Bianca Moragne

You’ve probably sat in one at some point in your life. While playing video games until the wee hours of the morning or reading a new thriller novel, bean bag chairs have been revolutionized over the years into a worldwide furniture staple. Now, an Austin startup is shifting the purpose of the iconic chair from pure functionality to environmentally friendly. And the best part about the revolutionary bean bag chair company is that a Longhorn runs it.

It’s that time of year again: when obnoxiously huge teddy bears, heart-shaped everything, pink and red hues and chocolates become a common staple at every grocery store you walk into. Have you been to the north campus HEB lately? And even though you're probably a proud, fabulous, independent singleton, who don’t need no man or woman to complete you, one can’t help but feel a little lonely and stressed on Valentine’s Day. It’s filled with reminders of love and romance that you don’t currently have and can feel like a nightmare to get through when you’re walking through our coupled-up campus. Seriously, ain’t nobody got time for that. Simply put, it is “Singles Awareness Day.” But, don’t fret one more second. I’ve come up with the best ways to beat the Valentine’s Day blues and embrace your confident, single self.

‘Tis the season...to sport a mustache. Now that Breast Cancer Awareness month is behind us it's time to embrace the hairiest month of the year: Movember (mustache + November, get it?). 

You've probably noticed your once clean-shaven fathers, classmates, professors and even that cute hipster barista at Starbucks flaunting a prickly mustache lately, all in the fight to change the face of men's health (See what I did there?). 

However, what many believe to be a funny mustache-growing competition between men is an act to help raise both money and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer around the globe and right here in Austin.

So how exactly does a mustache help fight against cancer?

The international Movember movement challenges men to change their physical appearance by committing to grow a mustache for the entire month of November. The mustache then becomes a symbol for men's health and a means to spark a conversation and subsequently raise awareness (and funds) regarding cancers that affect men. 

Although December is right around the corner, (who's excited for 25 Days of Christmas to start?), there are still fun Movember events for Austinites to participate in. 

It's that time of year again. In a couple of days it'll be Halloween, a day that makes adopting a different persona socially acceptable for all. Goblins, ghosts, zombies, witches and the occasional PSY impostor are all expected to make frightening appearances this year. With this being the year 2012 we find ourselves getting closer to the "end of days," so what better way to spend these last few months than experiencing thrills and mayhem at the House of Torment?
Austin's largest multi-level haunted house, House of Torment, has given Central Texas thrill-seekers a fright for the last decade. According to the Travel Channel, House of Torment is one of the "scariest haunted houses in America," and this year it plans to live up to the hype. Located outside of Highland Mall, House of Torment has opened its doors until Nov. 3 this fall. In hopes of living up to its name, the haunted house will give one last thrill before expanding its home at an undisclosed location in 2013.

For its final Halloween season at the mall site, House of Torment is offering three different frightening attractions: The Awakening, The Cursed: Howling Inside and The Slidell Family Slaughterhouse. Not only will the house terrorize Austinites with its apocalyptic theme, it is expected to deliver it's most terrifying haunt to date!