The only limit that can be played is your imagination.

The great infielder Rogers Hornsby once said that he passed the time in the winter, without baseball, staring out the window and waiting for spring. Alas, as Major League Baseball begins to shut down this week, we may all have to wait more than a few months for our best sports to return. Many of us have been staring out the window for most of the past two years, so we need some other activities to keep busy. The lucky ones among us have personalities and interests. For the rest of us, there is Spikeball.

I will try to describe what Spikeball is, but it’s more about art and instinct than a fact that the player’s manual can capture, so I’ll leave it aside: it’s a four-player game, a bit like volleyball, with a grapefruit The size of the ball. The two-person team is not separated by a net, but squeezed on a trampoline. Each team can tap three times to try to make the ball bounce off the trampoline, and if that doesn't happen, or when the ball touches the ground, it will score. You can play it on any relatively flat surface where you can dive: beaches or parks that require a dog on a leash are ideal, but the only limit to playing Spikeball is your imagination. (I tried it on concrete basketball courts and asphalt driveways.) You can find a set of $70 Spikeball-three yellow balls, an easy-to-assemble plastic trampoline frame, and a net for the frame, all of this All packed into a backpack-sized drawstring bag-in any sporting goods store or on Amazon.

If you have been looking for a competitive way to do light aerobic exercise, Spikeball will call your name. If you have ever wondered how to spend an afternoon with three friends and reluctantly choose bowling, then you have found your new game. Or, if you just want to spend a lazy afternoon in the park and make some new friends, then if you assemble a Spikeball trampoline, you know people will come. With any luck, baseball will be back soon. Before that, the United States had a new pastime.

——Ben Rowan, Associate Editor

As the holidays approach, many Texans are spinning their wheels, trying to come up with the perfect gift for friends, family, and partners. When in doubt, I always give a candle-very good, but not inspired. Fortunately, Houston’s Styled Picnics made the gift-giving season a little easier. 

On my birthday in November, my sister Savannah surprised me at a picnic in Buffalo Bayou Park. This is not just a picnic. There is a table decorated with custom cakes, a bouquet of flowers, pink placemats and decorations. Activities such as upholstered chair pillows, custom signs, painting and card games completed the scene. Not only is it beautiful because we can overlook the Houston skyline, but it is also an experience. Savannah and I talked over lunch and laughed while trying to draw the skyline (one of us was more successful than the other). This is the most intimate gift I have ever received. 

The company (fully disclosed and owned by a friend of Savannah's Karen Garcia) offers picnics starting at $150. Styled Picnics can accommodate up to 80 guests for special events, such as baby showers or post-engagement parties. The company also provides holiday-themed decorations. The picnic is fully customizable; choose a large screen projector and speakers for a movie night or a 30-minute private photography course. Don't forget the customizable homemade cakes (I recommend cream cheese filling) and deli plates. You can host a private picnic at home, or choose a more public place, such as a park. To book, please send a message to Styled Picnics on social media or via the website. 

——Serra Juarez, Assistant Editor 

Along the Chisholm Trail in Round Rock, you will find a hidden treasure called Papi's Pies. Surrounded by white picket fences and lush charming gardens, this charming cafe offers unique Bolivian, Mexican and French cuisine. Owners and partners Jose Parra and Julio Palacios founded the company, initially operating a dessert business in their home, providing chocolates and polvoones to a series of restaurants in the area; their adventure quickly developed into foodies looking for award-winning cherries A destination for pies and all kinds of quiches and crepes. 

However, the star of this family restaurant is salteña from northern Argentina. The empanadas (with vegetarian options!) are similar to empanadas, but juicy. Whether you bite off a corner and scoop out the soup with a spoon, or eat the whole thing like an animal, we will not judge. Wash it off with a glass of cool hibiscus water or lavender lemonade, and you will never want to leave. The artistic terrace invites guests to sit down and talk to old and new friends.

——Lauren Castro, editorial intern 

Author: Ashley Hope Perez

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