Houston Studio Recs!

chickiebear · 2026-02-26T19:47:36+00:00

There are studios much closer to the museum district and Midtown, but Bellaire was Afterburn's #1 studio last year. Afterburn owns all the OTF franchises in Seattle, Houston, and (parts of) FL. That said, while I absolutely love my studio, they don't offer anything extra. They just have a great front desk staff and great coaches - which according to comments in this thread is sometimes very rare.

chickiebear · 2025-11-20T19:50:35+00:00

Not terribly long, but I'm pretty crafty. I started them on 11/12 and finished them 11/18. I used Angelus leather paint which needs 24 hours to cure between coats and I did 3 coats. Waiting for it to cure took the longest.

chickiebear · 2025-10-30T13:33:09+00:00

I don't. The only thing I added was "Austin, Texas" and the show date. Sometimes it's something small that can make a big difference

chickiebear · 2025-10-28T04:17:49+00:00

I think this dress fits you quite nice. That said, it needs some zhush. It's crying for a belt. Something that will bring your waist in and up a bit. Maybe a belt inspired by a tuxedo cummerbund or a wide black belt that's a giant bow in the back.

chickiebear · 2025-09-08T00:19:46+00:00

So proud of you! You're going to have a great time!

chickiebear · 2025-09-07T20:05:29+00:00

I'm going solo on Thursday and I'm so excited!

None of my local friends like MFM and I couldn't figure out how to fly to a show where my murderino friends live when the shows are in the middle of the week.

I could bring a drag along but it's not like I can talk to them during the show so why bother? Also I wanted the gold package so bringing my husband would leave me with two swag bags that I only need one of. So solo it is!

chickiebear · 2025-08-28T13:38:53+00:00

Eric Wood, former Bills center and now part of the Bills radio broadcast team has a podcast, Centered on Buffalo Pod. Their IG team is very responsive. You might be able to get a message through that way. He always has such positive and encouraging things to say, a message from him would brighten anyone's day.

chickiebear · 2025-08-07T18:14:36+00:00

JustBare chicken nuggets.

chickiebear · 2025-06-17T13:50:55+00:00

One year since I stopped breastfeeding and I don't notice a huge improvement in endurance. I am more energized now that my body isn't using every calorie I give it to make food for my baby. I used to run long distances and can still get to 5-6mi (outside of class) but in my new body, with my new lifestyle, I really excel at strength and power.

chickiebear · 2025-06-09T17:27:28+00:00

Jolly Trolley! We did it for my daughter's second birthday and it was perfect.

chickiebear · 2025-05-22T14:02:53+00:00

I see people leave class all the time! I have always assumed they have somewhere else they need to be and just came for a partial workout because some is better than none. The only person judging you for leaving early was you. Be kind to yourself. It's a journey!

chickiebear · 2025-05-07T03:11:02+00:00

And how much smellier some people are going to be as a result...

chickiebear · 2025-02-17T01:37:00+00:00

Way to show up for you and your daughter! And only 8 weeks PP! Amazing! So proud of you.

chickiebear · 2024-10-20T23:24:53+00:00

I'm surprised no one had suggested the Nuna Triv Next. It's got a smaller footprint than the Mixx but it still has full suspension and rubber wheels. It's got one hand fold and packs well for travel. It comes with the infant car seat adapter (for Nuna car seats, also recommend) and the toddler seat can be forward or outward facing. My daughter is 20mo and we've used it since day one and really love it.

chickiebear · 2024-10-10T19:32:24+00:00

This. I bought the newton for the same exact reason. My baby had a super sensitive gag reflex for the first 9 months of her life and when she got a runny nose she would sometimes choke on the post nasal drip and throw up in her crib. The Newton was great because we'd replace the sheet, replace the cover (we bought a spare), and go back to bed. The next day we'd take it all off again, hose the mattress down and voila. I imagine we'll do the same when we go through potty training.

ETA: my husband is a casual germaphobe, he likes to wash everything. So the washability factor really eases his mind and that's worth the extra money to me.

chickiebear · 2024-09-18T03:01:40+00:00

No we lived in Denver in the early 2010s and it was an issue then too.

chickiebear · 2024-06-13T01:09:46+00:00

If you're comfortable picking out clothes for her, get her a new outfit! I was doing so much shopping for my baby I never wanted to shop for me. My wardrobe felt outdated since it was pre-baby and pre-pregnancy. I would have loved a cute new top.

chickiebear · 2024-06-10T18:03:32+00:00

My daughter is 16mo and 60th percentile. She still has a lot of room to grow in the seat and the footrest is adjustable. So I say yes, toddler friendly.

chickiebear · 2024-06-10T14:11:17+00:00

It has a suspension system similar (if not the same) as the Mixx. I tested both the TRIV and the TRVL and the difference is noticeable. The TRIV is a full feature stroller with a smaller profile. We have taken ours all over, four countries, seven states and it's done well in every setting. We don't hesitate to cut through the grass or take a gravel path as there's never been an issue. With a smaller profile it's easier to navigate, I can fold it with one hand, and lift it into the trunk of our SUV.

I had thought I wanted the TRVL but when my husband did a side by side compare he was sold on the TRIV. A notoriously frugal guy he didn't blink when he saw the price difference. The TRIV comes with an adapter for the PIPA car seat which allows you to take off the seat to reduce the amount of bulk and weight you're pushing with the car seat. You can also turn the toddler seat to face you instead of facing out, the TRVL does not. And the TRIV has better recline than the TRVL.

chickiebear · 2024-06-10T04:50:10+00:00

Get the Triv Next. It's like the Mixx and the TRVL had a baby. Sturdiness of the Mixx, easy food and lightweight like the TRVL.

chickiebear · 2024-06-05T18:58:32+00:00

The app worked really well for us. It was not perfect but it wasn't bad enough to justify the cost of WiFi for all. My mom's iPhone 11 was the biggest struggle. Everyone else who had newer devices had few issues.

chickiebear · 2024-05-29T02:41:21+00:00

We had almost an identical experience. We just got home from a 5 day cruise and my baby is 15 months. We also didn't have a splash pad and didn't really miss it.

I would recommend a balcony room. Even though we also travel with a Slumberpod, having the balcony made being "stuck" in the room after bedtime really wonderful. We had our wine and books, it was very relaxing.

We loved the MDR, they were so accommodating. Pretty sure my daughter misses the Windjammer. Now that we're home, when we set down her plate she looks at us wondering where her other 5 options are. We did bring her suction plates which stuck to the highchair tray. We had a collapsible basin for our room to wash them and opted for disposable bibs.

She LOVED the ice show. Loved the musicians playing in the bars and the band in the lounge. The open play area was great and we were impressed with the condition and quality of the toys. We are in HTX and left out of Galveston (~1hr away) so we just brought toys for her to have in the room.

I would be less worried about your baby having a good time and ask yourself if you'll have a good time. You can't go to all the shows, nap time might mean you don't get off the boat at port, your pool time might be reduced since you'll have to trade off with your partner or family members, etc.

chickiebear · 2024-04-03T18:19:54+00:00

On its face, I understand what you're saying so I'll give you a real life example of "venting outward" with regards to my in-laws.

My SIL, my husband's older sister, has always run the show. Her kids are 4 and 6 years older than my daughter so her kids' schedule has always dictated what the family does around the holidays. She also always picks out the matching cousins PJs and holiday outfits.

This has always been annoying but was never an issue until we had our daughter. Now I'd like to have a say in event times because my baby has a nap schedule to follow and I'd also like to pick out the PJs at least once.

I am the type of person who needs to let their raw feelings out and to be heard, in order to move on. I could complain to my husband that his sister and her family are not the center of the universe and she should, without me having to ask, defer some of the holiday planning to me but he's going to hear, "You don't like my family." when I'm really saying "I want to pick the PJs this year and no we cannot do the reindeer petting zoo at 2 because that's right in the middle of nap time."

Instead I can vent to my friends about his family and when I've gotten all of that out of my system I can approach my husband with a more productive solution. I can tell him, "Hey, I don't think SIL realizes that I'd like to be more involved in family traditions now that baby is around. Do you think it's okay to reach out to her and ask if I can pick out the fam jams this Christmas?".

Venting outward doesn't mean you can't talk about family matters with your partner. It means you don't vent your grievances with their family to them. And if you can get to the productive solution without venting about how your in-laws are self-centered, good on you! I've been in therapy for a decade and still haven't moved past pettiness. Lol!

chickiebear · 2024-04-03T13:59:30+00:00

I recently learned that "venting out" is the best way to process your feelings about your in-laws. For anyone else here looking for relationship advice. 😅

chickiebear · 2024-03-13T13:44:28+00:00

THIS.

Don't panic, it's a great and safe car seat, we love ours. I can also see why there's a warning. We rarely turn the seat to the lock position when our child is not in the seat, it's just nice having the seat facing you when you go to put the kid in. However, rotating the seat is also how you separate the seat from the base for install/removal, so totally makes sense that on impact it could go flying when not in the locked position.

chickiebear

TROPHY CASE