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These stickies have been great lately! Love ThingsWeForget.blogspost.com.
August 15, 2010
Aspen: Ducky Derby
What is Ducky Derby? 28,000 rubber duckies released into the Roaring Fork River racing each other from one bridge to another, with a $10,000 cash prize to the winning duck. Aspen Rotary Club’s only fundraiser, they sell ducks for $5-10 each (depending on quantity, I got 3 for $20). It’s pretty crazy to watch!
The truck readies for the ducky dump, and sprays the crowd with the fire engine hose
The duckies are dumped!
Duckies coming around the first bend
Duckies everywhere!
Go Ducky #27051!!
Admittedly, I didn’t stay for the finish. Instead, I hiked Smuggler to see this:
Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley from Smuggler Mountain
Maybe my ducky would have won if I’d been there for her?
August 3, 2010
Austin: 10% Off at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf All Month
Just buy the HeartGift wristband for a minimum donation of $1 at any of the four Austin Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations before August 11. Then you get a ten percent discount on all prepared beverages through August 31! (Same deal as last time)
What’s the HeartGift Foundation? A group that brings children like Eckemeni (pictured above), who was born in 2004 in Nigeria and treated for Tetralogy of Fallot in March 2009, and other children from around the world to the United States for surgery to correct life-threatening heart defects. For more than a decade, HeartGift has been providing life-saving heart surgery to disadvantaged children from developing countries where specialized medical treatment is either scarce or nonexistent. Each year, the HeartGift Foundation brings children from around the world to Texas for free surgery to correct life threatening heart defects. The all-volunteer team of physicians at HeartGift provides their services at no cost.
For a minimum $1 donation, you can make a maximum impact on the heart of a child. Literally.
August 2, 2010
Austin: Another Daily Deal Group Coupon Site
Eversave launched in Austin today, even though they’ve been doing trial deals for a couple of weeks. You get a $5 instant credit when you join.
Like Groupon, LivingSocial, aDealio, and Localiter, Eversave offers local daily deals called “Saves” to Austin-area residents. The Saves feature fun things to do in and around the city including sporting events, restaurants, spas, salons, entertainment and more. Already I’m sad I missed out on Bedtime Bones (calming dog bones? count me in) and Rock-It speakers, the cheaper way to make cooler speakers for toooobing the river, during their soft launch in July (yes, it’s August already. WHAAA?).
Unlike the rest, Eversave is also a bit of a destination site that offers articles, helpful tips, polls, printable coupons, and tons of other features. It’s like a little savings magazine, minus the Costco factor.
Eversave is ALSO committed to giving back to the community, a unique feature as compared to other similar services. A portion of the proceeds from select Saves will be donated to local schools, charities and other non-profit organizations. For instance, with the Austin Aztex Save, 10% of the proceeds were donated to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Texas. “We were thrilled to be the first Save to be featured in Eversave Austin’s launch,” said John Nelms, Director of Development of the Austin Aztex.
“Austin is a bustling city that offers its community so much fun and excitement with an abundance of activities — both day and night,” said Jere Doyle, President and CEO of Prospectiv, the parent company behind Eversave. “Eversave allows Austin residents to try out new places and events at a discounted price that they may not have tried before. The Saves give local merchants and businesses the opportunity to welcome in new customers.”
Try out Eversave by joining here (you know I get referral $, so use my link, please!)
July 23, 2010
Austin: Why does it feel like the master toilet is heated?
I wish United Inspections, www.UnitedInspectionsTexas.com, had been around when my brother and I bought our house! Started by a very close friend of mine, the company is beyond thorough and highly professional. The inspector did our house as a practice run and was able to explain one of the house’s greatest mysteries: why does it feel like the master toilet is heated?
A: because the person who initially did the plumbing switched the hot and cold lines to the toilet, meaning it constantly pumps hot water! The more you flush it (during a party, for instance), the hotter the seat and w.c. gets.
A good home inspector is one of those services the average person doesn’t use all that often, but it’s crucial that you have a good one so you don’t end up buying a house with problems. So if you are in the market for a home or are ready for an inspection, let me suggest United Inspections.
PLUS, there is a summer months 35% discount!!
www.UnitedInspectionsTexas.com … see if you can spot my house in the pics!
July 22, 2010
Austin: Gulf Coast Fundraisers
South Congress Shrimp Boil – Friday, July 23 from 6 to 10:30pm
Liz Lambert (Bunkhouse MGMT), Steve Wertheimer (Continental Club) and Larry McGuire (Perla’s/Lambert’s) are hosting a day of food, music, and education to raise awareness and money for the Gulf Coast via the Greater New Orleans Foundation Oil Spill Fund (www.gnof.org) and the Gulf Restoration Network (www.healthygulf.org). The event will take place at the Hotel San Jose/Jo’s Coffee parking lot.
The event is FREE but the shrimp boil dinner by Perla’s will cost money–all proceeds going to the oil spill relief efforts. The event will be emceed by State Representative Mark Strama, a leader in alternative energy issues in Texas. Guest speakers will include Heather Paffe, Director of the Gulf and Southeast Oceans Program for the Environmental Defense Fund.
Jack Allen’s Kitchen 4-Course Dinner
Monday, July 26th, 5-10pm. A $50 prix-fixe dinner focused on Gulf cuisine beneftting the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Louisiana will also feature live music on the patio and a silent auction.
Jack Allen’s Kitchen, 7720 Highway 71W, Reservations strongly suggested at 512.852.8558.
July 5, 2010
Aspen: Aspen Smart Kids (Ideas) Festival July 5-11
They say all the real business in the world happens in Aspen, in secret. Well today kicks off the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic magazine’s gathering of great minds, including 13+ former heads of state and Bill Clinton (who a friend of mine shamelessly chased down the street last time he was in town for this festival), that runs through next Sunday. Their goal is to “offer a stimulating and invigorating celebration of some of the liveliest minds,” and to “engage its participants in a variety of programs, tutorials, seminars and discussion events that together are guaranteed to charge the atmosphere with vibrant intellectual exchange. Think of it as a week-long summer university for the mind – remarkable lectures and classes across a stimulating array of topics.“
Think SXSW but smarter and more broad, and you get Aspen Ideas.
I’m signed up for two panels that I’m really, really excited about. The first is:
LIVING DIGITALLY: Is Social Media Transforming Journalism?
Speakers: David Kirkpatrick, James Bennet, Vivian Schiller, Arianna Huffington
Moderator: Charlie Firestone
I’m excited to see what some of the people on the forefront of new media and models of journalism have to say about the future of journalism!
The second panel is near and dear to my heart:
WOMEN + GIRLS: CHANGE AGENTS: Go, Girl: How Title IX Galvanized Play for Women
Speakers: Nancy Hogshead-Makar, Sheila C. Johnson, Beth A. Brooke
Moderator: Tom Farrey
I’ve studied Title IX extensively and think that–in a nutshell–it’s a great idea that was intended to be enforced in spirit but is instead enforced in letter, which is unfair. Depending on how good this panel is and what they say, I’ll share more, but it’s not until next weekend 
The festival is sold out, but they so have single-session tickets for select sessions starting at $20. Snag some at the Wheeler Opera House, online at www.aspenshowtickets.com, or by calling 970-920-5770.
#aif2010 is the hashtag for Aspen Ideas Festival / Check out The Atlantic’s explanation of the festival – it rocks.
June 22, 2010
Take Back Your Lunch
There’s a new movement starting this Wednesday across the country called “Take Back Your Lunch.” All you have to do is dine with friend in a park or public place to get away from your computer for an hour.
Why? Take Back Your Lunch is a part of The Energy Project for Tony Schwartz’s new book “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working,” now a NYT best seller. Taking an hour for lunch has the potential to change the way people work across the country by empowering them to take back a “lost benefit” — lunch! Did you know that the average worker takes only 20 minutes for lunch, often at their desk? A break can re-energize an re-focus you for the afternoon.
As someone who–when she was in a corporate office anyway–INSISTED upon lunch, even if it was just fifteen minutes for a stroll around downtown in 100-degree heat, I fully support this notion. I think the time you take away from your desk completely refreshes you, making you that much more productive in the afternoon. I also used to go work out during lunch, which has the added benefit of clearing your head and helping you generate new ideas.
In Austin, the fabulous crew from Giant Noise is headed over to Central Market tomorrow at 12:30pm, go meet up with them!
June 16, 2010
Austin: Just what I’ve always wanted–a drive-thru at Coffee Bean
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is now offering a “high-touch, personalized drive-thru experience” at its South Lamar location. Anyone who has been to the S. Lamar locale will immediately wonder, as I did, where the eff did they put that?! Never fear, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is better than that.
Here’s how it works: patrons simply pull up to the curb, where a friendly Coffee Bean attendant stands ready to take their order. Moments later, another CBTL attendant brings the perfect beverage or a fresh pastry or bakery item of their choice. Speaking of pastries, not that I encourage eating them–but if you’re going to have one it might as well be free–CB&TL is giving away a free croissant or bagel with every “drive-thru” order this week! Today through Friday, 7-11am, buy some coffee or tea and get a free brecky biscuit.
Lest frequenters of the North Lamar locale feel left out, while they aren’t doing a new-fangled drive-thru, they did introduce a DELIVERY SERVICE a couple months ago. With a $15 minimum, no one has to make like Anna Wintour’s assistant and lug coffee trays–a CB&TL pro can do that for you. For now you have to be within a half mile radius of the corner of North Lamar & 38th Street, and you can order Monday thru Friday from 9am to 3pm.
Also, file it under Austin and Aspen are so inexorably linked, yet another person has written in telling me that they grew up in Colorado but moved to Texas but will always love Colorado. This one lovingly wrote “Even though I married a 10th generation Texan and will therefore never live in any other state – I still very much consider myself a Colorado Granola Girl. “
So there you have it. Curbside service at SoLa CB&TL, deliver at NoLa CB&TL, and everyone loves Austin & Aspen.
June 15, 2010
Austin: MooJesus! Summer Camp
I ADORE MooJesus! Y’all should know that by now, and I just found out that V and O’Dea went WITHOUT me today. So jealous!!
I also ADORE summer camp. I went to Camp Olympia for five years as a kid, winning all the awards and “dating” boys for the three weeks I was there, and then I was a counselor there for three years, it was three glorious years spent romancing fellow counselors, hanging out at the barn with my bestie (and long-term facebook gf) as the assistant to her wrangler, and oh yeah, impacting the lives of many a child … by doing things like promising to take them clubbing when they turn 18 (yes, Maddie, I still owe you that!). OK, I really was a good counselor, I promise.
ANYWAY, I got an email from MooJesus! about their summer camp, and though I can’t speak to the Bible-basis (I didn’t like church camp in Kerrville as a kid except that I got to sing songs like “One Tin Soldier” and paint t-shirts), I can speak to the love of Pastor Gina and her family, and spending any amount of time around that much love is going to have a huge impact on a child. That and raw milk.
ABOUT MOOJESUS! SUMMER CAMP, from MooJesus!:
Everything Jesus! Ranch and Genesis Christian Church SUMMER SCAMP (SCHOOL AND CAMP) 2010
A life-changing intensive summer experience for students ages 9 and up
We invite you to prayerfully consider having your child(ren ) participate in SUMMER SCAMP 2010, a six-week activity-school-work-play adventure with Jesus at the center of every new day. Students 9-18 are invited to apply to participate in SUMMER SCAMP.
SCAMP begins on Tuesday, June 29th, and concludes on Saturday, August 7th.
Activities include fencing, horseback riding, pottery, theater arts, instrumental music and performance, and culinary arts. Academic subjects include creative composition, mental mathematics and Sustainable Living 101, a class in which our students learn everything from establishing a raised bed garden, to building solar panels, to basic auto mechanics, to constructing a simple shelter using compressed earth block. Ranch Responsibilities include milking cows, evening performance on Ranch Market and Festival Days, waiting tables, conducting tours of the ranch, using tractors and other heavy equipment, and other age appropriate duties related to ranch operation. Our program is Bible-centric! Each student will conclude SUMMER SCAMP with an in-depth knowledge of the Bible. This skill/knowledge/ wisdom will be presented as neither an activity, nor an academic subject, nor a responsibility, but will be integrated into everything that goes on every day during SUMMER SCAMP.
SUMMER SCAMP runs five days a week for seven weeks, from 8 am to 7 pm. Students have the option of dormitory boarding Tuesday through Saturday or commuting. Out of town students will be extended boarding privileges for the entire camp session.
SUMMER SCAMP APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING ACCEPTED. Enrollment ends on June 18th.
If you are interested in having your kid(s) participate in SCAMP 2010, please take the next step and call Pastor Gina this week to schedule an interview: (830) 491-8557.
For more information about our ministry and our dairy, please visit our website: www.moojesus.com
Showin' the love