April Showers Bring May Bonfires

That doesn't rhyme. Whatever. It's 4am, I'm exhausted, and really, REALLY hungry. That's actually why I'm still awake. My stomach has deemed food to be necessary before sleep.
Sigh.
Anyway, one of my best friends is moving this summer, and for the first time since we've been friends, she's not coming back in August. Instead, she'll be heading to Chicago for law school. While I"m super stoked about that - so many more visits to Chi-town coming up now, with promises of exploring downtown and all that twenty-something fun stuff... like finding coffee shops and book stores... because that's what we're all about - I'm super sad that I've got like a week and a half left in the same city as my twin.
And now I'm going to try not to think about that too hard, because it's FOUR IN THE MORNING and crying right now would be kind of a bad idea.

Getting back on track, I hosted a bonfire tonight. I've done a few of these, and I figured I'd share some tips I've learned the hard way. Note that these apply specifically to a bonfire on the beach in South Texas... but, you know, take from this what you want.

1. You apparently don't need a deep pit to build a nice fire - even when it's windy. In the past, we've always dug down pretty far, and made a fun little seating area... but then the fire was always too hot to use said seating. This time, my boy and one of our friends were in charge of digging... and they dug something that I could probably sit crossed-legged in and my knees would be just a tiny bit lower than the sand level (so, small compared to normal). I was VERY skeptical, but they proved me wrong. It worked great.
2. If you can let boys dig the hole and build the fire, do it. I am the first person to admit that I'm a feminist. I claim it, I own it, and I'm proud of it. HOWEVER. I'm also aware that I'm not very strong, and pretty dang clumsy. Digging a fire pit, even a small one, gives me the chance to both hurt myself right then AND be sore the next day. Building the fire - I'd rather not break a stick over my leg, or get a splinter, or even burn myself (I did that enough anyway). So yes, I'll let the boys do the hard work while I sit back with a drink and make sure Waters (Bruce's dog) doesn't try to play with a passing stranger out riding their bike or funky three wheeled scooter. That's just being smart.
3. A VW Beetle convertible trunk does not have a very big opening. Remember that when buying a cooler. That's all.
4. If it can't get sandy, don't bring it. I have so much sand in the tiny little openings in my phone, it's almost scary. Every single one of us left the beach covered in sand.
5. Let's talk about bringing drinks to the beach. So when I do bonfires, it's totally BYOBeverage. However, in the past, I've gotten 12 packs of various kinds of soda (sprite, Dr Pepper, coke), and basically let anyone that wanted a can, take it. This time, I opted for a 3L bottle of DP and a 2L bottle of coke, along with red solo cups. This was in part because Bruce talked me into it, and in part because I didn't want to mess with a zillion cans. Lesson here: deal with the cans. Because I'd so heavily stressed BYOB, and because another friend ended up bringing cans, the people that just wanted a soda picked a can and the giant bottles went mostly untouched. Looking back, that's much smarter. The opening is much smaller on a can, so your drink gets less sandy. It also has less of a chance of spilling. While the cups were better for adding alcohol (I'm 22), it would have been just as easy - if not easier - to add it to the can. Then, I'd be left with unopened cans of soda, instead of giant bottles of soda that will end up going flat before I finish it. I'm not a huge soda drinker. My point here is that if you're doing BYOB, go with cans. If you're setting up for a party in which everything's set out nicely, the bottles probably work best.
6. Also, food. I do s'mores. I really like them, but the thing I like the most is the toasty marshmallows. Nom. Anyway, when I do this, I have to get regular and gluten free graham crackers. I also split up the marshmallows into GF and nonGF bags to avoid cross contamination. My friends are pretty good about that, but far fewer nonGF people eat s'mores. (Turns out, it's because they don't want to make them, and I won't make a nonGF s'more for anyone.) Next time, I'm putting like four or five marshmallows in a snack bag, and making maybe four bags of those, instead of one bag for nonGF. That way, only a limited number of marshmallows get cross contaminated, and the rest are still safe. I've also started keeping both the marshmallows and the chocolate in the top bin of a cooler, because it's HOT in SoTx, and chocolate melts pretty easily.
Bruce brought sausages this time and several people ate those. Another friend brought hot dogs. I realized at the last bonfire that I don't actually really like hot dogs, so I'll probably pass on that one. I might try the sausage thing next time, but we'll see. Right now, my plan is set at eating before I go. And apparently, when I get home.
7. Bring a chair. It makes life so much easier. If you have pickup trucks with tailgates, or hatchbacks, that works too.
8. Coat hangers make great skewers. I'll write more about this if anyone's interested.
9. Music is good, if you can hear it over the wind. I bought a cute little speaker that packs a pretty big punch... but Travis told me that we probably wouldn't be able to hear it over the wind. After that, I didn't want to expose it to the crazy sand (see number four) for a maybe.
10. Don't forget to bring water! Every single other time, we've gotten this down fine. THIS time? None of us thought about it. A few of us had a water bottle, but nothing for refills or anyone without one. That's definitely important.
11. Take a warmer set of clothes. It's hit or miss as to whether or not I'll get so cold that I need to change out of my tank top and shorts, but you can stay a lot longer if you have that option.

There's probably something that I forgot, but that's all for now! What are your bonfire tips and tricks?

Travel Guide: Aransas Princess #208

So the other day, I graduated from college. (I'll stop mentioning that one of these days, but right now, I'm just really excited.) With my grandfather visiting and my childhood best friend coming to town for the weekend, plus the gorgeous weather that South Texas threw at us, we decided to not stay at our house. Lovely friends of ours own several condos, both on Padre Island and in Port Aransas, and they let us stay at the wonderful condo at the Aransas Princess.

I'd like to make a note and say that I had plans to walk in and take pictures... but I left my camera with my mom so that she could use it at graduation (I'm not sure why I didn't just make my friends take it and hand it off to Mom...). Most of these pictures were taken at the end of the stay, so there are a lot of missed opportunities. I'll either edit this post or upload a new one when I get more pictures.

Now, a little background. The Jauers are some of my favorite people, so I'm biased... but trust me on this one. This condo rocks. It rocks so much that I have to gush about it. Also, I have pictures (LOTS of pictures), so you can judge it for yourself... but keep in mind that if you're trying to get the feeling for what the condo is actually like, listen to this while you read.

First of all, let me note that the owners of this condo book through VRBO - #553716 - and when you book this condo, you get THIS condo (no worries of getting switched out for something not as awesome). It's on the second floor, with a wonderful view of the cascading pool, the boardwalk, dunes, and (the best part) the waves. The sun doesn't directly hit the balcony, so you can stay out there all day - watch the day break and dusk fall - without ever having an annoying glare.

I stayed there December 12 - 17, 2014. After the stressful school semester, it was beyond perfect to open both doors facing the balcony (thank heaven for screen doors) and hear the waves crashing all day long. The weather was beautiful, with temperatures in the upper sixties to mid seventies. The cascading pool isn't heated, which meant that no one was in it... even better for the view!

This condo is completely remodeled and feels luxurious. You walk in and instantly realize that pictures don't do it justice. One wall is entirely mirrors, which is always kind of fun. I so often went looking for a full length mirror (which is actually in the master bathroom), but realized that the entire living room/hallway is one. It was great. There's a closet full of beach things - folding chairs, towels, a couple pool noodles... just fun stuff. The hallway going straight leads you into the kitchen, dining space, and living area. Both bedrooms are to the right - the first one (with a queen sized bed and bunkbeds) is off the kitchen, along with a bathroom. The master is off the living area.

Note - those blankets are SO comfortable! There's a basket on the other side with wine corks in it. We might have added a couple to it... (:

The owners keep the condo stocked with coffee supplies, as well as table settings for eight (this is complete table settings. There's more of almost everything). Also, cabinets held paper plates and plastic cups, which we used the first night to avoid doing dishes or running the dishwasher. You can cook in the condo - they have pans, a toaster, and even a pizza tin! We, well, didn't. My favorite pizza place is right down the road, so we got takeout the first night. The rest of the time, we either had leftovers, meals from Snoopy's Pier / Doc's (more about that later), sandwiches, or cheese and pepperoni on crackers. The fridge/freezer has an ice maker (as does the wet bar... I opened it once thinking it was a very tiny dishwasher and was VERY confused. Then I found the real dishwasher... right in front of my face) and filtered water. A pizza box DOES fit in the fridge. Three pizza boxes do too. Just saying. (:

The dining room area has a really nice glass table and adorable chairs. We ate there a couple times... the rest of the meals were consumed on the balcony. (I'm telling you - I spent a lot of time on that balcony!) Actually, that table is where I decorated my grad cap. :D The lights above it dim really nicely. The wet bar separates the kitchen and the dining room, which is pretty fun.

The living room has plenty of sitting room (as well as a fold out couch) and a great coffee table - we played dominos on it. (: The rug is crazy funky and I like it, and the chairs swivel - perfect for looking outside or at the people around you. There is, of course, a nice TV (honestly, though, my parents were the only ones that used it. When it was just the girls, we spent our nights on the balcony).

The master bedroom is gorgeous, with a sliding door to close it off from the living room (in addition to the actual bedroom door). It has its own access to the balcony, and since the shutters on both balcony doors operate individually, you can spend an early morning watching the sun rise while someone sleeps in total darkness. (We did it. It was 7am and I was betting it was around 5am.) The second bedroom has a queen sized bed and bunk beds, and is equally gorgeous. All of the beds are insanely comfortable. I promise, you want to feel this for yourself. It also has a TV (didn't use it) and a cute little desk that I managed not to get a picture of. The master bathroom is great - spacious, two sinks, a separate room for the toilet, and my favorite shower. There's also a closet with space to hang clothes and extra towels and stuff.

one of the few pictures I took right away!

The second bedroom has (like I mentioned before) a queen sized bed and bunk beds. It's really nice - closet, dresser, TV - and a window that looks out the front of the condo to even more beautiful scenery. It also has the wonderful shutters, so no worries on having a window at the front of the condo. For some reason, I don't have pictures of this room - except this one. I really like bunk beds.

I had coffee on the balcony every morning and every night. Once, I took my coffee and walked around the grounds with my girlfriends. The boardwalk has lights and a locked gate, which was really nice for three girls walking around after dark. The beach end of the boardwalk is between mile markers 18 and 19 - so right where you want to be if you're there for Spring Break. The Aransas Princess also has a heated pool and a hot tub that does the bubbly thing (or spa, whatever you want to call it). There are lots of places to sit and hang out, look out at the gulf, and just relax. The complex is staffed 24/7, and everyone I met was really nice and helpful.
Here are some more pictures, just in case you're not absolutely dying to visit already.

view from the room at daybreak | iPhone 5S picture

coffee on the balcony! 

the boardwalk at daybreak

the end of the boardwalk

the heated pool (the hot tub is off to the right)

the long boardwalk through the dunes

view from the balcony at night

my little Christmas tree, snowman, and Islander Grad wreath!

I really didn't want to stop taking pictures of the condo. There are so many of them that happened seconds after I called out, asking someone to please get out of my picture. I'm in one that I know of (MIRRORS!), and my mom is in another.

Even thought the weather got a little cloudy on the last day, it was still gorgeous. I don't think there's a bad time to visit this condo.

BUSINESS WORDS NOW:
If you're interested in this condo or any of the other Isle Be Back condos, let me know, and I'll put you in touch with Lora. Check out the calendar and rates on VRBO. I would recommend this condo and the ones on Padre Island to family and friends in a heartbeat.