by admin | Feb 10, 2020 | advice / tips
You have 48 hours in Houston without kids – what do you do?
If you’re me, you make Art the theme of your trip and hit the road.
Color Factory exhibit
Here’s a sample itinerary:
Friday – Drive to Houston from Austin (making sure to stop at Buc-ee’s on the way). As you look at all the merchandise – ask yourself – Is it Art?
Is it Art?
Once you get to town, head to the Menil Collection. The Menil includes 30-acres of art space to house their 17,000+ collection. There is no admission (and no photos allowed inside) – and you can see work from the Prehistoric to the Modern including one building just to house works by Cy Twombly.
Menil Collection
If it wasn’t under construction, you could then head down the block to visit the Rothko Chapel. It’s due to re-open this summer.
Instead, you continue to explore the Museum District of Houston. Next up, the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. This kid-friendly spot also often has Groupons for discounts on tickets.
Museum of Natural Sciences
Between their Planetarium, Butterfly Center and Theater – inside their 16 permanent exhibits, you can explore everything from Faberge eggs to Prehistoric Man (flying through the air) to Space.
Faberge Egg
Sorry, Prehistoric Man. Better luck next time.
Space Exhibit
And make sure you take a long stop at our favorite area – the gems and minerals.
Hall of Gems and Minerals
If after experiencing all that Science you need a change of pace, and the weather is delightful, you should walk up another block to Hermann Park.
McGovern Centennial Garden
The McGovern Centennial Gardens are a delightful stop. If you have your kids with you, you might also go to the Zoo near there. Then after a good night’s rest, you’ll be ready for Day 2.
Saturday – make sure to get your tickets in advance to the Color Factory Houston.
Color Factory, Houston
The Color Factory is an interactive exhibit with palettes and projects inspired by Houston. You’ll be given treats along the way, and you can use your token to get your photo taken at various spots in the exhibits.
Color Factory, Houston
You will still take a million photos because you can’t stop smiling and it’s just so photogenic.
Color Factory, Houston
You may also want to pack a rainbow dress for pictures 🙂
Pic taken courtesy of the Color Factory, Houston
You make sure to save all your colorful treats to share with your kids once you get back home.
Color Factory treats along the way plus the colorful calendar you bought in the gift shop
You still have time to fit in another Museum. This time you choose the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. You will be visiting one of the largest museums in the United States. Their permanent collection spans more than 6,000 years of history with approximately 64,000 works from six continents.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Now saturated with art and inspired to create, you get one more good night’s sleep and then plan to drive back home to Austin. You’re already thinking about another trip and all the Museums you didn’t get to visit…this time.
In the future, you’ll go see The Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston or the Space Center or the Art Car Museum or the rest of the 19 Museums listed in the Houston Museum District.
Maybe in time for Fotofest ….
Let me know if you end up taking a trip to Houston to see Art, it would be well worth your time.
by admin | Feb 3, 2020 | advice / tips
*** UPDATED FOR 2023 ****
If you’re lucky to have family in town or kids old enough for sleep-overs or to stay home by themselves – you may not need this advice. And while we have some favorite babysitters, we’ve also been checking out the local Parents Night Out options around town. So I wanted to share what I’ve researched. Here are some options if you want your kids to get a night out at the same time as you get a date night:
Thinkery
Location: 1830 Simond Ave, Austin, TX 78723
Age range: 4+ years old (must be potty-trained)
Cost: $45 first child, $25 each additional child ($5 discount for Members)
Details: Kids have the museum to themselves and live it up with pizza, hands-on STEAM activities, exhibit exploration and MORE!
Extra perks: Check out the special discounts offered in the Mueller community for your date night
Schedule and to book: Tend to fall on Friday nights from 5:30pm – 10pm
Crenshaw’s
Location: 5000 Fairview Dr, Austin, TX 78731
Age range: 5-11 years old
Cost: $30 first child, $20 for second child
Details: Night out of fun that includes gymnastics, trampoline, pit time, recreational swimming, games, snack, and a full length movie (G-PG) on a HUGE movie screen (includes a mid-evening light snack and a drink). Don’t forget to bring a bathing suit and a towel.
Schedule and to book: Saturday nights once/month 6:30pm – 10:45pm (Registration for each Kids Night Out starts TWO weeks before the date of the night.)
YMCA
Location: various
Age range: 3 – 12 years old
Cost: $30 members ($60 non-members)
Details: swimming, gym games, pizza, crafts and more
Schedule and to book: Saturdays from 5:00pm-9:30pm
Austin Ninjas
Location: 6001 W Parmer Ln #430, Austin, TX 78727
Age range: 5 – 12 years old
Cost: $30/child
Details: Gym time, 2 slices of pizza and water bottle included (must sign waiver)
Schedule and to book: Saturday nights, once/month, 6:30pm – 10pm
Lifekido
Location: 3636 Bee Caves Rd #212, Austin, TX 78746
Age range: 5 – 7 years old
Cost: $35 for current students, $30 additional siblings; non-members: $40 for first, $35 for additional siblings
Details: martial arts games, an obstacle course, movie AND pizza!
Schedule and to book: Saturdays from 5:30pm – 8pm (usually once/month during the school year)
Crux Climbing Center
Location: 121 Pickle Rd #100, Austin, TX 78704
Age range: 4 – 10 years old
Cost: $35/child (members); $45/child (non-members)
Details: Date Night is a 4 hour guided play session run by our professional and experienced staff. During these 4 hours your kids will climb and play in our awesome Pandamonium room! Kids will have toys, games, and all the climbing they can handle! Our classes are capped at 6 participants to ensure that your child gets plenty of attention and supervision. Crux will provide cheese/ peperroni pizza for your kids for no additional cost!
Schedule and to book: Ever first Friday of the month from 6:00pm – 10pm
My Gym
Location: 5307 W US Hwy 290 Service Rd, Austin, TX 78735
Age range: 2-9 years old
Cost: $30/child members, $35/child non-members (discounts are offered when enrolling siblings)
Details: games, rides, songs, dances, relays, obstacle courses and more.
* Pizza and juice are provided for dinner.
Schedule and to book: Fridays from 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Toybrary
Location: 2001 Justin Ln, Austin, TX 78757
Age range: Site doesn’t list age range
Cost: $35/child ($10 per additional sibling)
Details: Kids craft, play dress up, play outside and more
Schedule and to book: Saturdays from 5pm – 8pm
LittleLand
Location: Various locations in and around Austin
Age range: 2+ years old
Cost: $45/child (10% discount per additional sibling)
Details: Kids play and get pizza and juice
Schedule and to book: Alternating Friday and Saturdays from 4:30pm-8:30pm
Austin Bouldering Project
Location: 979 Springdale Rd #150, Austin, TX 78702
Age range: 5-12 years old
Cost: $40/child, $30 for sibling ($20/child and $15 sibling if Members)
Details: Kids climb and get pizza and a movie
Schedule and to book: Two Fridays a month from 5:30pm-10pm
Austin Gymnastics Club
Location:13776 US-183 Hwy, Austin, TX 78750
Age range: 4+ years old and up
Cost: $40/child, $35/sibling, $45/day of walk-in
Details: Gymnastics, pizza, games and crafts
Schedule and to book: Monthly – see site for dates
Capital Gymnastics
Location: They have Cedar Park, Pflugerville and Round Rock locations
Age range: 3-12 years old
Cost: $30/child, $25/sibling, +$5/day of walk-in
Details: Gymnastics, movie and dinner
Schedule and to book: Fridays from 6pm-10pm – see site for dates
Code Ninjas
Location: 3621 E. Whitestone Blvd. Suite 500, Cedar Park, TX 78613
Age range: 7+ years old
Cost: Not listed on site
Details: Games, puzzles, building and more
Schedule and to book: See site for dates
Enjoying dinner out on South Congress WITHOUT OUR CHILDREN
Now if you need ideas for things to do WITH your kids, you can also check out my blog posts on:
- Top 10 Hikes around Austin with Kids
- Top 12 Ideas from January to December in Austin with Kids
by admin | Aug 8, 2019 | advice / tips, photography
So you’ve booked your Fall session and figured out your location. What’s left to do? Figure out what the whole family is going to wear.
I have a membership with the online styling service, Style & Select, that you are welcome to use as one of my clients. Just contact me in the form at the bottom of this page for the access code.
How does it work?
Once you receive the access code from me, click on the link below to start styling:
You’ll fill out an online questionnaire.
And you’ll want to pick out some of your coordinating colors:
Then you’ll get a page of shopping results – which you’ll favorite. When picking your favorites – think about what you’ll feel confident in, what your family will feel comfortable in and what will go well with your location. Keep the weather in mind.
Sample options:
Out of your favorites, you can email yourself the final choices. You’ll then have the option to buy directly at each online store. I can also send you a list of the current coupon codes for some of the shops.
You can also visit their blog which has a quick styling tip sheet.
Happy Styling and Shopping!
by admin | Feb 1, 2019 | advice / tips, photography
Having small children is exhausting. They have so much more energy than we do. To burn off that energy, we take ours on hikes or swimming or have family dance parties. But then I often say to my husband:
“Tire out the children and you tire out yourself“
But a post I read recently reminded me of some ideas of how to play with your children when you also really, really want to lie down with your eyes closed.
So I present to you: “10 Fun Games for Young Children with Exhausted Parents” – in order of when you’re most tired to least tired
Reverse Bedtime
- Reverse bedtime – the kids get to put you to bed. Here’s what you do:
-Lay down in your bed (the most magical instructions of all)
-The kids are in charge of putting you to sleep, they need to bring you blankets and sing you lullabies and tell you a story.
-You can really get into character by asking for water or a bedtime snack or “just three more stories!”
2. Visit the Doctor/Dentist
Besides boxes, rocks and sticks, if it doesn’t have a screen, my kids next most favorite toy is flashlights. For this game you:
-Give the children any flashlights you have in the house
-Lay down on the floor or couch with your eyes closed
-Kids take turns shining a flashlight into your open mouth, into your ears, etc.
-They can also use any doctor kit supplies you may have around.
If your kids are anything like mine, be ready for some hard truths: “Mommy, why are your teeth more yellow than Daddy’s?”
3. What’s on my butt? / What’s on my stomach?
I saw this idea on Say Yes who got it from the Longest Shortest Time podcast (and it inspired this whole blog post of ideas).
-Choose if you’d rather lay on your stomach or your back, eyes closed, no peeking.
-The kids have to slooowly choose objects around the house that they will then either place on your stomach or your butt and you have to guess what they are.
-Take your time guessing.
4. Light show
Flashlights are really wonderful toys. Here’s another idea with them (Pink Floyd soundtrack in the background is optional).
-Turn all the lights off.
-Lay on your back, this time, eyes are open.
-Give the kids flashlights.
-They are in charge of creating a light show on the ceiling, finger shadows are encouraged.
5. Measurement game
-Give the children a ruler and/or measuring tape.
-Lay down with your eyes closed.
-The children are responsible for measuring how tall you are and how long your different body parts are.
If they’re old enough, they can also fill out a data log on you. (ex. Mommy’s feet are 8 inches long, Daddy’s nose is three inches long).
6. Day Spa
-Give the children your hairbrush, and any hair accessories you have on hand.
-Lay back on the couch with your eyes closed.
-They are in charge of brushing and fixing your hair.
-Ooh and ahh when they are done.
7. Guessing Game
-Lay down on your stomach with your eyes closed.
-Have the children trace different letters or shapes on your back.
-You have to guess what they are drawing.
Variation: You can also ask the children to walk on your back.
My niece walking on my husband and sister-in-laws backs one past Thanksgiving visit.
8. Scavenger Hunt
This game may involve a little pre-planning and some talking.
-Give the children a bag and a list of 10 things they need to find around the house (ex. something red, something fuzzy, something magnetic).
-Lay on your back with your eyes closed telling them you are going to count to 200.
-Children need to run around finding all the objects and can’t come back until they’ve found all of them or you reach 200.
9. Art Studio
-Give the children some art supplies, tell them you are going to be a “still life.”
-Lay down with your eyes closed. (The children can feel free to add props on top of you).
-Have the children draw your portrait.
-Hang it up on the fridge when done.
Variation: If you don’t mind getting messy, give the children washable markers to draw on you (another variation is giving children makeup to apply on your face).
10. Erupting volcano
(Requires some movement)
-Lay on your back with your eyes closed.
-The kids are responsible for covering you with as many pillow and blankets they can find in the house.
-When you’re good and covered – ERUPT – and all the pillows and blankets go flying.
-Repeat until they tire of the game.
Be prepared for the children to want a turn as well.
If you are too tired to move, but still want to play with your kids, I hope you find these games helpful.
😉
by admin | Jan 2, 2019 | advice / tips, photography
Happy New Year! Are you a fan of New Year’s Resolutions? I am, I like to think of them as a great time to make a list and plan for the future. I start with the “what.” As in, WHAT do I want to get out of this year?
For me, it’s to learn new skills, grow my business, create often and feel a part of the local community.
Then comes the “how.” As in, HOW am I going to reach these goals? I want to be specific and measurable. Well, here’s what I have in mind…
Join a Creative Community
Join a local creative community and attend 4-6 meetings/year. Some groups I’m considering in the Austin area are: Rising Tide, Creative Mornings, ClickinMoms (I went to a few meet-ups last year – it’s a very friendly bunch), BossBabesATX, ATXconnection mixer. Let me know if you’re a member of any of these groups (or have another one to recommend). Next steps, RSVPing for a January meet-up.
Take photo classes
Take one photo class per quarter (either in-person or online). Some places I’m considering for online classes are Creative Live, Click Photo School and Lynda.com. Next steps, making a list of classes I’d like to take.
Keep doing personal work
Keep doing personal photo work every month. This could be documentary photos of the kids or portfolio building with new locations or ideas I want to try. Next steps, list and calendar out project ideas. (I have that colored powder I bought for the holidays just asking to be photographed with).
Get in the photos
Get in the photo myself – at least once a month. As the family documentarian, I am woefully underrepresented in our year-end albums. I need to give up some of that control and hand over the phone (to family) and hire a professional (at least once a year) so I’m a part of my family’s story. Next steps, book our 2019 family photo session and hand off my phone this week.
Volunteer as a photographer
Volunteer my photography skills to the kids’ school. I plan on (continuing to) photograph the class parties this year as well as donating a family photo session to the school fundraiser. Next steps, think about other ways I can volunteer my photo skills to the school community.
Find better light
It’s safe to photograph in flat light or golden hour. I want to seek out shooting at other times of the day – and play around more with light. This includes: practicing with double exposures, shooting through prisms, and photographing a high noon. Next steps, block out time to experiment with light.
Blog consistently
Most of last year, I would only blog when posting a photo session. But last month, I started writing blog posts with other types of content – Exploring Art in Austin with Kids, Throwback Thursday About Me, and How to Build a Photo Story. And I loved it. So this year, I want to continue that trend (blog family sessions but also write about other photo topics that interest me). Next steps, write out a list of 10-12 topics I want to blog about this year.
Book more Sessions
Last November, I shared some metrics on my Instagram feed. I wanted to look at my numbers around bookings, expenses and profits. One of my take-aways from that analysis is that I’d like to increase my bookings by 10-15%. Next steps, keep learning, shooting and sharing and plan that more business will come.
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What are your goals for 2019? Contact me if they include photography.
by admin | Dec 19, 2018 | advice / tips, photography
My kids know they can make a pretty big mess if there’s picture taking involved. They’re also extra eager if they themselves are the canvas.
So if your kids are like mine, and you’ve booked a Family Photo Session at your house – let me know if you’d like to add on any of these creative extras. As long as you have a change of clothes nearby and a place to make a mess (preferably outside) – we can get extra artistic.
Options include:
Chalk (year-round)
Bubbles (year-round)
Silly String (year-round)
Smoke bombs (year-round – though we’ve only done them at Halloween ourselves)
Cascarones (Spring)
Shaving cream (Summer)
String lights (Winter)
Fake snow (Winter)
Multi-light projector (Winter)
Glitter (Nope) – What am I? A monster. I’d never bring glitter in someone’s house (especially if I wanted to be invited back).
Colored powder – (year-round)
If this type of session add-on appeals to you, let me know when you book.
Having small children is exhausting. They have so much more energy than we do. To burn off that energy, we take ours on hikes or swimming or have family dance parties. But then I often say to my husband:
My kids know they can make a pretty big mess if there’s picture taking involved. They’re also extra eager if they themselves are the canvas.
