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Houston Bucket list: Top Things To Do & Eat In Houston

I moved to Houston in June 2015. And it was a struggle to find different things to do. I would ask locals and recent transplants what is there to do in Houston,and the answer would always be “Oh there’s a lot!”. But they could never tell me anything other than going to the club or hanging out downtown. I’m not a huge club person so the answers wasn’t all that helpful. I decided after many failed attempts at asking others to do my own research and exploring. I’ve come up with an array of different things you can do with family, use as a date, or just exploring by yourself. This Houston Bucket list will guarantee that you will always have something new to explore. Some of these will be Houston and some will be in the surrounding areas. But if you’re from Houston then you will know that driving 45 mins to an hour is normal around here.

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Houston Bucket list

Restaurants

Houston is a huge transient city and their food tends to reflect that! They have a wide array of different restaurant settings and cuisines. Read about my favorite Houston restaurants at different price points here.

Desserts

Coffee

I’m trying to broaden my coffee horizons , so I love trying different shops in my area. Houston has a lot of unique shops with amazing coffee. Read about my favorite coffee shops in North Houston here.

Activities

Indoors

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Houston Underground Tunnel
Inspire Rock Climbing
Iceskating at the Galleria Mall

Museums

I love the museum district in Houston. Make sure to take advantage of the free admission days listed below. There are more museums in the area, but these are just my favorites. The Art Car Museum is not in the museum district, but it’s worth the trip.

Art Car Museum
Comtemporary Art Museum (Always free)
Museum of Fine Art (FREE Thursday 10 am–9 pm)
Museum of Natural Science (FREE Thursdays: 6-9 pm)
Health Museum (Free Thursdays from 2-7pm)

Outside Activities

Houston Police Memorial
Japanese Garden @ Hermann Park
James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace
Skywave Art Installation
Roof Top Movie

Aggieland Safari
Texas TreeVentures
Bayou Wildlife Zoo
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Old Town Spring
The Woodlands Waterway
Lake Conroe Boating/ Jet Skis

SAVE FOR LATER

How to Coupon for Beginners

I don’t know about you, but I love saving money. I’m the person that goes straight to the sale section as soon as I enter the store and I search for coupon codes before purchasing anything, so why wouldn’t I coupon for in-store savings? Couponing is a hobby at this point.

I look forward to my couponing Mondays! I wouldn’t call myself a pro yet, but I think I’ve learned enough not to have too many hiccups. Couponing can be stressful and nerve-wracking, so I’m here to give you some tips on how to coupon for beginners.

Also check out: How to save money on your next vacation

How to Coupon for Beginners

Tip #1: Plan Plan Plan

Planning is crucial to having a smooth couponing trip. People are not frustrated that you’re using coupons. People are frustrated because you’re unorganized and using coupons. I always plan the day before. Making sure I write down everything that I want to get along with the purchase price and the coupon amount and the total minus the coupon. I then place the sum of my entire trip at the bottom so I know what my total should be. This way I can tell if something went wrong or if the cashier didn’t scan a coupon. I go to the store and only get the things on my list. If I need to get other things on my list, I ring them up in separate transactions.

Tip #2: Read Everything

Read the coupon expiration, the coupon rules, and the store coupon policy before going. This will prevent any confusion when you’re checking out. Knowledge is key! Different coupons have different rules. READ THE FINE PRINT! Check out this website for a breakdown on coupon fine print.

Tip #3: Let someone else plan for you

When I first started couponing, I would follow a pros couponing list until I became comfortable doing my own. I still use them to this day. My favorites are

Krazy Coupon Lady- Makes it super easy to coupon because they give you the item amount, the coupons you should use, and how much your total should be after. And they separate the deals by the store!

CVS circular- CVS is my favorite store to coupon at because of their Extra Bucks! Do you know those extremely long receipts that you throw away? Those contain beneficial coupons at the bottom that you can combine with manufacturer coupons. And their circular usually tell you their sale and what manufacture coupons can be combined with the sale.

Youtube: Search for a Youtuber in your area that makes couponing videos. This way the prices will be more accurate, and they have more knowledge about the specific stores in your area.

Tip #4: Coupons are everywhere

get coupons from a lot of different places. I always get a Sunday paper because they have the best selection of coupons. Make sure to check the circular calendar before purchasing because sometimes they will skip a Sunday. Coupons.com and PGeveryday are also useful resources for printable coupons. If you’re looking for a coupon for a particular product, make sure to check the manufactures website. They sometimes have a coupon section.

Tip #5: Be Patient

Don’t try to be an extreme couponer in the beginning. Start small until you get the hang of it. And don’t buy things you don’t need or use just because its cheap. That defeats the purpose of couponing which is to save money. Use your coupons with confidence! Don’t let anyone make you feel less than, cheap, or embarrassed for using coupons. They should be ashamed for paying full price!

Five Apps to Improve your Instagram

Between having to think of the perfect picture to post and making sure its aesthetically pleasing, Instagram can feel like a job at times. That’s why I am always on the hunt for apps that will help improve my Instagram and make it easier for me. I have five staple apps that I consistently use, and it has made Instagram less stressful. Here are five apps to improve your Instagram.

Five Apps To Improve Your Instagram

Lightroom

Apple

Android

Lightroom has bypassed VSCO as my favorite photo editing app. I can do the majority of my editing on this one app with the free option. Most of the time this is the only app that I use. I love the color option that allows you to adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of select colors.

One of the best features is the ability to make your own filters(presents). It allows you to have a consistent look to your Instagram feed. I decided to buy my presents from Etsy and its definitely a game changer. This is also a possible money maker if you want to take time to make some of your own presents.

TouchRetouch

Apple

Android

I found this app after I needed to remove some electrical wires out of one of my beach pictures. TouchRetouch allows you to remove lines or whole objects out of your picture. I’ve even removed people out of my pictures. It tries it best to use the surroundings to fill in the removed spot, but sometimes it’s too much for the app. The simpler the background the better the results.

Airbrush

Apple

Andriod

Airbrush does exactly what it says, it airbrushes your pictures. They have features that can smooth, firm, and conceal anything that’s in your picture. My favorite is the auto feature that does all the editing for you. It removes any blemishes, dark circles, and also whitens your teeth for you. If you want to reshape and sculpt your body, they offer that as well, but I have to warn you that it’s not very realistic. A lot of the features requires a subscription , but I’ve managed to get by with the free version.

Preview

Apple

Andriod

I use this app to plan out my Instagram feed. I can see which pictures go well with each other. You can plan out your options and hashtags before you post as well. If you’re struggling to find hashtags, Preview has hashtag suggestions based on your past hashtags used. It also allows you to set the time you want to post and then sends you a reminder when it’s time. It makes sticking to your Instagram aesthetic easier.

Canva

Apple

Android

Canva allows me to create more creative , unique Instagram stories. They offer more options than creating your story directly on Instagram such as animations and backgrounds. And if you’re having a creative block, they have templates already set up. The templates make it easy to insert your pictures and videos without much thought.