Conroe News

Keep your blood pressure low and your bank account high with these simple tips this holiday season. “Fun and recreational activities often are the first things to go when budgets get trimmed. If people turn to smoking, overeating, or excess drinking to cope with stress, they compound the physical damage”, says Redford Williams, M.D., director of Duke University's Behavioral Medicine Research Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Keeping a journal and writing for ten to fifteen minutes each day can help ease the stress on sharpen the mind. A short term focused activity can raise immunity and improve functioning according to University of Texas psychologist James W. Pennebaker, PhD.

Medical researchers have discovered that listening to soft music with approximately 60 beats per minute, the same as a resting heart rate can reduce anxiety.

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A busy schedule can create chaos around meal times, often leading to an unhealthy fast food option. This fall, enjoy the beauty of the kitchen in your home. These simple tips from Martha Stewart Living will keep the entire family satisfied, healthy, and ready for the next big project at work or school.

The biggest step in preparing quick simple meals is to have a well stocked pantry. Being able to season the beef, chicken, or various meat substitutes enhances the meal and allows for a wide variety of options for the palate. Keeping garlic, dill, mustard, and cumin to name just few can add pizazz to dinner time. Fresh oils to cook with add flavor, healthy fats, and keep calories low. A few other suggestions include citrus, walnuts, blueberries and frozen spinach.

These suggestions are sure to make meal time simple and tasty. For recipe ideas visit  Martha Stewart’s website and enjoy the kitchen this fall.

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Create an atmosphere of calm relaxation for your arriving guests. Just follow these simple tips and add a few inexpensive accessories to your guest space to guarantee that your visitors will leave with a cozy lasting impression. Let us warn you though - it may not be easy to get them to go home!

• Punch up the guest bath with colorful hand towels and light a soothing candle (such as Archipelago LAV-ande) to create a relaxing spa-like experience that is sure to help them unwind.
• Continue the sweet-dreams theme by placing Cambria Cove’s lavender sachets on top of the guest room pillows for a restful night’s sleep.
• Make sure your guests are well read by providing a selection of classic and current books on their bedside table. Some travelers find it hard to drift off to sleep after a long day on the road or after an energetic day of catching up with friends or family. Reading is the perfect down time.

When your guests finally head home, collect up the “fancies” that you placed out and store them in airtight containers that can easily be slipped under the guest bed or in the closet so that they are fresh and ready the next time you need them. Summertime often encourages impromptu travel, so stay prepared!

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With July 4th celebrations approaching, the City of Conroe Fire Department has issued a reminder to residents planning to include fireworks: Misuse can quickly turn disastrous! Their bulletin states that “injury and fire can occur suddenly when using fireworks improperly and without proper supervision. Therefore, please remember this simple rule when dealing with fireworks within the city limits. They are not allowed with only one exception.” 

Permissible under Texas law are items called: 

"Novelties and Sparklers", which include "snakes" and "glow worms", smoked devices, trick noisemakers, party poppers, string poppers, snappers or drop pops and wire sparkers as well as other sparkling devices which emit showers of sparks and at times a whistling or crackling effect when burning.

BY STATE LAW - NONE OF THESE NOVELTIES, SPARKLERS AND SPARKLER DEVICES IS TO BE SOLD TO ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 16. 

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Looking for a way to save a little money this summer, but still take an unforgettable family vacation? Look no further that La Torretta Resort and Spa. Built around a vision of the ultimate European lakeside retreat, this lush retreat is right here in Conroe and packed with family friendly activities from a championship golf course for the pros to a miniature golf course for the kids. You won’t be sorry you saved the airfare!

This four-star Texas resort is situated on the beautiful Lake Conroe and according to guests, “strikes the perfect balance between international finery and relaxed ease. Spa Terre offers relaxing services for guests weary from the fast paced jobs. And, their acclaimed restaurant Chex Roux offers delectable cuisine after a long day on the course.

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Each Spring, we move our clocks forward by one hour during the night in order to capture the convenience that extra light brings during the Spring and Summer seasons. Friendswood Development Company is reminding Graystone Hills residents to remember to do just that at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 14.

Daylight Saving Time actually affects you in more ways than simply confusing your schedule. By making the adjustment, we are allowing ourselves to use less energy in lighting out homes. This energy-saving orientation was the original intent of the U.S. when Daylight Saving Time was instituted during World War I and later when the length of Daylight Saving Time was standardized in 1966.

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The Houston Weather Bureau is predicting freezing conditions from Thursday night through to Saturday morning (January 7-9, 2010).

These sustained freezing conditions could result in pipes bursting, causing severe damage. Please take the following precautions to minimize damage to your property and protect your plant and pets.

• Wrap an exterior exposed pluming pipes.
• Disconnect water hoses.
• Keep your pets inside.
• Cover your plants.
• Do not leave faucets dripping
• Listen to your radio and T.V. for weather updates.
• If you are going out of town, leave the heat on in your unit and open the under counter cabinet doors. As an additional precaution, turn off the main water valve and drain the faucets. If you turn the water off and you have electric water heater, be sure to turn the breaker off.

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The Holidays are in full swing and so is winter; this past weekend’s freeze is likely not the last for Montgomery County this season.

With the winter weather blowing into town homeowners have questions and concerns about how to protect their home. Here are a few things that you can do in a little time now that will save you big in the long run.

• Wrap or cover exposed pipes, faucets and water connections – including sprinkler systems
• Be sure to turn off your sprinkler system during a hard freeze
• If temperatures drop below freezing for an extended time you will also want to wrap or cover pipes in your attic
• For appliances in unheated garages experts recommend that you not use them for 10 hours after temperatures have risen above freezing

As Chuck Ebert of Chuck’s Home Repairs shared, “Exposed water pipes and connections are the biggest concern. When water freezes in a pipe, it can burst and cause a lot of damage.”

The other biggest concern usually has to do with outside plants and shrubs. While a brief freeze like the one expected the first weekend in December is good for some plants, signaling them to go dormant for the coming winter, it is not a good thing for some plants that Texas’ warm weather can support. For the warm weather plants you can take the following precautions:

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