Realty Jen's Rendition

WOW!! Habitat for Humanity: 400,000 Homes Built or Repaired Since 1976

RISMEDIA, December 14, 2010—Habitat for Humanity surpassed its 400,000 house milestone during its most recent fiscal year. Since the nonprofit organization was founded in 1976, its self-help, hand-up model has resulted in rehabbed, repaired or new housing for more than 2 million people worldwide.

"Over the last 34 years, Habitat for Humanity has steadily increased its scale and scope to help more families in need of decent, affordable housing," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "In 2005 we celebrated our 200,000th house. Now, five years later, we have more than doubled that number thanks to the generous support of our volunteers and sponsors. It is a significant milestone and very encouraging, but we realize there is still much more work to be done."

In fiscal year 2010, Habitat for Humanity served a record 74,960 families worldwide through a combination of new construction, rehabilitation and repairs. Habitat also helped an additional 6,355 families establish legal rights to a house or land, and provided more than 46,964 individuals with technical assistance ranging from legal help to construction advice or training.

"Throughout our history we have seen time and again that an affordable, safe and decent home is the gateway to better health, greater family stability and improved educational opportunities in every country where we work," said Reckford. "We are pleased that even in this difficult economy, Habitat for Humanity has been able to help an unprecedented number of families around the world have a better place to live. We are seeing great results from focusing not only on building individual houses, but also on repairing and rehabbing homes and creating partnerships that emphasize total community development."

Habitat for Humanity celebrated its 300,000th home in 2008, its 200,000th home in 2005 and the 100,000th home in 2000.

By 2013, Habitat for Humanity hopes to assist 100,000 families annually with new or improved housing. 

Oklahoma City Home and Garden Show

Oklahoma City Home and Garden Show

Where: Oklahoma State Fair Park

333 Gordon Cooper St, Oklahoma city, OK 73107 | Website | (800) 466-7469

 

With more than 400 local and national exhibitors expected, the Oklahoma City Home & Garden Show will be blooming with new, money-saving ideas that visitors can utilize in their own homes and gardens. From HGTV’s “Design on a Dime,” Summer Baltzer will educate show attendees with tips and tricks for the design- and budget-conscious do-it-yourselfers.

Seminar Schedule:
-Summer Baltzer of HGTV's "Design on a Dime" speaks at 2 and 6 pm Saturday and noon and 2 pm Sunday.
-Author and TV personality Sue Whitney will discuss "Junk Beautiful...How to Refresh Your Home Inside and Out, Junk Market Style" at 1, 4 and 7 pm Friday; 1, 3 and 7 pm Saturday and 11 am, 1 and 3 pm Sunday.

There will also be a silent auction at this year's Oklahoma City Home and Garden Show. Oklahoma artists and local celebrities are painting "Doors to a Brighter Future" to benefit Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity. Using inventory from Habitat for Humanity's Renovation Station, interior and cabinet doors will be painted, displayed at the show and sold in a silent auction. Muralist Bob Palmer, University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University sports teams have decorated doors.

Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under. For a $3 discount, tickets can be purchased online at www.oklahomacityhomeshow.com. For more information about the event, visit the website or call 800-466-7469.

Valentine’s Weekend in OKC – Cool Venues to Check Out!

Not only is it Friday the 13th…I love Friday the 13th!  (My husband kissed me for the first time on a Friday the 13th many moons ago…) It’s also Valentine’s Weekend!  For some people this is just another day, for others it’s “The Dreaded Day” but for many it’s another day to do something sweet with your sweetie or loved ones.  So, here are a few sweet ideas to get your weekend going….

 The Oklahoma City Ballet will be performing "Paris Rouge" along with the classic white ballet "Les Sylphides". 

"Paris Rouge" is a visually stunning, colorful production recreating the famed Paris hot spot and capturing the exuberance of the saucy world of the can-can. Performances will be on February 13th and 14th at the Civic Center. 

 Get Tickets Contact:  Cathy @ 405-843-9898 or Email:  balleto@sbcglobal.net

OR…Consider taking a day trip to Tulsa for the Indian Art Festival

Tulsa Indian Art Festival February 13-15 2009 | SpiritBank Event Center 

A cultural celebration of the spirit of the American Indian. Fine art market, exhibition, dancing, entertainment, storytelling, Indian food, demonstrations and more.

If you love live music, the Blues / R&B then you’ll want to check out the Blue Cats at Riverwind Casino - River Lounge 1544 Highway 9,  Norman, OK 73072 Visit Website Phone Number: 405-322-6464  Live Music on Valentines - February 13th & 14th. 

Of course you could always do a little gambling too…. since you’re there. 

***The Del City Library is hosting a Chocolate Festival, this is something that might be fun for the whole family!  This will take place this Saturday from 2pm-3pm and is absolutely free!***

Lyric Theatre presents “The Who’s Tommy” Plaza Theatre 1727 NW 16th St.,  Oklahoma City, OK 73106 Visit Website Phone Number: 524-9310

Lyric at the Plaza - Plaza Theatre Presented in conjunction with OU February 5, 2008 through February 21, 2008 Call or go online for tickets and details

 

Valentine's Day with Arabesque February 14, 2009 | 8:00 PM | Sean Cummings Irish Pub Valentine's Day & Live Music at Sean Cummings Irish Pub in Oklahoma City Arabesque Celtic / Acoustic / Folk Call or go online for details…great atmosphere at the pub!

Don’t Forget!  There are tons of great ideas also at www.wimgo.com  This is a great website hosted by the Daily Oklahoman that is strictly devoted to listing things to do in OKC. 

Also, if you’re looking for a new restaurant and would like to see an honest review then you have to check out my favorite Restaurant Blog at www.eataroundokc.com 

And for the rest of us who aren’t feeling adventurous, don’t like crowds and refuse to eat the 4pm early bird special with the Blanch Devero’s of the world there’s always a new bottle of wine and Redbox Movie Rentals. 

HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH & VALENTINES DAY!

 

Another Snow day in OKC, Great Activities to keep the little ones occupied!

The ice started on Monday and has made quite a mess around metro.  Many of us left work early on Monday and had the kiddos home from school on Tuesday and Wednesday…and now Thursday?!  So far I’ve done every “snow day” activity imaginable.  Playing in the ice (ouch), gathering wood for the fire, baking cookies, roasting marshmallows, meeting our hot cocoa quota for the year, scrabble, gin rummy, monopoly, re-organizing our toys, checking the mail, running to the window to watch cars slide and most of all eating and eating plus more eating!  Now I am terribly full and out of ideas.

How will we entertain the kids on Day #3?  I’ve done a little research and found some great activities that may help our sanity, give our children special memories and most importantly give everyone the opportunity to share in excellent bonding time.

1. Making Snow Ice Cream Make snow ice cream with clean snow, sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Send your children outside with a large bowl to gather as much clean snow as they can. In a separate bowl mix about a cup milk, half cup sugar and tablespoon of vanilla. Add snow and stir until the ice cream is the right consistency. The amounts of milk, sugar and vanilla are approximate and you should mix the ingredients to taste. You can add chocolate syrup or other toppings as well. 

2. Home Made Play Dough

   Playdough Ingredients

   First, you need the ingredients:
   • 1 cup flour
   • 1/2 cup salt
   • 1 cup water
   • 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
   • 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil (or any light-colored oil)
   • approximately 20 drops of food coloring

   Combine the Playdough Ingredients

   First, mix all the dry ingredients together, then all the liquid ingredients separate. The reason is because then the dry ingredients are incorporated together well.

   Cook and Knead the Playdough

   We then combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, and stir on medium heat. Continue stirring until the dough begins to lose its stickiness.
   Remove from the heat, and turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Be careful - the dough will be very hot!

   Enjoy the Playdough With Your Kids

3. Home Made Valentine Cards – Save money & get a head start! 

These cute little homemade Valentines are much easier than they look! Whether you use construction paper or card stock, the results will be charming and your child will be very proud. A perfect Valentine's day gift for teachers, the babysitter, or even school friends. 

Visit About.com’s main Valentine's Day page, as well as their Valentine's day crafts, Valentine's coloring pages, Valentine's recipes, and Valentine's games for more fun.

What you'll need:

• 8.5 x 11 construction paper or card stock in various colors and/or patterns
• Valentine and/or heart stickers
• scissors
• pinking shears (optional)
• glue stick or white craft or school glue
• glitter (pink, red, white)

1. How to make it:

   1. Begin by cutting a piece of construction paper or card stock into four equal pieces.
   2. Fold quartered paper in half to make a card.
   3. For the easiest version, appropriate for preschoolers, use stickers to decorate or cut out hearts from a different color of construction paper or card stock to glue onto your cards. Experiment with different patterns, florals look great contrasted with stripes on a solid background.
   4. Younger children love glitter! Use a bottle of glue to “draw” on a heart or phrase (such as “Be Mine”). Sprinkle glue generously with pink, red or white glitter and let dry over night. Tap off excess glitter when completely dry.
   5. For the older set, let them use pinking sheers to cut out heart shapes and glue onto cards. Again, use contrasting patterns and colors to create a charming design.
   6. Once glue is dry, cards may curl up a little. Place cards between the pages of a heavy cookbook or phone book and leave over night.

   Tips:

   Finding the perfect paper. Card stock is available in literally hundreds of different designs. The scrap-booking aisle at your local craft store has individual sheets or pads of various colors and patterns. Caution, these papers can get costly, watch for sales or purchase these papers with other projects in mind as well. Construction paper is inexpensive and children love it just as much.

   Save on stickers. Discount department stores, such as Wal Mart and Kmart carry a large variety of stickers. You may also want to check your local dollar store.

Be Safe & Be Merry…after all we only get so many “Snow Days” per year…before too long we’ll all be looking to beat the heat! 

The Yukon Czech Hall

If you’re from Yukon, chances are you’ve driven by the Czech Hall.  For those of us who are longtime Yukon residents you’ve almost certainly been to the Czech Hall for one of their infamous dance nights, a wedding reception or party. 

The Czech Hall was built in 1901 on land donated by local Czech immigrants.  The building is recognized as a State and National Historic Site.  Since its beginning, the Yukon Czech hall has been the center of Czech-American culture in Oklahoma as well as serving as a social center and meeting place for non-Czech residents in the surrounding community.  My own sister, Jaley, actually had her wedding reception there in 2005.  It was loads of fun with a dance floor that never ended.  Truly the dance floor is the largest in Oklahoma with 3400 square feet of hardwood flooring, perfect for sliding & twirling!

 

A polka dance has been held at the Yukon Czech Hall every Saturday night since 1930 and this continues today!  The dances are run by the voluntary efforts of the members of the lodge and are always open to the general public.  The two polka bands in the area, Masopust Polka Band and the Bohemian Knights, play for the dances.

The Yukon Czech hall is operated with the goal of preserving the Czech-American heritage.  Everyone is welcome at the weekly polka dances whether they are of Czech heritage or not.  Families are especially encouraged to attend.  They begin at 7pm every Saturday night and are truly a boisterous and lively adventure! 

For more information on activities and rental for the hall you may visit http://www.czechhall.com/Rentals.html 

The Czech Hall is located between NW 10th Street & Reno Ave on Czech Hall Road in Yukon at 205 N. Czech Hall Road. 

Just another great thing about Yukon’s unique history.  So make a plan to check out the Czech Hall! 

More Improvements Coming to Downtown Oklahoma City

City Council approves new downtown tax increment district

(December 16, 2008) - City Council approved a plan today to create a new tax increment financing (TIF) district to fund approximately $175 million in public improvements and economic development efforts in downtown Oklahoma City.  The new TIF district was spurred by Devon Energy’s planned development of a new world headquarters building in downtown Oklahoma City.

The Devon development was contingent on two conditions: the City improving the infrastructure such as utilities, streetscapes and enhancements of Myriad Gardens; and committing to economic development policies and incentives to attract other quality investments, businesses and employers in the surrounding area.

Ad valorem and construction sales tax revenues generated by the Devon development will fund approximately $115 million in public improvements, which will occur in an area that includes NW 13 to SE 27 and Western to Eastern/Martin Luther King Jr. Ave and approximately $40 million for economic development efforts to be invested in the area adjacent to the Devon building. 

In addition, the new TIF will fund $20 million in projects for other public entities such as the Oklahoma City Public Schools, Oklahoma County, Metro Tech, City-County Health and the Metropolitan Library System. 

It is estimated that Devon will pay at least $11 million per year in ad valorem tax and $20 million in city sales tax during construction.  The building will be completed in 2012 and the first TIF revenues are expected to be received in 2014.

The proposed development on a site located east of Hudson and north of Sheridan Ave. alone is estimated to stimulate $750 million in direct new investment in Oklahoma City’s downtown area and will generate an annual economic impact of over $900 million increasing to $1.9 billion.

“The City Council’s approval of this new downtown TIF district is yet another step towards ensuring a bright future for Oklahoma City.  The long term economic vitality of the downtown area with improved aesthetics and amenities will enhance the quality of life for Oklahoma City residents for decades,” City Manager Jim Couch said.

The Downtown/MAPS Tax Increment District Review Committee that includes representatives from each taxing jurisdictions in TIF districts 2 and 8 as well as representatives of the public reviewed and recommended approval of the plan.