If you think moving to Balmoral means you won’t be able to shop at your favorite stores, think again. Balmoral’s central location puts everything from grocery stores to discount shops within easy reach. Here’s a list of our favorites:
One Stop Shop
20777 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-446-1081
9451 FM 1960 Bypass
Humble, TX 77338
281-540-8838
9665 Fm 1960 Bypass Road W
Humble, TX 77338
281-548-1211
Groceries
9475 FM 1960 Bypass Road W
Humble, TX 77338
281–973–5089
6900 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX 77346
833-478-1007
For Your Home
20050 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
832-204-2660
20416 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-706-8937
18880 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-706-8453
Clothes and More
20755 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-548-9970
20420 Highway 59 North
Humble, TX 77338
281-446-7747
9470 FM 1960 Bypass Road W
Humble, TX 77338
281-319-4582
7055 FM 1960 East
Humble, TX 77346
281-812-5988
Home Improvement
20360 Highway 59
Humble, TX 77338
281-540-2400
7355 FM 1960 Road E
Humble, TX 77346
281-812-2280
Sporting Goods
20131 U.S. 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-713-9589
9470 FM 1960
Humble, TX 77338
281-964-4760
Arts & Crafts
19653 US Highway 59
Humble, TX 77338
281-446-2118
20424 U.S. 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
346-616-2929
20325 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-540-4612
Fur Babies
20518 Highway 59
Humble, TX 77338
281-540-1274
19615 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-318-4004
Books
9743 FM 1960 Bypass Rd W
Humble, TX 77338
281-540-3950
20131 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-540-3060
Electronics
20408 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
832-445-2259
Discount Stores
19659 U.S. 59
Humble, TX 77338
281-540-7014
7815 FM 1960 Road W
Humble, TX 77338
281-318-2150
7130 FM 1960
Humble, TX 77346
281-812-9199
Liquor
9805 FM 1960 Bypass Road W
Humble, TX 77338
281-548-1301
19322 U.S. 59
Humble, TX 77338
281-540-7202
Shopping Malls
20131 Highway 59 N
Humble, TX 77338
281-446-6626
It wouldn’t be Independence Day without fireworks. Fortunately for Balmoral residents, they aren’t hard to find — alongside games, food, music and more. Which one should you choose? Here are our favorites.
4-10 p.m. Tuesday, July 4
$10 adults, children 5 and under free
The musically choreographed “Texas-sized” fireworks show is less than 30 minutes from Balmoral! This year’s musical guests include Chris Young, Yola, TMF and more. There will also be lawn games, rides, a kids’ zone and an exclusive Space City Experience provided by NASA.
5-10 p.m. Tuesday, July 4
Free admission
Valley Ranch Town Center’s annual patriotic extravaganza returns with a hot dog-eating contest, Little Patriots play zone, a car show, live music, food trucks and vendors. The spectacular fireworks display begins at 9:40 p.m.
5-10 p.m. Tuesday, July 4
Free admission
There will be food, fun and fireworks at the Jimmy Burke Activity Center. Team up for the corn hole tournament ($10 per team of 2). Live music begins at 7 p.m. Fireworks begin around 9:15.
4-10 p.m. Tuesday, July 4
Free admission
Live music takes center stage while families enjoy food, hayrides and lots of vendors. The fireworks start around 9:15 p.m.
Kingwood’s July 4th Family Games Festival
3-9 p.m. Tuesday, July 4
Free admission
Head to Town Center Park Kingwood for a substantial celebration featuring craft vendors, food trucks, inflatables and live music. The evening ends not with fireworks but an incredible laser show.
Red, Hot & Blue Festival and Fireworks Extravaganza
The Woodlands
6-10 p.m. Tuesday, July 4
Free admission
Several locations around The Woodlands will be letting freedom ring, but the main attraction takes place adjacent to Northshore Park at 9:30 p.m. Before the big event, there will be face painting, balloon art, concessions, live music and more. Secondary displays will take place at Town Green Park, the Waterway Square District near Timberloch Place and Waterway Avenue, and Rob Fleming Park in the Village of Creekside Park.
Tomball’s July 4th Celebration & Street Fest
4-10 p.m. Tuesday, July 4
Free admission
The City of Tomball is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its patriotic birthday party with one of the biggest Independence Day events in northwest Harris County. Come out for live music, food, vendors, cool zone, kids’ zone, tribute to active-duty military and veterans and a giant aerial fireworks display starting at 9:30 p.m.
When it comes to a new home, everyone has a dream. Realistically, no home can match it. You can get close if you prioritize your wants and needs. How do you do that? Let us show you.
Defining Needs
How do you differentiate wants and needs? By understanding what they are. Needs are the basic features and necessities crucial for your daily life and well-being. Needs include the right number of bedrooms and baths for your family, a backyard if you have children or pets and a location that isn’t too far from work.
Defining Wants
Wants are the things you consider luxuries. Things you can reasonably do without if you must make a choice between a home that meets all your needs and one that you would have to stretch your budget to afford. Think things such as pools, a waterfront view or a fireplace.
Why Differentiate?
Differentiating between your wants and needs makes home shopping easier. If you know what you need, it’s easier to eliminate homes that don’t fit. You can view homes that have everything you need, which then allows you to see if those homes have what you want. If you decide to use a Realtor, a list of wants and needs will help them refine your home search. It will also keep you on budget.
Establish a Budget
A budget keeps you from adding upgrades and options that you may want but can’t realistically afford. Set a budget based on your income, savings and financial obligations. If you are planning to purchase a new build home in a community like Balmoral, consider how much of your budget you can afford to spend on upgrades.
Assess Your Lifestyle
Assess how you live now and how you want to live in the future. If you have a big family, you might need a home with more square footage and bedrooms. If the schools are mediocre where you live now, moving to a community with better schools could be a priority. Think about the things you want that could be sacrificed. If the home doesn’t have a pool, could you put one in? Does the community you are building in have a pool? Balmoral has a beautiful lagoon and pool so you might not need a backyard pool at all.
Be Prepared to Compromise
If you have done a good job prioritizing your wants and needs, you will be able to make compromises. Something you defined as a need could be a want you are willing to let go of. The home might not be exactly what you want now, but it could be in the future if you think you can remodel.
Talk to Your Builder
The advantage of building a home from the ground up is you are more likely to be able to get your needs and at least some of your wants. Balmoral builders offer dozens of floor plans. Once you’ve picked the base plan that fits your needs, you can talk about wants. If your budget allows, add a fireplace, extend the backyard or get that media room you covet. Many builders offer upgrades as incentives which means your wants could be within your budget.
Choose Balmoral
Choosing to build your home in Balmoral is an easy way to get the home of your dreams. You can choose a builder and floor plan. As a bonus, you get a community with incredible amenities near great schools, plenty of shopping and dining options and friendly neighbors. It’s the best way to get everything you need and lots of what you want.
With George Bush Intercontinental Airport a mere 15 minutes from Balmoral, our residents can easily get anywhere in the world. Doing so with kids — especially young ones — can be a little challenging. Here are a few tips that will ensure your flight is a success:
Talk to the Kids
If your kids are veteran flyers, they know what to expect. If this is your child’s first flight, talk to them about what will happen, including going through security, boarding the plane and rules for staying seated.
Book the Right Flight
It’s worth the extra money to book a direct flight — or at least choose flights with fewer layovers. Fewer stops mean not having to deal with connecting flights, delayed layovers, multiple takeoffs and lost luggage.
Think About Seating Arrangements
When booking your flight, pick seats that are together even if it means additional fees. You don’t want to rely on strangers to give up their seats. Consider buying a seat for your baby or toddler. Purchasing a seat for your baby means you have a place for your car seat. Having a squirming toddler on your lap for an extended flight is never fun.
Find Kid-Friendly Airlines
Check with your carrier to see if they have amenities that make flying with the family easier. Jet Blue offers plenty of legroom, free inflight Wi-Fi and personal TVs at every seat. They are also generous with the snacks. With Southwest Airlines, bags fly free and families with children under age 6 board together. Alaska Airlines reserves a couple of “family rows” for each flight and provides a snack basket for kids shortly before landing.
Plan Ahead
Pack everything you need, including snacks, drinks, toys and entertainment for your kids. Bring extra bags for your trash. Pacifiers, gum and lollypops help children deal with air pressure changes. Don’t forget to charge all electronic devices. You may also want to bring a change of clothes in case of spills or accidents.
Arrive Early
Build in plenty of time to get to the airport and through security with time for bathroom breaks. For domestic flights, arrive at least two hours before your flight. Leave even more time for international flights. Make the move to Balmoral and you won’t have to get up quite so early to drive to the airport.
Less is More
Carrying a child and heavy bags is not fun. Check as much as you can. Think about whether you can borrow or rent playpens, highchairs and other items when you get to your destination. Strollers can be rented at your destination, but if your child is comfortable in their own, bring it and check it at the gate.
Getting Though Security
Talk to your kids before getting into the security line. You do not want your child melting down when they find out their favorite toy must ride on the conveyer belt.
Slip-on shoes make life easier. Avoid bringing unnecessary liquids but know that the TSA has said that formula, breast milk, juice, baby food and even liquid medications in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces are exempt from the 3-1-1 liquids rule.
Tire Them Out
Kids need to move, and that isn’t possible on a plane. Help kids burn off some energy by walking them around the airport. Challenge them to walk on all the moving walkways or take them for a walking tour of the gates.
Relax, It Will Be Fun
The best thing you can do to prepare for your flight is relax. Kids pick up on parents’ anxieties, so react accordingly. Model good flight behavior and encourage your kids to follow your lead. Relaxing also helps get everyone in the mood for the best vacation ever.
Planting flowers is the quickest and easiest way to spruce up your front or backyard. But if you want to take it up a notch — still without spending a lot of time — consider planting flowers in a container.
You can stay on the simple path when it comes to container gardening by simply purchasing an appropriately sized pot and planting flowers. There’s nothing wrong with that, and you’re sure to find pots in a wide variety of colors and sizes at your favorite gardening supply store. But if you want to get a little creative, we have some ideas:
Get the Kids Involved
Buy inexpensive clay pots, some acrylic paints and call the kids outside for a painting party! You’ll want to scrub off any stickers first — soak the pots if necessary. But if you do, make sure they are completely dry before painting. Apply your base coat with a foam brush. (Pro tip: thin the paint with a little water so the paint spreads easily.) Allow that to dry and then add your design. Make sure to have your kids sign their masterpieces. When done painting, spray with a clear water-based spray acrylic. Next day, let the kids plant what they want in their pots.
Add Height for Extra Appeal
Ever admire the planted containers at the garden store? You’ll likely notice that there are a variety of plants in one pot, typically with a tall plant surrounded by shorter ones. You can recreate the same effect at home — just make sure you select plants that prefer the same amount of light.
You can also achieve height with the container itself. Tall flower pots are dramatic and add a certain sophistication to your entry. They can also sometimes be pricey, however. If you want to achieve the look without the expense, consider building a wooden container that can either be stained or painted. You could also buy clay pots in varying sizes that can be stacked — find cute inspiration here.
How Unusual!
Just about anything can become a pot for plants. Rustic buckets, old wagons, wheelbarrows and more can hold flowers and other plants. A flea market is your best friend when it comes to finding old and/or unusual items at a reasonable price. You can also repurpose items from your pantry. For example, instead of throwing out that large plastic container of coffee once it’s empty, simply paint and pot it with pretty flowers.
Tires are something else that can be repurposed. Keep them black, if you want, or get out the spray paint. You can hang them for use as a vertical planter or lay it flat and plant flowers in the middle of the tire. Another cute idea for vertical gardening is to use a cloth shoe caddy that you might hang over your door and plant either flowers or herbs in each pocket. Just remember to drill holes in the bottom of your repurposed container for drainage — unless you’re using something that will already drain.
Create a Vignette
Pots of beautiful flowers can certainly stand solo, but grouping them together in a collection will add to their appeal. Let one container be the star of the show, whether it’s an interesting shape, color or a larger size. Grouping pots in a triangle pattern is a common design trick. Keep it to just three pots in a classic shape or branch out with more for an irregular triangle. Your colorful vignettes can also be used to liven up a brick wall or other blank expanse.
The Best Backdrop for Your Flowers
Flowers are pretty no matter where you put them, but they will look especially nice in front of a brand-new home in Balmoral. Check out our list of homebuilders and then think about making the move to our Humble, TX community!