One of the nation’s most heavily attended museums—is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With four floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and George Observatory and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at 5555 Hermann Park Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure.

Safety aside, it’s not coincidence that unchecked systems seem to breakdown at the most inconvenient times. Brian says, “Systems tend to break when they are working the hardest. Maybe it’s a major holiday when guests are coming in and out. When the door keeps opening, your furnace works harder to maintain the indoor temperature. Often breakdowns could have been prevented with a preseason furnace clean and tune up. Not only is it inconvenient when your system fails, but holiday repairs also cost much more than preventive maintenance. You don’t want to wait until the week before Thanksgiving to get your system checked. October is the best time to make sure your family will be safe when you need to switch from A/C to heat.”

Spider veins may inspire “arachnophobia,” but varicose veins carry the greater risk. Your arteries transport oxygen-rich blood from your heart out to your body, while your veins return the oxygen-depleted blood back to your heart. Varicose veins increase your chance of blood clots in the superficial system called thrombophlebitis and can be associated with potentially lethal clots in the deep system called deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Dr. Baltazar says, “DVT perfectly illustrates how crucial it is to have veins that are working as they should. If a blood clot breaks free from your deep veins, it can travel through the bloodstream. If it lodges in your lungs, this “pulmonary embolism” can block blood flow, strain your heart and lungs, and can quickly become fatal.”

Scary, ugly, and dangerous...all good words to describe the monster in a horror film, but bad words to describe your bathroom! If it looks like Freddy Krueger has been running his razors over your counters or Jason’s been hacking at your tiles, the Miracle Method can make years of damage seem like a bad dream. Jonee says, “All surface damage to tiles, tubs, and counters is cleaned, filled and sanded before we refinish. The ceramic tile in your shower or on your bathroom floor, your tub, your sink, and counter can be given a stylish enameled look, or finished with Natural Accents™ for the multicolor appearance and texture of stone...at a fraction of the cost of replacing them!”

True luxury is knowing when to put your dreams in the hands of experts. “The important thing is to know what your options are, which is why we are here to help,” Scott says. “Point-and-click online purchasing isn’t always convenient, especially if you’re spending hours slogging through customer reviews, industry reviews, and consumer ratings sites.” How will you know if a theater system works with your existing space, existing components, or your spouse’s expectations? What really delivers the best value? How do you set it up and install it? At Home Theater Evolutions, you’ll get the streamlined ease that works with your space, your dreams...and your budget.

Today, national and multinational conglomerates have replaced many of the family-owned businesses, but in Fort Bend County, there is a very notable exception: Alan’s Plumbing. Alan Burkhalter, his brother Chris Burkhalter, and Alan’s sons Luke and Beau are all licensed, experienced professionals. Luke and Beau have literally grown up in the family business, journeymen both, and like the older Burkhalters, they run their own truck. In addition to their professional certification, they have the kind of experience that only comes from being raised as plumbers...it’s in their blood. Jennifer, their mother, answers the phone. Together with fellow-plumber Kyle everyone at Alan’s Plumbing believes in our hometown Fort Bend values of family and integrity.

Is there a monster in your bed at night? If your SNORE is making your loved ones howl in fright and leaving you exhausted during the day, Dr. Lomonte can custom fit you for a Snore Guard® which features Air Flow Technology™ to prevent your jaw and tongue from dropping back into the throat...the root cause of snoring. Snore Guard®, has been proven up to 99% effective in the treatment of snoring and it’s FDA cleared for the treatment of snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

The first thing you’ll notice in the driver’s seat is the space. Somehow, Chevy’s made the Trax bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. At 168.5 inches from bumper to bumper, the Trax is a cinch to park (and the rearview camera that comes standard doesn’t hurt!). At 65.9 inches tall and 69.9 inches wide, there’s space inside for you, your friends (or the kids), and all your gear, too. Best of all, nobody will feel scrunched. If you’re hauling your sports equipment, your latest furniture “find,” or something for the garden, the passenger seat folds flat and the rear seats are 60/40 split-folding...so you can carry your 8-ft paddleboard down to Galveston. And we counted 15 available storage cubbies, consoles, and cupholders...the most in its class.

What makes the Stafford Centre so unique? Not only is it a great place to see your favorite Classic Country and Rock Performances but it’s also a great place to hold your wedding, festival, business meeting or corporate gathering! Bryan says, “Our auditorium has a state-of-the-art audio and video system and seats 1,150, making it an intimate setting to enjoy your favorite artists. We also have 25,000 square feet of meeting, banquet and exposition space and over 28 acres of outdoor festival green space, which gives us the capacity to host events for every segment of our community and beyond. As part of our mission, we offer free parking and ticket prices don’t include hidden processing fees, convenience fees, or surcharges. We believe that coming together with your friends, family and colleagues should be easy...so we eliminated all the hassles that stand between you and a night to remember!”

Our primary goal was to help the children emotionally, provide companionship and care for them. We also wanted to improve their English skills. Before our trip, Dr. Patricia Pasick, an international expert on childhood trauma from the University of Michigan, mentored us on how to give the girls psychological and emotional support when speaking with them about their lives. Planning several months in advance, we set up weekly Skype calls with the girls so that they could grow comfortable with our names and faces. Despite the significant language barrier, we still managed to have simple conversations about their days and activities, while they in turn would ask about our friends and families.