Why We Love Living in The Woodlands, TX
When Zach and I first moved to The Woodlands area 7 years ago, we knew we’d be starting a family soon and wanted to find an area that had everything: parks and hiking trails, lots of shopping (high up on my list), great restaurants (high up on both of our lists), community swimming pools, and more. That’s the beauty of The Woodlands community- you have the best of everything. Whether you prefer spending your Saturday mornings working out at your local fitness center or brunching at a 5 star restaurant, you’ll find it all within a few minutes of where you live in this award-winning master planned community in Houston.
If you follow us on Instagram, then you’ve seen how often we frequent Creekside Park® Village Green in The Woodlands. I ate at Levure Bakery twice a week throughout my entire pregnancy with Boone because he loved their oatmeal pancakes and bacon, and Creekside Park is home to my favorite nail salon in Houston, Nails of America. But not only do I love the area, our entire family enjoys spending a day at Creekside shopping, eating, and playing on the vast open lawn, complete with turf, Adirondack chairs, and a splash pad. The Woodlands’ events are not to be missed. In the summer, they host Family Movie Nights and we always meet up with friends for Crust Pizza and a movie on the lawn. We recently spent a gorgeous fall Sunday at Creekside Park® Village Green in The Woodlands and I didn’t think we’d ever get Bear to leave- he also never asked to see a cell phone or tablet the entire time we were there. That’s what I love so much about this area- we can all unplug, spend time together as a family, and enjoy some much needed fresh air.
Our first stop was at Fieldings Local, probably my favorite brunch spot in The Woodlands next to Levure Bakery. My boys prefer Fieldings on the weekends because their brunch is out of this world- I’m talking chicken and waffles, lemon cream cheese stuffed pancakes, and turtle french toast. If I’m having brunch with girlfriends, we have to get their famous mimosa flights. I recently hosted my friend Aimey’s baby shower at Fieldings Local on the patio and it was the perfect spot for a shower!
After brunching our hearts out, we headed out to the lawn to let Bear burn off some energy. The Houston weather was so perfect, 70 degrees and warm enough for kids to be enjoying the splash pad. Nothing beats fall in Houston! Bear brought his soccer ball and he and Zach kicked around the ball while Boone and I did laps around the lawn, eventually putting Boone to sleep. I could sit in those Adirondack chairs all day, people watching and soaking up the sunshine but cupcakes were calling, so we walked over to check out the new Cupcakes and Bubbles.
The minute we opened the door, I fell in love. I have been in a lot of cupcake shops and never seen one this fabulous! And not only is Cupcakes and Bubbles major interior design goals, Zach and I agreed the cupcakes were the best we’ve ever tasted. I got the Chocolate Pumpkin and the boys got Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough- we both devoured them in minutes and I’m still dreaming of that delicious cupcake. I didn’t realize that the shop has a large private room area and offer cupcake decorating classes and wine tasting nights, along with hosting birthday parties, showers, cupcake decorating parties, and currently pumpkin carving parties. I’m dying to get my girlfriends here for a fun night of champagne and champagne- would make the best Moms’ Night Out spot!
We headed to Artisanat Home Decor next, since we are currently decorating our new home and wanted to see what new pieces they have. We weren’t disappointed- even the boys found things they wanted for the house which never happens. We left with the most beautiful throw pillows, hand-woven in Mexico, and we’ve already gotten compliments on them. What I like about Artisanat is that they have unique, high-end pieces handcrafted by artists around the world that you can’t find anywhere else locally. They also host private events like birthday parties and showers, and offer activities hosted by artists such as string art and wood sign painting. Zach is really into all the wood art they have- thinking I’ll be getting his Christmas present at Artisanat.
My parents are coming to visit this weekend and we always like to welcome them with a treat, so per Bear’s request we walked next door to Jordan’s Sweet Shoppe to find a tasty gift. My Dad LOVES Jelly Belly’s and Jordan’s has the best selection; Bear filled up a bag of jelly beans while I picked out some homemade chocolates for my Mom (can you say Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles?!). Jordan’s Sweet Shoppe has endless gifts for the sweet tooth in your life, and they also serve Bluebell® ice cream which we can never resist. Speaking of not resisting, you haven’t lived until you’ve had a giant cinnamon roll from Levure Bakery. They are out of this world!
In case we haven’t already convinced you to visit Creekside Park® Village Green in The Woodlands, I’ll tell you a few other reasons why we love living in this area:
-There are almost 8,000 acres of green space, 130 neighborhood parks, 205 miles of hike and bike trails, 200-acre Lake Woodlands, and world-class golf, fishing, and kayaking.
-These Greater Houston schools are incredible, which is the reason we recently moved into The Woodlands neighborhood zoned to Conroe ISD. Bear’s elementary is ranked 10/10, and Tomball and Magnolia ISD are excellent as well. Not to mention, the top private schools and over 12,800 students enrolled in college courses. Education is a top priority and top notch in The Woodlands. And coming from parents who are both retired school teachers, this was a priority for our boys.
-You have close proximity to top Houston restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. We’re never far from anything we could ever need, both outdoor and indoor fun. Zach works in Hughes Landing® on Lake Woodlands, and we love visiting him during his lunch breaks to get outside and grab a tasty lunch at one of the restaurants on the water. We can walk over and get groceries at Whole Foods®, or pop in for a coffee at Starbucks®, or head across the street to the beautiful Northshore Park where they recently redid their playground area.
Zach and I discuss often how much we love The Woodlands and raising our boys in a place that’s so family friendly, while still being able to enjoy “adult things” like a night out on The Waterway or a staycation at one of The Woodlands’ Hotels, like The Woodlands® Resort. Bear has grown up frequenting Creekside Park® Village Green and it’s one of his very favorite places to go; I can’t wait until Boone can run around in the splash pad with him next summer! There’s honestly nowhere we’d rather raise our boys than in The Woodlands, Texas, and feel so lucky to call this amazing place deep in the heart of Texas our home.
xo, Britt
*This post is sponsored by The Woodlands, however all thoughts & opinions are my own.