Houston On The Cheap » Nonprofit

Grand Opening Event at Ruggles Green in CityCentre August 26

Vicki Powers — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:17:30 +0000

Experience Houston’s first Certified Green Restaurant™! Ruggles Green is throwing a party to announce its official grand opening at CityCentre this Thursday, August 26. The restaurant is offering food and drinks from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. with a $10 donation at the door (benefiting Memorial Park Conservancy and Gracewood). Music provided by DJ Wyatt Magnum. RSVPs are required to the August 26 event because space is limited. Check in online through Eventbrite if you plan to attend.

What exactly does a “green restaurant certification” mean? Well, Ruggles Green follows guidelines by the Green Restaurant Association such as creating an extensive recycling program, no styrofoam usage, water conservation steps, energy reduction steps as well as using local and organic ingredients in food.

Ruggles Green at CityCentre is located at 801 Town & Country Blvd. near I-10 and Beltway. While you’re there, check out the Eco-Farmers Market at CityCentre held each Thursday from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Houston Restaurant Week Extended Thru 9/6

Vicki Powers — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:10:19 +0000

I received a “breaking news” e-mail from CultureMap about this! Based on the amazing success of Houston Restaurant Week 2010, more than 70 restaurants will extend their special menus through Labor Day, September 6. Houstonians can continue to dine out to fight hunger in Houston.

Here’s how it works… enjoy a 3-course meal at fine Houston restaurants for just $35. A generous $5 of each meal will be donated to the Houston Food Bank. For those who love to indulge over lunch, get a two-course lunch for just $20, with $3 donated to Houston Food Bank. Check out the updated list of participating restaurants online at HoustonRestaurantWeek.com.

Sign Up for “Massage for the Cure” September 14 Fundraiser Appointments at Massage Envy

Vicki Powers — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:57:54 +0000

The community partnership between Massage Envy and Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a wonderful thing! The annual Massage for the Cure fundraiser benefiting breast cancer returns September 14 to all Massage Envy locations. Here’s the deal: you sign up for a fantastic, one-hour massage for $49, and $15 from each session will be donated to the Houston affiliate of Susan G. Komen.

Make your appointment now for September 14 to participate in this one-day fundraiser. Appointments are available from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Call Massage Envy at 866.751.ENVY to book your Massage For the Cure appointments. With 27 locations in Houston, you won’t have to drive far! Since its inception of Massage for a Cure in 2005, Massage Envy has raised more than $1.4 million to support breast cancer research.

Your Dog Can Paint for Houston Charity August 15

Vicki Powers — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:30:08 +0000

What a fun doggie event — and a fundraiser to boot! Bring your favorite pooch to the Bayou City Picasso’s by Paws this Sunday, August 15, and watch the budding artist emerge! Dogs will paint on canvas from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.– with assistance — using water-based paint. Shampoos and wading pool will be available after painting, as well as a Happy Hour.

For a small donation ($20 minimum), you can take your dog’s masterpiece home for display! Painting supplies and treats provided free of charge. All funds support Houston SNAP (Spay–Neuter-Assistance-Program). Picasso’s by Paws will be at Archway Gallery, 2305 Dunlavy. Thank to Houston Yelp for this event!

Donate Blood in August, Get Free Blue Bell

Vicki Powers — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:57:27 +0000

Not that anyone needs a special reason to donate blood — but this one sure is a goodie! Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center has partnered once again with Blue Bell Ice Cream naming August Blue Bell Ice Cream Month. Houstonians who donate (or attempt to donate) blood in August will receive a coupon for a free pint of Blue Bell ice cream. Donations can be made at a neighborhood blood centers or mobile blood drives. What a sweet treat! Find blood center locations online.

Thanks to Cortney and Cheap Eats in Houston for this tip!

Free Whataburger August 3 For Wearing Orange

Vicki Powers — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:50:51 +0000

August is a big birthday month in my family with my daughters and my mother all born in August. Whataburger is celebrating a big birthday in August, too — turning 60 years old! What started as a little restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas, has blossomed into nearly 700 locations!

Celebrate 60 years with Whataburger by wearing orange to the restaurant on August 3 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. and get a free Whataburger in return. Orange Night is back so wear your orange with pride! No purchase is necessary. One per customer. This event is all part of Whataburger’s community initiative called Whataburger Serves.

Dine Out to Fight Hunger: Houston Restaurant Week, August 1-21

Vicki Powers — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:47:35 +0000

The Houston restaurants participating in this year’s Houston Restaurant Week are exploding… The current count is 115, which is wonderful for the benefiting charity, Houston Food Bank. “Dine out to fight hunger in Houston” is a great tagline for this event.

Here’s how it works… enjoy a 3-course meal at fine Houston restaurants for just $35. A generous $5 of each meal will be donated to the Houston Food Bank. For those who love to indulge over lunch, that’s a new option this year. Get a two-course lunch for just $20, which $3 donated to Houston Food Bank. Check out the complete list of participating restaurants online at HoustonRestaurantWeek.com.

Thanks to Cheap Eats in Houston for this tip!

Free Houston Weekend Fun July 23-25

Vicki Powers — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:47:01 +0000

Hopefully Houston will dry out this weekend — we need a break from the rain! Here are a few free activities and events to enjoy with your family and friends:

Engage in music and dance — This free program by the American Festival for the Arts features new chamber music compositions in collaboration with ballet from the Houston Ballet Academy. The performance is Friday, July 23, 7 p.m., at Pershing Middle School, 3838 Blue Bonnet Blvd. (Thanks ParentsConnect!)

Party in the street – Sugar Land Town Square continues its Concert in the Plaza series July 23 and July 24 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Friday features the music of Collector’s Item and Saturday features a free concert by Commercial Art.

Build a UFO — Kids can engage in some out-of-this-world construction at this weekend’s Lowe’s Build and Grow session. The project features a UFO with stickers and a blinking light! The event is Saturday, July 24, from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Register online because space is limited.

Browse all things art — The 5th annual Artists Expo hits The Woodlands July 20-24. Browse the Painters’ Supermarket exhibits and resist the urge to purchase everything you see! Hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday. Print this coupon for free admission to the expo.

Rally for clean air — Show your support for clean air and clean energy at the Great Texas Clean-Up outdoor art and music festival Saturday, July 24. Discovery Green is the locale for this free concert and rally sponsored by the Sierra Club and Texas Environmental Justice and Advocacy Service (TEJAS). The event is from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. at 1500 McKinney downtown.

Donate Blood: Get $10 Gift Card to Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen

Vicki Powers — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:22:09 +0000

Here’s one of those community win-win situations where everyone benefits! Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen is working with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center as Houston blood drive hosting locations. When you donate blood Saturday, July 24 or July 31, at Gringo’s, you’ll receive a $10 gift card to Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen as well as a t-shirt. Here’s a listing of participating locations:

Saturday, July 24:

10am-1pm: Pearland “The Original” (2202 E Broadway)
11:30am-4pm: Rosenberg (24108 Southwest Freeway)
11:30am-4pm: Stafford (12330 Southwest Freeway)
3pm-6pm: Pearland Town Center (3005 Kirby Dr.)

Saturday, July 31:

11:30am-4pm: La Porte (2601 Underwood Rd)
11:30am-4pm: Texas City (10200 Emmett F Lowry Expressway)
11:30am-4pm: Champions (6925 Cypresswood Dr.)
3pm-6pm: Fuqua (12348 Gulf Freeway)

Thanks to Cheap Eats in Houston for this tip!

Dog Wash at Whole Foods Market June 19

Vicki Powers — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:57:59 +0000

Bring your smelly pooches to the Whole Foods Dog Wash Saturday, June 19, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Volunteers will be washing dogs for a monetary donation benefiting Citizens for Animal Protection. Pet Paradise will provide giveaways for folks who donate pet supplies or a monetary donation. Here is a list of Whole Foods Markets in the Houston area:

2955 Kirby Dr. at West Alabama
4004 Bellaire Blvd. at Stella Link
15900 Southwest Frwy at Hwy 6 in Sugar Land
11145 Westheimer Rd. at Wilcrest
6401 Woodway Dr. at S. Voss