Greetings! My unique guide to Houston summer day camps, The Summer Book®, continues to roll into more stores. Now you can pick it up at Brazos Bookstore, Body, Mind, and Soul Bookstore, Borders Books (Galleria, Kirby, and Baybrook Mall locations), Christ Church Cathedral, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Kaboom Books, and the Pink Pokka Dot. (If you have trouble locating the book in any of these bookstores, please let me know.) The book is a unique guide to 200 Houston day camps, organized alphabetically, by date, by age, by scholarship information, and by category. There is no need to stress, as The Summer Book® is your key to summer planning!

Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests.

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Now, GO FIND FUN!

THE CAM HAS COOL DESIGNS THAT KIDS WILL LOVE.

There’s nothing like walking around the Museum District and having a seven-year old get excited over a banner at the Contemporary Arts Museum! My son and I had just left the Museum of Fine Arts’ “Family Day” last weekend when we HAD TO stop at the CAM for their “Design Life Now” exhibition, all because of the enticing robototron thing on their banner. Hey, whatever works to get kids to art, right?! Inside is a show that is an exhibition from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s “Design Triennial Exhibition 2006”.

The show features the work of 87 designers and firms who are leaders, innovators, or emerging figures in the world of design. They are practicing across numerous creative fields, including architecture, products, landscapes, interiors, graphics, film, animation, interactive media, fashion, robotics, and more. It’s a great way to open up a discussion with your family about designs and where they come from, especially because literally every product we have has come from someone’s design. Have fun with this one – it’s on view through April 20.

For more information, call 713.284.8250 or log onto www.camh.org.

IT’S THE THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH, SO IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER BAYOU BEND “FAMILY DAY”.

This Sunday, March 16, from 1-5pm, Bayou Bend hosts “Nature Inside and Out”, which will give families a chance to see the beautiful azaleas in bloom at Bayou Bend while exploring how Americans celebrate nature inside and outside their homes. Families will get to visit with local nature center representatives to find out how we can all help preserve our environment and there will be opportunities to learn about organic gardening at Bayou Bend as well as other ways to conserve, recycle and protect Mother Nature. In the gardens, attendees will enjoy music and dance inspired by nature's beauty and will get to create earth-friendly art using recycled materials.

For more information, call 713.639.7750 or log onto www.mfah.org/bayoubend/about.asp.

“PETER RABBIT AND FRIENDS” IS BEING PRESENTED BY KIDS' BACKPORCH PRODUCTIONS.

This Saturday, March 15 at 1 and 4pm and Sunday, March 16 at 2:30pm, catch "Peter Rabbit and Friends", which is a stage production similar to the recent "Miss Potter" movie. The audience will get to see four of the most popular Beatrix Potter tales acted out and will also travel back and forth from Victorian England to see how Miss Potter wrote the stories and what (or who) influenced her. The inventive flashbacks help kids understand the creative process and what inspires artists. “Peter Rabbit and Friends” is being presented in the Sablatura Middle School Cafetorium, which is at 2201 N. Galveston Avenue in Pearland, near Hwy 35 and 518. Tickets are $10/adults and $5/students, children, and seniors. Group rates are available. Tickets are available in advance or at the door.

For more information, call 281.412.5323 or log onto www.kidsbackporchproductions.org.

“FINDING A QUIET STILL SPACE” IS COMING AS PART OF THE MOTHERHOOD CENTER’S SPRING 2008 “LUNCHTIME MEDITATION SERIES”.

Finding a quiet still space in the chattering of endless thoughts can feel difficult to do. Learning to meditate is much easier within the structure of a group because the environment created by bringing more than one person together allows an easier experience. Four weeks of lunchtime meditations will be led by Beth Irvine, an RN/BSN and founder of truewellbeing (www.truewellbeing.net).

Beth is also the author of Healthy Mother, Healthy Child and the “Healthy Mother Healthy Child Blog” and host of “Creating Healthy Balance Everyday”; log on today to hear an interview with me from this week and to get a special 15-minute meditation online!). You can also see Beth in Houston on Saturdays during KPRC/NBC’s Morning News for her “Healthy living with Beth Irvine" segment which begins at approximately 6:30am.

In the “Lunchtime Meditation Series”, Beth will share her techniques of breathing and body awareness that allow you to feel more aware and more in touch with yourself, creating a calm, quiet place. Dedicating the time to practice for even a very small amount of time each day will begin to bring you more energy and peace, and just generally help you to feel more joyful.

If you have always been wanting to try meditating or you meditate regularly and want to gain insight and a new fresh approach, join this empowering and educational four week lunchtime guided meditation series. The series takes place on Wednesdays from noon-1pm on March 26, April 2, 9 and 16. It’s $80/series and $25/individual classes. Lunch and babysitting will be provided.

For more information, call 713.963.8880 or log onto www.motherhoodcenter.com.

HOUSTON GRAND OPERA AND KUHF 88.7-FM HOST NPR’S “FROM THE TOP” HERE IN HOUSTON.

Mark your calendar now for the live appearance of the nationally-acclaimed NPR radio show “From the Top” at the Wortham Theater Center, Brown Theater on Friday, March 28 at 7:30pm. “From the Top” will record its radio and television programs in front of a live audience.

Young classical musicians, ages 9-18, from the Houston area will perform as part of this presentation. Among the performers on March 28 will be the Houston Grand Opera Children’s Chorus, members of HGO’s High School Voice Studio and Liz Kaufman, Joan Scheirman and Laura Smolik (the Three Genii from HGO’s recent production of The Magic Flute) along with HGO Studio soprano Rebekah Camm. “From the Top” is hosted by acclaimed pianist Christopher O’Reily. Tickets to the performance start at $19.50.

For more information, call 713.228.6737 or log onto www.houstongrandopera.org.

Sarah Gish
Gish Creative
1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116
Houston, Texas 77057
phone/fax: 713.532.1173

email: sarah@gishcreative.com
web: www.gishcreative.com
and: www.thesummerbook.com
and: www.saveourlandmarks.org

© 2008 Sarah Gish

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