Arts + Culture

The Nutcracker

Local Ballet Company Takes Production to New Heights Article by Hope Vanderburg | Photography by Scott Nilsson, Julie Hacker & Steven O'Connor The holiday tradition of The Nutcracker  is a staple of the Christmas season. Houston Repertoire Ballet has been bringing this production to life for Northwest Houston audiences for 26 years. However this year, you will find them on a different stage. The newly built Cy-Fair ISD Visual and Performing Arts Center is the new home of Houston Repertoire...

Shopping

Tessa's Favorite Things

Holiday gifts and experiences hand-picked by Houston Life's Tessa Barrera Article by Laura SanchezQuan | Photography by Sunny Rajabi | Sunburst Photography You know her from The Rod Ryan show on 94.5 The Buzz and from KPRC’s Houston Life with co-host Derrick Shore, Tessa Barrera shares where she's from, how she got here, and where she's headed next. And as a fun twist on our annual Gift Guide—Tessa compiled a list of her favorite things, à la Oprah, so we can live, shop, and give like her! ...

Local Services

Driven to Serve and Protect

Cy-Fair Fire Department Looks to Future Growth and Service Article by Kaylee Dusang | Photography by Courtesy of Cy-Fair Fire Department For more than five decades, Cy-Fair Fire Department has maintained its mission to serve the community and save lives. Beginning as a rural volunteer fire department in 1962, the agency has become one of the largest combination fire departments in the United States. Covering approximately 164 square miles, an area larger than Corpus Christ, the fire department...

Finance + Legal Services

Top Tax Tips

Expert End-of-Year Tax Advice Article by Cypress Lifestyle Staff With more than two decades of experience in accounting and tax preparation with his most recent leadership roles in various industries as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vice President of Finance, Tommy Diaz has extensive leadership and technical experience assisting clients with individual and business tax preparations. He holds degrees in Accounting and Finance and is a licensed certified public accountant. Tommy performs CFO...

Health + Wellness

Healing from Within

Addressing Underlying Causes to Improve Your Mental Health Article by Laura SanchezQuan | Photography by Angi Lewis Share a little bit about yourself and what led you into your field of practice. For 23 years, I worked in Houston’s Commercial Electrical Industry as an estimator and Project Manager. This season was marked by the typical highs and lows of the industry, encompassing both professional relationships and fluctuating income. Over the years, I found myself increasingly turning to...

Wellness

Supporting Our Heroes

Local Non-profit Strives to Help Struggling Vets, First Responders and Their Families Article by Minnie Payne & Laura SanchezQuan | Photography by Daniel Arizpe | Apollo Productions As a marine and firefighter spanning over the last two decades, Guardian Grounds CEO Jason Corthell has had his own set of struggles with anxiety, addiction, and PTSD. “I kind of got tired of just talking about helping vets and first responders and I wanted to actually do something about it,” Jason recalls. “I feel...

Home + Design

MOVE THAT BUS

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and Taylor Morrison Build Dream Home for Cypress Family Article by Kaylee Dusang | Photography by Thomas Valdez Several Houstonians recently joined one of the most beloved home renovation television shows to give a Cypress family a new beginning. For ABC’s reboot of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition , homebuilder Taylor Morrison, its local and national trade partners, and 2,000 Cypress-area volunteers came together to help a family in need by building a...

Health + Wellness

Meet Seven Cypress Youths Serving as Breakthrough T1D Ambassadors

Ambassador Program Aims to Increase Awareness and Advocate for Research for a Cure Article by Laura SanchezQuan | Photography by Sunny Rajabi | Sunburst Photography Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease. This means that it doesn’t go away. T1D can affect anyone at any age, though it usually is diagnosed in childhood or adolescence.  Founded in 1970 by families whose loved ones had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), Breakthrough T1D (formerly Juvenile Diabetes...

Life + Culture

You Can Make a Difference

Ways to Give Back with Local Non-Profits this Holiday Season Article by Laura SanchezQuan Cy-Fair Helping Hands  In November, Cy-Fair Helping hands gives Thanksgiving Blessings Boxes to struggling families who already receive help via their Food Pantry. If the donations are plentiful enough, this will be open to the public. Each family receives a $25 - $30 gift card for a turkey or ham, and Cy-Fair Helping Hands provides all of the side dishes.  In December, for Christmas, CFHH hosts a...

Home + Design

Outdoor Entertaining in Style

Outdoor Spaces Designed with Purpose and Passion Article by Laura SanchezQuan When Covid hit, Michael Dykalski decided to get his MBA. After twenty years in the old field, he obtained his MBA at Rice University; “Rice sparked the entrepreneur in me and when I graduated I started to look at various small business and franchise options. There were several things about the Archadeck brand that interested me,” Michael recalls, “Creditable brand recognition, and lots of support from my engineering...