Child Craft Schools

My daughter went to child craft's after school program here when she was in Kindergarten. It was a very affordable after school program. They also had special activities for the kids. On more than one occassion, they brought in a clown and a magician as a special treat for the kids. My daughter loved the staff, and I felt very comfortable that she was getting excellent care.

PROS: p/u after school, affordable
CONS: closed before 6:30, which was hard for me at times.

Groovy Automotive

was told by a certain mechanic at another place that it would cost over $1200 to fix my Isuzu....it was just DOA. A friend highly recommended Groovy, so I took the plunge & had my car towed there. They fixed it for about $250 and did it in record time. They also would call to let me know what they were doing, why they were doing it, and how much it would cost!

PROS: good service & they don't rip you off
CONS:

R L. White, DDS

And the only reason I say almost is because I'm a BIG baby when it comes to pain and have an insane fear of dentists! I had to have all 4 wisdom teeth, this was the right place to come. I was allowed to be put "under" (sleep) via an IV, which was PERFECT for me. It was like taking a nap & waking up to no more wisdom teeth. The doc was great, had a great bedside manner, and did a fab job. I was swollen & in some pain the days to come, but that was to be expected. This place was awesome and get many kudos from me!

PROS: awesome doc, great staff, little pain
CONS: none

Roaring Fork - Austin

Had lunch here one day...what wonderful wonderful service! Waitstaff was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The food was great, although, a little bit pricey. I had the big a*s burger, it was by far the best burger I have ever had! Mmmm...

And the cornbread muffins that come before the meal are simply to die for!

Located in lower level of Stephen F. Austin hotel.

saver's thrift store

Aaahhh...this store is my dream come true! They have so many great finds in there, I can spend (literally) hours going through the aisles. This is a great place to shop for clothes for kids...I have a toddler and an 8 year old, and the clothes are always priced well and in great shape. On the weekends, a certain tag color is always marked down 50%. On Monday, everything with that tag color is .99! It is sometimes too good to be true! I have had many wonderful finds there...a brand new Louis Vuitton purse, authentic leather Gucci backpack, almost new Kate Spade handbag, and the list just goes on! My husband even loves to go there because they have an outstanding (and very cheap) book selection! Oh, and let's not forget the TOYS, housewares, furniture, and appliances. This is also a superb store to find baby items....bouncy seats, baby baths, high chairs. We LOVE Savers. THis is a bargain shopper's dream!

Cartridge World

Ok, I am the one that throws away my ink cartridge when it is empty and heads out to the office supply store to buy a new one. It NEVER occured to me to save some money and recycle what I has! I stumbled on to Cartidge World because I won a gift certificate. The gift cert. had even expired, and these great employees STILL worked with me and helped me out! I took in my ink cartridge, had it refilled, and paid a very small amount....well, smaller than buying a new one! The employees at this store are always extremely nice and more than helpful! I have been in there several times now and I am simply hooked! SO...the moral of the story is...give this place a chance. You'll be more than glad that you did AND you'll save some money! It's also very convenient for me, especially with 2 kids, it's right by the HEB! No more making an extra stop at Office Max!

Gateway 16

This is my very favorite movie theatre. It is never too cold or too hot in there. The seats are always clean. The floor is always clean. More importantly, the bathrooms are always clean. The prices, well, as we all know, the price of movies isn't cheap anymore, so I don't hold it against the theatre. The staff is very nice for the most part. Oh, and did I mention that they do Fangango? Ahh..how I love this! They even have a separate ATM like machine if you have bought your tickets from Fandango. That way you don't have to stand in line! Yippee!

The snack bar doesn't take credit/debit, but there is an ATM in the lobby. Once I lost my wallet there and the folks here went above and beyond to get it back to me. A+ in my book.

Bradz Salons & Spa

Let me count the ways I love Bradz. Ahh, that would take too long, so I will skip that step! Ok, I get really REALLY picky when it comes to my hair. I will scrimp on other things, but never my hair. About 2 years ago, my husband got me a Bradz gift card for Christmas. I had recently had a baby and hadn't had my hair highlighted, let alone CUT in ages! I immediately loved my stylist. She was great. She is very friendly, easygoing, and best of all, she is very honest, and she does fantastic work. Another fabulous thing about Bradz is their email list! Oh, on certain days, you will get emails from them that say something like, 3 days only - special- 1/2 off Pedicure or Facials. I can not tell you how I love to see those emails! If you are in need of a change, definitely try Bradz!

Salon 505 The Day Spa

A good while back, I made a tragic mistake. I dyed my hair at home. It turned orange and was hideous looking. I took the FIRST appointment I could get for a corrective color at Salon 505, because SO many people told me how wonderful they are. First of all, my stylist was so very annoying. I tell you, this woman just about drove me batty. She was recently divorced, recently found AA, and recently sober...something like 90 days. Now, I'm NOT knocking sobriety...don't get me wrong! I, myself, am a recovering addict that has been sober for 3 years....but I do NOT feel the need to tell perfect strangers my history. Anyhow, back to the service. She talked me into cutting an inch off....to get rid of some of the split ends. She ended up taking 3 inches off. AND, when she was done with the color, it was a BRIGHTER ORANGE than when I went in. OMG, it was horrible. I refused to pay, and had all kinds of arguments with the management there. Trust me, don't waste your time or your hair on this place!

PROS:
CONS: PRICEY, POOR SERVICE, HORRIBLE HAIRCUTS & COLOR JOBS

Louies 106

The service at Louie's 106 is about the only thing I can say something pleasant about. The waitstaff is on top of things. They are nice, and more importantly, they are friendly. They do, however, have a rather unkind manager, Joe. This man is rude, uncompromising, and more than unpleasant. He even fired a waiter when his 10 day old newborn needed to go to the hospital & the waiter had to leave his shift. And then there is the food. Well, I did lie earlier. I can say great things about the food. It is very good and original. However it is quite overpriced.

PROS: GOOD FOOD, GOOD WAISTAFF
CONS: HORRIBLE MANAGEMENT, PRICEY