Regardless of whether it's across the country or across town, moving is a stressful, expensive and time-consuming event. It requires extensive planning, organization, and a lot of physical activity. While there is no easy way to move house, there are several things you can do to simplify the process and reduce the amount of stress on yourself.

First things first: identify a target moving date. You'll want to take a variety of factors into consideration when determining your moving timeframe, such as work schedules if you're changing employment, school schedules for your kids, housing considerations such as rent or lease terms, and even the weather. A good rule of thumb is to give yourself a two-to-three week window to complete your entire move, from packing and cleaning your current residence, to moving itself, to unpacking and organizing in your new home.

Summer is always a peak moving time—particularly for families, as it provides for minimal interruption in kids' school schedules—but it’s also typically the hottest and least physically comfortable time of year to be doing all that heavy lifting. While unpleasant, blistering heat is not likely to be a deal breaker, but it is worth taking into consideration (scheduling your move for late May as opposed to mid-July, for example, could make a significant difference).

Once you've worked out a timeframe for your move, it's time to take inventory of your home. The most important part of this process is identifying what to keep, and what to get rid of before the move—there is no sense in moving items you don't plan on keeping long-term. A good way to determine what to keep and what to lose is to divide your household into three categories: 'Must Keep,' 'May Keep,' and 'Don't Need.' Once you’ve gotten rid of the 'Don't Need' items, go back through the 'May Keep' piles and eliminate everything you can.

If you're having trouble knowing when to let go of something, apply the six-month test: If it hasn't been used in the past six-months, you don’t need it (the exception here, of course, would be season items like winter coats, box fans, etc., that aren't intended for use year-round). Tip: Don’t automatically throw things you no longer need away—there are plenty of charity organizations that are constantly accepting donations of all kinds to help others in the community, and they would be happy to have your unwanted items. Plus, you can write off the donations for a nice tax break next April.

Now that your household is organized and you've done a thorough inventory of everything that will be making the move with you, it's time to start thinking about the logistics of actually moving it all. The easiest way to do it (but also the most expensive) is to hire a full-service moving company (*Note: Be sure to shop around for the best rate, and check out customer reviews online to make sure you choose a reputable company that won’t rip you off). They’ll come to your house, pack everything up, ship it off for you, and unpack at your new home. The next option—a bit more time consuming and work-intensive on your part, but certainly less expensive—is to pack and unpack yourself, but hire movers for the heavy lifting and physical transportation part of the process. All you have to pay for is the time they spend physically moving your possessions.

A third option would be to rent a truck and pack, lift and move everything yourself. There are plenty of truck rental services designed just for these kinds of projects, and their rates are typically very reasonable (although rising gas prices may make this option slightly less appealing). Finally, if you're determined to spend as little as possible, get a group of kind-hearted friends—and their cars—together and make moving a group activity. You can typically get away with a small payment to each helper, or the cost of dinner for the group. This is certainly the most labor-intensive option, but it won't cost you much at all.

Once you've chosen the right moving method for you, get everything planned out and scheduled at least 4-6 weeks in advance. Also, it's a good idea to begin the organization and overall move-out process as early as possible, so as to avoid having to cram it all—packing, cleaning, moving—into a few days or a weekend. Hit your local grocery or wholesale store to pick up empty boxes for free and pack up seasonal items and other things you don't use on a daily basis early on—fancy china, extra bedding, etc. While prolonging the moving process isn't exactly fun, spacing the massive task out will significantly reduce your stress level and help you feel more relaxed, prepared and in control of the process.

No matter how well you prepare, moving is always at least somewhat stressful, so do what you can to reduce that stress ahead of time, breathe deeply, and remember: it will be over before you know it.

Ki provides information on Austin real estate for buyers and sellers investigating the Austin market. His site has a search of the Austin MLS and information on Austin area neighborhoods.

One of the most quintessentially "weird" Austin festivals, Eeyore’s Birthday party was first held in 1963, and hasn’t missed a year since. A costume party, festival, fund-raiser and all around good time, this annual event is marked by games and contests, and lots of drumming. Although a hippie-atmosphere prevails, families and lots of children always enjoy the maypole, face-painting, and other family-friendly activities. Usually held the last Saturday in April, before the heat of the summer sets in, this is one of the most pleasant and fun experiences, and for many it is a spring time tradition.

Named for the adorably depressive donkey in AA Milne's classic children's book Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore’s Birthday Party began as a celebration of spring for UT English students and faculty, who would set up a Maypole and borrow a live donkey – a tradition that persists to this day. Originally held in the tiny Eastwood Park close to the UT Campus, the celebration’s popularity soared early on, and in 1974 the party moved to Pease Park, where it continues to be held.

As the attendance swelled to the thousands, Austin's Friends of the Forest Foundation got involved, both to provide much needed food and drink concessions to the participants, and to utilize the proceeds to distribute among Austin charities. This humanitarian aspect of the festival, for which admission has always been free, differentiates it from the other commercial festivals, engendering a feeling of longevity and community. The foundation has raised as much as $15,000.00 in one festival, making grants to a diverse number of charitable organizations including the Green Corn Project, Groundworks Music Project, Hearts and Hooves, Hospice Austin, and the Mother's Milk Bank.

The party usually begins mid-morning, and lasts until the sun goes down, and a dedicated children’s area is manned until 4PM. One of the hallmarks of this event is the drum circle, an amorphous group of drummers that constantly expands and ebbs and splinters and regroups during the course of the day. Although costumes are not mandatory, many take the opportunity to don colorful and festive outfits, trimmed with feathers and sequins, with big hats and silly masks. Musicians are invited to bring their acoustic instruments, and groups, both established and spontaneous, entertain throughout the day.

Parking is scarce, so the Friends of the Forest Foundation organizes shuttle service from designated parking lots downtown. No bottles, cans or coolers are allowed, but visitors will find countless food and drink concessions, including Texas beer and BBQ turkey legs. Crafts, commemorative tee-shirts and other curios are also for sale in the kiosks. Eeyore’s Birthday Party is a celebration of spring, but also a celebration f Austin. The things that have made Austin unique – music, food, counter-culture, whimsy – these are the backbone of this long lasting event. This festival has been doing its part to keep Austin weird for over forty years, and will likely continue for 40 more.

Ki is a realtor in Austin Texas. His website has a search for Austin Homes along with general information on Austin real estate. His blog also has detailed statistics on the Austin Texas real estate market.

Texas wildflowers are celebrated throughout the state of Texas thanks to the efforts of the late former first lady Lady Bird Johnson, and Austin is home to the institution she helped created, named in her honor. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a unique attraction, paying homage to the woman who helped elevate and preserve the native plants and the natural beauty of Texas.

The Wildflower Center works daily to educate the public on sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes. With beautiful gardens, expansive meadows, and woodland trails to explore, visitors can experience the plentiful offerings of Texas’s native plants up close. Tours are available, but visitors can enjoy the grounds at their own pace with the available printed information or with an audio podcast to guide them.

In addition to the gardens, the Center curates rotating exhibits, many of which include art. Whether viewing oversized bronze insects throughout the grounds, or viewing sculpture and paintings on display indoors, the beauty of nature is enhanced by its pairing with visual arts. Many exhibits are mounted in their McDermott Learning Center, which also holds a permanent exhibit, and features a large picture window from which to view the natural surroundings. A docent is often available in the learning center to answer questions, and to help visitors identify the plethora of different flowers and plants they will see on the grounds.

Children will find a world of fun and education designed especially for them. A tiny door indicates that the room within is dedicated to the wee ones, with puppets, books, arts and crafts that help illustrate the wealth of nature that exists at the center and throughout the state. This is also a great place to take a break and beat the heat while discussing the different plants located on the trails and in the gardens. A popular destination for school field trips, the Wildflower Center also offers teacher resources to maximize a class visit. They also offer summer camps – a perfect way to engage school-age youngsters in nature and science during their summer break.

The Wildflower Center is home to a delightful café. Featuring fresh and inventive sandwiches, salads, baked treats and thirst-quenchers such as hibiscus mint tea, the café is almost a destination in itself. Soups are made from scratch, and vegetarian including the sensational Wildflower Wrap (Roasted Poblano & Portabella Mushroom wrapped in a tomato basil flour tortilla with lettuce and tomatoes,sun dried tomato spread) are available.

Events including fundraising galas, artisan nights, plant sales, and nature nights are held throughout the year, in addition to guided tours. Their website is an extensive resource both for planning a trip, and for learning more about the myriad of things encountered on a trip. They publish a newsletter and magazine in Austin, in addition to the materials available at the main office.

The last stop of the visit should be to their gift shop – featuring clothing, books, gifts and educational toys that will commemorate and unforgettable visit.

Escapeso Austin Real Estate is a small realty company in Austin. They help clients interested in Austin real estate and provide a free web search of the Austin MLS. They also provide visitors updates on the Austin market on their Austin real estate blog.

Austin families are lucky indeed to have a facility such as the Austin Children’s Museum. With 7,000 square feet of interactive and educational permanent exhibits, inventive traveling features, story-times and public events, this museum serves as a hub of Austin’s family community. Upon entering, kids are delighted to board a scaled down Austin Metro bus. Sitting in the driver’s seat or holding a strap in the passenger section, this exhibit is cleverly planned to distract the kiddos as the adult pays admission and learns about the day’s events. Other permanent exhibits include the dairy cow, an oversized milk-cow statue with a looping video about dairy farming, with a doll-house sized barn and toy cows to play with. The Rising Star Ranch provides a wonderfully varied sensory experience especially designed for the under-two set, while the Tinkerer’s Workshop allows older kids to experience creating their own structures by inventing, designing, building and testing their ideas. This being Austin, music is emphasized in the amazing Austin Kiddie Limits. Fun for all ages (including adults), this room is a kid-oriented interactive version of the acclaimed live music television show Austin City Limits. With toy instruments, cowboy hats and other costume pieces, a stage and a video monitor, kids can play along with their favorite Austin musicians including Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Miss Lavelle White, Asleep at the Wheel, Kelly Willis, Flaco Jimenez, and Toni Price. The best part is that the kids can see themselves on the video monitor, making it a real rock-star experience. Their program offerings include something for every age group. Baby Bloomers is a weekly opportunity for kids under three to explore the entire facility with only toddlers and their caregivers in the museum. Discovery Time offers daily, hands-on activities that enhance the permanent and changing exhibits. Storytime, held in their large foyer, is offered for different age groups, and often includes music making, bubble blowing, and other interactive elements. Gallery programs include the popular Wednesday Community Night, featuring different performances, storytelling, music and activities, and Science Sundays, featuring hands-on activities led by real honest-to-goodness scientists. Checkout the Childbloom guitar program for a cacophonous and hilarious take on combining story telling with accompaniment by the kids, or the Austin Keyboard Orchestra program to learn how to build and play an instrument. Located in downtown Austin the Austin Children’s Museum is centrally located for people in different areas of the city. It is also located close to other Austin attractions like Zilker Park the famed bat bridge so that visitors can see a number of fun Austin attractions in an afternoon. The Austin Children’s Museum offers camps during the summer and spring break, for ages 4 to 10. They offer seasonal programs including the popular Gingerbread House workshop in December. The facilities are available for birthday (and other kids of) parties, including sleep-over parties. Special events can also be held on the premises. With a stated goal to help Austin’s kids and families become more creative, more inventive, and more competent, the Austin Children’s museum combines fun and education in a world-class facility. Ki lives in Austin and enjoys the local music scene. He works as a realtor in the Austin real estate market. He also regularly writes on his blog about updates on Austin Texas real estate. His site features a graphical search of the Ausin MLS.

One of the challenges we faced as new parents was what to do on those nights when you just need to go out and grab a quick bite – no time to plan for a sitter or make reservations. Nothing in the fridge, too tired to slice and dice, or an all too common scenario in our household: “Wait, I thought YOU were doing dinner tonight!?” When our child was a baby, this was fairly easy – pop him in the car seat, pop him into a high chair, and keep the zwieback coming. As he got older, it got harder. We of course insist on good manners, but what three and half year old (or four, five or six, for that matter) can sit perfectly still and quiet, even with crayons and a funny menu?

Lots of them you say? Good on ya! Not ours! To preserve the family dining night out tradition, we learned quickly that a place with a playscape could accommodate our need for dinner out with a three year old’s need to get his ya-ya’s out. Austinites are particularly lucky in this regard, because so much of the year is outdoor weather for us, and so many great places for family dining are out there. Here are our current favorite places to eat that have playscapes.

Southpark Meadows: I had, shall we say, “issues” with finding good food and play in a shopping center, but this place rocks. The playscapes are HUGE and inventive – woven through enormous shade trees, with slides galores. There is a fantastic little area where water shoots up from the ground – so perfect for letting the little guys cool off. They even have live music outside, periodically. The best part, though, is that the playground is in the center of a bunch of GREAT restaurants, most of which have patio dining so you can watch them play while you linger over your food. Mama Fu’s does great pan-asian good, Austin Java is perfect for lunch or brunch, Waterloo Ice House will fill your burger needs, and at Jason’s deli you can even get a box lunch and sit on a bench under the trees. I35 and Slaughter, across from Supertarget

Freddie’s Place: Freddie’s makes one of the greatest burgers in town, and its outdoor area is right next to a babbling brook, under big oak trees. Their playscape isn’t huge, but they have around 5 picnic tables right next to it, all with great sightlines to the stage, so you can integrate your meal, play and music. The atmosphere is South Austin cool, and the food is terrific, and although parking can be an issue, it is worth it to get their early and let the kids play while you and your friends (or spouse, unless , as in my case, he’s on the stage) catch up on adult talk. 1703 S 1st St Austin, TX 78704 (512) 445-9197

Patsy’s Cowgirl Café: Patsy’s playscape is outside of the dining area, but it is still a great help in burning off steam. Sometimes we get a drink and hang out while he plays and slides and runs around with the other kids that are bound to be there. The décor inside is really fun, and since we are usually there to see a band, we can usually work it to where he starts winding down and wanting dinner as the music starts. 5001 E. Ben White Boulevard, Austin TX 78741.

If you go out to eat and bring the some children along it always nice to have a place for the kids to run around. This article details which restaurants in Austin provide playscapes for the kids.

Ki runs a site focused on Austin real estate which has a search of the Austin MLS along with a Austin related updates on his Austin real estate blog.

With almost two decades under its belt, the Austin Hot Sauce Festival is a time-honored tradition featuring some of the most defining characteristics of life in Austin: hot sauce, hot weather, live music, great food and a fantastic way to give back to the community.

A major fundraiser for the Capital Area Food Bank, the festival boasts free admission, with a donation of three healthy, non-perishable food items or a cash donation to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. Always held in late summer, the weather is guaranteed to rival the sauces in hotness, but this popular event consistently draws more than 15,000 spectators to Waterloo Park in downtown Austin - this amounts to a sizeable donation to one of the most community-centric and necessary non-profits in town.

The heart of the festival is the hot sauce competition. The contest, with separate judging for individuals, restaurants, and commercial bottlers, is divided into three categories: red, green, and specialty variety. The festival attracts as many as 350 entries, who each provide a quart of their entered hot sauce – that makes over 100 gallons of hot sauce being consumed annually at the festival itself, let alone all the jars available for purchase. Combined with over 650 lbs of tortilla chips, the sauces are available to be sampled by all participants. The sauces are judged, however, by respected area chefs, and as this festival’s reputation has grown, so has the competition, which is as fierce as the heat.

In addition to sampling the finest hot sauce in the area, spectators can partake of food from many local restaurants, many of whom have entered, and won, the hot sauce competition. The food provided often highlights or incorporates the salsas, and although weighted towards Austin’s renowned Tex-Mex, interior Mexican and BBQ, other ethnicities are often represented. Restaurants that have participated in the past include Curra’s, Dona Emilia’s, Matt’s El Rancho, Ruby’s BBQ, Santa Rita and Suun Garden Shaved Ice.

What would an Austin festival be without live music? Again focusing on our local talent, the festival boasts quite a cross-section of musical genres, with kid-friendly bands, country, jazz, conjunto, and many others. Bands who have played at past hot sauce festivals include, Loose Cannons, the South Austin Jug Band, Los Jazz Vatos and the Gourds.

Getting to try the cream of the salsa crop, eat the best food Austin has to offer, dance to the grooviest bands in town and make a contribution to a worthy cause is one of the highlights of an Austin summer. The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival is an institution, and one that will face its next two decades in the same spicy fashion.

Escapeso Real Estate helps individuals looking for Austin real estate. His site features a powerful map based search of the Austin MLS along with information on mortgage interest rates.

823 Congress, Austin TX 78701 // West 35th Street, Austin TX, 78703 // 512-495-9224

This is truly a museum for the casual and creative Austinite. With two locations and loads of interesting exhibits and programs, AMOA is a great cultural destination for students, adults, and even parents and caregivers of young children.

The downtown location is a sleek and modern space, while the Laguna Gloria campus, AMOA’s original home, is housed within a 1916 Italiante villa. The primary home of the AMOA Art School, Laguna Gloria is located on property once owned by Stephen F. Austin, and was the residence of the legendary Clara Driscoll. Overlooking Lake Austin, and with 12 acres of beautiful grounds and gardens, Laguna Gloria is worth a visit purely on historical merit. Both locations have permanent and changing exhibits, and both have space available for private functions.

One of the hallmarks of both AMOA locations is the informal structure and feel. No stuffy, hallowed grounds here – instead you find welcoming, easy to navigate floor plans full of surprising and interesting exhibits. You can tour at your own speed, reading the descriptions that are mounted next to each exhibit, or you can book a gallery tour, which are available with different age groups in mind. The compact size of the exhibit space adds to the experience – the visitor can spend time with each exhibit, getting more from the experience than one where you rush through to make sure you see it all. The exhibits are right out there – something to keep in mind when you bring kids – there are no barriers between fast little critters and the actual exhibit.

Still, the AMOA makes a point to be accessible and interesting to children as well. In addition to offering a number of free events for families, the museum has a permanent FamilyLab. The FamilyLab is a fantastic experience for kids of all ages. It is a hands-on, interactive place to make art with creative and colorful items supplied by the museum. They also have children’s books on hand, along with bean bag chairs, in case your little one just needs a cuddle. The mirror tunnel is endlessly fascinating, and all activities in the FamilyLab are offered at no additional cost to museum admission. The second Saturday of every month AMOA offers a reduced admission for families, with art instructors leading families in creating art projects to take home.

AMOA offers art classes for children and adults, with a limited number of scholarships available. Class themes include ArtPlay, ArtABCs, Life Drawing, Watercolor, Children’s Book Illustration, and many, many more. They have for the Art School. They offer periodical education programs for teachers, docents, adults, children, and groups. They offer a myriad of interesting events, sometimes pairing visual arts with music, both for their valued members and for the public. Events include their annual fundraisers, the Art Ball in June, and their fantastically popular international food and wine tasting event, La Dolce Vita. Their museum store offers cups, shirts and other items with their distinctive logo, as well as art-inspired gifts.

Ki works as a realtor in the Austin real estate market. He keeps visitors updated on current mortgage rates along with providing a graphical Austin MLS search.

Austin has been known for its individuality for decades. Though the chain stores and restaurants are slowly creeping their way in from the edges of Austin’s sprawl, still many independently owned shops blanket the heart of the city. Coffee shops in Austin truly capture the essence of what the city is known for- a friendly, laid back atmosphere, where one can feel a sense of community by joining their friends or making some new ones. As Austin is a college town, coffee businesses thrive around the university, keeping students alert while cramming for upcoming exams. Though Quackenbush’s held court on the Drag directly across from UT, they relocated with a slight reincarnation in the heart of Hyde Park with Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery. Hyde Park is home to a large student population who enjoy not only the delightful coffee, but Quack’s large lineup of desserts and baked goods, which can be found distributed to other shops without an in-house bakery. Spider House also plays host to students from an old renovated house overlooking Hemphill park, just north of campus. Though the inside is very cozy, the large outside decks of the Spider House see a lot of action, especially in the evenings when live DJs and bands play nightly, and the cheap drinks and free movie screenings only add to their popularity. Though Little City just closed its campus location, its downtown location is going strong. Located on Congress Avenue, Little City is the obvious coffee shop choice for those who prefer a little local flavor to that of Starbucks (which is located directly across the street). Little City serves up a wide variety of coffee drinks, and over 15 whole bean blends from around the world, and if the diner is lucky, certain nights they serve up low priced entrée and wine combinations with some good people watching from inside the shop or a small sidewalk table. South of Little City, in the middle of the Second Street District, lies Austin Java’s third store location on the first floor of City Hall. Austin Java beat out 25 other local establishments vying for the slot, with its wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner options- definitely a standout in the coffee shop business, when food options can be limited to a muffin or prepackaged breakfast taco. South Austin is the heart and soul of the coffee house community. Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse promotes togetherness and a place for community action and people watching, like their website says it was, “in the prefranchise days.” They offer an all vegetarian menu to accompany a cup of joe, and several nooks to gather or seclude, both inside and out, just off the banks of the creek. As the coffee shop of the swanky San Jose Hotel on South Congress, Jo’s Coffee offers more than the coffee drinks and sweets available from the open air stand. The Rock N Reel happens every Thursday evening, with a themed pairing of music and movies, and Sundays bring the Sinners’ Brunch with live music and South Austin Speedballs, a three dollar longneck beer and coffee combo. Further down South Congress lies Ruta Maya, possibly the king of the coffee houses. Housed in one of the repurposed World War I aviation buildings, Ruta Maya seems sprawling compared to other shops. The space is needed however, as Ruta Maya is upholding the old tradition of the coffee shop as the “Penny University”- a common area where, for the price of a cup of coffee, one could be educated by other customers with experienced backgrounds. Today, for the price of a cup of coffee (now more than a penny), Ruta Maya offers yoga, tai chi, environmental awareness classes, and a single parent resource network, allowing Austinites to come together, enjoy each others’ company, and keep the bonds of the community strong. Escapeso Realty is a small group of agents working in the Austin real estate market. If you are investigating the Austin market you can find information and statistics on their Austin real estate blog as well as using their site to search for homes in the Austin MLS.