My 4 year old started stepping stone in March of 2024 when I decided to return to work. It was the…read moreonly daycare with availability I felt comfortable sending him to in the area. When I came to make the initial payment and the director asked if I wanted to meet his teacher I of course said yes. We went outside where the kids played and I was excited to see who he'd be with all day. Mind you, this was to be his first time ever being away from me. His teacher was young, and looked super uninterested in talking. She said hi with what I couldn't even consider a smile, and didn't say much to my son. At drop off his first day the morning teacher didn't say much either. She didn't really offer any assistance when I was trying to leave and my son was visibly scared and upset. This went on for the weeks he was there. I did not like the staff member who hung out with the kids until his teacher showed up. She said good morning and that's about it. Towards the end I think she could tell I was irritated and offered my son things to keep him occupied while I left. My overall feel was these "teachers" don't like being there. I did not like this environment. When The lighthouse opened we made the switch and it was night and day! My son was SO EXCITED for daycare because the staff is AMAZING! I got constant updates, I don't have to ask for his meals to be updated through the day, he was engaged, the teachers are engaged and happier. I would never suggest Stepping stone to anyone.

ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL! We toured several daycares before making our decision and once we toured…read morethis establishment, we knew it was the best one in several ways. Each team member was so polite and knowledgeable. Ms Alice is the sweetest most kind hearted individual. You can truly tell she cares about each and every child there. As a first time mother, she immediately gave the reassurance that I needed to feel comfortable and confident with leaving my baby there. My baby started at just 8 weeks. The gigabyte classroom and all their teachers including Ms Dorthy, Ms Jackie, Ms Kiana, and more, showed so much love toward Jackson immediately. They surprised us with crafts and daily photos. Every day, pick up and drop off was efficient and welcoming. The monthly cost is truly worth it for the value and time that each team member bring day after day. I cannot recommend this place enough. I know Jackson is still growing and may not remember these days but, as his parents, this place and staff will hold a deep place in our heart.

This weekend Camp Lutherhill held the Unwind Retreat for Women. It was an awesome way to…read moreexperience this wonderful camp, wonderful women and wonderful God. We enjoyed fellowship, creation, desert before dinner rope's challenge (not me though-ha!) and wine at a nearby winery! Awesome time! Thanks be to God...and we will!

We loved our weekend retreat at Lutherhill. We can't rave enough about the friendly staff,…read moredelicious food, beautiful views, and fun activities. The night sky was also spectacular being far out of the cities.

The manager of the After School program seems to let a lot slide. A child that i'm related to has…read moregotten hurt and bullied by a child and the young girls who work there have tried to inform the parent, but instead they get in trouble for involving themselves. This kid has come home almost everyday telling us what happened that day and it's very disheartening that she is avoiding doing anything about it and letting it continue. I hope something will actually get done about this. I like the owners very much, so it's disappointing seeing one person bring the place down.

The gymnastics program here is fantastic. The ratio is low in the classes and the coaches take the…read moretime to really hone in on how to make your gymnast stronger. Coach Jen walks around and is able to identify any modification the girls need. I've watched students have the "ah ha" Moments with coach Jen watched a student do a back bend Our 8 year old boy is really enjoying the ninja class, i believe it's boosting his self confidence and definitely helping with his body awareness & strength. We are moving soon, and this is the only thing I'm Sad about leaving. We may have drive to keep going. Thank you, Electric Avenue for all you are doing for kids!

Booked a quick workshop for a birthday last min. They were very friendly and accommodating. We made…read morecandles and a candle coaster. It doesn't take a long time but the host Jackie was super helpful and created a great memory for me. My daughter enjoyed it so she wants her party there next! We brought a cake and light snacks to enjoy. Would recommend!

From the owner: Register for a DIY workshop to create on-trend home decor from raw materials - wood signs, canvas…read morepillows, wood framed signs,, lazy susans and more! We also have blanket making and candle pouring! Enjoy a girls night out, date night, team building event, private party or birthday party at AR Workshop Cypress!

Oooh, if you like fancy theaters or Texas history or antiques or Illuminati conspiracy theories,…read moreyou simply must come visit the Austin Scottish Rite Theater (ASRT). Best known these days for delightful children's programming, the ASRT also serves as a rentable events venue, the site of many interesting touring act performances, and the ongoing home of one of the oldest Freemason groups in the state, Austin Lodge #12. The building was constructed in 1871 as a German opera house called Turner Hall, and you'll still find many interesting architectural details that hint at the original use. There's even an official state historical marker medallion out front. You can learn more about the fascinating history of the building and the men who met here over the years at the Freemason's site, http://www.austinscottishrite.com/av-temple/ and Historic Theatre Photos, https://www.historictheatrephotos.com/Theatre/Scottish-Rite-Austin.aspx My usual reason to be here is to hear some live music by one of our awesome local bands, or a touring act that is willing to perform in a venue that holds less than 400 audience members. The seats are comfortable and the room is gorgeous, from the old-time decor around the stage to the dreamy night sky on the ceiling and the priceless hand-painted antique backdrops. I really enjoy the intimate listening space and ease of movement out to lounges and the restroom, especially from the first row of the back of the theater. Parking for evening and weekend events is not too bad. There's a small surface lot at 1710 Colorado that is free for theater visitors after 5:30p and on weekends. If that doesn't work out, there is ample metered street parking managed by Texas Capitol (not by City of Austin) and a few private surface lots around with pay-on-site or reservations through ParkWhiz app. I usually don't have to walk more than a couple of blocks or pay more than 5 bucks. One thing that is not easy to do is to understand when upcoming public events are happening at ASRT. The theater's calendar lists only productions that they are managing directly (such as children's plays), and this is only a small sliver of what goes on here. However, if you are tuned into our local performing arts & culture scene, chances are that you'll see some upcoming events scheduled at ASRT and promoted through the hosting organization, such as SXSW, Sonic Guild, Russian Speaker Society of Austin, and others.

My family attended a Russian performance and this theatre delivers on the atmosphere and customer…read moreservice! It is an older theatre, with not a whole lot of seating. It is perfect for local Austin cultural groups who want their community to get together.

Service: 5 Facility: 5, Products: TBD…read more Our group of 5 came to try out making pottery during the Valentine's Day promotion, which is now sold out. Rakhi and her staff, including Maya and Karis, were fantastic. Our ability to follow directions and create the initial form varied among our group, and some had to restart from the beginning more than once. Maya was very patient with us and adjusted how much she assisted by each person's ability. Knowing we were first timers, the staff were very encouraging and helpful as we selected our shapes and attempted to create them. They also helped us personalize each piece with additional designs, and we're very excited to see how everything turns out. There are two parts to this class, creating a piece for baking and in a few weeks we'll return to paint and glaze the pieces so they're food safe. I think we're going to take a longer course the next time!

I attended a Valentine's Day event last month with The ATX Dog Mom Social Club at The Spinning…read moreWheel. There was confusion over pricing and timing. The event post noted one price and when we got to the event, we were told it would cost extra to glaze the bowl which was a necessary step make the clay piece food-safe. We were making dog bowls so of course we wanted them to be food-safe but it was a bummer that we would have to pay an additional fee on top of what we had already paid. I was charged more than others in my group! We were instructed to make our bowls outside on the picnic tables which weren't flat surfaces. The event poster also stated that we could shape our clay by hand or use the spinning wheel. The spinning wheels weren't even offered to us. Overall, I attended this event to make new friends and create something nice for my dog. I accomplished both so that was a win! While I most likely won't come back, this business is a fun concept that is great for groups of young children and I even saw a mother bring in her young daughter with her to glaze pottery together which was so sweet but the pricing and timing to pick up your artwork could be clearer. Also parking is very limited so park next door at the gymnasium.

My daughter is a perennial participant and has enjoyed the welcoming, supportive and inclusive…read moreenvironment of the leadership, counselors and other staff and attendees.

Went here and was awful. First of all the coddling I received was god awful. Rule of three is…read moreinsane and we can't fill our own water bottles. Also I got bullied and isolated A LOT and the counselors didn't do anything except shush me. The vegetarian food is BELOW subpar and when I sent a letter home telling my mother about it I was pulled aside and told off. The sleeping rules are cumbersome. Was totally ignored most of the time and generally felt pretty down about everything. Counselors were rather mean. All in all a very very bad place for kids unless they are bullies or conformists. Also vegans beware. Was not asked permission before they filmed a TikTok and now my face is out there

Let me try to be succinct: This camp poses as a gifted and talented (GT) camp; in fact it requires…read morea school reference in the application. However, there are no GT activities; just an open-play running around camp that focuses on "peace" and is run by a devout Buddhist and her family. Other than being something completely different than the expected interesting project-based camp, the owner Terry is incredibly rude. When I inquired about the 10% late fee (I paid 6 days late in March for a June camp) of $300.00, she informed me I could "take my kids out.. " Then I asked, can I pay with a credit card... "what do you think I am, a bank???", do you have a discount for a second child? "sniff, we pay the TEACHERS the same don't we???" Very rude; then all June received "peace" lesson emails on a daily business; ironic! Biggest cons: Camp is run-down and dusty; no first-aid kit; no structured activities, no GT activities; a lot of meditation, head of camp is incredibly rude; absolutely nothing comes up on the camp via Google search [so strange]; and some weird slanted political papers float in your kids' backpacks. Now, to be fair and balanced, it has a lot of positive word-of-mouth from parents, the late fee is posted on the bill (got it several days after due date from spouse). If you don't have high expectations for a "GT" type camp and don't feel nervous about the chanting and meditating, or having your kid's labels read every lunch and food taken that has any hint of sugar or fat in first 3 ingredients (oh that dreaded Cliff bar) , then it's fine. For us, it definitely did not meet our camp expectations, particularly for the high price.

A very good camp for all GT students. At this camp, GT students are able to have fun and learn the…read moresocial skills that are not typically taught in a classroom setting. Every morning begins with a daily lesson on how to communicate with others with kindness, peace and self-awareness. Then they are split off into the classes they signed up for, which include a large array of unique classes that teach skills not found in many other schools or camps, such as basket weaving, acting, and building. After morning classes, students are encouraged to eat a healthy lunch, avoiding products with too much sugar, as to help them keep up their energy throughout the day. After lunch, the kids have a few hours of free choice where they can choose between swimming in the pool, playing games, riding horses, jumping on the trampoline and playing games out in "the maze". The staff is friendly, kind, and hardworking. They all work very well with kids and the kids seem to enjoy their company. The one draw back is that it is an outdoors camp, but the kids never seem to mind, they all say that they enjoy the camp and can't wait to come back the next year. Overall, this is a very good camp and I encourage you to bring your children.

My daughter has been going to McDonald Ranch for several years, both after school and during the…read moresummer. She absolutely loves it. She is getting older and still wants to be there. The program has provided her with an opportunity to graduate to a counselor someday and it is her biggest life goal. As a helper at the moment she truly relishes the opportunity to be a leader to the younger kids. McDonald Ranch was her first exposure to riding horses and to farm animals in general. This experience has been life changing for our whole family. Richard and Linda have a difficult job dealing with kids and parents who aren't always easy. They are kind, and fair, and patient. They have provided transportation to their program, which would have otherwise been impossible for us. It's not fancy but it is real life.

Do not send your kids to this camp. Last summer I signed up my daughter after everything closed…read moredown. They said said that they would do Covid restrictions and turns out they didn't but that's not why I wouldn't recommend sending your children. My daughter went for one day and I got a hysterical call from the lady owner saying that my child was horrible and acting out and she was kicking my kid out. I was shocked. When the husband dropped off the children I asked him about it and he said that he didn't know what she was talking about and that my daughter had been wonderful that day. I asked my daughter what happened and she said the wife started screaming at her after she drew a rainbow flag during art time. The Husband was surprised at this and apologized. I called the wife to ask her about this and she started yelling at me. It was awful. The next day I found out that a co worker had sent their son there the previous year and the wife had yelled at the boy and kicked him out of the camp after he said he had two dads. Not only was this traumatic and Homophobic, we were stuck without a camp for the rest of the summer without having broken any known rules. Do not send your kids to this awful abusive place.

I had such a great time at Sherwood Forest Faire! There's truly something for everyone, lots of…read moreactivities, amazing food options, and such a fun, welcoming atmosphere. One of the highlights for me was how inclusive the food selection felt. I had a really tasty vegan curry and some churros that definitely hit the spot. The entertainment was nonstop. There's live music, plenty of shows to check out, and even jousting, which was so fun to watch. It's also super family-friendly--I saw lots of strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs, and everything seemed really accessible and easy to navigate. I love that your ticket covers entry without any extra hassle no paying for parking or dealing with a complicated ticket system just to buy food. That made the whole experience feel more relaxed and enjoyable. I'm thinking about making this an annual tradition. Definitely recommend checking it out! Although I think I went on the last day so you'll have to go next year!

My family and I visited Sherwood Forest Faire while one of our kids was visiting during Spring…read moreBreak. We bought our tickets online and headed out there. While driving in there were several people guiding everyone where to park. Pay attention to the section you park so you don't get lost finding your way back when you are ready to leave. After parking we walked up to the Faire entrance, someone scanned our tickets and we were in. Once we were in we walked around. We watched some live music by Amanda Kitchens Carnival Sound Band. We shopped and I bought two crowns from Medieval Metal. We watched jousting and sword fighting. We ate pizza from Dante's, fries, and a Pineapple Dole Soft Serve from Robin's Kitchen and Sweets. Overall it was a fun filled Faire Day.