Week 11

Monday June 2 - Sunday June 8, 2014

Places visited: 

• Pigtails & Crew Cuts Kids Hair Salon (baby's first hair cut!)
• Alamo Cafe
• Denman Estate Park - awesome.
• Orange Leaf
• TJ Maxx - my first ever visit, whaaa?
• China Bistro
• Bricks 4 Kidz - birthday party!
• Aldaco's Mexican
• Guenther House - another birthday party!

Here's the breakdown-ish. So 11 weeks into San Antonio, and I am happy. I am happy that I have tried new things. I am happy that I have managed to somewhat keep up with my notes and this blog, and I am happy that my son and I have this time together to explore all of the fun things in this city.

But.

I am slightly bored of my own posts. 

So, I think from now on I will list where we go, with links if you're interested (or I remember). Then, I might describe some particularly fun time we had. But then... I might share a recipe! Or vent about something random. Or ask questions. Or share a volunteer or work experience. Or maybe I'll just make jokes. But I think the "here's where we went" template has got to go.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there something you'd like to know about us/me? 

Ok. Ponder all of that. And notice we ate out way too much last week. One was a date night of sorts (met our cousin's new girlfriend, ooh la la!) and the Guenther was for a surprise 60th birthday brunch for my mother in law. Got her good! So maybe it wasn't TOO bad.... but not great. 

This week we shall try to cook in more. And maybe I'll share a recipe or two with you. If not, just know I make easy dishes with minimal ingredients that are kid-friendly. Like peanut butter sandwiches. I kid. Those are mostly lunch time meals. 

No seriously, I am not sure which "direction" to take this, but I will try to deviate from "here's where we went" only. 

Ok baby is crying - nap time OVER. Gotta go.

Keep exploring, y'all!

~ S

9 places this week

ALL OF THEM NEW! 9 New places to add to my yearly count

Week 10

Monday May 26 - Sunday June 1, 2014

Places visited: 

• San Antonio Children's Museum
• Pam's Patio Kitchen
• Spurs Playoff Game!!!
• Pearl Farmers Market
• Neighborhood Pool

Here's the breakdown...

On Memorial Day, we decided to brave the nasty weather and go to the Children's Museum. I thought, "Gosh, no one will be there! This weather is terrible!" Well, everyone else must have thought the same thing. Busy place! While it is definitely no Thinkery, I enjoyed the layout of the exhibits. Once my one year old is a little older, I think he'd have a bit more fun. Regardless, I am glad we checked it out. One museum checked off my list!

On the way home, we decided to grab our early dinner (or was it lunch?) at Pam's Patio Kitchen on Wurzbach. The food was great, and I liked the colorful paintings/fun ambience. Only problem was lack of space - lots of crammed tables in there... hard to order, grab drinks and high chair etc without bumping into other seated patrons. I guess my advice would be to go on the off hours to avoid a rush and the crowd. But the soup and salad I had were very yummy. Definitely glad we tried this place!

Thursday night we had planned to go to the Witte for Cocktails and Culture night, but we got last minute tickets to the Playoff game - um, no question there! It was such a fun game to attend. Loud fans, a big lead over the Thunder, and of course, my favorite grilled cheese station. So happy we could catch a playoff game... now onto the FINALS! Go Spurs Go!

We went to Hardberger Park on Friday afternoon. It was pretty warm so we didn't stay long, but JC loved the various play pads. He ran from the swings to the horses to the obstacle course repeatedly. We'll definitely return, perhaps a different time of day to avoid some of the heat!

Saturday morning we hit up the farmers market again. But this time, we actually bought stuff. Not stuff for later though, just snacks.... we'll get the hang of it eventually ;) J tried a pork tamale and JC and I shared a sweet potato empanada. MMM! We also explored a few shops around the property, which we did not get to do last time. It was fun to get out and see what was happening. And though we did not participate, the Basilfest stuff smelled AMAZING. I am now crazing pesto after typing this. Oy. 

That afternoon we went to J's mom's neighborhood pool. I haven't had JC in the water in a WHILE, so I was excited to see what he would do in the kiddie pool. He went wild. Loved it! So happy my little guy loves the water - should make for a fun summer.

Speaking of - check out these two blog posts regarding things to do/try this summer! 

From Colleen Pence: 

http://sanantoniomomblogs.com/50-free-things-for-kids-and-families-to-do-in-san-antonio-this-summer/

From Brooke: 

http://citymomsblog.com/alamocity/2014/06/02/abcs-of-san-antonio/

Thanks ladies - I look forward to trying many new things on your lists!!

Adventure awaits - now get going! 

~ S

Bi-Weekly TOTAL:

10 places visited - goal of 6

4 NEW places - goal of 65 in our first year

Don't forget to check out our pics on instagram - @sathreesixtyfive! 

Week 9

Monday May 19 - Sunday May 25 

Places visited: 

• Petsmart
• European Wax Center
• Whole Earth Provisions
• Canyon Cafe
• Errands: Target, Lowe's, REI

Here's the breakdown...

AHH another late/blurry/semi-"boring" week. I work from home, so my focus last week was catching up with work from the aforementioned sick baby. Plus, RAIN! Alas, we didn't do much, again. But you know what?! I'm not discouraged. I am trying to be a tourist in my own town, but I am here for potentially the next say 20-30 years or more so I can't be too hard on myself for not going to the hottest new place every. single. week. I will try to write more frequently/on-time though. My b.

Petsmart - FREE ENTERTAINMENT ALERT. We went to drop off D to have a bath, but I did not expect this! My 15-month-old toddler could have looked at the fish tanks, hamsters, cats, birds, and dog toys for another hour. So, while it was officially an "errand," it ended up being so much more. And I encourage other moms at wit's end to enjoy some free AC/aquarium time. 

Related to my last post regarding hair appointments, another big step for me was to find a wax place to get my regular rip. That sounds bad. But you know what I mean. I needed a new go-to gal and so I tried the European Wax Center. I have to say, this blog is not to overly praise or bash... but this was not my style. Hard wax that dried on me was not as pleasant (to me, my opinion) as hot wax with the cloth strips. That said, I am glad I gave it a try since now I know it likely won't be my "go to" place and they also did my first visit half off. So only out $23 instead of $47. Win/win?  

Since my appointment was in the Quarry we also stopped by the Whole Earth store and the Canyon Cafe for lunch. I had the crab cake and it was surprisingly good! Came with a fruity salsa and little side salad, but it was a sizable cake in and of itself. Bravo, CC!

Errands, blah. Returned shoes, bought diapers, got some outdoor cushions and bug spray, yada yada yada. You get it. 

Hope everyone has had an awesome week. I will post week 10 by Mon/Tues and no later, I promise!

Now get out and enjoy.

~ S

Weeks 7-8

Monday May 5 - Sunday May 18 

Places visited: 

• Pediatrician 
• Children's Methodist Hospital 

• Urban Taco
• El Mercado
• Mi Tierra
• Blanco BBQ
• Pei Wei  

• Umai Mi
• Strut Hair Salon
• Castroville Event Center, for a friend's wedding

Y'all the irony is not lost on me that last week, I almost skipped a post and combined weeks. Well, here we are. 

The three categories of places above are broken down based on:

a) my sick baby (7-8 days of doctor's visits, a 2am hospital visit, and trips to Walgreen's for more Tylenol). 

b) my bff from VA visited and wanted to go to her favorite spots (Mexican restaurants, BBQ, and Pei Wei, which we don't have in Virginia).

c) We went out once more for Gigi's birthday (J's grandma, JC's great grandma) and then I got my hair did for the wedding we attended - so more celebrations.

So, yeah.

UGH. 

When my kid was sick (he had roseola - no way to protect against it, no way to treat it, only have to pray his fever breaks and his rash doesn't get worse and he doesn't give it to anyone else, etc), I was so tired. I have never been more worried, except when maybe he was a week old and projectile vomiting. THAT was a little scary. But this - no explanation (at first) from doctor as to the problem... no way to know what to give him to "treat" it... just nerve wracking. I can't imagine what parents of perpetually sick children feel. I pray for them daily. My heart is with y'all.

Once he was on the mend (the rash appeared, signaling it was indeed roseola and that it was over), my best friend happened to make her way into town. So, we went out and ate almost every meal at her favorite spots and new places she wanted to try. All of them were great, though my bank account needs to be replenished!

Then, late last week, I got my hair cut here for the first time. All you ladies know how big of a deal it is to leave your stylist behind when you move... I almost drove to Austin to get a trim. But I am glad I gave Strut a chance. Sophia was meticulous and precise, and once I got home and let it do it's thing, I loved it (I liked it there, too, but I only blow dry and straighten my hair once every two months IN the salon... so I needed to see it in my "natural" state). I look forward to seeing her again to see how she can help me continue to grow it out, as my ultimate goal is to get it long enough to chop it back off and donate it. 

Fun wedding - Congrats, Mr. and Mrs. Campsey! Just exhausted.

So, sorry for the lame post - I knew I had to catch up. 

And this week, per my typical cycle, is all recovery and errands since we have no more spending money in the budget. We've been playing in the backyard pool and walking/jogging so I can prep for the Wounded Warrior Project 8k in September. 

So I apologize in advance for the current week's post, too. ;)

Hope everyone has a blessed and safe Memorial Day weekend. Thank a veteran or active duty service member. I know I appreciate their service and sacrifice! 

~ S

Weekly TOTAL:

10 places this week, out of 6 (two week total/goal)

6 NEW places this week, out of 65/year 

Week 6

Monday April 28 - Sunday May 4, 2014

Places visited:

• Rosario's
• Mommy Play Date
• Ali Baba's 
• Port Aransas (Surf Shop*)

Here is the breakdown....

Y'all, I almost didn't post this week. I almost did a combo post for six and seven (last week and this week). I don't know how people blog more than once a week. Power to you daily posters! It just ain't happening here. And that's ok. Because my goal wasn't to post daily, it was to get out and explore. So, in lieu of my laziness, let's catch up!

Last week, JC and I met his great-grandmother for lunch at Rosario's new location on San Pedro. It was a very cool restaurant with good food, but the only downside was the lack of organized parking and the noise level! They need to hang some sound boards in the ceiling to absorb some of the lunchtime loudness. His Gigi (as we call her) is hard enough to hear with her soft voice - we practically had no conversation! That said, I definitely want to go back for date night and maybe a cocktail at Happy Hour. Seems like a fun place to be when not with an 80 year old and 1 year old. No offense, Gigi. ;)

The next day, I met up with a girlfriend, her two boys, and her friends who all have boys around JC's age! Chaos. It was fun, though. While I can't divulge these private mommy groups without their permission, I would advise that anyone new to town check out blogs and meetup.com to see what groups might be out there for you. And shameless plug, I used to work for the Y in Austin - it's a great place for parents to meet. You could always join the Y or other gym - 2 birds, 1 stone. 

FINALLY! My husband has been to Ali Baba's for their fresh pita bread on a weekly basis, but I had not managed to step foot in the store, even in the many years I have visited San Antonio. So, on Friday morning, JC and I went in to stock up on bread for the beach trip. Four loaves and $5 later (YES, IT IS SO CHEAP AND DELICIOUS), we were packing up the coolers and loading up the car. 

JC has not been on a 3 hour plus trip since December, so I wasn't sure how this would go as a toddler. Not only is he more aware of being "trapped" in his car seat, but he also is now facing forward and that meant he was more likely to whine and want one of us constantly. Alas, he always surprises me. Not only did he do well in his seat considering the extra time spent in the car (Friday pm traffic = BLECK), but the only time he did get weird was right as we were pulling off for gas anyway. Fresh diaper and snack and bam, baby back in car mode. I wonder if babies' short term memories are like "Hmmm this seems familiar. Oh well, looks like fun! Let's go!" Haha!

Regardless, our little mini weekend vacation in Port Aransas was exactly what I needed to get a fresh breath of air/life/Jesus. Now, my husband doesn't always like this because for me that means more philosophical questions, periods of laziness and daydreaming (Late blog post much?) and retirement planning (I mean, I want to live near the beach, is that a crime?!). But in all seriousness, I think it was much needed for all of us. I even collected angel wing shells and hope to make some jewelry out of them. Inspired. 

Please, fellow San Antonians... take the 3 hour drive to the beach when you need it. Sand, water, wind and sun cure most of your personal problems very quickly. 

*Oh yeah... and I have been to Port A several times but never the Coastal Surf shop or whatever it was... I bought a new sundress. Hope to wear on Mother's day! So count that as a "new" place, mmkay? 

God Bless.

~ S

Weekly TOTAL:

3 places this week, out of 3

3 NEW places this week, out of 65/year 

Week 5

Monday April 21 - Sunday April 27, 2014
Places visited:

• San Pedro Park
• Taste of Northside
• CHUMC Family Fiesta
• Pasha
• NIOSA/Hotel Valencia
• The Pearl/La Gloria

Here is the breakdown...

(I will try to keep this short because a. we went so many places and b. I am watching the Spurs game and it's halftime!)

On a beautiful, sunny day JC and I went to San Pedro park. The pool is WOW. That is absolutely something to which we'll return. I can't wait for it to open. According to the City's Parks and Recreation department website, that opening day is June 14! WOOP! Definitely check it out. 

Wednesday, we attended a Fiesta event called the Taste of Northside. 8 food tickets and 5 drink tickets for $55 and all for a good cause? I'm down! The winner of the night: the CORN. Delicious, grilled corn covered in healthy toppings like mayo, cheese and pepper flakes. YUM! (there is a pic on our instagram page @sathreesixtyfive.) We also enjoyed people watching and came up with a fabulous new game called "jumpsuit slugbug". The rule? When you see a woman wearing a jumpsuit, yell "jumpsuit slugbug!" and punch someone in your group. There were plenty of bruised arms, as this is quite a trendy look right now... 

Thursday, we swung by Colonial Hills United Methodist Church for their (official) annual family fiesta event. We didn't stay long since it was SO hot, and the cart food wasn't quite suitable for a 14 month old, but we do like that church since that's where JC will attend school, so we figured we'd swing by for a minute. We stayed long enough to hear the Navy Rock Band which was pretty fun. But dinner time awaited us, so off to Pasha we went! So delish.... pita bread the size of one's torso... BYOB (which we discovered too late - darn!)... and perfectly tasty, authentic Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine. I had the salmon *kisses fingers a la Italian chefs* So. Good. 

Finally, we closed out our fiesta flings with my favorite: a Night in Old San Antonio. In case you're wondering, yes, we did play 'jumpsuit slugbug' again, though the pickings were slim. And yes, I wore a floral headband, and yes we ate food mostly off of sticks. Pretty much my favorite night. We stayed late but didn't want the night to end so off to Hotel Valencia we went. The V Bar was still quiet when we arrived but not for long! Soon, we were all dancing and carrying on - don't ask where we had the energy after 4 hours of NIOSA-ing, but we had it and we used it and we DANCED! Great night.

Saturday we went to lunch with my parents (who watched JC for us so we could eat and drink and dance all night) at La Gloria down at the Pearl. I had never been to either so this was exciting for me. Other than getting *almost trapped* in the Flambeau parade closures (4 hours before the actual parade, crazy!), we had a marvelous time. The food was amazing, and I liked the atmosphere. I wish we had sat outside, but we didn't want to wait, so indoor seating was A-OK with us. I think my parents liked it too, so win win! 

Another busy week! Filled with one-time events - whew! I am very much looking forward to going back to the Pearl and San Pedro park, though! Hope you all check it out, too. 

"Adventure is out there, explorers!" - Ellie, from the movie UP

~ S

Weekly TOTAL:

6 places this week, out of 3 - passed my goal!

5 NEW places this week, out of 65/year 

I mentioned Instagram above, but we're also on twitter - @SA365. See you around town! ;)

Week 4

Monday April 14 - Sunday April 20, 2014

Places visited:

• H-E-B (at the Alon)
• Local School Playground 
• St. Brigid Catholic Church

Here's the breakdown...

Y'all, we needed a recovery week. JC and I were WIPED OUT after the busy week last week, and thus I was very un-motivated to try all sorts of fun new things. So, we just lived a normal life for a week. It got sort of boring and trying (because let's be real, the house is wreck too, laundry needs to be done, I had lost my voice, and baby is teething...), but it didn't matter. Mama and baby had to REST.  Maybe it is fitting that my adventures for the week revolved around "home."

So, last week, I did visit a new H-E-B at the Alon shopping center (Wurzbach and NW Military). I liked this layout a lot, and their selection of healthy foods was great! I also appreciated their easy to find pharmacy layout, in addition to the clearly marked Kosher and gluten-free sections (of which I am neither, but still!). I ran into one of J's cousins here, so it already felt like my new "home" grocery store. On the way in/out, I noticed the Central Market-esque "Cafe on the Go" which is awesome. Gotta love a quick stop for a rotisserie chicken and some yummy sides! 

On Friday, when we'd had enough of each other, enough of the pollen, and enough of the "mehh" weather, JC and I went down the road to a local elementary school playground, which was empty earlier in the day due to school being out :) He loved to climb up the stairs and dive into the spider web fort thing-y. Meanwhile, I walked up and down a hill to try to get some "exercise" while being interviewed for the San Antonio Express News regarding stay-at-home moms! I'm excited to see what the reporter comes up with and of course I say 'um' and 'like' a billion times when I never, ever use verbal fillers otherwise.. Doh! Oh well, a fun time was had, and I would recommend that when you move to SA, you find out where your closest park is. Always a good day for kids and parents when you go to the park!

Finally, we closed out the week on Easter Sunday with Mass at St. Brigid's. This is the church J grew up in, so we're quite familiar with it. We may still search around to try other churches, but this one is always a good "home" base to fall back on. I would say the service was lovely, but I won't lie. I was so focused on keeping JC quiet and still and happy and fed and in my lap that I don't remember a word. I always love church, though, and I love Easter. Celebrate the Risen Lord! (this is the time of year where I ask myself: am I living a life worth Jesus' sacrifice on the cross? The answer is usually no. So, this is like a new year! A fresh start. Let's all live worthy of the sacrifice, yes?!)

Hope everyone had a happy Easter! I will have more exciting things this week, I promise (fiesta, finally!). But first, let me recover from this Easter weekend. ;) 

Loving the viva fiesta vibe,

~ S 

Weekly TOTAL:

3 places this week, out of 3 - hit my goal! 

0 NEW places this week out of 65 (for the year)

MONTHLY TOTAL (will post every 4 weeks!): 

Total places visited: 19 (goal: 12)

New places visited: 11 (goal: 65 in a year)