Sienna List January 2017

January 2017

Community At Your Finger Tips

Celebrating Life and Teachings of MLK

- Page 3

The List

Top Things to do in January

- Page 9

Community Outreach Successful Toy Drive

- Page 11

Contents

5 11

Three Nurses Honored with Gold Award

Community Outreach Santa’s List Toy Drive Recap

15 17

Health Report

Presidential Inauguration Guide to Inauguration Day

Money Mat ters

6 Tips on Filing Your Income Tax

Sienna List | info@siennalist.com | Missouri City, TX 77459 | 281-201-5998

January 22nd -1 until 5pm - Club Sienna

Sienna Famer’s Market - 9600 Scanlan Trace Missouri City, TX 77459 Find gifts, fresh meat, local produce and more! FREE

January 28 & 29 - 9,10am until 6pm - Stafford Centre

Sugar Land Home and Garden Show - 10505 Cash Road Stafford, TX

7th Annual Sugar Land Home and Garden Show. Tickets: Adults $9, Seniors $8, Children 12 and under Free February 4th-6 until 8:30pm - Missouri City Community Center

21st Annual Father Daughter Dance - 1524 Texas Parkway, 77489 Dinner, dancing and more! More details Call (281)403-8637

February 9th - 6:30 until 11pm - Stafford Centre

Girlfriends Giggle - 10505 Cash Road Stafford, TX

The pajama party for grown up girls. Benefitting the Fort Bend Women’s Center.

For more information visit https://giggle2017.eventbrite.com/

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Sienna List was developed with the residents of Missouri City in mind. We offer free services for our members; a platform where members can find jobs, business recommendations, events, and more with the click of a button.

It’s easy to become a member of Sienna List:

1 - Visit www.thelist.city reate a user name and 2 - Cpassword for your login.

3 - Click the Submit button.

Creating and sharing a local event such as a garage sale, classes, or a fundraiser has never been easier! Once you login, click create an event. Then fill in the appropriate fields and your event will be live on Sienna List.

National Holiday

O

Celebrating the Life and Teachings of MLK

n January 15, we will celebrate the life and teachings Martin Luther King, Jr. More than just a reverend, the brilliant and fiery orator is considered one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.

Dr. King not only fought for the rights of African-Americans at a time when they were oppressed, he also championed the causes of the poor: janitors, single mothers, other minority groups and even impoverished whites.

In fact, one of the last things MLK did before being assassinated in Memphis, in 1968, was co-organize the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to highlight the plight of American citizens living below the poverty line, both black and white.

The curse of being an iconic figure is that you become iconic, meaning you become a sort of symbol to people, no longer seen as a human being. Today,

Dr. King is associated with the Civil Rights era, famous inspiring speeches, and grassroots activism. However, he was a highly controversial figure in his time and was even monitored by the U.S. government.

This Martin Luther King Day, we should examine the life of this complicated but highly-accomplished man to better understand him. Even if you didn’t agree with some of his political ideologies, his teachings through his sermons and writings is worth studying.

Christians can find a wealth of wisdom from this brilliant Bible scholar and theologian.

By Michael Miraflores

respect. Regardless of your race, class, religion or political leaning, people today can find gems from Dr. King’s teachings.

Although Fort Bend County doesn’t officially have a parade scheduled for MLK Day, citizens can go to nearby Houston, where a grand parade is planned for January 16. The parade will begin at 10:00 AM, on San Jacinto Street & Elgin Street.

Dr. King was actually a conservative and would have been a great role model for traditional Republicans.

Political activists can learn a lot from his socialist ideas about helping the poor and disadvantaged. Students can follow his example of being a model citizen and treating your peers with

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. January 2017

3

Now Open in Missouri City

Continued ~

Near the intersection of Sienna Parkway and Highway 6

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4

Health Report

H

Three Nurses from Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Honored with Gold Award

ouston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital nurses Allison Damron, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC, Elizabeth Gonzales, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, and Amy SebastianDeutsch, DNP, RN, CNS, AOCNS, have been named Gold Award winners in the 12th Annual Good Samaritan Foundation’s Excellence in Nursing Awards.

Damron was honored in the category of Clinical Practice in a Small Hospital.

Inspired to become a nurse by encouragement from her mother, she was nominated by her director after working to ensure that a patient’s husband was able to receive medical care and remain by his dying wife’s side. “To me, that felt simple and just part of my job,” Damron said. “As nurse practitioners, we have a really big impact on families and patients every single day even if it’s in small ways that may we not notice.”

Gonzales was nominated in the

category of Nursing Administration and Leadership. Her colleagues recognized her not only for her dedication to the administrative aspect of her role and to the leadership and development of her team members, but also for her passion for going above and beyond to develop relationships with patients and families. “I’m still a clinician at heart,” she said. “I love taking care of patients.

Yet, I understand and appreciate the administrative role; I feel that we need to have very strong leadership in the health care arena and the only way to do that is to dive in and take on some of the issues that are in health care today.”

Sebastian-Deutsch was awarded in the category of Non-Hospital Based Care. Honored for her expertise and her passion to make a difference for oncology patients, she seizes the opportunity to be a mentor to other nurses and to create new tools to share her knowledge with patients. “I am humbled to receive an award for doing

something I am so passionate about,” she said. “God has been very good to me in allowing me to couple my clinical expertise with my administrative interests.”

“I want to congratulate each of these excellent nurses,” said Janet Leatherwood, Chief Nursing Officer.

“These women exemplify the quality care and expertise that Houston Methodist Sugar Land is known for, and they are incredibly deserving of this recognition and appreciation.”

The Good Samaritan Foundation Excellence in Nursing Awards recognizes nurse leaders offering extraordinary and compassionate care and service, who are nominated by their peers for their passion, leadership, mentorship and service to the Houston community. The Good Samaritan Foundation encourages nursing excellence through a variety of supported programs from education to practice.

For more information about Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, visit houstonmethodist.org/ sugarland or call 281.274.7500 for a physician referral. Visit our Facebook page at fb.com/ methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.

Photo: Allison Damron, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC, Elizabeth Gonzales, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, and Amy Sebastian-Deutsch, DNP, RN, CNS, AOCNS January 2017

5

West Houston Foot & Ankle Center

(281) 690-4810 25311 Kingsland Blvd. Ste 110 Katy, TX 77494

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ReConnect to your inner healer.

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The List

1.

Top 10 Things to do in January It’s been a whirl! Start off the year right by booking a Spa day for you and a friend and while you are getting your nails done share your goals for this new year. Making someone aware of your aspirations tends to keep us better accountable for completing them.

with Auntie A

you can dedicate to your health and stick to it!

7. Schedule dental visits and cleanings for you and the children. Also check to see if the dogs and cats need bathing to keep their winter coats at bay.

8. Make a large batch of homemade candy and bag up into little heart bags for Valentines Giving! Drop off a tray to the nursing home and a few valentines cards for the Young at Heart to enjoy during the season of LOVE.

2. Take all the curtains down and either wash them or take to laundry for cleaning. It’s time to start getting everything ready for spring!.

3. On my nightside table… ”The Untethered Soul”

by Michael A. Singer and The Road to Character” by David Brooks

9. Schedule a “Sexy Cat Boudior” session for your husband and surprise him with a “for his eyes only” gift! Hint: www.alisamurray.com

4. Start looking at vacation deals for Spring break with the kiddos. There’s ton of fun and educational places to go right here in the state of Texas!

5. Order seeds and begin planning your spring garden.

Pull all the fall harvest in and can or freeze your collards, cabbages and late tomatoes to use until the spring garden blooms and delivers.

and show them how their lives can be enriched by something that does NOT involve a computer!

10. Go take the children to the museum and dedicate each quarter this year educating them in the arts. Plan a visit each month to ether the ballet, the museum or a concert

6. Make an appointment with a personal trainer and set your fitness goals for the year. Find a commitable time that

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NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PORTRAIT ARTIST & AWARD WINNING COLUMNIST.

Auntie A’s Hearts on Fire Valentines CANDY 3 3/4 c sugar 1 1/4 c light karo syrup 1 c water 1 tsp. Cinnanmon Flavoring

sheet and allow to cool completely.

and

Sprinkle candy again with powdered

a dollop of red food coloring powdered sugar for

“dusting”

Sprinkle cookie sheet with powdered sugar and set aside

Combine sugar syrup and water in a saucepan and continuously stir

Once completely cooled lay a clean towel over top of sheet and break candy into pieces by taping with a hammer. sugar

Bag up into sparkly see through paper and tie with red and pink

curling ribbons to make the perfect

Valentine’s gifts!

over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Continue to cook without stirring

until a candy thermometer reaches

290 degrees. (Between 34 and 45 minutes) Remove from heat and add food color and oil or extract

Pour mixture onto prepared cookie January 2017

9

Dr. William G. Richey Therapeutic Optometrist Optometric Glaucoma Specialist 4710 Riverstone Blvd.

Missouri City, TX 77459 Modern Technology…Old-Fashioned Care

281.208.5999 www.drrichey.com

Comprehensive Vision and Eye Health Examinations for the Entire Family

HomeMAID s e r v i c e s est. 1985

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Professional Home Cleaning Lisa Hodges, Owner

Open House for Prospective Students February 12 | 2-4 pm fortbendchristian.org/RSVP

281-451-4624

www.flogrillshouston.com FLO Grills Houston is a locally owned company, specializing in custom Outdoor Kitchen Design, Manufacturing and Installation. Our state of the art CAD design and manufacturing teams ensure a precise fit, fireproof enclosure, and include a lifetime warranty. All of our designs are custom to your setting and provide everything you need to outfit your dream Outdoor Living Space.

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GRILLS • FIREPLACES • SMOKERS • FIRE PITS

Community Outreach

D

2nd Annual Santa’s List Toy Drive Re-Cap

ecember 9th, 2016 was a great evening for holiday fun and Christmas cheer. With over 10 Food Trucks, Santa Claus and bounce house fun. Our community came together that evening to help brighten the holidays for the clients of The Fort Bend Women’s Center.

including Dance Works, ST. Catherine of Sienna Episcopal Church, Sara Nguyen Realtor, Ortiz Roofing, The Spencer Company, The Goddard School, Bushi Ban, Meza Mechanical, Leonetti Graphics, Sienna Plantation Animal Hospital, Entouch, Edible Arrangements, Paint Party Place, Classic Chevrolet and Gabby Malcuit Photography.

The Fort Bend Women’s Center is the primary advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in the Fort Bend Region. Empowering survivors and their children to achieve safety, Heal and begin a new independent and self-sufficient life, while also striving to prevent violence against women.

Sandwiches, and D’Lish Curbside We would like to extend our gratitude to the community for coming together and making our 2nd Annual Santa’s List Toy Drive a huge success. We double our donation from 2015, donating over 600 toys that were collected and delivered to the Fort Bend Women‘s Center Santa Store, including over $2000 in event funds spent at Target Missouri City on additional toys.

This Event would not have been possible without our amazing volunteers and our amazing sponsors,

Photos with Santa and of the event are now available on our website www. thelist.city!

Food Truck Sponsors Taco Me Crazy, Foreign Policy, Cousins Maine Lobster, Tu-Go Kitchen, Skratch Food Truck, Pocket To Me, The Waffle Bus, Off Beat Eatz, Frosted Betty, Coreanos, Maine-ly

January 2017

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HEALTH MATTERS WITH DR. STEVE HARRIS WHERE WEIGHT LOSS COMES EASILY

Losing 30 lbs in 30 Days with a DoctorSupervised Weight Loss Program ~Quick, Safe, Easy, Healthy, All-Natural... and No Exercise Required!~

A

lysoun Marks says, “I’ve been receiving chiropractic care since I was a teenager. When my husband and I moved to this area last year, all the moving and unpacking gave me a real pain in my back...so I looked for a chiropractor and I found Dr. Steve Harris at the Sugar Land Health Center. He did such good work that I was excited to learn he offered a weight loss program. Dr. Harris’ wife sat down with me and went over all the steps of the program and it couldn’t have been easier!”

“Over the past eight years, I’d put on about sixty extra pounds as a result of treatment for breast cancer and my subsequent thyroid disease. Over those years I also suffered setbacks like a pinched disc in my back and a broken ankle. I tried to exercise, but all those hiccups made weight loss so difficult. Dr. Harris’ program made everything simple. In the first place, I really wasn’t hungry at all! My husband

and I did the program together to support each other...but he’d been worried it would be one of those diets where you’re starving all the time. Secondly, we actually both saw very rapid weight loss. I lost thirty pounds in one month and he lost thirty-five! I think that this is a breakthrough in losing weight because it makes your body healthier while rapidly dropping weight and requires low discipline.”

“Losing weight quickly meant we didn’t have to sustain willpower for very long. Maintaining the weight loss has been much, much easier than losing weight ever was!

You get a clear meal plan that’s easy to understand and follow. In fact, I just got back from a Girls Weekend to the Food and Wine Festival in Fredericksburg...and I’m going to use that meal plan to take off the pound or two I put on having fun. It’s really simple to follow and Dr. Harris’s wife made sure I had her cell phone number and her email so I could contact her with any questions. The program is so quick that you can literally start in December and lose a lot of weight before your New Year’s party.”

“My husband thanked me for talking him into the program and told me, ‘You literally saved my life!’ I still want to lose another twenty pounds...but I’m enjoying maintaining this substantial weight loss now. I know with Dr. Harris’ help it’ll be simple to reach my goal!”

Sugar Land Health Center

281-980-1050

3425 Highway 6, Suite 101 (behind McDonalds) Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.sugarlandhealthcenter.com January 2017

13

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Riverstone

8330 Hwy. 6, Suite 110 Missouri City, TX 77459

18717 S. University Blvd., Suite 105 Sugar Land, TX 77479

Sweetwater

4660 Sweetwater Blvd., Suite 210 Sugar Land, TX 77479

Houston Methodist Primary Care Group is dedicated to providing high-quality and compassionate care to the Fort Bend community. Our physicians have extensive training and experience in diagnosing and treating patients with a caring, hands-on, family-oriented approach.

• Accepts most major insurance plans • Patient portal for secure • Convenient locations communication with your care team • Easy online scheduling • Same day appointments Schedule online at houstonmethodist.org/appointments or call 713.394.6638.

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Presidential Inauguration

W

A Quick Guide to Inauguration Day

ith the Presidential Election behind us the next event on our minds is Inauguration Day. On January 20th, we will have a new president, and Inauguration Day is sure to be as entertaining as Donald J. Trump. Make sure you don’t miss this momentous event, which is guaranteed to have a lot of YouTubeworthy moments. The inauguration is planned by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the 2017 Presidential Inaugural Committee. It is this ceremony that marks the commencement of a new four year term of a president of the United States.

If you plan on taking the trip up to Washington, D.C. to see the inauguration in person, be aware of the understandably tight security presence. The event will start a little past noon on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Vice President-elect Mike Pence and President-elect

By Michael Miraflores

Donald Trump will take the Oaths of Office before the inaugural address.

A grand parade along Pennsylvania Avenue will follow the inaugural address. Be aware that due to the contentious nature of this election, there will be protests held by various political groups and activists in general. A Bikers for Trump rally has also been granted permit, and could lead to intense situations between pro- and anti-Trump protesters despite the high-level security. So keep this in mind if you’re planning to attend the ceremony. In the evening, inaugural balls will be held by various organizations, such as the Republican Party and press committees.

The tickets are free since the inauguration is officially a public event paid for by taxpayers.

However, you might be out of luck in snagging one since they are in

high demand. You cannot watch the swearing-in-ceremony unless you have a ticket. Most Americans will be watching from their living room or smartphone and tablets. The event will be covered by almost all of the major news networks, so it will be hard for you to miss it, even if you wanted to.

The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube and probably Facebook as well. So if you’re stuck in traffic or waiting at the airport, you can watch the inauguration from your smartphone, tablet or laptop.

Keeping safety first in mind.

Whether you voted for the presidentelect or not, this is an important ceremony for all Americans to witness and will be a historic event.

Be sure to make some time in your day to watch it, even if not for the inauguration itself, but to see our cherished democracy in action.

January 2017

15

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Money Mat ters

I

6 Tips on Filing Your Income Tax

t’s our favorite time of the year.

Just kidding. It’s our least favorite time of the year: tax season. The Internal Revenue Service stated that tax season will begin on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. As a cherry on top, they reminded taxpayers to expect a longer wait for refunds on certain tax credits. I wonder if they chose a Monday just to troll us. In any case, it’ll be a long day in front of your computer typing away on TurboTax, with a stack of financial documents flanking you on both sides.

Here are some tips that will make the process go a whole lot smoother, along with some pointers on how to milk every cent out of that tax return.

1. Review Your Previous Year’s Returns Unless you won the lottery or filed for bankruptcy within the last year, it’s unlikely that your current financial status has changed that much. With that said, you’ll probably end up filling in the same information as you did in your last tax return. Save yourself some time and whip out your tax returns from

By Michael Miraflores

the previous year. It’s like copying the answers from your old quiz when taking the semester exam, except the IRS won’t penalize you for copying.

2. Deduct Your Medical Expenses There are certain medical expenses that you can deduct, such as diagnosis, check-ups, and treatments. The same goes for laboratory works you had done and dental visits. You can also deduct certain premium services from your health insurance. Make sure to gather all your relevant medical and dental information before filing your taxes. That way, you can blaze through it in one sitting.

3. Deduct Your Charitable Donations You gave more than you received throughout the year. Now, it’s time for you to reap the rewards of all that good karma. First, itemize your deductions on all your contributions to charity. If you’ve made cash donations that exceed $250, then you should have a receipt filed away. Likewise, non-cash donations over $500 should have a receipt. However,

keep in mind that any rewards you received for contributing to charity— like, say, free tickets to a baseball game—will prevent you from deducting the total amount of your donation.

4. Political Donations are NonDeductible Last year was an election year and if you donated to your preferred candidate, you might be thinking of deducting the amount you contributed. Bad news: you can’t. This is because donating to political campaigns or organizations do not count as “charitable contribution.”

5. Transfer Your Unused Credits.

If you’re married, you can transfer tax credits to your spouse. For example, certain credits for students, like tuition credits, can be transferred to your spouse and vice-versa. In fact, student credits can even be transferred to parents and grandparents after the credits have been used to decrease the student’s tax payable to zero.

6. Pros and Cons of Online Tax Filing Programs Online tax filing programs such as TurboTax and TaxAct are great for students, seniors and those who do not have complicated financial life. These types of programs are user-friendly, sleek and use all sorts of algorithms to cater to your specific profile. For instance, if you’re a student, TurboTax will find relevant deductibles for you.

However, if you work a part-time job, do freelance work on the side, and have a registered LLC (like a simple online shop where you sell your handicrafts), then you might want to seek a professional’s assistance. There are many reputable accountants in the Fort Bend area who can help you sort out your tax documents and save you from a headache or two.

January 2017

17

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$59

check-up Special

AC Tune-up or Heater safety check (per system). Regularly $89 – Cannot be combined with other offers. Some restrictions may apply. Expires 1/1/2017.

281-277-7557

JOIN OUR DY NA MIC AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM!

802 Summer Park Drive, Suite 209 Stafford, Texas 77477

281-277-7557

• Degreed Staff • Privately Owned Since 1983 • Field Trips • School Holidays Included • Options Catering To Varied Interests Of Students

www.ultramechanical.com $50 OFF any repair Gift card may not be used on check up special, service call fee and cannot be used across multiple trips.

Cannot be used on previous sales. Offer valid for one air conditioner only, additional units at regular price. Must present the card to technician at time of service.

The After School Program at The Towne Creek School provides a safe and enriching environment for children in Kindergarten through Seventh Grade.

Enhance The Beauty and Value of Your Home Quality Flooring at Affordable Prices

$1000 Off

Hardwoods installed

Custom plantation Basswood Shutters

laminate

purchase of $7500 $150 Off Purchase of $1500 $300 Off Purchase of $2500 $750 Off Purchase of $5000 present at time of purchase otherwise we can’t honor.

Not valid with other offers.

$20 sqft

$2.99 sqft

granite Countertops

Carpet

Kitchen & Bath makeovers tile, Carpet, Wood & laminate flooring granite, Silestone & Quartz Countertops Window treatments

Sam’s Flooring Gallery

4327 Hwy 6 South (just south of Oyster Creek park), Sugar land, tX 77478

832-875-8371 • SamsFlooringGallery.com

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$29.99 sqft Oyster Creek park

Settlers Way Blvd

nth 24 mo g in c n fina ble a il a Av

★

Sam’s flooring gallery

including trim

$1.29 sqft dulles Ave

installed

We Offer COmplete HOme remOdeling inCluding:

$4.29 sqft

pricing includes installation and trim.

ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE POOLS

OUTDOOR ELEMENTS designs and brings to life all the components of amazing landscaped spaces. Our team has the education, experience and creativity to design, build and maintain award-winning outdoor spaces. We have won over 35 local, state and national awards for exceptional landscaping and pool projects. From inception to execution, Outdoor Elements’ breadth of experience ensures a streamlined process and exceptional outcome.

Contact Outdoor Elements Today: 15139 South Post Oak Rd., Houston, Texas 77053 office: 713.955.0990 | www.outdoorelementstx.com

Award Winning Architecture Landscape Installation Custom Pools & Fountains Gazebos, Patios & Arbors Outdoor Kitchens & Fireplaces Landscape Lighting

19

ECRWSS

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER

PRSRT STD U.S POSTAGE PAID DENVER CO PERMIT NO. 5377

complex neurological conditions — treated in sugar land.

At the Neuroscience & Spine Center at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, our physicians collaborate across specialties to diagnose and treat common to complex neurological disorders. With innovative and advanced treatment options, we provide the most comprehensive care close to home.

Our team of physicians treats a variety of disorders, including • Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) • Back and neck pain • Brain and spinal tumors • Epilepsy and seizures • Headaches and migraines • Multiple sclerosis (MS) • Muscle and nerve injuries

• Muscular atrophy • Myasthenia gravis • Neuromuscular disorders • Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders • Peripheral neuropathy • Sleep disorders • Stroke

For more information, visit houstonmethodist.org/sugarland-neuro, or to schedule an appointment, call 281.274.7979.