The Trail of Lights Foundation, H-E-B and Mayor Lee Leffingwell today unveiled the many new improvements to the 2013 Trail of Lights. Partnerships with strategic corporate sponsors, the help of local government and support from the Austin community have made the annual Trail of Lights holiday celebration possible and bode well for an event that is expected to be better than ever.

“We are excited to partner with so many great local and regional businesses to make the 49^th anniversary of the Trail of the Lights the best yet,” said Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “With two full weeks of trail fun, there will be even more opportunities for the whole community to enjoy this iconic holiday celebration that is truly our annual gift of enjoyment for Austin, by Austin.”

Sponsors:

To date, the Trail of Lights has secured corporate sponsorships with:

• H-E-B, title sponsor
• Seton Healthcare Family, KXAN and Austin American-Statesman, presenting sponsors
• Other sponsors include: Aio Wireless, BlueCross BlueShield, Car2Go, Cirrus Logic, HomeAway, Humana and Keller Williams Realty
• Individual sponsors include: Lori and Tito Beveridge, Robert Smith, and James and Huston Street Families

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for businesses interested in supporting the 2013 Austin Trail of Lights at a variety of levels. Further details on each level can be found at www.AustinTrailofLights.org.

“After partnering with the Trail of Lights last year and being part of such a successful comeback, we are honored to be involved again this year,” said Leslie Sweet, H-E-B director of public affairs. “As the lead sponsor of the Trail of Lights, we are looking forward to contributing to this rich Austin tradition. For the second year, H-E-B’s Read 3 early literacy program will be providing a free book to each child who attends the Trail of Lights. ” 

Smart Infrastructure Improvements:

To address traffic and crowds, the Trail of Lights Foundation is implementing more transportation and parking options with the assistance of the Austin Transportation Department. There will be more shuttles running this year than in years past, with new pick-up/drop-off locations around the city. The Trail of Lights Foundation has also created more parking options to help ease the traffic near Zilker Park. A limited number of close-in parking permits will be available for purchase online in November, with early-bird pricing starting at $15.

“We’ve listened to the feedback of Austinites from previous years and are working hard to make the Trail enjoyable and easy to access for everyone,” said Mario Espinoza, board president of the Trail of Lights Foundation. “We’ll have more days of the Trail to spread out the crowds, more parking and shuttle options and more entertainment to suit everyone’s needs and taste.”

Returning to its original 15-day format, the 2013 Trail of Lights, powered by H-E-B will run Dec. 8-22 to provide more opportunities for visitors to personalize their Trail experience. A full calendar of events will be posted on the Trail of Lights website in the coming months, so Austinites have plenty of time to plan their visit. Highlights of this year’s Trail include:

• The tallest, freestanding, man-made holiday tree
• 1.25 miles of lighted displays
• Nightly themes and activities ranging from Military Appreciation night to new photo opportunities to capture Trail of Lights memories and nightly live artist demonstrations
• A new North Pole area will feature the H-E-B Read 3 early literacy program, Seton’s Santa House and children’s arts and craft activities
• Two stages of entertainment will feature local, regional and national acts, including Ray Benson, Vallejo and The Whiskey Sisters
• 25 of the city’s favorite food trailers will be present including Chi’Lantro BBQ, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Boomerang’s Pies, Hat Creek Burger Co., and Austin’s Pizza
• More than 50 lighted displays and attractions including old favorites like Santasaurus and some new ones for 2013 like the Skyline Snapshot Photo Frame
• 5K Run/Walk Holiday Themed Run

Stay in the Know & Get Involved:

To receive the latest updates, including the 15-day activity and entertainment lineup, location of shuttles as well as online sale of parking tickets, sign up for the Trail of Lights newsletter at AustinTrailofLights.org, follow the @ATXLights Twitter feed or like the Facebook page at facebook.com/AustinTrailofLights.

About H-E-B

The below content is sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur’s Headfirst! Expert Advice on Lice campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

It’s almost that time again! The back to school season is just around the corner, and with that comes preparing for a new teacher, a new classroom and a new year.

One thing that parents may not prepare for is … head lice! The truth of the matter is, head lice are common and can happen to any child. An estimated 6 to 12 million infestations occur each year in the U.S., which means many parents are likely to experience firsthand how lice can impact their children, families or friends.

Unfortunately, head lice are common in elementary schools – about one out of every 100 elementary school children becomes infested. Many parents may not know where to turn for accurate information.

Now here’s the good news: there is a website available to provide you with all the information you need when your child gets that dreaded letter home from school, or if you just want to learn more to be prepared. ExpertAdviceOnLice.com is driven by experts who are also moms, so they get it. The website features basic information on the little critters, including symptoms, diagnosis, prevention and treatment options:

•  The How to Lose the Lice Guide, with a handy checklist to save time and reduce stress when battling head lice
• The Headfirst! Lice Experience video allows you to choose your experience, whether it be you’re not sure you have lice, or you just want to get rid of them::

It’s important to remember the most common way to spread head lice is head-to-head contact. Thinking ahead with things like checking with parents before slumber parties to find out if anyone recently had lice, or teaching your child to avoid sharing brushes or hats is a good start.

So if you are trying to get rid of head lice, or a parent who always likes to be prepared, visit Headfirst! Expert Advice on Lice for more information.

Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer star in The Lone Ranger, from Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Director Gore Verbinski. It’s a wild ride of high velocity action, explosions and gunfights that brings the famed masked legend to life through brand-new eyes. The Lone Ranger (Hammer), the last of his kind, teams with Tonto (Depp), a dark and mysterious vigilante, to seek vengeance after justice has failed them. It’s a runaway train of epic surprises, as these two unlikely heroes must learn to work together before the ultimate showdown between good and evil explodes.

The Lone Ranger arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD and On-Demand December 17th! With bonus features including “Riding The Rails Of The Lone Ranger,” “Becoming A Cowboy” and much more.

 Forever Fest, a celebration of girlie pop culture, and Alamo Drafthouse are thrilled to announce the launch of their festival with a Kickstarter.  For the first time ever, fans of female-centric films, books and TV will have a festival where they can come together and revel in their obsessions without shame. Forever Fest will be held primarily at the renowned Alamo Drafthouse Ritz on November 1^st – 3^rd in Austin, Texas.  Check out the Kickstarter here.

If you’re a lady who loves DIRTY DANCING, or a woman who’s seen SIXTEEN CANDLES a thousand times, or a guy who can’t stop quoting CLUELESS, welcome to the weekend of your dreams. Forever Fest is guaranteed to be more thrilling than your first kiss, more fun than your first co-ed party and more memorable than your senior year. It’s a festival that welcomes your inner teen while appreciating the fact that some things, like movies and people, just get better with age.

Forever Fest is the creation of Brandy Fons and Sarah Pitre.  Sarah Pitre is the lead programmer of films for the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and hosts Girlie Night, a monthly series dedicated to slumber party favorites.  She is also the founder of ForeverYoungAdult.com, a website devoted to “YA fans who are a little less Y and a bit more A.”  Brandy Fons is the co-owner of Fons PR- a film and entertainment company based in Austin that oversees multiple films festivals and studio clients in addition to the legendary Alamo Drafthouse and their family of companies. Through her work in the Austin festival scene, celebrating a diverse spectrum of interests in film, gaming, and TV, she realized there wasn’t a festival opportunity dedicated to the chick flicks she loved.  Like puzzle pieces of magic, these two ladies were ready to unite on the day that Brandy Fons approached Sarah Pitre with the idea to establish a female-focused film festival. 

“Through our work at the Alamo Drafthouse, we have participated in a variety of film festivals, but none of those events truly captured the movies that we, as females, cherish. Like most gals we know, we have a list of films and television shows that we watch over and over again, as well as books that we never get tired of re-reading, and we feel that it’s high time for fans like us to have a festival where we can geek out together.  After hosting and publicizing Girlie Night for the past five years, we know there is a community of women (and men!) who relish the chance to enjoy their favorite films with other like-minded people, and we believe that this audience deserves an entire weekend devoted to their pop culture passions,” said Forever Fest Co-Founders Sarah Pitre and Brandy Fons.

 Here are a few examples of the programming currently planned for the festival:

Danceoke: Your favorite cinematic dance routines performed live on stage while the scene plays on the big screen.

EMPIRE RECORDS screening with star Ethan Embry in attendance, followed by a Rex Manning Day party.

The Cute Show: an adorable clip show presented by BuzzFeed and guaranteed to make you squee.

Book talk with Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks, creators of Go Fug Yourself and authors of Spoiled and Messy. 

CAN’T HARDLY WAIT screening with star Ethan Embry in attendance 

SIXTEEN CANDLES screening with select talent in attendance followed by the ultimate ’80s high school dance.

The Wild Brunch: A mimosa-fueled salute to the hottest men in cinema.

Early Screening of a buzzworthy new film this fall/holiday season.

And more to come!

Funds received from the Kickstarter will go towards:

• Hotel and flights for special guests, including cast members from cherished films
• Venue rental for the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater as well as event space for fabulous festival shindigs

Tickets will be sold online at a future date.

For more information visit www.foreverfest.com and follow Forever Fest on Facebook and Twitter.

Central Texas’ most well-known children’s theatre company, Pollyanna Theatre in Strategic Alliance with the Long Center, presents The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved Peas by well-known playwright Jonathan Graham at the Rollins Studio Theatre at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 West Riverside, Austin, TX  78704. The show runs from October 12 – 20 with multiple show times, and two ‘pay what you like’ parties with the cast.

This delightful new play is appropriate for family audiences ages 5 and up.  It explores important themes and life lessons surrounding family, imagination, loyalty and togetherness. Graham explains, “I think the play is really about creating a space for collaborative and imaginative play in our busy, fragmented world. This need is particularly important for young children and their parents, but I don’t think it stops there. Many of us, whatever our ages, are so plugged into digital devices that we fixate on things that are literal and immediately available. I’m concerned about what that does to our sense of discovery and those things that we can create only by connecting with others.”

Judy Matetzschk-Campbell PhD, founder and artistic director of Pollyanna Theatre Company remarks, “I was immediately attracted to Jonathan Graham’s play because of the playful nature of the play’s action. Evan is a little boy that is very ‘average’, but he is living in a world that suddenly is anything BUT normal and average. When wishes that are spoken aloud start to come true, Evan finds that his whole world is turned upside down. He finds that what he thought he wanted might not be what is best for him or for anyone he loves.  It is a powerful lesson and it is taught through a highly theatrical story with highly theatrical characters.  That is exactly the kind of world that Pollyanna loves to create.”

The cast includes professional actors David Higgins, Gricelda Silva, Bethany Harbaugh, Robert Burkhalter and Aaron Alexander.

In The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved Peas, audiences will follow the story of Evan, who, like many 7 year olds, does not like to clean his plate filled with peas. To make matters worse, his baby sister Sue loves them. When forced to remain at the table until his plate is clean, Evan makes a wish for a monster to come eat his family. Soon Evan and Sue find themselves trying to hide a six foot tall green monster named Pea from their parents. Among the laughs, Evan finds that although his parents discipline him, protecting those he loves is his goal. Pea teaches Evan and the whole family many things including the importance of playing together and keeping imaginations alive.

In addition to public performances, The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved Peas is also available for schools throughout Central Texas. Call (512) 743-7966 for more information. As with all Pollyanna productions, accompanying multi-disciplinary curricula and professional development tools are also available free of charge for teachers and parents. 

WHEN:
Oct. 12 at 11:00 a.m. “Pay What You Like” performance,  2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Oct. 13 at 2:00 p.m.
Oct. 19 at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Oct. 20 at 2:00 p.m.

Performances on Oct. 13 and 20 will be followed by a MEET THE CAST PARTY in the AT&T Education Room.

WHERE:      
Rollins Studio Theatre at the Long Center for the Performing Arts
701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX  78704

TICKETS:    
Tickets are $9 for children 11 and under, $10 for students 12 and over, Seniors over 65, $10 and $11 adults under 65. Group rates available, call (512) 743-7966

RSVP:           
For Weekday tickets: Call 512.743.7966. For Weekend tickets: Call 512.474.LONG (5664) or visit: www.thelongcenter.org

ABOUT POLLYANNA THEATRE COMPANY: The founders of Pollyanna Theatre Company believe that theatre is a powerful teaching tool that speaks to people of all ages in a unique and powerful way through a variety of visual, aural, and emotional languages. Therefore, theatre should be a part of all general education from pre-kindergarten through adulthood. Toward that end, The Pollyanna Theatre Company strives to work alongside educators to inspire, motivate, and teach audiences of all ages. Although the company’s primary focus is upon young audience members, the ensemble performs top quality theatrical productions that speak to and illuminate the human spirit and condition for all ages. www.pollyannatheatrecompany.org

Hosted by: Saving Said Simply

Ju-Ju-Be, home of the cute and functional diaper bag is here with their new fall line! These are so cute. Id love to have one for my baby. Make sure you take a peek at the 4 new designs available as well as all of the designer purses, wallets, diaper bags and more. The Ju-Ju-Be Be Prepared Diaper Bag is perfect for any mommy, with all of the smart features and adorable accents!

You can check out Saving Said Simply’s full review of the Be Prepared Diaper Bag HERE. Check out all of the neat features!

Thanks to Ju-Ju-Be, 1 lucky reader will win a Ju-Ju-Be Be Prepared Diaper Bag, in the new Platinum Petals Design!

Ends 10/1/13 at 11:59 pm EST. Here’s how to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. We are not associated with any of the companies named above. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received Open to US only 18+ . Confirmed Winner(s) (by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this giveaway. Central Texas Mom is not responsible for product shipment/delivery. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements 

Have a kid that loves playing outdoors? You can win this great soccer set from Little Tikes! Comes with soccer ball, ball pump and a sturdy metal frame goal, perfect for your future soccer star!

You can check out Saving Said Simply’s review on this adorable set HERE.

Giveaway ends 9/30/13 at 11:59 pm EST. Here’s how to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. We are not associated with any of the companies named above. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received Open to US only 18+ . Confirmed Winner(s) (by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this giveaway. Central Texas Mom is not responsible for product shipment/delivery. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements 

Marie Callender’s just changed the game plan! Diners can now try a fresh All-You-Can-Enjoy Soup and Salad Bar, and can still experience home cooked happiness with the Backyard BBQ menu featuring a Build-Your-Own BBQ Platter and three delicious BBQ entrées. Sounds yummy!

All-You-Can-Enjoy Marie Callender’s Famous Soup & Salad Bar – $8.99

Marie Callender’s is offering a fresh all-you-can-enjoy soup and salad bar for $8.99 with the purchase of a beverage. Enjoy crisp California mixed greens, fresh garden garnishes, pasta salads, Home-style soups Seasonal fresh fruit and a variety of dressings. *Valid at participating locations only. For a list of locations visits: http://www.mariecallenders.com/locations

DELICIOUS BBQ ENTREES

Choose from delicious BBQ entrées starting at $9.99 plus tax available through September 26. Each comes with a free slice of Marie’s legendary pie. * Excludes cheesecakes, seasonal fresh fruit pies and promotional pies.

• BBQ Turkey Sliders – $9.99
  Dry-rubbed and slow-roasted turkey breast, thinly shaved and topped with BBQ sauce topped with coleslaw on mini ciabatta rolls and served with fries.
• Brisket Salad – $12.99
  Crisp lettuce with tomatoes, jack and cheddar cheese, chopped hard-boiled egg, red onion and croutons tossed in tangy ranch and topped with gorgonzola cheese, slow-roasted brisket and BBQ sauce.
• BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich – $10.99
  Tender, slow-cooked pork in BBQ sauce with coleslaw on a toasted bun served with fries.

BULID-YOUR-OWN BBQ PLATTER – $15.99

Available through September 26, Build-Your-Own BBQ Platter offers guests a variety of meat choices, sides and a slice of Marie’s famous pie! * Excludes cheesecakes, seasonal fresh fruit pies and promotional pies.

Chose two delicious BBQ favorites for your platter:

• Slow roasted and hand-carved brisket
• Grilled BBQ shrimp skewer
• St. Louis BBQ ribs
• Grilled BBQ chicken breast
• Crispy chicken tenders

Plus, choose two sides:

• BBQ baked beans
• Sweet potato fries
• Coleslaw
• Potato salad
• French fries
• Loaded mashed potatoes
• Southern-style Mac n’ Cheese with ham and applewood smoked bacon

This is great! The Little Mermaid is such a fun movie 🙂 I am very excited to announce that I will be giving away a copy of THE LITTLE MERMAID Diamond Edition Blu-Ray/DVD to one very lucky Central Texas Mom reader.

Disney movies such as The Little Mermaid really stand the test of time. It is great to be able to share this movie that we watched as children with our very own children.

 Be sure to visit the website, which includes clips, games and activities – http://movies.disney.com/the-little-mermaid

Giveaway!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was obtained for this post. I received a complimentary product to facilitate this giveaway. The opinions expressed here are mine and may differ from yours.

As a mom and wife I am always on the look for healthy options for feeding my family. With all the talk about hormones, additives, preservatives etc put in to our meat it is enough to make a person go vegan.

Well maybe not that far! lol We do love our meat. In fact we are pretty much a meat and potatoes family.

That is why I was really excited when I found out about NatureRaised Farms! They are the real deal. 

• 100% All Natural* Ingredients
• No Antibiotics, EVER!
• 100% Vegetarian Diet—no animal protein or bakery by-products (which could include eggs)
• No Added Hormones or Steroids **
• Certified by Third-party Animal Welfare Agencies

But good for you doesn’t always mean it taste good, so I had to give it a try.

Actually, NatureRaised Farms Chicken tasted just the same if not better than the other brands we had been using. It made me feel good knowing I could feed my family something that was not going to possibly harm them or be unhealthy in the long run.

If you are not aspiring to be a chef and need a little guidance on how to cook your chicken, you can visit the NatureRaised Farms website to see quite a few tasty recipes. They also show you the nutrition information for each recipe as well. That is always great to know! We made the Chicken Milanese and “it was so yummy” (quoting my children).

http://www.natureraisedfarms.com

https://twitter.com/NatureRaised

https://www.facebook.com/NatureRaisedFarms

https://plus.google.com/108875547535213403037/posts

Giveaway!

Enter below to win this super cool NatureRaised Kit: Shopping bag, bamboo cutting board and a $10 Visa gift card!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was obtained for this post. I received a complimentary product to facilitate this review andgiveaway. The opinions expressed here are mine and may differ from yours.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

This month is the release of Tim Burton’s cult-classic phenomenon The Nightmare Before Christmas.

This is one of my all time favorite movies. So in celebration of the release I decided to host a giveaway!

Enter below to win this super cool The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack the Pumpkin King tote bag 🙂

Disclosure / Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was obtained for this post. Central Texas Mom will supply the giveaway prize. The opinions expressed here are mine and may differ from yours.

Austin’s Trail of Lights is back! And this year, the event brings with it more days (15 to be exact), more event options and more fun than ever before. We have always wanted to go. But something always came up, some one was sick, I was putting in overtime etc. This year I am going to make a serious effort to go to the Austin Trail Of Lights!

The City of Austin and the Trail of Lights Foundation announced that the Trail of Lights will return for its 48^th year, December 8-22, 2013.

“The Trail of Lights is our true, Austin winter holiday celebration,” said Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “The 2012 Austin Trail of Lights was the largest event in Austin, gaining national attention as one of the top ten holiday lighting events in the country by USA Today. The 2013 Trail of Lights continues that tradition for our community, showing the world that Austin is a place where we take community celebration and support seriously.”

The 2013 Trail of Lights will offer exciting holiday activities for all ages and occasions, including family outings, corporate events and even romantic strolls.  The world’s tallest man-made Christmas Tree, towering 155 feet, will return once again, along with the 1.25- mile trail of lights, featuring some new additions, including:

• More than 30 lighted displays, highlighting favorite holiday characters and Austin icons
• New and improved parking, shuttles and traffic management
• Expanded dining areas featuring the diverse tastes of Austin’s finest food trailers
• Entertainment from a variety of local, regional and national performers
• Family-friendly activities, including holiday photo opportunities, crafts, and of course, a visit with Santa
• A hospitality area for company and group parties
• A merchandise area for smart shopping
• Opportunities throughout the trail to donate to local charities

The Trail of Lights Foundation is a nonprofit organization comprised of local business leaders with a passion for the Austin tradition. Board members of the Trail of Lights Foundation are Mark Williams, former president of the Austin Independent School District board of trustees; Steve Spinn, founder of Morrison, Friedrich and Spinn, CPAs; and Mario Espinoza, deputy executive director of Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Veteran Austin event producer, James Russell, serves as executive director. 

To receive the latest updates, including the 15-day lineup to be released in September, sign up for the Trail of Lights newsletter at AustinTrailofLights.org, follow the @ATXLights Twitter feed or like the Facebook page at facebook.com/AustinTrailofLights.

Get Involved

About Trail of Lights Foundation