Toddler Tidbits: Mommy and Me Date (For Under $10)

I have been trying to "take it easy" this week as to keep baby sister cooking for just a little bit longer. 

I finally decided that Hunter and I needed to get out of the house and have some fun mommy and me date but didn't wanna spend an arm and a leg.  Luckily, there are a lot of place you can go (even during winter) that are FREE or cost very little.

I needed to run to Target to check out a few baby items and thought this would be the perfect first stop. Hunter LOVES Target and recognizes the store sign when we pull up into the parking lot. (Target addicts?) Target is pretty kid friendly.  A great place to check an errand off your list with your kids. Nice wide isles, big carts, stickers at checkout and an awesome dollar selection for kids to pick out a treat! 

We spent about 20 minutes in the store picking up a few things we "needed" and as part of our mommy and me date Hunter got TWO treats from the dollar section. Leave it up to my kid to choose the mini broom and dust pan. I honestly don't know what his obsession with cleaning is!  (#maybetheappledoesntfallfarfromthetree) Total Cost = $2.
Our next stop was the mall. Most malls have playgrounds, indoors tucked away in some back corner and it's perfect to take the little ones to burn off some steam. Hunter had been once before but was too little to climb the stairs and go down the slide.

This time he was all over the place. He absolutely loved it and is quiet the slide pro! 

He probably went down the slide 50 times.

We spent 30 minutes at the playground which was just enough time to work up our lunch appetite. Total Cost = FREE.
Next we headed to the food court for a quick, inexpensive lunch date. Taco Bell.

Cheesy Roll Up for Hunter. Bean Burrito for Mom. Waters all around. Total Cost = $3.
Since we were at the mall we decided to walk around and check out a few more stores. We visited one of our favorite people, Bishop Haden, over at Mr. Mac and of course had to stop by the Disney Store. I knew we weren't going to buy anything, which always makes taking kids into the store a little more challenging, but it's important to teach our kids we can't always buy everything!  (Then of course Disney had a super great special on their plush stuffed animals, which happens to be Hunter's favorite thing in the world, so it was difficult for BOTH mommy and Hunter to walk out empty handed but we did it).

That FACE says it all.

Hunter loved every minute in the store. Thanks to the sweet and patient Disney workers who let Hunter carry around the stuffed animals and re-arrange their nicely placed display. Window Shopping = FREE.
And what's a mommy and me date without a dessert stop? Now if it was warmer it probably would have been frozen yogurt or Jamba Juice but this week we opted for a warm Cinnabon. Yum.

The perfect warm treat and just the right size for sharing!  Total Cost = $3.50
For our final stop, we visited Dad at his office.

Hunter LOVES seeing Dad and it's so cute as we pull up to his office building he starts saying "Dad, Dad, DAD!"  Dad visits with us for a minute. Give us extra afternoon kisses and then heads back to work. We are so lucky to have him. He works so hard everyday so Mommy & Hunter can have fun play dates like we did! Total Cost = FREE.
Cost Review. Target Treats. $2 Playground. Free Taco Bell Lunch. $3 Window Shopping. Free Cinnabon Dessert. $3.50 Visiting Dad. Free. Total - $8.50 Spending the day with your favorite son. PRICELESS.
We had a fabulous day just the two of us. I am loving spending so much time with my little guy before sister comes. I hope he knows how much I love him. He is such a special boy. Smart, funny, handsome and so much personality!  I am glad we are able to find things to do, inside and outside of the home, that don't break the bank.
I think it's safe to say our afternoon wore us both out! 

What are some things you do with your kids outside of the home?? Comment Below. I'd love to add more ideas to my list! 


PS. Can you believe its almost FEBRUARY. I'm having a BABY this month!!  PPS. It's SNOWING today.