Family traditions are what we remember most about the holidays, and it’s never too late to start a new tradition. Start making holiday memories by adding place settings to your holiday routine. Gather the family and get creative — or even crafty — with these fun and simple table settings that can really add a touch of elegance to your next big holiday meal. Give the kiddos something to be proud of while they impress your guests with a fun and festive tablescape this holiday season.

The first setting in our list only calls for five items and can be put together fairly quickly. You’ll need satsuma mandarins (or any other small citrus fruit – preferably with the stem still attached), a handful of star anise, candles/candleholders of your choice, white gift tags, small alphabet stamps and ink. Finding the citrus fruits can be a fun trip in and of itself. Whether you find them at a local market or a farmer’s market, these little guys are the staple of this bright autumn setting. You can stamp on holiday phrases such as “thankful” or “give thanks” or use them as nameplates for the family to give it that personal touch. The star anise is not only delicately beautiful, but it also smells amazing and reminds you of all the delicious spiced food we enjoy in the fall.

Kraft paper plays a huge role in many of the modern table setting trends of 2018. This timeless, inexpensive and versatile material allows for bounds of creativity, and here are just a couple of ideas for how to use it this holiday season. Using a white paint marker, you can create a personalized “place card/placemat” right on your kraft paper runner. Round out the look with a marble palette for dishware and sea green- to celadon-toned centerpieces. You can add to this idea or leave it out for a fun and simple way to spruce up the runner. You can use edge punchers (found at any local craft shop) to give the runner a delicate yet elegant touch. Ribbons make for great napkin ties and can be adorned with a plethora of different leaves and berries and can be tied together with a name card for this fun family project. Lastly, kraft paper can be laid out on children’s tables with mini terracotta pots filled with crayons for a fun dinnertime activity.

Lastly, in true Balmoral fashion, you can utilize a stunning sky blue- and sand-based palette for a coastal holiday setting! Small baby boo white pumpkins (yes, that’s really what they’re called) with name tags tied with raffia make pretty little place cards — perfect for this elegant seaside motif.

Whether this is your first year in Balmoral or you’ve been calling Balmoral home for a while now, we know the holidays will always be unforgettable when you’re home.

As our gorgeous crystal lagoon amenity nears completion, Westin Homes would like to introduce you to something equally stunning — the master bath at 12122 Allington Cove Lane.

Don’t get us wrong, the rest of the home is gorgeous too, but we are in love with this bath! The jetted tub is perfect for soothing aching muscles. Built for two, the bath also features a walk-in shower with a marble shower seat. Dual vanities make the morning routine a snap. Stone countertops, picture-frame mirrors and custom tile surrounds add an elegant touch. Another thing we love is that there is a closet for him and one for her so both of you can stay organized.

More highlights:

• Upgraded stone-and-brick elevation
• Dramatic two-story foyer and sweeping staircase
• Elegant tile floors and plush carpeting throughout home
• Sophisticated architectural features including 8-foot arched doorways, art niches, a triple-tiered rotunda and coffered ceilings
• Formal living room tucked behind French doors can flex into a study or playroom
• Beautiful formal dining room
• Signature floor-to-ceiling bay windows in family room accents fireplace and cathedral ceiling
• Dream kitchen boasts granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, oversized cabinets, island with counter seating, walk-in pantry and custom backsplash
• Casual dining area opens to covered patio
• Guest suite with full bath
• Master bedroom highlighted by coffered ceiling, bay window and seating area
• Game and media rooms meet your entertainment needs
• Three-car garage

This extraordinary 3,533-square-foot home is priced from the $420s. Come see it before it is gone.

Why Vacation When You Can Staycation?

Why go on vacation when you can enjoy a staycation all year round at Balmoral? Spend all weekend enjoying white sand beaches, paddle boarding or just splashing around. When you are done, take a nap on one of our hammocks or a dip in the infinity pool. It’s fun for all, and it’s all yours when you make the move to Balmoral.

 

Balmoral’s crystal clear lagoon is making waves not only in Texas (we are going to have the first lagoon in the state!) but also across the nation.

Builder magazine, a national publication covering the residential real estate industry, has been watching the entry of Crystal Lagoons amenities into master-planned communities. It has been tracking the progress of the Balmoral crystal clear lagoon, running an article on it in the latest print publication and — most recently — posting an update on the Fill the Lagoon event held recently in the community.

We’re excited, too! Filling the lagoon is the last construction phase for the lagoon, which will open with the 8-acre Amenity Village later this summer.

Read the full Builder magazine article here.

(Houston, Texas – June 20, 2018)              Many of Houston’s top real estate executives, homebuilders, local officials and others were among the first wave of people to add water to Texas’ first crystal clear lagoon, now in its final stage of construction in Balmoral.

A Fill the Lagoon party hosted by Balmoral developer Land Tejas Development was held Thursday, June 14, in the Humble-area community. During the invitation-only event, guests helped begin the process of filling the 2-acre lagoon and also learned about the lifestyle residents will enjoy at the lagoon and the patented process that will allow the 2-acre lagoon to use significantly fewer chemicals and energy than a traditional pool.

“Life here in Balmoral is going to be incredible,” emcee Michael Garfield (the Hi-Tech Texan®) told the crowd. “You won’t be able to find anything else like this in Texas when the lagoon opens — only here in Balmoral.”

The crystal clear lagoon — which will have depths up to 8 feet and will feature a Kid’s Cove and two sand beaches — is a signature feature of Balmoral’s $13 million, 8-acre Amenity Village. Overlooking the lagoon will be an infinity-edge pool. Other amenities at the complex include a clubhouse, food truck courtyard, hammock park, sand volleyball court, playground and splash pad.

The crystal clear lagoon will be the first to open in Texas and the first in the nation to open with fully completed amenities when the Amenity Village debuts later this summer.

“This is groundbreaking not just in the elevated level of amenities we are introducing, but also in terms of the crystal clear lagoon technology,” said Tim Johnson, Director of Community Sales and Marketing for Land Tejas. “These lagoons use 100 times fewer additives than traditional swimming pools and 50 percent less water than is required by a city park of the same size. The result is lower maintenance costs and minimal environmental impact.”

Approximately 150 families have made their home in the 580-acre Balmoral since sales began last year. Builders Colina Homes, D.R. Horton, Empire Communities, Gray Point by Gehan Homes, Highland Homes, HistoryMaker Homes and Westin Homes offer designs priced from the $200,000s to the $500,000s.

Balmoral is located east of Highway 59 and a half mile north of Beltway 8 in the West Lake Houston area, minutes from Generation Park. More information is available at www.balmoralhouston.comor at the community information center, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays at 11930 Talman Run Drive.

All eyes will be on the Royal Wedding this weekend, and what could be more inspiring to find your own Royal Paradise with a new home in Balmoral?

In case you didn’t know, the master-planned community of Balmoral is named after the Royal Family’s summer retreat in Scotland. While open for tourism between March and July, the estate is closed to the public starting in August when the Queen and her family arrive for her annual stay through the holidays.