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.

Ah, to have a personal chef. Dream Dinners comes pretty close: Show up at one of its locations, prepare several ready-to-eat meals from a monthly rotating menu, and take them home to the freezer.

Most recipes contain meat, although there are some vegetarian and dessert options. Guests can make as little as three meals or as many as 12. All freezer packaging is provided; side dishes, such as rice or noodles, are often included, too.

Ah, to have a personal chef. Dream Dinners comes pretty close: Show up at one of its locations, prepare several ready-to-eat meals from a monthly rotating menu, and take them home to the freezer.

Most recipes contain meat, although there are some vegetarian and dessert options. Guests can make as little as three meals or as many as 12. All freezer packaging is provided; side dishes, such as rice or noodles, are often included, too.

Ah, to have a personal chef. Dream Dinners comes pretty close: Show up at one of its locations, prepare several ready-to-eat meals from a monthly rotating menu, and take them home to the freezer.

Most recipes contain meat, although there are some vegetarian and dessert options. Guests can make as little as three meals or as many as 12. All freezer packaging is provided; side dishes, such as rice or noodles, are often included, too.

Ah, to have a personal chef. Dream Dinners comes pretty close: Show up at one of its locations, prepare several ready-to-eat meals from a monthly rotating menu, and take them home to the freezer.

Most recipes contain meat, although there are some vegetarian and dessert options. Guests can make as little as three meals or as many as 12. All freezer packaging is provided; side dishes, such as rice or noodles, are often included, too.

Everyone knows that everything's bigger in Texas, and Freebirds World Burrito fits right in. Originally introduced in Santa Barbara, California, in 1987, Freebirds moved its headquarters to College Station in 1990, and now has three locations in Houston. At this funky, casual restaurant, the burritos are truly Texas-sized, especially if you venture up from the regular Freebird burrito to the Monster, or - gulp - the Super Monster.

The menu does not feature a wide variety of dishes such as enchiladas, tamales, and the like, because Freebirds sticks to what it does best, and does it well, serving up quick, high-quality, customized burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, stuffed to the max with grilled steak or chicken, fresh vegetables, rice, beans, and a choice of fresh salsas ranging from mild to off-the-charts ("yeowwwww!"). Vegetarians can fill up on the veggie burrito, salad, or nachos.

Tortillas come in flour, wheat, cayenne, and spinach, and bean options include refried, pinto, and black beans.

The kids' menu ("Little Monsters") is also spare, with a choice between only quesadillas and tacos, for $2.75 - $4.25. But as with the rest of the menu, the quality and taste more than make up for any lack of variety. Kids' meals include a side of fresh tortilla chips and a drink. High chairs are available.

To-go orders can be called in for pick-up, and Freebirds also offers full-service catering and large-order delivery.

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.

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.

Super Suppers provides a modern-day answer to that age-old question: "What's for dinner?"

The franchises handle the planning, shopping, chopping, and (if need be) mopping, leaving busy moms and dads to enjoy appetizers in the store while assembling chef-designed family meals using pre-measured, prepared ingredients or select pre-assembled 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.

Super Suppers provides a modern-day answer to that age-old question: "What's for dinner?"

The franchises handle the planning, shopping, chopping, and (if need be) mopping, leaving busy moms and dads to enjoy appetizers in the store while assembling chef-designed family meals using pre-measured, prepared ingredients or select pre-assembled 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.

Super Suppers provides a modern-day answer to that age-old question: "What's for dinner?"

The franchises handle the planning, shopping, chopping, and (if need be) mopping, leaving busy moms and dads to enjoy appetizers in the store while assembling chef-designed family meals using pre-measured, prepared ingredients or select pre-assembled 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.

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.

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.

A seating area with tables and high chairs is available in the front of the store.