For many students, planning a future can be scary. In addition to the many confusing paths presented to them, students face the daunting challenge of figuring out what it is they want to do with their lives at a very young age.

Luckily, there’s a way to clear the haziness and calm the minds of students who may be feeling lost or intimidated throughout the process. The Annual Career and Education Day this Saturday offers students indispensable career advice and helpful recommendations in making the right choices, whether they be financial, academic, or career-oriented.

Students from grades 6–12 (as well as their parents, guardians, teachers, and counselors) will be given an opportunity to learn about rewarding careers, the college application process, and the options available to pay for higher education.

At the event, industry leaders will discuss popular and in-demand professions and careers, various universities and trade schools will explore ideal courses of study for each student’s individual needs, and admissions representatives will outline admission requirements, scholarships, financial aid, and family financial assistance programs.

New this year are several tracks detailing the process to other interested parties. Added to the agenda are three tracks—a middle school track, counselor track, and parent track. These individual paths ensure that everyone has the necessary information to make the best possible decisions when a student chooses to move forward with their career goals.

Career panels will give students an accurate look at a day in the life of an employee in any given profession. Helpful tips geared at the modern generation, such as social media’s impact on one’s future career, appropriate interview attire, ways to improve interview skills, and how to land the internship of your dreams will be discussed.

In addition, all attendees will enjoy free child care, lunch for the whole family, assistance with FAFSA, and tax preparations onsite.

The one-day event, presented by the Houston Hispanic Forum, is free and takes place at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Saturday, February 14th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Don’t wait until it’s too late—start things off on the right path today!

The countdown begins—just twelve days until San Antonio’s most anticipated event of the year!

The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, also known as the San Antonio Livestock Exposition, has grown to be one of the largest, most prestigious events in San Antonio. Each year, over one million visitors come out to celebrate.

The success of the event is attributed to the countless volunteers that dedicate their time and heart to the organization. The organization has donated more than $145 million to the youth of Texas through scholarships, grants, endowments, auctions programs, and show premiums. This impressive contribution is made possible by ample support from donors, volunteers, and the community.

The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is a two and a half week event that features an abundance of exhilarating shows, activities, and competitions—you won’t know what to do or where to go first! The event includes adrenaline-pumping rodeo shows, live musical entertainment, a family-friendly carnival, numerous shopping opportunities, exciting auctions, an abundance of mouthwatering treats, a Texas Wildlife Area, and much more!

Families can head to the rides at the carnival, greet the animals at the petting zoo, or hop on a pony ride around the rodeo. Children will delight in the sea of funnel cakes, turkey legs, candy apples, and cotton candy.

In addition to the food court and carnival treats, food sampling will be available for everyone to enjoy—Chuck Wagon cooks will be demonstrating Dutch oven cooking while serving up free samples of cowboy stew, pinto beans, buttermilk biscuits, and peach cobbler.

Parents can visit the wine garden for a little rest and relaxation, or journey over to the souvenir booths and commercial exhibits for some retail therapy. Auctions will also be taking place for those looking for a more thrilling shopping experience.

The fun doesn’t stop there! The event will feature an incredible live music lineup of Grammy award-winning artists. Such talent includes John Legend, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Eli Young, Pentatonix, Reba, Jeff Foxworthy, and the Josh Abbott Band.

After enjoying the tasty food, fun rides, and live entertainment, guests can head on over to the heart of the event—the shows and rodeos! Competitions taking place at the event include cutting, youth rodeo, the quarter horse show, paint horse show, and open horse show, a horse skillathon, barrel racing events, and team penning.

Junior contests include the beef, sheep, swine, and horse skill-a-thons, a science fair, agricultural mechanics, food challenges, intercollegiate judging contests, a junior shootout, and more.

Perhaps the most anticipated and exciting event of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is the rodeo itself—indeed, the rodeo has won numerous award and is deemed the “Largest Indoor Rodeo of the Year.”

It is believed that rodeo began as a rivalry between neighboring ranch hands—the challenge being who could complete daily livestock tasks the fastest and most efficiently. The rules may have changed a bit since the “old west,” but rodeo still involves just as much skill and horsemanship as before. At the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, you’ll get a chance to see for yourself!

At the rodeo, viewers will watch in suspense as bullfighters and barrelman entertain the crowd with their daring antics. Spectators will be treated to other rowdy rodeo entertainment, including bareback racing, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, and tie-down roping. The San Antonio Ranch Rodeo Finals will top off the event with a “best of the best” ranch rodeo showcase.

Whether you’re looking for a fun family outing, memorable musical entertainment, or an adrenaline-pumping adventure, you are sure to have a good time at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo! For more information, trot on over to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo website. Tickets are on sale now!

Looking for the perfect place to get your sugar fix? Never fear—Crave Cupcakes is here!

Crave Cupcakes is now opening a third location in The Woodlands by the end of the month. The bakery will set up shop in a new mixed-use site northwest of The Woodlands Mall and Market Street, in the new Research Forest Lakeside development.

One of Houston's first dedicated cupcake bakeries, the original Crave in Uptown Park opened in 2009. Word quickly spread and the town went cupcake crazy—Crave had started a movement, sparking a cupcake trend with no end in sight. The success of the bakery paved the way for more Crave Cupcakes around the city. A second Crave location opened early this month, overlooking Lake Woodlands.

Crave Cupcakes is owned by Texas natives Brad Dorsey, Elizabeth Harrison and Peter Cooper. They take pride in their homemade treats, crafted without preservatives or hydrogenated oils and baked in small batches throughout the day to ensure the cupcakes are at their finest.

How exactly do they make their delectable cupcakes and creamy frostings? Every morning, rich, creamy, sweet vanilla, succulent European chocolates, seasonal fruits straight from California’s wine country, and quality dairy from Texas farms is blended to the perfect taste and consistency, guaranteed to please your palate every time.

Crave Cupcakes takes your average cupcake to another level. There are many different flavors, making each experience quite a thrill. You can also customize your cupcakes by adding special decorations—it will make you feel like a kid again!

Mini cupcakes are also in the mix—perfect for the little ones and special occasions.

Crave now has three ways to order—pickup, delivery, and nationwide shipping. Enjoy delicious cupcakes without lifting a finger, or send as a gift to loved ones.

Crave’s cupcakes are sure to tickle your fancy—head to Crave Cupcakes and satisfy your sweet tooth today!

Check out what’s on the menu here.

With the hustle and bustle of a busy lifestyle, carving out enough quality family time can be a difficult task. Yet these special moments are very important and help us build stronger bonds with our loved ones.

The 16th Annual Daddy-Daughter Dinner and Dance is the perfect opportunity to do just that! On Saturday, February 7th at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, fathers can enjoy dinner, dessert, games, giveaways, and dancing with their daughters.

Fathers and daughters will experience a blast from the past with a 1950's Sock Hop theme. The event includes dinner and will feature an ice cream sundae station, professional photographer, dancing, door prizes, contests, and giveaways. Attendees are encouraged to dress for the theme and are invited to participate in a costume contest. Every child will receive a special gift, and the girl with the most creative outfit will be awarded a special prize.

The Daddy-Daughter Dinner and Dance is a great opportunity for fathers to strengthen the special relationships they share with their little girls. The event is sure to cultivate incredible memories that will last a lifetime.

Ticket prices for the event are $55 per person and $110 fee per couple, and $50 extra per sibling. Children of all ages are welcome. Ticket sales close Monday, February 2nd. For more information, visit here.

Grab your blue suede shoes and poodle skirts—it’s time to shake, rattle, and roll!

Christmas Town is a magical family-friendly event in Spring that offers fun for everyone! The event will feature a giant snow hill that is perfect for sledding (and the occasional snowball fight). Throughout this three-day festival, kids can also enjoy hayrides and photos with Santa. Parents can listen to live music, feast on good eats, and accomplish some holiday shopping through onsite vendors.

“I love Christmas Town because it’s a different experience for our family, and it’s close to home,” said one Tomball resident.

The festivities take place on December 19th-21st from 6 PM-10 PM. Be sure to join in the fun and stop by the festival, located at 7818 Spring Cypress in Spring. Individual tickets are only $10 and include access to the snow hill, free pictures with Santa, free hay rides, and live music performances. Families can purchase four tickets at a discounted price of $36, and kids under two get in free.

Tickets can be ordered here, or they can be purchased at the event. There are a limited number of tickets, so it’s recommended that interested parties purchase their tickets soon.

Christmas Town in Spring is sponsored by Northwood Church.

Although it feels like construction on Highway 290 will never end, significant progress is being made to expand the roadway. Karen Othon, Public Information Officer with the Texas Department of Transportation, addressed recent milestones during a meeting of the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce earlier this week.

Significant construction efforts connecting 290 and I-10 were completed four months ahead of schedule. While this serves as welcoming news to commuters, the expansion project is far from over. Construction is not scheduled to be completed until 2017, costing an estimated total of $2.4 billion before it’s all said and done.

There are several weekend lane closures along 290 as a result of the expansion, many of which are happening over the next few weeks. Here are a few key closures to keep in mind as you travel over the holidays:

• All connections from Highway 290 to Loop 610 (eastbound and westbound) will be closed from 9 p.m. December 12th to 5 a.m. December 15th as workers demolish an old HOV T-ramp near Dacoma. Be prepared to take detours along frontage roads.


• Eastbound frontage roads from Barker Cypress to Telge will be closed from 9 p.m. December 5th through 6 p.m. December 6th.


• All mainlanes will be closed from Tidwell to Gessner overnight on December 12th as workers take down an overhead sign structure. The Sam Houston Tollway northbound and southbound exit to 290 East will be closed as well.

For more information on scheduled lane closures along 290, be sure to check out www.my290.com or follow @my290houston for updates.

Sugar Land will be welcoming a whole new level of performers, musicians and many other touring acts very soon. Next month, ACE Theatrical will be breaking ground on a new state-of-the-art performance center off of U.S. 59 and University that will open exciting new opportunities for the area.

What’s unique about this new venue is that it will feature movable walls, allowing it to expand or contract to accommodate crowds ranging from 3,300 to 6,400 depending on the event. David Anderson, President and CEO of ACE Theatrical, is thrilled with the concept.

"Sitting in the smaller, 3,000-seat configuration, you'll really feel you're in a more intimate venue like Jones Hall or Hobby Center, not like you're in a 10,000-seat stadium or amphitheater that's just got some curtains dropped in, or turns out some of the lights on all the empty seats.”

While there are venues ranging in all sizes, the ability for the center to accommodate the crowd with solid walls "…fills a niche in the Houston market that is not filled by any existing venue.” Amenities patrons can expect to see in the new space include comfortable seating, luxury suites and upscale finishes.

In addition to bringing arts to Sugar Land, the new performance center will give a major boost to the local economy. According to a feasibility study conducted in 2012, building the performance center in Sugar Land will encourage investors, strengthen the job market and promote educational opportunities. “It will create an iconic landmark visible to motorists on U.S. Highway 59 and anchor a mixed-used development envisioned to include retail, office, commercial and residential surrounding a public plaza,” said city spokesman Doug Adolph.

Though most information on the 38.5-acre site regarding future lease tenants is yet to be determined, the new performance venue shows serious promise for Sugar Land.

Last Tuesday, Texas welcomed home a trove of special artifacts from the private collection of british pop-rock artist, Phil Collins. Among the 200 items were Jim Bowie’s famous knife, a fringed pouch that belonged to David Crockett, and letters written by William B. Travis.

Collins announced his decision to donate the collection in June, to the surprise of many. At that time he explained that his interest in the Alamo developed from watching the Davy Crockett Disney miniseries. During the press conference held at the arrival of the items, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson highlighted the commonality between he and the Grammy winning drummer-singer. “Phil Collins and I have one thing in common and it’s not talent. He and I both grew up as little guys watching Fess Parker play Davy Crockett and we both had coonskin caps,” said Patterson.

As much as he’s enjoyed collecting these items, Collins is ready to complete the journey which started almost 60 years ago. “I’m enormously pleased and proud to have my collection ‘going home’ to the Alamo,” he said. To make sure the items were handled with care, Collins personally oversaw packing and paid to ship them from his home in Switzerland.

Aptly referred to as the “mother of all Alamo collections,” the collection will need a bigger space to be displayed in it’s entirety. A recently formed Alamo Endowment board is in the process of raising funds for a premier new visitors center to house the items “ … where all can see them and study from them and learn about how Texans won our liberty,” said Patterson.

Donating his collection completes a journey Collins has been on for 60 years. In parting with his treasures, Collins explained what each relic meant by saying, “To me, these items aren’t just about a battle. They are about the idea of these men and women having a choice and staying to fight for what they believed to be just and right. That’s what makes these things special.”

And that is what makes Phil Collins an “honorary Texan.”

For many, the years spent studying through high school was a golden age, full of memories and achievements. It’s a threshold our youth must pass on their way to adulthood, and as adults we sometimes wish to relive those years.

Fortunately for the residents of Grace Care Center of Cypress, they are certainly getting that chance.

In a partnership between the Grace Care Center nursing home and neighboring Cypress Falls High School, the young and old of Cypress celebrated their first annual Senior Homecoming last week.

That day the air was filled with ringing brass, booming drums and cheers from the Golden Eagle Marching Band and cheerleading team. Students from the high school’s floral design program created colorful mums for the female seniors and football jerseys were donated for the men to wear. You could almost picture the lined green field stretched before them as fans roared from the bleachers.

Smiles were seen everywhere for this touching event, uplifting spirits of the seniors and giving support all around. “It’s so heartwarming,” said Donna Martin, community marketing liaison for Grace Care Center. “It helps them to give them a sense of normalcy. What the students have done is incredible.”

The Cypress Falls students and faculty have recently dedicated themselves to supporting their community, and plan to continue to do so for other facilities and residents in the area. “We have made a push this year to focus on community and the things we can do for our neighbors,” said Shawn McAnear, director of bands. “This was a great opportunity for us to step out and give back to an older generation.”

Both generations finished with high hopes and strong hearts as they bridged the gap of time to share something precious. It’s a day that will be remembered and hopefully an event that will continue for many years and generations to come.

Follow Cypress Falls High School in their endeavors to spread community spirit.

In keeping with the city-wide transformations throughout San Antonio, special attention is on the historic Witte Museum with major renovations and expansions already underway.

To start off the project, one of San Antonio’s most historic homes on the Witte campus has been re-envisioned. Over 260 years old, the Jose Francisco Ruiz House was originally built in 1746 and later became the city’s first public school quarters in 1801 where Ruiz himself served as the first schoolmaster. In 1943, the house was carefully relocated to the Witte campus. This past October, it was again renovated into the new museum store.

The Witte Museum itself will be approaching its 90th year anniversary when the latest construction is completed in next two years. Since its debut to the public on October 8, 1926, the museum’s only major renovation occurred in the 50’s and 60’s. However, the recent opening of the South Texas Heritage Center in 2012 sparked the museum board to continue its restoration into the future.

The largest stage of the $60 million construction project will be made to the main building of the Witte campus when groundbreaking strikes early 2015. A new grander entrance will be shifted to Tuleta Drive, welcoming visitors into the Valero Great Hall and Orientation Gallery. The Dinosaur Gallery and People of the Pecos will be permanent installations featuring detailed models and interactive educational lab areas. The McLean Family Texas Wild Gallery will be revamped in a more modern theatrical space and a new traveling exhibition and special event wing will be added at the Mays Family Center. The whole campus will be surrounded by more vibrant landscaping that will also connect to the historic Acequia Madre and Diversion Dam.

Even during these transformations, much of the campus will remain open for visitors. “The Witte has worked mighty hard to provide a lot of stuff for folks to do while this is being renovated,” said Marise McDermott, President and CEO of the museum. “Part of the master plan is to provide as much square footage that's open as we're taking down. People are going to find it a totally engaging experience from the time you get out of the car until you get back to your car.”

To learn more about the New Witte, follow them online by visiting their Facebook and Twitter pages for updates and events. Be sure to also check out the wittemuseum.org for more Texas history and fun!