About The Woodlands' Town Center

In case there was any doubt that Fall is here let that doubt be dispelled by the Woodlands Ice Rink Preview next weekend on November 11th and 12th, 2011. The Rink will be open 10am to 11pm on Saturday and noon to 7pm on Sunday. This special Preview will be in conjunction with the 16th annual Children's Festival at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

This starts off the Holiday Season in the Woodlands, Texas which officially kicks off next Saturday with the November with 29th Annual Lighting of the Doves and the 5th annual International winter on the Waterway.

Some Interesting Facts:

• Size of the Woodlands Ice Rink
• Ice Surface 128 feet by 60 feed wide
• Tent is 216 feet long by 80 feet wide

Kid's Ice Rink

• The Woodlands Ice Rink will have a separate Rink for beginners and children 5-years and under. The Rink is 16 feet by 16 feet. This is where you will find me. I'll try to not break anything! I hope they will have pillows available because I will probably need one!

The Ice Rink is located at the Northeast corner of Lake Robbins and Six Pines Drive. A map and driving directions can be found here.

More info, admission info can be found here.

YUCATAN TACO STAND NOW OPEN ~ THE WOODLANDS, TX

The Yucatan Taco Stand is now open in The Woodlands, TX. This is anything but what one would typically think of when imagining a taco stand. Located at 24 Waterway, this is a great, eclectic dining experience. Right on the Waterway facing the fountains makes this a great location.

I ate there today and was very pleased. Great food, fun atmosphere and fast service. I will be back. And, only have been open for a few days was impressive.

Looks like business was picking up as the line was out of the door by the time we made it to the front. I will post pictures later. A great place that you will want to see.

The Woodlands has so many wonderful restaurants so it is always nice to welcome a new one. If you haven't been out to The Woodlands lately, now is the time. Come on down to the Waterway and enjoy the restaurants and bars in this area.

When shopping watch out for the little "hooks" retailers are putting in their loyalty programs. In our day to day shopping it appears the best thing to do is to join every shopper loyalty program out there... or is it?

As retailers get more efficient in tracking buyers spending habits a recent study finds that loyalty programs may cost a company more than they hoped to gain. I have personally noticed that some companies are phasing out old programs and charging the consumer to be loyal? I witnessed this recently when I went to a theater chain and presented my frequent movie watcher card and was informed that it was no longer accepted and for only $12.95 I can have the same benefits that I once had for Free.

The deal was that I would get $10 back for every $100 I spent. Since I am frugal it would take me purchasing 25 movie tickets to rack up $100 and I normally watch about 4 or 5 movies a year in theaters. Lets assume the dollar counter rolls over from year to year. In 4 years I would have spent $52 and gotten $10 back. Hmmmm That math doesn't seem to work. Now for some families this program may be a bargain if they go to the movies a lot. However Dave Ramsey Certified Financial Coach Deanna Ooley will tell you it's probably just better you think just a little ahead of the game.

Another example that I've noticed is that a grocery store that offers 10 cents off per gallon purchased at their gas pump for every $100 spent on groceries. Ok I was shopping there anyway and the gas was the same price or lower than other gas stations in the area. Then they offered 15 cents instead of the 10 cents if you had their credit card tied to your shopper card. You did not have to use the card at all to get the 15 cent discount. Then about a year ago they started saying you HAD to charge it to their card to get the 15 cent discount. So any discount you would receive they would get back through interest.

Just when saving for a house and shopping for a home loan it is always wise to examine thelittle things. In the end those little things add up to dollars and cents and if you get to the end of your money before the end of the month you may want to look at how you are shopping if it's costing you more to belong to a loyalty program than you are saving.

There is more to this story and many more examples. I'd love to hear yours.

ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS TO ICE SKATE IN THE WOODLANDS!

The Ice Skating Rink will be closing for the season on January 17th, 2011! Go online now to receive an additional $1 off the price of admission.

We love our yearly skating rink because down here in this neck of the woods, we just don't have frozen ponds in which to skate on. This rink is set up once a year from mid November through mid January.

If you haven't been able to find the time to skate, you only have a few more days left. Why not take an afternoon break (no bones though) and get out to the rink before the 17th!

See you on the ice!

The Woodlands Fall Flea Market ~ Saturday, November 6, 2010

Tomorrow morning Saturday, November 6 is the semi-annual Flea Market. Get up and arrive early as the market opens at 7 a.m. - 10 a.m. This is a very popular event so you really need to plan on getting there as early as possible. It will be cold too so bundle up!

The location will be the Town Center Garage next to the Pavilion. You won't be able to park in the garage but there is plenty of parking in the other garages.

If you are looking for a variety of items, this is the place. Do some early Christmas shopping now!