Coffins on Parade 2012

Saturday night after going to Treat Street at La Villita we stayed downtown so we could watch Coffins on Parade. We have been going to Coffins on Parade for the past 2 years. Its a fun thing to go and watch as your sitting on the riverwalk eating or even just hanging out on a bench.

If you have never been to Coffins on Parade here's a little bit about it:

• Its Free! Just grab a seat or take a walk on the riverwalk as the river barges float on by.
• The barges are decorated with Halloween decorations, some have lights while others have loud fun dance music.
• The barges don't float down alone (of course). There are people dressed up in costumes on them (most dancing away and/or waving at people).
• Some of the barges have people throwing treats out to the people on the sides. (items like: necklaces, candy)
• The barges go down the riverwalk for 2 laps.

We found a spot on the riverwalk early so we could have a good seat. It was getting chilly again so we bundled up to keep warm. Pretty soon the parade started and its always fun to see what people are dressed as and hear the fun music. Here are some pictures of the parade:

I caught a necklace and we watched both laps around the riverwalk and then called it a night. It was fun and we were tired from being out there all day but its always worth the fun. My only wish is that there were more barges but other than that Its great free fun.

Have you ever gone to Coffins on Parade?

Treat Street at La Villita 2012

Yesterday I went Downtown to Treat Street at La Villita with my sister and my munchkin for the 3rd year in a row. Its become a tradition to go to Treat Street and check out all the fun monsters and spooky ones too.

Check out my munchkin over the years at Treat Street:

We love to see all the costumes people turn out in (DIY and store bought). Munchkin likes seeing all the kids and monsters and he likes hearing the music (he loves to dance).

Let me tell you about Treat Street if you have never been:

• Its Free! Free admission, Free candy and activities, Free live music!
• Its been held at La Villita the past 3 years and its a perfect spot because after you go you can check out the heart of our beautiful downtown San Antonio and go eat or just sightsee (trust me during the day on Treat Street all over Alamo plaza you see costumed people on every corner).
• There are tons of booths with people handing out candy and you can bring in your own bucket or bag although most places have free bags they are giving away (most give just one piece of candy. Sorry but with so many people coming they have to make it last).
• There are booths were they have treats such as coloring sheets and small toys or even prizes by spinning a wheel (McDonald's was giving Scooby doo buckets, Disney was giving posters and stickers).
• There are live bands or singers during the day with a variety of music on different stages spread out.
• There are food and drink booths but those are NOT Free.

Tip: Me as a parent I know my childs limit with anxiety over long lines so I limit which lines we get in so I don't get him frustrated over a piece of candy. We do the big prize/treat lines like Disney and McDonald's and I bring candy from home so I can fill his bucket later so he doesn't see it empty without all the waiting. It helps because it gives us more time to enjoy our surrounding than being trapped in lines with little outcome. So while your walking around check the front of the booths and spy what there giving out so you can make a plan.

I Love the idea of Treat Street because its an opportunity for children of all ages (young and the young in heart) to come out and dress up and get some candy and have some fun. Alot of kids have parents who work during the week and might not be able to take them out this Wednesday trick or treating so Saturday maybe the only chance they get. Plus there are the kids who might not be able to afford a costume or a bucket/bag to trick or treat and at Treat Street there is no rule that you have to dress up so kids can feel comfortable without worrying about feeling left out.

We walked around and got some fun pictures with various monsters then checked out some music. Check out some of the costumes we saw:

Munchkin talking to some little monsters

We then went sightseeing while we walked off the food we ate and waited for Coffins on Parade to Start. Check out some of the stuff we saw:

We had lots of fun downtown at Treat Street and walking around like tourists on Alamo Plaza checking out the sights. Its always been our fun tradition going to these year after year and we will definitely be at the next one.

Have you ever been to Treat Street? What are your Halloween event traditions?

Visiting the San Antonio Botanical Garden (Broadway Reach)

This weekend during Munchkins Birthday weekend Palooza we went for the first time to the San Antonio Botanical garden and It was amazing! Pictures don't give it justice of how Beautiful it is there. We got to go in for free this weekend because of Broadway Reach.

It was a group of 7 locations that as long as you had membership to one of the 7 on this weekend you could go check out the others for free and see if maybe you wanted to become a member offered at a discounted rate.

Here are a few pictures from our visit:





And even though the dinosaurs are plenty of fun to experience there are some fun Halloween kid themed touches that provide plenty of fun photo opportunities as well! 

We made it our mission to find all the dinosaurs on the list of the map. And I am glad to say we found them all! We had fun doing it and took too many pictures which sounds impossible but I checked the camera and it was over 100 pictures! (dinosaurs alone, scenery's, dinosaur pictures with munchkin...)

I am so grateful for this opportunity to visit a new site where I had never been for free and enjoy it so much with my family. It was a good and nice walk (over 2 hours walking looking around) that seemed to go by pretty fast actually. We loved it there and want to go back soon.

Have you guys been to the Botanical Garden to see the dinosaurs? Or what other event have you gone to see there? Did you got to any of the other locations for Broadway Reach? 

Howl-O-Scream 2012

This weekend we went back to Seaworld to catch the final shows on our list of things to do at Howl-O-Scream. We had always left early before these shows even started so on Munchkins Birthday Weekend palooza we finally checked them out.

Favorite parts of Jacks S.O.S

We went to see Monster Stomp! It was our first time seeing it and Monster Stomp is something else entirely. Its lots of loud fun music and dancing and instruments. Everyone is jumping and stomping and banging on drums. There is alot of action going on. They play alot of fun favorite songs like Thriller and Time Warp. The audience was singing along and everyone enjoyed it, including my munchkin. (I only took like 2 pictures because Its too hard to take pics while your watching your munchkin dance)

We then went to see Shamu's Rockin' Creep Show which we have seen the past year but why not check it out and see whats changed? So we went and it was super crowded and started off great! Theres nothing like watching shamu along with fun music and Jack on the screen.

My most favorite thing to watch and a perfect way to end our day was Jack Is Back. It was our first time watching it and wow! I was expecting a dance off goodbye thanks for coming to seaworld but instead it was a full on awesome show. They had crazy fun music and Jack can really dance. I really want to see Jack is Back again.

We were so tired but had so much fun! The night shows were a blast and munchkin loved them too. He danced and jumped so much that he fell asleep on the way home. It was a perfect way to start off his Birthday weekend Palooza!

Here is our Kid Friendly visit to Howl-O-Scream and Here is our visit to Howl-O-Scream after dark! Hope you get to check it out because this weekend is the last weekend to enjoy the Halloween themed activities at Seaworld.

Have you been to Seaworld for Howl-O-Scream? What was your favorite part?

My Son turns the Big 4!

Where do I even start? There are no words to describe the way it feels when you become a mom. All you know is that your life is forever changed in every possible way. You all of a sudden know and understand what it means when people say Love at first sight. Your heart seems to want to explode with all this new found love within you that is stronger than any other love in this world.

Me? ... I did not see this coming. I was the girl growing up swearing to others I would never have kids. I didn't have that maternal instinct in me that other girls do when they see a baby. I just didn't see it in my future, but I guess God had other plans for me. I love being a mom! Its a blessing and truly the greatest gift. He blessed me with a little bundle of love, with my son four years ago!

Yesterday my munchkin turned 4 and it was such a special day full of memories and making new ones. I am so grateful for every day I am on this earth with him. We actually made his 4th birthday a weekend celebration with different activities going to Seaworlds Howl-O-Scream and The Botanical Garden for Broadway Reach and throwing him a birthday party.

We are exhausted but Happy! And today we are resting up, cleaning up and catching up on all the things we let slide by this past week. We are even going to use this week as a review week for letters A, B, C, D, E and F.  

What did you do this past weekend? Did you get any rest or did you have alot to do too?