Athleta – San Antonio, The Shops at La Cantera

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Hey San Antonio, I have great news for you,

A brand new Athleta is open, it’s true!

It’s the first location in our great city,

And if you haven’t been yet, that’s a huge pity.

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It’s at La Cantera on the North side of town,

And they seriously have the cutest clothes around.

The store floor is wood, the brick walls are white,

The vibe is friendly and casual, not at all uptight.

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You’ll be greeted by a salesperson who can help you for sure,

If you’re in a workout rut, this place is the cure.

Their athletic-wear varies from bright to basic black,

And they have perfect styles from yoga to running around the track.

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Whatever your needs, you’ll find the perfect clothes,

Need some nice outfits for leisure? They also have those.

Each piece is crafted with amazing detail and care,

And you can tell that in an instant by how comfortably they wear.

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The Chaturanga tights were gifted to me nicely,

And it was amazing how they fit my body so precisely.

They are soft and stretchy and feel like a second skin,

As soon as I take them off, I want to put them on again!

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The store is full of options for relaxing or exploring,

Whether you’re running a marathon or in bed snoring.

Grab a sweater or a sweatshirt, a dress or a tank,

And smile knowing that Athleta’s prices won’t break the bank.

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The amazingness doesn’t stop at their clothing line,

Their community events are where they totally shine!

So check out their website or visit the store,

To see when they do free classes like yoga and more!

 

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Once you experience their culture you’ll have to agree,

They really live their motto, the “Power of She.”

Want to be cute AND comfy? Take it from me,

Athleta is the place your dream outfits will be!

 

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I received complimentary products for consideration, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

 

 

 

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A Tour of Lolli and Pops

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Hello friends! Today, we’re going to take a little tour of a glorious gourmet candy shop that recently opened at La Cantera, Lolli and Pops.

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With its succulent filled window boxes and old-fashioned globe light fixtures, you can’t miss the precious, mint colored store front. Upon arriving at Lolli and Pops, you are greeted by an adorably dressed employee who offers you some scrumptious sweets.

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While you munch on whatever delicacy they offered you, you spot glass cases full of decorated truffles and decadent fudge.

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You will probably be stunned into silence by the wonder of all of the beautiful delights that surround you. Just pause and take it all in.

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If you become choked up with emotions, look to your left where a freezer is full of delicious old-fashioned sodas to quench your thirst.

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They have everything from classic Coca Cola to Avery’s SODAsgusting “Kitty Piddle” flavors. (It’s actually a delicious orange and pineapple combination…I don’t think it’s possible for anything coming out of Lolli and Pops to be anything short of amazing.)

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If you turn to your right, the walls are covered with international sweets from several different countries.

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At first you’re probably like, “Oh, nice to meet you, international candies.”

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Then, as you turn around, you’re greeted by an entire wall of Texas themed candy.

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And you remember, “Oh ya…I live in the greatest place in the world. No need to branch out to other countries.” Yay, Texas.

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Once your head stops spinning from traveling around the globe, you’re greeted by adorable chalkboard signs leading you into the vintage candy room.

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You can hear the yummy candy calling your name…

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You can smell its sweet aroma beckoning you…

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Then suddenly, you arrive in another candy hub! This vintage room is overflowing with classic candies that you grew up with like PEZ, candy buttons, and every flavor of jelly bean.

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You could probably spend all day just chowing down and living life in this room.

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However, your heart knows you have to continue, so you venture further into the chocolate room.

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Resist your urge to frolic around the shelves of every color M&M, chocolate covered nuts, coffee beans, and more! Or don’t.

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Suddenly, on your chocolate filled journey you are stopped in your tracks by a larger-than-life golden gummy bear. It smiles at you, beckoning you to taste the miniature versions of the statue that are created with real fruit juice in flavors you haven’t even thought of.

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The gummy bear mecca is surrounded with sweet and sour gummy candies all gathered in one place for your enjoyment. There’s a solid chance I could live comfortably for weeks in this room.

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By this point you’ve probably gathered nine pounds of candy in either cellophane bags or an adorable mason jar Lolli and Pops provided for you. You return back to the front to assess the damage on your wallet where you realize the preciousness of the store continues into their package branding.

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Suddenly the price of what you’ve acquired doesn’t even matter because you know you’ll get to transport it home in an adorable gold-rimmed box or a classic mint bag. You’re practically begging the employees to take your money.

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You may want to save those paper bags though, because trips to Lolli and Pops can become quite addictive.

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High Five for Friday Part 2!

Happy Friday, friends! This week has gone by pretty quickly, and I’m excited for the weekend! There’s nothing I love more than having Louis home with me! Just wanted to stop in today to share 5 of my “highs” from the week!

1. This past weekend Louis and I went home for Easter to celebrate with our families. Last year, we stayed in San Antonio, so this year we wanted to head home. We got tons of quality family time and got to do tons of fun stuff, but the best part was just being together with everyone. Even though the weekend was packed with fun activities, one of my favorite times was late Sunday night. My dad popped homemade popcorn and got Sonic drinks for us, and my mom, sister, and I sat in the living room by the fire laughing and catching up. With Amy having Henry (and soon Hudson!) and me being in San Antonio, times like this are rare these days. It was great just to all be together!

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2. Speaking of Easter, my parents had an Easter egg hunt for all the big kids, and Louis found the golden egg! Enclosed was a gift card to Chic-fil-a! Any night I don’t have to cook dinner is a win in my book, so I was psyched we got to use that for some delicious fri fri chicky chick this week.

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3. This was actually last week, but I got a haircut! Woo! My hair has always been long, but it was getting a bit out of control. I decided to take a few inches off the length and add some face framing layers. Shout out to Nancy at Visible Changes in La Cantera. She was awesome, and I love my fresh, new look! I’m sure most people can’t even tell I got it cut, but to me, it’s a big improvement! Also, I’m sure you’re psyched I labeled the pictures below because you couldn’t tell that the picture with the shorter hair was after…

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4. Another high this week was that my car passed inspection. You’re probably like, “Wow, Ali leads a super lame life if that was a highlight of her week.” Well, um, stop being so rude first of all. Secondly, I’m psyched because I was worried it wouldn’t pass! My Sunfire has been my buddy since my parents gifted it to me for my 16th birthday, so it’s been through a lot. Currently my windows, gas gauge, and speedometer don’t function…it is what it is. NOT funny story: last time I got my tires changed I asked the mechanics not to roll down my windows because they don’t roll back up. They chose to roll them down anyway, and I had to drive home with them down…in the rain. Because of that fun experience, I taped the note below over my power window buttons to ensure my windows would remain up. Thumbs up for Firestone though because they DIDN’T roll down my windows (not that I gave them much of a choice), and I only had to wait for 30 minutes for my inspection. Plus they had free wifi! Way to go Firestone. And way to go, Sunfire!!! We’re in it together for at least another year, baby!

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5. I’ve been lusting after this GIGANTIC teal mason jar at Walmart for about a month, and I finally broke down and bought it this week. I think it was like $9, so it wasn’t a major investment, but I’m in love! It holds 32 oz like my Nalgene, and I find myself drinking even more water than usual, so yay for that! Also, the color is so fun! Perfect for summer.

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Well, that’s my week in 5 quick moments! Hope you had an incredible week, and your weekend is off the charts! Apparently Fiesta is going on right now in San Antonio. It seems like it’s a big deal, but to me it just means to avoid the River Walk! Hah! Such a Debbie Downer. 😉

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Valentine's Day 2014

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I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day! Ours was fun, relaxed, and right up our alley! Here’s what we did….

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I always make Louis’s lunch before work, so on Valentine’s Day I included a few little notes throughout his lunchbox. At first I was worried the celery stalk note might be a bit much, but I just went for it. 😉

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Louis had told me he’d be working until 4:00, so I was still in my robe shocked when I heard a knock at the door at noon…Louis was home! He took a half day and surprised me with the tallest, prettiest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever seen! It has to be at least three feet tall! I was so shocked and happy we got to spend most of the day together!

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After I quickly got ready, we headed out for lunch at our favorite chicken place…Cane’s! We had a quick, yummy lunch and decided to head to the movies.

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We played FIVE games of air hockey, and Louis beat me…EVERY GAME. What kind of husband doesn’t let his wife win even on Valentine’s Day? Just kidding….he tried to let me win multiple times, I’m just THAT bad. I’ll get him next time. 😉

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After our air hockey marathon, Louis played a couple games of Galaga and (of course) got the new high score of 143770! I have a feeling this will be a mandatory check-up each time we return to the theater to ensure he still reigns supreme.

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We couldn’t admire his record breaking score for too long…we had a movie to get to! That’s right, on the most romantic day of the year, we went to see Lego Movie! If our love for Disney wasn’t a giveaway, we’re kind of childlike… 🙂 It was really funny and cute!

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After the movie, we headed to La Cantera to stroll around and pick up my MacBook Pro from being repaired. It was a beautiful day, and the perfect one to enjoy both Ray Bans and Red Lips! (Revlon Matte Balm in Standout by the way…review coming soon!)

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We saw this weird, cool, gigantic yellow rose sculpture , so, naturally, I wanted a picture in front of it…

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When we got home, I took a ridiculous amount of pictures of my beautiful bouquet…our entire apartment smells like roses! I told Louis not to get me any flowers for Valentine’s Day because Disneyland (trip report to come soon!) was our Valentine’s/Anniversary celebration/gift to each other, but I’m happy he decided to get some for me anyway 🙂

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Thanks Louis! I love you!

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We also exchanged cards, and I loved my 3D chocolate card from Louis! It looked good enough to eat, and the message inside was even sweeter than chocolate 🙂 We cooked dinner together that night and enjoyed an evening at home.

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Yes, it was a casual, relaxing Valentine’s Day that didn’t involve an $85 Prix Fixe menu at crowded restaurant with food we wouldn’t enjoy, which was perfect because it was us. Fried chicken, air hockey, a kid’s movie, and time with the most handsome, fun, guy I know. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend it any other way! 

Hope your Valentine’s Day was just as wonderful!

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