holiday season
8 Free Las Vegas Holiday Things to Do
Posted by New Home Resource on November 28, 2016 in
It’s that time of year when we’re all on the hunt for the best holiday light displays in town. But, until we find where they’re hiding, we thought we’d share the numerous fun holiday events that won’t cost you a cent (except for the stop at Starbucks afterwards for the Peppermint Hot Chocolate!)
One of the things we love about Las Vegas is how involved our local businesses are with the community. It’s a great show to behold in your travels around the city. If you’re putting together your Holiday Entertainment Schedule, you may just want to plan on adding these to your list. Enjoy!
The City of Henderson will host its annual WinterFest celebration, December 8-10, 2016 at the Henderson Events Plaza and Henderson Convention Center, both located at 200 Water Street, in the Water Street District. This year’s theme is Winter – Silver & Snowflakes and the event will feature a snow play area along with a variety of family-friendly activities, including an official tree lighting ceremony with Mayor Hafen and Santa Claus, gingerbread house displays, roaming performances, and an evening light parade. Event admission is complimentary. Some activities will require paid admission.
Ethel M Chocolates Factory and Cactus Garden
For a Southwest take on the holidays, head to the festive cactus garden at Ethel M Chocolates Factory, which features some three acres of cacti festooned with half a million lights. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. 2 Cactus Garden Dr at Sunset Way, Henderson. November 15th – January 1st; Admission is Free and Open to the Public.
Holiday Lights: Nightly, 5pm to 10pm.
Factory & Chocolate Shoppe: Open daily 8:30am till 10pm.
Visits from Santa Claus: Friday – Sunday till Christmas 5pm to 9pm.
Performances by Local Choirs: Friday – Sunday 6pm to 8pm.
The Cowboy Christmas returns to Las Vegas with more wares to keep even the most avid shopper entertained! Conveniently located in the South Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center at Paradise Road and Desert Inn, just one block east of the famous Las Vegas Strip. This year’s show promises to exceed expectations! Over 440,000 square feet of show-floor hosting! 400 plus vendors from across the United States and Canada will showcase their unique products which include: customized jewelry, western wear, boots and spurs, furniture, original art, handmade crafts and pottery, as well as providing the best source for the Official Wrangler NFR and PRCA merchandise. 3150 Paradise Rd at Convention Center Dr. Dec 3–12, 9am–5pm; free.
It’s time for the running of the Santa’s! At this annual 5k fun run and one-mile walk to benefit local organization Opportunity Village, registration includes a five-piece Santa suit. Last year, over 9,000 Santa’s ran for charity (and to work off a few holiday cookies), but Las Vegas still lost the world record for the largest Santa run to Liverpool, England. This year, the event is hoping for 10,000 Santa’s and a chance to take the title. Third Street Stage at Fremont Street Experience, Fremont St between S Main St and S Casino Center Blvd. Dec 5, from 8am; free for spectators.
Free Concerts on Nov 30, 2016 from 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Old Dominion and Sawyer Brown headline the 30th Annual Downtown Hoedown, the official kick-off to Wrangler National Finals Rodeo week in Las Vegas. The free event happens Nov. 30, 2016 and features top country talent beginning at 4:30 p.m. and ending with headliner performances from Sawyer Brown at 8:40 p.m. on the 1st Street Stage (near Binion’s) and Old Dominion at 9:50 p.m. on the 3rd Street Stage (between The D and Four Queens).
30th Annual Downtown Hoedown Schedule:
• Jackson Michelson on Main Street Stage – 4:30-5:30pm
• High Valley on 1st Street Stage – 5:40-6:25pm
• Aaron Watson on 3rd Street Stage – 6:35-7:20pm
• Craig Campbell on Main Street Stage – 7:30-8:30pm
• Sawyer Brown on 1st Street Stage – 8:40-9:40pm
• Old Dominion on 3rd Street Stage – 9:50-11:30pm
December to Remember at the Neon Museum
This year, families have a variety of festive reasons to attend the Neon Museum’s annual “December to Remember” holiday celebration, which takes place Saturday, Dec. 17, from 2 to 6 p.m. It begins with ornament-making in the Boneyard Park and then families can snap their own photo with Santa in the North Gallery from 2 to 5 p.m., followed by hot chocolate and caroling by Las Vegas Academy choir in the colorfully illuminated Neon Museum Boneyard from 5 to 6 p.m. “December to Remember” is part of the City of Las Vegas Cultural Corridor’s holiday festival. This event is free and open to the public; reservations are not required. 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North.
The District at Green Valley Ranch | Starts Nov 22 – Ends Dec 24
Come Visit Santa at his house in The District in Henderson! Santa’s house is located off main Street, near Williams Sonoma. Santa’s Hours are:
• November 28 – December 11
• Monday – Friday: 11am-7pm (Break 2:30-3:30pm)
• Saturday: 11am-8pm (Break 3:00-4:00pm)
• Sunday: 11am-6pm (Break 3:00-3:30pm)
• December 12 – 23 – Daily: 11am-8pm (Break 1pm-1:30pm; 5pm-6pm)
• December 24 – 9am-4pm (Break 12:30pm-1:00pm)
Mystic Falls Park at Sam’s Town
A holiday tradition for over 19 years, Mystic Falls Park will be decked out for the holidays with beautiful new holiday decor, an exciting all-new laser light show and will be making it snow in Vegas every night through the new year beginning November 25, 2016. Plus… Santa will be here to welcome kids of all ages! November 25, 2016 – December 23, 2016 – Thursdays and Fridays, 4:00pm -8:30pm; Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00pm – 8:30pm.
From all of us at New Home Resource, we wish you and yours the happiest of holidays this season!!
New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for property management, a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to provide just the service you’re looking for. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or at www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!
Hosting House Guests? Here’s How to Lower Your Stress Level
Posted by New Home Resource on November 7, 2016 in
We’ve found there are usually two common thoughts that run through the minds of most people when they live in Las Vegas, and we’re guessing during the holiday season, they happen more often than not.
The first is: “How can I accommodate all the family and friends who want to come stay with me?” (Because you live in Fabulous Las Vegas, silly! Two-birds/one-stone theory for them.)
The second is: “How come I can pick my friends, but I can’t pick my family?!” (Okay, that one may be more the result of remembering past holiday seasons – because, hey, what’s a Thanksgiving Dinner without a little family drama?) We can’t help you much with the second (if we could, we might try it ourselves! haha!). But the first can probably be managed a little better than in the past. (Let’s face it – we’re all so worried about hurting other’s feelings, we often don’t pay any attention to our own.)
That’s why we suggest a little forethought, some pre-planning, and actually setting the rules up-front – then saying them out-loud. It is, after all, your home – right? So even if you’ve had some difficult past experiences with certain house guests, we suggest you take that knowledge and turn it to your advantage. Let us get started with ideas by explaining how that can work.
Firm Up the Dates
Those open-ended visits can make you crazy. Admit it – you’ve been there. That’s why it’s critical that you lay out firm ground rules that start with the arrival and departure dates. That allows you to plan activities and know there is an end in sight. (You feel better already, don’t you?) This is probably the most important decision to make before your house guests arrive, and the three-day guideline is a good rule of thumb. (You know what they say about fish & guests.) The Added Benefit you get from this single step can also help to avoid difficult conversations between you, your spouse, and your kids. (Like: “When are they going to leave?!”)
Remember That Your Life Matters, Too
We all love visiting with people we don’t get to see often. Parents, grandparents, school chums – and the holiday season is one of the things that inspires us to gather, catch up, and reminisce. But then why – for some of us – is it a time of such stress and anxiety (and other emotions we won’t mention here, but you know what they are!)?
Part of the reason is that while your house guests may be on a carefree vacation – you’re still dealing with your day-to-day life. That might include work, school, your children’s activities, etc. Plus, the cleaning and shopping and cooking that as a host, you feel is required. And that’s not even counting rearranging the sleeping arrangements, lots of extra “stuff” around your house, more people to share bathrooms, who gets to choose what to watch on tv, and the list goes on.
Many hosts have a tendency to gloss over this by thinking: “it’s just for a few days – we’ll get through it.” But our response to that would be: “Why not just set the ground rules up-front?”
A lot of times, people are reluctant to take this step (those ‘hurt feelings’ again).
But in truth, most people are pretty understanding about this. Why? Because they’ve been in your shoes, and they remember how frustrating it can get! We suggest that at the time (or even before) confirming anyone’s visiting dates, you have an honest communication and say right up front that “I’m delighted you’re coming to visit! Here’s when I’ll be available to plan to do things with you – and when I’ll be working/taking kids to school or activities/etc.” (Even if you just want a couple of hours to yourself after a long workday.) If you have a baby or toddler, routine is important to maintaining household serenity – so invite them to be part of that, too. (They can always go to the casino after bedtime!) The point is to let them know what your schedule is like so they won’t just assume you’re the Local Las Vegas Entertainment Revue 24/7.
Let Them Know Your Home’s Boundaries and How Things Work
With some house guests, it’s hard to know if they don’t pitch in to help because they don’t want to be in your way or do things wrong – or if they’re just taking advantage of the Free Cook & Head Bottle-Washer services they can get out of you. Whichever it is, you can help out the first type, and give the lazier, er – latter ones – a not-so-subtle hint by letting them know how things in your home function. Such as:
• Out-of-bounds areas (like your personal computers, bedroom, etc.)
• Whether pets are welcome
• Where house guests can smoke
• Your WiFi password
• Where to find things (such as dishes, towels, toilet paper, etc.)
• Show them how to make the coffee
• Where should they put dirty laundry?
• Demonstrate how the dishwasher and washing machines work
• Show them where the trash goes
• ….and, well…… you get the gist of it.
Provide Special Touches They’ll Appreciate
This is just a short list of items that almost every house guest will appreciate. Your friends and family may have more specific needs – so we suggest you give them some thought, and surprise them with their visit with things they know only you would recognize – and that they would appreciate.
• Flowers – even tiny vases of fresh herbs or a single flower will clearly display you are thinking of their comfort.
• An extra power strip in their room for their devices (this one is almost mandatory anymore).
• Provide a collection of common bathroom amenities in a small basket.
• Set apart a stack of clean towels.
• Place some bottled water in their room.
• Provide a place to hang their clothes / set up their suitcase.
• Extra pillows.
• Clear off a nightstand and leave the lamp on for them.
• Written instructions about how to operate your television. Have Netflix or Roku? Tell them how to work that, too!
• A list with directions from your house to nearby stores, in case they need to purchase personal items.
• Do they enjoy a yoga or exercise class regularly? Provide a list of nearby facilities.
Will you be hosting elderly house guests? They also have some special needs to take into consideration.
• Keep extra blankets in their room in case they get a chill.
• Provide nightlights.
• Tub floor grippers and non-slip mats (might save everyone from a difficult situation)
• A clock and a calendar (in case they need to keep track of medications)
• Pen and notepad.
• Also, keep in mind that seniors eat smaller meals and snack more, and they may have certain dietary restrictions. Ask ahead of time about foods and drinks they normally eat, and make the extra effort to let them know you have them, where they are, and how to make them (explaining where utensils and dishes are, etc.)
See? It’s possible to make your house guests feel super-welcome AND not make your time during their visit a ride straight to Insanityville! Keep in mind, too – that after the first time you follow some of these tips, you’ll see that the benefits are worth the effort to speak up, and you’ll move forward with your next visitors accordingly. (Repetition will make it that much easier for you to do it with the next guests, and the ones after that!).
New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for property management, a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to provide just the service you’re looking for. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or at www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!