Dates to Remember:January 1st Happy 2008 January 16th Mommies Play Date at the Park
Volume 2, Issue 1January 2008
Official Publication of the Canyon Gate at the Brazos Homeowners Association
GAte KeePer"FrOm Our GAte tO yOur FrOnt dOOr!"
The NewYear always seems to make us look back at the pastand reflect on the changes we want to make for the New Year. Many people make New Year’s resolutions, but only a few stick by them throughout the year. Here is a list of the top five New Year’s resolutions and some tips on sticking to them!1. Exercise Regularly - Finding time to exercise can be challenging,
but the benefits are worth the time. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better. So, you may ask how do I find the time? First, make sure you are doing something you enjoy. If you don’t like running, you more than likely won’t stick with it. Also, start out small and grow from there. Make a reasonable goal for yourself and once you have achieved that goal add more time to your workout routine or add another day. Lastly, feel confident. If you miss a day or you don’t work out as long as you’d like, realize you can make it up another day and feel good about what you’re doing.
2. Eat Healthier - With all the choices in food and restaurants it’s easy to slip into a pattern of unhealthy eating. However, most health experts recommend eating a balanced, healthy diet to maintain or to lose weight. But what exactly is a healthy diet? The basic components of a healthy diet include the right amount of:• Protein (found in fish, meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs and
beans)• Fat (found in animal and dairy products, nuts, and oils) • Carbohydrates (found in fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, grains,
beans and other legumes, and sweets) Vitamins (such as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K)
• Minerals(suchascalcium,potassium,andiron)• Water
Healthy recipes are not only good for you but many taste great too. You can find many recipes on line or in many healthy cookbooks.
3. Quit Smoking - Let’s face it, there are many disadvantages to smoking. If you are a smoker and want to stamp it out of your life this year, you’re in luck. Many over the counter nicotine
replacements provide many different ways to stop smoking. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and failed, don’t let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life!
4. Get out of Debt - Is money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of Americans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It’s a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead. Many people just ignore debts when they experience financial difficulty. Some fear contacting their creditors. They do not understand the consequences of not paying bills. Several options may help you manage financial difficulties when bills stack up and you cannot pay them. You may set up a debt payment plan and discipline yourself to follow it.
5. Get Organized - Organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, getting your home or office organized can help you in many areas of your life. The biggest mistake you can make in organizing is to be afraid of making a mistake. There is no one correct, perfect way of organizing something. The correct way to organize is the way that works for you and your family. Some simple things you can do are start with labels. Make sure every paper and item has its own space and label it. Also, get rid of things you don’t need anymore so you don’t end up with stacks of papers and you can’t find that bill you were supposed to pay last week. Find things that work for you and follow through.
Board of Directors BJ Weidenfeld ........................................................ President Al Brende ....................................................... Vice President Linda Houston ........................................................ Secretary
Recreation Center & Clubhouse Open for all residents’ use during office hours 2 pm – 6 pm Tues-Sat. Contact the office to inquire about private party reservations 281-341-7349.
Advertising Information Please support the businesses that advertise in the Canyon Gate at the Brazos Homeowner's Association Newsletter. Their advertising dollars make it possible for all Canyon Gate at the Brazos residents to receive the monthly newsletter at no charge. No homeowners association funds are used to produce or mail the newsletters. If you would like to support the newsletter by advertising, please contact our sales office at 888-687-6444 or [email protected]. The advertising deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month's newsletter.
Classified AdsPersonal classifieds (one time sell items, such as a used bike...) run at no charge to Canyon Gate at the Brazos residents, limit 30 words, please e-mail [email protected] classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $50, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales Office at 888-687-6444 or [email protected].
After you have mowed, edged, pruned, weeded, and applied 3” of bark mulch sit on the curb across the street and look at the overall picture. “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” and our community’s Deeds & Restrictions, but this time, really be critical. This is your grade card.1. Does your style of landscaping match the design style of your
home’s exterior – French contemporary, cottage, traditional, formal?
2. Are all the plants healthy? If not, remove & replace. Is your turf healthy? Fertilize or treat the problem.
3. Look for color: dark/light/gray greens; blooming plants compatible with color of your brick; continuity in color. From the street blankets of color are more impressive than small polka-dots.
4. Texture variety: small/large/blade leafed plants5. Yard Art: a pot with a plant is functional; an empty pot is yard
art. A bench under a tree is functional; a bench in a flowerbed is yard art. A boulder holding back a hill is functional, a boulder just sitting there is yard art. Is there a pot or boulder where a shrub should be? One or 2 pieces of sculpture creates a theme, more creates clutter. Know when to stop.
6. Your landscaping must direct your eye to your front door welcoming visitors. Is the view to your door blocked?
Evaluating Your Own Landscaping
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7. Squint your eyes. What do you see first? The plantings you’ve spent good money on and have worked so hard to keep healthy or the edging of white flagstones supporting your beds? If anything detracts from your plantings, remove it.
Remember, your landscaping is a growing, ever-changing environment, consequently, will never be perfect and needs constant tweaking and attention. A low-maintenance landscape is just that, low maintenance not non-maintenance. “Your back yard displays your personality and character. Your front yard is your reputation.”Jodie Douglass
DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser.* The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising.* Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction.* Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.
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January is National Soup Month! January is national Soup Month! Warm up with a good bowl of soup this month. Weather you start an elegant meal with soup or make soup alone the meal, it is very versatile and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. There are three categories of soups: clear and thin, thick, and creamy. A chicken or beef bouillon is an example of a clear and thin soup. Thick soups are thickened in many ways, by adding meat or vegetables, or adding noodles, rice or barley. Some examples of thick soups would be chowder and minestrone. Lastly, the creamy soups usually have cream or milk added to it to give it its taste and texture. Then they are thickened by vegetables or potato starch. Examples of creamy soups are broccoli or potato soup. Some tips for making soup:1. Make it the day before to enhance the flavors2. Add milk ingredients right before serving to make it smooth3. Add pasta to end of cooking to avoid mushiness4. Add a garnish such as parsley, cheese or sour cream for eye
appeal Taco Soup1 lb. ground beef or turkey 1 can Rotel tomatoes1smallonion 1canranchstylebeansTaco seasoning 1 can cornRanch dressing packet 1-2 cans chicken broth1tomato
Brown beef and onion. Add taco seasoning and ranch dressing. Chop tomato and add to beef. Dump in rest of ingredients. Boil 15-20 minutes. Serve with sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour creamontop
Host a Soup Swap! Invite a few friends over and each of you can exchange a soup recipe and bring a little to share. It’s a great way to get new recipes and enjoy friends at the same time. If you are hosting it, make sure to have plenty beverages on hand, such as tea to off set the warm soups. You may also want to serve a warm bread loaf or make some cornbread.
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Canyon Gate at the Brazos The year 2007 was a challenge with a goal to display holiday decorations that reflect the spirit and pride of the residents of Canyon Gate Brazos. A team of residents led by Board Director Lynn Franklin worked tirelessly to organize, research, hot glue ornaments, shop, take lights off, put lights on and coordinate a festive theme befitting of our community. This was no easy task with deteriorating decoration and a limited budget! Let’s thank the following homeowners for their commitment, perseverance, dedication to decorate our community and timely! Ourcore team consisted of Cheryl Rambaud (a.k.a “Glue Gun Sally), Cheryl was a real trooper and worked endless hours decking the old wreaths, garland and bringing them back to life! She did this with the talent of her better half, husband Ed Rambaud, thetwo together churn out decorated wreaths and garland like a factory. Kim Kirby is a great organizer, assisted with shopping and real handy getting the most bang for our buck. Shirley Glor did a magnificent job researching commercial decoration companies and presented to the holiday decoration committee the big beautiful red bow on the Canyon Gate monument! Jodie Douglas helped whenever needed from revitalizing decorations, making bows out of ribbon, and overseeing the installation. Reagan Garcia pitched in after working all day to ensure we stayed on scheduled. Rhonda Finley(a.k.a Rocking Rhonda) found her car on a flat and walked from exit
Appreciation for Holiday Decorating Helpers!gate 59 to keep her commitment to help prepare the decorations. Her joyful spirit was always a pleasure! When you turn the corner and see the lights on the walls perfect and symmetrical, thank Jeremy Searl, (a.k.a “Mr. Perfection”) he made it happen! A big thanks to theLeos family,that’sJohn, Kelli, Ryan,andGreg for getting the reindeers out front and center. They were a great addition to the Lakes section this season. A very special thanks goes to Cecil Pool,Securitas concierge personnel who went beyond the call of duty to order pizza, keep Lynn company at midnight while we added more lights, chased fallen balls, or manually turning on the lights. Cecil took the imitative each night to make sure fallen reindeers were picked up, lights were on and the decorations looking their best! Getting the decorations ready for 2007 was quite an under taking and the support of John Pownall (a.k.a. Dancing with a Star), Eric Flores, Felicia Flores, Tonya, Raul Basurto, Norva Steward, Jim Oliver, Michelle Davis, Chris Garcia, Bonnie Clark, Brent Baldwin and Alicia Searl made everything come together by the eve of Thanksgiving, the earliest we’ve ever had decorations up. If you like the decorations, appreciate the time and hard work to display them by Thanksgiving, then please give a pat on the back or warm thank you to the 2007 volunteers!In appreciation,Lynn Franklin
Global Warming and what YOU can do Global warming is when the earth heats up (the temperature rises). It happens when greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane) trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature. This hurts many people, animals, and plants. Many things cause global warming. One thing that causes global warming is electrical pollution. Electricity causes pollution in many ways, some worse than others. In most cases, fossil fuels are burned to create electricity. Fossil fuels are made of dead plants and animals. Some examples of fossil fuels are oil and petroleum. Many pollutants (chemicalsthatpollutetheair,water,andland)aresentintotheairwhen fossil fuels are burned. We use these sources of energy much more than the sources that give off less pollution.Some other examples of using energy and polluting the air are:• Turning on a light• Watching T.V.• Listening to a stereo• Washing or dying clothes • Using a hair dryer• Riding in a car • Heating a meal in the microwave • Using an air conditioner• Playing a video game• Using a dishwasher So what can we do about it? Some things you can do to help our environment are to carpool to work to minimize the greenhouse gases from going into the air. Turn off the television, computer, and the lights when not in use. Watch what you buy. Many things, such as hairspray and deodorant, now are made to have less of an impact on the atmosphere. Less greenhouse gasses will rise into the air, and global warming will slow down.Kids you can help out too! Make sure you turn off lights and other electronics with you aren’t using them. Limit your time on the computer, video games or T.V and play outside. This actually helps our environment and you too!
Workout Strategies for Busy Parents It can be challenging for any busy adult to squeeze in exercise. Add children to the mix, and the task seems almost superhuman. Remember, it’s easiest to stick to an exercise plan if you make it an ingrained part of your routine. Maybe one of these strategies can work for you:• If you have an infant or toddler, bring the little one along. Use a
jogging stroller, a child seat for your bike (with child helmet), or a stroller with “all-terrain” wheels for long walks.
• Exchange babysitting services with another parent who wants to maintain a regular exercise schedule.
• With a school age child, look for places where you both can exercise, even though you’re at different skill levels. Examples: A swimming pool, a running track, a community fitness center. Instead of chauffeuring your child to routine activities and events (scout meetings, soccer practice, going to or from school), try biking, jogging or walking together. Before beginning or engaging in any fitness or exercise program, consult with your physician.
Health and Wellness
SudokuThe challenge is to fill every row across, every column down, and every3x3 box with the digits 1 through 9. Each 1 through 9 digit must appearonly once in each row across, each column down, and each 3x3 box.
