Tomorrow is the last day of April, but things are already starting to feel like summer. The days are longer, warmer, maybe even a little better, knowing that May is right around the corner.  But no matter how high the temperatures soar, here are three things that keep things cool in H-town:

1.  The Mommie Series–Houston

The summer edition of this excellent lecture series is tomorrow, and personally, I can’t wait.  The first time I went, I had won a ticket from a woman who is a force of nature, even though her passion is art.  The inimitable Sarah Gish, art car aficionado, marketing maven, and inspiration engineer, who is the go-to person for being in the know about cultural events and awesome activities for kids, (and kids of all ages), had told me I was the lucky winner of a ticket.  The evening was wonderful, having lectures on fashion, health, finance, and family.  Although it is called “The Mommie Series,” the event is really good for anyone with a pulse who wants to improve in any of these categories.  Yes, there are treats and fashion too, but the lectures are a great mix of the practical and the entertaining–a perfect cocktail for motivating yourself right into the next season, whether you are a “Mommie” or not.

The CEO and founder of The Mommie Series-Houston is the beautiful and gracious Misti Pace-Krahl, who puts together these series with style and always includes a worthy charity as part of the evening.  For instance, tomorrow she will support “Lemonade Day,” which is an organization that supports entrepreneurship for youth.  The last time I attended, I also met Nancy Bui, CFO of the amazing Green Plate Foods, which specializes in both the healthy and the delicious.  We were just chatting away, talking about our kids, and she mentioned she was with Green Plate Foods, one of the sponsors of The Mommie Series.  She was so modest, I had to pull it out of her that she was the CFO and had an MBA.  But coincidentally enough, she is also a graduate of Houston Baptist University, where she studied as an undergraduate, and where, COINCIDENTALLY ENOUGH, I also teach.  Since I blog for the School of Humanities at HBU, this was pretty much blogging gold to meet such a charming and successful HBU graduate, who was making raising three small children and running a company look astonishingly easy, although I know it is not.  She was making the Huskies look good, and it was a pleasure to meet her along with the others attending this series.

I can’t wait for tomorrow for the Summer Edition of this series, and if you can’t make it, don’t worry, Misti Pace-Krahl has it every quarter, and her speakers are always experts, but charming and accessible.  Houston’s own Deborah Duncan was the emcee last time, and the next edition looks like it has much to offer everyone, no matter if your favorite topics are fashion or finance. Continue reading →