St.Louis Cardinals Archives

April 5, 2019May 11, 2019

The Greatest Holiday in St. Louis! – Cardinal’s Home Opener

Today is a special day in St. Louis. It’s the Home Opener for the St. Louis Cardinals. If you know anything about our city, you know that we LOVE our Cardinals!

Busch Stadium home of the St. Louis Cardinals

I can almost guarantee that more than half of the population in St. Louis and surrounding communities is wearing Cardinal gear. That is how we roll. We are a fun and passionate city. We love to celebrate and party. We are the true melting pot of communities that become united given a “holiday” and reason to celebrate. Our heritage is German, Irish, Italian, French just to name a few. The majority of us celebrate October Fest, St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Grau, Cinco De Mayo, and of course home openers!

Home Opener

All eyes will be on us today as we put on the best show on Earth. Opening ceremonies are huge and we know how to do it right! The excitement of the Anheuser Busch Clydesdale coming out of those outfield gates, trotting onto the track for their ceremonial lap around the field. It is an amazing site and brings cheers and pride to all of us St. Louis natives. We love our past Cardinal players and can’t wait to see them in the parade of people circling the track. And Fred Bird is THE best mascot, am I right? What High School did he go to?

Fans will also get to see all 16 living members of the Cardinals Hall of Fame. The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by 2019 hall nominees and former teammates Jason Isringhausen and Matt Morris in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the Cards’ ’04 National League Championship team.

Ballpark Village

The party starts at St. Louis Ballpark Village. The atmosphere here is amazing. Even if you don’t have tickets or you don’t make it into the game when you come downtown, this place will be rocking and you won’t want to leave. Ballpark Village is conveniently located adjacent to Busch Stadium and within walking distance to the new Arch riverfront, museums, and more, giving guests the spirit of St. Louis within just a few city blocks.

Shop for official St. Louis Cardinals fan gear from Majestic, Nike and New Era at Shop.MLB.com

There are over 11 places to partake and eat in St. Louis Ballpark Village. Budweiser Brew House, Drunken Fish, PBR St. Louis, & Shark Bar are just a few of the many places where sports meet entertainment here. Ballpark Village is a great place to visit even if it isn’t a game day. For more ideas on what to do in St. Louis, read my post on Things to Do in St. Louis.

Food Fun

The menu at the Stadium is great already, but so many new things were added this year. Be sure to try the new line up:

The Family Pavilion

The Family Pavilion is located on Level 1 between Gates 5 and 6, on the northeast corner of Busch Stadium. It’s open before and during the game, just show your ticket to get in. There’s a fee for some of the game and activities, but if you’re dealing with bored kids, it’s worth the detraction! There’s a batting cage, speed pitch, t-ball cage, soft play area and Xbox game area.

Hall of Fame and Museum

Few franchises have the acclaim and heritage of the St. Louis Cardinals, and that history lives here, in the Cardinals Museum. Featuring stadiums, players and championship moments, the Cardinals Museum boasts one of the largest team-specific collections of artifacts and memorabilia in the world. The museum’s seven galleries take you on a chronological journey through the rich history of the Cardinals, allowing you to learn about the birth of the franchise, relive special memories and interact with great exhibits.

Our Town. Our Team. Our Traditions.

The Best Baseball Fans are St. Louis Cardinal Fans. We are loyal and passionate. We love hard! We fill the stands with a sea of red. We may be strangers on the streets but we are a family in the stadium. Come and join the Family! ~ Susie Peas

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April 2, 2019May 11, 2019

Ultimate Guide for a St. Louis ‘Staycation’

With today’s busy schedules it is hard sometimes to get a few days of ‘down time’ with the entire family. Add travel and an entire week, it probably isn’t going to happen. Especially when your kids get a little older and have their own part time jobs and school. An easy answer to get to spend some time relaxing and enjoying each other without having to miss work for a week, is to go on a family staycation for the weekend instead. Staycations are a great way to get away and spend some rejuvenation time without spending a ton or even leaving town.

It’s perfect when you think about it. No long drive or dealing with an airport. You know your bed is going to be comfortable. No need to board your pet, or arrange for the neighborhood kids to take care of your lawn.

Be a tourist in your own town

So what do you do? You have already done the touristy stuff each time an out of town relative comes to visit. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it again and act like a tourist yourself. After all, you probably enjoy what your city has to offer or you wouldn’t live here right?! I know I love my city. It’s the BEST place to visit. See my post on 5 Fun Things to Do in St.Louis.

Chances are you haven’t seen/done everything there is to do in your city anyway. What do people visit your city for? What are some popular things to do in your town? You can do a Google search or get some brochures for activities in your area and go do some of them. Try some festivals that are planned in the area. Or go see a local band at a fun nightspot that you haven’t been to yet.

Our Staycation

When our kids were in high school, we wanted to get some time away together and just relax. We wanted to enjoy each other without having friends, jobs, or cell phones getting in the way.

A family ‘staycation’ was the perfect idea. We told the kids to schedule off work one weekend and plan on spending the whole two days as a family.

To make it exciting, hubs and I decided to schedule the staycation activities and keep the events a secret from the kids. They were too old for this really, but they indulged me. I love them for that!

Living in Saint Louis, there are a ton of fun, crazy things to do. We knew that they would enjoy whatever we had planned.

Day One Staycation

Soulard Farmer’s Market

We started out our family staycation with a trip down to Soulard Farmer’s Market. This is one of Jason’s favorite places to shop. It might be because they have the best Bloody Mary’s. Who doesn’t love breakfast in a cup?

The girls with their $2.00 matching sister rings from Soulard

Soulard Market is a great place to find fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, fresh flowers and meat. There are also vendors that sell clothing, perfumes, and jewelry.

We told the kids to pick out a souvenir t-shirt at the St. Louis Cardinals booth. What a deal for $5.00 – $15.00 per shirt. They had no idea that we had tickets for the Cardinal ball game planned for day 2 of our staycation.

Venice Café in Soulard

After shopping at Soulard, we walked around town and found a great little restaurant called Venice Café. It was fun finding a restaurant that we had not visited before. We enjoyed lunch on the outdoor patio, laughing and talking. Something that isn’t always easy to do when everyone has their own jobs and agendas.

St. Louis Zoo

Next we headed to the Saint Louis Zoo. Being from Saint Louis, we have been to the zoo hundreds of times. But this time we were going as tourists, which made it seem more exciting.

Fairmount Park Horse Races

Fairmount Park Horse Racing

Our evening adventure was the horse races at Fairmount Park. The horse races are another fun and inexpensive way to spend some time. We enjoyed betting on the horses. Jay had a “system” of picking his horses. He ended up winning a little pocket change.

Day Two Staycation

Day 2 of our family staycation began with breakfast out. We could have easily stayed home but because we were on vacation, it was more fun to pick a breakfast favorite spot and eat together.

St. Louis Cardinals Baseball

That’s when we surprised the kids with Cardinal tickets. Again being from Saint Louis we have been to many Cardinal games, but going as tourists was a lot of the fun.

We got the cheapest seats at the stadium, which were literally on the top row in right field. But they included a free hotdog and soda. What a deal!

For fun, we scouted out empty seats lower and lower each inning and moved to them. By the 5th inning, we had made it to the cushioned seats right down by the field.

The game turned out to be a success. We had great seats, free hot dogs, free soda, and paid next to nothing to go to a Cardinal game.

Sun Decker’s on the Landing

What is a trip to St. Louis without stopping for a stroll on the cobblestones of Laclede’s Landing. We had a late dinner at Sun Decker’s. I also schooled Jay in some Galaga. (showing my age?)

Movie & Popcorn

We ended our day 2 family staycation with a movie and popcorn at home. It was an amazing mini vacation together. The kids still talk about how much fun it was the year we stayed home and enjoyed St. Louis.

A Staycation is a fun way to get some well deserved family time in, relax, and enjoy each other with out having to leave town. I am so glad that we did this and am looking forward to our next one as empty nesters! ~Susie Peas

February 20, 2019May 11, 2019

Last Swing Before the Ring

Last Swing Before the Ring was a fun idea for a themed bachelorette party for my daughter Becki. This was a great way to celebrate that bride-to-be that loves baseball. The last swing was a perfect plan for her last hurrah with her friends and family.

The afternoon started as a tailgate party at my house and ended at the ballpark. It turned out to be a beautiful day with lots of fun memories. Here is a peek at how the whole party went down.

Surprise!

It was a surprise party – always the best kind to have! The guests paid for their ball tickets in advance. This helped lock down the rsvp’s for the evening. Plus it allowed us to get the group rate for our tickets.

Tailgating

We all parked our cars next to eachother and lifted the hatches to stage the tailgating part of the afternoon. There were red and white streamers, themed posters, cracker jacks, baseballs, and peanuts everywhere.

We set up a drink station which included a cooler full of Budweiser. The perfect drink for a Cardinal game! Ballpark hotdogs and chips were on the menu. And how about these cute cookies from Brookie Cakes?!

We asked the ladies to wear their red St. Louis Cardinal’s gear. The bachelorette was going to be in white. We got Becki a “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” t-shirt. The back of the t-shirt said Mrs. Joiner and the number 13 (year she got married). She also wore a St. Louis Cardinal’s veil that you can order here.

What fun is was to show up at a BBQ Tailgate event hosting all of her besties. We opened presents, ate, enjoyed refreshments, and laughed about the silly signs hanging everywhere. Each guest got a themed gift bag with peanuts, bottled water, Cardinal beads, bubblegum, and STL temporary tattoos to sport at the game. The guests all signed a baseball for Becki to keep to remember the amazing day.

Go Cards!

Next, we headed to Busch Stadium for an evening of baseball for her last swing. It was a great time hanging out at the Ballpark watching the hometown team win a game. I am sure she will remember her bachelorette for a long time.

Click here for some more Unique Party Ideas for Her. And here for My Favorite Party Tips. You can find out about Brooke’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s Bridal Shower here. Plus, you can read about MY Tribe on this post.

What are some great ways you have celebrated the bachelorette? Let me know in the comments below. ~ Susie Pea