Love watching home shows? Check out these two home renovation programs.

Fixer Upper
Fixer Upper is a fairly new HGTV show that follows married couple Chip and Joanna Gaines as they pair wary homebuyers with run-down, older houses in the Waco-Dallas area. The couple sees the potential in these older homes and helps the buyers to renovate them back to their former glory, from the intricate crown molding to the gleaming hardwood floors. All of the Gaines’s renovations feature a rustic charm that’s very unique to Texas, and once you see Joanna’s storage shed filled with potential design elements that she purchased from junk shops around town, you might become a fan of the show.

House Hunters Renovation
The most DIY-heavy of the House Hunters shows, House Hunters Renovation focuses on homebuyers who don’t mind getting their hands dirty when purchasing a new home. The hour-long show follows the usual formula of a buyer choosing between three potential homes, but the last half of the program is dedicated entirely to the renovation process after they've purchased the property.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Maegan Tintari

Whether you love kitschy, quirky trinkets or you know someone else who does, Monkey See Monkey Do! is one of Austin’s most popular gift shops. This wacky store is like a toy store for adults, and it is positively packed full of all of the magnets, action figures, whoopee cushions, and novelty candies that you can imagine. There’s also a number of Austin-themed gifts!

None of these items are particularly useful, but once you spend a while in this silly shop you'll realize that that’s what makes them great. And of course, Monkey See Monkey Do! even carries a vast assortment of—you guessed it—monkey paraphernalia!

Monkey See Monkey Do! is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Monkey See Monkey Do!
1712 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 443-4999
www.facebook.com/MonkeySeeMonkeyDoAustin
www.yelp.com/biz/monkey-see-monkey-do-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/chillitpv

Chez Nous’s romantic, candle-lit ambiance and authentic French dishes like foie gras, escargots, and house-made pâté can whisk diners away on a culinary journey.

Visit and you can try the sautéed veal sweetbreads with button mushrooms, or check out the pepper crusted beef tenderloin with a brandy and demi-glaze reduction. All entrees are served with warm French bread, pommesdauphines (crispy potato puffs), and fresh vegetables. At $29.50, many customers praise the affordability and variety of Chez Nous’s three-course prix-fixe dinner menu.

Chez Nous’s downtown location and quiet and intimate atmosphere make it a great go-to spot for business-colleague lunches or catch-up night with friends, or date-night with that special someone. Chez Nous provides hungry patrons with lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday, serves dinner Saturday and Sunday, and is closed Mondays.

Chez Nous
510 Neches Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 473-2413
www.cheznousaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/chez-nous-austin

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/stu_spivack