This Spring has reinforced why many of us live in Austin: the gorgeous weather. Yes, we’ve had to endure years of heat and drought to get here, but we’ll take a May where it’s still possible to wear a light jacket on the walk to school. We all know what’s around the corner, though: the unrelenting, run-from-the-car-to-an-air-conditioned-structure time of year we call summer. Many parents survive our Austin summers by either being submerged in water or with a cool drink in hand (and depending on how the day’s going, I won’t judge if it’s a margarita). Since many of the neighborhood pools don’t open until June 10th, it’s the...
Libraries of Love Bu...
posted by Nicole Basham
I’ve always been an avid reader. Admittedly, I’m the daughter of an English teacher, and have fond memories of summers spent at the library, leaving with arms full of books. As a mother, I can easily pass on buying my son clothes and toys, but I have a weakness for collecting books. As a...
Tech Reach: Inspirin...
posted by Lauren Walz
In a classroom at UT Elementary, a charter school in East Austin, four kids are working together on a Rube-Goldberg device. The ball that’s supposed to set the chain of events in motion keeps getting stuck in a net meant to guide it into a tube. One student suggests raising the ramp at the...
Special Feature and ...
posted by Catherine Prystup
*This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Heather on winning. Thanks to all who entered! I must admit that I am generally a bit leery when it comes to reading books written by celebrities, especially books that have anything to do with “real life”. I imagine their every need is...
Gardening with Kids ...
posted by Nicole Basham
Some days I can’t help but wish I were a Renaissance mom. I may not be a stellar cook, but I have expanded my cooking repertoire by leaps and bounds and have added many more vegetarian and healthy meals to our rotation. I may not be a cyclist who has a bike attachment for my kid so that we...
Special Feature: Sar...
posted by Catherine Prystup
LM: Tell us about your three kiddos. What are their ages, and are they girls… boys? Sarah: Yes, 3 kiddos. Boys and a girl. Davis is 6.5, Maeve is 5 and Remy is almost 3! Time flies! LM: You are a recent transplant to Austin from Chicago. What made you move here? Sarah: We knew we...
GIVEAWAY: Justin Jon...
posted by Catherine Prystup
For those of you who prefer to stay far away from the action during ACL and SXSW, we understand. The crowds, the parking, the….scene of it all can look far less appealing than curling up with a book or catching up on your Netflix queue after the kids are in bed. Although these huge...
Road Trip: Waco Edit...
posted by Nicole Basham
One of the nice things about living in Texas is that it’s so….big. While this makes friends and family who live elsewhere seem too far away at times, it provides those of us with kids with lots of places to explore when you need to escape the laundry, the dishes and just get outta...
Feature: Allison Rey...
posted by Catherine Prystup
LiveMom: How many kids do you have? What are their ages? Allison: Three, my son Hunter is 4 and boy/girl twins Locke & Madden are 2. LiveMom: What was the motivation behind launching Cheer Up Buttercups? Allison: I had three kids in the span of two years, and outside of the support of my...
Easter Fun Without t...
posted by Nicole Basham
For those of you who celebrate Easter, you know that the holiday is *just* around the corner. Yes, there are eggs, but most of the reason your child probably looks forward to the holiday is the influx of sugary treats: chocolate bunnies, Cadbury eggs, Peeps, Robin Eggs, jellybeans and the...
With the Help of PBS...
posted by Nicole Basham
Shhhh. Don’t tell my son, but I’m not a math person. I still have a mild case of PTSD about this word problem in 6th grade involving falafels, which took my dad and I many sheets of paper to solve. I rely heavily on Excel and calculators in my everyday life. I gave up on balancing my...
Healthy Eating and E...
posted by Melanie Haupt
When my son went in for his seven-year checkup, I was shocked to learn that he had gained 15 pounds from the previous year’s visit. (He had also grown four inches, but that was overshadowed in my mind by the other number.) Fifteen pounds is a lot for anyone to gain in a year, but for...
