1. Euphoria Music Fest

For the deets and a discount, go here.

2. Grilled Cheese Week

Tillamook Grilled Cheese Week / Loaf Love Tour, the third annual cross-country mobile sampling tour dedicated to bringing tasty cheese to the people, eight local restaurants have created a unique grilled cheese:

Noble Pig Sandwiches serving a Pimento Grilled Cheese made with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar, sweet red peppers, pickled jalapeno and crispy bacon($8), Max’s Wine Dive serving a Smoked Duck and Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Watercress($14), Austin Daily Press featuring a Tillamook Black Forest Ham Grilled Cheese made with a blend of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and Tillamook Monterey Jack cheeses served with Spicy Ranch ($6), J.Black’s Feel Good Lounge, serving an Open-Faced Grilled Cheese BAT with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and Tillamook Monterey Jack,Niman Ranch Bacon, Local Texas Tomatoes, Arugula, and Lemon Aioli($8), FoodHeads, grilling up three specials including a Grilled Tillamook Monterey Jack with Turkey, Jalapenos, Cracked Black Pepper, House Slaw & Honey Dijon on Nine Grain ($7.95) and Hopdoddy Burger Bar offering their version of a grilled cheese in the I Love Lucy Burger, a “Hopdoddy style Juicy Lucy” featuring Angus Beef stuffed with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar ($8).

Saturday, look out for the tour all around town; April 10 they will stop at each of the featured restaurants.

3. Mighty Texas Dog Walk

At the 14^th annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk, you’ll have the chance to break 4 world records in one day: “Most Dogs Walked”, a record the event has already achieved two times, “Biggest Fur Ball”, “Most Dogs Sitting At Once” and “Most Dogs Wearing the Same Bandana”.

Fundraising benefits Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, and the Purina Incredible Dog Team will perform, with live music, dog and children carnivals, and much more. Check-in and registration open at 7a, the dog walk course opens at 9a at Auditorium Shores Park

4. 13th Annual Easter Pet Parade

The Hotel San Jose and Jo’s Coffee’s 13^th Annual Easter Pet Parade, Benefit and Fair benefits Austin Pets Alive. This year’s event pays tribute to Austin icon and South Congress regular Leslie Cochran (1951-2012) with a Pets In Drag theme. In celebration of Leslie, drag is encouraged for pets and owners, but all costumes are welcome.

Parade kicks off at noon on Saturday, April 7 at the corner of Congress and Annie Street and ends at Jo’s Coffee on 1300 South Congress. Judging will begin promptly after the parade and top awards for the best dressed pets include a night at the Hotel San Jose, Jo’s gift cards, trophies, and more! The event also features booths by local animal rescue and pet-related organizations as well as a bouncy castle and the Easter bunny for the kids. Pre-register at Jo’s Coffee on South Congress until end of day April 6th. Registration is $10 in advance and $20 the day of the parade between 10 am and the parade start at noon.

… it was a fabulous moment.

Unfortunately, the man was not attractive and we did not continue the conversation.

Less awesome but still pretty sweet, the Austin-based Knit Graffiti Artist Magda Sayeg (you know you’ve seen her knit columns, as she’s credited with spawning the international phenomenon known as yarn bombing) has designed/knit a capsule collection of sunglasses at Sunglass Hut. I call them Knitta Shades.

Her limited edition sunglass collection will be available exclusively online at Sunglass Hut for their 4th annual Sunglass Hut Artist Series Collection. The sunglasses are priced at $130/pair and Sunglass Hut will donate $30 of each sale to their charity OneSight, which provides charitable vision care and education.

She also has a company called Knitta, at KnittaPlease.com …

Click here for the full schedule; below are my top three can’t-miss events of the weekend!

1) Saturday and Sunday, 10a-5p: ECO Marketplace featuring vendors and demos of all things handmade, remade, recycled, organic, or reused; products must be at least 50% local materials! Bonus: Sustainable Food Court with delicious, healthy, local goodies.

2) Film Screening, Saturday, 1-2p: Vanishing of the Bees presented by Honeybee Organic Juice Bar (click here for my review!) at Wheeler Opera House. Check out the trailer here.

3) YoGroove Yoga In The Park by King Yoga, Saturday, 2-3p. Join Aaron King (my fave instructor EVER) and Evan Rachel in Wagner Park for “Yogroove” with live music by Cameron Williams of the local aspen band Jes Grew.

Of course, there’s also a Green Tie dinner and ball, but these are the three things I will be, without a doubt, checking out personally.

That’s right, the top of Aspen Mountain is open for skiing and riding on Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30.

“We haven’t had summer conditions this good since 2008,” quipped Rich Burkley, vice president mountain operations. “We figure that if we open for skiing maybe it will quit snowing. We encourage everyone to go up and make a few turns then jump on your bike, hit the trails or swing the golf club. It’s certainly a unique opportunity to enjoy everything the valley has to offer.”

Premier, Premier Silver and 6-and-under passholders are free with their 2010-11 winter passes.

My parents are going to be in town and hittin’ the slopes for the first time in 20 years! Keep your fingers crossed for them …

I must have San Antonio on the brain, since this is the second San Antonio post in one week! The folks over at Eversave, which you know is one of my fave coupon sites because they do a lot of online deals, are throwing an Ice Cream Social!

In celebration of the Ice Cream Social, the team at Eversave surveyed more than 900 people to find out their “ice cream personalities.” 34% consider themselves ‘chunky monkeys’ and prefer ice cream mixed with treats like chocolate chips, cookie dough, and fruit. 26% are ‘top-a-holics’ wanting all the syrup, sprinkles and whipped cream they can get. On the other hand, 32% said they were ‘naked eaters’ – eating their ice cream without any toppings.

Join in the fun of Eversave’s Ice Cream Social by entering my giveaway! One lucky winner will win a Save good for $10 worth of delicious homemade ice cream for just $5 from Justin’s on the River Walk! Choose from a scrumptious selection of carefully crafted ice cream, yogurt, sorbet and gelato with flavors both traditional and unique, plus $5 in Save Rewards to use on an Eversave daily deal of your choice.

To enter the giveway:

1) If you haven’t already, sign up for Eversave here.

2) Then, add a comment below and let me know what you love most about ice cream. The winners will be announced Monday, May 23!

3) For an extra entry, you can tweet: “I want to win a free ice cream Save from @EversaveSAT and @lifeinaustin!”

Eversave will be running fun contests on Facebook and Twitter today TOO so for more scooper-duper fun: Like Eversave San Antonio on Facebook and follow Eversave San Antonio on Twitter.

Ah, sweet summer!

From I Am Athletics. My only gripe? This is my fave, why’s it only on a men’s tee??

… I guess I can order it and wear anyway, so it’s kinda unisex. But still.

I need a serious budget for all the awesome athletic tees I want.

When Vila Mat announced its epynonymous Swedish accupressure mat, a 2′ by 3′ mat with crown-shaped plastic spikes purported to provide stress and muscle tension release, I naturally had to give it a shot. I’ll do anything to relax and relieve soreness!

The prescription? Just ten minutes laying on the mat, with the plastic crowns at your back. Reportedly, the crowns function as mini acupressure points, the contact pressure between the spikes and the body stimulating blood circulation, providing the body with more oxygen for healing muscles and organs.  Pain signals are simultaneously sent to the brain that release endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller, alleviating muscle tension.

But how does it really feel? For the first few minutes, like you’re laying on these little plastic spikes (start with a t-shirt on before braving bare-backed). But after that, it just feels like there’s a warm sensation spreading across your back. Awesome!

Taking ten minutes out of your day to just relax would probably work a few wonders anyway, but taking those ten minutes on the Vila Acupressure Mat multiplies the benefits immensely.

Justin Steinhardt, co-founder of Vila, says, “All you have to do is lie on the Vila Mat, and you instantly feel better and more relaxed.  It doesn’t get easier than that!”

Vila mats retail for just $40 at specialty stores and at vilanow.com.

Because I haven’t talked about JewelMint enough… (check out my Liberty Ring) NOW you can use the EXCLUSIVE thisislifeinaustin promo code to get 50% off your first order … that’s a smokin’ hot new piece of jewelry for just $14.99!

USE this Link: http://jmnt.co/i1cbtLand enter Promo Code: ThisIs50 (you must use that link for the promo code to work)

Reminder: JewelMint is collections are designed by actress Kate Bosworth and her stylist Cher Coulter. Each month you’ll receive personalized jewelry recommendations and style advice. Membership is just $29.99 per month. Shipping is FREE, returns are hassle-free and if you don’t find something you love, SKIP THE MONTH within the first five days FOR NO CHARGE. There’s no obligation ever.

Give it a shot: http://jmnt.co/i1cbtL & enter ThisIs50 at checkout. Let me know how it goes and what you buy!!

That’s right, we’re now trendy and ritzy enough (we DO have a W, people) to have a salon dedicated to the blowout. I remember at 15 asking my mom’s stylist what a “blowout” was (because I read it in all the magazines, natch) and she was stumped. A blowdry? she asked.

No, no. A blowout is so much more than that. It’s a blowdry STYLE, with volume, bounce, and the occasionally curl at the ends. It can last for days with the proper care (say the magazines … I have yet to get a hairstyle to last for “days”).

Blo is a no cuts, no color concept in the Fifth Street Commons that opens on April 17, 2011.  Now bullet-proof confidence (ok, I will admit that a good blowout really can give you this) is possible in about 30 minutes for 33 dollars.

Blo offers 7 styles featured in the Blo Hair Menu, from the sexy razor-straight “Executive Sweet” to the rocker-chic inspired “Sex, Hugs and Rock & Roll”, plus its signature “Blo on the Go” and “Blo Bridal” services. Blo’s top stylists deliver flawless hair in-bar or wherever curl-power is desired or required, 24/7.  Walk-ins accepted and online reservations are available for the time-pressed (blomedry.com to schedule).

1611 West 5^th Street, Suite 145, Austin, Texas 78703

bloaustin@blomedrycom / 512.355.1BLO (1256)

April 10-13 and April 17- 20, over 75 A-list restaurants serve up stellar prix fixe three-course dinners ($25 $35),  lunches ($10-$15), and (new!) brunch ($15-$20).

To help navigate, graphic designer Bart Kibbe of Rival Creative and Austin-based Big Momma Apps created a smartphone app. Austin Restaurant Week Executive Director and Founder Tyler Perkins says, “We looked at what we thought would activate more people with Austin Restaurant Week, and an app was a no-brainer. We are very excited to be going digital.” Diners will also be able to create their own profiles,  invite friends via forwarded invitations,  book reservations, read reviews, read menus, and map out locations for all of the participating restaurants.

To conclude this flavorful week, the city’s favorite chefs, restaurants, and restaurant owners will be honored at The First Annual Austin Restaurant Awards on May 8.

For reservations (if you already made ‘em, you need to change them), a complete list of restaurants, and the chance to win gift certificates onFacebook and Twitter, visit www.restaurantweekaustin.com.