Dining out, flowers and gifts are some of the most popular things to do for Mom's Day. Need some help on what to do for mommy dearest? Take a look at some of Houston's best Mother's Day ideas which could include pampering yourself with a mother-daughter spa package. Brilliant!

Keep the kids busy this summer!

Houston has some of the most interesting summer and day camps available for children of all ages. Visit my Houston Summer Camp Directory, a comprehensive listing of summer camps that kids can participate in after school is out.

My favorite pick:
Camp Cook: Big Adventures for Little Chefs - a hands-on cooking adventure for little chefs ages 5-13. Children learn all aspects of cooking, from kitchen safety 101, weights and measures, recipe preparation, utensil names and uses, to clean up. Children create up to three menu creations each camp day.

This weekend, visit the prestigious Menil Collection, considered one of the most important privately assembled art collections of the twentieth century.

The Menil Collection houses approximately 15,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and rare books.

The Menil Collection is located at 1515 Sul Ross. Museum hours are from Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

On May 9, join the Buffalo Bayou Partnership for a celebration of the Blue Moon (2 full moons appear in one month) with a night of stargazing, boat rides and storytelling along the Sabine Promenade.

The award-winning blue lights will reveal the bridges, trails and water of the park and changes in tandem with the phases of the moon. The park along the banks of Buffalo Bayou features jogging and biking trails, lush landscaping, canoe launch, public art and a new pedestrian bridge.

This event is free and open to everyone.

Friday, May 9, 2008
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Blankets and lawnchairs, canoes or kayaks are encouraged for optimal stargazing.

The thrilling sport of dragon boat racing is back in Houston on May 3. Over 30 teams will compete in the Texas Dragon Boat Races throughout the day with colorful entertainment, educational cultural booths, delicious cuisine, and fun games for kids and adults alike.

About.com Note: The park at Allen's Landing does not allow pets (except working dogs), alcohol or glass so leave dogs and coolers at home.

8th Annual Dragon Boat Festival
Saturday, May 3, 2008
8:30am - 4:30pm
Allen's Landing - Downtown Houston

The 21st Annual Art Car Parade rolls in on Allen Parkway on Saturday, May 10th at 1pm.

The parade starts at Taft, heads toward downtown on Allen Parkway, loops around the Heritage Society at Bagby and comes back around to Taft. Parking is in various downtown lots. Patrons will be able to view 250 embellished, augmented and jaw-dropping vehicles in the world's largest and oldest Art Car Parade!

Below is the Art Car Parade Schedule:

• Main Street Drag, Friday, May 9th at the Houston Zoo
  A select group of 100 Art Cars visit children in hospitals and schools. 20,000 Art Car activity books are distributed.
  
  
• Art Car Parade & Festival, Saturday, May 10th 9am – 5pm
  The actual parade will begin at 1pm. Over 250 vehicles dazzle 200,000 people lining Allen Parkway through western downtown.

More than 67,000 people will be in Houston May 5-8 for the 2008 Offshore Technology Conference for those in the energy industry at Reliant Center. The event is also expected to inject a great deal of money into the Houston economy and runs through Thursday May 8.

Founded in 1969, the Offshore Technology Conference is the world’s foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection.

OTC ranks among the largest 200 trade shows held annually in the United States and is among the 10 largest meetings in terms of attendance. Attendance consistently exceeds 50,000, and more than 2,000 companies participate in the exhibition.

The Rockets were one of the NBA's best road teams during the season. Now, they'll have to play well away from home to extend their postseason.

The Rockets will have two chances to extend their first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz, beginning with Thursday night's Game 3 in Salt Lake City.

The Rockets need to win at least one of the next two games to shift the series back to Houston for Game 5. But more importantly, the Rockets have to beat the Jazz at least twice in Salt Lake City to have a shot at winning the series.

Game 3 Against Utah
Thursday, 9:30 p.m.
EnergySolutions Arena in Utah
TV/Radio: TNT, KTXH My 20 / SportsRadio 610 AM / 850 AM in Spanish

Gov. Rick Perry (R) said that he will run for an unprecedented third four-year term as Texas governor in 2010 reported by the Dallas Morning News.

When asked about other potential gubernatorial candidates, he said: "I don't know about them, but it will be Perry in 2010." Perry will become the longest-serving governor in Texas history later this year. He took over for George W. Bush after Bush was elected president in 2000 and has won two four-year terms since.

How do you feel about Governor Perry running again in 2008? Submit your answer in the poll below:

Need to find an open house in your area? If you are searching for new construction or a previously built home in Houston, check out the Open House section of the newly redesigned HAR.com. You can search using dozens of different criteria including price range, square footage, property type, zip code and neighborhood preferences.

Then, take a look at the different Houston neighborhoods within the city to help make an informed selection on where you would like to live.

Have a lot that you would like to build a custom designed home on? Browse my pick of the best Houston home builders in the city, which range from lofty contemporary townhomes to traditional suburban ranch-style homes.