game collection. Part.

These games along the left wall are available for anyone to gently use in-store. There are tables available and a soda machine if you’re so inclined. Pick a game and sit down to give it a try. As for us, we went through a couple of games before we found one that we could reasonably manage in about an hour’s time. Some of them have direction booklets over ten pages long. Yikes!

In addition to the very complicated games, however, there are classics such as Sorry, Monopoly, and the like available. It’s a great place to play an old favorite you might not have at home, or to try out something new. Please keep in mind, however, that if you decide you like a game so much that you want to buy it…the store will only survive if it’s making a profit. Sometimes I think it’s worth it to spend a few dollars more to support a local business, and especially one that provides a free service that I enjoy.

I think Game Nite would be a great place for a parent-child date. You could try out new games together and maybe find something to add to the family collection.

When visiting Game Nite, keep in mind that Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings are generally the best time to get an open table. It might not be a bad idea to call before you go to see how busy they are: (314) 270-8440.

Some of our personal favorite games include: Carcassonne (with various expansions), Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Ticket to Ride Europe (but we don’t care for the Germany version, nor the Dice Expansion), Acquire, and Sequence. How about you? Do you have any favorite board games?

The City of Maryland Heights is holding their “Celebrate the World” Festival this Sunday, and the event and parking are free!

• “Celebrate the World” Festival
• Maryland Heights Centre, 2344 McKelvey Rd., 63043
• Sunday, February 26, 12-5
• Parade of Nations, two event stages, craft demonstrations, international marketplace, and more!
• World Encounters children’s area

Are things really tight in your family right now, and the money for diapers just isn’t there? Consider applying for free diapers from Cotton Babies’ new “Share The Love” program!

Or, perhaps you’re in a spot where you can help others who are facing tough times. You can check out ways to help through Cotton Babies.

I’m excited to hear about yet another way Cotton Babies is taking their considerable place of standing in the cloth diaper world and using it for good. Keep up the great work, Cotton Babies!