What would you think if I told you your child can mix up some fun kitchen ingredients and actually bake up a REAL interactive plush friend? It's true! The Cookeez Makery Oven Playset is one of the most innovative toys I've seen in a long time! Your child can mix together some raw ingredients, pop it into the Cookeez Makery Baked Treatz Oven, and he/she will soon have a new plush companion! I find myself wondering WHERE WAS THIS TOY when I was a kid? It's an extraordinary blend of creativity mixed with a bit of MAGIC.

Hey foodies! I have an adorable restaurant for you to add to your list. It’s part of the new Hyatt Regency Conroe in Grand Central Park – just a short drive from The Woodlands (20 minutes tops!) – so you can make this a full-blown staycation experience. An R&R (restaurant and retreat) is the ultimate couple’s date or girl’s weekend away, so start making plans!

Conroux opened at the end of May and is located on the first floor of the Hyatt Regency at 1001 Grand Central Parkway, Conroe, TX 77304, just south of historic downtown Conroe.

I made my visit a mommy & me excursion with my teenage daughter, and we also checked in for an overnight stay.

Editor's Experience

Ahhh, let me tell you!! The restaurant is sooooo gorgeous! It’s bright and spacious with high ceilings and modern architectural details. I really admired the circular dining booth seating that makes for cozy couples’ conversation. In my case, hanging with my teen, we enjoyed sitting together and taking selfies! 

Gotta be honest… the "roux" in the restaurant name made me think that this was a Creole/Cajun type of joint, but luckily I was smart enough to check the menu in advance. There's some fusion going on, but this isn't New Orleans cuisine, so don't come here expecting it. The full-service restaurant actually celebrates Texas Gulf cuisine with homage to Vietnamese flavors through menu items like crawfish fritters, corn chowder, and pork belly banh mi. This place does food their own way, featuring dishes driven by local ingredients.

For starters, we ordered two drinks: a Passionfruit Cherry Limeade mocktail, and The Texas Sunset, their signature craft cocktail with orange juice and pineapple, two of my favorite fruit flavors! I'm not one for alcoholic beverages, but I heard that this one had smoke involved, and, well, I'm always up for a good “show.” The drink was poured tableside, so indeed I got the entertainment I was seeking, a beautiful display of aromatic smoke, softly twirling upward. To boot, the drink was delectable and elegant, sweet and citrusy – sure to especially delight you if you enjoy a good Bourbon.

For appetizers, we tried the corn muffins, the crawfish fritters, and crab cakes. My favorite was the crab cakes, and you’ll have to disregard the fact that it’s plural on the menu. It’s served as a single crabcake that’s thick and plentiful (enough to share), fresh, and flavorful.

I asked my server for a recommendation for the main entree, and she quickly offered the redfish as a favorite choice. Perfect, as it was the very thing I was eyeing. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Be warned, it's called Blackened Redfish, but it wasn't the blackened with all the smoky, charred, Creole flavors that I was used to. What I got was an absolutely scrumptious, perfectly-flavored cut of fish, with crispy skin on top. That single piece of crispy skin really made my whole meal! It was well-seasoned with a slight tangy/lemony flavor, and I know I will order this dish again and again. The fish was paired with the best sautéed spinach. Mind you, spinach is often something I tolerate but never something I truly enjoy. This spinach, however, was very enjoyable!

Hold on, I said the crispy fish skin made the meal, but I forgot about the dessert.

Believe me when I tell you that I am serious about my chocolate cake! For dessert I ordered the Chocolate Mousse Crunch which was rich, but not too rich, smooth and decadent, yet it had a layer of crunchiness that just made for one perfect bite after the next. It’s served with a dollop of chocolate sauce elegantly spread on the plate. The chocolate cake was so palette-pleasing, I ordered a second one to go.

Here's a photo of my daughter’s cheeseburger. As far as burgers go, it wasn't her favorite, and she did feel like it could've been a bit juicier. (I don't know why she ordered a cheeseburger when there were so many other unique flavors on the menu to sample!) She also felt the burger could've used a bit more salt. I didn’t sample it, but I did taste the fries, and they were delicious!

I definitely recommend giving this restaurant a try when you're tired of the same old same old. You'll get a peek at the Hyatt Regency hotel, which is beautiful.

As I mentioned above, we stayed overnight. Hyatt Regency Conroe has 250 well-appointed guestrooms, with complimentary Wi-Fi, modern bath amenities like Smart Mirror featuring ideal lighting, and 65” flat screen televisions with streaming capabilities. Our bed was comfortable, the room was clean, and the whole vibe had a contemporary flair. All in all, it's about what you'd expect for a new Hyatt hotel.

My favorite part of the hotel was the multiple conversation areas. Throughout the hotel, especially the first floor, there are multiple elegant spaces to sit with company. I can imagine myself staying overnight again for a work escape, and inviting a girlfriend or two to join me in the lobby area for some juicy conversation.

After you’ve had a chance to visit, please drop me a line and let me know what you thought about it!

This was our first time tie-dyeing socks, and they came out so cute that I wanted to share our experience with you. If you’re intimidated at the thought of dyeing t-shirts, or maybe you need a project for the kids that will take less time and is easier to manage, consider purchasing the Tulip Slumber Party Crazy Socks Kit (affiliate link). I purchased this kit over a year ago, and we finally decided to pull it out and bring our creations to life. It turned out to be the perfect creative thing to do to fill some spare moments at home on a Saturday afternoon. (We dyed t-shirts too, and my kids are serious about their tie dye, so all-in-all – t-shirts and socks – we spent 45 minutes on  the "dyeing" part of this project. If you're just doing socks, I estimate it'll take 10-15 minutes or less).

Valentine’s Day may traditionally be a lovers’ holiday, but it’s also an opportunity to connect with those who make your heart happiest, whether it’s family, friends or anyone who enriches your life. Celebrate all types of love this Valentine’s Day with thoughtful gifts that show how much you care.

As the old adage says, the fastest way to one’s heart is the stomach. Sweet treats are a sure sign of your affection, and for centuries, chocolate has been revered as the flavor of love.

From gifting to hosting and all the other moments throughout the season of love, you can delight your nearest and dearest with gourmet chocolates from Ethel M Chocolates.

Thanks to an amazing colleague, I was recently re-introduced to the many benefits of using Clinique products. Last year (Christmas!), I was gifted a bag of goodies that included a tube of Clinique's dramatically different moisturizing lotion, one of my favorite moisturizers ever! (Certainly you've seen it before. It's yellow.)

Honestly, the gift was a blast from the past. I used Clinique a long time ago, when I was in high school (well, I guess not THAT long ago). But somewhere along the way, I traded in the reliably, dermatologist-developed, multi-step skin care regimen in exchange for lazy nights of not really washing my face much at all. (Please stop judging me.)

When it comes to seasonal apparel for kids, The Children’s Place is a WoodlandsMommy.com Editor's Pick. I've been buying their graphic tees for my kids for over a decade, and while the prices have gone up a dollar or two over the years, it’s still a bargain to get a cute, 100% cotton shirt for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, for only about five dollars. (Of course they have shirts for the other seasons too - Easter, Valentine's Day, patriotic days, etc.)

So, Popeyes has beignets now. I’m not a beignet snob, but I’ve had my fair share of beignets that didn’t measure up. These DO! Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother writing a whole post on a fast food dessert, trust me.

The beignets are filled with Hershey’s chocolate, they’re slightly crunchy, slightly chewy, and made fresh to order (which added an extra 4 minutes to my wait.) I WOULD say I like them better than the ones I’ve had at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, but I don’t need anybody (particularly my husband) coming after me. So I won’t say it.

We found 3 of the most amazing salads in The Woodlands! These salads are all packed with enough greens and nutrient-rich foods to satisfy your doctor’s orders, but they also contain some sinfully delicious ingredients that take their flavor over the top! If you enjoy biting into a scrumptious, crunchy, hodgepodge of ingredients that blend perfectly together even when maybe you can’t really identify all the individual components (that’s what makes salads so fun to each), you’ll love this list of the most heavenly salads to be found in The Woodlands!

1. Blackened Shrimp Chopped Salad ($20.00) - Tommy Bahama - This flavorful, gluten-free salad does not skimp on the shrimp and bacon, its two most divine ingredients. The salad is served in a beautiful, cylinder-shaped mound, with tomatoes on the bottom, the shredded romaine with herb buttermilk dressing in the middle, and topped with perfectly blackened shrimp. I ordered mine with a side of vinaigrette that  I didn’t use. The pecanwood bacon in the salad is the good, meaty stuff – not cheap crumbles. Other ingredients that make this salad delightful are avocado, roasted corn salsa, and egg. PICTURED ABOVE

2. Turkey and Avocado Cobb ($12.95) - Flower Child
   
   
   We’ll start with a disclaimer here. The Turkey and Avocado Cobb salad at Flower Child is addictive. Chances are, you’ll try it once and then have to order it weekly for a month or two just to get enough of it, after which point a once monthly or twice monthly order might suffice. Call us crazy, but two of the unlikeliest ingredients - pickled onion and gorgonzola vinaigrette – are the show-stoppers of this decadent salad! It’s FULL of fun ingredients in every bite – romaine & arugula greens, red cabbage, abundant chunks of avocado, cucumber slices, crunchy corn, tomato, and smoked almonds. The moist and tender smoked turkey in this salad is enough to make this salad a wholesome, satisfying meal. We love this salad so much, we’ve tried many times to duplicate it at home (to no avail). Alas, we've resolved to just let Flower Child take our money!

3. Pappa's Greek Salad ($15.95) - Pappadeaux
   
   
   The seafood-lovers Paradise might be the LAST place you'd expect to find one of the best Greek salads in the Houston area. What, with seafood platters, crab and fish specialties, and gumbo options, why would you go to Pappadeaux to order a salad? Well, because the salad really is THAT good! The waiter prepares it table side for you, and to be honest, there is really no entertainment value there. They just basically bring the ingredients out and mix them together on a tray table adjacent to your own table. No knive flipping, etc., like at a hibachi grill! And let's be real - the finished results don't necessarily look like anything to write home about. But oh man... one bite of this tangy, delicious goodness, and all bets are off! There's feta cheese, kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, capers, green peppers, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, and the most delicious Greek dressing ever! Our favorite part  is the 2 beautiful shrimp, perfectly cooked shrimp that top this salad. Just so you know, this huge salad is meant to serve up to 2 people. 

The Heritage Museum of Montgomery County was an excellent midday stop! My family got a full, docent-led tour that took us through the fascinating details about Montgomery County and the City of Conroe. The kids enjoyed the charming, outdoor setting with wooden train car, courtyard fountain, and porch swing. The indoors was fun to explore with hundreds of artifacts, old-fashioned telephones, and a discovery room with throwback toys, animal skins, and dress-up clothes.  You can breeze throught the museum in a few minutes, or take your time and spend up to an hour there like we did! 

Admission to the museum is free, but you are encouraged to leave a donation of any amount. The museum shares a parking lot with Candy Cane Park, the cherry on top for an afternoon of adventure! 

Starting next Saturday, the museum will host Saturday Pioneer Adventures, a free, family-friendly program designed to be a fun learning experience for families. Reservations are required.

• Saturday, June 11: Texas Snakes – Learn about snakes and their benefits to the ecosystem. This will be an entertaining and educational program.
• Saturday, July 9: Sons of the Republic of Texas Living History – See history come alive as men in period dress discuss flags, weapons, and even toys.
• Saturday, August 13: The Importance of Bees – Learn about the importance of bees in pioneer life and today.

All programs begin at 10:00am. To register, call 936-539-6873. The Heritage Museum is located at 1506 Interstate 45 N in Conroe and is open Wednesday - Saturday, 9am - 4pm.

Lunch in a treehouse? Sign me up!

Actually, when I first noticed Treehouse Café on FM 1488 in Magnolia, I was passing by quickly and saw the treehouse and the sign, and I assumed that the treehouse I was seeing from the road was the very one people were eating lunch in. I couldn’t wait for a chance to give it a try. Months later, when I finally stopped to eat at the restaurant, I learned that the treehouse visible from the road is an old, small-scale treehouse, virtually impossible of housing an entire restaurant, even if someone WAS brave enough to climb up into it! (I wouldn't be!) LOL, it was a laugh that my husband and I shared as we walked pass the small treehouse and down the forested path to the true restaurant.