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I normally don’t post much here anymore, but I’m getting so many requests for things to do in San Antonio that I figured it was time to update an old post I’d written about things to do and places to eat. The most common question I get via email or direct message is something along the lines of “My family and I are planning to visit San Antonio. Where should we go? What should we do?”

And I try to think of the things we enjoy doing but then decide it might be awkward to invite total strangers to come sit on our couch and eat takeout Mexican food while we watch Friday Night Lights together.

You can feel free to message me suggestions and/or thoughts and I can add them to this list. Then we will have one handy and, lo, even dandy guide to the city that I can refer to whenever someone asks me what they should do when they visit and I stare at the computer blankly until I finally email back, “Have you been to the Alamo?”.

Let’s start with restaurants. There are a million of them in the city, but these are some of my personal favorites. Yes, most of them are Mexican food.

1. El Catrin
2. Soluna
3. Paloma Blanca
4. Acenar
5. La Fonda on Main
6. Mi Tierra
7. Boudro’s
8. Barbecue Station
9. Chris Madrid’s
10. Jardin – I like it for lunch, but not necessarily dinner. The Lamb burger is delicious.
11. The Pearl Brewery
The Pearl Brewery is located close to downtown and has become a great spot in the last several years. Tons of great restaurants in the area and a food court. There are lots of places to sit outside and have a drink and even a splash pad for the kids. I like Down on Grayson, Southerleigh, Sternewirth:The Bar at Hotel Emma, Bakery Lorraine and Boiler House.
12. Finally, there is the whole Southtown area which is about two square miles of eclectic restaurants, unique homes, bars, etc.

So now let’s talk about shopping.

For a fun, unique San Antonio experience, I would head to Market Square. It’s basically like being in Mexico but without anyone carrying around a whole pig’s head in a clear plastic bag. (That scenario is based on a true story) El Mercado has restaurants, shops, and tons of local flavor.

And if you decide to venture outside of downtown, then I would suggest The Shops at La Cantera for some serious shopping including Neimans and Nordstrom or The Outlet Malls in San Marcos where you can find just about every outlet store you could ever imagine. It’s overwhelming.

As for family friendly activities, here’s the list:

1. SeaWorld
Shamu. What else do you need to know?
2. San Antonio Zoo and the Breckenridge Train
I don’t really care for a zoo. But you might.
3. Fiesta Texas
4. Schlitterbahn Water Park
Voted one of the best waterparks in the world. I have the best memories of going there with my dad when I was little. He’d wear sweatbands around his elbows to prevent inner tube burn. Good times.
5. Natural Bridge Caverns
6. San Antonio Botanical Gardens

And then there are all the other things:

You can take a Riverboat cruise down the Riverwalk. It’s a tourist thing, but people seem to enjoy it.

Also, little known fact, San Antonio is home to a little piece of history called The Alamo. And, in all honesty, if you haven’t ever seen it, then you’re missing out. Of course if you’re from Wisconsin it may not mean as much to you as it does to those of us that are proud Texans. One of my favorite moments over the last year was when one of Caroline’s college friends came to visit and I said they could go see the Alamo. She said, “Oh! I totally forgot about the Alamo!” which is ironic considering there’s a whole Texas history lesson about “Remember the Alamo!”

And if you enjoy history and missions and that sort of thing, you can visit the San Antonio Missions. Not to be confused with the minor league baseball team of the same name. Although you could go see them too. But you might be disappointed if you’re looking for old churches. They even have bikes available to rent so you can ride the trails.

Another option is La Villita. It’s located downtown and is a historical art village filled with shops and a few restaurants.

Or you could tour the King William District and see some really beautiful historic homes.

And then there are the hotels. You can stay on the Riverwalk. Or you can stay out by Sea World. Or you can stay out by La Cantera. There are approximately six quadrillion hotels in the city and I’ve hardly stayed in any of them because I live here. And I like to sleep in my own bed. But here are a few really great option that take the whole hotel thing up a notch. Or eight.

The first two are your best kid-friendly options. The last two are more adult options.

1. JW Marriott
2. Hyatt Hill Country Resort
3. La Cantera Resort and Spa
4. Hotel Emma at the Pearl

If you get tired of being in San Antonio and want to explore, there are so many great small towns close by that you can visit for the day. My favorites are:

1. Boerne (pronounced like Bernie, as in Weekend At)
2. Gruene (pronounced like Green, as in Acres)
Eat a chicken fried steak at the Gristmill and visit the oldest dancehall in Texas.
3. Fredericksburg
I adore this little town. Great antique stores.
4. Comfort
And how can you not enjoy a place called Comfort, Texas?

So there you have it. A completely non-comprehensive guide to San Antonio and all it has to offer. But maybe it will help you. Or maybe you’re never planning to visit San Antonio and that’s okay too.

And if I’ve left off anything that might be essential and/or life-changing, please let me know. Then I can kick myself for not being thorough.

It’s been a busy week around here because I believe you are probably all aware that it is May. And that means I have given myself a few more days to finish up one last project. Or at least I thought it was one last project until my publisher reminded me I actually have a whole other list of things I need to have finished by mid-June so I’m super excited about that except maybe I’d rather take a nap from now until July 1.

This past weekend – as opposed to the weekend that is now just a day away – Caroline spent the night and most of Saturday with a friend. P cooked dinner on Saturday night for all of us and then we went to church on Sunday. Caroline was invited to a friend’s birthday party that started at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning so I left church a little early to get her to the party and stopped by the house long enough for Piper to come inside and throw up all over the bathroom floor. This is exactly the kind of thing you want to deal with on a Sunday morning. It turns out she had found a stash of Easter candy. We realized this when she threw up about sixteen pastel foil colored Hershey’s kiss wrappers. Maybe she should’ve stuck to the Sour Patch Kids.

On Monday, Caroline complained that she wasn’t feeling well and I did my standard mom of the year thing by declaring it was probably just allergies. But by the time she got home from soccer that night, she clearly wasn’t her normal self. I sent her to school on Tuesday because she is right in the middle of getting ready for finals, but she called me at lunchtime and asked me to come get her. And then she came home and fell asleep which is always the sure sign that she is legitimately sick.

Then Wednesday morning, I woke up with a sore throat and a headache. Caroline went to school and called again for me to come get her by the early afternoon. This time we both slept until it was time to get ready for her eighth grade graduation. Yes, she graduated before she has taken her finals. I don’t really understand this, but I guess they figure it’s eighth grade and it’s as good of a time as any.

Here’s my graduate.

My brain cannot compute the part where she will be in high school next year.

There was a guy in line behind us as we walked into the auditorium talking about how eighth grade graduation is a big deal because a hundred years ago an eighth grade education was a real accomplishment in America. And, yes, I guess that was true one hundred years ago but today I believe we just call it you’re just a little over halfway finished to having an education that might actually get you a job that allows you to move out of your parents’ house. Congratulations.

So we still have a week left of school but most of that will be a final exam schedule and I think we can all see the light at the end of the tunnel. Or as I refer to it, only three lunches left to pack.

This started out to be a list of ten and then I drew a blank as to the other three things I was going to talk about and so now it’s a list of seven because, you know, that’s a thing. Or at least just pretend it’s a thing. A top seven list.

1. the best chocolate cake ever

I saw this recipe months ago but wasn’t in the mood to make a chocolate cake. This is very different from the fact that I am always in the mood to eat a chocolate cake.

But on Saturday afternoon, Caroline requested a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and I told her I’d make one if I had all the ingredients. Wonders never cease because I had everything I needed with the exception of the espresso powder that the recipe calls for. However, I just brewed really strong coffee and added in a 1/4 cup of that instead.

Let’s not examine too closely that I had all the ingredients on hand to bake a cake, yet nothing I needed to prepare an actual meal.

Also, there is a recipe for chocolate buttercream icing linked in the recipe and it is divine. It calls for THREE sticks of butter which seems excessive – AND IT IS – but worth it. I also put chocolate chips in the batter and in the layer between the cakes because after three sticks of butter what’s the point in trying to be sensible?

2. Mix and Match Mama Kids in the Kitchen Cookbook

Speaking of cooking, my friend Shay Shull has a new cookbook out full of recipes that you can make with your kids in the kitchen. I think summertime is the perfect opportunity for you to get this cookbook and get in the kitchen with your kids. I mean they’re going to be around all summer anyway so they might as well be useful.

3. color block straw and cotton tote

And speaking of useful (How about these transitions today?), I love a good summer bag to take to the beach or the pool. Target had some cute ones in the store the other day, but I also really love this one. It also comes in pink with black stripes if you want a little color.

And speaking of pink, I adore this ibiza woven tote although it is significantly pricier than the bag above.

And speaking of significantly pricier, I also love this tory burch straw hobo if you really want to splurge.

4. Caroline’s dresses from yesterday’s post

Several of you asked about Caroline’s dresses in yesterday’s post. We found them both at Nordstrom after looking everywhere else in the world. Next time we’ll just start at Nordstrom.

The black one is this adelyn are fit and flare dress. We had to have it altered to fit and added a lace bandeau under it because the v was a little too v for a thirteen year old.

And the white one is this lush off the shoulder dress
that’s 40% and so it’s just $32.98. We ordered it online and I wasn’t sure if it would work, but it’s actually cuter in person.

5. Chin Up, America t-shirts

Y’all have blown our minds with the response to the Chin Up, America shirts. Milk and Honey tees have restocked them and are taking pre-orders for the next batch starting at 7:00 a.m. central time today. Quantities are limited so if you want one, you better act fast. (It’s like I’m a furniture salesman.)

6. the ultimate YA summer reading list 2017

I kind of accidentally discovered this Read Brightly website and I am loving it. It has all kinds of great lists of books for all ages and stages so it could be a great resource this summer as you’re trying to get your kids to read some books instead of being on a device all the time.

7. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

And speaking of books, I ordered this last week because it was highly recommended and the description on Amazon sold me with “If you miss Downton Abbey…” I haven’t started it yet, but I’ll keep you posted.

Have a great Wednesday.

We have twelve and a half days of school left until summer. I know this because Caroline got in my car this afternoon, slammed the door shut and said, “I AM SO GLAD I ONLY HAVE TWELVE AND A HALF DAYS OF SCHOOL LEFT!” And I wanted to say, “AMEN TO THAT, SISTER!” because err’ybody be so tired of a routine right now.

Then she told me that she went to an informational meeting about running cross country at the high school next year because, yes, she will be in high school. (I DIE) And I found this so strange considering that her coach asked her about running the 400 in track this year and all she talked about was how she hated running long distances. I’m not sure that the term “cross country” has fully computed in her brain but I’ll tell you what computed in my brain, the fact that cross country practice starts at 6:00 a.m. every morning. I hope she enjoys Ubering to practice. Needless to say, she quickly realized she hadn’t thought it all through and maybe May isn’t the month to tell your mom you might want to try something new.

I always say I can tell how close I am to being my best self by how many trips I make to the grocery store in a week. When I am on my A game, I usually go once a week. Maybe twice if I forget to get an ingredient I need for dinner or we run out of coffee while I’m not paying attention. So here’s where I tell you I have been to the grocery store 164 times in the last six days. I have no meal plan. I have no list. I have no life plan. I’m just barely functioning as a grown up and just when I feel triumphant because I ran to the store to get paper towels and milk, I realize we are also out of toilet paper and orange juice. I could remedy this whole situation by making a comprehensive grocery list and a weekly meal plan but I have lost all of my ability to care. This is our house right now.

“What’s for dinner?”

“You have two options. Whatever you can find or whatever you can get delivered.”

I’ve got one more project I’m desperately trying to get finished before school gets out, laundry that never seems to end, a teenager who is always in need of a ride somewhere and two dogs that hold me hostage every afternoon until I load them in the car and take them somewhere. My plate is full.

But in an attempt to catch up here and continue this almost eleven year old tradition of documenting my life here, I’m going to basically post some pictures along with what they represent so that I can look back someday and say, “Oh! Look what we were doing in the spring of 2017!” It seems now like I’d never forget it, but I wouldn’t remember the Spring Break in 2008 when our only entertainment was going to Target every single day and eating popcorn while we walked around the store if I hadn’t written it down and wouldn’t it be sad now if I hadn’t documented that?

(It actually wouldn’t be that sad because using Target as a form of entertainment is actually more sad.)

So two weeks ago, I had a film crew at my house filming some stuff for the new book. You’ll be seeing more that soon, but in the meantime please know that my friends and family were very good sports. This is really beyond what P signed on for when we got married.

And then later that night Caroline was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society.

We had another full day of filming at the house the next day. I had spent days making sure everything in the house was in the right place and then they basically rearranged everything to get the background they wanted. But I got to start the day getting my hair and makeup done which made me look significantly better than I do on any given day. And by significantly better, I mean I didn’t look like a crypt keeper at 8:00 a.m. which is my normal look.

She basically airbrushed my entire face, including eyeshadow and everything. I can’t even tell you how long it took me to get it all off at the end of the day. I kept thinking about Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias saying, “There is no such thing as natural beauty”.

We had some friends over that Saturday night and apparently I took zero pictures to document the occasion, but we had a good time. And then it was kind of like a long weekend because Caroline didn’t have to be at school until 1:15 on Monday and Tuesday due to testing so she requested a trip to IHOP because she is super fancy.

She ate all of her breakfast and half of mine in about five minutes. And then she was another two inches taller before we left the restaurant, plus she was hungry again an hour later. Thirteen years old is an awesome age for your metabolism.

On Wednesday they had the athletic banquet at her school and so she put on her second dress in two weeks which never fails to thrill me to no end. And she even let me curl her hair.

She won the Mighty Mule award for soccer and we were so happy for her because she worked so hard all season long. It was fun to see her hard work pay off because I didn’t have to give her my speech about how hard work is its own reward. Although I’m sure I’ll have to give it at some point in the next twelve and a half days as we try to finish out this school year.

Maybe to my own self.

Have a good Tuesday.