Army Wife Life: Things To Do Around JBSA (San Antonio)

Our time in San Antonio is coming to an end. I can't say that I'm sad about it either. I was starting to get that itch to move again. We've been stationed in San Antonio for almost four years and it has seemed like a lifetime.

I'm not even about to sit here and make it seem like this duty station has been one of my favorites. It hasn't been. I have talked about my love of Texas (or lack thereof) before. Military families normally love San Antonio. Many couples come back here to retire. Good for them. We won't be retiring here.

The one thing that I do love about San Antonio is that our time here resulted in three beautiful babies. Because of them, San Antonio will always have a special place in my heart.

Whenever you move to a new place it takes time to create your own sense of community. As soon as we get to a new place I immediately try to find a hair salon, Chinese restaurant, church and activities for us to enjoy regularly as a family. 

Here are my favorite spots for military families (and everyone else too):

San Antonio Zoo - It's small but it does the job. There's a carousel and a train ride. Your ticket to the zoo does not cover these rides. They offer a military discount for the zoo.

Sea World San Antonio - The splash pad is awesome. If you live close to Sea World consider getting a pass for your family. Aquatica and the splash pad will be worth your money. Military discount available.

McKenna Children's Museum in New Braunfels -  Lots to do and it's not overwhelming large. We've been many times and my kids have loved every trip.

San Antonio Rodeo - Every February the Rodeo comes to town and it's pretty fun. It's a fair like atmosphere with tons to do and see. Kids will love it. We always go during the day on $1 Fridays. There are some good musical acts at night, don't miss out. This is one of things about San Antonio that I truly enjoy. It reminds me of the county and state fairs that are all over the East coast in the Fall.

Downtown San Antonio - There's a mall, tons of restaurants, The Alamo, a movie theatre, souvenir shops etc... Be prepared for lots of walking. The riverwalk itself isn't that stroller friendly but it's doable. You'll have to pay to park. Try to go during the holiday season to see the Christmas lights, it's beautiful.

Phil Hardberger Park - We had a play date here once and it was perfect. Playgrounds, walking trails and plenty of shade...

JBSA - Ft. Sam Houston Quadrangle - Admission is FREE and you can feed deer, peacocks and chickens. There might be other animals too. The animals roam freely so be prepared for that if your little ones don't like being up close to animals.

JBSA - Ft. Sam Houston Splash Pad - Call before you go to make sure the splash pad is open and operating.

Splashtown San Antonio - Military discount available. I wasn't expecting much from this water park right off the interstate but it was lots of fun. We were exhausted after a few hours. I would absolutely go back.

Wu's Chinese Restaurant - New York style Chinese food located off Judson. It's the best near Ft. Sam and Randolph. I have tried every Chinese place around the bases so please don't waste your time going any where else.

Maven Hair Studio - Ask for Tamika - She does every thing from relaxers to color to natural hair. She's responsible for my natural hair pixie.

San Antonio Botanical Garden - Kind of pricey for what you get but it's pretty. We went during their Lego exhibit and the kids enjoyed it.

Mi Tierra & Bakery Decorated beautifully and the food is amazing. I get the enchiladas. All the shops on Produce Row are fun to check out too.

I'll continue to add to this list as I go through our pictures and remember our time here. This is a great start for military families arriving to the area. Have you visited San Antonio? What was your favorite thing about this city?

Oh. And be sure to check out San Antonio Mom Blogs for ALL things San Antonio. Every month she shares a list of things to do in the city. You'll find everything from free nights at the museum to festivals in the surrounding areas.

A Bedtime Cocktail

For the past couple weeks I have been telling all of my girlfriends about my latest cocktail creation. Now that it's been tested by all of my girls I think today is the perfect day for me to share it with you.

It is delicious and has just the right amount of kick to it. It only takes about one of these to put you in a tipsy sleepy state so please drink responsibly.

All you need is a glass of this Barefoot Red Moscato, a generous dash (but not a shot) of Ciroc's Red Berry vodka and enough Cranberry soda to bring it all together. If you want it to be a bit more festive add strawberries, raspberries and blueberries to your glass. I'll share a pic of my drink on IG tonight. (I keep forgetting to snap a pic before drinking mine, LOL! This is that good!) What will you be doing to bring in the New Year? We'll probably be asleep because I don't like having the kids out late. When Little Mike doesn't get his sleep he becomes a completely different person.  Happy New Year!

Out and About: H&M Grand Opening

Last week the kids and I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of H&M at The Shops at La Cantera. I knew it was going to be crazy out there but I had no idea it would be as crazy as it was. The line started at H&M and was wrapped all the way around the mall to the Cheesecake Factory. Bananas.


The city has been waiting on H&M for quite some time. I normally shop the trendy retailer online so it was nice seeing all of the merchandise in person. I saw lots of cute stuff for the summer. Bathing suits, accessories, shorts and shoes all at affordable prices. Love.

Their kids stuff is pretty cute too. I buy lots of Savannah and BabyM's clothes from H&M. They wash and wear very well. No shrinking or fading of colors. Here is Savannah in a head to toe H&M look. (peep the line of people)

Before leaving the store I snagged a couple summer essentials. I didn't have much time to look around but I found these cute speckled shorts, black blouse and statement necklace. I wore the necklace yesterday and got tons of compliments.


What do you think of my outfit? What do you consider to be a summer essential?

H&M Arrives in San Antonio…FINALLY!

While scrolling through my Facebook timeline I stumbled upon an event announcement about the opening of an H&M store here in San Antonio. After getting over my initial excitement I read through the details of the event to see if I could possibly attend. 

Mmm, yeah, we'll be there. I don't care if I have to pack snacks, games and a whole 'nother life in my diaper bag me and these kids are going to brave the crowd and go. There are so many prizes up for grabs. Every season a big portion of my babies' wardrobe comes from H&M so I have to be there to try to win a little something. Mama likes a discount…

If you're in San Antonio and you're up for some retail therapy fun and frenzy come out to The Shops at La Cantera. Check out Savannah below rocking an entire look from H&M for Easter. 

There's currently a giveaway going on for a $100 H&M gift card on The sTORIbook blog. You can also RSVP for the event by clicking here. Be sure to bring in garments to be recycled for a chance to win a prize and receive a 15% off discount for EACH bag of clothing that you bring in. 

Be sure to say hello if you see me Thursday!

H-E-B Baby Diapers

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of H-E-B Baby Diapers.

Some women do not like grocery shopping. I am not one of those women. I look forward to it. Maybe that's because I get to shop at HEB. Y'all know I'm an East Coast girl so I'm use to having lots of different grocery stores to choose from. When we first arrived in Texas I was a little taken aback that there is only one main grocery store franchise.  The lack of choices doesn't bother me one bit because HEB is everything. When I mean to tell you I get excited to go grocery shopping I'm not lying! Everything from their seafood to their wine selection is amazing. Their baked goods and assortment of fresh produce and cheeses is to die for. My new love affair with them has gotten so real…. Especially when I discovered their diapers. HEB Baby Diapers are my son's bottom's new BFF. I love them because the quality is great. The fit is really great and the diapers are super soft. They have a 12 hour leakage protection which helps out a lot when BabyM has long stretches of sleep. 

BabyM and I are so in love. I love it when I find a baby product that gives me bang for my buck. While shopping the other day (because I'm in HEB like two times a week LOL) we were picking up diapers and I noticed a familiar face on one of the boxes. Sav's friend is on the top box in the pic below?! Isn't she a cutie?! I texted her Mom right away with excitement when I saw her "box". 

Just another reason to love these diapers and HEB….

Are you in love with grocery shopping as much as I am? Have you tried HEB Baby Diapers? Let me know your thoughts in comments! This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of H-E-B Baby Diapers.

San Antonio: Holiday Ole Market 2013

Last night was so much FUN! I haven't had good girlfriend time like that in a very long time. It's so nice to get out without your kids and husband every now and then. I want to thank Tyesha from Diary of a Chic Mommy for being my date last night for Holiday Ole Market 2013.

Here is a recap of the event. Sorry the pics are a little blurry. These were done with my phone and I can not seem to locate the USB cord for our actual camera so these will have to do for now. Sigh. Blogger problems. In the process of ordering a new cord right now...

Last night I wore some black high waist skinny jeans, a peplum top with leather shoulder detail and my new booties. Loved my look! 

There was SO MUCH jewelry at Holiday Ole Market. I have more jewelry shots on my big girl camera but you already know that story...

I want to shout out Julie's Boutique! They are a Charlotte, NC based store. Since I am a girl from the Queen City I was beyond excited to see them at Holiday Ole Market. Their stuff was super cute and well priced. The girls working their booth were super sweet too. All of my Charlotte girls should check them out. They're located off Park Rd. Happy Shopping!

Loved these pants from Julie's Boutique...

These ladies were giving out glasses of Smirnoff's new limited edition Peach Bellini. Yum. Get some.

Soo tasty...

Tyesha and I both agreed that the highlight of our night was this frozen slushie wine. Frappe Vino was the bomb. (Do people still say that?) That's the only way I can think to describe it. It's super easy to make and is delicious. 

Now that you've got your drinks together the next thing you'll need is a good snack. Alamo Seasoning had the yummiest dips. I purchased the spicy jalapeño dip. Can't wait to try it during my me time!

These bundt cakes were so good there barely any left by the time we made it to this booth. I tried the red velvet cake. Amazing.

Here we are on the way home. I had an amazing time. Get a group of your girls together and check out Holiday Ole Market. The market will be at the Freeman Coliseum until October 5, 2013. Do not miss out! There was everything from apparel and jewelry to novelty gifts and holiday decor. 

San Antonio: Holiday Ole Market

If you live in the San Antonio area then you may have heard about Holiday Ole Market. Here is a little snippet about the event from the Junior Leaugue of San Antonio's website.

"Find unique, boutique-like SHOPPING with premiere merchants offering apparel, jewelry, children's items, home goods and original holiday items. Experience a wide array of ENTERTAINMENT options including great food, music, auctions, and much more! Net proceeds from Holiday Ole Market benefit the community programs and projects of the Junior League of San Antonio, Inc."

I'll be attending the bloggers sneak peek for this event on Wednesday. Be sure to check back here Thursday for a post all about Holiday Ole Market and what you can expect. I am beyond excited! Interested in going? Enter below for your chance to win a ticket. The giveaway will end THIS Wednesday. It's a short entry period and I'll announce the winner on Thursday! Good Luck and as always, Happy Shopping!!!

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