Olma "Snackaholic" M.'s Profile

My "regular" workplace coffee break spot!  Such great energy here from the employees.  While I've cut back the frequency of visits here during work, I once got to a point where the employees here were able to predict my order.  Now, I'm just way too interested in changing it up all the time!

They have plenty of regulars here and it's always bustling.  They're also always well-stocked with food AND gift items.

Plenty of tables here, incl. the outdoor patio area surrounding by planter boxes of colorful plants.  

Always clean.

Primarily order Spaghetti or Pizza here.

Back in the day, Toto's Pizza used to be my absolute favorite, go-to pizza.  But I feel confident when I say that Greeks really know how to "do" Italian food!  It's the weirdest thing, but it's true!

While Rainbow Pizza is hands-down the best place in the peninsula for Pizza, and Spaghetti w/meatballs, Zorba's comes in 2nd place.

Conveniently enough, their Millbrae location delivers to my workplace; and their San Mateo location delivers to my home!

*the child's size Spaghetti order for lunch is extremely filling for one adult!

Drive-thru!  Woohoo!  Conveniently located in Manteca, roughly the halfway point to Yosemite from the Peninsula!

This one lived up to my expectation of warm, fun customer service.  And they were well stocked with goods to purchase!  It never fails - my eyes always wander when I'm in a Starbucks location (always on the lookout for the next great gift idea)!

I'm def. going to hit up this location again.  It's also in the same mall as the Costco gas station.

I'll be honest - I only went to this place when Mrs. Bubbles laundromat was recently closed due to a fire (Mrs. Bubbles is closer to my apt.).

But now, I'm a regular here!  And a pretty big fan!

They have a great selection of machine sizes - even really big ones to wash bulky camping gear like multiple sleeping bags, snow jackets/pants, etc.!  

It's always nice and bright here, and I swear, every time I've been here there's been an employee cleaning the place (and I'm here at very diverse time-frames).  They have vending machines here: beverages, snacks and laundry materials.  They also have arcade games, incl. the big claw/stuffed animal one!

They have a ceiling mounted television with remote control, a couch and two internet-ready desktop computers available for use (free wi-fi too).

Within walking distance from Broadway Ave. so you can head over to do some quick errands at Walgreens or grab a coffee at Starbucks or Le Croissant Cafe, or do grocery at EarthBeam (or grab ice cream at Preston's)!

One caveat: one time, we witnessed someone changing their baby's diaper on the metallic folding tables.  I recommend you bring biodegradable cleaning wipes to clean surfaces before you place freshly cleaned laundry on them.

Starbucks serves caffeine.  This one has a drive thru!  I expect warm, fun customer service from Starbucks every time.  This one didn't disappoint.  I gave four fat stars because it's beyond "A-Ok"! And four stars = "Yay! I'm a fan."  Which I am!

This one's conveniently located in Oakhurst, right off Hwy. 41, outside the South entrance into Yosemite.

Warm, cozy neighborhood Italian restaurant in one of my favorite SF neighborhoods.  It's located on the quieter, Sloat end of West Portal Ave. but the crowds find their way here.  

The pasta and ravioli is made fresh daily.  Yes, daily.

I've only dined in here.  Words that come to mind when I think about my latest dining experience here  - fresh, hearty, flavorful, comforting.  My veggie lasagna was, hands-down, the best veggie lasagna I've ever had.  This is the type of dish for which I could develop a specific craving!  

If you're lucky, they'll have Tiramisu on their dessert menu - it's served on a decent sized platter, probably meant for sharing.  But trust me - you can finish it on your own if you were so inclined.

I still haven't tried their pizza despite their rave reviews but I can tell you that many customers came in to pick up pizza orders in the short hour we dined there.

Get your keys made here (way more reliable key copies than Osh or Ace).  Consistent, reliable service for our agency throughout the years; Excellent customer service.

They also sell lock-boxes, key wallets, key chains, etc.

A great local neighborhood shop. The kind of place that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy supporting local small businesses.  These guys really know what they're doing.  You'll leave trying to figure out an excuse to support them again.

Disclaimer: I haven't had the great fortune to experience Dante's hair styling prowess.  But I can easily give 4 stars, right off the bat, based on what I witnessed a few months ago at a formal event I attended!

Our agency was hosting a 1920's themed gala and most attendees, including volunteers, were 'in character!' One of my favorite co-workers, stole the show by a landslide - not only with her gown, shoes and accessories, but her hairstyle was absolutely magnificent and awe-inspiring.  Seriously.

The most incredible thing about her hairstyle was not only the way it was styled; but more importantly, the way it was styled to flatter her face.  It was as if it was designed specifically for her unique look/face.  She was stunning and it was largely attributed to her hairstyle.  Not only that - I later discovered that Dante had colored AND completed her up-do within an hour and a half!!!  And, honestly, she was the best looking one there.

I really can't wait to experience Dante one of these days.  My co-worker has been with him for 13 years and in the past few years that I've know her, she has had some beautiful hairstyles.  I'm not surprised he has a loyal following.  

I can't wait to meet you, Dante :-)

Um, no one has reviewed this Target yet?! Lucky me.

Sure, it's a huge chain store but they give back to the community and employ individuals with disabilities. And they sell grocery items. That's enough to keep my support (customer service has also improved at this specific location)..

Plus, they have a whole line of greeting cards for $1.00!

I need a lot of motivation to get myself to exercise. A lot.

I was doing well - jogging at the local high school track on my own after a huge training regimen kick-start from my triathlete brother last year. But then I had to rely on self-discipline... Then, the excuses came (cold weather, baseball season, work, ice cream, mandatory french fry runs).

This brand new, state-of-the-art facility opened up just in time as a milestone birthday approaches. They opened their doors on April 1 and I took that as the perfect opportunity to become a charter member at a discounted rate and to add more structure to my fitness plan.

The facility is clean and spacious. And, the evening hours after work have been perfect for me on my free nights. They have 14,000 square feet of main floor space on the ground floor, 4 studios for group exercise upstairs and two outdoor pools (maintained at 78-80 degrees).

Aside from all of that, it's a gorgeous and well-designed building. The layout is very open with huge windows all around. I attended a Vinyasa Flow yoga class in studio 3 last week and the sunset was visible through the windows, adding so much more to the experience.

Tonight, I spent an hour burning calories biking while watching the Orioles at A's baseball game (The most productive way to watch a baseball game is to sit on a stationary bike for a few innings. Just try to refrain from yelling out loud when there's a clutch base hit or defensive play. People will stare). I have an appointment for an introduction to all the machines so hopefully, I'll be able to change up my regimen soon.

One of my favorite things about this gym are the technical capabilities. You can plug in your headphones to the machines and watch television or plug in your iPod/iPhone or any other mp3 player and listen to music or watch movies. At the end of my workout, there was an option to save my results onto a usb device as well.

And, another thing to keep in mind - not only is exercise a great way to improve your health; but it's a great way to get yourself to a point of exhaustion where you're too tired to feel stressed out, sad, mad or ready to put on some jeans and flip-flops and walk down to the local 24 hour donut shop... zzz... oink... zzz...

OTHER INFO:
- Hours: M-F 5:30a - 10p, Sat/Sun 7a - 7p;
- dedicated parking lot for Athletic Club members only;
- numerous and spacious locker rooms and shower stalls with Shampoo, Conditioner and Shower Gel;
- as of April 1, the following group classes are offered:

Aqua Fitness
Body Sculpt
Cardio Sculpt
Cycling
Kickboxing/Abs
Mat Pilates
Step
Total Body
Vinyasa Flow Yoga
Yoga
Zumba
"willPower & grace"