Jesse Coulter

Relaxing area near the pool/sauna/steam room

Beauty Bar

Relaxing area while you wait for your room to be prepared

Spa Parties are probably my new favorite thing. You get to hang out in this amazing room and eat, drink, spend quality time with friends and get pampered all at the same time. Then afterwards you can hang out in the pool, jacuzzi, sauna or steam room for as long as you want. The best part...these parties are affordable! Ideal for a Mom's night out, bachelorette party, wedding/baby shower, princess party and more.

Spa Party Room

One of many massage rooms. It has it's own flippin' shower!

Now to the fun part! One lucky winner will win a 60 minute massage and a pedicure for you and a friend at SpaSocial! The giveaway will being on April 3rd and end on April 12. The winner will be randomly selected using Rafflecopter,  and they must live in the Austin area. It's super easy to enter, just use the Rafflecopter entry below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've been thinking about starting a new blog for about a month now. A blog that's more focused on local (Texas) activities, food, travel, etc. Putting this new blog in to action actually took a lot less time than this blog here. Once I had the idea, it took me about 3 weeks before I pulled the trigger. A part of me wanted...a perfect blog template, beautiful graphics, professional photos, etc. BUT, I don't have the money for that, and my blog will never be perfect so I might as well start now. So that's exactly what I did.

My new blog is called, THE BEST OF TEXAS, and it's not perfect. Although, I am proud of what I've accomplished in just a few short weeks. I am a bit worried about making time for my 2 blogs as well as my posts for Austin Mom's Blog, but I'll take it day by day and see how it goes. I'm passionate about blogging, but I won't let it get in the way of spending time with my family. I usually blog once Turner is in bed, so that leaves me about an hour or two before bedtime. Wish me luck!

I've got a contest going on Instagram right now for this 8x10 Gold Texas Print to celebrate my blog's launch and Texas Independence Day! Super easy entry on Instagram.

Alex and I have been fortunate enough to have amazing neighbors and friends that are willing to watch Turner when we want to go out for a date night. As much as I like dates just Alex and I, I also think it's important to go out with a group of friends every once in a while. I specifically enjoy going dancing, but I think some of my friends would prefer to opt out of that : ).

A few weeks ago Alex and I dined at Estancia Churrascaria, our first Brazilian Steakhouse experience. Well, the meat was fantastic...all 14 types of it.  I seriously had the meat sweats that night because I had eaten so much. My favorite item on the menu was the Caipirinha cocktail, Brazil's national cocktail. The last time I had one of these was when a Brazilian exchange student made one for me in Poland 9 years ago.  It was just as good as I remembered. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For the last year I have been on the hunt for a custom piece of art, and I really didn't want to buy a massive print from a giant retailer.  Through a friend's Instagram, I discovered Hayley Mitchell's (ARTbyHKM) beautiful art!  I instantly fell in love with the color, and knew I had to have a piece for my home. The best part....they are affordable! I literally screamed with joy when I opened up my package and saw this wonderful canvas of flowers.  It is the PERFECT addition to our kitchen, and seeing it when I walk through my front door truly brightens my mood.

I'm excited to say Hayley is giving ONE lucky reader an 11x14 or 14x14 print from her shop (you can choose ANY piece of art you like and she will make a print just for you). This will be an Instagram contest, so head to my Instagram account for contest rules. A winner will be chosen Monday night 9/29! And don't be too sad if you don't win, because you can use the code JESSE30 to get 30% off any item!!!

I'm excited to be hosting a giveaway with Bannor Toys! The winner will receive one of these personalized rattle wooden toy cars.  If you don't have kiddos this is the perfect give for friends with kids or your nieces/nephews.  Check out my previous post to learn more about Bannor Toys and their all natural handmade toys.

Enter below!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alex and I decided to take our Christmas cards a little more serious than last year's, and I love how they turned out! My beautiful stamp from Empress Stationary was the perfect way to customize our cards even more, and we can use it for years to come.  The owners of Empress, Jessica and Sarah, are so sweet and their designs for cards and stamps are amazing.  I'm excited to be partnering with them today to offer one lucky winner a stamp of their choice from Empress Stationary's etsy shop.  Enter below to for your chance to win.

We have a WINNER for the Luxe No. 7 satchel giveaway! Congrats Clayre T., I'll be emailing you soon with all the details. Thank you to all who entered. Stay tuned for another great giveaway very soon!


In other good news, it has been raining non stop in Austin these past few weeks.  After not seeing rain for so long in the hot summer months, the rain is such a blessing.  My go to outfit for the rain is usually a dress and a pair of tall boots.  I think this past month has justified my want for a pair of rain boots.  I've got my eye on these.

Dress: Forever 21
Jacket: Vince Camuto
Boots: Gianni Bini

WIN this handbag!  I'm excited to be partnering with Luxe 7 Boutique for this awesome giveaway.  I've been searching for a new fall bag that is sleek, sturdy and fashionable.  This handbag makes me feel like a million bucks, and I love that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg.  I'm not the type to go for loud or busy purses.  I want simple and timeless, which is exactly how I feel about this satchel.  Enter to win below and we could be twinsies!

Dress: Gap
Jacket: Gap
Shoes: Aldo Outlet
Necklace: Nordstrom Rack
Watch: Michael Kors
Purse: c/o Luxe 7 Boutique

a Rafflecopter giveaway