In my house our favorite holiday is Halloween.  And every year we can’t wait to see where Spirit Halloween stores are going to pop up. We love looking through all the cool products and costumes. Sunday me an my daughter went to a Spirit Halloween store in Austin to see what is new!

My daughter got a really cool pair of skull earrings that she adores.

I got a cool little Nightmare Before Christmas bag, you think any one is going to notice it is a trick-or-treat bag?

I got a plastic skull that changes colors for my husbands desk, a Nightmare Before Christmas Key Chain and a bottle of black nail polish.

When we were checking out the sales associate told us about the Spirit of Children program and asked us if we wanted to donate. My daughter was more than happy to give her last dollar away to help the children in the hospital. Our Austin area stores are donating to the Dell Children’s Medical Center.

About the Spirit of Children program

Spirit of Children is a program that brings fun and funding to hospitals at Halloween and all year long. We focus on hospitals that focus on kids because they need help to make hospital stays less scary for kids and their families. We started six years ago with eleven hospitals in our own backyard and the belief that a great holiday should do great good. And it worked. We’ve raised more than $7 million in cash and merchandise donations since then and have worked with over 120 children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada during the 2011 season. Every dollar donated goes directly to the hospitals. Local donations stay local. Click here for more information about our program.

 

Moonrise Kingdom looked like a very interesting movie. I will be looking forward to it’s release so we can watch it at home. It has a lot of very good actors in it.

A star-studded and visually stunning box office hit, and a tale of first love directed by two-time Academy Award^®-nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rushmore), Focus Features’ Moonrise Kingdom will be available on Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet^™, on DVD, On Demand and on Digital Download on October 16, 2012, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom follows two 12-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in every which way.

Charming screen newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward star alongside Bruce Willis (Die Hard), Academy Award^® nominees Edward Norton (American History X) and Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), Academy Award^® winners Frances McDormand (Fargo) and Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton), Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), and Bob Balaban (Gosford Park). Moonrise Kingdom is a movie that critics are calling “extraordinary from start to finish” (Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies). 

The Moonrise Kingdom Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray^™, DVD and a Digital Copy of the film compatible with iPhone^®, iTunes^®, iPad^®, iPod^®, iPod^® touch, Android^™ and online retailer partners, as well as UltraViolet^™.  UltraViolet^™ is the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows in the cloud to instantly stream and download to tablets, smartphones, computers, and TVs.  Consumers can now enjoy their movies anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice.

 

 

 

 

 

Austin Child Guidance Center is a local non-profit that provides mental health services to children on a sliding fee scale. They are hosting the annual Austin Icons Benefit Concert on Sept. 28th.

They are still looking for bite size dessert donations.

Since 1951, Austin Child Guidance Center has been helping youth under 18 and their families gain the emotional skills to meet life’s challenges. Our sliding fee scale helps children and families from all income levels access the professional, high-quality services they need and deserve.

• 50% of students age 14 or older who have mental illness will drop out of school;
• Children with mental illness are more than 3X as likely to be arrested in their youth than those without mental illness; and
• Children with mental illness fail more classes, earn lower GPAs, miss more days of school, and are retained in their grades more often than students without mental illness (SOURCE: Frequently Asked Questions About Child and Youth Mental Health Issues, CAN, September 2009).

Renee Hanson 512-451-2242 if you would like to donate.
www.austinchildguidance.org

Event Details

Austin Child Guidance Center
Friday, September 28, 2012 6:30 PM

Austin Icons Benefit Concert and Live Taping Featuring Alpha Rev

At the Historic KLRU Studio 6A
Emcee: KXAN News Anchor: Robert Hadlock
Live Auctioneer: Victoria Gutierrez

Celebrating Phyllis Richards and Presenting the First Annual Phyllis Richards Austin Icon for Children Award

Signature Drinks Sponsored by:
Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Republic Tequila and Glazer’s

Tickets: $75
Price Includes Food and Beverages (open bar)
Sponsorships Available 

Proceeds Benefit the Austin Child Guidance Center
Delivering Quality Mental Health Services to Children for over 61 years 

You can buy tickets on line at http://acgc.ticketbud.com/austiniconsbenefit
Or mail in checks to 810 W. 45th Street Austin, TX 78751
For Questions and Sponsorships please contact Renee Hanson 451-2242

 

 

 

On Aug. 26, FX’s Sons of Anarchy cast led the morning motorcycle charity ride with 450 riders/300 passengers following behind as they traveled from Route 66 Classic Grill in Santa Clarita to Happy Endings bar in Hollywood. Proceeds from the ride and rally tickets purchased as well as on-site merchandise benefits The Boot Campaign, which looks to raise funds for military personnel returning home from combat. All ride and rally tickets were completely sold out by the Thursday prior to the event as the venue was already sold to complete capacity (1,400 rally attendees) – a huge leap from last year’s inaugural event. The event celebrated Sons of Anarchy Season 4 on Blu-ray & DVD with a giant DVD promotional stand prominently placed on the red carpet and press line and the riders/passengers received the Blu-ray in their VIP rider packs. 

After the ride and the VIP meet and greet, the cast of Sons of Anarchy walked the red carpet chatting with press and posing for photos for promotions and fans alike. Those in attendance included, Ron Perlman, Theo Rossi, Charlie Hunnam, Kim Coates, Kurt Yeager, William Lucking, Ryan Hurst, Winter Avezoli, Chris Reed, Dayton Callie, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Maggie Siff, Chris Browning, Emilio Rivera, Michael Ornstein, and more.

Additional red carpet appearances were made by After party will feature a live performance by hit artists, Blackberry Smoke Leeann Tweeden (Fox Sports); Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch including Matt Bradley, Edgar Hansen, Mike Fourtner, Scott Hillstrand and Sig Hansen; Blackberry Smoke.

After red carpet arrivals, Boot Ride and Rally event ambassadors Theo Rossi and Kim Coates introduced the party portion and announced performing band Blackberry Smoke who played hits from its new album The Whippoorwill.

Visit The Boot Campaign to get more information about this amazing event!

 

 

This Fall, get ready for a hauntingly good time with the acclaimed television anthology series based on and inspired by the master of children’s horror, R.L. Stine. On September 4, 2012, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with The Hub TV Network, will unleash the highly anticipated R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 1 and Volume 2 on home entertainment shelves nationwide, just in time to jump-start this year’s Halloween season!  R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 1 DVD boasts the first five spine-tingling episodes from the first season and special bonus content. More thrills and goose bumps continue in Volume 2 DVD with five more ghoulish episodes and new bonus features.

Delivering suspense, nervous giggles and captivating spooky family adventures, R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 1 and Volume 2 DVDs feature some of young Hollywood’s biggest names as guest stars, including Bailee Madison (Brothers, Just Go With It), Connor Price (The Dead Zone, Will & Dewitt) and Grayson Russell (Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules) to help coax you into keeping the nightlight burning bright. A must-have for loyal fans of the author, kids, and collectors, each DVD title is priced to own separately at the suggested retail price of $14.97. 

“R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series” currently airs on Saturdays at 5 and 5:30 p.m. (ET) on The Hub TV Network, a television destination for kids and their families. The popular children’s anthology series recently received seven 2012 Daytime Emmy^® Award nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Families everywhere will be won over with the charming chiller, as the series is the winner of the Parents’ Choice Award in Television programming for April 2012, proving that moms and dads everywhere are giving their seal of approval for Stine’s latest work. People everywhere love to be frightened, and this series brings the opportunity for families to come together to enjoy the bumps in the night that only R.L. Stine can deliver! 

“R.L. Stine’s The Haunting: The Series” is produced for The Hub TV Network by The Hatchery, LLC., in association with Front Street Productions. The series is executive produced by Dan Angel, Billy Brown, Harvey Kahn and Kim Arnott.

Setting the gold standard for contemporary horror for kids, world-renowned children’s author R.L. Stine has penned hundreds of horror stories and sold over 400 million books worldwide.  Stine is the recipient of a Children’s Choice Award, and holds the Guinness Book of World records for #1 best-selling children’s book author for three years running.

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 1 DVD

EPISODES:

Really You – Part 1

Really You – Part 2

The Dead Body

A Creature Was Stirring

Nightmare Inn

DVD Bonus Content:

Original Promos

Behind The Screams of select episodes

 

Running Time: +/- 140 min.

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic widescreen

Audio: English, Audio 5.1 Surround

 

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 2 DVD

EPISODES

The Red Dress

Ghostly Stare

The Walls

Game Over

Alien Candy

DVD Bonus Content:

Original Promos

Behind the Screams of select episodes

 

Running Time: +/- 140 min.

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic widescreen

Audio: English, Audio 5.1 Surround

 

What if you could change the world just by buying a doll? You can, with Hearts For Hearts Girls™ dolls! Each doll is a girl that wants to make a difference in her life, community, and culture. When you buy a Hearts For Hearts Girls doll, a portion of the purchase price is donated to children’s causes in those countries.

I am really happy to work with Hearts for Hearts Girls. They have an amazing message and product. My daughters were eager to participate in the Hearts for Hearts Girls party. We love that by purchasing one of these adorable dolls can help another little girl!

It’s an undeniable fact that girls in many countries struggle against a lack of education, medical care, decent housing, and clean water and food. But when these basic needs are met, those girls achieve amazing things for themselves and their families. Sometimes, all they need is a little help.

The Hearts For Hearts Girls™ mission is to empower girls to become agents of change in their communities, their countries, and around the world. We want to change the world one heart at a time, and you can be a part of that dream!

It all starts with our dolls. Right now, there are six Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls: Lilian (Belarus), Rahel (Ethiopia), Nahji (India), Tipi (Laos), Consuelo (Mexico), and Dell (United States). Each of them has an important story to tell about life in her country, inspired by real girls who are strong, smart, courageous, and determined to rise above challenging circumstances.

When you buy a doll, Hearts For Hearts Girls donates part of the purchase price through our charitable partner, World Vision, to programs that support girls in that country. Whether it’s malaria nets in Africa, schoolbooks in Asia, or food supplies in the US, these programs help girls to thrive and succeed.

Hearts for Hearts Girls Website
Hearts for Hearts Girls Facebook

Our Hearts for Hearts Girls party is this weekend. I will let you know how it goes 🙂

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

There are Iron Cactus in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas but we were able to enjoy the Iron Cactus located at the Hill Country Galleria. It is such a serene environment as you walk past the grassy play area for children with waterworks shooting out of the ground. There is a patio in front of  Iron Cactus with tables and chairs as well as a sitting area with a fire pit Which I imagine is just lovely in the winter!

There is a large bar area when you first walk in which is great for a night out with out kids. But since we had the kids we by-passed the bar and sat at a large booth. My youngest was completely fascinated with the sphere water art in the middle of the room.

We started off with some yummy chips and hot sauce! They bring out two different types, one is a cool sauce and the other is a chipotle warm sauce. I am not sure which one I liked best. They were both really good.

I could not resist ordering the Tortilla Soup. It was amazing!! I loved it. I would go back just for this soup.

 My husband ordered the Fajita Nachos, they were very filling! He could not finish his plate which is rare.

 The kids ordered the children’s menu Corn Dog and the Chicken Tenders.

 I had a hard time trying to decide what I wanted. But in the end I decided on the Travis Burger minus the veggies. The burger was one of the best I have ever had. Yum!!

We really enjoyed our visit to Iron Cactus. The location was beautiful and clean. The staff was welcoming and accommodating. I will for sure recommend Iron Cactus to my family and friends.

Iron Cactus Website
Iron Cactus Facebook
Iron Cactus Twitter

13420 Galleria Circle Suite
A128 Bee Cave, TX 78738
Phone: 512-263-7636
Fax: 512-263-9607

 

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

 

If you are a stay at home or work at home parent like me I am sure you have enjoyed your fair share of children’s programming on TV. Enough to look forward to the quite days when the kids are at school!

I just saw a commercial for Squishy Baff. And them I heard my 7 year old say, “Can we get that”? 

 No, I am not going to buy it. But would you? Sure it has a bit of cool factor, as in how does it do that. But to do it in your tub or pool and sit in it. That is a completely different story. I think I need to take a shower just because I watched the video. What do you think?

In the hot days of summer the kids quickly run out of things to do. What is more fun than crafts and activity kits. Hours of fun and limitless ideas!

Delux Glitter Art kit, add some sparkle, shine and shimmer to all of your craft projects. This deluxe art set includes an array of glitter glue, shaker-top glitter pots, glitter stickers, glitter paper, gift tags, envelopes, greeting cards, craft glue, trinket boxes and more. This is a perfect craft activity for parties, holiday projects and seasonal crafting.

 

 I can say that this box contains hours and hours of fun.

The cards and gift boxes came out great!

Tile Art Necklaces Kit, turn square tiles into pretty pendants with the Tile Art Necklaces Kit from Creativity for Kids! This fun kit features fun paper designs, 8 one-inch square tiles, and 3 gift boxes for sharing. The Tile Art Necklaces Kit from Creativity for Kids also includes scissors, a stencil, 8 cotton jewelry cords with clasps, rhinestones, ribbons, craft glue and jewelry findings – everything kids will need to create trendy tile designs. Perfect to trade, share, and wear!

The necklaces turned out amazing. I know what every one is getting for Christmas this year!

Mossy Meadows Gnome Garden, everything you need to create an enchanting home for 3 wee gnomes. This all-inclusive garden craft kit includes a garden dish, potting mix, wheat grass seeds, bark house, leaf-shaped pond, mossy rocks, stepping stones, resin gnomes, toadstools, ladybugs, paint, brush and a mister – just add water and a little sunshine. The garden dish measures 11″w x 2″d. The natural wheat grass seeds are pet friendly and sprout in just a few days.

My daughter loved painting every thing!

She is 7 and put together the whole thing all by her self!

 

It only took a few days for the grass to start to grow! The kids had so much fun working on these projects and I am sure your kids will too!

 

Disclosure / Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was obtained for this post. I received free products as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. The opinions expressed here are mine and may differ from yours.

Are you an expecting mother? Then you are going to love this! Show and Tell Ultrasound located in San Antonio Texas offers 2d/3d/4d Ultrasound Services for expecting mommies. I would have loved to have experienced their services first had but I am not currently pregnant. However, my sister in law was happy to give them a test drive 🙂

Review

First let me start off by saying how cool this was for us. The first time I was pregnant I only had one sonogram session and that only resulted in two pictures. Which was great, I love them and cherish them  but I am so used to seeing friends putting up what seems like to me tons of pictures of their unborn baby. So when I was given the chance to go to Show and Tell I was really excited and let me tell you I was definitely pleased. We left with 8 total pictures printed- 4 color and 4 black and white. But we also got a cd with over 40 pictures on it that we will have forever. They were also a combination of the color 3D pictures and the black and white. They do have other packages and you can get more. For us this was plenty.

The staff was very friendly and nice during our whole visit. We had a screaming two and a half year old with us which I know can some times rattle people while they are trying to work but that didn’t matter at all. They have toys in the waiting area for children and my son liked one so much I actually tried finding the store I could get it from. The waiting area itself is very nice and has a lot of items you can actually buy to put the sonogram pictures on like t shirts and such. Its also very private, we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. While I was there, only one other couple came in and they were scheduled an hour after me. So it seems that they try to space out appointments so you have the privacy. Which to me was great.

The facility itself is very nice and clean. The room where the sonogram is actually performed is very nice and relaxing. There’s enough room for a group of at least 9. So if grandparents and siblings want to come there is room which is awesome. There is a TV and a projector on the wall so every one can see what is going on and the pictures that are being taken. For me that was really nice because I could see the sonogram without having to turn a weird way like at the doctors office. The bed that you lay on is also very nice and comfortable. Its big enough in case you have to turn on your side without the fear of falling off. I know my balance right now isn’t too great so that was a plus. They also provide a step stool to make getting on the bed easier.

Over all for me this place was awesome. Very professional and polite with a relaxing and clean environment. Plus the pictures that you get are some thing you will cherish forever. And the fact that you can bring so many people with you is nice. I know a lot of times during pregnancy people seem to feel left out and this really lets them enjoy part of the experience with you.

Information about Show and Tell Ultrasound

If you are an expecting mother, Show and Tell Ultrasound looks forward to providing you, your family and friends with this unique experience to see your baby. We understand these are your first moments of interaction with your baby, so we are focused on providing high-quality service and customer satisfaction – we will do everything we can to meet your expectations.

We are mommy owned and operated. That means we do our best to make this experience as special, warm, and inviting as we can. We believe that our clients’ needs are of the utmost importance. We welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best service in the industry.

Show and Tell is conveniently located in North Central San Antonio, approximately one mile north of Bitters Road and one mile south of 1604 on Blanco Road.  Serene setting with parking immediately in front of our doors.  Our waiting room offers a small amount of retail items and a play area for kids.

Our viewing room offers seating for eleven and three screens to view baby on. Three viewing options for Mommy and Family include   a 100″ projector, a 55″ TV mounted at the perfect angle for Mommy  to see and the computer monitor.

With a variety of packages to choose from, we do our best to accommodate your needs and fit any parents’ budget.

Show and Tell Ultrasound Website
Show and Tell Ultrasound Facebook
Show and Tell Ultrasound Twitter 

Nintendo came to Austin today for an invitation only event to give the public a sample of the much anticipated Nintendo Wii U. I was excited to be able to attend this event and let me tell you, so were my kids! 

 The Central Texas Mom family had their picture taken by the Nintendo staff.

The Wii U will replace your current Wii consoles when they come out later this year just in time for Christmas. The Wii U had a big addition, a GamePad. This is an interesting addition that I am looking forward to trying in my own home once it is released. The Wii U also is now in HD which from what I could see, will drastically improve the display.

 In addition to the new Wii U there are some new games coming out as well. I am excite to get the new Wii Fit and see if I can work on my abs, sledding like the woman above!

Nintendo Wii U Sneak Peek Central Texas Mom

Yes, that is my little dancer! lol

 

Sing is a new program (the name may change) that is already a hit to my girls! With over 50 songs to select from and works great for a group setting.

 Nintendo offered a free drink and cookie to each of us. That was really nice.

I opted for the Jones Berry Lemon soda.

Needless to say, in the end we had a blast. We all enjoyed looking at and trying out the Wii U and will be watching to see when the official release will be. I really think we might need to upgrade when it does 🙂