Laurel Creek - November 2016 by Peel, Inc.

LAUREL CREEK November 2016

Official Newsletter of the Residents of Laurel Creek

LAUREL CREEK

Volume 3, Issue 11

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

Laurel Creek - November 2016

LAUREL CREEK COMMUNITY CONTACTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ann Murphree......................................................... President Nathan Overstreet............................................ Vice President Heather Flynn Mace................................................. Secretary Greg Magness........................................................... Treasurer Valerie Phelps............................................................ Director

NEWSLETTER INFO

PERSONAL CLASSIFIED FOR SALE $ 14,000: 2012 Harley Davidson Road Glide Chrome Yellow 500 miles , excellent condition. Please text if interested to 832-370-7770.

Classified Ads: Business classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $50, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales Office at 1-888-687-6444 or advertising@PEELinc.com.

NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER Peel, Inc............................888.687.6444, www.PEELinc.com Advertising.................................... advertising@PEELinc.com

IMPORTANT NUMBERS Crest Management.................... www.crest-management.com .........................................................................281.579.0761 Association Manager Jennifer Petras...........jennifer.petras@crest-management.com Assistant Manager Victoria Schoon........Victoria.schoon@crest-managemen.com .........................................................................281.945.4623 Call Before You Dig ...................................................................1.800.344.8377 Street Light Outage www.centerpointenergy.com (Have light number) ......................................................................713.207.2222 Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Service ............................................. http://records.txdps.state.tx.us Police Information If you witness a crime or suspicious activity call Pct. 4 Constable

......................................................... 281.376.3472 or 911 Police Emergency..............................................................911 Constable's Office Precinct 4.............................281.376.3472 ......................... Laurel Creek has a contract for faster response Cy Fair Volunteer Dept. (Ambulance) ........................................ (Non-emergency) 713.466.6151 Harris County Alarm (Permit) ..................................................................... 713-755-4660 TOPS (Water Issues) ......................................................................281.807.9500 Poison Center ...................................................................1.800.222.1222

Please remember: We do not live in the City of Houston but in Harris County. Inform the emergency operator of this to assure a more prompt response.

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Laurel Creek - November 2016

LAUREL CREEK

November Community Social Event

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

Laurel Creek residents met on October 4, 2016, for National Night Out. Neighbors were encouraged to bring their own dessert for sharing in pot-luck fashion. In addition to sharing desserts, the members of the community had fun spending time together, and the kids were given an opportunity to meet with officers from the Harris County Sherriff's Office. The officers volunteered their time to share safety tips and allowed them to sit upfront in the patrol car. Some of our youth were given the chance to ride on the back of the ubiquitous and turbo-charged golf cart around our neighborhood.

Reserve the evening of November 18, 2016, for a community event which will be held at the Gazebo Park. While the details and plans for the event have not been finalized as of the submission date for for publication in the Laurel Creek newsletter, they will posted on Next Door. Keep your eyes peeled for the description of the activities. While your neighborhood editor is not at liberty to discuss the possible ideas being discussed, you can take his word that all of them involve fun, fun and more fun. Also, we should be able to update ya'll on the Christmas holiday plans in time for the December publication, and we wish all of you a blessed holiday season.

Reaching youR neighboRs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Atascocita CIA Blackhorse Ranch Briar Hills Bridgeland Canyon Gate at Northpointe Cardiff Ranch Cypress Creek Lakes Cypress Mill Cypress Park Eagle Springs Fairfield Grand Lake Estates Lakeshore Lakes of Fairhaven Lakes of Rosehill Lakes on Eldridge Lakes on Eldridge North Laurel Creek Legends Ranch Meyerland Normandy Forest

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

and many others...

North Lake Forest Park Creek Park Lakes Riata Ranch Shadow Creek Ranch Silverlake Steeplechase Sterling Lakes Stone Forest Summerwood Towne Lakes Village Creek Villages of Decker Oaks Villages of NorthPointe Walden on Lake Houston Willowbridge Willow Pointe Winchester Country Windermere Lakes Woodwind Lakes Wortham Villages

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Laurel Creek - November 2016

LAUREL CREEK

Finding Balance

I know, work-life balance has been discussed to death. Yet how many of you find yourself nodding and saying, “Yes, I know I need to do find a better balance. It totally makes sense that I feel tired and unhappy because I’m rushing around all the time. I’ll find a way to make some time for myself"? You tell yourself you'll schedule some free time later, but does later ever come? I know I’ve been waiting for later for years now. I decided it was time for a change. Here are a few thoughts that have helped me along the way: • What’s really important? It’s time to decide what is really necessary and important in your life. Pick 5 priorities that you feel are absolutely vital to your well-being (e.g. family, religion, work, friends, and hobbies). • How can you cut back? Now, that you’ve chosen your top 5 priorities it’s time for the hard part—cutting back. Find ways to negate, or decrease, of the things that are stressing you out. Maybe you don’t have to do _____ for so and so. Or is there a certain person in your life who’s been causing more stress than happiness? You don’t have to cut that person out of your life, but maybe it’s time you take a step back and re-evaluate whether or not the friendship is healthy at this time in your life. • Scheduled spontaneity. I know, scheduled spontaneity seems like an oxymoron, but it’s incredibly important. Create a routine that works for you, but be sure to block out some free time. This time can be as long, or as short, as you’d like and is time where you can do whatever you want to do. Just make sure it’s fun! As always, I turned to the pasture for inspiration. As I sat and watched my horses going about their day, I made some interesting observations. Horses are masters of prioritizing what’s important. Their top priorities fall into line as: safety, comfort, and play. Everything else falls by the wayside if these priorities aren’t met. They are terrific partners with a healthy work ethic, while still relishing in their freedom do run and play. Their exuberance is captivating and beautiful to watch. Once I took a step back to look at the bigger picture, I was amazed at how easy finding balance could be. I didn’t need to run myself into exhaustion to please everyone. Doing so always ended with me feeling like I was trying to do so much, but doing none of it as well as I wanted. Finding a new work-life balance would not be possible without the support of great friends (both human and horse!), family, and God. These pillars of support help me stay on track and keep me motivated. I highly recommend you find pillars of your own to utilize in your own transition. Tara Chatterson works at Five Horses, LLC. Please visit the Five Horses’ website, FiveHorses.com, for more information about Natural Horsemanship lessons or Equine Assisted Learning.

At no time will any source be allowed to use Laurel Creek's contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in Laurel Creek is exclusively for the private use of the Laurel Creek HOA and Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.

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Laurel Creek - November 2016

LAUREL CREEK

Hurricane Preparedness for Your Pets

Don't forget to include your pets in your hurricane preparedness and evacuation plan. Storms can be scary for your animals, especially if they are moved out of their usual familiar environment. Be sure to have their crate or carrying case ready along with extra bedding and toys. Bring along at least four days worth of food with dishes and one week of medications. Investigate pet friendly hotels or motels ahead of time to be sure they allow pets and do not have a number limit. In addition, if you are not planning to leave your home and have the space, you might consider fostering one or two animals that may have nowhere to go during the storm period. After all, they ARE a part of the family.

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LAUREL CREEK

Association Crime Stoppers

Everyone wants a safe place to call home, and our association strives to make all residents feel secure. While we’re diligent in our efforts to reduce possible dangers in our community, we can’t do it alone. It’s up to everyone to pitch in to keep crime rates down. Thankfully, taking a few simple steps can go a long way in keeping theft, vandalism and other felonies and misdemeanors out of the association. Know Your Neighbors. And not just the neighbors on your block, but also the neighbors from all parts of the association. At the very least, you’ll get a better idea of who actually lives (and in turn, who belongs) here. Talking with your neighbors will also give you the chance to find out if there have noticed any crimes or suspicious activity in the association recently so that you can be on the lookout as well. Consider creating and distributing a block list with everyone’s contact information on your block so that you and your neighbors can alert each other of any problems that arise. Leave The Light On. A good way to deter felons from breaking into your home is to make sure your front porch light stays on all night, even when you’re out of town. Not only does it signal that someone’s home, it also makes it harder for vandals to hide among the shadows. If you’re worried that you’ll either forget to turn the light on at night or off in the morning, you can purchase an inexpensive timer that will automatically do that for you every day. Also, if you see any street lights around the association that are burnt out, please contact https://slo.centerpointenergy.com/ or let the clubhouse know as soon as possible so that we can replace them for everyone’s safety. Lock Up. If you want to keep unwanted guests out, don’t make your home inviting. Even when you’re around, it’s best to keep all gates, doors and garages locked at all times. It’s also a good idea to keep your windows closed and locked when possible, especially if they’re on the ground floor. Put On Your Walking Shoes. Taking as stroll around the association isn’t just good exercise. You can casually patrol the community for anything suspicious or usual, as well as swap notes about criminal activity in the area with other neighbors who are out and about. Also, when more residents regularly walk around the association, it can help scare off hooligans who are afraid of getting caught in the act. Clean It Up. Picking up litter, removing graffiti and keeping trees, bushes and lawns trimmed not only makes the association look better, but also sends the message that our residents are diligent about keeping the neighborhood a respectable place to live. This can help discourage troublemakers from hanging around our community and encourage responsible and involved people to move to the association. See Something, Say Something. If you notice a crime or a suspicious activity, regardless of how small the incident may seem, notify your local precinct or notify 911. Keep in mind that our local precinct is already in our area. List this number under A911 on your phone for easy access. We all have a responsibility to our community to help keep it safe, and incorporating even a few of these tips can go a long way. Do your part to make our association a place you’re happy to call home. 6

Laurel Creek - November 2016

Cloudy with a Chance of Technology We all know about the clouds that shade the sun and carry rain. Now it’s time to get to know the other cloud—the one that delivers computing power, handy applications, and the ability to share information with others wherever and whenever you need. Like the atmospheric mass that provides its name, the technological phenomenon impacts our daily lives. Cloud computing sounds mysterious and untrustworthy, but chances are you’re already working, playing and surfing in the cloud. If you’ve purchased an iPhone, Kindle, or any smartphone, tablet or computer recently, you’re probably taking advantage of its benefits. If you’ve downloaded a song from the Internet, chatted on Skype or purchased something from Amazon.com, you’ve used the cloud. So, what does the cloud mean to you, and how can you harness its power? It means you can pay your assessments online. You can access association documents and board meeting minutes from wherever you are. It might also mean, for the owners of second homes, that you can tune in to board meetings from the other side of the country. It means you can work from a remote office without losing a beat. You can collaborate with others on a document without having to e-mail the file back and forth. You can store photos, music and files online without taking up precious space on your computer. The cloud offers cheaper, stress-free alternatives to expensive hardware and maintenance. All you really need to take advantage of the cloud is reliable Internet access, but you should carefully consider security, privacy, the provider’s reliability and contract terms first. How secure is your data and information on the cloud? What privacy rules are you subject to? Some cloud services include clauses that allow providers to access and use a customer’s data —often for marketing purposes—and can retain that data long after you’re done using the service. What if the company providing the cloud service goes out of business? What happens to all your information? Do contact terms lock you into one program or application? These are important questions to ask. And though the cloud is relatively new, it’s here to stay and will become even more prevalent over time. To see a list of cloud computing providers, visit http:// cloud-computing.findthebest.com. Copyright © 2016 Peel, Inc.

LAUREL CREEK

Overnight Coffee Cake

Recipe provided by Sherry Watson. The original source is unknown (cut from an old magazine many years ago). This recipe is unbelievably simple, but it makes a beautiful presentation at the table. 1 pkg. frozen cloverleaf roll dough (about 25 rolls) 1 pkg. (four-serving size) vanilla pudding mix (not instant) ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup pecans, chopped 1 stick butter, melted Separate frozen roll dough into pieces (each cloverleaf makes three pieces). Other rolls will work, but with larger pieces of dough, use only 20; more may be too many for your pan. Combine dry pudding mix with brown sugar and pecans. Melt butter. Place pieces of frozen roll dough in a well-buttered Bundt pan. (Do not use angel food pan; butter leaks out!) Pour melted butter over frozen dough and sprinkle with pudding mixture. Leave cake pan out overnight; the dough rises beautifully by morning. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Invert on serving plate to serve. Sticky – but good!

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Laurel Creek - November 2016