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I had some surgery done on Friday and had to go to the hospital last Monday for a pre-op appointment. With two cups of coffee in my system, I decided to use the restroom before the appointment since I had no idea how long it would take. All was quiet in the bathroom- just me and my lonesome- until the door opens and in comes another lady talking away on her cell phone. I thought that it was strange, but gave her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she wasn’t going to go pee at all, I thought. Maybe she was just wanting to check her makeup or reapply some lipstick. I mean, I could understand taking the phone in the bathroom with me if it was someone I was really close to in the privacy of my own home, but in a public restroom? Whatever, no big deal, right? Just pee and go… more important things to worry about. After all, girls go to the restroom together all the time and we’re certainly not quiet while we’re doing our business. Oh no, we talk right on through.

So, as I’m peeing, she enters the stall right next to mine and starts to pee too. I tred to listen in on her conversation to see if she’s on a really important call or something to justify bringing the phone on the potty. Sounded like casual talk to me, but I was starting to get distracted because I would soon have to flush.  She’s right next to me, still talking and I wonder if I should be courteous and wait to flush or just go for it. What would you do?

I flushed. It was really loud, but it didn’t phase her. She still kept on talking. Then she flushed. I didn’t once hear her explain to the person on the other end where she was either.

What do you think? Is it proper to take your conversation on your cell phone into a public restroom? Is there no place sacred anymore were these things don’t go?  And how do you properly wash your hands while holding your phone? Do you hand it to the person next to you and ask them to talk while you finish up?

Trying to figure out the best spot for my soon-to-be two year old daughter’s birthday party and am wondering if anyone can recommend Chic-Fil-A as a good location? We stopped in last week at the location in Round Rock and she could actually climb up the playscape that they have inside. Her birthday is at the end of the month and it’s likely to be cold outside. So, I’m liking this place- the fact that it’s indoors, there’s food already there and she can actually climb on the equipment. But I’m wondering what most other kids think about it. Do your kids like playing at Chic-Fil-A too? Would they like to go to a birthday party there? Or have you had a party for your child at one of their locations?

Can you recommend any other places that have nice birthday parties that don’t cost an arm and a leg?

Baby Day- Bring your infant to the movies every Friday! You can bring them along to any show that starts before 2:05pm. Regular admission for you, but the baby is free, of course! Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, The Village on Anderson Lane.

Storytime- Join us for this dynamic storytime featuring books, songs and crafts for all ages. FREE!! Friday,  10:00-11:00 a.m. Family Connections Meeting Place, 825 E. 53 ½ St. E-101.

Home Depot Kids Workshop- FREE How-To Clinic designed for children ages 5-12. This week, kids will be building  helmet  bookends. Saturday, 9:00am -Noon.All Home Depot locations.

Walk on the Wild Side- Enjoy a hike while learning how the river influences animal, plant and human life along its banks. FREE!! Saturday, 10:00 am-Noon. McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 Hwy. 71W, Cedar Creek.

Knee-High Chess- Stop by Wooldridge Park every Saturday to play a game of giant chess- truly an Austin original! Saturdays from 12:30-3:30pm. FREE!! Wooldridge Park, downtown.

Wells Fargo First Saturdays and TEXplorations- FREE admission to the Museum Exhibits from 2:00-6:00 pm on the first Saturday of each month with Wells Fargo First Saturdays. In addition to the free exhibits, visitors can enjoy a chance to “go behind the plexiglass” with the Explore the Story stations. Also, you can take advantage of the TEXplorations Family Story Time from 2:00-4:00 pm. Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave.

Crafts for Kids- This week kids will make a sparkly snowman with buttons, glitter and sparkly snowflakes. FREE for kids 3 and up. Every Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm. Lakeshore Learning Center, 9828 Great Hills Tr.

BookKids Storytime-Storytime featuring Mo Willems’s best books! FREE! Saturday at 11:30am. BookPeople, 6th and Lamar.

Sunday Morning Kids Show-  Come see the Fabulous Laura Freeman play her green music from her kids albums,”A Baker’s Dozen” and “Colorwheel Cartwheel”(available for sale at show). FREE!! Tips are appreciated for the performers. Sunday, 10:30am. Ruta Maya Coffeehouse, 3601 S. Congress Ave.

Today is the first day of a new year. That certainly calls for a special meal to start the new year off on the right foot! We all have our own favorite traditions and recipes that we like to use around the holidays. Traditions, especially when it comes to food, can make us feel more bonded and comfortable when transitioning into a new, unchartered year. With a worsening recession on our hands, people losing their jobs, homes and businesses, a little comfort food may be just what we need to help us ease into 2009.

For several years now, I’ve made a big pot of tortilla soup- the kind that you get at Baby Acapulco’s Restaurant here in Austin. I think the first time I made it on New Year’s Eve, it was bitterly cold outside and just sounded like an excellent idea. There was no thought in my mind that it would become a tradition, it just happened that everyone liked it so much that they asked for it year after year. Plus, I never really liked the whole black eyed peas tradition, so finding a new dish to replace that suited me just fine.  My favorite tortilla soup is defineltely the Baby A soup- which I made an adaptation of shortly after moving to Austin fourteen years ago.

What will you be making this year to celebrate the new year? Do you have a dish that you make every year? For my tortilla soup, I just kind of throw stuff together without measuring it, so I’ve done some searching online for recipes that closely resemble how I make it, which have yielded no results that come close to mine. So, here’s my version of a knock-off Baby A’s Chicken Tortilla Soup. Please taste it as you go along because I like mine extra spicy!

Ingredients:

For the broth…

One Whole chicken, cleaned out

3 Garlic Cloves

Water

One Packet of Taco Seasoning

One Tablespoon Cumin

Tony’s Cajun Seasoning

One Jalepeno (you can leave this out if you prefer it to be less spicy)

On the side…

Sliced Avacodo

Lime Wedges

Cilantro, washed and diced

Purple Onions, diced finely

Monterry Jack cheese, shredded

Corn Tortilla Strips

Directions:

Place the chicken in a large soup pot and fill with water. Boil for about an hour or until chicken in done. Remove and let cool down on a plate. Once the chicken has cooled, remove the meat from the bones and place it back into the pot with the water. Add all of the seasonings and garlic- at this point you will have to taste it to know if it needs more spiciness according to your taste. Boil for about another 30-40 minutes and prepare the items to go on the side. When the soup is done, people can ladle some into a bowl and load up on all or some of the side items. Me, I squeeze the lime in for the first thing and then throw in a little of everythying else for a perfect bowl of tortilla soup!

If you have a babysitter coming in for New Year’s Eve, you are lucky! Yes, I’m a little jealous.  I’m sure you had no problem finding something fun to do without the kids in tow. From the festivities on Sixth Street to all of the clubs, bars and restaurants- even some fancy hotels, there is certainly plenty to choose from if you are going out with adults only. Searching for kid-friendly festivities in and around the greater Austin area is as rewarding. I came up kind of short. Of course, First Night Austin is an excellent place to be if you want to ring in the new year with your children. There’s going to be fireworks, it’s free and it’s also free of any alcohol- which is generally a good idea when you’re out and about with the little ones.

For some reason I was thinking there were fireworks and festivities in all of the surrounding suburban areas- Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Buda. But it looks like there aren’t very many kid-friendly things to do around here on the last day of 2008. It’s not like the Fourth of July when there are firework displays on every corner. Must be more of a holiday for grown-ups, eh? Do you know of any events around town that are family-friendly for this New Year’s Eve?

Earlier today, I threw out the uneaten Christmas cookies that were sitting on my counter. There they sat, staring up at me, tempting me with their chocolaty goodness while begging to be put into my belly. I resisted today, unlike the past couple of weeks, and decided that throwing them out was the best option at the moment. Sure, I wasted about a dozen cookies, but I also saved my waistline from getting a little bigger. I could have given them to the neighbors, but, quite frankly, I think they would have done the same thing because it’s that time of the year when we are done with our holiday gorging and ready to get back on track and in shape, right? Right, ladies??

Yes, it’s time once again for the tried and true weight lose resolution for the new year. But, this year, you can get some much needed help and encouragement! How about a cash prize for losing the most weight? And you’ll have the support of other women in Austin who are longing to shed however many extra pounds that they’re carrying around by your side, going through the motions with you. Sound like a good idea? Here are some more details taken from the LiveMom Forum:

Join our 12-week, women-only group and learn how to lose weight through exercise, sensible nutrition and motivational weight-loss tools and techniques. By joining, you’re automatically eligible to win a cash prize of at least $1500. To win the prize, you must lose the greatest percentage of weight during the 12-week period (similar to NBC’s ‘The Biggest Loser’). The more people to participate in the group, the greater the cash prize will be so encourage a friend to join too!

The group meets once a week for 12 weeks and offers three different convenient meeting times to choose from (early mornings, mid-day and evenings). Guest speakers include nutritionists, personal trainers and weight-loss therapists.

The group is overseen by a Resident Physician and sponsored by the new, innovative weight-loss tool “Mary Lou’s Weigh”. Cost for the 12-week group is $150 ($100 goes towards the prize, $50 is for products you get to keep). Second and third monetary prizes will also be awarded.

Hurry! You need to register and pay by January 5, 2009 to secure your spot! If you would like more information, you can check out Mary Lou’s Weigh or email Dawn.

Whether or not you are a practicing yogi or yogini, you and your child may attend Parent and Child Yoga Class at Yoga Yoga’s North location at 2167 Anderson Lane. The first time I took my son, Beck, to class I did not know what to expect. He’d been watching me practice Iyengar Yoga at home since he was born, and he loved to climb on my back as I did my downward dog, but how would he fair in a bonafide yoga class for children? As we waited for the teacher to arrive, Beck ran wildly, tipping over yoga blocks, diving into a pile of yoga blankets, and desperately trying to bang on the giant gong in the corner. I was panic stricken. How would I contain him? He was just shy of two years old and not used to taking instructions from anyone but me. “Oh, Ganesh, remover of obstacles,” I thought, “how am I going to convince Beck to sit quietly, meditate, and ignore all the interesting elements of this yoga studio?” I imagined a serene yogini walking into the room and politely dismissing my hyper child and me, as most librarians do during story-time when Beck sings too loudly or spontaneously breaks into his latest dance moves.

Instead, a beautiful yogini named Harimander warmly welcomed us and our vivacious energy to the class. With the ease and experience of a true yoga practitioner, she coaxed each of the children (and parents) to introduce themselves and proceeded to lead us in a yoga chant evoking the wisdom of ancient teachers and the very teacher-nature within each of us. What followed was thirty minutes of songs, yoga poses, and activities in which the children used physical exertion and concentration to the relaxed rhythm Harimander established for them. Some children perfectly replicated every move Harimander suggested, some shyly watched from their parents’ laps, and yes, others like Beck, broke into their own spontaneous song and dance. All forms of participation were appreciated as Harimander praised each child and chuckled at their idiosyncrasies.

At the end of class we all attempted to lie on our backs for some quiet time as Harimander softly played the giant gong in the corner. I was amazed to see sets of parents and children settling into their space on the floor sharing such a special time together. The parents appeared calm and refreshed. The children seemed happy and somehow a little wiser, as if they had cultivated something happy within their new little bodies. Following our quiet time, Harimander brought into the room a tray full of yogi tea, one for each child and parent. As we all sipped tea together, Harimander offered us time to discuss any parenting issues on our mind. She put us at ease with her warm demeanor, and it was then that I knew Beck and I would be back.

We’ve been regularly attending the class for nine months and Harimander continues to impress me with her wealth of yogic and parenting knowledge.

Harimander Kaur, is Janice Samuelson. She has earned Children’s yoga certification through the Radiant Child Teacher Training program and has been teaching children’s yoga in public schools and outreach programs since 2000. She teaches all age groups and has seen the beneficial results of yoga for children in reducing stress, increasing focus, enhancing mind-body coordination, and helping with ADD and ADHD. Her Tuesday Children’s Yoga classes are $7 each or $35 for an Unlimited Pass.

Do you know what toxins your kids are breathing in while they’re at school? Just how toxic is that air at the school? I recently read The Smokestack Effect and eagerly looked up the school that my son goes to. It ranked in the 77th percentile, which is good considering the fact that schools in Bastrop, south Austin and Buda ranked really low. Curious to find out how toxic the air is at your kid’s school? And how exactly did they manage to come up with these numbers?

USA TODAY tracked the path of industrial pollution at over 127,000 schools across America using an EPA model:

“To assess how those emissions affect the air outside nearby schools, USA TODAY partnered with researchers from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute. After more than two years of effort, the researchers obtained data from an EPA model known as the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators, which scores chemicals based on their potential danger. The model also uses information about industrial facilities – such as the height of its smokestacks and the way each chemical disperses in the air – to estimate where concentrations of the chemicals they release will be highest. The model allows the EPA to assess pollution’s impact on every square kilometer of the nation, and the agency uses that information to help identify potential problems spots. The University of Massachusetts researchers used those findings to produce lists of chemicals that contributed to the air toxicity at each of the nation’s 127,800 schools in 2005, the most recent year for which the EPA has completed its model.”

What would you do if your school’s ranking came in really low? Pack up and move? How do you even begin to fight for cleaner air? Luckily, there is a Q&A section to help with some of those questions.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a calendar for 2009 that listed events specific to Austin? How cool would it be to just flip it to the current month and find all of the activities happening in Austin right before your eyes? Mike, over at Big Weekend Calendars, has generously donated some awesome Austin Events 2009 calendars (a $14.97 value) to be given away! Want one? Just leave a comment here and I will pick two lucky winners by next Friday, January 2, 2008. No strings attached and no geographic restrictions on this giveaway!

Holiday Light Spectacular- This is the last weekend!! Live music, visit from Santa, 100,000 laser lights and special effects set to holiday sounds. FREE! No outside food or beverages. Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at 6:00pm. The Grove at Southpark Meadows, IH-35 and Slaughter Lane.

Ice Skating on the Roof- For only $10, you can skate on the ice rink atop Whole Foods for 50 minutes! The rental fee includes skate rental. Open everyday until January 1st from 10:00am-9:00pm, closing at 7:00pm on New Year’s Eve. Whole Foods Market, 525 N. Lamar. Blvd.

Hot Art Hip Kids- Join us for a special holiday edition of Hot Art Hip Kids, the Blanton’s program for children and families. Discover space-age art of the 1960s and the exhibition Reimagining Space through art workshops, gallery activities, music, storytelling, and more. $7 adults, $3 for students and kids 12 and under are free. Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1:00-4:00pm. The Blanton Museum of Art, MLK at Congress.

Holiday House Party- Bring the whole family to meet our fabulous hostess, Henrietta Hasselfree, as she gets things jumping with an unusual cast of party guests including Tex with the Reindeer Game of the Year, Opie with his favorite holiday story, Nelda the New Year’s Hypnotist, grumpy neighbor Mrs. Barrelhead, and of course Father Time, who stops by to start the Craziest-Race-Ever to ring in the New Year. And everyone gets to make a fabulous party hat for the occasion. Filled with surprises, HOLIDAY HOUSE PARTY is an over-the-top audience participation event filled with laughter and fun for the entire family. Ticket $5-20. Saturday at 4:00pm. The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd.

Crafts for Kids- This week’s craft is a New Year’s Noise Maker. Every Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm for kids ages 3 and up. FREE!! Lakeshore Learning Store, 9828 Great Hills Trail.

Let It Snow Storytime- A storytime all about this lovely, cold, wintery mush. We’ll read the classic picture book The Snowy Day along with other tales unique as snowflakes. Plus, we’ll be making snowflakes that you can take home and have for the whole year! FREE!! Saturday, 11:30am. Book People, 6th and Lamar.

Sounds of Texas- Enjoy free country music to go along with the Cowboys and Presidents exhibit at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. This week’s performance is by James “Slim” Hand. Saturday, 2:00-4:00pm. Regular museum admission required, performance is free. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave.

Christmas Tree Recycling- Teach the kids how to live a little greener and bring them along as you recycle this year’s Christmas tree. Begins on Sunday at 10:00am-4:00pm. Zilker Park, Barton Springs Rd..

Sunday Morning Kids Show- This week’s show features Mr. Steve’s Drumming extravaganza. FREE!! Sunday, 10:30-11:30am. Ruta Maya Coffee House, 3601 S. Congress.

Finding that you need an extra ingredient today that you forgot to buy at the store? Not many grocery stores are open around Austin on Christmas Day, but lucky for me, I found a list compiled by Living Today In Austin that lists several HEB’s that are open around town!

Thought about just hopping into the car and banking on luck to bring me to an open store. Better yet to have a list that will guide me in the right direction! Here are the HEB locations that are open, according to Living Today In Austin:
Lakeway-2301 Ranch Road, Lakeway 78734

Cedar Park-1400 Cypress Creek Rd, Cedar Park 78613

Berkman-6800 Berkman, Austin 78723

Balcones-5311 Balcones 78731

Bee Caves-3300 Bee Caves 78746

Mopac & William Cannon-6600 S Mopac 78749

Ben White-2025 W. Ben White 78704

Braker and Research-10900 Research Blvd. 78759

Round Rock-2051 Gattis School Road, Round Rock 78664