Thursday, May 31, 2012

Marina Cantina~Today Only $40 cert for only $20

WJHG.com has the deal of the day....Today's deal is a $40 certificate for Marina Cantina for only $20....


click HERE for the WJHG.com page.

MARINA CANTINA - MODERN MEXICAN CUISINE & TEQUILA BAR Authentic cookery inspired by South American street food vendors. Everything is made from scratch with the freshest ingredients. Open for Lunch, Dinner & Late Night. The beach's trendiest new restaurant is also a great sunset and happy hour destination. The second floor restaurant boasts expansive views of Grand Lagoon and the area's largest selection of tequila. Killer Margaritas made with fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice and 100% Blue Agave Tequila. Live a little and try an Avocado Margarita! Enjoy live entertainment nightly on the dockside patio or hangout inside at the charming tequila bar. Open for Lunch at 11am - 3pm & Dinner 3pm - 10pm. Happy hour 3pm-6pm and 10pm-1am with a great $5 Tapas menu. Located in Capt. Anderson's Marina at 5550 N. Lagoon Drive! 850-249-5500 MarinaCantinaPCB.com or Facebook.com/marinacantina

Free~Friday Fest~Downtown Panama City

Tomorrow night is the next Friday Fest in downtown Panama City. Come on down for some food, music, kids activities and more! Friday Fest always has vendors handing out some freebies, prizes and items for sale from local vendors. They also have lots of yummy foods from the food vendors in our area. All of the downtown shops and restaurants stay open until 10pm so you have time to browse all the downtown shops without the heat that you would have in the daytime. For more information, click HERE

Kids Eat Free Schedule

Here are a sampling of the places in and around PCB that offer free meals for kids:

Mondays:
Spinnaker (Mom's eat free) Go here to print coupon ONLY AUG-OCT or when coupon is available.
Mulligan's Sports Bar on Hwy 231 (next to PC Mall).


Tuesdays:
Beef O'Brady's (both locations)
Pizza Hut (23rd St & Tyndall Pkwy) kids eat free from the buffet after 5pm
Luigi BG's across from PC Mall on Hwy 77
JR's Rib Shack in Lynn Haven, Callaway, and Sandhills
Granny Cantrell's on 23rd Street in the Coronado Village (PC)
Roadhouse Grill 23rd street in PC

Wednesday:
Po Folks-both locations ALL DAY
Charlie Coram's Place: 2729 W 23rd St, Panama City, FL 32405, Kids eat FREE after 5pm with the purchase of an adult meal. *and on SUNDAYs....see below
Marina Cantina-by Capt Anderson's.
Spinnaker Beach Club-  Kids eat free...Go here to print coupon (only when coupon is available-usually aug-oct)


Thursday:
Chick Fil A on Panama City Beach, during the school year. from 5pm-8pm
Captain D's on 23rd St & Tyndall Pkwy


Friday:


Saturday:
JR's Rib Shack in Lynn Haven, Callaway, and Sandhills
Smitty's BBQ on Hwy 231(PC) 


Sunday:
Charlie Coram's Place: 2729 W 23rd St, Panama City, FL 32405, Kids eat FREE after 5pm  with the purchase of an adult meal.
If you know of any others, please let us know.
Smitty's BBQ on Hwy 231(PC)

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Printable Activities For The Drive

Are we there yet? .......How many times do you hear this on the way to PCB, or wherever you may be driving? It's the all time favorite question of children. Let's face it, kids get bored easily. Faithful Provisions {one of my favorite blogs} has some great printables posted to keep the little ones occupied in the car. Hope you enjoy!

Click HERE

Sunset Cruise and Dolphin Watch $12 Adult/$6 kids

 Captain Anderson's Sunset Boat Cruise and Dolphin Watch
This is amazing to me......over a 1 hour boat cruise and dolphin watch for $12 adult/ $6 kids!!!!

  • Departs at 5:15pm / Returns at 6:30pm
  • Be sure to bring your camera!
  • Adults: $12 / Children: $6. (Prices include Florida sales tax.)

  • CLICK HERE to go to the Capt Anderson site to book your trip online and look at some of the other packages they have!!
    The Captain Anderson boats come out to the pass to watch the Dolphins play at sunset!

    Southern Resorts Offers Some Good Prices

    Click the link HERE to check out the resorts that Southern Vacation Rentals has...be sure to check out the specials tab, and as ALWAYS, be sure to ask if there are any additional discounts available before booking...You never know until you ask!

    Groupon Deal~Skating and Pizza for 2~$14

    Head on over to Groupon today! They have a deal for the Emerald Coast/Tallahassee area. Dreamland or Skater's Choice Skating Rink pass for 2:
  • Skating session for two (up to an $8 value per person)
  • Two skate rentals (up to a $3 value each)
  • One pizza (a $10 value)
  • Two soft drinks (a $1.75 value each)

  • ONLY $14~

    $25 for a skating package for four (up to a $71 total value)
    • Skating session for four (up to an $8 value per person)
    • Four skate rentals (up to a $3 value each)
    • Two pizzas (a $10 value each)
    • Four soft drinks (a $1.75 value each)
    GREAT RAINY DAY ACTIVITY!!! ONLY 8 MILES FROM PCB!!!!

    Monday, May 28, 2012

    Enter To Win A Free Vacation From The Chamber of Commerce

    The Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce is giving away another free vacation....click HERE to enter for your chance to win it!

    Thursday, May 24, 2012

    Stay At the Beach Rentals

    When Chris and I were going back and forth between McMinnville, TN and here, we stayed for a couple months (and a half) at Laketown Wharf (#1236). We really liked it there in the off season and thought that it would be a good one to pass on the deal. We booked through www.stayatthebeachrentals.com . She has several other places as well, and is a lovely lady to work with. We were able to negotiate a little on our price and she was very nice and helpful. Our unit there was very clean and had everything that we needed for our winter stay. There were even beach chairs and umbrella in the master closet. Our unit had a view of the pool and a view of the strip...but some have gulf views. Make sure to ask when you call. Our unit had a master bed/bath, a hallway bunk/bath and a sleeper sofa. We also had more than plenty room for a queen size air mattress when we had company. We slept 8 once in there with no problems. The summer rates are generally around $135 a night or $800 a week. Winter rates are a whole lot cheaper. If you are looking for a deal, give them a call and book something soon!

    Free Saltwater Fishing Day~No License Required

    Have you ever wanted to try your hand at some saltwater fishing??? Tourist licenses are fairly expensive, but if you are visiting on June 2nd, you are in luck. That will be the LICENSE FREE Salt water fishing day. Try it out at one of the piers, in the state park at the jetties, or just on the beach. Don't forget your fishing pole! If you are not a fan of saltwater fish, June the 9th will be the day for you. License free day for freshwater will be on that day. For details on other fishing regulations, check out www.MyFWC.com/Fishing or call 850-265-3676.

    Tuesday, May 22, 2012

    Free Travel Beauty Bag~Full of Goodies!

    Target is giving away another travel bag and its full of products, perfect for your trip to PCB! Everyone can use some free stuff, right? Please be very patient...their site is running very slow. Once you click the link, you will have to let it sit about 3 minutes or more to load. Its worth it though. Its full of great stuff. Click HERE

    Pirate Golf Coupon~Kids Play FREE!

    Go here http://www.piratesislandgolf.com/panama-map and print the coupon. 1 kid can play free for each paying adult. Normally it is $9.50 per person...so you get almost $20 off if you have a family of 4.

    Great Deals on Some Local Stuff~

    You gotta run check out this site! BID ON BAY
    They have some great items up for auction from local businesses. Need a pass to mini golf for a day? Need some new scuba gear? How about a birthday package or summer camp for the kids? New boat? Eyecare? Furniture? They have a little of everything here, and it's all up for auction. Even people from out of town can take advantage of these deals. Hurry on over and place your bids.

    Monday, May 21, 2012

    Resort Quest 20% off

    Resort Quest is offering up to 20% in May at their properties in PCB. Even includes dates over Memorial Day Weekend. I looked up a 1 week stay at Seychelles in a 1BR condo that sleeps 6 and with the discount it was right at $1000 for 7 nights {you don't have to stay for 7 nights, but typically that is the best deal}. That's pretty good for a holiday weekend. Here's the link to the special. They have several resorts still open for this coming weekend....what are you waiting for? Grab them before someone else does.

    http://www.resortquestpanamacitybeachvacations.com/may-save-20-2012.htm

    Sunday, May 20, 2012

    Last Minute Condo Deal for Next Weekend

    Grab it while its available. A great deal on VRBO.com.....2br/2ba Condo at Gulf Crest. I have personally stayed at Gulf Crest and was very pleased. I did stay in a different unit a 3br/3ba, but they are very nice. If you are looking for somewhere to stay down here...they are offering some deals. This is one of the best ways to save some dough. Rent directly from the owners. If this one is gone when you call...there are still hundreds like it available. Don't be afraid to ask for a last minute discount, or to have them throw something in.http:
    www.vrbo.com/293737

    Sterling Resorts~Free Gas Card!

    Sterling Resorts is offering a $100 gas card if you book by 5/31. Click the link  HERE to go check out the deal. They have resorts from Panama City Beach to Mississippi and all in between. If you already love their awesome resorts..the gas card is just one more plus. They have GREAT condos. They are also set to update their page Monday with some new and exciting deals like BOGO FREE, etc. Keep checking their page to snag a deal or 2!

    Friday, May 18, 2012

    Free Calendar w/ printable coupons!

    Carpe Diem 365 has an online calendar great for locals and vacationers. You can download the yearly calendar that is filled with day to day discounts and deals, or you can click their "coupons" tab and just print the coupons. I would definitely say you should bookmark this site. Their calendar has some great "today only" specials at different places that you just mention the calendar. So, print the coupons, and bookmark the calendar or save it to your desktop, that way you can check it periodically for those "today only" deals!!!
    http://www.carpediem365.net/

    Thursday, May 17, 2012

    Dining Coupons

    Some of the best dining coupons can be found in the Menu Magazine
    http://www.thinkmenumag.com/view-magazines/panama-city-beach-fl
    There are actual food coupons for your dinner, plus the menus of course. A lot of coupon books only offer deals on the restaurants gift shops, etc. But this one has great money-saving coupons for your food! They are available at most condo and hotel lobbies. They are my favorite coupon book for eating out by far. Click the link to see the restaurants that participate.

    Free Art Friday~ALL AGES!~

    Help create the Community Art Wall

    Create an Artist's Trading Card, display it on the Community Art Wall, and leave with one of our cards!

    Each card is an original work of art by one of the CityArts artists.

    You build your art collection and we get a fantastic Community Art Wall!

    Every Friday from 1pm to 6pm now until OCT; Free, all ages, all supplies provided


    318 Luverne Ave, Panama City, FL

    Free This Weekend~Starts Tonight!~ Schooners Music Fest on the Beach

    Need something to do this evening?? How about some free concerts? How about free concerts on the BEACH? Now that sounds like a good evening to me.
    Schooners is having their first ever Music Fest on the Beach right behind their restaurant. Go to their website for more info on the bands, times, menu, etc. We normally do not take our kids to eat there at night. Night time is usually more adult atmosphere, but since this is on the beach Saturday and Sunday, I think it will be a family affair {according to the lady I spoke with}, So we will probably go on Saturday or Sunday when it is more an outside event. So load up the car and head on over for some great music anytime this weekend.

    Tonight {May 17th}
    4:30pm Geoff and Joey main stage
    8:00pm-12am Fabulous Expressions main stage
    Friday {May 18th}
    4:40pm-8:30pm Stainless Steel main stage
    9pm-12am Fabulous Expressions main stage
    Saturday {May 19th}
    noon-4pm Acoustix beach stage
    4:30pm-8:30pm Stainless Steel beach stage
    9pm-1am Fabulous Expression main stage
    Sunday {May 20th}
    noon-3:30pm Geoff and Joey beach stage
    4pm-8pm Fabulous Expressions beach stage
    

    Furry Friends

                     I got this idea the other day while on the phone with a friend from back home. She was looking for a place to come in PCB with her pet in tow. I thought, man, that will save money by just bringing the animal with her. You can easily drop as much on your boarding as your hotel down here. So to save money on kennel or boarding costs while travelling to PCB.  BRING THEM WITH YOU.  While lots of places have went pet-free....there are still several places your furry friends are welcome...several parks, shopping and restaurants offer places to take your puppy pals. Please check each venues rules on pets, as I got this info from the PCB tourism site. Each place reserves the right to change their policies at any time. As always, please be courteous of others while travelling with your pets, please pick up any waste, keep them on a leash or carrier where required, and always know your pet and think of what environment they will feel safe in. Some loud places such as Pier Park and restaurants may be way too much action for your pet and make them misbehave. Happy Travelling!

    Pet Friendly Locations
    Frank Brown Park has two pet friendly areas. A fenced in playground is available where dogs can run leash-free, as well as 1.5 miles of dog-friendly trails and greenways.

    Doggie Beach is located across from Pier Park and west of the City Pier. The 400 foot beach is open to dogs on leashes, and they love strolling the beach and enjoying the waves in Panama City Beach!
    In addition, another Panama City Beach pet friendly spot is Aaron Bessant Park (next to Pier Park), and many people love strolling in the green grass and bright sunshine with their leashed canines in tow. The park also offers a lovely grass amphitheater which plays host to a “Summer Concert Series” on Thursday nights. Dogs are welcome to these events, too!
    Pier Park in Panama City Beach, the outdoor shopping mall, is another Panama City Beach pet friendly locale. Ron Jon’s Surf Shop allows dogs inside that can be carried. Otherwise, dogs are not allowed inside stores or restaurants, but are allowed to stroll the streets on leashes with their owners.
    The new Panama City Beach Conservation Park provides miles of trails and boardwalks to get some exercise with your pet. Trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Read more on the Conservation Park here.
    Pet Friendly Lodging:
    • Carillon Beach Resort Inn
    • Executive Inn
    • Florida Palms Motel
    • La Quinta Inn and Suites
    • Monterey Motel
    • Park Place Motel
    • Pelican Walk Condos
    • Pineapple Villas
    • Portside Resort
    • Seachase
    • Seaward Townhomes
    • Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort
    • Wisteria Inn
    • Lots of Condos are also available on VRBO.com, cyberrentals.com, beachhouse.com, etc.
    Pet Friendly Businesses:
    * Pawsitively Purrfect Pet Boutique
    * Barking Divas Pet Boutique

    Pet Friendly Outdoor Dining:
    *
    Hook'd Pier Bar and Grill
    * Shuckums on the Beach
    * Salty Sue's- Home of the dog-friendly event known as "Yappy
    Hour!". Call for details and schedule at 850-234-8485
    * Flamingo Joes

    Pet Friendly Boating Service:
    * St. Andrew Bay Ferry
    Off Leash Parks: *Frank Brown Park,16200 Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama
    City Beach

    *Zollie Young Dog Park, 3829 E. 43rd St., Panama City *Everitt Avenue Dog Park,1137 Everitt Ave., Panama City

    Looking for good deals and FREE KIDS MEALS?


    Bookit.com is stationed right here in PCB and is offering some sweet deals! Several of their hotels offer free meals, gas cards, drinks, banana boat rides, etc. BookIt.com exclusive, receive a FREE Pier Park coupon book good for up to $200 in savings at shops, restaurants and attractions when you book your Panama City Beach vacation. Just present your confirmation email and/or voucher at the Simon Guest Services Kiosk in Pier Park.    
     They are having a sale right now until midnight FRI. Some places are up to half off, plus all the extras they are offering. They even offer a flex pay program if your purchase is over $550, you can pay $100 down and then 2 equal payments for the balance. Helpful if you don't want to drag out the dreaded plastic. 
    HERE IS A LINK TO ALL OF BOOKIT.COM 'S COUPON CODES http://bookit.com/coupon-codes/

    Wednesday, May 16, 2012

    Who wants to save money...and not stand in line??

    Groceries are usually on the top of the list when going on vacation. As soon as you pull up and get unloaded, you try to figure out what you are going to eat all week. Of course, you will probably go out a few times and eat some local seafood, but by cooking some meals in, you can save a bundle.

    Since we have moved here I have learned one valuable lesson. DO NOT GO TO WALMART FOR GROCERIES! {do I need to repeat?} The walmart on the beach is always packed, almost always out of everything, and the prices are not as cheap as you would think. However, we have found one really great treasure just across the bridge in Panama City. ~~Discount Grocery~~ They sell all of their items at cost, and add 10% at the end. That's it. You see, Florida doesn't have tax on food items, so I am used to paying 10% when I check out anyway because TN always had 9.75% tax rate on stuff. They have wonderful produce, meat and even carry your toilet paper, wine, specialty foods {like Gluten Fee, etc.} Everything you would need you can pick up. Very similar with a Save-A-Lot, Foodland, Aldi, but they carry a lot more items. They carry name brand and their brand of everything under the sun. The store itself is a little older, they don't splurge on making it pretty. At first I was like...."EEK!", but then when I checked out I realized that I didn't need all that fru-fru stuff that I have always been spoiled with before. It took some getting used to...but the savings is worth it. Grab a sanitizing wipe for the buggy and you are good to go! LOL

    One afternoon me and Kirsten decided to run to walmart instead of driving the extra 5-10 minutes to Grocery Outlet. Let me tell ya, we put everything up, left, and drove to Grocery Outlet. I was in dire need of some spices that week for a yummy cranberry meatloaf and walmart spices were priced from 2.99-5.00. Discount groceries are .65-1.75. A pack of chicken breasts at walmart easily hit 6.00-7.00 a pack and Discount groceries are 2.50-4.50. Loaves of bread are .75 and it is great bread! Everyone that has come to visit has loved how much we have saved by planning out our meals and heading to Grocery Outlet....{nope, I'm not a paid spokesperson, just a penny-pincher} In a typical week we spend between $60-$75 for seven days of meals. {and yes, they DO accept coupons even though they sell everything at cost} That includes our breakfasts, lunches and dinner. Unless we have company, we do not eat out.

    So, when is the best time to go you ask??? Well, it would be morning or evening. Remember that when school is going on it gets a little busy around 2-3pm, but other than that, much better than walmart. The lines at walmart can get crazy and the prices are high.

    Discount Grocery
    2901 W Highway 98 {next to our church, St. Andrew Baptist Church}
    Panama City, FL 32401
    (850) 785-4841
    They accept cash, credit, debit, etc. No checks!

    Happy Shopping!

    Restaurant.com

    Okay, most of you have heard of it. Most of you have looked at it. How many actually use them? We have been using them for the last six months or so and LOVE them! Eating out while on vacation is one of your biggest expenses {other than your accommodations}. Restaurant.com is one of the best things to hit PCB. Dozens of restaurants here participate and that means savings for you. Typically, a restaurant.com certificate will cost around $10....but, if you are like me, wait till there is a sale! Some days they will offer certificates for $3 or $1 {yes, really $1}. That is the time to buy them. At $10, you won't really feel like you saved very much. At $3 or $1, you will feel like a coupon queen!
    Scampy's is one of our favorite seafood places here. The prices are great...the food is fresh and the taste is unbelievable. I will do some restaurant reviews later on, so since this is a post about the certificates, I will get back on subject. Here is a sample break down of our bill. We went at 5:15pm...so we were still eligible for some of the twilight specials {aka early bird}. They typically last until 6 pm, so as long as you order before then, you will snag some deals. Right now they are offering 10 meals under $10 and they are basket version of some of their dinner platters.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    2 kids meals @ $6.99 a piece {one fish, fries and hushpuppie & one grilled chicken and baked potato}
               {Drinks were included at that price, you can opt for water and they are $5.99}
    1 Fried combo ~ Jumbo shrimp, stuffed crab, fried fish, french fries, cole slaw, and hush puppies $9.99
    1 Bowl of Spaghetti w/ salad and dinner roll $6.50
    1 Piece of Key Lime Pie {we shared!} $4.99
    2 Adult waters
    $35.46 {perfect!!! You are required to hit the $35 mark.}
    $6.38 gratuity {they add 18% when you use the rest.com cert}
    subtotal~ $41.84
    -$25.00 RESTAURANT.COM
    subtotal~$16.84
    TAX $1.13
    ~~~TOTAL $17.84~~~

    For a family of 4 with a shared dessert this is excellent at the beach!!!! Actually, that's about $6 cheaper than what Captain D's would cost you! Please check Restaurant.com for each certificate you are interested in...the fine print can be different at each restaurant. Scampy's is one of the best I think! They will generally even let you use your certificate at lunch. You can feed about 6 adults for this same price at lunch! You just have to ask when you get there. They have also been very easy about certificates....sometimes they have taken them straight off of my friends phone when she couldn't run back to the house to print. Very nice after a long day at the beach.
    http://www.restaurant.com/listing/findrestaurants

    Tuesday, May 15, 2012

    Free Admission to St. Andrew's State Park

    For the rest of May, St. Andrew's State Park is offering free admission on Tues and Wed. Just mention the Carpe Diem Calendar at the gate to get the deal! The Jetties are a wonderful place for snorkeling and swimming...the kids will have a ball. Don't forget to pack a picnic.
    Rock area in the Jetty area great for snorkeling!

    $1 Admission to Zoo World

    This Saturday {May 19th} the zoo is celebrating their birthday by offering a great deal.....$1 entry for everyone!

    9008 Front Beach Road
    Panama City Beach, Florida
    850-230-1243

    Hours are 9:00am - 5:00pm (last entry at 4:30pm)

    Under Construction!

    Coming soon~May 17th~