Care.com is an online service that matches families with caregivers - including babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, dog walkers, tutors, and respite care for seniors.

Families can search Care.com by their zip code or metro area to find listings of caregivers who match their specific needs. Search results include enhanced caregiver profiles - with photos, video interviews, and references - which families can view before contacting a caregiver about a job. Plus, families can request free background checks on any caregiver as part of their monthly membership.

Chick-fil-A restaurants are a dime a dozen in the South, and it looks like their popularity is seriously on the rise along the West coast as well. Along with their "Eat Mor Chikin" marketing promotion, the restaurant's claim to fame is the invention of the chicken sandwich, which comes in wraps, salads, and various sandwich versions. Their waffle fries, though not nearly as healthy, are a hard-to-resist option. Parents can, however, choose to swap out the waffle fries for a fruit cup - a unique offering in the often nutritionless fast-food side item category. Other items that fall in the "usually not found in fast-food restaurants" category are fresh-squeezed lemonade and educational items in the kids' meal bags.

Party trays are available and popular at kids' parties - especially the chicken nugget platters with dipping sauces. Most restaurants can fill a platter order with just a few hours notice.

Many Chick-fil-A restaurants feature play areas - some partially covered, and some completely covered for a convenient rainy day option. Chick-fil-A restaurants can accommodate birthday parties for kids; call your closest one for details.

To see if there is a Chick-fil-A near you, visit their website.

In addition to selling everything needed to create confections, Do It With Icing! offers decorating and candy-making classes for bakers of all ages.

Extreme Pizza offers gourmet pizzas, subs, and salads in a fun, relaxed environment. They welcome kids and more than glad to host or cater pizza-making parties.

We despise the early morning scramble to pull together a healthy, nutritious lunch for the kids when we were too busy (or tired) to do it the night before.

Enter Mighty Munch Meals, a selection of ready-to-eat boxed meals for kids. Each meal limits fat, saturated fat, and sugar content, but includes a tasty selection of protein, grains, and fruit servings. Nothing contains trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, or artifical flavors/colors. All food items are individually packaged, and nothing requires refrigeration. A fork and wet wipe is included - just grab a drink and go! It passed the parent test with flying colors.

To keep things interesting for kids, meals are packaged in colorful, game-covered recycled cardboard boxes, and include a (healthy) sweet treat and temporary tattoo. How did it fare with the cafeteria crowd? Kids loved the novelty of a lunch in it's own pre-packaged box (it was likened to a healthy version of an unnamed grocery store boxed lunch brand). The selection of included foods in each package gave enough variety for even the pickiest of eaters, and the games and graphics on the box made for an entertaining lunchtime, for our Mighty Munch diners and companions.

Kosher, Halal, and vegetarian selections are available. Our favorite is the JungleMunch version, which includes pretzel crips, creamy veggie cheese dip, organic applesauce, natural trail mix, and honey grahams for dessert.

Though many of the classes offered by Kitchen Witch are for adults, classes for kids are also regularly scheduled. The class calendar is listed on the Kitchen Witch website and online registration is available.

We could all use an extra pair of hands when it comes to keeping up with the house. That's where Maid Brigade comes in, and we're particularly fond of the company's green approach to clean.

The only national residential cleaning company going fully green (by the end of 2007, all franchisees will use the proprietary green service in all customers' homes), Maid Brigade uses solutions certified by Green Seal for a safe and thorough cleaning, and equipment and processes follow many Green Seal standards for cleaning services.

Service packages cover a wide variety of needs, from regular weekly or semi-monthly cleanings to that post-birthday-party scrubdown.

Properly Placed Organizing is a professional organizing service that helps parents eliminate clutter, more effectively manage their time and calendars, and create better organized spaces in their homes. Services include kitchen, living area, bedroom, closet, playroom, garage, utility room, home office organizing, and more.

Super Suppers offers Parents Connect Local/GoCityKids readers with a great deal January 5-31, 2009. Buy three regular size entrees, and get one free - a $15 value! Visit our deals page to get the coupon, and save yourself a lot of effort in the kitchen.

Participating Locations:

Alaska


Eagle River

Anchorage


Alabama


Birmingham

Montgomery


Arizona


Gilbert


California


San Jose Almaden

Yorba Linda

Sacramento

Fremont North

Corona

Mission Viejo formerly Laguna Hills

Concord

Brentwood

Millbrae

Culver City

Hawthorne

El Dorado Hills


Colorado


Fort Collins


Delaware


Wilmington


Florida

Jacksonville

Winter Springs

Winter Park

Lake Nona


Georgia


East Cobb

Smyrna

Macon

Iowa


Urbandale


Illinois


Peoria


Kansas


Wichita


Louisiana


Lafayette


Massachusetts


Westborough


Maryland


Crofton

Mount Airy


Michigan


Berkeley

Kalamazoo/Portage

Macomb Township

Midland

Bloomfield Hills

Grosse Pointe


Mississippi


Olive Branch/Southaven


North Carolina


Greensboro

Cary East

Cary South


New Mexico


Albuquerque Uptown

Albuquerque Westside


New York


Perinton

Amherst/Buffalo


Ohio


Avon

New Albany

Concord

Boardman - Canfield

Hilliard

Canal Winchester


Oklahoma


Edmond


Pennsylvania


Harrisburg

Exton

Erie

State College

Scranton


South Carolina


Lexington

Tennessee


Franklin

Bartlett/Wolfchase

Collierville Germantown

Spring Hill


Texas


Plano-East

Rowlett

Ft.Worth-Hulen

Dallas - Lakewood

Amarillo Southwest

San Antonio Stone Oak

San Antonio Huebner Commons

Mansfield

San Antonio Alamo Heights

Austin Anderson Mill

Houston Memorial

SugarLand

Austin/Bee Cave

Allen

Burleson

Tyler

The Woodlands

Coppell


The franchises handle the planning, shopping, chopping, and (if need be) mopping so that families can enjoy chef-designed family meals by ordering in advance or dropping by to pluck something from a Grab 'n' Go freezer.

The menu options vary from month to month. Regular dishes are meant to serve two to three people; full-sized dishes are meant to serve four to six people. Thawing and cooking instructions are included.

Kids under age 12 typically are not allowed to attend regularly-scheduled prep sessions, but some locations offer Kids in the Kitchen programs for ages eight and up, during which children can assemble meals to serve their families. Groups can book private parties to meet their needs.

The Dinner A'Fare offers creative, flavorful, and affordable meals featuring fresh produce, meats, and seasonings. In a short two hours, assemble twelve dishes with one to three, or four to six servings each. And no dirty dishes to wash! The staff takes care of this. To participate, book a session, select the entrees, then the store to assemble your entrees.

On Tuesdays, dinner is available for pickup between 5:30pm-6:30pm - and you don't have to make it. Register online, select the dinner, and pick it up. There is a $35 charge for the service.

During the summer, The Dinner A'Fare offers classes for kids.

Treat yourself to one of the best pizzas in San Diego at Theo's in Ocean Beach. Owner George Theodopolous loves people and food, so the food is delicious and the atmosphere is friendly. The pizzas and subs are super, but for a real treat plan on ordering one of the specialty Italian dishes, which are served with hot garlic bread and salad. Selected varieties of pizza are sold by the slice for those with smaller appetites.

Catering: Talk to George about the kind of menu you have in mind. The entrees and appetizers available are not limited to Italian food.

Whole Foods stores, operated by the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods, are like hybrids, offering the kinds of products usually found in small, local co-ops, but with the wide selection more typical of conventional grocery superstores.

The produce selection is high quality, with prices to match; same for the meat and seafood departments. The 365 and Whole Kids house brands offer some relief, particularly on kid staples like cereal, snack foods, and peanut butter and jelly. Sample stations throughout the store enable parents and kids to graze while they shop; or they can buy something to enjoy in the cafe area after check-out.

Prepared dishes run the gamut from soups to sushi, with vegetarian, vegan, Asian, and Mexican options. Fresh breads, spices, bulk grains, dietary supplements, frozen and canned foods, sumptuous chocolates and baked goods, designer cheeses, and hot and cold salad bars are also available. Pet food, bath products, magazines, cut flowers, and paper goods are some of the non-food items for sale.

Whole Foods stores, operated by the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods, are like hybrids, offering the kinds of products usually found in small, local co-ops, but with the wide selection more typical of conventional grocery superstores.

The produce selection is high quality, with prices to match; same for the meat and seafood departments. The 365 and Whole Kids house brands offer some relief, particularly on kid staples like cereal, snack foods, and peanut butter and jelly. Sample stations throughout the store enable parents and kids to graze while they shop; or they can buy something to enjoy in the cafe area after check-out.

Prepared dishes run the gamut from soups to sushi, with vegetarian, vegan, Asian, and Mexican options. Fresh breads, spices, bulk grains, dietary supplements, frozen and canned foods, sumptuous chocolates and baked goods, designer cheeses, and hot and cold salad bars are also available. Pet food, bath products, magazines, cut flowers, and paper goods are some of the non-food items for sale.