Stacy Griffin-Jones

I’ve been going to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo since I was a young girl. The 1960s brought with it a name change so that it would be called The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo along with a new logo of a bow-legged H that still remains today. With Houston become the home of a new NFL franchise, the Houston Texans, HLSR became involved with the NFL to team up on building a new stadium for both football and the rodeo. New Braunfels Smokehouse, Saltgrass Steakhouse, Pappa’s Bar-B-Q, Cadillac Bar, and Pappasito’s Cantina are just a few of the participating restaurants.

As the celebrating of this day has evolved over the years, the focus has become all about the money and the material aspect of the special day it seems. If that’s what you want, then my wish for you is that you get the gift that is in your heart this year and that you have the most special day you can imagine! As for me, I prefer small gestures of appreciation and offerings of kindness from my sweetheart on a regular basis every day throughout the year as opposed to material things once a year. After all, it’s not as though celebrating Valentine’s Day is to become a thing of the past anytime soon.

I am by no means any kind of professional expert, but I do have the expertise and knowledge that I gained from the actual experience of being in the trenches while raising my two kids and having spent time both being a stay at home mom and a working outside of the home mom. When my son, Connor, was born I stayed home with him for 3 months before going back to work full-time outside of the home. I stayed home with her for the first 3 months and went back to work outside the home part-time. Studies have shown that there are no significant differences between a mom who works outside the home or a stay-at-home mom in terms of the child’s happiness as adults which is fantastic news for parents on both sides of this debate.

You may be worried that your home won’t show as well during the winter months but don’t underestimate Mr. and Mrs. Buyer’s intelligence. Buyer’s may have more cash available for a down payment and closing costs at this time of year. Selling at this time of year will likely result in a quicker transaction from contract to closing. Lenders, title companies, appraisers and other professionals involved in the process of buying and selling a home are usually less busy this time of year.