Grand View Builders

While school may be ending, summer is the perfect time to get kids excited about reading! Reading is fundamental and it’s important to teach your children the importance of reading at an early age. Additionally, they can learn responsibility by acquiring their first library card! Kids at Grand View Builders communities are zoned to Lamar, Conroe, and Alvin school districts but they can still enjoy the recommended summer reading lists for children created by HISD. We’ve attached links to these lists and also selected our favorites from each! These books are so much fun, they will make summer reading a fun activity rather than a boring chore!

For your little ones, preschool – K

Arthur Goes to Camp, Marc Brown.

For your 1^st-2^nd graders

Frog and Toad are Friends, Arnold Lobel

For your 3^rd-4^th graders

Shiloh, Phylis Reynolds Naylor

For your 5th graders

Al Capone Shines My Shoes, Gennifer Choldenko

For your 6^th graders

Bound, Donna Jo Napoli

For your  7^th-8^th graders

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien

For your 9^th-10^th graders

A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway

For your 11^th-12^th graders

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Make sure to post pictures of what you and your children are reading to our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Mother’s day is the one day each year when we show our mothers just how special they really are. While older family members can help Mom by making breakfast or doing the chores around the house, if you have little ones, we suggest spending some time helping them make these crafts for Mom. She’s sure to love them!

This bouquet of flowers from Kaboose is a sweet reminder of how Mom helps her children grow each and every day. Best of all, these flowers will never wilt or die!

A jar of reasons to love mom from Better Homes and Gardens will warm her heart!

SheKnows recommends getting a parent or older sibling to procure the pot and then have a younger child decorate it festively with lots of colored yarn!

Making sure to thank Mom every day is important but showing her some extra attention on May 13^th by making these crafts will be fun for everyone! Make sure to post your pictures to our Facebook page. Happy Mother’s Day!

The summer is here, and it’s time to fire up the grill! We’ve selected some tips that you can utilize when you start grilling in your favorite outdoor places and spaces, like the backyards in your new Grand View Builders home.

-Always soak bamboo skewers in water before using them on the grill! To avoid soaking each time you need them, soak a big batch once for an hour or so, drain then freeze in a plastic bag. Now you have a ready supply for the season!

-If you don’t have a brush, ball up a piece of aluminum foil, pick up with your tongs and use to baste!

-Be delicate when applying a rub to your meat! The fibers of the cut could be damaged if handled too roughly which could ruin the texture and flavor of your meal!

-Don’t sauce too early! Leave basting to the very end of the grill time, especially with sugar sauces, which can burn quickly and leave a harsh taste on your meat!

-Avoid over marinating your food! If marinades contain enzymes they will break down the texture of the meat resulting in soft or mushy food.

-Rule of thumb: Bone in = indirect heat, Bone out = direct heat.

-Use a grill pan for fish fillets and chopped veggies to prevent them from falling through the grill grates.

-Make sure cutting into the thickest piece that you have on the grill does your meat!

-Rest your meat to allow juices to redistribute, ensuring perfectly cooked meat!

Be sure to upload your pictures to the Grand View Builders Facebook page!

Exercising anywhere is important to a healthy lifestyle, but did you know that exercising outside could also improve your health? Outdoor activities such as the festivals that we told you about back in April, can equal up to the 30 minutes of moderate intensive aerobic activity that is recommended in order to maintain a healthy weight which in turn, reduces the risk of heart and other diseases and also increases muscle strength and enhances overall well-being.

Since you’re already engaging in physical activities, this time of year is great for encouraging your children to participate in healthy activities that will turn into lifelong habits. Sports that are in season are fun to watch, but take your kids to the park to play baseball, softball, soccer and football which will also aid in the development of their motor skills. With the weather getting warmer you can introduce them to competitive swimming and there are always the old standbys of biking and running.

Although the every day 8-5 work schedule does not leave much time for exercise between cooking, cleaning, and ferrying children to lessons or practices it is important to ingrain the importance of regular exercise into your children’s psyche early on. Spend a weekend taking a family tennis class or taking a hike around wooded areas such as the ones that are built into Grand View Builders communities like North Pointe Trails.

Welcome the idea of exercising as a family and watch your family literally spring into spring!

Although cleaning the house is never anyone’s favorite thing to do, the bathroom may be the biggest challenge! The task seems daunting and it seems to be one of the smallest spaces requiring the most attention. However, if you can compartmentalize the mess into smaller sections, cleaning will be a snap! Follow these instructions, and you’ll be well on your way to bathroom bliss!

Surfaces

If your surfaces are plastic or laminate, make sure to test all cleaning products before applying them to large areas of your countertops, mirrors or floor.

A good wipe down after you’re done with your sink every day should alleviate some of the work to be done in the basin.

Shower/Tub

Wipe down the tub, taps, faucets and shower walls with a terry cloth towel to help remove soap scum and prevent mineral deposits. Grand View Builders homes include sparkling Delta Faucets so it’s important to know how to properly take care of these beauties!

Pull the curtain closed when not in use so water can’t sit in the folds.

Remove hard-water deposits on shower enclosures with a solution of ½ cup of white vinegar and 1 cup water.

If grout or caulk in your shower breaks away where the walls join the tub recaulk immediately to prevent water damage!

Bathroom linens

Keep plastic shower curtains clean by spraying with disinfectant (also prevents mold).

Along with washing your towels, make sure to keep your bath mats clean! Fabric shower curtains can also go in the washer.

Toilets

Use a long handle brush for cleaning the bowl. Disposable brushes with toilet cleaner are a great time saver!

Clean and disinfect your toilet bowl with ½ cup of chlorine bleach. Pour it in the bowl, let stand for ten minutes, scrub and flush.

Make sure to keep us updated on our Facebook and Twitter with pictures of your blissfully clean bathroom!

While we’ve talked about the fun April Activities that you can do outdoors, one thing that can put a damper on the good times is the appearance of your allergies. Since it’s been awhile since the appearance of these pesky afflictions, remember these tips in order to keep them at bay!

Know what you’re allergic to – A simple trip to your primary care doctor will allow them to administer an allergy test. Knowing that you’re allergic to pollen versus ragweed is a simple step that can help you determine if you should be on extra alert for the day.

Keep track of the allergy report – If your local news station does not include an allergen count, use websites such as www.pollen.com to keep track of days when the allergen that affects you is present at a high level. Knowing these days will allow you to limit your outdoor exposure, don’t plan on going to an event outdoors all day if pollen is your trigger allergen and the count is high.

Shower after coming inside – You are literally covered in allergens after walking outside. Make sure that the spores do not stick around on your clothes or furniture by washing everything down the drain!

A note on OTC’s –Some over the counter nasal decongestant sprays can be addictive if used over a long period of time. Take care to pick one that’s safest for you.

Keep your windows and vents closed – It seems like a simple thing to do, but even if the day is bright and inviting, resist the urge to keep your window open. All Grand View Builders homes are Energy-Star Certified and built with tight construction and ducts, sealing holes and cracks in the home’s exterior and helping to reduce moisture that causes mold as well as pollen and dust.

Have helpful things handy – Make sure you’re stocked up on tissues for your runny nose, lozenges to soothe your throat and antihistamine eye drops to relieve your swollen red eyes.

Unfortunately, allergies cannot be stopped outright. However, using these preventative measures can lessen the affects of allergies.

Beautiful weather means getting to play in the great outdoors before the weather gets too hot to handle! Here are some upcoming events and festivals in Houston that you can enjoy outdoors!

Earth Day Houston

Discovery Green – 1500 McKinney, Houston, TX

April 7, 2012

10-4pm

Enjoy a festival that celebrates green living!

Screen on the Green – Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Discovery Green – 1500 McKinney, Houston, TX

April 7, 2012

8:30pm

This children’s comedy plays at 8:30 but come early and enjoy some activities!

6^th Annual Midtown Art in the Park

1700 Elgin at Chenvert, Houston, TX

April 14, 2012

10-6pm

This event will showcase fine art, street art, studio art and more!

Kemah Crawfish Festival 2012

HWY 146 @ 3^rd Street, Kemah, TX

April 13-15, 2012

12-10pm

At $2 a pound for crawfish, this festival is sure to leave you feeling full!

San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment

One Monument Circle, La Porte, TX 77571

April 21, 2012

10-6pm

This annual celebration will dramatize the most decisive battle in Texas history

Whew! That’s a lot of fun to pack into one month! Thankfully, you have a wonderful and comfortable Grand View Builders house to come home to! Make sure to post your pictures to our Facebook page!

You know that your Grand View Builders home is built to be strong, now it’s time to make sure that the people inside are built strong too! We’ve already begun shedding the last vestiges of winter by organizing our homes as well as by giving them a good Spring Cleaning. Now, with the weather growing nicer every day it’s a wonderful time to begin reacquainting ourselves with the gorgeous outdoors! What better way than to have a picnic  in the park with some fresh fruits and veggies from your local farmers market?

Canino’s Produce on Airline Drive beckons us not only with their brightly colored store, but with their amazing selection of fresh produce! The family owned business has been serving the Houston community since 1958! Their produce list depends on what’s in season and can include, but is not limited to, cucumbers, peppers, mushrooms, jicama, peas, peaches, persimmons and more! After seeing the variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables in their online photo selection we wondered what took us so long to stumble upon this delicious find!

Spring has sprung, and that means it’s time for one of our favorite rituals of the year – spring-cleaning! While it is important to keep your home clutter free at all times, there is something about the freshness and newness of the season to kick-start you into clearing out the what’s been stored away all winter long. Here are some of our tips for achieving a more open and clutter-free space.

1. Check for cleaning supplies. There is nothing worse than beginning a project without being prepared. Check your supply cabinet for rags, buckets, cleaning supplies, etc. before starting a new task.

2. De-clutter before you clean. Make sure you get everything out of the way before you begin the big scrub down. Taking out the trash and getting all of the extraneous clutter out of the way before cleaning will save on both time and frustration.

3. Get rid of what you don’t need. In the spirit of de-cluttering, make piles of things to save, donate, return to original owners and throw away. Don’t keep what you don’t need!

4. Start from the Bottom. Save yourself the trouble of cleaning what’s already been done. If you start with the floors, dust from any items on shelves, tables, etc. will eventually fall down to the ground, forcing you to backtrack. Start by clearing away the cobwebs in the eaves, slide down to the windows and give them a once over, dust off the tabletops, and then sweep up all the excess debris that has fallen from your previous endeavors!

5. Light Bulbs. Unscrew light bulbs and polish them with a micro fiber cloth. Make sure to avoid wetting the metal screw base and don’t forget to wipe down the fixture as well. By removing dust and grease from your light bulbs you can increase their output by 20 percent. That’s 20 percent more light for the same amount of energy!

6. Ceiling Fans. Did you know that changing the direction of your ceiling fan’s rotation could keep your electricity bill down? The standard clockwise rotation redistributes warm air during cold weather, so to prepare for spring run the fan counterclockwise providing a pleasant breeze, as the days get warmer. You can do this with the switch found at the base of most standard fan models.

7. Clean out your refrigerator. Keeping #2 in mind make sure to de-clutter before you clean out your fridge. Once you have all of the food that’s fit to keep, wash the interior out to remove anything sticky and hardened. Take out the removable shelves and drawers to wash them and scrub out nooks and crannies with a toothbrush.

8. Replace Batteries. Think about all of the electronics in your house that use them and swap the old ones for a fresh pair. They’re in your clocks, telephones, and desktop mice and most importantly of all, your smoke detectors!

9. Refresh your linens and upholstery. If you don’t have a steam cleaner, take the curtains and couch cushions that have survived a year’s worth of spills to the cleaners. Give your rugs and carpets a deep clean too, sending out for a specialist or taking them to one if they’re extra delicate.

10. Get the job done. If there is anything worse than a cluttered home, it’s a home in the middle of an intense cleanup session. Chaos comes before clarity, so don’t get discouraged, and make sure you have the proper time to commit to finishing the project.

We hope that you enjoyed these tips! With our help, your home will feel clean and refreshed this spring. Please be sure to post your before and after pictures to Facebook and happy cleaning!

Lush Lawns Landscaping Tip

The past few days of gorgeous Houston weather have left us feeling like spring has sprung! It’s time to break out the gardening tools to make sure your lawn is in tip-top condition! Keep these tips in mind and your lawn will show off your green thumb!

Lawn – You should mow and water your lawn on a regular basis. You need to moisten, not drench, the soil to the bottom of the root zone and cut your blades to a uniform height. Proper lawn care encourages drought resistance.

Weeds – Use pre-emergent herbicides that do not need to make contact with the weed plants and tend to last longer

Flowers – Perennials are wonderful, but since they only bloom for a season, use annuals to supplement the color during the times when you have nothing growing to ensure that your lawn looks fresh and healthy

Hardscape – A lawn doesn’t need to only contain natural elements. Paths and benches make great additions to lawns and add depth without the necessity of maintenance.

What are you planning for your lawn this spring?