Are you ready to buy a home and considering going in the route of new builds? It may seem like an easy enough process, where you get to call the shots of how you want your dream home to be, but there is a lot of risk when it comes to new construction if … Continue reading "Why You Need An Agent For New Construction"

Tis the season! Here are five wonderful holiday events happening this month in Austin! Mozart’s Coffee Holiday Light Show Now through New Year’s Day, Mozart’s will be celebrating the holiday season every day with their 9th Annual Joyous Light Show Celebration. Admission is free and there is no assigned seating. Sit back and enjoy your decaf espresso while you ooh and ahh at over 1 million twinkling lights.   Trail of Lights The beloved Austin Trail of Lights will light up Zilker Park once more on December 10th. Don’t miss the dazzling light displays and live entertainment from performers like Tameca Jones, the Ephraim Owens Quartet, and many more local artists! Check out the Trail of Lights website to view the full calendar of events and to purchase your tickets! Ice Skating at the Plaza The Whole Foods Flagship Store has already rolled out their rooftop ice rink for the winter! Now through January 21st you can enjoy gliding across the glistening ice while you admire beautiful views of the city. Follow it up with a steaming cup of hot cocoa! The rink is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and costs $10 per person (includes skate rental).   Ballet Austin’s The Nutcracker It wouldn’t be the holiday season without Ballet Austin’s production of The Nutcracker. Returning for its 56th year, the show promises hundreds of talented dancers, beautiful sets and costumes, and a fabulous live performances by the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Weekend shows begin December 7th and run through December 23rd. Purchase your tickets here. Austin’s New Year The best family-friendly (it’s alcohol-free!) New Year’s event in the city, Austin’s New Year is held at Vic Mathias Shores (formerly Auditorium Shores). Celebrate the end of a great year and the beginning of an even better one with great performances by local artists including the Superfonicos and Los Coast. Delicious food and stunning artwork will be on sale as well. The best part? Admission is free! The event kicks off at 3pm and ends with a dazzling Fireworks display. Happy Holidays!

So you offered to host Thanksgiving Dinner this year, and now you’re panicking and stressing out about everything that needs to be done? Take a deep breath, we are here to help! Whether this is your first year hosting or you’ve been doing it for years, these tips can help you have a stress free Turkey Day stuffed with fun and great memories! Plan ahead Do as much as you possibly can the night before, so you’re not stressing out about having enough time to get everything done the day of. Set the table and double and then triple check that you have everything you need. Plan out your menu ahead of time so you don’t miss anything. Any dishes that can be pre-cooked and then reheated before dinner is served should be made the day or night before – think casseroles, pies, and cranberry sauce! Do accept help If your friends or family members offer to bring side dishes or help you cook, take them up on their offer! Have the kids or anyone you don’t trust in the kitchen help out by bringing drinks, setting the table, or tidying up. Don’t be afraid to get help from your local grocery stores and restaurants too! It’s totally fine to go store-bought on some of your Thanksgiving dishes. If you know a really great bakery or you love the brussel sprouts at that place down the street, order up! You want to be able to enjoy the holiday too, and you’ll never be able to if you try to do it all on your own. Don’t mess up the main event – tips for cooking the turkey Unfortunately, if you’ve agreed to host Thanksgiving dinner, you can’t rely on anyone else to cook the turkey for you. Fear not though, if this is your first time hosting and roasting a turkey, it’s not as hard as it seems. You should have already begun thawing your turkey, but if you haven’t, don’t panic. Kitchn has instructions for cooking a turkey that is still a little (or a lot) frozen. If you choose to brine your turkey make sure you remove the neck, giblets, and tail from the turkey and rinse it well before soaking it in the brine. It will need to soak for 12 to 18 hours, so this is something you should do the day or night before too, leaving time for the turkey to dry before you put it in the oven. When it comes to roasting the turkey, it’s actually quite simple – set your oven to 325 degrees and cook as directed. For more tips and detailed instructions Food Network has a great list of turkey recipes for Thanksgiving! Be prepared to deal with difficult guests When you get the whole family together it can sometimes be impossible to avoid the drama. We all have that one weird uncle, drunk aunt, or an annoying sibling we always end up fighting with! Keep guests entertained and happy by setting up some games for them to play. Cornhole or horseshoes in the backyard is great if the weather is nice, or have a deck of cards handy if you’re in cooler climates. Set the kids up with a movie or some fun arts and crafts to keep them busy. The men in the family will probably be happy as long as you have football on the tv. And of course, make sure you have plenty of beer, wine, and cocktails to go around – if not for your guests’ sakes then for your own! If all else fails and your Thanksgiving feast looks like it’s heading for a disaster… These restaurants put on some great Turkey Day feasts. Plus, a few spots from this list are still taking pre-orders for Thanksgiving Day takeout. Happy Thanksgiving!