We have had a lot of cold weather this winter in north central Texas, including more snow than we’ve seen in quite some time.  Some people have had enough of it, though, and are wishing for warmer weather.  They might even like an Orlando vacation so they could travel to where it’s warmer.  But soon, the really hot summer weather will be here and some of them will probably be wishing for this cold weather again!  How about you?  Do you like the weather hot or cold?

There’s so much sickness going on right now.  I have been doing more substitute teaching recently because of it.  I feel sorry for our daughter, Christi, and her husband and two babies.  They’ve all been sick with everything from pink eye (Baby C), throwing up, ear infection, to just not feeling well because of a bad cold and/or fever.  They need to take an Outer Banks vacation to get away from all the sick germs that are at work, preschool, and everywhere!

It is chilly here today in north central Texas.  I am ready for some warmer weather, but I think it’s chilly everywhere in the states, even at the north myrtle beach hotels.  Of course, it is winter and we’re supposed to have cold weather in the winter.  But I’m used to having some nice days in the 60’s here in Texas, and I’m ready for a few of those days!

We are visiting my mother-in-law, and it’s been very cold here this week.  We went out to a few stores today and to check out the sale at Kohl’s, and we hurried inside the stores as fast as possible.  Days like this make people want to check out destin florida vacations or someplace where it’s a lot warmer than 15 degrees.   We’re back home where it’s nice and warm and cozy, and this is where we plan to stay the rest of the day.  Some hot chocolate sounds great, so that will take the place of a tropical destination for now.

We haven’t taken a vacation for the last three years, but we do take trips to see relatives which are great.  In the past, we’ve taken a couple of orlando vacations, several trips to Colorado, and when our daughter graduated from high school we went to Hawaii.  It was always great to visit another part of the country, experience the local culture and just get away from the usual day to day routine!

I have been so busy this week!  I did substitute teaching Monday through Friday plus my private tutoring that I do at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  And then on Wednesday evenings, I teach a toddler class.  I kept thinking that I really need to dust, but I didn’t want to take the time to do it.

Thanks to MS&L, I received the Swiffer 360 Duster to use in my home.  I used it last night, and it made dusting go so much faster.  And I was able to dust those “hard to dust” places easily, places like electronic equipment, window blinds, decorative ridges on furniture, around cords and wires, etc.

Another great thing about the Swiffer 360 Duster is that it reduces up to 90% of common household allergens from dogs, cats, and dust mites.  The fluffy dust-locking fibers lock up to two times more dust and allergens than a feather duster.

Below is a link to a video of the Swiffer Allergen Reducing Blogger Roundtable at Appleseeds NYC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu6UfKnvndY

WATCH FOR A SWIFFER 360 DUSTER GIVE-AWAY THIS NEXT WEEK!!

Austin is a fun place to visit and can provide an inexpensive vacation.   It really is a pretty area, and one part of the vacation can include driving on the west side of Austin and enjoying the beauty of the hills and the Colorado River.

There are several free things to do while visiting Austin. Here are some places that do not charge admission:

* Texas State Capitol - open daily.  It’s 14 feet taller than the National Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and is recognized as one of the nation’s most distinguished capitol buildings.  It is definitely impressive inside and out.  The view from the ground floor looking straight up to the top of the rotunda area is awesome!   Children enjoy going up the beautiful staircases.   Located at 1100 Congress Ave.  (512) 463-0063

* Austin Nature and Science Center - provides families, individuals, and also groups with recreational and educational experiences including a “living museum,” trails,  interpretive exhibits, programs, and collections. Open on Saturday 9- 5 & Sunday 12- 5.   Located at 301 Nature Center Dr, Austin, TX.

(512) 327-8180

* Texas Memorial Museum - a natural history museum which contains exhibits about Texas’ geological and zoological history.  Children especially enjoy the first floor.  They are open on  Saturday from 10 -  5 & Sunday from 1-5 and are  located one block north of the UT football field at  2400 Trinity St.  Austin, TX  (512) 471-1604.  Free admission.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS WITH ADMISSION FEE:

• Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum - an excellent museum worth visiting!  Located at 1800 North Congress Avenue.  (512)-936-8746
• Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum – also a museum worth visiting.  Located at 2313 Red River Street.  (512) 916-5137
• Austin Children’s Museum located at 201 Colorado Street.  (512) 472-2499

* Texas Rowing Center located on the Hike and Bike Trail on Town Lake – a fun place to rent canoes.  They are open 6 AM until dusk every day.  (512) 467-7799.  (We have done this a couple of different times, and it’s a fun activity for the whole family.  Town Lake provides a great view of downtown Austin.)

We made an overnight trip to Austin this past weekend for State UIL Band Solo Contest.  This is the third (and last) year we’ve done this.  Our family tradition is to eat at Chuy’s when we’re in Austin, and so we had to eat there this time, too.  Besides, we had to celebrate our son getting a score of “1″ which is the highest score one can get at UIL.

Chuy’s is big on atmosphere and great food.  They have awesome  enchiladas, guacamole, and salsa, just to name a few items.  Tortillas are made there on location at their restaurants, chicken is cooked there (not frozen or canned chicken), guacamole and salsa are freshly made…does that give you an idea about the quality of their food?

They are also known for their cool T-shirts which they sell at the check-out counter, and probably their most famous T-shirt is “Keep Austin Weird.”

Their locations have spread from Austin to other Texas cities.  I looked online, and these are the Texas cities in which Chuy’s is located:

* Austin (3 locations)

* Dallas

* Houston

* Round Rock
* San Antonio

* Selma

* Arlington

If you visit one of these places, try to eat at Chuy’s while you’re there.  It’s a fun place to eat great Tex-Mex Food.  Maybe it will become a family tradition with you, too!

NOTE:   The original Chuy’s from Austin is not located in Ft. Worth.  The one in Ft. Worth is “Chuys Mexican Restaurant” and Google just happens to have a link to the original Austin Chuy’s beside each Ft. Worth listing.  However, I made a phone call to verify and found out those are two distinct restaurants.

Choice Hotels has a great offer for a free hotel stay. That’s a great deal that’s hard to beat. By staying with them, you can earn a free night. So what are the Choice Hotels? There are quite a few, so you might want to check out their site. With vacations and trips being planned for the summer, now is a great time to include them in your planning.  And with money being tighter for a lot of people, a free night’s stay helps ease one’s budget a little bit.

Are you going to be visiting San Diego soon and needing a San Diego hotel to stay in?  There are beautiful hotels there such as the boutique hotel pictured.   I have a friend who visited that area on a business trip with her husband and really enjoyed it.  It sounds like a nice place to visit, whether for a business trip or for a vacation!