Today I want to chat with you all about Stay Alfred! If you are unfamiliar with the brand, Stay Alfred is a hotel alternative for travel! They offer furnished apartments in the center of some of the hottest cities, giving you easy access to local attractions with all of the comforts of home on your vacations.
We stayed at The Star, a historic building in downtown Houston that was renovated and converted into apartments. The room was a one bedroom with a full size kitchen, living room, bathroom, laundry room, and bedroom. The furnishings were neutral and beautiful making us feel immediately welcome and at home upon entry.
What You Need To Know
So I want to share with you the info that I would want to know before doing something like this! I always have lots of questions when trying something new, so I want to share with you the “check-in and out” process just so you will have a heads up and feel super comfortable! So before your stay, Stay Alfred sends you a detailed itemized email with your check-in and check-out time, amenities, parking, key access and drop-off, room number, and travel dates. They even provide you with picture references to make things easier! So for check-in, the keys are located in a digital valet on the wall of the lobby which has a touchscreen. You just follow the instructions provided to you via the email and steps prompted on the touchscreen and a small drawer opens with your keyfob inside. You then return it to the same location at the time of check-out. Super simple!
Location, Location
During our stay we walked a few blocks over to Minute Maid Park and enjoyed an Astros game! It was $1 hotdog night at the stadium so that was such a bonus, lol. Stay Alfred makes sure its locations are in prime areas so that you feel close and connected to whichever city you are traveling to. After the game we walked back over to the apartment and enjoyed a night in and even had a few girlies pop over for some wine and chit chat!
Their locations also offer you access to the apartments amenities. (Be sure to check their site to view what all is available at each specific location.) At ours there was a beautiful pool and relaxing patio area, which we made sure to enjoy.
So what really sets Stay Alfred apart in my eyes is that you can vacation like a local. You are staying in a building that where locals live, therefore you can get a real taste of the city. Also, since it is a real apartment, you lose the “living out of your suitcase” feel that often occurs on extended hotel stays. Here you can wash your clothes, hang them in the closet, and even fix a meal in a full size kitchen, just as you would at home! They also are perfect for groups! With 1, 2, and 3 bedroom options Stay Alfred is perfect for families and groups so that everyone can stay together with beautiful common areas but have separate sleeping quarters within the same place!
I definitely recommend checking out Stay Alfred for your next vacation or staycation! They have wonderful locations, and great prices for all sizes of traveling groups!
As most of you know, I am a dog mom and both of my boxer pups were rescues. I strongly believe in adopting pups, and giving them that second chance at the amazing life they deserve. So when Houston Pets Alive reached out to me for a little help, I jumped at the opportunity!
If you haven’t heard of Houston Pets Alive, they are a non-profit organization with a huge heart, and mission to make Houston the largest no-kill city in the country. They work to save pups from being euthanized and assist in finding them forever homes.
Myself, Kristine of Kristine’s Kaleidoscope, and Alessandra of Alessandra Laura all spent the day at the Stella Link shelter location, to learn a bit more about Houston Pets Alive, meet the animals currently up for adoption, and spread the word!
The shelter is run by an amazing and inspiring staff alongside daily volunteers – which they are always in need of! The pets are all well attended to, and are provided a private kennel, water and food bowl, with blankets and a toy. They have veterinary assistance available to care for those at risk, and strive to keep the pups as happy and comfortable as possible. While there, we spent some time walking a few of the pups and gave as many of them love as possible. The air in the shelter is full of hope, and you can feel that even in the pets. They know they are in a safe space, and are just waiting for that special someone to come and take them to their forever home.
If you are looking for ways to help out, or want further information on the pups we have featured feel free to check out the HPA website! There are so many options that one is sure to be perfect! I have even listed a few ways below!
The shelter also hosts events you can attend! Click here to see their calendar!
I hope this inspires you to help out a dog or cat in need! I was completely humbled by my time at the shelter and will be working with them again in the future to help out in whatever ways I can.
Thank you Houston Pets Alive for all you do!
A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to attend the Art Car Parade in downtown Houston. I have lived here all of my life and have to admit, this was the first time I have made it out to see the parade. And what a year it was to have been my first! This event is truly something to see, and has a little something for everyone.
First of all, the food and drink vendors were out of this world! I am a foodie at heart and love the opportunity to snack any chance I can, so to have Raising Canes, Antone’s Famous Po’boys, Lee’s Creamery ice cream sandwiches, Tacodeli tacos, and Natachee’s Supper’n Punch! pulled pork sandwiches, Deep Eddy vodka, and Topo Chico all at my fingertips was a dream come true!
Living in Houston, you see a few of these unique car creations on the road on a regular bases, but do not get to hear about the creators, or backstory of the design. So to see them shine, center stage in a parade, really made an impression with me. Getting to see just how much detail and time went into creating each piece, along with the creators themselves, was really special.
Mayor Sylvester Turner even rode in on a car, starting the parade. It is so amazing to see Houstonians come together in support of the arts, individuality and creativity.
Here are a few of my favorite cars from the parade! The imagination that goes into creating these works of art is so impressive!
This Wizard of Oz masterpiece is actually made entirely out of peeps candy! How amazing is that?! – and just in time for Easter 😉
This car, which is a shark and waves, was actually crochet together by students! How unbelievable, and creative!
Another one of my favorites was this Where the Wild Things Are themed station wagon. The artist really brought the characters to life and reminded me of one of my favorite childhood books.
The weather could not have been better, either! It was a perfect Saturday afternoon for some outdoor fun in the city. If you have never had the chance to make it out to the Art Car Parade, I highly recommend it! You won’t be disappointed.
A special thank you to the Greater Houston Partnership for the invite! I had a lovely time! 🙂
Before I lived in downtown Houston I lived in a small suburban town about 25 minutes away. I would only come into the city for special events such as concerts or musicals. The idea of living in the city seemed so bold, glamorous, and out of reach. As I got older, I grew more curious and ventured more often downtown and began to learn my way around. I think I had a lot of misconceptions of the city, one of which was the safety. Its really all up to learning your way around. There are plenty of areas that are more than safe and wonderful to live an visit within the city.
I think that is probably one of the most stressful and foreign things you have to adjust to transitioning from suburban to urban life is that you are sharing your “backyard” with… a whole lot of people. In a suburban neighborhood, the day-to-day traffic usually consists of the people living there, in a city there are; lost tourists, business workers Monday thru Friday, other city dwellers, all buzzing around so paying attention is imperative. The traffic running through your “neighborhood” fluctuates all the time. Also, there are many events that occur which require closing off of main streets, so it is always best to have alternate routes ready!
As for transportation, I still rely on my personal vehicle the majority of the time. Houston is very spread out so you cannot walk everywhere in the city, and although public transportation has increased, it isn’t always the most time efficient, or convenient. The metro rail is great for most short distances from the medical center to midtown, or downtown, and catching an Uber is pretty easy, but if you have a car you will more than likely be using it.
I personally love the city life. There are many places you can visit within walking distance and there is almost always a sporting event to see. I can say I am no longer intimidated by the alternate direction streets and tall buildings, I can call them home. I have also learned to not be afraid of elevators. Living in a high rise requires multiple daily rides in an elevator and yes, after living in a high rise for almost 4 years getting stuck in once was bound to occur. (Thankfully it was not for very long, and honestly is not that scary of an experience.)
Next, get ready for unexpected and random noise interruptions all of the time. Cars buzzing and screeching, horns honking, planes humming, workers drilling, police, firetrucks, and ambulances whaling are all sounds you are bond to hear on a daily basis. For me, this is not a bother. I like to have noise in my life. I require noise to sleep, and some sort of lighting, so when I lived in the suburbs I always had my television on. I guess I just needed the city to sleep because now I don’t require that. There is light from the buildings and noise from the streets to keep me content.
I would honestly say that city life is not for everyone. Privacy does not exist outside of your dwelling and you must learn to reduce the size of your personal space, but for the right person it can be amazing. You have the opportunity to discover what makes your city so wonderful and can appreciate all it has to offer.
I am so blessed to have the opportunity to live inside of the city. It has helped me with navigation, conquering my anxieties over elevators, learning how to share space with others, and understanding the lifeblood of the city and all it has to provide.
Until next time <3
