All Aboard: An Intergenerational Adventure on the High Seas
By Deborah Hamilton-Lynne Today a visit to see Nana and Pop often becomes a vacation that includes whole families vacationing together and making memories. As you make vacation plans for Spring Break or the summer, imagine a stress-free holiday— no cooking, no need to...
A Voice for Children: How Dionn Schaffner Continues Her Mother’s CASA Legacy
By Jennifer Hill Robenalt CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Travis County has a big job to do. And their volunteer advocates are at the heart of their service to children. It’s CASA’s mission to provide every child who’s been abused or neglected a...
Keep It Light: 10 Tips To Simplify The Season
It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, full of friends, family, and festivities. But research confirms a different reality. Most Americans have elevated stress levels during the holiday season. Instead of being full of good tidings and cheer,...
Out of Nowhere: A Family’s Story of Surviving Drunk Driving
Bowie High School friends Rachael Crawford, Madison Brandes, Ashley Rogans, and Julia Cavanagh survived a catastrophic car crash caused by a drunk driver on June 22, 2014 in South Austin. In the five years since the accident, the four girls have slowly recovered...
Lost Pines: A Holiday Wonderland
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines was a favorite trip with my children when they were one, three and five years old. But how would it be to visit this iconic resort now that some of us were teenagers, and didn’t want to leave home and friends? What would we find to do, and...
Make this Thanksgiving Meaningful
When we think of Thanksgiving Day, delicious food, football, and getting together with family and friends come to mind. The original purpose of Thanksgiving was to show gratitude and give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Now, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, it is easy to...
Three Ways to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
Growing up, my overachieving family placed a high value on competency. “Often this translated into a mindset critical of one’s self and others, where we frequently saw the bad before the good. This way of being, like all patterns, became habitual for me and my...
Premature Loss: How the Schultz Family Transformed Tragedy Into Hope
As moms, we know to trust our gut. It’s that uneasy feeling, the hairs on the back of our necks, or maybe an urge to ask just a few more questions. But what if there are no answers to those questions? First-time mom, Cyndi Schultz, knew something was wrong as...
Creating the Ultimate Fall Family Fun List
When you think about fall family fun in Austin, you might be expecting a list of events like corn mazes, ghostly outings, and festivals. While those are wonderful options for many families, what I discovered repeatedly when my son was younger is that we needed to look...
Cool STEM Projects for Fall
Fall is back to school time—and a great time to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). Learning knows no season, but each season brings its own ways to interact with STEAM activities. Monarch Migration Some types of butterflies,...
Karen Ranus: Changing the Mental Health Conversation
AF: Your work as a mental health advocate started in a very personal way. How did your journey begin? KR: About eight and a half years ago, I almost lost my then 18-year-old daughter to suicide as a college freshman. The depression and anxiety had been there in high...
