I cried 2 times at Lone Star Lights. My family and I started the evening of our Huntsville-located holiday lights experience with the dinner theater add-on, and the play was bring-you-to-tears hilarious. I was not expecting it to be so delightful! Even more, the food was delicious, and the service was top-notch. We had a salad, baked potato soup, our choice from three premium entrées, and a decadent dessert. The experience included gourmet table settings and an attentive wait staff. If you end up making plans for Lone Star Lights, consider this add-on, especially if you have older kiddos!

There’s a wonderful little park in Spring that my family has adored for over a decade! Northcrest Park, located at Root Rd between Gosling and Northcrest, is packed with all the features that make a park memorable and special. Although not huge plus it's adjacent to a busy-ish road and a railroad track, the park is a sanctuary and true delight! I originally wrote this post in 2020, but I'm updating it Dec. 2023 so you can see new photos along with a couple of old ones (when my "baby" was younger), along with the park's new features.

The well-maintained grounds boast a large, lovely playground with updated equipment plus swings (we love swings!), but truthfully, I can count on one hand how many times we’ve visited the actual playground in the past 10 years. My kids love to play, but the oasis of fun on the other side of the parking lot from the playground is the true show-stopper. There are walking paths, bridges, a stocked lake (catch and release fishing is welcome!), a creek, pavilion, playful statues, water falls, a water fountain, picnic tables, and even a butterfly garden. 

 

Often, we visit the park to feed the ducks and geese who are always friendly and happy to receive visitors. Within the past year, we noticed that a Girl Scout troop installed a FREE DUCK FOOD dispenser at the park, and it has been a God-send! It allows us to drop by on a whim to feed the ducks, even when we don't have food to bring them from home. I did notice on our latest visit that the dispenser was starting to get empty, so I hope to see it filled again soon. We actually plan to investigate whether or not we can help with the responsibility of keeping this dispenser full with the approprate type of food.

 

The bridges are fun to walk across, and there are also a couple of small hills that my girls love to walk up, plus there are usually plenty of sticks to gather from off the ground. One year, we even identified a pecan tree and were lucky enough to gather a couple of nuts from the ground.

 

Aside from feeding the birds, the park is great space to sit with oil pastels, colored pencils, or crayons to draw a pretty nature picture, which we’ve done several times.

 

Northcrest Park is located at 6012 Root Rd and is an Editor’s favorite! I hope you can find time to check it out! (Tip: Turn in to the parking lot where you see the Northampton MUD sign.)

Our Saturday travels led us to Memorial Drive United Methodist Church in Houston, a 45-minute drive away from home. And what to our wondering eyes should appear! The pumpkin patch on the front lawn of the church was a delightful treat, especially given that this was already our intended destination. My 13-year-old daughter takes special needs dance classes at this church, so we just happened to be in the right place at the right time! (Feel free to send me an email if you want to learn more about the classes).

Now that the kids are back to school, they’re bringing home art projects, permission slips, half-eaten lunches, and new viruses to test your family’s immune systems. Here are some tips and things to think about in your effort to give your family a good chance at beating those back-to-school bugs.

Do you know about the teen-centered programs that are available at our local libraries? In addition to key services such as career planning, computer skills, volunteer opportunities, and college test prep, the libraries in the Montgomery County Memorial Library system and our neighboring Harris County Public Libraries offer a myriad of stimulating activities – from trivia to book clubs to sushi-making – typically designed for children 13-17. Library programs are free!

Do you have a child in grades 8 to 12? Now's the time to start preparing him or her for the higher education journey ahead!

Dr. Veronica Reyna from Best in Class Education Centers - Cypress is hosting a student workshop entitled "Skills for College Success." The workshop is intended for middle school through college-age students who are getting ready for college. This workshop will also help those who are planning to take the SAT, ACT or PSAT.