Rainy Day Freebie!

Has the rain gotten you down? Check out Sweet Houston on rainy days to get a free cup of coffee or tea with your purchase of any tasty treat.

Photo: Sweet Houston (FaceBook)

Wondering what types of treats Sweet offers? Well only the most delicious, of course! Check out their selection of yummy macarons, cupcakes, cake balls, and truffles. 

Feel the need to get your Sweet fix often? Sign up for their frequent shopper program and get rewards for shopping!

Check out Sweet Houston today or the next time we have a rainy day!

SWEET 
   801 Town & Country Blvd. 
   Suite A120 
   Houston, TX 77024 
   P. 713.64.SWEET 
   F. 1.855.64.SWEET 

Did someone say FREE?

Take a day this weekend and become one with nature. For an absolutely free experience get over to the Aboretum. They have lots of trails and it's beautiful this time of year. It's not yet too warm to enjoy sitting outside for a few hours. They're open every day until dusk and if you're a photographer, you can get some great shots while you're there. 

Be careful though and stay on the trails, I ran across not one, but TWO snakes right off the side of the trail.

If you're studying for finals (which you should be) pack and nice lunch and bring your notes. There's plenty of places to set up and study and enjoy a nice picnic. 

To plan your visit check out the Arboretum website for trails, times, and special events.

Bingo...FTW

BINGO!
Here's to a fun, cheap night with friends... and you can win money!
You can do a google search for a bingo hall near you and head out with some friends and dobers.

Most places have beer and snacks for sale right there on the premises. Bingo usually costs anywhere from 5-20 dollars depending on how many games you want to play at one time. I play them all and it costs me $20.00 for a great night.

The place that I go too even has fancy designs that you have to make in order to get the bingo. Here's the one that I won $200.00 dollars on! Some of the designs will even win you $500.00! Just make sure that you bingo before anyone else so you don't have to share the pot.

Here's my dual wielding friend... he's really getting into it!

A night in ... with SCIENCE!

Turn Sour into Sweet!

This was such a fun experiment and great night in! You've got to try Miracle Frooties.

Go around your house (or stop by the store) and gather up all the sour things that you can find. I know... it sounds crazy. Then pop a Miracle Frootie in your mouth and let it dissolve on your tongue. It takes a while, but make sure you coat your whole tongue and not just the end. Then, start eating all the crazy sour things you can find. It tastes so sweet. A lemon was almost too sweet to stand. Pickles were odd, but still sweet and even the vinegar tasted like a candy.

You can get the Miracle Frooties off of Amazon for $14.95. We about 5 people eat them and try it with us and we still have plenty more for another round the next time we're bored and low on cash.

Start Monkeying Around...

Looking for something to do outside in this beautiful weather? Look no further... get to the Zoo! There's a new baby Giraffe and a new rare Lemur. I love going to the zoo and I make it a point to go at least once a year. I spend an entire day walking around soaking up the rays and laughing with friends and then we'll usually find somewhere to eat. Not to mention that after that long day of walking I sleep really well that night.

Don't forget the petting zoo... a great place for some unforgettable photos.

Find the differences...

 What happened to this monkeys' face? Terrifying! Clearly.

Be sure and plan ahead for your visit. Although, I've never been disappointed with a spur-of-the-moment visit either. 

The ticket prices are up to $14.00 for an adult, but if you go on the first Tuesday of the month after 2p.m. between now and May, you can visit free.

So pack a lunch, and head to the Zoo!

Steak Night Date Night

Looking to impress your date, or in my case, your mother? Take them to Texas Land & Cattle any night of the week for their 2 for $25.00 special. You get two entrees and an appetizer for $25. They used to only host this deal on Wednesdays, but on a recent Tuesday visit with my mom I was pleasantly surprised and couldn't wait to share it with you guys.

They have their own separate menu for the deal so you can guide your date (or mother) into choosing something that will fit into your budget. My mom and I got the Smoked Sirloin Nachos and each had the Signature Smoked Sirloin meal. Our favorite!

These are the nachos... as you can see they were so delicious I completely forgot to take a picture until we were more than halfway done eating them. Each meal comes with your choice of soup or salad. I got the tortilla soup and it's the bomb. I chose the steamed broccoli for my side.

My mom also got the signature smoked sirloin, but she opted for two sides instead of the salad or soup.

She really wanted to get that sauce in the pictures...

So if you're looking for a cheap option for a dinner out, check out Texas Land & Cattle's 2 for $25.00 deal - now offered every day!

Let's Paint... and Drink on a Budget!

* Coupon Below* 

I recently took a painting class with a friend, and while I would NEVER just go and take a painting class, this one involved alcohol. That's basically all the information that I needed.

The basic idea is you show up with your alcohol and everything is set up and ready to go for you to paint your masterpiece. There are lots of different places that you can go, but we chose Merlot 2 Masterpiece. We thought that they had a great selection of paintings. The website has a calendar that lists the different paintings for each day, so you can go online and choose the day and painting that you like best/works best with your schedule.

First things first... get our stash ready. Merlot 2 Masterpiece provided ice to keep our drinks cool and a table to put our snacks on.

Let the painting begin!

I cannot paint. Or at least that's what I would have said before I took this class. The pace was slow enough that I felt in control of the situation, but fast enough that I didn't lose interest... which can be fairly easy for me. This is the beginning of my painting. I'm creating a sun.

It was really neat to see all the paintings develop. Each person had their own style. I went with my friend Diana and in the last painting you can see how each painting is unique.

Here's me! Getting ready to paint and then during painting. I was so excited.

 The finished product! I added little feather flares to my owl and I think it looks super cute.

If you're looking for something to do this weekend that fits into your budget then try out Merlot 2 Masterpiece. Also, be sure and check out this Groupon *offer* before it expires. You pay only $19 dollars for a two-hour painting class. The classes are BYOB and feel free to bring snacks too. Consider getting a designated driver to pick you up and drop you off. I was glad that I had one. There are multiple locations so you can find the one closest to you. This would be a great group event.