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Blue Seafood & Grill opened in Arroyo Grande in 2023 and my husband and I have had a few lunch dates here. We've been coming here every few months since they opened! They replaced the previous restaurant named Me & Z, which I regretfully did not get to try before they closed down. The most exciting thing that I've tried at Blue Seafood & Grill is their Cajun Seafood Boil!

They also have other traditional American seafood like the lobster roll and shrimp sandwiches on their menu. I have not had a bad entree here yet! 

We usually park in the back of the building where they have their own parking lot. Beware, it's a one way in, one way out situation so if you have a really big vehicle, just be mindful of that. However, it's nice to not have to park on the street and have more parking options.

We can enter their restaurant by using their back door from their parking lot and walked in from the patio. One time, I saw a patron and her dog enjoying a meal in the patio so that is worth considering if you have a pet.

The menu was already on the table, laminated, and has a front and back side lined with items. They also have a kid's menu so that is nice for young families.

When we dined at Blue Seafood & Grill for the first time for lunch, they also had a small sheet with a lunch menu. I opted to order the crab sandwich with fries for $15 from the lunch menu and my husband decided to order the lobster roll that came with dirty fries for $30 from the regular menu. (Note: With inflation and rise in costs, the restaurant may increase their menu prices and the prices on this blog entry only reflects the prices that were listed on the menu that day when we visited.) I loved my crab sandwich and my husband thought his lobster roll was overpriced for the size. See my Pinterest pictures below. They do change their menu so be wary of that.

My crab sandwich was like a smashed crab cake between two sandwich slices. My husband's lobster roll had some lobster meat topped on top of one thick bread slice. I think mine was definitely a better deal for the portion but like the grocery store and at other restaurants, the lobster is usually always much more expensive than crab.

Another exciting entree that I've ordered from Blue Seafood & Grill was the the halibut. It was a hair overcooked but it was still delicious. We also liked the sautéed jumbo shrimp as an appetizer. This appetizer dish is what people around town typically talk about. It only comes with 3 shrimps over sourdough bread, but it's still a standout!

We've never had dessert here before but conveniently next door is a coffee shop called Tribe Coffeehouse and it's a great place for some delicious craft coffee. See pictures of Tribe and other coffee shops that I've visited in Five Cities of San Luis Obispo County.

See my top favorite restaurants throughout San Luis Obispo (SLO) County

Other Reviews of Seafood Restaurants within the Five Cities area that I've visited:

1. Pono Pacific Kitchen in Grover Beach
2. Ventana Grill in Shell Beach (part of City of Pismo Beach) 
3. SeaVenture Restaurant inside of the SeaVenture Hotel in Pismo Beach
4. Oyster Loft in Pismo Beach near the Pismo Beach Pier

Many schools call their Parent Teacher Organization, PTA (Parent Teacher Association), others are just PTO.

What's the difference?

A PTA, Parent Teacher Association, has to pay fees to the the national PTA organization in U.S.A. but a PTO, Parent Teacher Organization, doesn't have to pay fees to the PTA and can have different rules and regulation/by laws.

Regardless if they are PTA or PTO, how they are run can be pretty impressive, dependent on the leadership of the board.

After volunteering for the last couple of years, here is a table of my thoughts.

Pros and Cons For Joining a Parent Teacher Organization or Parent Teacher Group.

Pros

You can connect with other parents (adults) in the school for a good purpose and great mission. The goal of the parent teacher association or organization is to help the kids and teachers. That could include fundraising for field trips, planning fun events for the community and volunteering to help serve the kids with any activity. You can be creative by volunteering to create signs, flyers or graphics for events. Make sure you properly tell everyone during the meetings that you're going to do it, so that no two people are doing the same work. That way, the team can be efficient and have their focus on finishing everything. You can add your volunteering projects to your resume! This is especially helpful if you need to beef up your resume for a new job. I feel that volunteering for your kid's school can set a really good example for your kids early on in their childhood because when they see mommy (or parent) volunteering, they may be more inclined to do community service projects in the future. They've seen me run around helping out at events and attending meetings for the benefit of planning projects for all kids and not just for them. It actually makes them feel more connected to the community. Since the principal usually attends these PTO/PTA meetings, you often get first-hand information about the school before a newsletter or community outreach is sent out. This could be very helpful in getting resources for your family and getting important dates saved on the calendar sooner.

Cons

Like many groups or clubs, there may be conflict with ideas and processes. I feel that we can always learn from each other but if you don't handle disagreements well, I advise that you come with an open mind and read some self-help books to help resolve conflicts. Volunteering requires time out of your day and/or evening to work on projects or be there for events. If you don't have a lot of free time, just make sure you can commit to the hours or projects that you volunteered for.  If you're volunteering during school hours on the school property, your school may need you be get fingerprinted and pass the background check to avoid pedophiles, or people with a history of crime, from being around children. This is a standard procedure for every volunteer or employee in a school district and it's a good one! So, make sure you have all of that already taken care of before volunteering on property during school hours. Meeting new people in any group may be a bit intimidating and it's okay to feel nervous at your first meeting. Try to learn to be assertive so that the group knows you'd like to volunteer. Sometimes they don't want to push work on whom they are not sure would be up for the task. Raise your hand during the meeting if there is a project you'd like to volunteer for!

Aside from volunteering to help my Parent Teacher Organization at my kids' school, I've also volunteered to chaperone for 9 different field trips so far. Read about my list of Pros and Cons for Volunteering at a School Field Trip!

Depending on which school your kids go to, volunteering for a field trip and volunteering for PTO or PTA could be managed by two different administrators. I've met many chaperones on a field trip who have never attended a PTO/PTA meeting and I've also met PTO/PTA members who have never volunteered for a field trip before.

Ideas to Bring to Your First PTO/PTA Meeting:
• Depending on how organized the PTO/PTA is, they may not have enough pens to go around so, if you like to take copious notes during the meeting for yourself, I advise that you come ready with your own pen! Maybe you can even bring a couple extra pens to share. Sharing your pens could be a great way to start a new connection if you've never been to a meeting before.
• If it is a potluck type meeting, I suggest bringing a nut-free vegan dish or nut-free vegan snacks. There are so many nut-free vegan dishes that I enjoy and I'm not even vegan. This is a great way to connect with a broader range of parents who may often feel left out at food sharing events. Nut-free is especially important for parents and kids who are severely allergic to peanuts or any other nuts.
• At the PTO meetings that I've attended, they don't offer coffee to the parents so by the time the meeting starts, it's evening and I would often need a pick me up. If that is the same for you and if it's okay to bring a drink with you (some meeting places or rooms don't allow food or drinks taken inside, so check), I suggest bringing your own cup of coffee or handy coffee in a can so that you'd have the energy to listen and collaborate.
• Usually, at the very first PTO/PTA meeting, the president asks that participants to introduce themselves one-by-one. However, if the group is so big, they may skip this to save time. So, bring your confidence to your first meeting as they may ask you to introduce yourself. I'm a big introvert and am terrible at speaking in a big crowd so, I am usually so nervous when it's my turn, even when it's my third year participating!

Reading Suggestions:

• I've volunteered to chaperone at 9 different field trips for my kids' classes. Read about my field trip chaperoning experiences and tips.

Most Requested Supplies for Donation:

Aside from volunteering for field trips and helping my Parent Teacher Organization with fundraising, I also donate supplies to my kids' classrooms upon their teachers' requests. Here are the most requested items that my kids' classrooms have requested at the elementary school and preschools that my kids have attended. Not surprisingly, the items they really need are the more expensive items.

• Post It Notes - These are quite expensive so I usually shop around before buying a bulk of them. Sometimes some of the stores have them on sale. My kids' teachers have the students use Post It notes to make notes while they are reading in class to practice analyzing their books. I've also bought these in bulk from Amazon before but sometimes from shipping, they get all bent up in shape! So, I prefer to buy them at local stores if they are on sale, so I'd know they are going to stay nice and straight for the kids. Costco and Wal Mart usually have them. There are generic brands for Post It Notes that are cheaper but teachers have always specifically mentioned "Post-it" Notes so I'd buy the very brand.
• Glue Sticks - For some reason, I find that the drug stores like CVS and Rite Aid sometimes have a buy 1 get free promotion for packs of glue sticks more often than my local Wal Mart. The kids always have art projects in class and sometimes, these dry out when the kids forget to put caps on them. There have been instances where the teachers would request for these halfway through the year again. I've also seen glue sticks sold on Amazon for less than $10 for a pack of 30, especially during back-to-school season.
• Erasable Markers (Dry Erase Markers) - Many of the lower grades have a small white board for each student where they can write their answers or practice math problems and share them in class. Although not all of the teachers provide these small white boards to the kids but when they do, the teachers always have dry erase or erasable markers as a request under their supplies list.
• Boxes of Kleenex or Facial Tissues - During the fall and winter, many kids get, what it seems, non-stop colds and that's when many kids would sneeze a lot and get runny noses. My younger son had it so bad one season that I volunteered to donate 3 tissue boxes each month for his classroom without any teacher's request. The teacher was so grateful and it helped me feel less guilty that my kid used so many tissues during class time. For me, it costed me less than $10 a month but it made such a big difference for the classroom as the teachers have enough to worry about! You'd be surprised how much teachers have to personally shell out for tissue boxes and other supplies for their classrooms. I would either go to Food 4 Less or Target and get a pre-packed 3 tissue box pack or when the local Dollar Tree store have the Puffs brand, I'd buy those there!

Most Requested Class Items From Teachers for Bigger Kids:

• Wet Wipes for Cleaning White Board and Surfaces
• Glue Sticks for Art
• Dry Erase Markers
• Post-It Notes

Apple is having a Back-to-School Apple Sale Online for all of their Apple products right now.

On the East Coast, we had bought one home and sold it 3.5 years later after we moved to the West Coast.

On the West Coast, we've bought two homes: one before the pandemic and one after the pandemic.

Each time, the process of buying a home was stressful.

What to Prepare Before Picking a Realtor to Buy a New Home

From what I can see now and for the foreseeable future, there is no shortage in REALTORs so finding a REALTOR is the easy part. We like to find a one who has been active in the business for decades because they know more about the area and have a finesse about them. All of our REALTORS have not only been active and successfully selling and buying property for their clients for decades, but they were all also brokers who owned their own office with employees.

Typically, you'd need a pre-approval letter from a bank or mortgage broker to see how much money you are allowed to borrow in order to efficiently narrow down your price range and provide this information to your REALTOR.

Guessing how much you're allowed to borrow is a big no-no. Having that official pre-approved letter will save you and your REALTOR time now and when you're ready to put in a offer for the home you like. Once you're ready to ink that offer with your signature you'll need to be sure that you can fulfill your compelling offer. The seller won't want to waste their time with someone they're not sure can afford to buy their home and they'll usually want to sell it as soon as possible.

If you're a military veteran like my husband, make sure to check with USAA to see what kind of veteran or military special loans you can get or are eligible for. If you decide to use a different bank or mortgage broker, they'll usually ask you if you're a veteran as well, so that they can find the best loan rates for you.

Besides getting the proper pre-approved letter ready, I want to say that you'll also need to get emotionally and mentally ready because once you start searching for a home, finding one you like and then, putting in an offer, that's when the emotional roller coaster starts to take place. The waiting game of waiting for an answer, the negotiation that takes place before getting an acceptance, taking care of the legal stuff and all the other construction or home improvement projects that are going to line up will take over your life for an extended period of time!

Best Resources to Search a Home

With online technology nowadays, your search is no longer at the mercy of your REALTOR because now all active MLS listings are available on the internet for you to look at. Zillow, REALTOR, Redfin, Trulia are just some of many online websites you can use to search for homes on sale and see their pictures.

You can provide the range and information about homes that you're looking for. For two of the three homes we bought, we've found them ourselves and then brought it to the attention to our REALTOR so that they can unlock the lockbox and let us see it. The only time we didn't need someone to open the door for us was when we went to an Open House, which we found out through Zillow by ourselves anyway.

Even though you can search homes online yourselves, having a great REALTOR can be very beneficial. The importance of having a REALTOR, especially an experienced one, is their connection to the community, handy men, the city government and their negotiation skills. They can read between the lines and counteroffers very skillfully and help you make a smart decision and deal. 

Making an Offer or Deal

During the pandemic, when the interest rates were low, many people were buying homes around our county and our friends struggled to find one where it wasn't snatched up so quickly. Even my son's teacher had expressed to me how frustrated she was when she made an offer on a home for over asking price and still not get it accepted, losing out to someone who offered over $100,000 above the asking price. It was pretty nuts! Now that the pandemic is over and the interest rates are very high, I don't see that issue anymore.

When you're ready to put in an offer, your REALTOR (buying agent) will draft up an agreement and then have you sign it, attaching a check (or wire directly) as earnest money. The typical amount of this earnest money varies from your geographic location/market and the general rule of thumb was different when I lived on the East Coast (considerably less) compared to the West Coast when the amount was more. Surprising, it's not a straight-up percentage calculation like many of the online articles would say from what I've done and seen in reality. Maybe this is different in your area. Your REALTOR will help you with what the appropriate general amount should be. After that has been discussed, she/he will meet or email the offer and earnest money information over to the other REALTOR, who is in charge of selling the home (listing agent) and usually, they'll get back to you within 24 hours. In your agreement, you can state the timeframe you'd like the seller to respond within so that you can focus on finding a different home and not be waiting around too long.

For two of the three homes we bought, we put in an offer that was less than their asking price. Both times, they counter-offered with something higher but still below their asking price. That's a good sign as that means, there are no competing offers at that very moment. That also means there can be some back and forth negotiating and for me, this process was quite stressful. It was like a game of ping pong with hours of waiting time in between hits.

Home Inspection and Termite Inspection After Accepting Your Offer

After they've accepted your buying offer on the house and it's in ink, your REALTOR will suggest a list of home inspection and termite inspection companies so that you can get professionals to look at your home and see if there are things under that surface that are broken or problem areas that need to be fixed before you officially buy the home. You don't want to move into a home to later find out that there is a huge rot issue or some other detrimental issues. Every area has a different list of to-dos that you'll need to be mindful of. Usually your REALTOR is the expert with these things and will guide you in the right direction.

Every time, we've gotten a home inspection, there's always something that needs fixing. It was never a perfect inspection for each time that we went through this process. We had to come back to the seller (through the REALTORS) to list those items from the home inspection to request them to fix it. There was only one time that the seller fixed the issues before our closing date. For the other two, they preferred to credit us the cost of fixing those items instead so that we'd be the one to fix it after the house closes. When this happens, this does add another layer of stress to you as a buyer because now you'll have an immediate list of home improvement projects to tackle right away before moving in.

Waiting for the House To Close

If the home inspection is looking good and/or you've worked out a credit deal to cover home issues from the home inspection, it's time to tell your bank/mortgage loan person that you're ready to move forward with buying the home so that it can go under escrow. This typically took us a month but it could be longer, depending on the company you went with. During this time, it's a good idea to get those home improvement projects a lot of thought to figure out the time and budget to focus on them.

This is also a good time to get those household items in boxes to prep for the move so that it's not so overwhelming last minute! In the past, I'd put a couple decent items I didn't need anymore for sale on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace every day during the waiting period and made some extra cash. It was quite fun and I didn't have to dump them in the trash. With Venmo and PayPal, you don't even need to even see the buyers in person. Just have them send you the money online and leave the things out on the porch for them to pick up around that agreed time. Because of the pandemic, no-contact transactions have been becoming quite normal and expected.

Closing Day and Getting the Keys

Before Closing Day, there will be a lot of papers to read and fill out! It'll cover how you're going pay the seller, any credits towards fixing anything and a lot of legal information. You'll be talking to your REALTOR and mortgage person a lot for the weeks leading to closing day. On the East Coast, our state required us to have a lawyer present and facilitate closing day. Luckily, in California, only a notary person needed to be present and process the paperwork. It was much easier and less formative (and less scary) in California. Once all of that has been notarized and you've signed your signatures in dozens of spots, your REALTOR will let you know when the money part is all cleared and set up a time to hand you the keys to your home.

Every time, I get the keys, I feel so relieved! More relieved than happiness, really. For all that paperwork, money and time, we exchanged it for something; a small key that'll unlock the home and our future. And also, the garage opener! We get the garage openers to the garages of the home too.

Moving Day and Bulk Items

Finally being able to move your stuff into your new home is going to be an amazing and/or very hectic day, depending on how prepared you are! In the past, I've went on the U-Haul's website to find last minute movers to move my refrigerator and other large appliances. It was really easy to pick a moving company from there and they also show their availability without having to call them directly. You can also find local moving companies as well but I wouldn't be surprised if they are listed as one of the businesses under U-Haul for local moving services.

Usually by time it's moving day, I've already put most of my things in cardboard boxes. You can sometimes find used moving cardboard boxes on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, if you don't want to spend more money and buy brand new ones. I've also gone to stores and asked for cardboard boxes as well.

Home Improvement Projects

If your home that you've just bought is not a brand new construction, chances are, you'll have some home improvement projects to do like we did. It took us about a good month before we could make our home livable when we bought an older home. 

If your home is a new construction, then you might have to buy new blinds like I did because it didn't come with blinds! Read my Lowe's and 3 Day Blinds Price Comparison blog entry.

Hopefully, you didn't plan any vacations close to your closing date because there is a chance that you're going to spend some money and time to personalize your new home and you'd want to take care of it quickly.

When you fill out a change of address form at the USPS, you should get a big packet of coupons mailed to your new home that you can use for your home improvement projects. USPS works with a lot of stores on this. This usually takes about a week to receive but it may take longer for you. In the past, I've received a coupon from Home Depot and Lowe's after I've filled out the change of address form and I was so grateful! If you're planning on making a big purchase at a home improvement store and it is not terribly urgent, it might be worth waiting for those coupons to arrive, especially for large appliances. It could save you hundred of dollars. Year round, Lowe's offer a 10% off discount for active military and veterans with proof of service, so we typically try to shop there instead of Home Depot because of the savings.

Celebration As Home Owners

After you've moved the very last item in to your new house, it's time to celebrate. You deserve it! All of that stress and time you've put into has resulted in a home that you now own. Pop the champagne!

Suggested Supplies for Your Big Move

• Large moving boxes or go on craigslist under the 'for sale' section for free used boxes
• Old newspapers to wrap dishes before putting them in boxes or buy new packing paper
• Temporary paper blinds for privacy if your place doesn't come with blinds
• A nice matching dining dish set for under $50
• Welcome mat
• An all season wreath
• Vacuum cleaner
• Broom and dustpan set
• Shop towels to clean the place

Note from Blogger:

Rules and regulations on buying a new home differs from state to state, county to county and/or city to city so check with your professional REALTOR and local government to make sure you're following the proper steps you'd need to take to protect yourself and your investment. Buying a hope is a very big deal! I'm only sharing about my personal buying experience and not a professional investor. Good luck in your home buying adventure!

I've been fortunate to have been able to accompany my kids' field trips as a chaperone for the last couple of years. Their school needed volunteers and I had the spare time to do it.
(picture of Monarch Butterfly Grove in Pismo Beach)

Mistura does everything right! Located in Downtown San Luis Obispo, Mistura's ambiance is sleek, the service is sharp and the food and drinks are stand outs!

For a belated Valentine's Day celebration, my husband and I made a reservation online for Mistura for a Saturday.

We arrived about 15 minutes before our reservation after finding a metered parking spot. Luckily, we had coins because the meter we parked right by didn't not use the parking app that the other spots use in San Luis Obispo. Somehow we parked outside of the range but no matter, it was still a good parking spot because it was only a couple of blocks down from Mistura. After checking in with the host, I only had to wait a couple of minutes before we were seated.

We remembered that the restaurant takes great care of making our food and that it was going to be awhile before we'd get our entrees so we ordered a couple of cocktails and the presentation was excellent. I ordered the Cucumber Moonrise and then the Moon Lite. I stuck to a moon theme tonight. If I had to choose, I preferred the Cucumber Moonrise but they were both refreshing options. See pictures of the cocktails that I ordered below.

I was really hungry and ordered their Arroz Con Marisco (paella) as my entree as I loved it so much last time. The portion was big, the seafood on the dish were fresh and it came in a quintessential paella pan! I had leftovers to bring home.

After about 1.5 hours, we finished our meals and walked outside to take a downtown SLO stroll around the busy streets. It was packed with young people, old people, people with families and people on vacation! It's always fun to walk around downtown when there's time to do it. I really enjoyed our belated Valentine's Day dinner with my husband. Next time, I hope to have enough room in my stomach to try one of their beautiful desserts at Mistura.

Watch my instagram reel on my Mistura visit: https://www.instagram.com/p/Co2daGZpXs9/

Note about Mistura's restrooms: The men and women restaurants are separated from each other by a bar so if you need to use the women's restroom, make sure to walk to the farthest corner (left of the bar) to find it. The men's restroom is perpendicular to the host's desk.

Mistura Address: 570 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

My Reviews for Other Restaurants That I've Visited in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County:

• Oyster Loft in Pismo Beach
• Granada Hotel & Bistro is a great place for a staycation and dinner. Read our staycation experience at the Granada Hotel & Bistro.
• Ember Restaurant in Arroyo Grande has a monthly menu with highly creative dishes and indoor and outdoor seating options. See my instagram video reel of our visit at Ember and the dishes we tried.
  
• SeaVenture Restaurant in Pismo Beach, inside of SeaVenture Beach Hotel
• Ventana Grill in Shell Beach (popular choice for Shell Beach)
• Pono Pacific Kitchen (Hawaiian/Pacific fusion in Grover Beach)
• Gardens of Avila Restaurant (part of Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort)
  
• 1865 Craft House & Kitchen in San Luis Obispo 
• The Galley Seafood and Grill in Morro Bay
• Copper Field Cafe & Bakery (famous desserts in SLO; part of Madonna Inn property)