As many of you know Lorian Hernandez of Fox 7 team up to help you get Fit For Free once a month.  This month we really heat things up with hot yoga at Yoga Vida!!  I love to do yoga but find it challenging and this was the first time I tried it in a room heated to 90 degrees.  While it was hard , I never felt better and all of my stress seemed to melt away!  If you would like to try it for yourself you can for free!!  Find out all the details here!  You can also find out more about getting fit for free in and around Austin by visiting Loriana’s Get Fit For Free page!  She has put together a wonderful guide with something for everyone!!  Check out our Yoga Vida class below and for yourself soon, the benefits are worth it!!  Thanks again to Dean , Chelsea and everyone at Yoga Vida!!

We did this on the air the other day and had several requests for copies.  I know I was surprised when I first saw the list.  If you would listen to the kids you would think all they wanted was expensive do-dads . . . this is heartwarming and so true.

The Top Things Children Really Want Their Parents to Do With Them

Many moms today feel as if they are not good mothers unless they are racing around, shuttling their children from lessons to practices, and back to lessons again. What do you think matters most to your children? You driving them to lessons and practices? Or the smile and hug you greet them with after school?

If you guessed the latter, you are correct.
Here is a list of the top things students around the world said they desire most from their mothers.
1. Come into my bedroom at night, tuck me in and sing me a song. Also tell me stories about when you were little.
2. Spend quality time just with me, not with my brothers and sisters around.
3. At dinner talk about what we could do together on the weekend.
4. Cuddle under a blanket and watch our favorite TV show together.
5. Discipline me. It makes me feel like you care.
6. Leave special messages in my desk or lunch bag.
Children are incredibly wise and tend to see the world more simply than we do. Perhaps it is time we start taking their advice.

I imagine most of us have mixed feelings about all the high-tech devices that have come out over the last few years, depending on the situation. Sometimes, they can excite us, sometimes frustrate us (especially when they don’t work or crash), and there are moments when you may feel downright overwhelmed by the frequency with which they change. That cell phone you bought yesterday? They just came out with an even better version of the one you walked out of the store with, darn it!

But I think the majority of us would have to agree that most of the time, this 21st-century technology can be very beneficial. After all, what would we do if we were told we could never send another email or text message, or close another business deal on our wireless phone while away from the office, or (shudder) chat on Facebook? We’d be lost.

Another sector of the population who has enjoyed the luxury of current technology is the blind and visually impaired. Let’s put it this way: I wouldn’t be able to continue to do my job here at the radio station very effectively without it.

Many people are fascinated when I tell them I have speech software on my computer, which allows me to read emails, surf the Internet, or even write this blog. I have a Braille device that I use to do those things as well. I even bought an iPhone 3GS, which has voice software that enables me to navigate the touch screen, which would otherwise be impossible for a blind person to use.

Since I get a lot of inquiries about these devices, I thought it would be helpful to include a few links to some companies who specialize in this particular field. Progress still needs to be made in making today’s technology accessible for blind people, and some of the devices and software are quite expensive. But these products have opened many doors to opportunities that a blind person has never had. If you know someone who is blind and would benefit from this, or if you’re just curious, check out the links below.

Oops! Gotta run. I think I just got another email I need to answer.
 http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/home

 http://www.freedomscientific.com/

 http://www.gwmicro.com/

  It turns out Shannon’s mom Kathy is a graphic artist and not only did she use our CD’s for decor at Berry Austin she also used many other recycled items from around the Austin area. I stopped by Berry Austin a few weeks ago and the decor has to be seen to be believed!!   This is the most fun looking shop I have ever seen, and the yogurt is delicious too!!  Kathy told me that a local artist used the CD cases from the CD’s for an art project he was working on and that most of the pieces in her mosaic came from Good Will and Craigs list.  Shannon and Kathy are a testement to recycling, check out my pictures below and stop by Berry Austin yourself to see this delightful shop!  They are located at Balcones Drive and 2222!

CD's courtesy of Majic 95.5! Great work Shannon and Kathy!! My intern Shannon , me and her mom Kathy Trigger owner of Berry Austin!Putting recycled items to good use!!

More of Kathy's Mosaic! See it all at Berry Austin at Balcones and 2222!!

My intern Shannon, myself and her mom Kathy Trigger owner of Berry Austin!!

Stubb’s Bad to the Bone Smackdown –  Bad to the Bone on Friday, January 15, 6 – 9:30 pm.  RESCHEDULED TO FEB 27 DUE TO WEATHER

Stubb’s outdoor stage in downtown Austin is host to some of the nation’s hottest bands and will turn into a kitchen arena where three of the state’s highest profile chefs will battle it out, each choosing a preferred ingredient to stump their competitors’ culinary prowess. The chefs will create a dish that includes all three of the chef-picked ingredients which could range from diverse edibles such as grapefruit to cauliflower to oysters.
Bad to the Bone tickets are $35 and available at  www.stubbsaustin.com. Ticket sales will benefit the Sustainable Food Center which helps more than 20,000 Central Texans access healthy, affordable and locally grown food annually.
Today we had live in studio Executive Chef/Owner Shawn Cirkiel of parkside and Susan Leibrock of the Sustainable Food Center.

Chef Competitors: Shawn Cirkiel of parkside, David Bull of Bolla, Paul Petersen of Rick’s Chophouse and TLC’s Pit Masters
Judges: Addie Broyles – Food Writer for Austin American Statesman, Tyson Cole – Executive Chef/Co-Owner of Uchi, Larry McGuire – Chef and Co-Owner of Lamberts and Perla’s, Laura Kelso – National Food Writer and founder of Dishola.com
Secret Ingredients: Shawn Cirkiel: Tangarines, David Bull: Goat’s Milk, Paul Petersen: Achiote Seeds

Sustainable Food Center: The event benefits the Sustainable Food Center which is a non-profit organization that creates opportunities for individuals to make healthy food choices and to participate in a vibrant local food system.

http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/

http://www.parkside-austin.com/

Recently, I took my son to see “Avatar”, one of the hottest flicks to come out in a long time.

We decided to maximize the experience by seeing it at the I-Max Theater in 3D. For a blind person like myself, this didn’t mean anything, but I wanted James to enjoy the experience, and did he ever! He thought the 3D glasses were the coolest thing, and it felt so real, as if the action was right on top of you. Just hearing it made me feel the same way.

It’s already grossed enough at the box office to be considered one of the top movies of all time. If you get a chance to see it, James and I highly recommend it. Here is the “Avatar” official website:
 http://www.avatarmovie.com/index.html

Elvis Presley would have been 75 years old today!!  No one will every replace Elvis, a true icon and the King of Rock and Roll.  If you are an Elvis fan you can go to his official website!  Here you can find everything Elvis including the latest Elvis sightings, the latest news , stay at the real Heartbreak Hotel (yes there is one!) and even win a trip to Graceland!!   Turner Classic Movies is also showing a Elvis Movie Marathon all day today!!  Grab the popcorn and your blue suede shoes and tune in!!  Happy Birthday Elvis!!! 

Having been in Austin for 4 years now, I have gotten to love the color of Burnt Orange!!  I also look good in it , so what’s not to love!!  Though I am a long way from Pasadena , I have found the Texas Longhorn’s fansite, Burnt Orange Nation a great way to keep up with everything longhorn and burnt orange!!  For those of you unfamiliar it has photo’s blogs and more!!   Hook ‘Em Horns!!!

Kate Gosselin Gets a Makeover

Kate trades-in reverse mullet for hair extensions

Entertainment Tonight, January 6, 2010

Who’s that girl on the cover of People magazine?

It’s Kate Gosselin looking almost unrecognizable — without her signature hairstyle!

The reality mom really lets her hair down in the new issue (on stands now), which shows her dramatic transformation.