Rio Rancho Free Music Concert

Sunday evenings are free concerts for families all summer long.  The concerts are from 6-830 in the Rotary Club Barbeque Pavilion in Haynes Park.  There are some great acts lined up so get a picnic basket together and enjoy the free music.


Rio Rancho starts its summer series of free Sunday evening music concerts on May 27 - so plan ahead because they’ve some great acts in the line-up.
Rustle up a picnic and take blankets, lawn chairs or whatever other seating arrangement suits you (probably leave the La-Z-Boy at home) to the free Rio Rancho summer music concerts. They’re all on Sunday evenings from May 27 through August 2012 and they all run from 6:30 -8 pm at the  Rotary Club Barbeque Pavilion in Haynes Park.  

The kids can do their thing on the free fun jumps while you chill out listening to a nice mix of familiar and new performers. The Haynes Park music schedule at time of writing starts with:

• May 27:  The Casuals
• June 3:  Gary Reynolds & The Southwest Band
• June 10: Adobe Brothers
• June 17: Bosque Blues
• June 24: The Flyin A’s

On June 10, the Arts at Haynes Park show also takes place from 3-8pm, so you can browse jewelry, glass, paintings, clothes, photography, sculpture and other New Mexican artisan pieces before and during The Adobe Brothers’ performance.
And did we mention that the live entertainment and the Arts at Haynes Park event are all free?
Shows are of course weather-permitting, at Haynes Park, 2006 Grande Boulevard, Rio Rancho, opposite Intel.

For more information check out Albuquerque on the Cheap.

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Keeping Your Refrigerator Clean

Being prepared is better than a life time of hassle.  Ten dollars worth of supplies and your refrigerator will be protected against spills and grime for a lifetime.  Take these easy tips and make your refrigerator cleaner and more organized.  Start cleaning and organizing now so you can fit that watermelon in your fridge for your Memorial Day picnic on Monday.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? So $10 of prevention should save you forever. This inexpensive solution to spills and grime inside your hardest-to-clean kitchen appliance — the refrigerator — is guaranteed to save you from a lifetime of scrubbing.
Not only is cleaning refrigerator shelves on your hands and knees a pain, but it's a money-waster and unsafe, too. Cleaning your fridge with the door open can waste tons of energy and puts the food safety of your fridge contents at risk.

To avoid it — forever — just take a crisp Hamilton down to the grocery store and grab a roll of super-sticky press and seal plastic wrap, like The Virtous Wife recently did on her blog:

Press and seal wrap is different from most regular cling wrap because it's super-sticky on one side (Glad makes one variety, but you might be able to find a generic version at your local store). This makes it great for sticking down to refrigerator shleves like you would with a drawer liner in your dresser.

So the next time you find a spill or leak in your fridge, just clear the shelf and lift off the layer of plastic wrap. Voila! Clean fridge all over again in an instant. Just remember to re-stick another layer of press and seal wrap before you put everything back in its place.

For more cleaning tips check out Apartment Therapy.

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Savor Albuquerque Festival Celebrates Arts, Culture and Cuisine

Savor Albuquerque Festival will be a great summer event to take family and friends too.  This festival starting on June 7th has something for everyone.  Cuisine, dance, art and more will be happening at this 10 day festival including New Mexico's centennial celebration.


10-day Savor Festival embraces 100 years of rich culture in New Mexico, June 7-16
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- During New Mexico's Centennial celebration, the Savor Albuquerque festival recognizes Albuquerque's arts, culture and cuisine. The 10-day festival, from June 7-16, will culminate with the Centennial Summerfest featuring dance performances, culinary events, art exhibitions, creative musicals and plays. Savor Albuquerque event highlights include:






CULTUREThe 25th Annual Flamenco Festival International de Albuquerque (June 10-16) is a vibrant dance festival, which will showcase over 20 workshops and seven dance performances by world renowned flamenco dancers.
ARTSRoute 66 Arts Crawl (June 15) offers something for everyone to enjoy. Albuquerque galleries participate in this evening arts event, allowing visitors to experience the creative works of diverse local artists.
The 7th Annual "The Seven" New Works Festival features seven fully-produced world premiere plays with seven different directors and professional casts. The works debut June 7-10.
CUISINESavor Fine Food Festival is sure to appeal to all foodies. Local Albuquerque restaurants will be showcasing their best culinary concoctions during RoofTapas, the Rock The Boat Sustainable Seafood Festival, and at the Downtown Growers Market.
To wrap up the Savor Albuquerque festival, the Centennial Summerfest on June 16th will feature performances, five cultural pavilions along Route 66 (Central Avenue), food vendors and art exhibitions displaying the distinctive history and culture of our city and state. The day-long Centennial birthday party will conclude with a free concert by Grammy® winners Los Lobos.
Win a trip to Savor AlbuquerqueOne lucky visitor will win a trip to experience the festivities from June 8-11, 2012. The prize includes:

• Two-night accommodations at Hotel Andaluz
• Dinner at Lucia
• Tickets to several Savor Albuquerque events
• Brunch at The Grove
• Guided tour with Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures
• Meal at 66 Diner
• $200 Visa card for airfare, gas or shopping

Enter to win the Savor Sweepstakes by Friday, May 18th at http://savorabq.com/savor-albuquerque-sweepstakes/.
For a complete event listing for Savor Albuquerque, visit www.SavorABQ.com.
The mission of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau is to stimulate economic growth by marketing Albuquerque as a visitor and convention destination. For more information, please call 505.842.9918 or visit our web site at www.itsatrip.org.




For more information check out ABC13 or the Festival's Website.

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Make Your Apartment Your Own

Just because you don't own it in title doesn't mean you can't own it in spirit. HGTV's got some great tips for making your apartment feel like home by giving it unique touches all your own to make it a distinctive domicile.

We've pulled out the top three here, but check out the full set here.

Don't Be Chicken—Don't be reluctant about asking the landlord what you can and can't do with the space - you might be surprised. Most are fine with painting, hanging wall decorations and replacing existing window treatments and light fixtures, as long as you return the apartment to its original state when you move. A little paint, throughout the whole apartment or just on one wall, can make a world of difference in terms of how you feel about your space.

Don't Ignore Lighting—Lighting is an inexpensive way to decorate and instantly improve the atmosphere of a rented space. First things first: Change out that hideous overhead light fixture that casts a stark, unattractive light on everything. In its place, put up a chandelier or any fixture that expresses your own style. Dimmer lights are great for controlling the ambience, and canister lamps placed on the floors wash light up the walls.

Don't Resign Yourself to Rectangles—Many apartments are large rectangles where dining- and living-room spaces are in a line, creating a bowling-alley look. To cure this malady, divide each space into boxes based on functionality into boxes. A large plant, large artwork, a bookcase or a curio can be used to divide the space into halves. Curves can also take the edges off a boxy room. Think round tables, chairs and other furnishings.

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Renter's Insurance

Some great reasons to consider getting renter's insurance: http://blog.apartmentlist.com/5-reasons-to-get-renters-insurance-like-yesterday/

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The 33rd Annual American Indian Week: Pueblo Days

The 33rd Annual American Indian Week: Pueblo Days will run from April 21st through April 29th at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Plaza downtown.

Week-long celebration of dance and other events celebrating Pueblo Indian Tribes and other American Indian heritage. This event is always a great kick off to the spring season! The week includes two big Indian art markets, sales in the IPCC gift shop, specials in the Pueblo Harvest Café & Bakery, a children’s art show and the ever popular daily dance performances of tribes from New Mexico and the southwest!

Visit for more information: www.indianpueblo.org or by phone 865-855-7902

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Albuquerque firefighters win Mega Millions, donate part of winnings to colleague in need of surgery

What a great story. What would you do with $10,000?

A group of Albuquerque firefighters who became Mega Millions winners this week said they're donating money to help save the life of one of their own.

In between fighting fires and saving lives, some firefighters found time to sprint to Circle K and get some mega millions tickets, and that effort paid off. Firefighter Jed Hyland said he had the winning ticket in hand when the numbers were announced.

"Of course, with it being one day before April Fools' and firefighters being who we are, everybody thought it was a prank," Hyland said.

The firefighters matched five of the six numbers. Five firefighters who went in on the ticket won $10,000.

The Albuquerque Fire Department said it is a big family composed of people who support each other through good times and bad. And even though winning money in the lottery was great thing, they said they can't forget one of their own who is in need

Instead of just keeping all of the winnings for themselves, the firefighters said they have decided to donate some of the money to the Survivor Fund and on AFD firefighter Vince Cordova.

Cordova, 24, has a rare aggressive tumor that puts pressure on the circulation of his brain. Doctors said it can be removed by a specialist in Los Angeles, but it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"(Cordova) has such a great attitude. He looks at it as another challenge, like he would a structure fire that we face as firemen. He's going to overcome it. He's positive and he's strong -- that's the kind of man he is," said AFD firefighter Gilbert Baca, who trained Cordova in the academy.

Firefighters said their donation is a drop in the bucket compared to what Cordova needs, but they hope it inspires others.

"We're hoping that our donation and some of the other donations that have been provided by other firefighters and community (members) are going to be able to stimulate awareness to the Firefighter Survivors Fund," Hyland said.

As Cordova prepares for surgery this week, firefighters said they're praying for his quick recovery.

"I know that he's going to do exceptionally well. I know that he will heal up well and be back on shift one day," Baca said.

The winning firefighters said they plan to cash in the ticket all together Monday noon.

Read more: http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/Albuquerque-firefighters-win-Mega-Millions-lottery/-/9153728/10021326/-/43msbyz/-/index.html

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