MOD Fitness Studio: Shake Up Your Exercise Routine at This Stylish Studio

If a traditional workout routine simply doesn’t excite you or going to the gym just doesn’t work with your schedule, MOD Fitness Studio is a high-energy alternative that Austin residents rave about. This unique fitness facility combines strength, cardio, and flexibility in each of its fun classes, and upbeat music will keep you motivated to push yourself a bit further each time. Workouts like MOD Barre and MOD Burn combine techniques from yoga, Pilates, and resistance training, and each class is offered at different times throughout the week in order to accommodate your busy schedule.

The studio itself is stylish and welcoming, featuring hardwood floors, chic decor, and a small, comfortable layout that is less overwhelming than larger gyms. If you need a bit of a boost to shake up your exercise routine, MOD Fitness Studio is a great choice.

MOD Fitness Studio is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m. to noon weekends.

MOD Fitness Studio
2041 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 765-5663
www.modfitnessaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/mod-fitness-studio-austin

Browse Unique, Fair-Trade Gifts at Tesoros Trading Company

If you frequently peruse the South Congress shopping district and have yet to stop by Tesoros Trading Company, then you should make it a point to drop by on your next outing. Inside, you'll find a large selection of one-of-a-kind goods from all over the world, as well as items made here in the United States.

Tesoros is dedicated to providing customers with ethically sourced goods that help support the artisans' local communities. The shelves are crammed with interesting things to look at, especially "little somethings" that can make a great birthday gift or thoughtful trinket. Among the selection is musical instruments, dolls, folk art, weavings, and more. Be sure to look through the jewelry for a piece to complement your outfit, and keep an eye out for in-store trunk shows.

Tesoros Trading Company
1500 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 447-7500
www.tesoros.com/homepage.html
www.yelp.com/biz/tesoros-trading-company-austin

The Red Room Lounge: An Austin Wine Bar

Whether you're a seasoned wine expert or a novice to wine drinking, the service and selection at The Red Room Lounge just might make this place your new go-to wine bar in Austin. The knowledgeable sommeliers are happy to put together tasting flights, make recommendations, educate you about the wine-making process, and help you find just the right vintage for your own particular taste.

The Red Room Lounge’s atmosphere is dramatic, featuring dim lighting, exposed brick, deep leather couches, and lots of dark wood. Note, however, that this is not a place where you should expect to get dinner along with your wine. The Red Room Lounge offers a small selection of cheese and charcuterie plates, but this dedicated wine cellar focuses mainly on drinks.

The Red Room Lounge
306 E. Third Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 501-1536
www.redroomatx.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-red-room-lounge-austin

Castle Hill Fitness: Exercise, Eat Lunch and Get a Massage All in One Unique Facility

Whether you’re an avid yogi or an extreme cyclist, Castle Hill Fitness has an exercise class for all types of athletes. The unique studio is operated by friendly staff members who are always willing to lend a hand or offer some advice, and the bright, colorful building is much more welcoming than most gyms.

Castle Hill Fitness offers more than 85 different workout classes each week to accommodate all members’ busy schedules, and classes include yoga, spinning, Pilates, boot camp, and many others. Personal trainers are available for those who prefer a more one-on-one exercise style, and the center also offers a gym area filled with free weights and cardio machines.

In addition to its workout facilities, Castle Hill Fitness includes Food4Fitness, an organic cafe stocked with healthy foods. The Natural Healing Arts Studio offers massages and acupuncture, while the bike shop fits customers for the perfect bike right on the spot. Castle Hill Fitness is a standout fitness center that is truly unique to the Austin area.

Castle Hill Fitness
1112 N. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 478-4567
www.castlehillfitness.com
www.yelp.com/biz/castle-hill-fitness-austin

Salon Sovay: A Salon Experience That Is Uniquely Austin

Salon Sovay may look more like a small, bungalow-style house than an upscale salon, but on the inside the talented team of stylists works their magic on even the most unruly tresses. The salon specializes in taming curly, frizzy hair, but they also provide a number of other hair services that range from basic trims and highlights to impressively realistic hair extensions. Salon Sovay also offers a full list of beauty services in addition to its hair services, including manicures, pedicures, waxes, and brow tinting.

Its homey interior is quaint and cozy, and it is furnished with comfortable leather sofas in the waiting area, floor-length mirrors and eclectic art on the walls near the styling stations—and a Farrah Fawcett mural outside that is sure to inspire your desire for great hair!

Salon Sovay is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Salon Sovay
2444 S. First Street
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 519-9937
www.salonsovay.com
www.yelp.com/biz/salon-sovay-austin

Caffeinate Your Morning at These Two Austin Cafes

Although Austin is probably better known for its barbecue, the city's gourmet coffee scene is rapidly catching up. For those who love to treat themselves to a premium cup of joe in the mornings, you have more than a few options from which to choose. Here are just two of Austin’s best coffee shops to fuel your morning.

Epoch Coffee
If you’re searching for the hippest coffee shop in Austin to people watch, surf the web, and get caffeinated, Epoch just may be it. Epoch features the rustic, urban decor that Austin is known for combined with a menu of strong brewed blends and simple espresso drinks. While you won’t find a sugary, blended coffee here, you will find great roasts for coffee purists.
221 W. North Loop Blvd., Austin, TX 78751; (512) 454-3762

Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
Mozart’s offers your morning cuppa with a stunning view on the side. The cafe’s outdoor patio overlooks a crystal clear lake, while inside friendly baristas create elaborate flavored lattes, seasonal coffee blends, and iced espresso drinks in a wide variety of styles. Although Mozart’s is best known for its sweet beverages, the shop offers more traditional cappuccinos and brewed coffees, as well. Order a coffee and a housemade pastry and enjoy it all while watching the sunrise over the lake outside.
3825 Lake Austin Blvd., Austin, TX 78703; (512) 477-2900

RiverCity Market: Fresh Austin Shopping

RiverCity Market is a great alternative to the usual chain grocery store, offering an impressive selection of healthy, high quality foods in a convenient location. This quirky grocery store is located in Austin’s South Congress neighborhood, right near a number of popular shops and restaurants.

The open shelves are well-stocked and spacious, and there is a large selection of craft beers and wines in all price ranges. A hot bar sells prepared foods that guests can eat outside at one of the small cafe tables, and there’s also a salad bar where you can make a healthy, grab-and-go lunch. RiverCity Market also features customizable sandwiches and a full bakery counter that you simply can’t walk past without admiring. The store’s breakfast tacos are its most popular items, however, and they’re served daily until 11 a.m.

RiverCity Market is open 6 a.m. to midnight weekdays and 7 a.m. to midnight weekends.

RiverCity Market
2209 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 462-4955
www.facebook.com/RivercityMarketAustin/info
www.yelp.com/biz/rivercity-market-austin

Dolce Neve: Classic Gelato with Local Flavor

When you think of Austin’s food scene you likely think of barbecue before gelato, but South Austin’s Dolce Neve is aiming to change that. This gelato shop uses a variety of creative, local ingredients to create some of the best gelato that you’ll have in the Lone Star State, and the regulars report that customer service is exceptional.

Each gelato flavor is made from scratch on site every morning, and it is made 100 percent according to old-school Italian recipes. Gelato flavors include 18 handcrafted options that change daily, but some of the most popular include goat cheese and blueberry lime jam, ricotta pistachio, and dark chocolate with cayenne pepper. If that’s not enough to get your sweet tooth tingling, Dolce Neve also offers other frozen novelties such as granita, popsicles, gelato sandwiches, and affogatos.

Dolce Neve is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Note that the cafe is closed Mondays.

Dolce Neve
1713 S. First Street
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 804-5568
www.dolcenevegelato.com
www.yelp.com/biz/dolce-neve-austin

The Stitch Lab: South Austin Crafts

Austin is great place for crafters, with tons of people learning sewing, knitting and other fun crafts. If you'd like to take up crafting as a hobby, one of Austin's best resources might be The Stitch Lab.

The Stitch Lab's owner Leslie Bonnell is a former costume designer who realized that there was a market for truly skilled sewing instruction, so she started offering classes out of her home in 2001. The concept took off quickly and she expanded into a retail location in 2009, hiring a number of other instructors to supplement her offerings.

All of the teachers here win raves from regular patrons – they’re patient, skilled and capable, willing to take as much time as they need to make sure that you’re really understanding the material. The Stitch Lab also has a sizable retail area which sells a variety of cute and funky fabrics from all over the world, as well as thread, floss, embroidery patterns and other notions.

Visit The Stitch Lab's website to learn more about this Austin craft shop!

The Stitch Lab
1000 S 1st Street
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 440-0712
www.stitchlab.biz
www.yelp.com/biz/the-stitch-lab-austin

“Hair of the 3-Legged Dog”: An Austin Day Party on March 19

With so many great events coming up next week in Austin, it can be hard to figure out what to attend. So, here's a suggestion: "Hair of the 3-Legged Dog." This event's presented by The Austin Chronicle (and sponsored by Greystar), and it's named after the Chronicle's mascot Hank.

It takes place on Thursday, March 19 from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. and brings food, drinks, and fun to The Liberty Bar on East Sixth Street in Austin. Four local artists will play music at the event: Sweet Spirit, Anya, Bop English, and Flesh Lights. There'll also be snacks from Tacodeli, Rhythm Superfoods, Baked By Amy's and more to fuel Austinites for another day of SXSW.

Want to learn more about "Hair of the 3-Legged Dog"? Click here to visit The Austin Chronicle's page about the event.

"Hair of the 3-Legged Dog"
Thursday, March 19 from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m.
The Liberty Bar
1618 1/2 East Sixth Street
Austin, TX
www.austinchronicle.com/dayparty

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