Photographs of Beautiful Stewart Beach in Galveston

The weather is slowly but surely getting better. There are less rainy days and more warmer days. My family took advantage of one of the warmer days to visit Galveston. We ate at Mario's Ristorante which served us delicious pizza, salads, bread, soups and gelato. The servers were efficient and friendly. The prices weren't bad either. If you're feeling frugal order a large pizza and the vegetarian salad. It's enough food for four people and will run about $32. After eating we walked the length of Stewart Beach. We weren't the only ones there. People were fishing, playing in the sand, and strolling hand in hand. Admittance and parking at the beach are free until summer season starts so this is a great time to go.

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Don't Miss the Texas State Capitol in Austin

The Texas State Capitol in Austin Texas was named the number one state capitol by the American institute of Architects in 2008 and is also named as one of its top 100 buildings in the U.S. The honors are well deserved. The architecture is beautiful and the building itself is filled with history. From the gorgeous grounds surrounding the Capitol, the names and pictures of the first African Americans to serve as state legislators or Constitutional Convention delegates after slavery was abolished, to the rotunda in which the pictures of all Texas' former governors hang, you know from the moment you walk through the Capitol's doors that history is made within this building.

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Brand New Baby Goats at Blue Heron Farm

In addition to making great goat cheese, the owners of Blue Heron Farm in Field Store Community, Texas, give generous tours of their farm (see http://www.spendwiselytexas.com/2009/11/heron-bay-farm-spoiled-goats-fresh.html). My son and I stopped by recently to buy some cheese and to visit the baby goats that were born that week.

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Kenny & Ziggy's on Post Oak in Houston - Eat More for Less

 Most people in Houston know about Kenny & Ziggy's incredible New York deli style restaurant. It's actually more like a NYC deli on steroids. Everything is bigger and I'll even say better (I feel a bit like a traitor saying that but it's true).

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Gratzi Italian Restaurant - Where a Tomato Tastes Like a Tomato Should

The other day I sliced and ate a piece of tomato. I threw the rest of the tomato away as it was watery and had very little taste. I regretted wasting money and food. It had been a while since I ate a tomato that wasn't just filler but actually pleasing to eat.

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Photographs of Houston Police Stables - Horses Prefer Apples

I haven't visited the Houston Police Stables for a few months. I drove there again recently so that my son wouldn't forget his horse friends. We stopped at the .99 cent store on Little York as usual to pick up some carrots for the horses. At .99 cents a bunch they're a great deal and three bunches is enough to feed the whole stable. Unfortunately, all the carrots were gone so we picked some green apples instead. I was a bit worried as you can put some distance between your hand and the horses' large teeth when feeding the horses carrots. I wasn't sure how we were going to avoid their teeth when feeding them apples.

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First Pickings from My Garden

The cold, gloomy weather has kept a lot of my garden from growing. The one thing that has flourished, despite the temperature and lack of sun, is the broccoli rabe. We ate it recently for dinner. I was so excited to finally eat something out of my garden that I wanted it cooked as minimally as possible.

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Olde World Farms - Grass Fed Pigs, Cows, Sheep, Goats and Chickens

No matter what kind of meat you prefer, John and Karla McLaughlin will probably be able to provide it to you. You will find at Olde World Farms, in Montgomery, Texas a large number of chickens, goats, sheep, cows and pigs, including red pigs and cows, a rare variety in these species. All the animals  are pastured and are antibiotic and hormone-free. Sprawling across 410 acres, Olde World Farms is the biggest family farm that I have visited. The pigs alone have 35 acres to graze upon.

John was generous enough to give my son and I a tour of the farm. I was surprised and excited to see wild pigs that John had trapped.

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Bernhardt Winery in Plantersville, Texas

Spending a few hours at Bernhardt Winery on Highway 105 in Plantersville is an extremely pleasant way to spend an afternoon. The winery offers six tastings for $5 per person. On the day my family visited, the host gave us hearty pours of all nine wines available for tasting that day for the same price.

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Traveling with Special Needs Children

Christy Cross is now blogging at TravelingMom.com about traveling with her special needs son. For her first post, click the link, http://www.travelingmom.com/blogger/traveling-with-your-special-needs-child-it’s-definitely-special/.

Houston Farmers Market at Rice University

After visiting the Houston Zoo, last week, I decided to stop by the Houston Farmers Market which is held at Rice University every Tuesday from 3:30 to 6:30 and from 9 to 1 on Saturdays. I was surprised by the number of vendors and the variety of products available.

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Houston Museum Of Natural Science - Faberge Exhibit

My husband and I visited HMNS's Faberge exhibit recently. We're both interested in gems and jewelry so attending this exhibit was a lot of fun for us. The main room had many examples of the House of Faberge's work and much history on how and why the works were created. The pieces were beautiful. Lots of spectacularly colored enamels and every day items turned into unique art works through the use of enamel, precious metals and gems.

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It's just too cold!

I haven't gone anywhere new this week. It's just been too cold. If you are considering moving to Houston, don't make the mistake of giving away all your warm coats like I did. For a few weeks here and there, you will need them. The Houston area had its coldest night in 40 years last night and at noon it's only 28 degrees outside. My garden seems to have made it through with only a few casualties. Unfortunately, the broccoli rabe which was nearly ready for picking seems to have suffered the most.  I won't wish for warmer days though. Summer's searing heat will be here soon enough. While writing this post, I realize how spoiled I am. I'm sure many of my friends and family around the US are experiencing temperatures much colder than 28 degrees and for a much a longer period than a few days. The weather here will return to at least 60 degrees by Tuesday.

In anticipation of Spring, below is a picture of a fawn that used to visit our yard daily last April.

Houston's Top Ten Frugal Places and Activities for Children

There are still plenty of places to explore in the Greater Houston area but below are the top ten budget friendly places I visited during 2009. Most of the activities are free. None cost more than $7 per person. Enjoy and let me know what places you think I should visit in 2010.

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The Dump - Well Crafted Furniture, Excellent Price

I finally visited Houston's The Dump at I-45, near West Street.  I wish I had found it earlier as there is beautiful furniture of all kinds on display, most at a reasonable price. In addition to unique beds, couches and chairs, there were extensive selections of mirrors and rugs.

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