It’s pink, red and white season! What will your family be doing to celebrate? If you aren’t sure, the Sierra Vista parents have a few ideas.
Homemade Valentine’s Cards
Help the kids create personalized Valentine’s Day cards for their friends, classmates and family members. Set up a crafting station with colorful paper, markers, stickers, glitter and other decorative materials. Here are four super easy, cute ideas.
Valentine’s Day Baking
Spend some time together in the kitchen baking Valentine’s Day-themed treats like heart-shaped cookies, cupcakes with pink frosting or chocolate-covered strawberries. Try these no-bake recipes with your youngest helpers. These Food Network recipes will have your kids making gift baskets in no time.
Valentine’s Day Crafts
Get creative with Valentine’s Day-themed crafts such as making heart-shaped garlands, paper flowers or DIY heart-shaped bookmarks. You can find plenty of easy and fun craft ideas online that are suitable for different age groups like these from PureWow.
Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt
Plan a scavenger hunt around the house or in the backyard with Valentine’s Day-themed clues and hidden treats or small gifts at each stop. This activity is sure to keep the kids entertained and excited. Not sure how? Try this free printable hunt.
Valentine’s Day Movie Night
Set up a cozy movie night at home with Valentine’s Day-themed movies or family favorites. Prepare some popcorn, snacks and hot cocoa, and snuggle up together. Some great kid-friendly options include Elemental, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You and Lady and the Tramp.
Spread Kindness
Teach the kids the importance of kindness and empathy by encouraging them to perform random acts of kindness for others on Valentine’s Day. This could include making cards for elderly neighbors, delivering treats to local firefighters or healthcare workers or donating toys to a children’s charity.
Family Game Night
Gather the family for a fun game night with Valentine’s Day-themed games or classic board games. You can also incorporate love-themed trivia questions or charades for an extra dose of Valentine’s Day fun. If you don’t have time to create something from scratch, Amazon has several games that might tickle your family’s fancy.
Valentine’s Day Photo Booth
Set up a simple photo booth with Valentine’s Day props like heart-shaped glasses, red lips and love-themed signs. Let the kids dress up and take silly photos together to capture special memories. If you do it a few days early, you can send them out as Valentine’s Day cards.
What’s new in hues? Quite a lot, it seems. The watchwords for 2024 include “high-contrast,” “tone-on-tone” and “tranquility.” There’s also going to be a lot of blue. Read on to discover what’s trending, then speak to your builder representative to see how you can get the look for your new Sierra Vista home.
New Shades of Blue
We could say blue is back, but blue never really goes out of style. Prognosticators predict a shift from bolder blues to lighter, more ephemeral ones. A prime example is Sherwin-Williams’ color of the year, Upward. The soft color is perfect for adding a touch of tranquility to bedrooms and home offices.
Color Play
It’s always fun to play with color, but this year, designers predict people will be drawn to tone-on-tone color palettes. This type of decorating creates a sophisticated look by layering colors from the same family. Choose a warm earth shade for the walls then add furniture and rugs in a similar shade for a chic look.
Bolds Go Neutral
The new year is going to switch neutrals up in a big way with beige being replaced by rich purples, deep greens and vibrant yellows. These bold neutrals won’t be found all over the house, just in small rooms homeowners want to make a big statement in. Use bold colors in your guest bath, office or laundry room.
Getting Warmer
Homeowners are gravitating away from cool grey toward warmer creams, browns and rusts. One of the main reason warmer neutrals is trending is the ubiquitous presence of LED lighting. This type of lighting tends to cool colors down, so get the shade you want, you need to go warmer.
Opposites Attract
Dark, rich colors are going to play huge role in taming the lighter, brighter colors that will be popular this year. While much of the heavy lifting will be done by chocolate browns and forest greens, black is set to star. Behr’s color of the year, Cracked Pepper, is the perfect accent color as it is soft enough to be inviting and timeless.
Prepare for Pink
Thinking of building a dream home? You can’t go wrong with pink. This year pink hues are set to be alluring and sophisticated — think mauve, not bubble gum. It’s an excellent color for intimate spaces like bathrooms but done right, it can enhance entire game room.
Choosing a new home often means choosing a new community. That choice will have a significant effect on your family, including the schools your children attend, your work commute and your lifestyle. How do you go about choosing the right community for you? Here are five things you should consider:
Where Do You Want to Live?
Location is important. Consider factors such as proximity to schools, workplaces, shopping centers, healthcare facilities and recreational areas. Sierra Vista, for example, is located just 20 minutes from downtown Houston so you can easily get to work, enjoy urban activities and shop ‘til you drop. Children attend highly regarded Alvin ISD schools. Going on a trip? Hobby Airport is nearby.
How Do You Like to Play?
Communities like Sierra Vista offer many amenities. When choosing a community, look
for features that align with your lifestyle and preferences such as parks, walking trails, fitness centers, pools, golf courses or community centers. The Island Amenity Village at Sierra Vista caters to the needs of all family members with a heated lazy river, sports courts and more.
What Do You Want in a Home?
Builders offer a range of home options including different floor plans, architectural styles and customization opportunities. A good community only works with reputable builders with a proven track record of quality construction and customer satisfaction.
Does the HOA Fit Your Lifestyle
A homeowner’s association (HOA) helps keep your community looking beautiful. However, you should review the rules and regulations so you understand the fees associated with living in the community and what services or maintenance are covered. Ensure that the HOA rules align with your lifestyle preferences and that you are comfortable with any restrictions imposed.
What Does the Future Hold?
If you are moving to a community that is still under development, you want to take a look at the master plan. See if there are plans for additional amenities, schools, commercial spaces or infrastructure improvements. Consider how future development may impact property values and your overall living experience.
Choose Sierra Vista
Before making a decision, take the time to visit a variety of communities, talk to current residents and gather as much information as possible. Once you do, we’re sure you’ll choose Sierra Vista. Visit us today.
All families have holiday traditions. When you move, you take them with you. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room to add a few more. Moving to a new home is the perfect time to create new traditions in keeping with your new life. Need some ideas? Here are a few dreamed up by Sierra Vista residents:
Christmas Eve Surprise
Surprise children with a beautifully wrapped box filled with items that can be used for a family activity on Christmas Eve. For example, fill it with popcorn, hot chocolate and a new Christmas movie. If your new home has a fire pit, fill the box with marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate for a s’mores party. A box filled with matching pajamas and a series of holiday-themed books makes for a great story hour.
Outdoor Décor
Light up your new neighborhood with a dazzling outdoor holiday display. If you have an HOA, make sure you understand the guidelines for holiday decorating then go to town. Many communities hold yard decorating competitions, but if yours doesn’t, organize one and make it a yearly tradition.
Cookie Exchange
Host a holiday cookie exchange with neighbors or friends. For more fun, choose a theme such as classic Christmas recipes or great cereal cookie bakes. You can even host an adult cookie exchange by challenging the grown-ups to bring cookies that can be paired with wine.
Give Back to the Community
The holidays should be a time of giving, and what better way to do that than by giving back to your new community? Find a local charity like a food pantry or soup kitchen. Ask if they have jobs everyone in the family can do, then sign up. If your family likes to get outdoors, participate in a charity run. Take the kids Christmas shopping for families in need.
Buy a Special Ornament
Your Christmas tree can become a record of your family’s most treasured memories. Each year, add ornaments that represent significant events or milestones from that year. This could include moving into your new home, travel destinations, new family members or major accomplishments.
Holiday Scavenger Hunt
Plan a holiday-themed scavenger hunt for family and friends. This can be done indoors or outdoors and is a great way to add an element of excitement to the season.
DIY Ornaments
Craft ornaments for your tree. An easy way to do this is by mixing up salt dough, cutting out shapes with cookie cutters and painting them when dry. Each year, try a different craft such as making gingerbread houses out of felt or angels out of egg cartons.
Choose a Holiday Event
Your new home is probably in a new neighborhood. Get to know it better by participating in a holiday event such as a tree lighting, parade or performance by a local school. If there is time, present the family with multiple events and have each member choose the activity they would enjoy the most.
Create a Gratitude Jar
Create a family gratitude jar. Throughout the holiday season, write down things you’re grateful for or wishes for the upcoming year and place them in the jar. Read them together on New Year’s Eve.
Family Photo Session
Schedule a family photo session in front of your decorated home or at a nearby scenic spot. Use the photos for holiday cards or simply as a way to capture memories of your time in your new home.
Make Holiday Memories in Sierra Vista
Get a head start on next year’s holiday traditions by purchasing a new home in Sierra Vista. Visit us today.
With the new H-E-B open near Sierra Vista in Manvel Town Center, you may be wondering if you should shop there for the holidays. It’s a resounding “yes” from us. H-E-B has everything you need to prepare a delicious holiday meal plus a few extras everyone loves. What are they? Take a look:
Spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the holidays when you let H-E-B prepare your feast for you. The market started accepting Thanksgiving orders Nov. 13 and there’s still plenty of time to reserve yours. Meals include turkey and four traditional sides. H-E-B offers curbside and home delivery.
Cafe Olé by H-E-B Christmas in a Cup
Whether you’re serving morning coffee to holiday guests or as an accompaniment to pie, this medium-bodied brew has all the flavors of the season, including warm spices and notes of vanilla.
No post-Christmas caroling party is complete without a cup of cocoa paired with these sweet and buttery-tasting cinnamon sugar cookies. They go fast, so make sure you stock up.
H‑E‑B Deli Fruit, Meat & Cheese Board
Don’t slave away composing a charcuterie board. H-E-B has several pre-made options available like this one featuring Double Crème Brie, artisan cheddar, Italian dry salami dried apricots, fresh grapes and berries.
Meal Simple by H‑E‑B Fresh Cajun Style Whole Turkey
Ready to cook in a roasting pan with a Cajun-spice rub and dollops of Cajun-style blackened butter under the skin, this turkey is so easy to prepare. Your guests will be asking for seconds and thirds.
H-E-B Creamy Creations Egg Nog Joy
Serve this creamy treat with your favorite pie or during a midnight refrigerator run. There are no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup. Get it now because when the holidays are over, so is this ice cream.
Give guests something to snack on while they wait for dinner to be served. This trail mix tastes like fall with cinnamon yogurt pretzel balls, natural apple-flavored pecans, dried sweetened cranberries and yogurt drops.
Need a gluten-free dessert? May we suggest tamales? Made with cinnamon, cream cheese and freshly ground masa, these dessert tamales will brighten anyone’s holidays.
You don’t have to hit your local gardening center for beautiful poinsettias, just pick up a few when you purchase your turkey. The colorful flowers are grown locally in the Texas Hill Country by Klepac Greenhouses, a third-generation floriculture operation. That means you support local growers and get beautiful decorations.
