Did your 2009 New Year’s resolution involve healthier food choices for you and your family? Well, keep your foot on the accelerator as you head past McDonald’s and instead steer your way to Flat Top Grill, where kids eat free on Mondays with the purchase of an adult entrée.

Alas, it’s time to finally bid farewell to the yuletide season. (Parents, try not to cry too much here.) January 6, or Three Kings Day, is celebrated 12 days after Christmas and officially culminates everyone’s holiday magic for the year. Luckily, you can go out with a bang at the Three Kings Day Celebration at Humboldt Park.

Okay, so we all adore the cute café at Barnes, but if you’re searching for a change of pace when it comes to bookstores, visit Women and Children First on Clark Street. Wednesdays are the perfect time to pop in, too, as they’re when store co-owner Linda Bubon reads and performs five or more tales for 2 to 5 year olds.

Whether you are enjoying your first baby bump or already have a bevy of toddlers in tow, you’ve probably discovered that shopping for clothes and accessories to accommodate your family can quickly diminish dollars and cents. Fortunately, stores like the Second Child in Lincoln Park help keep local clans in stylish duds for a fraction of the cost.

We all want to feel balanced and more fit without having to dip into our IRAs to afford a personal trainer, but it’s kind of hard to have your cake and eat it too in today’s sorry economy. That said, Nature Yoga Sanctuary offers a happy medium with affordable yoga classes of all skill levels and varieties.

“Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away” . . . those magic words are as much a part of a parent’s ingrained vocabulary as “No!” and “Now!” And, if you’re looking for a chance to hear that enchanting phrase yet again (the “sunny day” part, that is), this weekend is your opportunity. Reserve tickets for Sesame Street Live – Elmo Makes Music at Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet.

Interested in visiting the Museum of Surgical Science? How about listening to Chicago a Capella? Ah, we’d all love to absorb a little culture this Sunday, but at what cost? The answer is “a reduced one” if you take advantage of myriad local discounts, courtesy of the New York Times Arts and Leisure Weekend.