Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

Saturday, February 26, 20112 – 5 p.m. UT Austin Campus http://www.engr.utexas.edu/wep/k12/girlday

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (Girl Day) is an international event celebrated during Engineers Week each year for 1st through 8th grade students. Families and educators are encouraged to join their students at The University of Texas at Austin for an afternoon of engineering fun. Girl Day gives 1st through 8th grade students a chance to:
* have fun doing grade-specific, hands-on engineering activities,
* meet students, professors and engineers from industry, and
* see what it's like to be an engineer.

The Girl Scouts of Central Texas will have Girl Day patches for sale at the event. All Girl Day participants will receive a Girl Day giveaway as well as an activity passport to record the day's events. Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day is offered FREE of charge but registration is required. Individual and group registration is available online at: http://www.engr.utexas.edu/wep/k12/girlday.

Free Christmas Family Activity

Visit Mainstreet Bethlehem in Burnet, TX.

Main Street Bethlehem
"This Christmas, visit Bethlehem . . . in Burnet Texas . . . as the ancient city of Christ’s birth comes alive again.
Feel the anticipation of Joseph and Mary approaching the gates, urgency quickening their steps.
Pick your way through transients, peddlers, the crippled, and aged in the town’s fringe. Experience the presence of animals as they affect all aspects of life in that time . . camels, donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, and doves.
Explore the narrow streets to faint strains of ancient music and savor the smells of fresh goat butter, campfires, and hot bread. Then immerse yourself in the din of the marketplace; the revelers in the tavern, shouted insults to and from the Roman oppressors, merchants, craftspeople, taxpayers, and beggars all seeking money, or position, or revenge.
Search for the inn, only to find it full (as others did long ago). Then follow the trail to the cave where a road-weary couple has moved in with the animals, their place in God’s plan and secular history to be made secure on this night. For the child in their arms was the incarnation of God Himself, come to the world that all who would place their faith in Him might enjoy eternal fellowship in His presence.
Main Street Bethlehem
2010 Dates: December 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 - 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. each evening
Two blocks east of the town square.
Admission is free (donations are accepted). Tour buses are welcome. Free refreshments served at exit. Friday and Sunday night visitors may experience a shorter waiting time than on Saturday night.
As this is an outdoor presentation, it is canceled in rainy weather."

Free Electric Train Exhibit

The Tinplate Trackers, a hobbyist group, is displaying their electric trains free to the public. We stopped in with our kids last Saturday while on our way to the Children's museum and were impressed with what we saw.

When: Saturdays until Christmas
Where: 201 W. 2nd St.

Here were some I enjoyed:

Amusement Park

Harry Potter
Farm

$37 for a basic family membership to the Austin Children's museum

Half-off a basic family membership to the Austin Children's museum!

Only $37 for admission for a family of 4 for one year

see Groupon

After you buy it, you can update to a premiere membership for an additional $50 (by contacting bfiger@austinkids.org with your certificate number). This allows for a family of 6 and for entrance into many other children's museums across the country.

$ .75 cent movie Mondays

Several Cinemark theatres offer Reel Family Time, $.75 movies for groups of 3 or more.

check listings for one near you!

Austinites, we have one in Round Rock!

Reminder : SALES TAX HOLIDAY

Texans - no sales tax this weekend on qualifying items for back-to-school. See list here to check whether the items on your shopping list will be tax-free.

Healthy Baby Home Party

A while ago I applied to host a Healthy Baby Home Party, sponsored by Stonyfield Organic Yogurt and Seventh Generation. It was supposed to be last month, but since I was out of town all month, we had to have our party in August.

First, I invited a bunch of moms with babies (some were also pregnant). I think we had 8 moms and 18 kids - a great crowd!

As per the party kit: we watched a video, played a Bingo game, and wrote postcards to congress about the importance of establishing safety standards for chemicals marketed for household use. We had 4 moms win prizes (free products!) and everyone went home with coupons and samples! I have a few left, so a few lucky neighbors will get some too.
To give it my own flavor, I decided to do a waffle brunch. We had lots of yummy food. My favorite toppings are still strawberries and ice cream, but we tried some new ones : peanut butter and chocolate peanut butter! Yogurt is yummy too!

And of course we let the kids cool off! (water is a must for summer parties in Texas!)

Thanks to all of you who came!

Follow the link if you would like to see what else you can do to take action against toxic chemicals.

Austin Children's Museum

This month, you can get a $10 discount on membership to the Austin Children's Museum

$65 for 4 visitors

Premier membership - $115 for 6 visitors (reciprocal admission in museums and science centers all over the country)

($25 each additional member)

(babies under 12 months are free)

Birdfeeder

Free Kids Craft at Lakeshore Learning

11-3 on March 20

see crafts

local address: 9828 Great Hills Trail Austin, TX 78759

ParentWise Austin : Call for Essays!

This is the yearly contest for the Mothers' Day & Fathers' Day Issues :

If you like to write, now's your chance to get published!

We're looking for essays and poetry for our annual Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day all-essay issues!

Essays should be between 500 and 1,000 words and should discuss some aspect of the mothering or fathering journey. They may be humorous, serious or controversial. Pay for publication is $50.

Poetry should be no more than 24 lines and must also depict an aspect of the mothering or fathering journey. All forms of poetry accepted. Pay for publication is $25.

For examples of past essays and poems published in these issues, please see the ARCHIVES section of our website (click on the May or June issues).

Essays and poetry MUST be submitted via email to Editor@ParentWiseAustin.com

Deadline for submission is April 1.

'Pot-o-gold' bank

Free Kids Craft at Lakeshore Learning

11-3 on March 13

see crafts

local address: 9828 Great Hills Trail Austin, TX 78759

Bookmark Contest

Book People is having their yearly bookmark contest for elementary-aged children! Categories: Kinder, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 grades. Winning bookmarks are printed professionally and distributed at BookPeople. Winners also get a $25 gift certificate. Here's how to enter:

Download the entry form here (pdf)

Have your child create a colorful bookmark on the theme: "Reading is . . ."

Turn it in by Saturday March 6 @ BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar

kaleidescope

Free Kids Craft at Lakeshore Learning

11-3 on March 6

see crafts

local address: 9828 Great Hills Trail Austin, TX 78759

Explore UT - Saturday, March 6

Looking for a fun (FREE) activity to do with the kids next weekend?

Explore UT - Saturday, March 6 2010

my recommendation based on past years - go in the morning!

Local Deals Spotted

Lake Austin Blvd. Randalls:

32 oz. Plain Yogurt

3/$1 (limited time, overstock)

Lake Austin Blvd. CVS:

16 oz. Store Brand of Sunscreen SPF 15

$ .92 each (clearance markdown)

Anyone else seen some amazing deals?

Turkey Deals Spotted

@ HEB
turkeys for $ .40/lb. (with $10 minimum purchase)

@Randalls
turkeys for $ .33/lb. (with $25 minimum purchase)

Has anyone else seen some good Thanksgiving deals? Leave a comment to share your finds.

Super Suppers

Super Suppers is a 'take and bake' business in Austin that offers you the opportunity to feed your family a variety of yummy-looking home-cooked meals. They charge $150 for 6 complete meals, which sounds like much more than I am willing to spend, or you can buy per item. You can go to a session and make your own meals, but from what I read on the website that only saves you a dollar or two from picking up the prepared meals.

You can buy a $50 gift certificate to Super Suppers for only $12.50! Click here to purchase yours from the radio station 94.7. Although you can not use more than one certificate in a single transaction, for $50 you can get 3 entrees that feed a family of 4 ($15 each) or an entree to feed a family of 6 plus 2 sides/desserts ($30 + $7.50 + 9).

Anyone want to try this with me?

Local Opportunity: Paid Volunteers Needed - Ages 4-12

Paid Volunteers Needed - Ages 4 to12

KIDS EARN $20 Cash! Ages 4-5; 8-9; 11-12
Monday, October 12 OR Monday, October 19

PRO-ED, an international educational publishing company, is looking for children to participate in an hour-long project There is no reading or writing. Children will be paid in cash upon completion of their session. We have specific population needs for this project, so please respond as soon as possible to schedule your children’s participation.

All work is conducted at our international headquarters 8700 Shoal Creek Blvd, Austin, Texas 78757 If you have friends or family that are interested, please feel free to let them know about this opportunity! Please respond if are interested or you have any questions! I am happy to answer them!

comm-twqkg-1409435573@craigslist.org

Proposed Changes to Brack Tract

For an update on what is going on with the Brackenridge tract, go to :
http://www.utbracktract.com/

For those involved with the Brack. tract, please take the survey mentioned below!


Dear Residents,

The University of Texas System Board of Regents is considering changes to graduate housing that may affect current residents. Last year, the Regents hired the New York-based planning firm, Cooper, Robertson and Partners, to produce conceptual plans for redeveloping the Brackenridge Tract. In June, Cooper, Robertson presented its two design proposals.
Both plans call for razing all three University Apartments complexes and redeveloping the Gateway tract to provide housing for 825 units. Currently, Gateway and Colorado each have 200 units and Brackenridge has 315, for a total of 715.

If the Board of Regents authorizes any version of these plans, graduate and family housing will change dramatically. How will this affect you? What are your concerns? The University Apartments Tenant Advisory Board (TAB) and the Graduate Students Assembly (GSA) want to hear from you. Let us hear from you on this critically important topic so that we can be effective advocates for your concerns. We will present the results from this survey to University decision makers. Here is your opportunity to insure that your voice is heard!
This survey will take about five minutes for you to complete. All responses are confidential. If you have questions, please contact GSA's Student Affairs Director, Carla Vassilos at carlavassilos@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your time and participation in this important study.

To begin the survey, go to: http://www.utgraduatestudentassembly.org/survey.php?SurveyID=42

Paul Gavaza Vice-President for External Affairs Graduate Student Assembly pgavaza@gmail.com

Debby Kalk Chairperson Tenant Advisory Board debby@debbykalk.com

Please direct any questions to University Apartments or call (512)232-5299 .

Celebration of Families 2009

Focus on Fitness!

TODAY : Saturday, May 2
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Palmer Events Center
900 Barton Springs Road

The 2009 Celebration of Families is focused on the full range of ways families can address fitness, including physical, mental, emotional and financial well-being. We will have a festival of fun activities with family relays, running, dancing, jumping, and climbing. We will have interactive playgroups for families. We will have a hall full of exhibitors of family resources. We have clowns, face painting, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, rock climing wall, maypole dancing, and inflatables.
We enjoyed this activity last year.
Parking at the event center will be free!