La Margarita Mexican Restaurant & Oyster Bar Food Review

La Margarita Mexican Restaurant and Oyster Bar is located in downtown San Antonio at the Market Square. It is the 'Home of the Sizzling Fajitas' and I can contest to that having tried them on my first ever visit, they are good!

On this day when we arrived at the Market we decided to fill up our tummies before we enjoyed the day's festivities. Of course we had to start with drinks because that is what we do when we go to Market and since we had a sitter it was the perfect time for drinks. I loved our waitress because when I ordered my Margarita, she up sold me to a bigger side; I was thankful for that. 

While we waited for our food we were served chips and hot sauce. The red sauce is what they originally serve and it was good. As we were eating, one of the servers past us and asked my husband if he liked 'it' (the hot sauce) spicier. Of course my husband said, 'yes', so the server brought my husband some REALLY hot sauce. I thought it was pretty awesome that the random server took the time to initiate conversation with my husband and hook him up with some spicier hot sauce. (Sorry about the picture, the margarita had started to take affect at this point)

Sometimes when I go to a restaurant I try and change it up a little, but not too much because I have a tendency to get picky. I got really daring and ordered the Chalupas Supremas (insert sarcasm) and my husband ordered the Enchiladas Acapulco. My dish was good, simple, and fresh. I normally don't order Chalupas, it was actually an accident that I ordered these but they were good. My husband said his dish was really good; he is more daring than I am. His dish was filled with shrimp, crab and fish. 

La Margarita Mexican Restaurant & Oyster Bar is good. Personally it was not my favorite Mexican food establishment to eat at but the ambiance makes it what it is. They have Mariachi's that will play any song you would like; for a small fee of course. You can sit inside the restaurant or sit on the patio and watch as people stroll in the Market. Every waiter/ waitress we have come across has always been extremely nice and courteous. If you are a tourist, or if you don't want to eat from a food vendor or if you  just want to sit, drink and listen to some Mariachis, this is the place for you. 

  

'Finish This' Week 17

My second week of participating in the Finish This segment, and these questions are bit more difficult than last week. Let's see if I can live up to last week. 

1- My last growing pain was when my mom was diagnosed with Dementia . My mom always had 'odd ways' about her so when she was diagnosed we thought it was her being her, but then when she was admitted into a nursing home and was on medication and had 'checked out' and given up, that is when it hit me. Then when she passed away all I could think about was.... is this going to happen to me! That is my biggest growing pain and I am not a fan of it to be completely honest! 

2- I grow and nurture my kids to the best of my ability. I am not the most patient mom or the most 'normal' mom but I try to instill into them things that should help them be better people and help them grow up with common sense and respect for others. 

3- The guilt - free snack I enjoy most are the awesome healthy snacks I find at Costco! I am amazed at how many yummy healthy snacks they have but anyone can gorge on a healthy snack and make it unhealthy. Yep I have a tendency to do that A LOT! 

4- The best reason to stay up all night ..............There is no good reason to stay up all night. If my kids were old enough and trained to sleep until 10 am each morning I could dig the staying up all night but with kids that wake up at 7 am and start to make noise, I am not down with staying up all night. I might stay up until 11 pm but then I am exhausted in the morning when I have to wake up at 5:48 am. Sleep, especially beauty, is so important to me! 

5- If I were stranded on a desert island, I'd have a panic attack! I am not a nature girl and I don't enjoy outside. I must have certain every day items such as toilet paper, chap stick, and my computer. If my kids were not stuck on the island with me, I would miss them dearly but on the flip side if my kids were stuck on the island with me, I'd find the nearest corner of the island and just start rocking. Oh ya, there is no win win with being stuck on a desert island! 

An HEB Baby Diapers Sponsored Post - This Mom Knows Diapers-

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

I sometimes refer to myself as a diaper professional; no joke. I have raised 3 little girls through their diaper years, one still in diapers, and I also have had a home daycare for the past 6 years. I think it is safe to say that I am a diaper expert and can tell you the brand name just by looking at the diaper and the quality of each diaper. To be honest, there are some diaper brands that I refuse to buy and when I have a new mom bring her child over for me to care for them I know which diaper brand to always recommend; HEB Baby Diapers.

Since moving to South Texas almost 3 years ago, I have discovered a new found love for HEB and all of the HEB products; namely the HEB Baby Diapers. The first thing I noticed when I first purchased HEB Baby Diapers was their soft cottony feel and how thin they were. I am not a fan of the bulky baby diaper, nor does my daughter like the stiff/ cardboard feel of some diapers. Another great thing about HEB Baby Diapers is that they contour to fit my child's body and since she is active this is a great quality to prevent leakage. To learn more about HEB Baby Diapers, watch my VLOG below:

If you couldn't tell, I could talk diapers all day long; like I said, I am a diaper expert. If you have a child, grandchild, family member or if you are going to a baby shower you should give HEB Baby Diapers a try. You will not be disappointed in the quality and you will definitely not be disappointed in the price.

Have you tried HEB Baby Diapers, if so, what did you think?

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

San Antonio's 'The Reptile Man' - A House of Fauci's Review

Months ago my 8 year old attended a birthday party for two friends and when we arrived to pick her up, she ran up to us and said she knew exactly the type of birthday party she wanted to have... a Mustache Reptile Party. After talking to the hostess of the party, I told my daughter that her dad and I would make it happen; especially after the mom said that this was the third time they had hired the Reptile Man.

Before my daughter could change her mind, I immediately contacted The Reptile Man via email and booked my daughter's birthday party. He contacted me to discuss the upcoming party and told me what I needed to know. He would entertain for around an hour and the party price began at $140. Since I lived outside of San Antonio I did have to pay a small fee, but I was okay with that. After our conversation, I was excited; for my daughter of course.

On the day of the party, before The Reptile Man arrived, my house was loud and chaotic and filled with around 15 or so kids ranging from ages 1- 9. Once The Reptile Man entered our home and began to set up his table of reptiles, every single child, without instruction, found a seat and the house went silent; it was amazingly wonderful.

The Reptile Man started the show and all eyes and ears were focused on him. As he was pulling out the different reptiles and giving fun facts about each one, every child, and I mean every child, sat quietly and attentively and as they had questions they raised their hands and waited to be called on. He brought out all types of lizards and snakes and a few other creatures and made sure that each child had an opportunity to see them up close and touch them IF they were 'touchable' creatures.

With having 6 kids, I have to say that The Reptile Man party was HANDS DOWN the best party that any of my kids have ever had. One great thing about this party is that you can have the party at almost any location of your choice and have the kids entertained for an hour by someone other than yourself! Often times I go into a panic when I think of more than 10 kids in my home and the amount of chaos, noise, and craziness that will occur, but quite honestly, there was none of that; okay maybe 20 minutes of chaos when cake was served. I totally and 100% recommend hiring The Reptile Man for your child's party, be it a boy or a girl. On a side note, the girls were more hands on with the reptiles than the boys and the girls also did a cute little scream, not a fearful scream but a 'oh that is so precious' scream when each reptile was pulled out. It was definitely a Kodak moment! 

If you are in San Antonio or in the surrounding area and you are interested in a party or event with The Reptile Man here is his information: http://thereptileman.net/ . Keep in mind I only write posts about companies, products, and businesses that I believe in and like I stated earlier, I have thrown A LOT of birthday parties; a little over 35 to give you an idea. In closing, having The Reptile Man host your child's birthday party is much cheaper, much funner, and so much more entertaining than a stinky and germ infested pizza place that has a scary mouse running around or a loud bounce house that only allows 12 kids but charges an enormous amount of money. 

Tejas Rodeo Company in Bulverde, Texas

A few weeks ago our family attended a hidden little gem, the Tejas Rodeo Company in Bulverde, Texas. We recently moved to Bulverde, a small city outside of San Antonio, and did not know that this place existed until one day we drove past it, hit our brakes, and backed up our pick up truck to make sure we saw what we thought we were seeing. The excitement that filled that truck was not even explainable; a rodeo and a steakhouse that was minutes from our house!

When we entered the gates we saw a few stands that were selling western wear and then we passed by an employee that was grilling something amazing; unfortunately we had already eaten but the smell did make our nostrils tickle with happiness. Next time we will definitely arrive to Tejas Rodeo hungry. 

Before we took our seats, we walked around the grounds to see what the Tejas Rodeo Company had to offer. Besides the awesome food selections they had a little shop that sold t-shirts and mementos. One shirt that I will be purchasing on our next visit reads 'Keep Bulverde Dirty'; that is a must have for this girl. They also had Pony Rides for the kids, a beautiful horse that was available for petting and then a mechanical bull for kids to ride. I was amazed at my middle child when she ran up to us and begged to let her ride the bull. When we said, 'YES!', she hopped on the bull like a professional; who is this kid?

                                          

The rodeo was awesome, the animals were beautiful and the riders have such an amazing talent that it astounds me at what they are capable of doing. 

A few other 'kid friendly' events on the actual turf were 'Mutton Bustin' and a 'Calf Scramble'. Unfortunately, my Bella was too young for the 'Mutton Bustin'; you have to be 4-7 years old. If you don't know what 'Mutton Bustin' is then watch this video:

'Mutton Bustin' is when a child rides a sheep and tries to see how long they can stay on. It was so much fun watching these brave little cowboys and cowgirls try their hand at it. I am hoping in the next year my Bella will try her hand at it. 

After 'Mutton Bustin' they had a 'Calf Scramble'. A 'Calf Scramble' is when a ton of kids are let out onto the rodeo arena and made to chase 3-4 calves that have a ribbon tied to their tails. I am not sure what happens if a child is able to grab the ribbon, but I am proud to say that all of my girls and grand daughter went out to give it a shot. On a side note, when they went into the rodeo arena they did not have a clue as to what they were getting in to. Here is a short video (Bella is the one that keeps falling down and my grand daughter is next to her waiting for her like a good friend does.):

Each of us enjoyed the Tejas Rodeo Company; my girls want to go back this weekend and my middle child wants her birthday party there. This is a great place for all ages and there are so many events, delicious foods, cold drinks and it is a great ambiance. The city of Bulverde is right outside of San Antonio, so if you are a local or a tourist you should put this on your 'must visit' list. I promise, you will not be disappointed.  

Fiesta de Los Reyes at Market Square 2014

Last Saturday the Fauci's attended Fiesta De Los Reyes at Market Square and got to bring along our oldest daughter and our grand daughter. We loved to be able to share their first Fiesta experience with them and really loved that we got to share it with them at Market Square. 

Daddy got all the girls some sunglasses and the salesman was nice enough, without my husband asking, to give him a very nice deal! Every single vendor/ store owner (except for 2- a beer vendor and a store owner that makes 'American' food was extremely nice, giving, courteous, friendly, personable and awesome! One store owner spoke to us of the history of her family, one owner chased us down to give our girls some beads and another owner gave us a free flower hat, just because he thought we needed a new one. 

When you attend a Fiesta event, Cascarones are a must; so fun and so colorful! 

If you are going to celebrate Fiesta, then Fiesta De Los Reyes at Market Square is a must celebration for you to attend. The live music, fresh food, street vendors, ambiance, and over the top nice people make it the best Fiesta event I have ever been to! 

 
VIVA FIESTA!!!

'Finish This' Week 16

This is my first 'Finish This' link- up that is hosted by the ladies above. I found the 'Finish This' on Nicole's blog - Three 31.  I am cordially inviting everyone that has the benefit of reading my 'Finish This' to stop on over and play along. It's actually really fun and thought provoking as well! Let's do this:

1- My favorite make up item is.... Really? I am such a 'plain Jane' kind of girl that I stick with simple mascara, base, blush, and eye shadow and only when I have to. I rarely buy makeup and when I do I look at the makeup aisles so confused and clueless and then I freak out because the cost of makeup is so incredibly high. I kid you not, I am due to buy some mascara and I probably have not bought mascara in two years. I still use my eye shadow from 10 years ago. I am cheap and I am boring.

2- The best book I've ever read was probably The Hunger Games trilogy and I say this because that was a series of books I could not put down. I became so obsessed with those books that I had nightmares. I dreamed that I was Katniss's side kick and that I was running and could not run fast enough; side note I am NOT a fast runner nor am I a good runner so if this actually happened in real life I would be the first to die!

3- My favorite TV show is.... This one is kind of embarrassing because I am obsessed with any and all seasons, except Miami, of the Housewives. I like a lot of other shows and I have Netflixed certain shows and watched the entire seasons within days but I have only been truly dedicated with the 'Housewives'.  I know it is staged but something about watching those women makes me happy that I am who I am and not jealous at all of their riches, cause they are too full of Botox and really don't seem very happy.

4- The most spontaneous thing I've ever done was... decide on Christmas night to drive from Texas to Disneyland the next day with the family (me , my husband, 2 year old and a 3 year old). In all honesty, it was my husband's spontaneous idea and I will admit that I fought with him and told him that there was NO WAY I was going to sit in the car with two girls under 5 and drive 20+ hours to Disney. My goodness my house was not clean and laundry was not clean nor did I feel like I had time to pack,  after he told me that he was going with or without me, I decided to join in his spontaneity and we had fun.

5- I prefer outside cats that do not belong to me and that I can feed and pet, but allow me to go on vacation while they fend for themselves. Before I had kids of my own, I used to be a dog person. I actually had a Maltese and for a while I thought she was a person and so did she, but then after I had kids I figured out she was a dog but she didn't. Since I have to be responsible for my own kids, I am not very good with dealing with animals, therefore I prefer the outside cat that can catch a bird or bug if I am not around to feed it.

6- I met my significant other at work. After a friend of his sent him to my department to 'check me out', he continued to 'check me out' for a week or so while I kept thinking what a weirdo he was. After he convinced me to go to lunch we never stopped talking and we actually moved in with one another after a month of 'hanging out' and we've been together ever since-- 19 years..

Written by: Aimee Fauci

'Look At Me' by Modern Publishing - A House of Fauci Book Review

I have been raising and helping raise kids forever, well not forever, but for a really long time. When my oldest was born her Nana spoiled her rotten with clothes, some toys, and books. Her Nana, my husband's mom, has an amazing ability to go to thrift stores/ Goodwill and find treasures for cheap; I wish I had this talent. On one visit, my daughter's Nana brought her a book called 'Look At Me'.  It was a really thick book with hard pages, safe for baby to slobber on, sit on, and stand on.

Let me tell you, since I have been raising kids and caring for other people's kids, this book is the best book for baby's and toddlers that I have ever come across. It has bright pictures of baby's and shows different expressions of baby's and different baby body parts; nose, hair, tummy etc..

I honestly can say that this is a book that I will never give away or donate. I have had kids stare at the pics for the longest time and copy what the kids in the books are doing. I love this book so much that I even had a daycare mom's husband rebind it for more protection. I recently searched Amazon for the 'Look At Me' book to purchase for a newly expecting mom, but only found pre owned books; I went ahead and grabbed it. Let's hope her baby enjoys it as much as all of the baby's that have come across it in my house. 

Written by: Aimee Fauci

How To Make Cascarones - A House of Fauci's VLOG

I was first introduced to the Cascarones when my son's (at the time) girlfriend brought his sisters some confetti filled eggs. We loved them and they made for awesome pictures.

Since we moved to San Antonio, we see Cascarones being sold at almost every grocery store during Fiesta and we always buy some every year. After stumbling upon a blog post from Alamo City Mom's Blog on how to make home made Cascarones, I decided to try my hand at it and create my very first VLOG. 

Cascarones are not only fun, but like I said they make for great pictures. These can be used for all occasions not just for Fiesta and Easter, but for birthdays and other celebrations. 

The Perfect Mailbox Design

My family and I moved from 'the big city' to a city with acreage. When we lived in the big city you could request a package pick up from usps.com, put your outgoing packages outside of your front door on the porch, and know that your mail carrier would pick them up when he passed your house. Now that we live in the 'country', it is a little different. You can't put your packages outside your door or at the end of your driveway for fear of a deer stepping on it, a roaming dog coming up to it and sniffing at it and possibly marking its territory or for fear of the ants attacking it.

Since I run a small business in my home, Sassy Bratz Boutique, I mail a lot of packages. In addition, I receive a lot of packages because I have an obsession with a few online stores, so when we moved into our little 'farm' home, we my husband had to come up with a solution. After receiving a note from our mail carrier saying that our current mailbox needed to be moved closer to the road or we would not be allowed mail delivery, we knew it was time to do a redesign. My husband, knowing my needs, designed the perfect mailbox and hired someone to build it.

Here is the before picture of our mailbox:

And the after:

I am in love with this mailbox! Not only are my packages safe from varmints, bugs and weather, but they are safe from 'bad guys' that like to steal your mail! The huge niche in the back of the mailbox cannot be seen from the road and is big enough to fit several packages or a great big package. 

Yep, I am pretty proud of my husband for being so darn smart! 

Written by: Aimee Fauci

Fiesta Oyster Bake 2014- A House of Fauci's Review

Over the weekend, the Fauci's put on their brightest colors and headed down to St Mary's University to celebrate Fiesta Oyster Bake in San Antonio, Texas. 

Proceeds from the Fiesta Oyster Bake fund more than 70 St Mary's University students full or partial tuition scholarships or other financial assistance; in addition to so much more that benefits the students and alumni. With the amount of proceeds that are collected there is a lot of work to make this event successful. There are 7,000 volunteers that contribute 50,000 volunteer hours along with part time contractors and more. 

Fiesta Oyster Bake had quite a selection of food and drink. I believe my husband sampled the most. He enjoyed fried oysters, fried jalapenos and baked oysters. I grabbed a fresh beef fajita and shared a fried cheesecake with my girls as well. All of the food looked great. Not only were volunteers cooking the oysters but they were grilling fajita meat and burgers; the smell was amazing. 

In addition to the great food, the Oyster Bake had fun rides for 'kid's' of ALL ages. My family chose to stick with the kiddie rides. The girls were allowed to choose three rides each and they loved each of them. My 2 year old has just now been able to ride and thankfully her bow made her tall enough or she would have melted! 

Depending on the weather and how long you plan to stay, you may consider bringing a blanket to lay in the grass so you can enjoy all the awesome music, lawn chairs, and sunblock! Unfortunately, drinks and food are not allowed, but they were nice enough to allow my daughter to bring in her sippy cup and my girls to bring in their snacks. 

For the most part, our family enjoyed Fiesta Oyster Bake. There was something for all of us. It was not too adult and it was not too kiddie. It was actually the perfect mix; keep in mind we went during the day. If I was to go again next year, I would most likely go alone with my husband so we could only worry about us, listen to the bands as we chillaxed on the green grass with a beer in our hands. 

VIVA FIESTA 2014!!!!!

Written by: Aimee Fauci