The Bigger Better Birthday

This year, I turned my birth-day into a birth-month packed with new experiences, new places, and a lot of sugary treats.

In 2025, I casually redeemed about $60 worth of birthday treats. In 2024, I went on a full-on birthday freebie quest. But this year? I upped the ante: I redeemed my freebies and spent real money on experiences.

January 17, 2026 — Bunny Yoga

Okay, technically I didn’t pay for this with real money — I used a gift card I earned from participating in a study to cover the $30 class fee. I’ve done puppy yoga and kitten yoga, and I’ve had the opportunity to do goat yoga, but I never actually went. Bunny yoga is much closer to kitten yoga than puppy yoga.

The bunnies were definitely more skittish. Some of them hid out and lounged in the little litter box/potty buckets the entire time. But there were a few brave buns hopping around the room, munching on greens, and one true daredevil who confidently jumped into a couple of people’s laps. It was chaotic and adorable, and the easiest yoga class you can find.

January 18, 2026 — Cat Café Afternoon in Downtown Austin

The next day, I planned a downtown Austin afternoon, starting at Sydney’s Cat Lounge with my friend and her husband. Sessions are 45 minutes for $28 per person, and the vibe is described as:

“Step into our royal lounge and mingle with Austin’s finest felines. Expect cuddles, cat naps, and a few dramatic poses — they are royalty, after all.”

My friends both drove and paid for the experience (thanks again). The second you step inside, it’s delightfully overstimulating in the best way. There’s a cat castle, a literal throne, big comfy chairs, an outdoor catio, and even a little hedge maze for humans outside in the sun.

Some of the cats were younger and still getting introduced to the main group, while the seasoned pros fully embraced café life and slept through almost the entire session like tiny furry retirees.

January 18, 2026 — Detour Downtown — Library Plans, Matcha Wins, and Bookstore Wandering

My friend dropped me off downtown at the Austin Central Library, which was supposed to be my next stop. The plan? Check out the rooftop garden, soak in the skyline views, and grab a dramatic spiral staircase photo. Unfortunately, they were closed a day early in observance of MLK Day. Womp womp.

While figuring out my next move, I had an uncomfortable interaction with someone nearby (they were yelling at people trying to go to the library and yelled at me because of the loud cat print onesie I was wearing), so I decided to leave the area immediately. On the walk over to my next planned stop, I dropped by Mañana Coffee for a pick-me-up before continuing on to Whole Foods and BookPeople.

I ordered the popular mango sticky rice matcha.
Price: $8.50
Verdict: Spendy… but honestly, the best flavored matcha I’ve ever had. Worth it.

This is also where I started leaving a little tip trail of origami animals I’d folded ahead of time for my birthday barhopping adventure. My first drop: a tiny paper cat left at Mañana. Next stop: the Flagship Whole Foods, where I grabbed some coconut snacks for my boyfriend for later.

Then I made my way to BookPeople, where I wandered up and down the genres. I found local romance author Ali Hazelwood’s signed section, browsed all the fun gift-y chotchkes, and flipped through some travel books — including one with a great little excerpt about Austin. I changed outfits in the restroom and decided to leave earlier than I had planned so I could fit in more rooftop bars.

January 18, 2026 — Rooftop Stop #1 — Group Therapy at Hotel ZaZa (Around 4 PM)

My first official birthday bar stop was Group Therapy, the rooftop bar inside Hotel ZaZa.

When I arrived, the place was quiet; both the bar and cabana area were nearly empty, with only one other table of guests outside. The staff were incredibly friendly, and bonus points: the restroom was very nice and my favorite of all the stops. Because I had a drink of some kind at nearly every place I went, I also used the restroom in every bar except P6.

The rooftop setup includes an indoor bar area with seating and an outdoor cabana space with poolside seating (no glass allowed in this area). As for the view: you don’t get much skyline unless you’re seated right at the edge of the rooftop, but the atmosphere makes up for it. The combination of the pool and surrounding high-rise buildings gives it this cool industrial-meets-tropical vibe. The street view below, however, is pretty unremarkable. Finding the bar is easy as it’s listed on the elevator directory. When you get off the elevator, turn right and keep walking, and you’ll run right into Group Therapy.

What I Ordered

• Crispy Brussels Sprouts — $12
• Runaway Mocktail — $15

Both were delicious. The Brussels sprouts came in a massive portion and were super flavorful. The mocktail was bright and refreshing without being too sweet.

January 18, 2026 — Rooftop Stop #2 — P6 at the LINE Austin (5:45 PM)

This was the rooftop bar I had actually planned ahead for. I made a reservation for one a few weeks in advance because I’d heard it has one of the best sunset views in Austin, and I wanted to guarantee a good seat. I can confirm: the view is spectacular… if you can actually see it. Only 80% of the tables have a view worth making a reservation for.

When I arrived, they seated me at a two-top right by the host stand, just inside the rooftop area. Technically outside, but functionally indoors. My view consisted mostly of the backs of people’s heads, a sliver of sky with direct sun, distant buildings, and one very unfortunate, ugly rooftop. After sitting there for a few minutes, I decided that if I couldn’t move, I’d order a drink and get out of there within 10 minutes to try to catch the sunset somewhere else. The sun was already dropping fast.

The host said she’d try to move me to a table on the “other end,” but explained that some guests were overstaying their reservation time limits and hadn’t left yet. Not shocking but still… rude (first world problems).

Then, with a sliver of sun showing, they moved me to the good side of the bar. I was seated in a low lounge setup with a couch and two chairs in a space that could easily fit 5–6 people, and the view was completely different. From there, I could see the water, skyline, bridge, and the rest of the sunset as the sky changed colors. I didn’t stay long, because now I felt rude taking such a large table for one person!

What I Ordered

• Botanical Reset Mocktail — $12
• Chocolate Tahini Mousse — $11

The mocktail was refreshing, but the mousse was the memorable choice. It was one of the best desserts because it was rich, balanced, and an incredible mix of textures and flavors. I’d honestly go back just to get one for my partner… and to try for a smoother sunset experience.

During bat season, this bar also has a fantastic view of the Congress Avenue Bridge bats, for some of the tables…

This bar was confusing to locate. The elevator didn’t list the bar, and the floor I initially got off on (following other rooftop wanderers) looked like it belonged to something else entirely.

Here’s how to find it: Go to the 6th floor. When you exit the regular elevator, turn right. Walk down the hallway to the end. Turn right again, and go down a couple of stairs. P6 will be straight ahead. There’s also a separate elevator somewhere else, apparently, but I took the one from the lobby.

Seating tip: If they seat you on the side as you enter P6, you might not get much of a view. If you’re on the opposite side (like in the photos on their website), the sunset and bridge views are absolutely worth it.

I tipped both the server and the host one of my origami animals.

January 18, 2026 — Rooftop Stop #3 — La Piscina in the Proper Hotel (Around 6:45 PM)

I thought I had time to squeeze in one more rooftop bar before my final 8 PM reservation at my final stop, so I walked over to La Piscina to try my luck at prime dinner hour. Predictably… they were fully booked until 8 PM. I had just watched them turn away the couple ahead of me, so my expectations were already low that they had 1 seat somewhere.

From what I could see, it didn’t really feel like a rooftop bar situation anyway, at least not in January. Most people were indoors dining, and the pool with the outdoor seating area was completely empty. It gave much more upscale restaurant energy than “grab a drink and enjoy the view” vibes.

I did pop into the restroom (solid facilities, no notes), and on my way out, I found an unlocked door near the back entrance to the pool area. I stepped out briefly to snap a photo of the gorgeous nighttime skyline view from up there. The pool looks nice, if not small.

January 18, 2026 — Rooftop Stop #4 — The Edge Rooftop in the J.W. Marriot (Around 7 PM)

I walked back toward P6 and then crossed the street to the JW Marriott rooftop. I was picking and choosing the best views and best vibes rooftops and that meant walking back and forth! Entering from the lobby, it felt like a maze trying to find the right elevator and then figure out where to go once I got off. After exiting the elevator, I ended up meandering through what felt like the entire rooftop pool deck with rows and rows of seating, a beautifully laid-out space, and a huge outdoor area before finally reaching the actual bar on the other side of the building.

Verdict: best pool, least impressive late-night drink options.

The rooftop space itself is massive and gorgeous, with seating spread around fire features and plenty of room to roam. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to book a stay just to have access to the pool and outdoor area. Drink-wise, though, the menu was very limited, and they didn’t have any mocktails listed. I asked for “anything mocktail,” and they brought me a virgin Lady Bird. It was mostly juice, but still tasty and refreshing for $8.

After using the restroom and washing my hands (the glass I’d been given was… sticky), I realized I had left my phone back at my chair and had to double back through the rooftop seating to retrieve it. Thankfully, it was still there, right where I’d left it near the outdoor fire. I blame carrying both a purse and a bag and having inadequate pants pockets in my jeans.

January 18, 2026 — Rooftop Stop #5 — Nido inside the Loren Hotel (8 PM)

From there, I backtracked again, crossed the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, and made my way to my final reservation of the night at Nido, inside The Loren. Jon met me there for a late-night birthday dinner.

After four rooftop bars, this was the first place that gave me zero hassle about seating and still delivered an incredible view from the terrace.

Nido sends detailed instructions after you book, including valet info ($15) and dining time limits. Dessert was on the house for my birthday along with a signed birthday card, which instantly elevated the whole experience. Honestly, how often do you get something for free at a restaurant that isn’t an apology?

We fully leaned into the indulgence and ordered:

• Lasagna
• Tuna carpaccio
• Two mocktails
• And the complimentary carrot mille-feuille dessert

Everything was flavorful, rich, and absolutely worth it.

Because Nido sits across the water from downtown, the terrace gives you a full skyline view that’s all tall buildings reflected on Lady Bird Lake. It feels scenic and calm rather than busy and street-level. They do have indoor seating, but the terrace is the move if the weather cooperates. Interestingly, the restroom in Nido is co-ed and my least favorite of the night.

Easiest reservation of the night, best seating experience, and the perfect way to end a very rooftop-heavy birthday adventure.

Though Jon treated us to dinner at Nido (thanks!), my total spending for the day was fairly high and I gave away all of my origami tip animals. I also walked about 3.7 miles, which means this birthday celebration technically counted as cardio.

January 21, 2026 — Ice Cream Freebie at Jeni’s at the Domain

Birthday freebie season was in full swing, so I stopped by Jeni’s to redeem my free birthday “Celebration Scoop” with a waffle bowl — a treat worth about $8.

After sampling a few flavors (arguably the most important part of the experience), I ended up choosing two I normally wouldn’t pick but were very good:

• Tropical Bloom — mandarin and kiwi with passion fruit. Bright, tangy, and very refreshing.
• Double Dough — chocolate chip cookie dough swirled into butter brown sugar custard. Rich, sweet, and dangerously easy to keep eating.

January 22, 2026 — Cake, Starbucks, and a not-so-mystery gift from Ellicor

Jon surprised me with my own chocolate cake from a local bakery, Upper Crust. It was decent but not the best. He also ordered a strawberry gâteau cake from the same bakery for my sushi omakase, which was amazing and very different from the chocolate cake. Honestly, the chocolate cake was decent, but it tasted like any grocery store could have made it.

I made my annual Starbucks run for my freebie and tried out their Dubai chocolate. At ~600 calories, Jon and I shared this over several days. The mystery gift from Ellicor was my choice from their keychain wall. Not worth a special trip, in my opinion, but we also grabbed some fun imported snacks while we were there, and I snagged a TGTG bag (Too Good to Go) from Ellicor.

I also received a Blue Apron from family with three meals we made during the ice-storm. Our favorite was the enchiladas.

January 24, 2026 — Tsuke Edomae Omakase Sushi

My second time going to this outstanding Austin omakase with now James Beard-nominated chef – Michael Che! Jon got another cake from Upper Crust Bakery that was so good we couldn’t help eating all the leftovers after feeding the other 8 people at the Omakase (including the chef and other employee/owner).

My favorites: tile fish, chutoro, Japanese sardine, pickled cucumber, unagi, skipjack, grilled otoro, anago, miso soup, tamago, and dessert 🙂

I received other cool, tasty, and fun gifts for my birthday. Thanks, everyone!

Other birthday freebies I am planning to redeem:

2025 birthday redemptions