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

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 3

Monday April 7 - Sunday April 13, 2014

Places visited:

• MacArthur Park
• Marriott Rivercenter 
• Oro Restaurant
• Riverwalk: Maria Mia 
• Lee Nails
• Two Bros BBQ (rehearsal dinner)
• The 1850 Settlement (wedding venue)

Here's the breakdown...

Last week was crazy! Between a work conference (Marriott) and a family wedding (events & family galore!), we were definitely on. the. go. 

Before the chaos, JC and I visited MacArthur park. I had a little trouble getting there, but once we arrived, we played for a long time on the wheelchair accessible ramps. Perfect for kids on wheels and just starting to walk, in my opinion. So neat to see that at a public park! I got the idea to go there from the Alamo City Moms Blog. Thanks for the suggestion!  

Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning, I spent my daylight hours at the Marriott Rivercenter downtown. I worked the booth for my company, and we had a good time. A successful conference! Unfortunately, it all aligned at the same time as these nasty allergies! So my voice was a little scratchy when this was all said and done. 

While downtown, my coworkers and I visited Oro for lunch (and they went back for drinks) and Maria Mia for lunch. Oro was ok - I liked my dish, but the service was a little slow for being one of two tables at lunch. The coworkers raved about the bartender, though. Maria Mia was good - had the small plate of chicken fajita nachos and I was full after eating half! Plus perfect patio weather. 

But then the real fun began - wedding weekend!! J's sister got married and the festivities didn't stop! We had a bbq at our house on Thursday night. Then Friday, the girls got their nails done at Lee Nails (which was a nice place, but my guy spent maybe 12 minutes on me for $18?! I didn't even get an arm/hand massage!*), etc. Then came the rehearsal and dinner which brings me to say - I have heard a LOT of good things about Two Bros, but we had an extremely disappointing experience. THEY DID NOT HAVE US SCHEDULED FOR THE RIGHT DAY. Ergo, no food, drink, tables or service were set aside for the 50+ person group. YIKES.... Needless to say, it was a little stressful for the bride, but once the beer starting flowing and the food arriving, all was well. It was a beautiful night, and I still am looking forward to my leftover banana pudding in the fridge. :) - which J JUST noticed and I'm like NO! That is MINE, husband!

Saturday was a typical wedding day - busy busy! I ended up learning my way around San Antonio pretty quickly with all the errands I was running. Picked up a bridesmaids dress, grabbed some last minute items at Hobby Lobby. Once we were finally clean, dressed, and out the door, it was a surreal, perfect, beautiful day for C and B! It seemed that the Settlement is a perfect venue for a San Antonio wedding of a wonderful couple! Love you both! 

Cheers to the happy couple, and cheers to another fun week in San Antonio!

~ S

Weekly TOTAL:

7 places this week, out of 3 - DEF hit my goal! (not even including all the OTHER family gatherings hehe)

7 NEW places this week out of 65 (for the year) * A GOOD WEEK * :)


*Just noticed the poor reviews for Lee Nails online as I linked to it here... glad to know I'm not the only one dissatisfied with my nails! Also, the bride had some issues with the Settlement, as pretty as it was. However, this is just my blog stating where I went and how I got to know the city. I will rarely actually place value on something unless they completely screwed up, like Two Bros did. It doesn't mean we won't give them a second chance. :) So, if anyone ends up going somewhere and has a different experience (positive or negative), great! You're exploring, too. I'm not trying to drive or remove business for any of these locations. Just a disclaimer ;) Onward!

Week 2

Monday March 31 - Sunday April 6, 2014

Places visited:

• San Antonio Green Laundry 
• Chick-Fil-A 
• County Line - dinner & concert  
• Day Trip to Austin

Here's the breakdown:

One thing we didn't have in our move from Austin to San Antonio was a dryer. We were offered one from a family member, but unfortunately, we did not have the right hookups. One visit to a local laundromat, and I was on Craig's List the next day. Not because it was a terrible place, on the contrary I had a surprisingly pleasant experience, but because of the sheer convenience of having a dryer at home! 

Moms and dads who are doing laundry outside the home, I SALUTE YOU. 

I found a nice clean place, but I had SO MANY things to clean, it was a little stressful. I probably looked like newbie, too. Amateur hour. But in all seriousness... when you find yourself new to town or out of commission on a personal laundry facility, I recommend San Antonio Green Laundry. They've got some good Yelp reviews, too! 

The next day, I needed a "break". I'd like to think that every parent needing such a moment of peace knows the best place to grab a quick, relatively healthy bite to eat at a restaurant where kids can then wear themselves out on the indoor, air-conditioned playscape. For us, this is Chick-Fil-A. While not a NEW experience, it is one I can count on... and I needed it that Tuesday! It was a nice, clean location with a fun playground. And of course, I love a place that helps moms get their food to their table, locate high chairs and the like. We'll always be returning to Chick-Fil-A! Great service. 

Wednesday night, my husband was hosting some work colleagues out for a happy hour type event, and I got to join him. We had dinner and drinks at the County Line on I-10 where they were kicking off their summer concert series, so we got to see the Dirty River Boys play - always a fun show. I didn't expect to see a cool little outside stage area, so it was a nice smaller show venue. Definitely check it out! 

Lastly, yesterday we made a day trip up to Austin. I had a hair appointment and we had tickets to the Round Rock Express game which included a Bob Schneider show at the end. Always fun. Visited our old haunts, the Black Sheep Lodge as well as Doc's on Congress. We saw the game result in a WIN then danced to Bob in the outfield. A fun night. Just a longer drive home than usual.... :) 

Weekly TOTAL:

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

2 new places this week out of 65 (for the year) 

Adventures are out there, explorers! (from the movie UP)

~ S

Check out some pics from this week on IG... on twitter at @SA_365. xo

Getting started.

Sometimes starting can be the scariest part of a new endeavor. I am slightly terrified that I am "starting". But you know what? I don't know if I would stick to my challenge or goals myself if I wasn't being held to a public standard of sorts.

So here's the deal:

My family is moving to San Antonio, TX in April of 2014. My husband was born and raised there... but I have only visited. And only seen the same places, typically.

Once we move down, my goal is:
- Go three places a week. This could be coffee, a park, or a shop. Something!
- Go sixty-five NEW places within the first year. I cannot be a creature of habit!

So, SA365 is a play on words - a year (my timeline), and then a breakdown of my goal.

We'll see what happens along the way! Still trying to get a website set up... we'll see if that even happens fully. Instagram (@sathreesixtyfive) and Twitter (@SA_365) are up and running.

Do you have any suggestions for San Antonio fun? Leave them in the comments section or on the social media sites!

Thanks!

~ S