When people think of Texas, the first thing that probably comes to mind is southern drawls, sweet tea, and football.  No, not college football or even the NFL, I'm talking about good old Friday Night Football.  Those three words are enough to make any native Texan reminisce on the glory days of bright stadium lights, healthy (albeit, a little crazy) competition, high school sweethearts, and the best concession stand food you could ever dream of.  
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Friday Night Football in Texas isn't just another sporting event.  These nights are the highlights of the school year that everyone looks forward to.  It’s a time for girls to wear a little more makeup than usual to impress their favorite football player, time for people to unite as one and cheer on their alma mater.  Most importantly, this is a time to show off school spirit, which small towns are extremely proud of.  Before every game, you can find a series of pep rallies, parades, and tailgating parties. 
 
Friday Night Football in Texas isn't just about the football.  There's a much deeper meaning to everything surrounding a simple sporting event.  Of course, it's amazing to watch your children show off the skills that they have worked so hard for, but years from now, people won't remember who tackled who, they will remember playing with friends and sneaking a kiss behind the bleachers.  High school football is a big event in Texas.  People drive for miles to sit in the stands and clap along with the cheerleaders.  There won't be a person in sight who isn't wearing a t-shirt in the school colors, and the school song is sung just as loudly as the national anthem.  To Texans, you can't get more American than this.  Friday Night Football in Texas holds a special place in all Texan's hearts, including mine.
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Where else can you experience young love, sports, cheesy nachos, family, and music all in one place?  Yes, there will be heartbreak and sadness, but even those memories are welcomed with a smile.  I remember the first time my school team made it to the playoffs.  The whole town of 500 people followed that school bus to every game, and every game we yelled until we could yell no more.  It didn't matter if we won.  It just mattered that we were united.  Nothing else mattered on Friday nights. 
 
It may sound silly, but football games are a source of peace and good fun in almost every Texas town.  To people on the outside, it is hard to understand.  It is just as hard to explain for people on the inside.  Some of my best memories happened at a Friday Night Football Game, and if you ask the rest of Texas, I'm sure they'll agree.  There is nothing quite like it, and that's probably for the best.  It's crazy, loud, and definitely wild.  The nights will be long and the bleachers will be crowded.  Sometimes you'll win and sometimes you'll lose, but in the end, you just have to experience it in all of its glory.

People are becoming more health-conscious as technology advances. New trends and workout styles are taking over the fitness world. Gym lovers and people with great concern regarding their health are highly interested and excited to try out these new trends. Dallas is a city that abounds in fitness enthusiasts and an increasing number of people are hitting different gyms every day or following the latest fitness trends, necessary for healthy living. Read on to find out some of these trends.

1. Orangetheory

Orangetheory fitness is mainly a program that monitors your heart-rate. It is a one-hour class that involves high-intensity interval exercise, where you keep burning your calories even after your workout. The equipment needed for this program is heart-rate monitor and POD to monitor the interval training sessions. It offers exercises like rowing, treadmills, spinning and elliptical. The gist of the Orangetheory fitness program is to mainly train you for a certain length of time that will raise your heart-rate to 84% or higher, helping you burn fat with increased metabolism.


2. Setting the Barre 

A workout using the barre method is a very high-intensity workout where all your muscles are toned and extended, giving you a flexible and unique physique. This is something that most dancers dream of having. The whole session takes about 55 minutes and it covers every part of your body from thighs to the abs. The focus is mainly on specific muscle groups that are responsible for the flexibility of your body and working on these muscles using the barre method is extremely impactful. This is the perfect workout method if you demand long and lean muscles in your body.


3. Water Workout

As the name suggests, this specific kind of exercise takes place in a pool where you receive an aerobic workout which accelerates the heart-rate. It is a High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which involves cardio, exercises that strengthen your body, running in place, sprinting and other impactful workout methods. These activities are separated by 10-minutes intervals and you can get a two-minute long break after every four minutes of workout. This water workout is known as ‘Tabata’ and it has changed the mindsets of people and the way they look at water workouts. It’s very exciting and intense. 


4. The Outside World

Some people like to take their workout methods outside the gym. There are a lot of different activities available out there that can give you the same intense body exercises that you perform using the modern-day equipment. Sprinting is a massive one that has an overall impact on your body, giving you more lean muscles and a better coordination among the part of your body. Effective sprinting can help improve the functioning of your heart. Other outdoor trendy activities involve wake-boarding, kayaking and other different sports that help in improving different parts of the body.

​“Fast is expensive” is the new saying when it comes to food consumption today. Consumers are swiftly shifting their preferences and the shift is not in favor of fast foods. Fast food consumption is dwindling and there is a new preference for upscale food. Most fast food restaurants have upgraded to upscale food in a bid to keep up with the market demands.


This kind of food is mostly served in fast casual restaurants. Last year, fast-casual restaurants sales increased by 13% while sales in fast food restaurants rose by only 4.7%. Could this be the reason why upscale food is taking over Plano’s Legacy West? Why is there a sudden preference for upscale food?
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​Currently, the country is filled up with fast foods. People are lovers of diversity and they want to experience something different every time. This explains the steady change of food consumption habits in the country.
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We have seen, heard and understood the healthy living campaigns. Healthy living begins with what you eat. Compared to fast food, upscale food is healthier and it incorporates organic ingredients. Now that people are more conscious when it comes to matters of nutrition, eating habits are changing. Moreover, people are embarrassed to visit fast food restaurants because they want to be part of the healthy movement hence the preference for upscale food.

The way people gauge food when looking at its health benefits has changed over the past decade. In the early 2000's, people used the number of calories in food as a way of telling apart healthy and unhealthy food. Nowadays, food prepared with natural/organic ingredients is considered healthy. The number of calories in the food matters less. This explains why people will prefer to have a burger from an upscale eatery, as opposed to a fast food restaurant. They simply want to pay more for what they think is healthy.
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The number of people in the middle class has increased significantly in the country. The middle class is the largest class and it is comprised of heavy spenders who try to fit the shoes of the high class. Upscale food is the way to go for middle-class people, who will pay more for quality because they have the money. People in this class prefer to eat out mostly and since they cannot afford fine dining all the time and they want quality, upscale food does the trick for them.

People want casual dining high-quality food served to them at fast speeds. They want to incorporate the idea of fast serving into quality food. This is the biggest reason why upscale food is taking over.
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Increasingly people are going for upscale food. This trend has grown considerably over the past four years and it can no longer be ignored. At Plano’s Legacy West, the preference for this kind of food is notable. Restaurants in this mall target the upper middle class which makes up the largest visitors to the mall. Upscale food has taken over Legacy West because people would rather pay more for quality.

Too many people and not enough roofs.  Perhaps this is one phrase that best describes the situation in Dallas in the wake of an uncontrolled influx of people from around the US. It is estimated that each year, there are over 60 000 people flocking to the Dallas-Fort Worth. 
 
This influx has majorly been attributed to the job market in this area. With the influx comes one of the most endemic challenges of urban-bound migrations; housing problems. Well, this may also be termed an opportunity for real estate investors seeking to make a killing out of the numerous people looking for decent housing units in Dallas.
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​It’s believed that Toyota alone, with the new corporate campus in Plano is responsible for nearly 40 000 immigrations per year. Those seeking to buy houses, either as part-time or permanent residents find it hard as the prices of such houses have skyrocketed. According to MetroStudy Inc.’s Page Shipp, over the last five years, home builders have been able to raise their median prices to an all-time high of 55 percent due to this unwavering demand for new houses. And given the fact that corporate transfer buyers are always willing to pay more, there is no telling as to when the prices will level out. 
 
According to Shipp, the buyers who come from as far as California are used to paying high housing prices. In fact, many of these people find the Dallas real estate sector still quite a bargain and wouldn’t think twice about buying a house here. This, as expected, poses a huge challenge to native Dallas citizen who is now expected to adjust to the spiraling housing costs.

Another great factor that makes Dallas an ideal settling destination for corporate transfers is the proximity to critical social and recreational facilities. Regardless of the neighborhood one chooses to settle in, the nearness to grocery stores, restaurants, and bars as well as other recreational centers is a major selling point of this area. In fact, Peter Lokken who relocated from Kentucky with Toyota claimed that his decision to rent an apartment in the city’s Uptown neighborhood was inspired by its strategic location to various centers and shops within the city. Located more than 20 miles away from the company’s new campus, Mr. Lokken remarked that he was happy with his decision to rent the apartment and its location actually made him extend his lease for another year.
 
However, not everyone was lucky as Lokken as stories abound of new people looking for houses for months without success. One Armin Salehi who moved to North Texas when Toyota’s headquarters moved to Plano narrates how he looked for a house for nearly three months without success. And when he finally came by a pre-owned home, it was always significantly overpriced. He had to sift through 50 homes before he could settle with a townhouse in Carrollton

​As Toyota and other big companies seek to expand their base in Dallas, appears the prices of houses in this area will rise, at least into the unforeseeable future. Perhaps there need to be measured to try and regulate the city’s real estate sector so both new and residents can get a better bargain. For now, all we can do is adopt a wait-and-see attitude. 

We know that every parent in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex is constantly on the go.
​Between work, home, school activities, and your child’s extracurricular activities like sports, dance, gymnastics, karate, etc.  there is just not enough time in the day to miss a beat.  As a responsible and concerned parent, you know that one thing you can’t mess up is your child’s nutrition throughout the day.  In fact, this is an area that demands a lot of attention.  According to health experts, when your child eats a healthy meal, he or she is able to maintain the right energy levels for learning.  Most importantly, good eating habits reduce the risk of childhood obesity.  In this regard, it’s important that you talk to your child about the nutritious food he or she likes. 
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Let explore 7 tips and tricks for packing more nutrition into your child's school lunch.
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Let’s face it there is nothing that disappoints a parent more than hurriedly preparing some fruits and vegetables in the morning, only for your precious child to bring them back after school untouched.  However, you can sneak in that nutrition your child is avoiding in another form.  Make things like mini quiches with carrots and zucchini, zucchini parmesan waffles, or even broccoli cheddar muffins.  You should cut the vegetables very small, maybe even to the point of pureeing them, and it is a good idea to test these out on the kiddos at home instead of leaving them with things in their lunch they will not eat.   Make them small, bite-sized, and give the mini bites cool names like cheddar bombs so that they do not automatically dislike these based on the ingredients.  Also try to get your child to eat avocados as a snack, or turn it into guacamole for dipping carrots or cheese sticks.  

During the winter it is easy to send soups and stews that are packed with delicious vegetables.
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We all know that most processed foods contain high sugar and unhealthy fats and overall are simply not good for your health.  Although they may seem tempting because of their convenience in preparation, try to avoid them at all costs.  Always include proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables on each lunch you pack.  Don’t forget to keep the meal as fresh as possible.  Try to include dried fruits and nuts in your child’s lunch as a side item or dessert at the end.

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Is your child a picky eater?  Try presenting their food to make it look more inviting.  Think of ways to bring out the `wow factor’ in your child's lunch.  First, try to incorporate natural foods with inviting colors like carrots, strawberries, and cherry tomatoes.  Alternatively, you can have fun with shapes.  Use cookie cutters to cut the sandwich and then add a little flair.  Likewise, cut fruits into triangles, circles or small squares.  This makes the foods more appealing and enticing.  Come up with creative names for the food too.  My daughter was and still is very picky.  One day out of desperation for her to eat something, I sliced a banana into tiny slices and put a dollop of peanut butter on each one.  I told her they were “banana coins”.  She gobbled them up, however, if I would have just given her a banana with a side of peanut butter she would not have eaten either one.  Lastly, make sure the lunch box fits your child’s age and personality, so they are excited and ready to see what kind of yummy treats you have packed for their day.  

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We all know that kid’s love the taste of sweet drinks and carbonated sodas.  However, experts recommend that you avoid packing sugar-loaded soda or juice.  Such drinks decrease the nutritional value of your child’s meal.  Instead, encourage them to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated, or milk.  If your child prefers something sweet to drink, look for water-flavored options, or better yet infuse your own water with fruits and mint.  

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Nobody likes eating the same food every day.  It’s important that you think outside the lunchbox.  Try a new combination like edamame salad with corn and tomatoes, cheese sticks and popcorn, cheese with baked corn chips among others.  With social media and Pinterest, you can find tons of fun creations to keep your child excited about eating and finding new things in their lunch each day.

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Train your child to get used to whole grain bread, pitas, or wraps.  Apart 
from lettuce, try avocado slides or shredded carrots with lean roast beef, turkey, or tuna.  Also instead of using a spread like unhealthy mayonnaise, try using hummus, guacamole, or pesto.  These types of spreads will make your child’s sandwich pop with flavor.

Most schools recommend nutritious foods for children.  They don’t allow chips, cookies or candies. Try packing low-fat yogurt, string cheese, and nuts as alternatives to other unhealthy options.
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A healthy lunch gives your kid the nutrition he or she needs every day.  It is always a good idea to engage your child in discussions and decisions about healthy food choices, portion sizes and how proper nutrition affects their overall health.  

You must have heard a lot about climate change, its impacts and threats it poses to the survival of future generations. Increase in global warming due to climate change and depletion of resources due to inefficient business practices has been a cause for alarm the world over. It has become inevitable for individuals in general and businesses, in particular, to take measures to avert the harmful impacts of climate change. 
 
Given such facts, corporations are becoming more conscious towards the maintenance of sustainability by embracing green business models. For instance, Dallas the cultural and commercial hub in Texas presents an excellent case of businesses which are going green to save environment and resources.

Here are the five ways through which Dallas area businesses present a case study for operating on sustainable business practices norms.

​You must have seen companies whose commitment to environment remains limited to the green pages of their annual reports. In the same way, the sight of the green truck by Community Waste Disposal in Dallas may not have done enough to impress you.
 
However, it is not merely a matter of vehicle’s color.  These waste disposal trucks use natural gas as fuel which is more eco-friendly as compared to gasoline and helps to minimize carbon emissions.  You will not find the sight of green trucks as ridiculous as wooden signboards from cut down trees that purport to advocate against deforestation to save the environment.

In case you are still wondering how companies can remain efficient by sticking to the green business models, just have a look at the case of Fairmont hotel in Dallas which cashes in on the implementation of its environmental sustainability policy. As part of its green building policy, the hotel has introduced a built-in plantation system in entrance wall. 
 
These Texas plants on the wall absorb CO2 and convert it into oxygen. In this way, vehicles entering the hotel premises or passing in front of it don’t emit carbon into the air. The second initiative is in the form of rooftop gardens that not only provide veggies for food but also present a scenic beauty to the surrounding.

Solecan: Eco-friendly Dust Bin
Manufacturers that are incorporating green business models are also relying on recycled resources. For this purpose, it is necessary that renewable waste must be separated from the trash and collected from the houses and offices in its original form. 
 
Solecan is a dustbin that Jeff and Liz Helfrich has designed to separate the trash from renewable material. The Solecan is meant for installation outside the homes so that domestic users can separately dispose of the trash and waste material which can be rendered useful after recycling process.

Installation of Energy Efficient Window Panes 
Cost of electricity is huge in large and wide buildings that house big corporations. In Dallas, companies are installing energy efficient window panes that require less use of electricity. Although many organizations are shifting to solar energy, they are also adopting certain energy efficient designs in the architect of their businesses.

Companies like Lindsey Glass Systems are experimenting with panes, which can reflect light in a way that lessens the dependency upon natural light. This explains why in Dallas, eco-friendly buildings are becoming a norm.

​Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer based in Toyota, Aichi, Japan.  It is one of the richest automobile manufacturers in the world.  Recently, Toyota Company moved to the North Texas Campus, a northern suburb of Dallas, from its former headquarters in southern California.  Toyota has been in California since 1957 when it founded its first U.S.A headquarters office.  According to Toyota CEO Lentz, based in North America, up to 75 percent of the 4,000 employees of the company would move to Plano.

​Toyota has already moved its employees to its new company campus in Plano.  This location will be the main U.S.A. headquarters for Toyota.  Since announcing the move, there are many construction projects growing in the expectations of the growth and visitors.  Projects are being created to ease the congestion, and to avoid traffic jams that are expected.  Toyota's move to Plano, Texas is the highest point of the economic development of this region.  

The company offers an excellent service center that is fully equipped to handle maintenance or repair work.  They also offer all Toyota fans a very nice collection such as Toyota Camry, Avalon, Corolla and RAV4.  Toyota's new location includes headquartering functions in sales and marketing, manufacturing and administrative functions.

Toyota chose the location because of its excellent business climate, the labor market and the cost of living.  Plano is central to all Toyota engine in North America.

Effects of Toyota's relocation to Dallas Economy
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This is what's ahead For the Dallas Metroplex economy is:

1. Creation of jobs for over a thousand local people: Of course, with the anticipation of business neighbors many instant jobs are created from professional to low jobs, finance, quality engineering, marketing and sales, among other things.  Approximately 5,000 employees will be assigned various jobs depending on the subject area.  Dallas was among the top places for job seekers. 
2. Economic development in the region: From the tax to job creation, the city will benefit from the billions of the car maker's move to North Texas.  Plano is the new home of the automobile giant.
3. Congestion as the movement adds more automobile on the roads:  Although Plano is preparing roads for the first wave of Toyota employees and the traffic that comes with them, the city will still have less to disturb that will soon be forgotten. 
4. High demand for real estate: By the year 2030 there will be more employees in the Dallas region, which have a significant influence on the residential property.  The high demand of the houses will then create a strong base for the real estate market.
   
5. Housing shortage in the region with traveling prices of houses: Toyota Plano has acquired 100 hectares of land, which means that home deficiencies, as the city will rely heavily on neighboring cities to deliver the employees to the employees.  
6. The growth of schools: Good schools for the children of the employee are the most important factors to consider.

​Job searching is a rather challenging venture. Everyone seems to focus on perfecting their Curriculum Vitae, and they forget to do other important aspects that could assure you make it past this step. Other than just making the perfect CV, here are a few other pointers and strategies that you should utilize in your job hunting to ensure that you get more positive results.

​The best way to go is to make your personal brand. Personal branding is creating an image that people can use to rate you by. You can do this by building your portfolio and cleaning up on social media. You need to get your name outside there and brand yourself. This may help to get employers to start seeking you out.

​Everyone in the job seeking arena has a smartphone and it is something that they are carrying around with them everywhere. This means that you have in your possession a job-seeking device that is active all the time that you are awake. You should always be using it to apply for jobs considering that everything these days is done online vial emails and websites. Sign up for some newsletters and job alerts so that you can snatch opportunities as soon as they arise. 
 
Another important way to make use of technology is to run a job description through a word cloud generator. This will reveal to you the specific keywords that the hiring managers are looking for and ensure that your resume is not looked over.

​When looking for a job, networking is key. It is the most important part of anyone’s career. It is how you get new opportunities, share ideas and go up the ranks. It is also a good way for you to brush up on your skills. A good way to go about this is to look for events in your field of specialization where people are meeting up to network and talk to potential employers. LinkedIn is also another good place to go. Make new connections and reignite the old ones. You never know, that old buddy of yours from grade school may just know someone who is looking for an employee with your specific set of skills.

​The major challenge is that people find it difficult to distinguish between what they want to do and how to keep their options open. This results in people limiting themselves to a few possibilities and at times even settling for less than what they deserve. When searching for a job, use tow criteria. Search for the company that you want to work for and then search for the title that you would like to fill. The logic behind this is that you do not limit your options. The job that you want may not be in the company that you like. Your skills may be required elsewhere and you may be limiting your options by sticking to one specific company.

​There is a lot of debate and controversy surrounding the issue of a cover letter. There are some people that are against it, but most professionals agree that to have a better chance of scoring a position in your job search, you need to. It adds some gravity to your application and gives the hiring manager a little more information about you. It is also a good avenue for you to showcase your skills. You lose nothing by adding the cover letter and you gain a whole lot of mileage.
 
 
Do not fail to integrate the ideas that you have seen above in your quest to get that dream job in Dallas. Always remember that application and approval are just the first steps, the next hurdle comes when you make it past the selection and get called for an interview. That is where you get to actualize the details within your CV and show yourself in the best of light. These are but a few pointers for Job Seeking In Dallas - Perfect Your Job Searching Skills. Hope you find them useful and enlightening.