‘Tis the season for school graduation! April and May get very busy and some of the best celebrations during this season are graduations. It is amazing to see the culmination of years’ worth of intentions and efforts result in such amazing accomplishments. And, what better way to celebrate than a graduation ceremony? School graduations are a way to bring family and friends together to celebrate. Ready to party? It is now that you need to decide which type of celebration you will host and what types of invitations should you send. What Type of Celebration? Graduation celebrations typically follow the schedule of ceremony then reception.Read More →

Congratulations on that baby bump – now it’s time to find some maternity clothes! Some moms will try to make it through without buying any. But, more than likely, you will get fed up with trying to fit into things and just want something comfortable – even if you will only wear it for a few months! It is time to go shopping. (spoiler: those maternity jeans will probably still fit you for a little while after the baby is born – do not be afraid to put maternity clothes in your hospital bag) That being said, you do not want to break the bankRead More →

Castles are cool. And, that we have one in our backyard is extra awesome. From Houston, you can arrive at the drawbridge of Newman’s Castle, in Bellville, Texas, in just over an hour. We took our scout pack and hit the road. The castle is just outside of Bellville heading north on Highway 36. You turn off onto the unassuming Old Highway 36. The road is definitely old. It is rutted with asphalt repairs and peppered with potholes. Finally, you turn off the paved road and head into the forest. The signage is few but the maps are well marked. About a quarter mile theRead More →

Frozen in time Pompeii is a still life of ancient Roman history. What would the world see we froze our city right now? Then, 2000 years later unwrapped our society – a city preserved in ash. How many people would be found seemingly staring at a block in their hands? What would they think of our homes, food, relationships? This is Pompeii. The Houston Museum of Natural Science brings us through the streets and into the homes of ancient Romans. It all comes to life in the new journey POMPEII: The Exhibition. Enter Pompeii The exhibit begins in a theatrical manner. You wait in anRead More →

Best Pizza in Houston

Who has the best pizza in Houston? Depends on who you ask. People from outside of town do not get the magnitude and span of our city. So, it makes perfect sense that our city has many, many fantastic pizzerias! However, we have “narrowed” it down to the top 31 shops. In this way no matter where you are in our vast city you can find the best pizza in Houston! The Best Pizza in Houston Alphabetically 1. BOH Pasta & Pizza Neighborhood: Downtown What to order: Definitely not just pizza (check out the Squid Ink Bucatini Frutti DI mARE), but the pizza is worthRead More →

pinata cake

Move over hot cocoa bombs, piñata cakes are here! Or, you can have your cake and drink your bombs too! Plus, they are here just in time for Valentine’s Day. What are Piñata Cakes? Sadly, there is no actual cake in a piñata cake – but, there is so much more fun! Piñata cakes are a hard decorated shell of chocolate filled with treats. Nearly always they are delivered with a mallet for cracking! What is especially fun is the fillings can be customized to suit. Generally you see an assortment of candy and toys but if you work with your baker you can haveRead More →

The Gilded Ones, by Namina Forna Pre-Order and it will arrive on its publication day, February 9th, 2021 Her blood proves her worth. Deka lives in Otera, a land that has ritualized the patriarchy to keep women in their place. ‘The Gilded Ones,’ Namina Forna’s debut novel, takes you deep into these themes and more. As girls reach their sixteenth year they are sent to the village temples for a ceremony to determine their purity. If their blood runs true they become a member of society. If their blood runs gold a girl is impure and sentenced to death. What is not shared about theseRead More →

cirque italia water circus

The Cirque is coming! The Cirque is coming! Sharpen your cutlass and dust off your eye patch, Cirque Italia is taking you on an epic pirate adventure! Come to the brand new production! Notably, it is under the big top tent but this circus experience is unlike any other as it features a 35,000 gallon water tank. And, we have tickets to giveaway! The cirque begins when our Ringmaster goes fishing and finds a treasure map. Consequently, he must brave the high seas, dodge pirate fights, resist the lure of mermaids to claim the treasure as his own. In classic cirque tradition audiences will delightRead More →

hot springs

Our third hike on Day two at Big Bend National Park is the Hot Springs Trail. Like Boquillas, this is rated as a not-to-be-missed hike. Along the Hot Springs Trail, there are ruins of the old bathhouse, post office, and motel; a hot spring (duh!); the Rio Grande; pictographs, and petroglyphs. To get a fantastic history of this trail read “Big Bend: A Homesteader’s Story,” by J.O. Langford (referenced in the Packing & Prepping article).  Oh, and did I mention the thrill of almost dropping to your death? Shear fun. This is in reference to the road in. It is terrifyingly narrow. It is only aRead More →

After hiking down to the beautiful Boquillas Canyon and screaming our echoes for one singing Mexican to hear we drove to the Rio Grande Village. Here there are bathrooms, a visitor’s center, and a store. The visitor’s center was closed on the day we were there. Rather, we bought sandwiches at the store and topped off our Camelbacks with water. Our late start meant we would be out in the mid-day heat longer than we had originally planned. The store has picnic tables out front and we ate in the shade before trekking to our second trail. Our next scheduled trail is the Rio GrandeRead More →