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Last week MommyQ was lucky enough to take a trip to Portland, Oregon, to witness a “behind-the-scenes” movie experience.  Walmart and P&G invited me to attend, so I could see the guts and the glory it takes to produce a television movie. The movie, “In My Shoes,” is a clever, compassionate and family-friendly project that proves the notion of family movie night is not forgotten.

When I was a kid, I remember sitting with my parents and my sister once a week, usually Friday night, to watch television together. I have to admit, I don’t remember exact titles of the movies we watched, but I do recall the laughter, giggles, communal popcorn tub and the fun. I also know my parents didn’t have to jump up and run to the TV (we didn’t have remotes back then) to change the station because something non kid-friendly was interrupting our viewing pleasure.

From the wonderful folks at P&G and Walmart to the producers to the actors, EVERYONE working on this project is totally aware of the need for family-friendly television entertainment. Even the youngest actor on the set, 11-year-old Jackson Pace, mentioned how important it is to be able to watch television together as a family. (BTW, what a cute little guy.)

I also got to meet some phenomenal women/mothers/entreprenuers as in @MomStart @mamaspohr @eightymphmom @BettyBuzz @OurOrdinaryLife – funny, fantastic and talented, who could ask for more?

Get a taste of what the new and improved family movie night is by watching The Jenson Project on July 19th on NBC. And if you haven’t seen Secrets of the Mountain, you’d better get to watchin’ because it was incredible. Stay tuned!

Tucked away in Westlake, you will find a little slice of heaven for mom’s tired body. Need an hour of relaxation? Thirty minutes away from your iPhone? An escape from your adorable, yet loud, children? Check out Massage Harmony and take advantage of their Mother’s Day Special!

I had a Swedish Massage there today with a sprinkle of Deep Tissue. My massage therapist, Colleen (who has many clients who are professional hockey players) did a fabulous job. It’s an upscale massage spa with affordable prices. The rooms are small, but clean and comfortable. I love the heated massage tables.

If you prefer a different style of massage, they have that too. They even offer Ashiatsu Bar Therapy and pregnancy massages. You can see of their services by clicking here.  Massage Harmony has two locations in Austin — one on S. Lamar and the other in Westlake. If you go to Westlake, I highly recommend Colleen. Okay, enough reading. Go book your massage today and for goodness sake, RELAX!

I’ve been a big fan of Craigslist for many years. Yet sometimes there are things about Senior Craig that I don’t like. Let’s say I’m trying to sell a baby stroller. By the time I get my ad posted, 20 more stroller are already ahead of mine in about 24 hours. Not to mention, I’m not a huge fan of how the ads look and the time it takes to create them. Don’t get me started on the shady personals. Ew.

I’ve heard friends talk about Adbirds which is like Craigslist, but it has many more capabilities. I checked it out today and I’m hooked! I created a few free ads and it was such a breeze. The interface is fast, easy and sophisticated. You can add lots of pictures, links, video clips – whatever you want – and it’s seriously simple. As a mommy, I appreciate the ability to do stuff online as quickly as possible. I’ll have to be changing a diaper, reading a story or wiping crayons off the walls any minute.

I’m going to do more research on Adbirds to figure out all of the neat stuff it does. They have an affiliate program and from what I’m hearing, it ROCKS. Adbirds is also extremely eco-conscious as the company is all about local shopping, community and saving everyone gas. Think of it as more money in your pocket for diapers, formula and wipes! The company tagline is “Better Online Advertising” and they speak the truth.

Drop me a comment if you’ve already discovered Adbirds and let me know what you think. I’m an instant fan and excited to learn more. Click here to post an ad and see for yourself!

Tired of the same food experience charity event after charity event?  Chafing dishes slowly drying out the rubbery gray chicken breast. Another boring crudites platter with sad carrots, and boring canapes. Yawn.

Yes, that’s my little logo. MommyQ is sponsoring this event with a bunch of other great businesses and I can assure it will be AWESOME. We scouted out the location and discussed details today. I was excited about it before, but I’m even more excited about it now. Details about the scrumptious menu will be coming soon.  Also, if you’re a mom here in Austin and you haven’t been to Underwear yet, shame on you! This shop is a little slice of heaven!

Go ahead and buy your tickets to Star Light, Star Night today before they’re gone.

Tomorrow my family will be wearing blue – will PROUDLY be wearing blue. Myself, my husband and our two children will help promote the incredible, international, Light It Up Blue campaign that kicks off World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month.

Iconic landmarks around the globe – including the Empire State Building in New York City and Willis Tower in Chicago along with the CN Tower in Toronto and Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia – as well as airports, bridges, museums, concert halls, restaurants, and retail stores, are among more than 100 structures in over 16 U.S. cities and nine countries around the world that will light up in bright blue tonight.

As the parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I cannot express how much this campaign means to me personally. I would wear blue every day of the year if it would help promote autism awareness! To me, the reason autism is so tricky is because we get a diagnosis of it and advice about  improving it, but we get nothing solid about what it means for the future.  People ask me how we deal with it and I always explain we take it one day at a time. If we sat around and worried about what the future may hold, we’d drive ourselves crazy.

On the bright side, things like speech therapy, OT therapy, family support, patient parents and loving teachers make it all better. Our autistic children make huge strides forward every single minute of the day. My heart goes out to the undiagnosed children who are struggling, the families who can’t afford the help they need and the “distracted ducks” that are living in an odd, isolated world.

Autism Speaks, North America’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, is launching this campaign. Since its inception only five short years ago, Autism Speaks has made enormous strides, committing over $142.5 million to research and developing innovative new resources for families through 2014. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

What can you do? How can you make a difference? Wear blue with pride tomorrow.

Read more about MommyQ’s life with autistic child:

- Living with Autism Diagnosis: One Year Later

- Autism Rides Off Into The Sunset

I’ve been wanting to sponsor an event in Austin for a while, but none have been a great fit for me. Then my wonderful friend at Hosteria Verde Supper Club & Catering told me about her “Star Light, Star Night” fundraiser and I was hooked. “Star Light, Star Night” will be granting your party wishes under a starry sky! MommyQ is so excited to participate in it. I encourage all moms to incorporate this event into their Mother’s Day celebration.

This is more than just a fundraiser, it is a night of eye candy for the senses. The evening will feature models in Stella McCartney lingerie from Underwear boutique and amazing jewelry from Limbo Jewelry Design’s newest summer collection. Guests will enjoy fabulous food, yummy cocktails, a DJ, live music and a silent auction. In addition to all of these goodies for mom, there will be a spectacular aerial dance performance by Blue Lapis Light, an aerial site-specific dance company. The proceeds of this event will benefit Blue Lapis Light, a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring innovative forms of expression, inspiring and elucidating performers and audience members.

The pre-Mother’s Day event takes place on Saturday, May 8, 2010, from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 pm at the Spring Condominiums in downtown Austin. The event will be held poolside on the fifth floor of the tower overlooking Lady Bird Lake. It is truly an evening under the stars!

You can buy tickets online for $45 at HosteriaVerde.com. I encourage all moms to be there. Start off your special day with fabulous food, sexy style and a dash of aerial thrills. Drop me an email if you’d like to donate an item for the silent auction.

Image: Blue Lapis Light

I’m not joking. You know vampires really do rule the world when you see charity events like this – Celebrity Vampire Baseball ™ to be held in New Orleans on March 20th. You can meet Twilight, New Moon and True Blood fang-faves, as well as other athletes, actors and randoms. My outspoken, gold-pants-wearing boy, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) will be playing too!

The event is brought to you  by Twilight Fan Trips and yes, that’s real too.  Highlights of this unique baseball adventure include watching an exhibition game, getting autographs and photos with the stars, meet and greets, and an exciting after-party and concert. 25% of net proceeds from each celebrity baseball ticket sale will go towards Haitian Relief organizations to support their ongoing efforts to rebuild lives destroyed by this disaster.

This is my favorite part for sure. A portion of proceeds will also be used to support New Orleans non-profit organizations such as The Blood Center, which will host an on-site blood drive. Yummy.