Heights Nights at the AT&T Performing Arts Center!

Discover the Tony-winning Best Musical about home, family, and finding where you belong right along with your neighbors!

For 3 nights only, residents of The Village can see In The Heights for a special price!

Use promo code COMMUNITY for $30 tickets in Mezzanine or Dress Circle (Up to 65% off!) for performances March 13^th- 15^th. 

For tickets, call 214.880.0202 or visit attpac.org/heights.

(Offer not valid on previously purchased tickets)

Here are a few upcoming classes:

Healthy in a Hurry, Part 2: Sauté & Steam
January 15

Once you have stocked your pantry, learn cooking techniques for healthy living. The second class in our series will teach you how to correctly sauté and steam – two techniques commonly used at home. Sautéing is a quick cooking method that yields delicious golden-tinged vegetables with just the right amount of crunch; steaming, when done properly, results in bright flavors and perfect textures. Ideal for quick weeknight meals, these cooking methods ensure that vegetables are tender-crisp and that meats are juicy and flavorful.

Healthy in a Hurry, Part 3: Grill & Bake
January 22

The final class in our cooking series will feature how to grill and bake with a healthy flair. With quick grilling recipes and comforting baked dishes in your repertoire, your family will savor satisfying and healthy meals all season long.

Big Bowls of Chili
February 5

Chili con carne (which means “chili with meat”) is an American favorite with many regional variations. Easy to make, hearty and versatile, chili can be as fun to garnish as it is to eat. We will teach you about the profiles of different chili powders and how to enjoy them, how to make a basic chili plus delicious variations including vegetarian, and ideas for tasty toppings.

What’s in Season: Winter Vegetables
February 12

If winter vegetables are a mystery to you, join us for a class that uncovers the wonders of these tasty and hearty foods. Learn how to select, prepare and enjoy what’s in season now – from squashes to greens. This class will make your winter produce shopping more interesting and your winter meals more delicious!

Knife Skills
February 19

A sharp edge, the correct grip, proper placement and safety – these are all part of good knife skills. This class will begin with correct positioning – of you, your knife and the food – then move on to serious slicing, dicing and chopping, as well as more advanced cuts such as chiffonade, julienne and more! We offer complimentary sharpening at this class. Please bring your favorite knife, and we will be happy to sharpen it for you. Please note: Limit 1 knife per customer.

Fresh, Fast & Easy Pasta
February 26

Pasta for most home cooks is a way to get dinner on the table quickly – so why not learn some delicious new pasta recipes to liven up your weeknight meals? We’ll teach you how to make pasta alla Norma (pasta with eggplant), as well as a few other Williams-Sonoma favorites.

Basically, it’s a day to shop with your buddy and pick up special deals, giveaways, free food, and more.

You must register for this event on IKEA’s Facebook , http://www.facebook.com/IKEAUSA. Once you are registered, you will receive printable coupons for free breakfast and a free IKEA bag.  

The day of the event stop by the lobby to snap a fun IKEA photo with your friend and register to win one of five $200 IKEA gift cards. The first drawing will be at 11am.  I also would not pass up the free chair massages on the second floor!  At 1pm Organizational Expert, Lorraine Brock, will host a workshop on organizing your life.  

It is sure to be a fun day!

Follow IKEA Dallas on Twitter all day for the latest developments: http://twitter.com/IKEA_Dallas

P.S. For every friend invited on Facebook, IKEA will donate $1 to Save the Children, up to $50,000.

It happened every year in our house. My mom would make us cider, we would put on sparkly hats and wait until the exact moment that the shiny glowing ball hit the bottom of the platform before we were allowed to blow our plastic, streamer-clad horns and scream “Happy New Year”! To any kid allowed to stay up until midnight, blowing the ultimate annoying whistle and drinking enough cider to fill a small bathtub, this was one of the best nights we would have that year! But the biggest thrill was watching that shiny, sparkly, magnificently glowing ball drop all the way down that big pole, symbolizing a whole New Year.  Little did we know how much history that ball had!

The Times Square Ball has been lowered or “dropped”  nearly every  year since December 31st, 1907 in Times Square, Manhattan. Although kept on a flagpole at Times Square year round it only starts it’s decent every December 31st at 11:59pm EST.

The Times Square Ball, originally constructed by The New York Times Chief Electrician, Walter F. Palmer was made out of iron and wood, lit with 100 25-watt lightbulbs and weighed 700lbs. This original ball was replaced in 1920, constructed of iron and weighed in at 400 lbs.  The second ball was discontinued in 1942-1943 due to wartime lighting restrictions. The third ball, built in 1995 weighed in at 1,020 lbs and was clad with rhinestones and computerized lighting systems featuring strobe lighting. The fourth ball was created by Waterford Crystals in 2008 in dedication of the ball drop’s 100th anniversary and weighed in at 1,212 lbs. This ball was only used once and can be found at Macy’s in Herald’s Square. The fifth ball currently weighing in at 11,875 lbs resulted in a re-design of the original flagpole, making it stronger and wider.

Many venues hosting New Year’s Eve bashes try to incorporate some sort of “ball drop” to complete their New Year’s regimen. This year The Village Country Club will be hosting our own ball drop, balloon ball drop that is! There will be a champagne toast, lots of sparkly cocktails, a fantastic balloon-ball drop & we will of course be showing that shiny, sparkly, magnificently glowing ball drop in Times Square that has mesmerized American’s for decades. For more information about The Village Country Club’s Annual New Year’s Eve Party please visit our website at www.myvillageapts.com or click the link below.

http://www.myvillageapts.com/News.aspx?id=69

Information in the above article was obtained from Wikipedia online. To read the entire article please click this linkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_Ball

This recent couple found a creative way to spice up a guest book!

Every year, around this time, I start to create a list in my head of everything that I need want to get done to prepare for the holidays.

Usually my list is chucked full of  internet-inspired  grandiose ideas that I truly think I have time for. You know, the ones that make you want to dust off the old “footie pajamas”, crank up the classic Sinatra holiday tunes & guiltlessly drink ultra-rich hot cocoa with lots of baby marshmallows?

Yep, every year,  about the second week into December, of course,  I decide that “This WILL be the year that I squeeze all of my favorite traditions into the two weeks leading up to Christmas”.  What I don’t ever seem to remember is that the rest of my life does not pause during the month of December.

So, ultimately I have to cut out a few traditions (not the guilt-free, ultra-rich hot cocoa, of course) and decide which festive event will be set to the highest level of priority. Que Holiday Lights gazing.

Every year in Dallas, millions of people try to out-do their neighbors with the biggest, brightest and most electricity bill shocking display of Holiday Lights (everything is bigger in Texas, right?).  Well, thankfully, 2011 is no exception to this tradition. From Highland Park to Farmers Branch & even Forth Worth,  we thought it would be fun to share some posts on where you can find the biggest and baddest display of lights this year!

1. Farmers Branch Tour of Lights                                                                                                                                                        When: November 25 to December 31, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.                                                                                   Where: Tour starts at Valley View Lane and I-35. Follow the candy cane signs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Cost:It’s a free drive-through display.Christmas Tree Lighting event is December 3, 2011 at 7 p.m. at Farmers Branch Historial Park, 2540 Farmers Branch Lane. Fireworks, snow hill, Santa and more.

2. Kessler Park in Dallas

   This is a wonderful neighborhood to view holiday lights.

   Directions: From downtown Dallas: go West on I-30. Take the Sylvan exit – turn left (south) on Sylvan. Travel about a half a mile on Sylvan to Colorado – go right (west) on Colorado.  Travel another half mile on Colorado to the intersection of Colorado and Lausanne. Look for a big traffic triangle at that intersection with five large trees.

   Cost: It’s a free drive-through display.

3. Highland Park (Dallas)

   What: Highland Park is the premier neighborhood for viewing holiday lights in Dallas.

   Where: The best place to enter is at Armstrong Parkway and Preston Road. The homes are beautifully (and professional) dressed for the holidays. The area is bordered by Preston on the east side, Mockingbird to the north, the Dallas North Tollway to the west, and Armstrong Parkway for an entrance. There are a number of carriage services available for viewing the spectacular lights.

   Cost: Free to drive through. Carriage rides are available for a fee.

4. Sundance Square Parade of Lights (Fort Worth)

   What: The 2011 Sundance Square Parade of Lights. Held each year in downtown Fort Worth, the Sundance Square Parade of Lights features over 100 illuminated entries, Cowboy Santas, marching bands, antique cars and more. This year’s parade theme, “Unwrap the Magic,” will feature even more professional floats, as well as our wonderful array of community-based units of all shapes and sizes. Street seats are available for a fee but there are also plenty of free viewing areas available.

   When: The parade starts at 6 p.m. Friday, November 25, 2011.

   Where: The parade route runs from Belknap Street to Commerce Street, around 6th Street to Houston Street and up to Weatherford.

   Cost: Free

So do we!! Every year, there are those daring folks who wake up, fresh from their ‘Turkey Tryptophan’ induced slumber, to stand in line for the biggest, baddest day of shopping all year, Black Friday. Admittedly I am usually in this group of ‘good-deal shopping extraordinaires’. This year however, I decided to absorb the otherwise lost  6 hours of sleep (that’s about as much standing-in-line-elbowing-the-person-next-to-me that I can take) and went on an online shopping smarter, not harder extravaganza!

Cyber Monday boasts literally thousands of great deals, the best of which is Free… shipping that is. All it takes is a bit of practice- which you could be doing in lieu of standing in horrendous Black Friday lines- and patience, lots of patience.  I have listed a couple of my favorite Cyber Monday finds below but, the best way to find great deals is to “follow” your favorite brands on Twitter or “like” them on Facebook as more and more businesses are using their social media tools to rake in the bargain hunters!

JCrew: J.Crew is offering 25% off + FREE shipping for Cyber Monday! Fill your cart up with the updated classics the brand has pioneered and use code “SURPRISE” at checkout.

Zappos:  FREE Shipping both ways.  No code needed. 

Banana Republic:  30% OFF Everything. Code:  HUGECYBER. 

Tory Burch:  20% OFF $250, 25% OFF 500, 30% OFF $750.  Code: GETGIFTS

Piperlime:  20% OFF Everything.  Code:  HUGECYBER. 

Gap:  30% OFF Everything.  Code: HUGECYBER.

Aldo :In addition to earning an extra 30% off all reduced footwear, Aldo is also offering 30% off all new styles today only.

Let The Shopping Begin!

If you have visited The Village Country Club Fitness Center lately you might have noticed a new member to our cardio equipment family, “The Expresso Interactive Cardio Bike”. This new bike is, in our opinion, the cats pajamas!

With this new technology you are able to complete a profile that will save your previous work-outs and will even allow you to race against your previous time via a virtual ‘ghosted’ avatar! One of the most popular features of this new machine is that it allows the rider to connect with their friends and fellow riders in a virtual race…imagine racing your best friend, in real time, talk about healthy motivation!

To get started on your own virtual weight loss ‘tour’ ,  simply create your online profile at http://www.expresso.net/UserPortal/welcome.do .  So go ahead, opt for the healthier way to get more energy, trade in your daily espresso’s for our new Expresso!

A Very Thankful

“Thanks”-Giving.

Leading such hectic lives, we  sometimes lose sight of how much we have to be thankful for. This Thanksgiving season, before the Holiday lights hit the trees and the malls become overcrowded with the bustle of children, their eyes lit up with hopes of the newest toys and games, The Village will start collecting “Toys for Tots” items.

Our hope is that we are able to help a great deal of  families in our community to enjoy a Holiday Season that will be remembered and cherished.  And what better time to start this thankful expression than before Thanksgiving?!

So before you dust off the fine turkey-day china, make your bountiful grocery list or start digging through your recipe books for ‘Grandma’s Gravy Recipe’, please think about the meaning of “Thanks”-Giving and donate to Toys for Tots!

All Village Leasing office’s are now collecting new, unwrapped toys for donation from now until December 6th. As a thank you for helping us boost this great toy-drive, ALL residents whom drop off a toy to their leasing office before December 6th will receive a free pass to The Village Country Club’s Resident Holiday Party on December 12th! Donations will also be accepted at the Holiday Party. For more information on our Resident Holiday Party, please visit www.myvillageapts.com

Have a happy and Thankful “Thanks”-Giving.

Sincerely,

The Village

Fight Night 2011 is  August 25th!

 Another year, another…fight? Fight Night 2011 is just around the corner. If you have not been to The Village for Fight Night, there is a good chance of one thing; you’re new to Dallas!

Sportsradio station 1310 “The Ticket” has once again partnered with The Village to host one of the biggest “battles” this town has seen since the old western Texas-style shoot outs!

Last year, Fight Night boasted over 3,500 people, dedicated to absorbing a night filled with good food, drinks and of course, epic-match ups,  and this year will be no different!  Come to The Village Country Club on Thursday, August 25th  at 5pm to experience what many call the most entertaining amateur boxing in the wild-wild west!