Fall Gift Market & Festivals

Girls, I'm not going to lie....I love me some gift markets and there are new vendors popping up all over!

Mark you calendars for these fall markets and a few festivals, mixed in for good measure. Know of one that I missed? Give me a shout and I'll add it to the list.

***updated 11/8/10

September


*St. Mary's Fall Gift Market
September 24th & 25th
9 am - 3 pm
15415 N Eldridge Parkway, Cypress

*Bridgeland Nature Fest
September 25th
10 am - 6 pm
16919 North Bridgeland Lake

October

*20th Annual Carousel of Crafts Bazaar
October 1st & 2nd
9 am - 5 pm
Cypress Creek Christian Church
6823 Cypresswood Dr.

*St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church Fall Festival & Craft Show
October 2nd - 3rd
7810 Cypresswood Dr.

*Girlfriends Gift Market & Pumpkin Patch
October 9th
9 am - 4 pm
Good Shepherd UMC
2015 Cypreswood Dr., Cypress

*Lakewood Methodist Holiday Market & Craft Show
October 9th
9 am - 4 pm
Lakewood Methodist Church
11330 Louetta

*CyFest
October 9th
10 am - 2 pm
Lone Star College- CyFair
9191 Barker Cypress, Cypress

*Augusta Pines Holi-Daze Show
October 14th
11 am - 4 pm
19 Augusta Pines Dr.
Spring, TX 77389

*Judy Dierker Holiday Market
October 16th
9 am - 4 pm
The Foundry Methodist Church
8350 Jones Road

*St. John's Lutheran Turkey Supper & Bazaar
October 21st
4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
15235 Spring Cypress

*Coles Crossing Gift Market
October 22nd - 23rd
9 am - 4 pm
Coles Crossing Community Center
Barker Cypress & Jarvis

*Boo Bash For Kids
October 23rd
1 pm - 4 pm
Traders Village
7979 N Eldridge, Houston

*Gleannloch Farms Holiday Market
October 28th
10 am - 7 pm
Gleannloch Farms Golf Club
19393 Champion Forest Drive

*Fallelujah Festival
October 30th
Lakewood Methodist Church

*Wee Wuns Fall Festival
October 30th
10 am - 2 pm
Cypress Methodist Church
13403 Cypress North Houston

*Halloween Trick or Treat off the Streets
October 31st
Houston Premium Outlets
29300 Hempstead Rd., Cypress

November

*Vintage Harvest Festival
November 6th
10 am - 6 pm
Vintage Park
110 Vintage Park Blvd., Houston

*WinterWonderland Shopping Experience
Nov. 13th
1-4pm
Kids Arena Academy
8373 Creekbend
Houston, Texas 77071

*28th Annual Home For The Holidays
November 6th and 7th
Old Town Spring

*Nutcracker Market
November 11th - 14th
Reliant Center

*Ravensway Craft Show
November 12th
9:30 am - 5 pm
12730 Jarvis

*15th Annual Langham Creek FFA Fall Craft Show Roundup
November 13th - 14th
11206 Telge Rd.

*Dickens on Cypress Creek Christmas Market
November 19th - 20th
9 am - 5 pm
Cypress Creek Christian Church
6823 Cypress Wood Dr.

*Junior League Holiday Market
November 19th - 20th
Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel

*Cypress Creek YMCA Christmas Gift Market & Craft Fair
November 20th
9 am - 5 pm
Cypress Creek YMCAA

December

*Longwood Gift Market
December 1st & 2nd
10 am - 7 pm
Longwood Golf Clubhouse
13300 Longwood Trace

*Wee Wuns Holiday Market
December 4th
9 am - 3 pm
Cypress United Methodist Church

*Rock Creek Christmas Market
December 4th & 5th
Rock Creek Clubhouse
14223 Winding Springs Dr.
$10 Entrance Fee

*Cy Fair FFA Country Christmas Craft Show
December 4th & 5th
CFISD Exhibit Hall
11206 Telge Dr.

*Christmas At Juergen's Store
December 9th
9 am - 8 pm
Juergen's Store - Cypress Top
260626 Old Hempstead Highway at Spring Cypress (behind Lowes)

*Cy-Creek FFA Cougar Christmas Market
December 11th & 12th
CFISD Exhibit Hall
11206 Telge Rd.

Houston Urban Outdoors

With our brief cool front last week, some of you might have outdoor activities planned in the coming months.

How about camping trip?

The Houston Urban Outdoor Program works through the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to partner with local organizations that are looking to provide informative classes on nature, wildlife, fishing and more.

They have regional campsites, national parks and area RV Parks that parks that they partner with for an awesome adventure.

Check out their site for more details.

Save The Date: Shop 'Til You Drop

Copperfield Women's Club hosts 'Shop 'Til You Drop' with 230+ vendors under one roof, for the largest craft show in NW Houston.

When? Saturday September 11th
Times? 9 am - 6 pm
Where? Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress Road

Need more info? www.copperfieldwomensclub.org

Houston Restaurant Week Extended

Get out of town! Houston Restaurant Week has been extended until September 6th.

We tried Haven and Pesce and they were both amazing.

Don't miss the chance to try some of Houston's finest restaurants at a fraction of the normal price!

McCormick & Schmick Gift Card Winner

For the record...my 22 other blog readers missed the chance to have the blessing of a McCormick & Schmick gift card.....must have been a busy week or we have a bunch of non-meat-eatin' girls reading the blog lately.

I'm just sayin'...

And the winnner is......Jennie!

Jennie, email me at intheknownorthwest@gmail.com with your address and I'll have the certificate mailed to you.

Congratulations and many blessings for your first week of school (I snuck a peek at your blog) and have a great date night with your Hubs!

First Ever ITKNW Giveaway!

That certainly got your attention!

As you know, Julia Robert's newest movie Eat, Pray, Love*** just opened last week in theaters. I know the book was wildly popular (thanks to Oprah) , so I'm sure the movie will draw a few chickadees out of their homes for some much needed girl time.

As luck would have it, McCormick & Schmick's is running their Reel-to-Reel special from now until September 30th where any diner who purchases a dinner entree has the option to add one movie ticket to their dinner bill for $5.00. Skip the box office hassle and enjoy a discounted movie ticket.

So, here is where you come in.

In The Know Northwest is having its first ever giveaway! A $25 McCormick & Schmick’s dining certificate has been offered to help one of the ITKNW faithful readers plan their dinner-and-a-movie night out.

Leave a comment with your favorite restaurant to visit when you need to escape it all and a winner will be randomly chosen Friday morning at 10 am.

Need more details about participating theaters? Click here.


***In The Know Northwest has no said opinions about Eat, Pray, Love. I'm not touchin' that with a ten-foot pole. I'm just here to bring the gift certificate goods.

Disney Pin Trading Party at EJ's

The "Unofficial" Disney Pin Trading Event at EJ's

Saturday, August 14th 11:30 - 1:30

Bring your family, friends and Disney Trading Pins to EJ's for the "Unofficial" Disney Pin Trading event this Saturday. This is not a Disney sponsored event, just a bunch of Disney Pin Traders getting together to swap pins, stories and enjoy a delicious lunch while doing so.

Tell the cashier that you are there to participate in the Disney Pin Trading event and receive a 15% discount off your meal.

They will have special tables set up for you. You don't need to stay the entire 2 hours, come and go as your schedule permits.

Packing a Lunch

Packing lunches are a lot like shopping for jeans or choosing a Mexican restaurant....everyone likes different things.

I recently read the article below, and thought it might give us a little jump start as we begin this daily regime in just under 2 weeks. You'll notice this teacher/mom prefers natural foods...no trans fats, nitrates, extra sugar, etc. Whatever your preferences, a lot of option are listed.

Packing a Lunch: Healthy Food to Go

There are two philosophies in packing kids’ lunches:

1. Let kids help so that they have some agency, some choice in the process. That will encourage them to eat what has been packed, and Mom is more informed about what they like.

2. Pack kids’ lunches yourself. Then you are in charge not only of what is packed, but portion sizes. Sometimes this is important, but I would tend toward the first philosophy unless you have a strong reason to go with number 2.

Many parents find great success in making a list of foods with the child(ren), organizing it by category (main dish, vegetables, fruits, snacks, fun foods, etc) and allowing the child(ren) to choose an item from each list for the day’s lunch. If this is too complicated for you (for example, the more kids you have, the less they probably get to choose because you must streamline the packing process!), may I highly recommend this policy:

Whatever goes to school, comes back home, unless you have eaten it.

I always told my students to take home whatever they didn’t eat, “So that moms and dads know what you like, what you don’t like, and how hungry you were today.“ (Broken record teacher line right there, were you feelin’ it?) I explained that taking home the half sandwich you didn’t like because it had mustard on it and you hate mustard is a very effective way of communicating, almost like writing a note. Sometimes I even told kids to write notes about dislikes and put them into the lunchboxes! Do explain this concept to your kids; it’s a great way to stay in control even when you’re out of control because you’re not there. :)

Ideas for healthy school lunches lunch

If you’ve been struck with “lunch-packing block” in the past (you know, like writers’ block, except you can’t think of anything creative to pack instead), it is my fervent hope that you will find some new ideas on these lists that get you packin’ once again.

Healthy, Packable Foods for School Lunches
(and others who eat away from home)

* Cut veggies with dip
o Veggie ideas: cherry tomatoes, carrots, pea pods, cucumbers, cauliflower or broccoli spears, celery, fresh green beans, colored peppers,
o Dip ideas: hummus, homemade yogurt dip or yogurt cheese dip, ranch dressing, even ketchup if it’ll get them to eat their veggies!
* Apples and natural peanut butter (kids love to dip!)
* Frozen peas
* Homemade yogurt (with frozen fruit and/or granola in it)
* Fresh fruit, whole or cut depending on the child
o Bananas, oranges, apples, pears, plums, melon, grapes, cherries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines…try to stick with what is more or less in season and watch the Dirty Dozen list.
* Dried fruit
* Homemade whole grain muffins/quick breads
* Hard-boiled egg with salt and pepper (cut in half is easier to handle)
* Sandwiches (on 100% whole grain bread or homemade):how to pack nutritious lunch healthy
o Natural peanut butter and raw honey
o PB and jelly (I made honey-sweetened freezer jam this year; just be sure to watch the ingredients for high-fructose corn syrup if you buy it)
o PB and banana
o PB and pickle
o Leftover roast chicken or turkey
o Egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad
o Cream cheese and jelly
o PB and cream cheese
o Son’s new favorite: cream cheese with strawberry slices and raw honey
o BLT
o Bean spreads (search for recipes that used mashed beans as a sandwich spread – a great way to get protein in without breaking the bank or dealing with lunchmeat nitrites/nitrates)
o Try making a wrap to switch it up, but watch the tortilla ingredients for trans fats. I make my own homemade tortillas.
* Cheese and whole grain crackers
* Cottage cheese with various mix-ins
* Homemade “lunchables” – a reader idea from Llama Momma – stack crackers, cheese slices, and meat slices for the child to assemble with apple slices and cream cheese dip.
* Leftovers that can handle the “thermos” treatment:
o Homemade soups
o Homemade mac-n-cheese
o Many casseroles
o Spaghetti and other pasta dishes
o Stir fry with brown rice
o Of course, heat on the stove before packing in the thermos. Not that I would use the microwave anyway, but mic’d food just doesn’t hold the heat long enough, no matter what.
* Potato salad
* Cold bean salad (same idea as above – you know me and beans!)
* Leftover homemade whole wheat pizza
* Homemade granola bars
* Homemade applesauce or storebought natural (no sugar) applesauce. Add cinnamon for your kids to sweeten it up a little without adding a sweetener. My kids also like cinnamon-applesauce stirred into their yogurt.

Convenience packaging options:

* Natural applesauce single cups
* Goldfish crackers, only the “Made with Whole Grain” version
* Pretzels, as long as there isn’t HFCS or trans fats in the ingredients
* Boxed cereal and milk
* Canned fruit cups
* Store granola bars…but be wise about reading ingredients
* Plain yogurt with fruit in it or organic yogurt cups
* Pita bread and hummus
* Lunchmeat, as an occasional thing unless you get nitrate-free meats
* string cheese and real cheese slices (pre-sliced)

Remember the goal....

The purpose of lunch is to provide the person with brain food and energy for the rest of the day. Learning happens all day long at school, and it’s so important that kids don’t have a “brain drain” between the hours of 1-3:00 because their lunch didn’t provide them the fuel they needed. Many kids also need energy for after-school sports or playtime. It’s okay to constantly remind your kids that good food makes you feel good, think better and get stronger.

And here are a few more links you might want to glance at:

Creative School Lunches

12 Course Lunch for Preschoolers

Gingham Lunch Card Notes

Chilly Milly's Snow Cones

Summertime is making plans to pack her bags and leave us in 2 weeks.

Dern.

I almost feel like she already has one foot out the door as football practice begins tonight and hence begins my what-to-do-for-dinner-when-dinner-is-at-8pm situation. But that is a post for another day.

Although Cypress is saturated with ice cream shops and wine bars, you do not see many snow cone options.

Chilly Millys has come to town!

She has a little red trailer at the corner of Grant and N. Eldridge and she boasts of New Orleans Style snow cones. We caught her right at closing time yesterday and will most certainly find ourselves holding onto summer a bit longer by visiting her again in the coming weeks.

Give her a try!

She is open 1 pm- 7 pm Tuesday - Saturday and 12pm - 5 pm on Sundays.

Chilly Milly Snow Cones
13750 N. Eldridge
Cypress, TX 77429

Painting With A Twist Summer Camp

2+ weeks more of summer....how 'bout squeezing in one more camp?

Painting with a Twist is offering a kids camp next week.

Each child ages 6+ will participate in taking a 2-hour painting class. After the class we will enjoy mini cupcakes, snacks and lemonade!

Where: 12344 Barker Cypress Rd. Suite 200
Cypress, TX 77429
(281) 256-8383

When: 9:00am - 12:00pm on 8/9/2010

Price per person $35.00

Need more information? Click here for more details.

Happy Birthday Whataburger!

If you know me well, you know my youngest loves him some ketchup. We were thrilled to find a shirt on a recent vacation that summed him up...it says "I put ketchup on my ketchup".

True dat

And there is no better ketchup in all the land that rivals the ketchup at Whataburger. I am talking taste and the cute little tubs. You know the ones that you just rip the top off and have instant dipping potential instead of having to open endless packets to yield 1 measly teaspoon of ketchup.

Tell me I am not alone here.

So, anyhoo....today from 5-8pm, if you show up at any Whataburger wearing orange, you will be greatly rewarded with a whataburger in celebration of their 60th birthday.

And do not forget to stash some of that yummy ketchup in your purse for late.

Not saying I have ever done that...

Finally, a good reason for my oldest to wear that hideous burnt orange shirt he loves so dearly. Yes, he still loves the Horns.

Mercy, me