Community Blog

August is just day’s away! I can hardly believe the summer is passed so quickly. While the heat of Texas summer won’t abate for a while yet, August always makes me think of going back to school. I similarly equate back to school with shopping. Thus the start of August always makes me want to go shopping.

So if you’re like me and hankering for some back to school shopping, there here are a few sales you shouldn’t miss:

• Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale has just 3 day’s left! Hurry over to North East Mall to catch some great deals.
• Macy’s is having the Hot One Sale through Sunday, August 1st, you can get an extra 10% to 15% off if you go on-line and print off the savings pass. Macy’s is also at North East Mall.
• Kohl’s has a special sale going on Friday evening and Saturday morning.

These are just a few of the sales around Fort Worth this weekend. If you know of any other sales near the Club at Fossil Creek post in the comments and let your neighbors know about them!

Let’s be honest here… Summertime in Texas means seriously high temperatures! We’ve already reached the triple digits multiple times this summer and that’s not even taking the heat index into account! There are many ways to beat the heat. You can always head over to one of the Fossil Creek pools for a dip or enjoy the ac indoors.

However, one of my very favorite ways to beat the summer heat is to head out for a sno-cone! They are icy and sweet and delicious. And I only have to feel moderately guilty about eating one since they’re basically just sugar and ice. Now, there are a few places around Fort Worth where one could obtain one of these icy treats. That said, I have two place that hold a special place in my… stomach.

Mr. Freezy’s Shaved Ice off Grapevine Hwy in North Richland Hills. This one’s a bit closer, so I visit it a bit more often. They have great flavors!

Texas Snow Cone over by the Ridgmar Shopping Center off Alta Mere. They are great and while they’re not exactly close to us at the Club at Fossil Creek, if you’re out shopping it’s a fun place to stop.

There is just something about shaved ice and syrup that screams summer to me. If you’re in the area why not enjoy an icy treat!

Then head over to the Fort Worth Community Arts Center for The First Day of School*. This is the last weekend to see this hilarious production by the Amphibian Stage Productions.

This satirical story of soccer mom’s and devoted parents was written by Billy Aronson. All the reviews have been quite favorable.

The First Day of School has not the deepest plot in town, but the carefully worded, sharp-witted dialogue comes from a person of deep comic talent. This rollicking, lightly titillating play, heavy on laughter is so surprisingly and so masterfully acted and directed. -Pegasus News

Admission is $15 for student and $25 for adults. Advanced ticked purchase is recommended as this is the final weekend. The Community Arts Center is just a bit south of The Club at Fossil Creek, off Lancaster Avenue. Parking runs about $5 a car in the area.

*This play is not recommended for younger audiences as it contains adult themes.

The forecast for the weekend is finally looking sunny and hot! After quite a few rainy Saturday’s I am really looking forward to all the sunshine in our future! I am really looking forward to getting outside and taking a walk this weekend. The Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge is a great place to do just that.

This weekend they will be hosting a variety of fun outdoor activities:

Saturday, July 17th – 8:30am Canoe Tour

10:00am Nature Hike

The hikes are $5 a person and are lead by a park naturalist. You need to call ahead to reserve a spot on the canoe tours and they are $20. children under 5 not permitted on the canoe tours for safety reasons. Water and sunscreen are suggested for both the hike and the canoe tour.

Sunday, July 18th – 12:00pm Canoe Fest

2:00pm Attracting Hummingbirds

The canoe fest is an opportunity to enjoy some canoeing at your own pace and is $5. It is first come, first serve starting at Greer Island. The attracting hummingbirds is a free talk on how to get these lovely little creatures to come visit your deck.

The summer hours on the weekends are from 7:00am to 7:00pm Saturday and Sunday. So you can get there early and walk in the cool of the morning. The entrance fee is $4 for adults and $2 for children, ages 3 to 17.

This is a wonderful place to take in the great outdoors. When was the last time you visited the Fort Worth Nature Center?

There is just something soothing to me about candles. They make an apartment feel like home and offer a touch of romance to any room. I always keep one as a centerpiece on my dinning room table and another in my bathroom. Flowers are another wonderful way to add a touch of hominess to your apartment.

Using aromatherapy candles is a great way to keep your home smelling fresh. Combining scent you like helps to personalize your space. I love to use eucalyptus scents in the bathroom and cinnamon in the dinning room.

Flowers on the kitchen counter always brighten my day as well. I love getting a bunch of fresh flowers at the Ridgmar Farmers Market to brighten my home. Simple touches like these are part of what make my apartment here at Fossil Creek feel like a home.

What do you do to make your house feel like a home?

I have made a pledge to myself recently to start being more health conscious and watching what I eat. I joined on of those calorie counting websites and have been faithfully documenting everything I eat for weeks now. However it’s making me wonder; do these things really work if you cook for yourself?

I mean honestly, I bring my lunch to work almost every day and cook dinner just about every night. I just wonder how accurate they can really be if we are talking about home cooked foods. Can they really know my turkey sandwich has 350 calories and 34 grams of protein? I mean that doesn’t take into account the specific type of bead I used, the lettuce and onions or the sweet and spicy mustard I love?

So if the calorie count is so variable for something as simple as a turkey sandwich how can it be even close to right for more complex items? I mean the variations on pasta alone are mind boggling! I am simply skeptical of the accuracy of this when it comes to things you cook yourself. If I’m not getting true calorie/fat counts how does it really help my eating habits?

I think it would be helpful to really know how many calories I’m consuming and want to find a way to count calorie that works. Have any Fossil Creek-ers tried a calorie counter? What did you think? Was it accurate enough to be helpful?

Come lease an apartment at the Club at Fossil Creek and you’ll be entered to win a flat screen TV! This is a limited time offer so hurry in and find your home at Fossil Creek.

For me the fourth mean grilling with family and friends, spending time by the pool and watching fireworks. In fact, the fireworks may be my very favorite part of holiday tradition. The boom and sparkle of the fireworks always takes me back to childhood. I just love lounging on a blanket and watching them exploded above my head.

There are some wonderful Fourth of July events taking place this weekend here in Fort Worth:

Enjoy music and fireworks at the Old-Fashioned Family Fireworks Picnic at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will be playing and there will be a wonderful fireworks display. Shows are Friday, June 2nd through Sunday, July 4th, and begin at 8:00 pm each night. Admission is $20 at the gate, children 10 and under are free. Advanced ticket purchase is advised.

Come enjoy a watching the Fort Worth Cats and take in a Independence Day post-game show on Sunday, July 4th. A Beatles tribute band will perform before the fireworks show.

Fort Worth’s Fourth is this Sunday, July 4th, at Trinity River behind LaGrave Field. They’ll have food and drinks for sale, a jet ski show and a battle of the bands competition to enjoy before the fireworks. The Great Texas Hill Slide will start at 8:00 pm, so come early and take part! Fireworks will begin arround 9:30 pm. This is a free event.

There is little better then taking in fireworks with loved ones! Have a safe and fun holiday weekend.

The World cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Unfortunately, the US team is out, after a well played game yesterday. They played well and persevered even in the face of frustrating calls. All in all it was a strong attempt by the US players and we made it out of the group rounds.

Keep up with the final games of the World Cup! So check out one of the great sports bars to catch the game:

Chat Room Pub is a great little English pub located at W Magnolia and S Lake St. This pub touts many beverage offerings ranging from fine scotch to enjoy on the patio to Rahr Beer – Ft. Worth’s own microbrew.

Snookie’s Bar and Grill is a great sports bar on South Hulen Street. Great burgers and a lots of tvs to watch the games.

Pour House is a Fort Worth institution on West 7th Street. That have a great brunch every weekend!

If you haven’t been to the zoo recently you really need to visit. The Zoo is open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday – Friday and 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.  Parking is $5 and admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children 12 and younger.

The Fort Worth Zoo has had some pretty exciting additions and developments this year:

A great 40 foot iguana statue, “Iggy,” has made it’s way there. Iggy is on display for everyone to enjoy.

Baby Layla, the newest addition to the World of Primates exhibit is now out in the Bonobos habitat with her mother, for visitors to see.

The Museum of Living Art opend earlier this year and is a magnificent herpetarium, allowing visitors to truly explore the visual beauty of the natural world.

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