Austin library storytime

we've been checking out the central austin library storytimes, and all i can say is that THEY ARE GREAT! totally impressed!

there is a theme for the day, letter of the day, lots of books on that theme laid out for you to borrow easily, many sing a long songs with movements and actions, puppet characters, felt boards for displaying the theme or letter of the day, oh! and of course multiple stories read to everyone. i can't believe how much learning and activities they pack in a half hour! the storytime ladies are amazing and very very good at what they do: captivating the children's attention, keeping them engaged and even getting them to sit down and be still with such artistic ease. the whole experience is really fantastic! even i get totally into shaking my wiggles out before class begins. it's fun! Scarlett still needs a little practice, but she's getting there. all in all: highly recommend!

we haven't picked a favorite just yet, but Miss Elizabeth at the Yarborough branch is pretty top notch!

sunday morning family brunch: the omelettry

for our first family outing in austin, we walked to the omelettry for sunday morning brunch. 

we got lost on the way, of course, but that's all just part of discovering a new neighborhood, right? plus we worked up more of an appetite, which we definitely needed once we arrived.

image via

i'd driven by the omelettry the day before; it's at burnet and 49th. with the outside covered in painted murals i thought it looked worth trying out. of course you never know what to expect, but i was fully impressed on all levels!

the inside is a classic dive diner, but with hipsters in tight tshirts (instead of old ladies with sassy attitudes) running around seamlessly serving everyone. we sat down at the counter because there was a wait for a table, and immediately, without asking, one of the servers plopped down a highchair and some toys for Scarlett. bonus points. I was not expecting such a family friendly environment, but they know what they are doing: toys, sippy cups, baby friendly attitude...it was great!

and the food...pretty deelish. standard diner food, but definitely texas sized portions! they use an ice cream scoop to put butter on your pancakes. i'm not kidding. david's omelette of spinach, mushrooms, green peppers, cheese, ham and avocado was amazing. It was huge, as expected, and came with breakfast potatoes and toast. I ordered classic scrambled eggs with bacon and side of whole wheat pancakes. we ordered nothing for Scarlett; she just ate off our plates. and thank goodness we didn't because there was sooo much food we actually brought home leftovers.

my only complaint was that the bacon was not fantastic. it was cooked well, but not as thick and flavorful as i would have liked. not worth the calories, or nwtc, as D and I decided while coining our new fave acronym. i'm pretty much a bacon connoisseur these days, as it's all that fetus baby wants me to eat, and i can't deny the little babe!

Poor Scarlett, however, was a deprived little child because her sugar conscious mamma had never given her pancakes before. even though i just said i eat bacon everyday, Scarlett's not allowed pancakes. (yes, i'm aware of my inconsistencies.) but i thought, ok, they are whole wheat pancakes and its our first brunch out so let her indulge. I'm sure no one is surprised to read that Scarlett DEVOURED the pancakes. literally shoveling them in her mouth.



all in all, this place was great, and we will definitely be back! excited to have discovered our new fave breakfast diner around the corner. we had a nice walk back where miss independent refused the stroller and preferred to walk casually like a cool kid, hands in pockets and all!

ps: while writing this post, i got nostalgic hungry, and just ate the left over pancakes as dessert. yummmm!

oh, also, ps: the omelettry is a cash only enterprise, but very reasonably priced, especially considering the portions. check it out and enjoy!