Humane Society PIctures With Santa at Bank of America, Seguin TX

I know this may be the scroogiest post I have written, but I will chance the wrath of Santa for this one.

I took my son to see Santa on Court Street at Bank of America.  You (or your pet) could get your picture taken with Santa and it benefitted the Humane Society. 

Not that pleasant of an experience. My main complaint? You spend $15 for a small pack of pictures and have to wait until December 18th, (yes, you read that right...a week before Christmas) to get the pics back!!! So ridiculous.  Not only do you have to wait.  But they don't even have the courtesy to mail them.  You then have to drive out to get them at the Humane Society.  Totally inconvenient.  Way too late.  They need to get the right equipment to print out pics on the spot.  Nobody waits for these pics anymore. If my son wasn't excited to see Santa, I would have left after finding out about the wait.  Not happy.

The visit with Santa was not great either. You are herded around and it is pretty much out of control and chaotic. No organization. Too crowded in. And it is more like "you paid? ok go ahead".  It is not a memory or happy experience as it should be.  Santa was nice once you got to him. But the rest of it was not worth it.  Go anywhere else for your photos with Santa until they get a bigger venue, better organization and pictures on the spot (or will at least mail them to you).   Who needs this experience only to get pictures only 1 week before you don't need them anymore?

There were several vendors. They had a bake sale, as well.  There were cute items and the bake sale was super affordable.  There was one vendor who stuck out like a sore thumb with waaaaaay overpriced items for the event. To me, this vendor did not fit in.

Overall, as much as I would like to love this to support the Humane Society, I would not recommend it.  Go anywhere else until they get a better venue, more organized leadership and just a better experience all together.  We now need to pay AGAIN for pictures with Santa to be able to really use them. 

Please share the great spots to see Santa near Seguin, TX!!

New to Katy? The First Thing to Do is Like Katy Magazine on FB!

Although I have been in town nearly a year, I still consider myself new to Katy.  I had no idea what was going on around me and had no friends in the area to ask questions.  But then I found Katy Magazine on Facebook! Seriously a MUST for those who want to know when and where the Easter Egg hunts are, where the locals go for the best dentist, etc. 

They are also awesome because you can post to their wall and ask questions that you have no one to ask.  And some of the time they will repost it on the main wall if they see that you have not received an answer.  They will ask local people to help you out with some answers. 

Their pics are of local kids and they had the cutest local elderly couple.  They are Katy's best source for truly local, helpful information.   Go "like" them now and you will never be out of the loop! Find them here.

Wendys on South Fry Rd, Katy TX

Ugh! I've been to this Wendy's a few times.  Nothing special.  Employees not rude, not super friendly.  Just kind of there.  The bathroom doesn't look horrible, but doesn't smell clean.  And now, add it to the list of reasons to find another restaurant...they have not taken gift cards because "the machine's not working" for several visits over a month.   Get a new GM and owner for this one Wendy's...they are making you look bad.

New Aldi Store in Katy, Texas

There is a new store in the area.  Of course, this catches everyone's attention.  Right next door to Walmart and right across from Kroger...this store has guts! But we are excited to check it out.  At least this can provide us with something new as we wait for HEB to come to the area.  Psssst! HEB WE NEED YOU IN NORTH KATY!!!!!

When Aldi opened, it was overflowing with cars.  There were no parking spaces and I am sure this little store was surprised with the crowd it was drawing.  We waited a few days and then went in.  We were unprepared for the carts to cost $0.25 and of course I couldn't find a quarter in my purse.  So, we just decided to check it out and get a couple of things.  (BTW, you get your quarter back when you return the cart).

First impression:  IT IS SMALL.  And so far, it is crowded.  But it has a clean feel to it and that's important.  Not everything is cheaper.  Bleach is cheaper other places.  And a few other items.  But milk and eggs were priced lower than usual.  So, you could definitely save a few bucks if you did some thinking about cost.  And there are not name brands, so if you are OK with generics, you are good to go.

The employees are all super nice. Nicer than most groceries stores by far.  They are all welcoming and smiling and friendly.  All but one lady who rudely moved my cart pretty darn far from where I was standing without turning to even glance at me.  I don't think she spoke English, but basic manners would have been appreciated.  It seemed rude. Otherwise, people are super happy to be working there it seems.

Once the crowd and the curiosity die down, it will be a nice place to run in and grab a few things.  Or to get the things that are cheaper.  Overall, I like it.  But I am still waiting for HEB!!

Best Western Plus - Katy, TX

Best Western Plus, Katy Mills Blvd, Katy, TX Yet another hotel as we continue our search for a home in Katy or the nearby area. Best Western is a good hotel. The rooms are nice and clean. The air conditioner works well. The beds are comfy. All the basics are in place. There are only 2 kids channels, which is kind of a drag at times. But that isn't a big deal. The housekeepers are very skimpy with the towels. There are 4 of us and more than once I had to find one of the ladies and ask for the 4th towel. They kept leaving three. We were staying for 4 days and we really only asked for towels and trash take out. On the third day, I asked her to vacuum and our housekeeper actually made a face! That made me a bit angry as she had had it so easy before that. So, I had her clean a bit more. Not nice, I know...but she had it coming. I am a stickler for polite employees. If it is what you are getting paid to do, do it well!! When you go to breakfast, go early. They don't do a great job of refilling the food. And the good food goes fast. They keep putting out the same old biscuits and muffins day after day. They are so hard! So, obviously, the good and new food is scooped up quickly. By day 3 I was so bored of the hard items that I just fed the kids cereal and fruit and left it at that. They were happy with it and it is healthier anyway. :) The employees here are nice. They served free dinner on Wednesday. The place looks and smells good. Overall a good place to stay. And...you can get it at a good rate on Hotwire. It is a three star hotel...so if you ask for that in Katy, TX, you might get this hotel.

Subway - Katy Mills Blvd - Katy, TX

Subway on Katy Mills Blvd in Katy, TX (Walmart shopping center) WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE AT A SUBWAY! We were still on our trip out of town and were staying right across the street from Subway. So, in we went. Subway is pretty standard. Non-speaking employees rush you through. Not rude and not friendly. Just Subway. Well, that is not the case here. We walked in and were greeted by 2 friendly employees. They spoke to my kids right away, asking them about school. Now, we have been to many Subways. We like Subway. But NEVER have we experienced such friendly people! No employees ever make conversation at Subway. These two did. They let my girls choose without making them feel rushed or uncomfortable. They were very friendly and helpful. Upbeat employees! This is what we like to see! They laughed, talked, smiled and interacted in a natural, friendly way. I wish I could give their names, but I don't know them. One was a younger black girl and one was an older hispanic lady. Very cool people!!! Thumbs up for this Subway. And especially for these two employees. Oh and yes, the sandwiches were perfect.