On Tuesday, January 10, Mercedes-Benz of Grapevine, a part of the Avondale Dealerships family, hosted a basic car maintenance class at their 1300 Texan Trail location for young teenage women from the National Charity League – Southlake Chapter.

After a welcome and introduction by Zach Gilbert, general manager of Mercedes-Benz of Grapevine, shop foremen Ryan Beck and Geoff Fisher covered topics like vehicle safety, driving etiquette and roadside assistance. The teens also learned what to do when you get pulled over, how to change a tire, jumpstarting a battery, and what key items to keep in your vehicle. This was a great learning opportunity since most of the girls are 15 to 16 years of age and are just beginning to drive.

“Teaching basic car maintenance to teenagers to ensure they are safe on the road and their car stays in tip-top shape is a very important life lesson,” states Gilbert. “Mercedes-Benz of Grapevine is honored that we can help National Charity League and other teens assume greater responsibility for their car.”

Getting their own car is a right of passage for many teenagers. After getting a license and selecting the right car, the next step for them is to learn how to conduct simple car maintenance. In the end, keeping a car maintained can go a long way toward keeping it–and teen drivers–safe on the road.

Avondale has provided monetary and volunteer support to hundreds of North Texas charities over the last 30 plus years. The company typically focuses on partnering with organizations whose goals mirror the following Avondale Spirit pillars – Service, Passion, Integrity, Respect, Innovative, and Trust.

About Avondale Dealerships

Avondale Dealerships is part of Avondale Group, an innovative business led by a team with decades of success and experience in the automotive industry. Avondale is supported by members who have an incredible spirit for delivering an elevated client experience. The Spirit of Avondale runs deep and is channeled in multiple ways to care for the local community. Avondale Dealerships operate Mercedes-Benz of Grapevine, Porsche Grapevine, Sprinter Grapevine, Aston Martin Dallas, Bentley Dallas, Koenigsegg Dallas, McLaren Dallas, Maserati Dallas, Pininfarina Dallas and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas. In addition, the company manages Avondale Collision & Repair, and Avondale Select, a subscription service for luxury vehicles. For more information, please visit: https://www.avondale.com. 

About National Charity League -  Southlake Chapter

National Charity League (NCL) -  Southlake Chapter is a group of mothers and daughters who have come together in a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences. Members shall reside in the city of Southlake, Texas, or attend Carroll ISD schools. Like all NCL chapters, Southlake aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together. Since its inception in 1997, the Southlake Chapter of NCL, Inc. has continued its commitment to the core values of NCL, Inc. and its vision to develop strong women leaders serving and impacting communities today and for generations to come. For more information, visit https://www.nationalcharityleague.org/chapter/southlake/.

Dallas-based nonprofit Vogel Alcove will host its popular New Year’s Day event, Day 1 DFW, at the Irving Convention Center at 500 West Las Colinas Blvd. Now in its eighth year, the family-friendly celebration will feature musical performances, magic shows and interactive children’s activities like rock climbing, arts and crafts classes, bounce houses and educational presentations. Superheroes and Star Wars characters will also be on hand to take photographs with attendees. Day 1 DFW takes place from noon-7 p.m. on Sunday, January 1.

All proceeds from the event benefit Vogel Alcove and its mission to help young children and their families overcome the lasting and traumatic effects of homelessness.

“After nearly a decade of producing this event, Day 1 DFW has become a New Year’s Day tradition in North Texas and we are happy to have found our long-term home in Irving,” said Vogel Alcove President and CEO Karen Hughes. “The new location is more centralized, which allows more families from all over Dallas-Fort Worth to attend and enjoy it. We created Day 1 DFW specifically to give children a fun, safe way to ring in the new year with their families. It’s also a fundraiser to support our mission to help North Texas children and families recover from homelessness. We’re restoring families and there’s no better feeling than making that a priority on the first day of each year.”

Since its founding nearly 35 years ago, Vogel Alcove has helped more than 17,000 homeless children and families by providing specialized early childhood education programs and family assistance services.

“Children need a fun, safe place to be a kid on New Year’s Day, and Day 1 DFW has become that go-to destination,” Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer said. “Irving is proud to host this year, and we always aim to entertain families with fun, food and music. All of these activities help a great cause and help families in the DFW metroplex.”

This event would not be possible without the support of major sponsors like Oncor Electric Delivery, Copart, Inc., Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Rogers-O’Brien Construction and Celanese Foundation.

Day 1 DFW is open to the public. Children ages 17 and younger are admitted for free, while those 18 and older are $10. To purchase tickets or find more information about the event, visit www.day1dfw.com.

About Vogel Alcove

Since 1987, Vogel Alcove has provided a broad array of therapeutic services for children who are experiencing homelessness. Our skilled teachers specialize in trauma-informed care, and our behavioral and developmental specialists assess each child’s intellectual, social and behavioral needs. We are also fortunate to have an expert team of event planning, fundraising, marketing and data management professionals. Our business practices are transparent, and our services for homeless children are transformative. For more information about Vogel Alcove, visit www.vogelalcove.org.

Looking for the best Christmas pies for your holiday feast? The highly popular key lime pie from Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar is sure to be a hit! The made-from-scratch pie is the perfect holiday treat. The tartness of the key limes is perfectly balanced with sweetened condensed milk and the buttery graham cracker crust. It’s topped with hand-whipped, vanilla cream. Made with real key lime juice, these pies contain no artificial flavors or preservatives.

The whole key limes pies are available at all Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar locations for preorder only. The 9-inch pie is $30. Since the key lime pies are made in-house daily, a 24-hour minimum notice is required. It’s the perfect way to sweeten your holidays!

To amplify your holiday parties, add an Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar cold shrimp platter or pick up ceviche and shrimp cocktail that’s available in half-gallon and gallon options. To help take out the stress of cooking for the family during the busy holiday season, at-home, family-style meals are also available, which includes all the Shucks favorites – fried oysters, catfish, shrimp, and buffalo wings.  

To pre-order a key lime pie or order a family-style meal, visit awshucksdallas.com or call the closest Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar location. Give the gift of a yummy seafood dinner this holiday season -- get a $10 bonus card back when you purchase a $50 restaurant gift card now through December 31.

Since 1983, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar have been the best places in North Texas to get raw oysters, shrimp, catfish, crab legs, po'boy boy sandwiches, a nice cold beer, and some tasty crawfish when in season. With its eclectic seafood shack atmosphere, guests are guaranteed to have the best shuckin’ time. A division of Peterson Management Group, a family-owned and operated restaurant management company, there are five locations in North Texas. For more information on Aw Shucks and Big Shucks, visit awshucksdallas.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and promotions. #shucksdallas

ABOUT PETERSON MANAGEMENT GROUP

Peterson Management Group is a family-owned and operated restaurant management company with 12 restaurants located across North Texas. Founded by Bob Peterson and Scott Holyfield, two guys with larger-than-life personalities, it all started in 1983 with eclectic seafood shack restaurants, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar. They are the best places in North Texas to get raw oysters, shrimp, catfish, crab legs, po'boy boy sandwiches, a nice cold beer, and some tasty crawfish when in season. In addition to Aw Shucks and Big Shucks, Peterson Management Group opened Blue Goose Cantina in 1984, where fantastic made-from-scratch Mexican food, legendary drinks, top-notch service, a fun atmosphere and a kick-ass attitude come together. The restaurant chain has repeatedly been voted the best in North Texas for its winning combination of food, fun, and signature margaritas. Today, Nick Peterson, son of Bob, leads the family business, serving as its CEO.

The Lake Highlands Women’s League will throw open the door and welcome everyone to the 44^th Annual Holiday Home Tour: Holiday in the Highlands on Friday, December 2. This fun, annual holiday event is the key fundraising initiative for the Lake Highlands Women’s League that, since its inception, has raised more than $3 million to benefit Lake Highlands’ schools, community groups and college scholarships.

Visitors to the Holiday in the Highlands Home Tour will experience holiday magic through four beautifully decorated homes in Lake Highlands. The charming, creative, eclectic architecture and home design in the northeastern Dallas neighborhood of Lake Highlands makes it the perfect locale to host a home tour, which will delight visitors with ideas, inspiration and an undeniably jolly holiday spirit.

New for this year’s event is the addition of a Sip & Shop at the Lake Highlands Women’s League Marketplace at the KayCee Club. Here, visitors can shop for holiday treasures from more than a dozen wonderful local vendors offering art, jewelry, clothing, food and other gifts while catching up with friends and enjoying a holiday cocktail.  Admission is free for the Sip & Shop, which will take place at 10110 Shoreview Road in Dallas on Thursday, December 1, from 4 to 7 p.m.; and on Friday, December 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Lake Highlands Women’s League also is encouraging visitors to the home tour to participate in Lunch Around Lake Highlands on December 2 to help support the local restaurant community by dining out at a Lake Highlands area restaurant of their choice.

"Holiday in the Highlands is everyone's favorite way to get into the holiday spirit and this year we celebrate the 44th anniversary of the Lake Highlands Women's League signature fundraising event,” said Robin Moss Norcross, Lake Highlands Women’s League president. “We are grateful to our homeowners, sponsors, members and the community who generously support our efforts. We routinely return over 90 percent of funds raised back to our neighborhood by funding scholarships for deserving Lake Highlands High School seniors and supporting our local schools and nonprofits.”

“We are excited to offer two new additions to the tour this year, ‘Sip & Shop’ at the KayCee Club and ‘Lunch Around Lake Highlands’ to encourage our patrons to support all of our wonderful local restaurants,” Moss Norcross added. “We can't wait to see you at the Holiday in the Highlands Home Tour!”

Holiday in the Highlands will showcase four beautifully decorated homes in Lake Highlands on Friday, December 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the tour, and will be available soon at www.lhwl.org.. Admission to the Sip & Shop at the KayCee Club on December 1 and 2 is free.

Visitors will be delighted to visit these fantastic Lake Highlands homes:

• Rainy Berry’s home at 9102 Dusti Drive: After becoming the Berry home in 2008, this Dusti Drive gem built in 1978 has experienced extensive modification and improvement for the kind of lifestyle Lake Highlands families lead today. Functionality comes first in this 2,400-square-foot house:  The kitchen, which used to be two rooms, and the master bath were taken down to the studs and rebuilt, and the spaces benefit from extra deep counters and creative use of wall spaces to maximize the room. A bay window off the kitchen has become an outdoor sitting area by the pool, while a small courtyard now functions as a dedicated indoor office space. The front yard was completely overhauled to include a cozy outdoor seating area complete with an outdoor fireplace. Decorated with unique vintage finds, the home showcases the homeowner’s ability to repurpose elements, giving them a second life, and display collections close to her heart. Don’t miss the copper fireplace in the living room, a show-stopping feature original to the house. From unique uses of wallpaper to maximizing every nook and cranny in this warm, contemporary home, visitors are sure to find inspiration and ideas here.

• Kathryn & Brandon Cornelius’s home at 9172 Vintage Oaks Court: The Cornelius family purchased their new construction home in 2016 and immediately began transforming it into their cozy oasis by adding personalized custom aspects from floor to ceiling, doing much of the work themselves. Artfully placed photographic vignettes in the entryway celebrate the family’s big moments, including the homeowners’ wedding and arrival of their children. In the dining room, a life-sized picture album and handwritten notes commemorate family vacations and special moments. A hand-built wine rack displays wine from the couple’s favorite vineyards, and thoughtfully selected pieces of wood throughout the house adorn the staircase walls, ceiling beams and paneling as nods to Colorado, one of their favorite places. An upstairs library hosts countless collectibles, including wedding keepsakes, books, personal mementoes and gifts, and three clocks display the time of their children’s births and the couple’s wedding. An addition on the third floor created a great room, media room, guest suite, bar and secret room for the family in this Vintage Oaks Court home.

• Meredith and Ernesto Gomez’s home at 9511 Mossridge Drive: The Gomez family purchased their home in 2020 and started an extensive renovation that is the specialty of one of the homeowners, Meredith Gomez, the owner of Helen Joy Home, a full-service home renovation and design firm. The homeowners’ goal was to update the footprint of the original home with a Spanish revival flair, an update that has created a new dining room from what was the kitchen, and a pool bath and laundry that were both originally part of the primary suite. The copper on the fireplace, a brass ladder, and the skylights are all original to the home and provide warmth to the spaces. This home also features a unique space to find in Lake Highlands: a basement, where the family spends a lot of time together.  During the renovation, a bedroom and bathroom were added. Meredith Gomez believes every house has the potential to be someone’s perfect home.  Once you see the transformation of her house, you will know she has created the perfect home for her growing family.

• Emily & Chris Hewett’s home at 9103 Lanshire Drive: A Well Dressed Home is the name of the homeowner’s interior design firm and perfectly describes this home, a New England, coastal style home. The U-shaped home sits on a double lot, allowing the backyard design to be seen from both the living room and the primary suite. The front of the home encompasses a motor court for guest parking, a breakfast garden out the French doors of the dining room, and a champagne garden with a gorgeous view of the evening sunset. This space also houses the dog run known as the “CosmoPAWlitan Courtyard.” The living room is designed in pastel colors and family-friendly fabrics to with withstand entertaining, family and pets. Colorful, non-traditional Christmas décor was selected to specifically flow with the colors of the home and keep it connected to the everyday style. The cherry on top of a tour of this beautiful estate is a view of the backyard, which features a spa courtyard with an outdoor shower, a rectangular pool with dancing fountains, and sunken gardens for adults and kids.

Holiday in the Highlands is the sole fundraising effort organized by Lake Highlands Women's League to support the greater Lake Highlands Community. In 2021, the tour raised nearly $200,000, which directly funded specific projects and services for 18 nonprofit organizations and 14 schools, and provided college scholarships to 36 exceptional Lake Highlands High School students. From supplies and technology upgrades at area schools to car seats for new mothers and summer reading initiatives at area libraries, the Lake Highlands Women’s League heard and proudly responded to a wide range of impactful opportunities to support its namesake community.

For more information on Holiday in the Highlands or to learn more about the Lake Highlands Women’s League, please visit www.lhwl.org.

Make the holidays extra merry and bright for family and friends with a gift they will fa-la-la-la-love, a self-care box from Bochy’s Box. Nourishing the mind, body and soul, a gift from Bochy’s not only inspires self-love, but it’s a gift that makes a difference with 100% of the profits going towards restoring girls rescued from sex trafficking who are staying at Bochy’s Place. The North Texas safe home offers survivors vital counseling and trauma care, medical and dental, basic home necessities, education, job training, and so much more.

In today’s hustle and bustle culture, it is important to prioritize one’s health, happiness, and overall well-being. With a Bochy’s Box, gift recipients will receive a specially-curated box filled with both survivor-made products, including the signature Bochy’s Box candle and affirmation cards, as well as products from companies who support Bochy’s mission. Gift box options include holiday-themed boxes, self-care, and mini self-care boxes. Shipping is available in the Continental United States. Holiday orders should be placed no later than Friday, December 9 to meet shipping deadlines.

This year’s Christmas Box, priced at $84.99, is a merry mix of fun and coziness. This uniquely packaged box includes a “Hope for the Holidays” scented candle that is hand poured by the survivors at Bochy’s Place, a peppermint scented bath salt also made by the survivors, an adorable “All You Need Is Love” scarf, moisturizing butter LONDON lipstick, a Rosy Rings botanical sachet, a DesignWorks Ink project notebook, a Harvest Goods Co. embroidery kit, and other surprises. The Christmas Box is a wonderful, self-care gift box idea for you or your loved one to support personal growth and self-love from the comfort of your home.

Launching in October 2022 is the Comfort Box, a box where sex trafficking survivors have made a majority of the products. Priced at $89.99, it is for anyone going through a hard time such as grief from a loss, healing, or a hard time, and it helps them find healing and restoration while also providing healing and restoration for the survivors at Bochy's Place. The Comfort Box includes a calming lavender sleep spray, peppermint and lemon infused awake spray, a roll-on with a unique blend of essential oils that bring love and joy to the heart, an Earl Grey hot tea blend, soothing oat milk and honey scented candles, intention beads to guide one through the healing process, a mediation journal, and much more.

“Our mission at Bochy’s Box is to create a steady stream of income to fund our safe home, Bochy’s Place,” states Carla Shellis, founder of Bochy’s Place and Bochy’s Box. “Shopping for a cause brings you a double dose of joy. Your loved one will get a unique present they will love, and you’ll appreciate knowing that you are becoming a part of the solution!”

Bochy’s Box is a subsidiary of the 501 ( c ) (3)  nonprofit Bochy’s Place, a restoration home for girls rescued from trafficking and exploitation. The mission is to provide a Christ-centered, nurturing family environment to enhance women emotionally, physically, and spiritually according to God's design. Currently, there is a goal to raise $6.9 million to complete a three-year plan and development of the Freedom Center, a safe and secure place for victims of sex trafficking to receive healing, trauma care, job training, education, safe living, and successful reintegration.

To order a Bochy’s Box, visit bochysbox.com. For the latest on new product announcements, follow Bochy’s Box on Facebook and Instagram.

TRAFFICKING FACTS:

• There is only 1 safe house bed for every 3,773 victims of trafficking in the United States
• There are over 300,000 victims of trafficking in Texas alone and only 60 safe house beds
• It takes Bochy’s Place approximately $34,000 to support one resident for a year excluding housing. Support includes medical, counseling, food, utilities, housing supplies, and more for the survivors
• The average age for a girl to be trafficked is between 12-15
• There are approximately 2 million trafficking victims worldwide
• There are approximately 24.9 million trafficking victims worldwide