If you’ve been following us on Instagram lately you might have heard me mention that Brady has a girlfriend. I know, two seems just a little young, but seriously you guys this is true, fated love. The kinda stuff that movies are made about, lol! Let me start at the beginning….
One day a few months ago I was grocery shopping with B, which lately has proven to be quite a challenge. My conquest begins with trying to get him to stay in the cart, followed by a series of obstacles including keeping our groceries from being flung from the cart and trying to minimize his outbursts. This has all resulted in our grocery shopping being cut to about 5 minutes and my list edited to about 5 items. My husband now opens the refrigerator and frowns in dismay at the lack of options. It’s pure toddler survival around here these days, the terrible twos have taken over.
So we finally made it to the checkout and I was in the middle of answering the usual interrogation of information two-year-olds must have answers for when in public places: why are there balloons, why can’t I have one, why is that man wearing a hat, why is there candy, why can’t I have it….. when Brady found someone more exciting to pay attention to him. The woman behind us in line was kind enough to indulge him in a round of 500 ridiculous questions as I apologized for my wild and crazy child’s persistent attack. She laughed and replied that she had a toddler so she knew the routine. We started chatting about our kids and their ages and realized our children share the same birthday. Flash forward a dozen playdates, dinners and coffee dates and we’ve become great friends.
And that’s how Lyla and Brady came to be buddies, and how Allison and I became besties. I’m so grateful to have made friends with an awesome momma who lives just down the road, shares many of the same interests as me and is an amazing cook! We get to hang out and chat while the kids play and I get to sample whatever amazingness has just come out of her oven.
Last week we met up for lunch at the Zoës Kitchen in Potomac Town Center in Woodbridge. It was actually the first time I had ever been to a Zoës Kitchen so I was excited to try someplace new. The friendly woman behind the counter was so helpful and pointed out the variety of made-from-scratch, healthful options on the new expanded Zoës kids menu. I ordered the Pizza Piadina for Brady and Allison ordered Salmon Kabobs for Lyla. We found a spot to sit and listened to the entertaining conversation between two-year-olds. B showed Lyla the firetruck he had brought along and Lyla, not to be outdone, pulled out a toy horse. They compared their treasures, attempted to trade, loudly rescinded the initial agreements and finally settled on a sharing situation by the time our food was ready. Typical relationship drama at any age.
Our meals looked so tasty, I was really surprised at the portions for the kids meals. It would have been enough to satisfy me for lunch or dinner. I had a bite of Brady’s pizza piadina to test the temperature (like any good mom would, wink wink) and it was warm and delicious. Just the right mix of melty, gooey cheese and toasted crust. Lyla’s salmon kabobs looked pretty yummy too! I love that Zoës kids menu offers more sophisticated, healthier options like salmon and shrimp kabobs, grilled chicken fingers, fresh fruit and hummus.
The kids dived right into their meals and even shared a few bites with each other. I was pretty excited that Lyla got Brady to try her salmon, and even more impressed that he said he liked it. I haven’t been able to get him turned back on to fish for a few months now, he’s in a chicken nuggets or starve phase.
Zoës Kitchen definitely gets the mom approval for menu choices and family friendly fast casual dining. I’m happy I’ve found a place we can grab a great meal and meet up with friends for lunch or dinner. We’ll be back for another toddler date soon, so these two can work on their relationship while Allison and I share ideas for planning a birthday party for three-year-olds. I can’t believe I have a three-year-old already, it really does go by so fast!
GIVEAWAY! Win a $50 gift card for Zoës Kitchen
Prizes: $50 Zoës Kitchen Gift Card – 15 total (one $50 gift card per household)
- Contest ends October 18
- Winners will be randomly selected and notified by Clever Girls and/or Zoës Kitchen by the week of October 24
- Important Terms & Conditions
- Age 18+
- US resident only
- Only one winner per household
Visit Zoës Kitchen website and follow along on their Facebook page. See more of their menu options here.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
