Essential Beauty-Enhancing Products You Already Have at Home

The next time you want to try a new beauty product, you might want to start by browsing your kitchen cabinets instead of heading to the drugstore. Many common foods and oils can double as creams, scrubs, and skin treatments! Here are a few beneficial beauty products that you likely already own.

  1. Tea bags. Instead of investing in a pricey eye cream to get rid of those dark circles after a night out, use some tea bags instead. Soak two green tea bags in warm water and lay them on your eyelids. The caffeine will shrink the appearance of blood vessels, while the antioxidants reduce inflammation.
  2. Oatmeal. Make your own face treatment by using your favorite breakfast oats. Place a handful of whole oats inside of a washcloth and secure it closed with a rubber band. Soak the whole thing in a sink of warm water until the water turns cloudy, and then splash it onto your face. This will create a protective barrier on the skin that seals in moisture and provides anti-inflammatory properties.
  3. Oranges. Use oranges to get rid of pesky dry patches on the skin. Squeeze half of an orange into a bowl and mix in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Rub the other half of the orange on dry knees or elbows to loosen the dead cells, and then rub on your homemade scrub to slough them away.

Have A Spa Day…At Home! 10 DIY Beauty Treatments! [Seventeen]
Our Favorite All-Natural Home Beauty Treatments [Fitness]
Crazy Beauty Tricks That Really Work [Whole Living]
6 All-Natural Beauty Fixes [Woman’s Day]

Wimberly Valley Winery: Local Vintage

Wimberly Valley Winery proves that you can indeed get great wine from Texas. Located near the Villages at Spring Oaks, Wimberly Valley Winery produces a number of quality wines to satisfy many tastes. The thirty acre vineyard and facility also has a wine tasting room, the perfect place to take a class! For just $40 per couple, you can have a fun and educational time learn about how to pair wines with different foods, and to use all of your senses to understand how to truly taste a great glass of wine. There’s also a monthly “Around the World With Wine” class, which looks at a different region every class. Call ahead to reserve a spot.

Wimberly Valley wines are sold in better stores around the area, but the winery itself makes a great spot for a trip away from Avana Woodridge.

Wimberly Valley Winery
206 Main Street
Spring, TX 77373
(281) 350-8801
www.yelp.com/biz/wimberley-valley-wines-spring

Try Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen for Modern Comfort Food

Once you bite into your meal at Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen, you'll likely understand what all the buzz is about. Food critics have said that Chef Austin Simmons is in the "upper echelon" of Texas chefs, and customers say that a meal here is simultaneously elegant and relaxed.

The kitchen specializes in dishes that combine unique, modern preparations with familiar flavors and foods reminiscent of the meals that Mom and Grandma used to make. Try, for example, the apricot-glazed turkey meatloaf, served with caramelized onions, spinach, and button mushrooms, and add a side of parmesan and white cheddar mac and cheese topped with a dash of Tabasco. There's also a fun build-your-own menu option where you choose your base meat, add a spice rub, a dipping sauce, and a side dish. Flatbread pizzas, burgers, and a soup and salad bar round out the offerings at this popular eatery.

Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen
4526 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381
(281) 203-5650
www.facebook.com/hubbellhudsonkitchen
www.yelp.com/biz/hubbell-and-hudson-kitchen-the-woodlands

Culver’s: Burgers and Custard in The Woodlands

For the ultimate dinner and dessert combination, head to Culver’s in The Woodlands, where you can dine on famous ButterBurgers and custard, made in-house daily. The burgers are cooked to order and made from fresh, Midwest beef that comes sandwiched between a toasted, buttered bun. You can order your burger with one or two patties and topped with a number of toppings including bacon, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. Pair it with Wisconsin cheese curds, onion rings, or crinkle cut fries.

No trip to Culver’s is complete without finishing your meal with the restaurant’s signature custard, which is made from real Wisconsin dairy and cold-pressed vanilla and Dutch blend chocolate. The restaurant makes the thick and creamy frozen treat in the restaurant throughout the day and can mix in such fixings as Oreo cookies, fruit, candy bars, and cookie dough.

Culver’s
8800 Six Pines Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77380
(281) 364-9595
www.culvers.com/restaurants/the-woodlands
www.yelp.com/biz/culvers-the-woodlands

Calling All Bibliophiles: These Pinterest Boards Are for You!

Pinterest is a great way to organize your favorite recipes or browse for home decor ideas, so why not use it to pay homage to your favorite books as well? If you’re an avid bibliophile who hates wandering aimlessly around the bookstore feeling overwhelmed by the endless selection of books, these boards will help you to bookmark ideas for new reading material and connect with other readers.

Book Lovers
Whether you’re looking for the best new releases or you simply want to share your love of reading with other pinners, this board is packed full of literary quotes, book recommendations, and peeks inside of some of the most impressive books stores in the world.

Reading Quotes
If all you’re searching for is a bit of inspiration on a tough day, this board pulls quotes directly from your favorite books to offer some words of wisdom straight from the authors’ mouths. From Annie Dillard and Theodore Roosevelt to C.S. Lewis, the Reading Quotes board has quotes for everyone.

Libraries
There are few places more relaxing for an avid reader than a beautiful library, and this board offers a virtual tour of some of the most impressive libraries in the world.

Dosey Doe: Food, Music, and Fun in a Rustic Spot

An old tobacco barn has been re-purposed to become the Dosey Doe, a great place for food, music, and fun near Avana Woodridge. Frequent patrons of this entertainment venue note that it boasts great acoustics. But first, have a seat and fuel up with a made-from-scratch meal. The chef at the Dosey Doe believes in cooking everything from start to finish, using only the freshest local ingredients. Check out the Blue Plate Specials like grilled rib-eye or bacon wrapped quail. The everyday entrees like the “Ginormous” chicken fried steak with garlic potatoes and gravy will satisfy any appetite.

Great bands are always on tap at Dosey Doe’s Big Barn, including local bands and big acts like the Bellamy Brothers, Crystal Gayle, and Ray Price. Call ahead for advance ticket sales.

Dosey Doe
25911 IH 45
Spring, TX 77380
(281) 367-3774
www.doseydoe.com/bigdoe.php
www.yelp.com/biz/dosey-doe-spring-2

5 New Year’s Resolutions Beyond Weight Loss

Although losing weight is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, this year might be the year to stop worrying about your appearance and start working toward a more positive mindset. You just might find that bettering yourself from the inside will have positive effects on your body as well!

  1. Devote more time to loved ones. If you don’t get to see your family and friends as much as you'd like, aim to fix that in the upcoming months. Cut back on work, schedule a visit, or simply ask a loved one out to dinner—and leave your phone in your pocket!
  2. Butt out. Giving up cigarettes does just as much good for your body as dieting, so toss out your pack after the clock strikes midnight.
  3. Improve your finances. From paying off your credit card bills to setting aside money for savings, getting out of debt can make you feel a bit lighter in a completely different way.
  4. Volunteer for a cause. Even if it’s only once a month, donating time to a cause that you believe in is a great way to improve yourself in the New Year.
  5. Get active. Instead of making a New Year’s resolution to improve your physique, vow to simply get outside more and become more active. You just might shed a few pounds along the way.

Top 10 New Year's Resolutions [About Travel]
10 New Year’s Resolutions You Might Actually Keep [How Stuff Works]
Popular New Year's Resolutions [USA.gov]

Beck’s Prime: Texas Burgers

Beck’s Prime focuses on fresh, top-quality fare, made to order and grilled over mesquite coals. That means your burger is very fresh and prepared just for you.

Beck's burgers are made with certified Angus beef chuck that’s ground in-house. Order the California Burger and you get yours bedecked with Swiss cheese, guacamole, lettuce & tomato. The Bill’s Burger comes with sautéed onions, cheddar, bacon, jalapenos, prime sauce & lettuce. Hearty sandwiches include Grilled Chicken, Ahi Tuna, Ribeye, and Hickory Prime Pork. Pair your sammie with some Hand-Cut Idaho Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Parmesan Crisps, Southwestern Black Beans, Broccoli Coleslaw, or Rice. Add on a creamy shake in Chocolate, Vanilla, or Strawberries & Cream if you'd like a sweet treat with your meal.

Visit Beck's Prime's website to learn more about this Spring, Texas spot!

Beck's Prime
2120 Buckthorne Place
Spring, TX 77380
(281) 367-3600
www.becksprime.com
www.yelp.com/biz/becks-prime-spring-2

5 Interesting Facts About Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra’s voice made him quite possibly the most popular singer of the 20th century, delivering personal lyrics and irresistible melodies with command and flair. He was a tough guy with a softer side, and American audiences simply couldn’t get enough of Ol' Blue Eyes. Here are some of the most interesting facts about Frank Sinatra.

  1. Frank Sinatra was so inspired by Bing Crosby that he dropped out of high school to pursue singing as a career. He performed at local nightclubs in the Hoboken, New Jersey, area and even got some air time on the city’s radio stations.
  2. After noticing his local success, bandleader Tommy Dorsey invited Sinatra to join his band. Sinatra and Dorsey enjoyed two years of hit songs together, but eventually Sinatra quit to pursue a solo career.
  3. In just three short years between 1943 and 1946, Sinatra released 17 Top 10 singles.
  4. In addition to his incredible voice, Sinatra was also a talented actor. He made his film debut in 1943 with the movie Higher and Higher, and in 1953 he won an Oscar for From Here to Eternity.
  5. Though Sinatra was signed to Capitol Records for the beginning of his recording career, he left the label to start his own label, Reprise, in the late 1950s. Warner Bros. bought Reprise, and Sinatra then started his own film production company, Artanis.

Are you a Sinatra fan? Tell us which song by Ol' Blue Eyes is your favorite!

Frank Sinatra [Biography]
Frank Sinatra Biography [Rolling Stone]
About Frank Sinatra [MTV]

Bear Branch Park: A Day of Play for the Whole Family

When you think of the ideal park for all of the members of your family, you likely envision something that looks a lot like Bear Branch Park. This well-maintained park features more amenities than you can even count, starting with the colorful play area meant for the little ones. Play equipment for children young and old is kept in safe working order, and there are also a number of bucket swings and belt swings for the kids to swing on.

Basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts are ideal for community leagues and pick-up games, and the recreation center offers an indoor space for athletic events. Bear Branch Park also contains a large swimming pool to help beat the Texas heat, plus picnic tables and barbecue pits for afternoon lunches outdoors.

Bear Branch Park
5200 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381
(281) 210-3800
www.yelp.com/biz/bear-branch-park-the-woodlands
www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/Facilities.aspx?Page=detail&RID=33

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