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Bond with these Activites on Mother’s Day

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

It’s that time of year – it’s all about mom. You know as well as we do – with a hectic lifestyle, sometimes traditional alternatives have to do the trick (isn’t it the thought that counts?). But with all that mom has done for you, we’re guessing you probably CRAVE some creative mother/daughter bonding activities this Mother’s Day. So take a break from the craziness of the day to bond with the number one woman in your life. Whether you’re a “like- mother-like-daughter duo” or have completely different tastes, you’re sure to find a fabulous way to celebrate your mom in style with our irresistible options! Get ready to make some memories!

Rediscover Family Recipes
What better way to celebrate the women in your family than with a day dedicated to the culinary queens that have graced your family over the years? We all have recipes stashed away in a drawer in the kitchen that we always talk about with family members during holiday time. How many times have you reminisced about Grandma Marie’s outrageous chicken Marsala or Aunt Susan’s legendary lemon meringue? It’s time to pull out those recipes and cook them up with mom! Be sure to recopy those recipes that are written on paper that is little worse for wear, organize them and swap memories as you savor your hard work. So, if CRAVE something spicy or sweet and want to share special memories of the wonderful women that have paved your way, get cooking with mom. Who knows, you might even make some mother-daughter recipes of your own!

Other ideas for the the crafty mother-daughter duo:

- Organize family photos in scrapbooks or photo albums.
- Transfer old family tapes to DVD.
- Take an art class together.

Mother-Daughter Massage
What better way to say goodbye to stress and pamper the number one woman in your life than with a mother-daughter massage and spa treatment? Sometimes, the unspoken shared moments in life mean the most. With a little time to meditate, make muscles melt and mend your bodies, you and mom will be bonding in no time. Take some time together to choose your lineup of indulgences for the day. Whether you and mom CRAVE some hot stone therapy, aromatherapy or holistic skin care, your Mother’s Day Spa date is sure to be one to remember!

Other options for mothers and daughters looking to chill:

- Take a yoga class together.
- Safely score some rays of sunshine at the beach.
- Pack a picnic lunch and your suits. Find the perfect place to swim, enjoy the water and indulge in some homemade picnic classics!

Generational Clothing Swap:
Admit it – you have always wanted to raid mom’s closet (maybe you already have!) for some of those classy vintage outfits she has saved over the years. She’s probably had her eye on some of yours! Now is your chance to share style secrets that span a few more decades. Spend the days discussing style and sharing trends that have come in and out of both your lives. You might find some similarities you would never suspect – styles always seem to come back! After you swap chic secrets, you might even want to have a generational fashion show. Whatever decade you and mom each CRAVE when it comes to style, the creative possibilities are endless when you put your heads together in the name of fashion!

Alternatives for moms and daughters with fashion in their blood:

- Get out there for some retail therapy, but here’s the catch – pick outfits for each other. You could be pleasantly surprised, or you might be laughing the entire time you’re in the dressing room!
- Score mother-daughter style makeover consultations.
- Go on a fashionable date – check CRAVE and other local listings for fashion shows and other styling events in your city.

No matter what you CRAVE and how you choose to celebrate mom, enjoy your time together. Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at CRAVE.

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Shop & Cycle: Austin on Two Wheels

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Who doesn’t CRAVE a day touring the best your city has to offer in shops, spa treatments, topped off with delicious bites and a glass of champagne? The only problem with this kind of uptown-downtown hopping is the carbon footprint you’ll leave from driving you and your friends around. So for the modern, eco-conscious gal, there is the Pampered Pedal tour offered by Austin on 2 Wheels, a half-day event that will raise your endorphin levels just as much as splurging on a pair of must-have shoes will.

The ride will take you around town to shop at local, women-owned businesses, even providing a separate cargo bin for all your purchases! After you’re spent from spending, you’ll be able to recharge your batteries with a coffee break, followed by a light yoga session and mini-spa treatment at Black Swan Yoga. Register early or with a friend, and save yourself a few bills – which you’ll want to put toward a new spring accessory. And since you’ll be covering a total of eight miles, the day will be good for your body, mind, and your closet!

Register now!

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Event Planning Blogs We CRAVE

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

With spring in the air, wedding plans are too, as well as all kinds of events. If you’re looking for someone to help you plan it all out, or just get some clever ideas, we’ve provided some event planning blogs that we CRAVE. 

Lucie’s Weddings and Events
http://luciesevents.blogspot.com/
For brides who demand luxurious personal service and supreme style, Lucie’s believes that planning and execution of your event should never mar the enjoyment of the experience. Whether an intimate affair or large-scale bash — in Texas or an exotic locale — Lucie’s has an elegant solution. Their blog is a great source to view their work, full of gorgeous pictures and descriptions of the events they plan. Ideas are boundless in the eye’s of Lucie’s and they can be for you to, especially with the help of their blog.

The Simplifiers
http://thesimplifiers.livejournal.com/
The Simplifiers are your ultimate Party Planners! Special events created by The Simplifiers are sure to be memorable moments, handling all of the details from designing the invitations to transporting and setting up rental equipment to catering to booking live music and even cleanup afterwards. Individuals and corporate clients alike. They also offer Personal Concierge services for clients. Consider The Simplifiers as your Personal Assistant, helping you to focus on the more important things in your life, not your chores and daily errands. The Simplifiers blog is insightful, warm and informative. They are filled with posts about event tips and venues and they are sure to give you endless ideas.

BZ Events
http://bzevents.com/blog/
BZ Events is more boutique than big company. More stylish than stuffy. And definitely more creative than conventional. Like ther clients, they still get giddy over intricate letterpress, fine stationery, clever wedding blogs, luxe fabrics and dramatic lighting. After all, they help make your fêtes unforgettable. But beyond the lovely details, unparalleled service is at their company core. BZ Events treats your big day like it’s a big deal. Because it is. Their clients receive undivided attention to make sure every last to-do is complete. Their blog is professional and beautiful, full of artful pictures and useful information. The blog is broken into different categories, like BZ Brides & Grooms, BZ Buzz, BZ Events, Fab Finds and Local Love. Cruise the blog, discover and learn.

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Blogs We CRAVE

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

When it comes to women doing great things, we here at CRAVE love to spread the word about women doing unique things. A great way to discover extraordinary women is through their blogs.  Dive into bold minds and discover how these positive voices share what they love or believe in. These are just a few blogs that we swear by and know you will enjoy to.

LiveMom
http://www.livemom.com
In a thriving metropolis such as Austin, Texas, many moms have yet to find their way. Some know the place like the back of their hand, yet most still stumble around, constantly searching for a side street that will bring them closer to their destination in a more timely manner than many of the local highways and biways. Although moms are all different with different perspectives, they share a common thread; the desire to provide the best for themselves and their families. On LiveMom you can share information to encourage others in a kind and supportive online community. With that in mind, let your voice be heard and be a part of building a better village, Austin.

adored austin
http://www.adoredaustin.com
Indiana Adams started Adored Austin in the summer of 2009 as a place where she could synthesize and share style trends: good and bad. She also wanted to have a place to highlight local shops and independent artisans. Indiana believes that through the mediums of fashion and decor, we can silently express ourselves and honor our nostalgia. India’s blog posts are colorful, funny and informative and her blog is definitely worth checking out!

Austin Girl Music Guide
http://austingirlmusicguide.wordpress.com/
Austin Girl Music Guide offers fun, insightful, and useful reviews, videos, and pictures of concerts that the author attend here in Austin, Texas and reviews of albums that she happens to be listening to (old, new, from pretty much any genre, and everything in between).  She also posts cool music-related happenings that she hears about, random music tidbits, and any-and-all things music related that might be interesting to readers. Austin Girl Music Guide is for normal people who just dig music, meant to be accessible and not intimidatingly cutting edge.

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CRAVE up your St. Patrick’s Day

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow and whether you are of Irish heritage or not, it is a great excuse to dress up in green, drink Guinness and eat corned beef and cabbage. In case the traditional Irish feast isn’t your thing we have come up with a few cool ways that you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your girlfriends. So grab your green, your “Kiss Me I’m Irish” sticker and a few gal pals and celebrate with us! Erin Go Bragh!

Coordinate a cocktail party with you gal pals using this fabulous party guide from Girlfriend Celebrations. Get cocktail creative with green drinks that aren’t beer. Pair these with fabulous green snacks and appetizers. Finish off the Irish ambiance by playing Celtic music in the background. As a fun party activity everyone can plant individual clovers and each guest can take home a pot to remind them of their fabulous friends.

Not into food and games? Coordinate a gift exchange with girlfriends and require that everyone purchase something that is authentically Irish. Set a spending limit so everyone gets something fun.

This year the holiday is celebrated on a Wednesday so if you aren’t in to going out and partying hard consider spending a night in watching movies. Use food coloring to dye your popcorn green and pop in a Irish “chick-flick” like PS I Love You, Tristan and Isolde , or Leap Year. All St. Patrick’s Day rules still apply so make sure your PJ’s are green!

If you want to go all out and spend the night on the town check out this fabulous St. Patrick’s Day event guide and find out what fun St. Patty’s festivities are happening in your area.

We wish you the “luck o’ the Irish” this year as you celebrate with friends. And no matter where or how you celebrate remember the old Irish adage “Before you call for one for the road be sure you know the road.” Slàinte

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The Best Movies to Watch with Your Girlfriends

Monday, March 1st, 2010

What would we do without our girlfriends? They keep us sane when things get crazy, offer a shoulder to cry on when things get tough, encourage us to buy those shoes we just can’t live without, pig out on junk food with us after a bad breakup, and always, always make us laugh. One of our favorite things to do with our best gal pals is to pile onto the couch with plenty of buttered popcorn and indulge in a chick-flick movie-fest. Check out our picks for the movies to watch with your best girlfriends and start planning your next girl’s night in!

Beaches
Grab your tissues for this one. Its a tear-jerker but its also the story of a friendship that lasts a lifetime – CC and Hilary were totally BFF.

Thelma and Louise
Two best friends on a wild adventure, together until the end, and Brad Pitt? Sign us up!

Steel Magnolias
This one is another sob-story, but we love the story of this group of women who are there for each other through all of life’s ups and downs.

Bridget Jones’ Diary
Because Bridget’s kooky antics make us laugh every time and remind us everyone does silly things from time to time.

Fried Green Tomatoes
A testament to the strength of a woman and what she’ll do for her friends.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Because we all love Audrey Hepburn and we all have a little bit of Miss Holly Golightly in us.

Grease
A true guilty pleasure that we love to sing along to with our girls – a definite pick-me-up.

Sixteen Candles
Because we swoon over Jake Ryan and every girl’s high-school fantasy come true, every time we see it.

Dirty Dancing
Another guilty pleasure and classic that we know by heart and can watch with our girlfriends, time and time again.

Mean Girls
It may not be might not be your typical girl-power, female bonding kind of movie, but we all learn a lesson in the end – to support the women in our lives. Plus, its hilarious.

We could go on and on, but we’ll stop here and let you start planning which flicks to view at your next girl’s night. Hooray for girlfriends!

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11 Ways To Be Single on Valentine’s Day

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Single, taken, or “it’s complicated”… regardless of your relationship status, Valentine’s Day can frankly be very obnoxious. If you’re with someone, you’re pressured to partake in extravagant displays of lovey-dovey cuteitude against your will. If you’re single, it’s even worse. You’re brutally reminded that those millions of cheesy greeting cards with kissing puppies on the front simply aren’t meant for you. Of course Valentine’s Day isn’t all bad, but it can be tough to go solo on a day when the rest of the world seems madly in love. In an effort to give single gals out there some solace, here’s a smattering of ideas from women (and two men) on what to do on February 14th if you’re single.

  • Get all your single girlfriends together for a fun-filled night of vino and good music… that’s what I’d do. Oh and shopping too (hell make an entire day of it)! -Phaedra, Taken, Los Angles [A Very CRAVE V-Day]
  • Two words: Southern. Comfort. Now you have advice from lady AND gentleman – Corbin, Taken, Washington DC [Best "Drink Your Sorrows Away" V-Day]
  • Celebrate the Chinese New Year! -Jocelyn, Single, Woodinvile [Best V-Day Replacement Holiday]
  • I heard the trick is to not make Valentine’s Day about loving a person you are in a relationship with, but to make it about loving all the people you love. If it isn’t about one person than it can be less disappointing when you spread out the love! – Courtney, Single, Santa Clara [Sweetest V-Day Idea]
  • Remember that it’s easier to be single on Valentine’s Day than stuck in a relationship that’s going nowhere fast. -Mike, Divorced, London [Best V-Day Reality Check]
  • This might be an LA only thing…but going to Disneyland with friends is awesome, as is going to Amoeba Records by yourself. – Natasha, Single, Los Angeles [Most LA V-Day]
  • Offer to babysit for your friends with kids! -Deborah, Taken, Woodinville [Most Charitable V-Day Idea]
  • I loved my single Valentines the best! Having a dinner party (with yummy cocktails) is fun with your single friends, or taking a little trip somewhere- the ocean, a cabin, a movie- with a few friends is wonderful! Just celebrating the people you love is what it’s all about! – Carly, Taken, Camano Island [Best Girlfriends V-Day]
  • If I were single on VDAY I’d go to Vegas for sure. But that’s just me… – Ashley, Taken, Los Angeles [Best V-Day for Ladies on the Prowl]
  • It’s two weeks away…. whose to say you will be single? Also… I hear having a bonfire is great fun… and if things go awry, a fireman comes over to visit – Adrienne, Single, Santa Fe [Hottest V-Day Idea]
  • Valentine’s Day is just another day…I would go to brunch and buy yourself some flowers. – Jess, Taken, San Diego [Best "Celebrate Yourself" V-Day Idea]

So there you have it. Booze, babysitting, brunch or bonfires – whatever you do, you definitely do not need a beau to enjoy your Valentine’s Day this year. Have fun!

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