#Sixteenbefore16: 2 of 16

Where are our Ice Cream lovers at!? If you don't know this by now, I (Tey) am obsessed with Ice Cream. To the point where I used to consume 32 ounces of ice cream in less than 24 hours... true story. This was before my metabolism decided to jump ship so I try not to do it as often but I still have no issue making ice cream my appetizer, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd course for dinner and of course dessert. With this in mind, you'll understand why I put up a good fight to add at least 15 ice cream shops to our "Sixteen Before 16" Challenge - didn't quite happen but we agreed on adding one.

CREAM is relatively new to our city and it's been on our "to-try" list since it first opened up earlier this year. More than just a creative acronym (Cookies Rule Everything Around Me) CREAM offers up amazingly delicious cookie/ice cream sandwiches at an inexpensive price. One thing that we LOVED about CREAM - the plethora of options they have. Hellooooo free samples! With over 25 flavors of ice cream, 15 toppings, and 16 cookies - there truly is an option for EVERYONE. Including cookies for Vegans, those that are gluten Intolerant, and even ice cream for those that are lactose intolerant! They thought about everyone and their pocketbooks.

First things first, we decided if we wanted a classic ice cream sandwich, cup, cone, malt, shake, float, cream taco, coffee drink or Sundae (...we weren't kidding when we told you they had a plethora of options). Aaron decided on a sundae in a cup and I went with the cream taco: #bestlifechoiceever! After marrying the man of my dreams of course.  13 samples later (literally) we both decided on what flavors of ice cream we wanted to throw in the mix and lastly selected what toppings we wanted to add to these glorious creations.

I'd say we made some solid picks:
Aaron - Cup Sundae // Chocoholic Ice Cream // Chocolate Chip Cookie // M&Ms and Peanut Butter
Tey - Cream Taco // Very Berry Strawberry, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Royal Carmel Swirl Ice Cream // Oreo and Nutella Toppings

The only bad news about this amazing company - if you're not living in California, you may be sorry out of luck as currently, nearly all locations are located in Cali (with ONE located in Viva Las Vegas). Good news being, we have high bets that these well kept west coast treats will surely be traveling north and east real soon. Be sure to check out their IG page and website to see what it's like when you purchase this heavenly treat.

IG: @Cream_Nation

Website: www.creamnation.com

#Sixteenbefore16: 1 of 16

To start things of, we decided to get buck wild and venture out to one of the top (if not THE top) craft cocktail spots in San Diego… on a Monday – don’t you judge us! This wasn’t exactly the first time we’d been to Polite Provisions but we threw it on our list anyway since we hadn’t shown face there since early 2014!

Lets just go ahead and say what we’ll likely be saying about every single thing on our #Sixteenbefore16 list: “IF YOU’RE EVER IN SAN DIEGO, PUT THIS ON YOUR TO-DO!” We promise you, we’re genuinely saying it for Polite Provisions – let us tell you why.

Top 3 Reasons we Love Polite Provisions (and you will too!)

1.       Polite Provisions is unlike any other bar

The bar is set up to remind you of a visit to an old school apothecary. From the Menu to the design of the bar (inside and out), you feel like you’re at an old drug store. We have a soft love for places like this and we’ll forever appreciate places with history based set ups – for multiple reasons. In this case, we loved the feel because it takes you back to the late 1800/early 1900’s when soda pop was 5 cents and everyone would gather in shops or in the street to actually SPEAK to each other, intellectually and genuinely. You can’t beat personal interaction, we don’t care what anyone says (sorry Social Media addicts), and Polite Provisions encourages just that. Which brings us to our next reason

2.       Their bartenders are AMAZING, TALENTED, and are actually willing to CONNECT with their customers

You do not find this everywhere. The first time we visited PP we shared an actual intellectual conversation with our bartender and it made us appreciate their business even more. Nothing says “we care” more than a company that actually allows and encourages their employees to take the extra time out to connect with their customers. And on top of that, neither one of us are self-proclaimed craft cocktail drinkers so walking in to places like this, can easily overwhelm both of us. But it turns out, it’s not a bad position to be in here! You can either pick something that strikes your fancy from the detailed menu or you can hit the classic, “what do you recommend” with your server. We highly encourage the latter - let your bartender know your likes and dislikes in the world of cocktails, note if you like it strong or if you like it sweet and then sit back and watch closely while your bartenders creativity takes over. These people don’t just pour the standard Jack & Coke every day, they’re craft cocktails connoisseurs so chances of you actually enjoying your drink are higher – so are the chances of your taste buds doing the cha cha in your mouth!

3.       They have (delicious) drink options (aplenty)

With a 46-custom tap system hosting anything and everything (craft soda, red and white wine, spirits, cocktails, champagne, coffee and beer) alongside the handcrafter libations that are created on the spot using house made bitters, syrups, and tinctures you really do have options for DAYS! Their menu boasts a plethora of amazing options and you may even recognize some of their names: For example: The Johnny Utah is a nod to the movie Point Break (Keanu Reeves character), Mr. Brownstone (Guns N Roses Song), Five-Point-Palm Exploding-Heart-Technique (Kill Bill Reference), and also Troy Baker (For our true gamers. For everyone else, he does a lot of Voice Overs in Video games)

Our Picks for the Night:

Johnny Utah: Tequila, Celery, Absinth, Lime, Simple Salt

Pine Street Sour: Rye Whiskey, Lemon, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Campari

Megs Special: Tequila, Grenadine, Lime, Absinth

Fun Fact: The 2 light posts located in the bar are the only 2 in the country // 1 From New York & 1 from Hotel Del Mar

Sixteen Before '16

Recently, I (Tey) had dinner with one of my friends, and let me tell you, this girl is a Genius. We started talking about our future life goals and current situations and obviously "Get Gone and Travel" came up in the discussion. To be completely candid with you guys, Aaron and I don’t exactly know when we’ll get the chance to go on another extended vacation (due to recent changes in jobs/schedules) and it’s had us scrambling for ways to ensure that we keep our desire to travel alive and well. We’ve always joked about being “stuck in paradise” and how this city isn’t exactly the worst place to be “stuck”. We knew there was a high chance that we could spend 10+ years discovering parts of this city and always find something we didn't know was here but we've yet to truly take on that task. To get away from the scramble/out of the funk we’ve been in recently, Lindsey recommended we challenge ourselves by exploring more of the city we live in and love. Sixteen before ’16 is simple, intentional, and represents exactly what we’re always encouraging you to do – explore more! This great idea will allow for us to go to places we would probably never go to, see things we never even knew existed, learn quite a bit about this place we call "home" and have fun while doing it.

 SO - How does it work?

We’ve created a list of 16 things we’ll be doing before 2016 hits. Some are simple like "a picnic in the park" while others are a bit more adventurous. We’ll share everything with you guys along the way via the IG hashtag: #Sixteenbefore16 and also posting about our new adventures in blog form, here.

If you’re feeling fancy and adventurous, you should probably join us on this little rendezvous! Write down 16 things you have either never done or haven’t done in a while and do it - Be it something as simple as going to a coffee shop/going to the movies or something as big as sky diving/Climbing Mount Everest. Anything goes! Let’s kiss 2015 goodbye on a wave of adventure.

Our #Sixteenbefore16 List:

1. Polite Provisions 
2. Cream, Inc.
3. Stone Brewing Company
4. Pick a Christmas Tree
5. Act Like a Kid Again
6. Fancy, Smancy Dinner
7. Hotel Del Coronado/Ice Skating
8. Biking on the Bay
9. Torrey Pines Hike
10. Safari Park
11. Visit a Museum
12. Kiss the Sky
13. Go Kart Racing
14. Bonfire
15. Picnic in the Park
16. On a Boat!

Be sure to tag your posts with #Sixteenbefore16 – we’d love to see what you guys do!