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The Music of Michael Jackson: Houston Symphony

The Blondes: Braidee and Jayme at the Houston Symphony Summer Series

I have officially lived in Houston for nine years now. Man, time flies when you’re having fun (I totally should use another word here, but I’ll leave it as is).

One of the most touted things about Houston is how much the city has to offer, but until the other night, I somehow ignored a huge piece of H-town culture – the symphony.

My friend Braidee (pictured on the left) and I went to the Houston Symphony Summer Series at Jones Hall in downtown to see the Music of Michael Jackson, and WOW. I literally can’t remember the last time I had that much time.

The really bummer part was that as I was tweeting and sharing pictures and video clips from the night, everyone wanted to go. They didn’t know about the goodness that existed just a few miles from them either!

This particular show (info below) was only a one-night show, but the Summer Series also includes a Pokemon night, a Back to the Future – Film with Live Orchestra, and other great events that everyone would love, and it’s something outside the norm and just a unique experience.

A few facts & tips for your first (or next) adventure to the Houston Symphony:

– Dress however you like. Obviously we wore little black dresses (as pictured), but we saw people decked out in all varieties, even some dressed in MJ attire. (Ok, I lied, only one person dressed like MJ and she was seven…)

– There is a bar there, but you can’t bring drinks into the theatre (unless you purchase a sippy cup for $3) and the lines during intermission are SUPER long.

– Parking isn’t too bad as downtown really does accommodate, but if you live close, snag an Uber like we did.

– Check out all that downtown has to offer before and after the show – bars, restaurants, etc. Downtown truly has stepped up their game and it’s worth a night out on the town.

– Have fun. I don’t know about normal symphony shows, but the Summer Series was really interactive and laughing, clapping, dancing, etc. was all encouraged and made the night even more enjoyable.

The Music of Michael Jackson event info (from the Houston Symphony website):

Brent Havens, conductor, James Delisco, vocalist/dancer

From Motown to his mega success as a global figure in pop culture, Michael Jackson made HIStory(1995 Platinum album) for his iconic dance moves, over-the-top performances, and of course, his music. The Houston Symphony brings you the Music of Michael Jackson, a high-energy spectacle with the orchestra and amplified with a full band and vocals. This one-night only performance features blockbuster hits like “Thriller,” “Black or White” and “Rock With You,” along with a nod to his Jackson 5 days, including “A-B-C” and “I’ll Be There.” Capturing M.J.’s utter brilliance is singer-dancer James Delisco. Rolling Stone declared M.J. “the world’s greatest entertainer.” Come hear why as we celebrate his phenomenal legacy this summer at Jones Hall.

July 25, 2015/by Jayme

Meditation for Beginners (Hint: You Don’t Suck At It)

Blog, Fitness

Christy and Jayme hanging out at Wanderlust Aspen

I am a stressed out individual, but odds are we probably have that in common. We are multi-taskers, go-getters, hustlers and our brains have literally become human computers we never turn off.

Last month I interviewed Houston Texan Duane Brown and his wife Devi. The interview was about their home (see the story here) and I expected to learn about the exotic interior decorator they used and stuff like that, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn about their morning rituals of meditating together.

Meditation has always way too spiritual for me (not to be confused with religious) and a concept I couldn’t grasp, never being able to quiet my mind long enough to reap the benefits of said quiet time.

Devi and Duane got the wheels about meditation and the benefits turning in my head and then Christy Curtis, a yoga teacher based out of Orange County hosted a class at Wanderlust Aspen-Snowmass: Meditation for the Athletic Minded: Be in the Z.O.N.E.. It’s no secret she had me at the word Athletic, so I added her class to my already busy list of yoga/running/hiking/breathing classes.

The Browns and Christy certainly aren’t the first to brag about the benefits of meditation, but perhaps it was knowing what their busy lives entailed and they were all athletes (Christy was a college basketball player) that made me relate and want to test it out their theory.

(If you need proof you can’t possibly be a worse meditator than yours truly, below are the notes I took during Christy’s class. Yes, I took notes, while meditating.)

Her first instruction was, “don’t think – just show up.”

She reminded us that our mind is a muscle too – as athletes we spend so much time training and strengthening our biceps and quads for example, our brain/mind should be treated the same.

One of the things Christy said that resonated with me was the practice of welcoming in thoughts during meditation. Sure, meditation is supposed to be a blank space in your head where you focus on breathing and not your overflowing to-do list, but inevitably thoughts start to creep in and then you get mad at yourself. You’re not supposed to be thinking, dammit. You’re supposed to be nothing right now!

Having practiced and perfected for many years, Christy says to welcome those thoughts in and then welcome them back out. Don’t get mad at yourself, just push those thoughts out and start right back up.

At about the exact second I was thinking how horrible I was at the simple task of sitting still and resting my mind, Christy chimed in reminding us to be kind to ourselves when we meditate. “Don’t question if you’re doing it right,” she said.

I asked Christy the hard question – probably the same one most of you who have attempted meditation want to ask as well – how does one start meditating and become good at it? If you’ve already tired (multiple times) and failed, should you keep trying?

Her response: Start where you are – it’s as simple as that. It can be as simple as 10 seconds before you turn your keys to start your car – maybe it’s just three breaths. You start where you are and I think the main thing is remembering it can be anything. It doesn’t have to be lighting a candle and waking up at 4 a.m. It’s before you go into a huge job interview, before you have a difficult conversation with a loved one, before you go hiking on the mountain top or before that race – where your mind is all over the map and all you have to do is come back to the breath,” she says.

She continued to make it sound easy, but easy it was not. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up though.

Some apps she recommends: Stop Breathe and Think, Simply Being, Headspace, and Calm.

Since I still think I’m the worst meditator ever, I’m curious who meditates and what you’ve found works or doesn’t for you? Share in the comments below – I’d love to hear it!

July 7, 2015/by Jayme

Run10Feed10 Race Series

Blog, Fitness

Join the Run10Feed10 Fun Run on The Blonde Side’s Team

I am so excited to announce that for the FOURTH straight year, I’ve been selected as a Women’s Health Action Hero.

The race series (10k), is a lot of fun and not competitive, so if you’re a casual walker or a novice runner, don’t sweat it!

The race series is really cool – aside from getting cool swag (like a limited edition FEED bag), each and every signup will provide TEN meals to hungry kids right here in our own neighborhoods.

– You’ll get our 2015 limited-edition FEED bag! (the one all the celebs carry around!)
– A special FEED bracelet as a finisher prize!
– 10 issues of Women’s Health mag for free (you can decline this option and get a $10 refund on your sign-up if you wish)

Atlanta Fun Run October 3, 2015, Team: The Blonde Side

Since there isn’t a race in Houston this year, I have created a team (team name: The Blonde Side) for the Atlanta Fun Run on Saturday, October 3rd since we’ll be there for our Texans Road Trip.

Sign up for the race here, and “join an existing team” and type in The Blonde Side. At the very end of checkout, use promo code: WHLAMM for $5 off. (Yes, we’ll all go brunch afterwards!).

I am really trying to get a fun team for The Blonde Side’s Atlanta race, but there are other races and my discount code (WHLAMM) still works, so please spread the word (see bottom of the post).

There is also a GREAT fundraising component to this event – if you want to donate something (even as little as $10) to the cause, you can go to my page and make it quick and easy.

This is a huge event for so many people, including me. I would very much appreciate each of your support on this event

Here are the other cities to sign up (be sure to use WHLAMM at checkout for $5 off):

Main Races:

New York City: 9/20

Chicago: 10/17

San Francisco: 10/25

Fun Runs:

Detroit: 9/19

Denver: 9/26

Boston: 9/26

Atlanta: 10/3

Seattle: 10/4

Washington DC: 10/10

Salt Lake: 10/10

Los Angeles: 10/11

Austin: 10/17

And if you don’t live in one of these cities, run your very own 10k and still help out millions in need.

If you don’t already follow The Blonde Side on FB, please do me a favor and LIKE it.

Happy training y’all!

July 7, 2015/by Jayme

Chester Pitts Strike Out For The Arts

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Chester and LaToya Pitts. Photo by Michelle Watson / CatchLightGroup.com

What: Strike Out for the Arts.

Where: Bowlmor Lanes.

The 411: The all-too common Houston rain and flooding didn’t keep most guests from gathering for the fourth annual charity bowling event benefiting The Chester Pitts Charitable Foundation Tuesday night. Even in the offseason, several current and former Houston Texans players and their families showed support for former Texan Pitts’ charity— some even taking competition and bowling attire (we see you, Fabulous 5) to new levels.

The theme of the event — Be A Hero — encouraged fans, sponsors and supporters to dress in superhero attire complete with props, high-end Marvel sweatshirts and team-coordinated matching T-shirts. Hannah McNair (alongside husband Cal McNair) faced off on opposite sides of the lane from sister Joanna Marks (and husband Brad Marks) along with other friends and family.

The evening was emceed by Devi Dev from 93.7 The Beat (and also the better half to Texan Duane Brown, who was there to show his support). Devi kept the crowd entertained and in a charitable mood throughout the evening.Who: Seen in the crowd, in addition to those mentioned above, were Chester and LaToya Pitts, Whitney Mercilus, Robert Horry, Joseph Addai, Ben Jones, Alfred Blue, Travis Johnson, Wade Smith, Chita Johnson, Sarah Hartland, Amber Hartland, Rebekah Hartland, Monica Blaisdell, Stan and Amanda Abiassi, Brian Ching, Jennifer Brown and Stephanie Barnes.This article originally ran in the society section of Houston’s Culture Map. Click here to see the original article and more photos from Michelle Watson of CatchLightGroup.

July 2, 2015/by Jayme

Texans to ATL Road Trip

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Texans fans road tripping to Atlanta

Get ready Texans fans – The Blonde Side is finally combining her love and knowledge of sports and travel and putting together a run road trip as the Houston Texans takes on the Atlanta Falcons October 4th.

We have very limited space (we only have room for seven more people), but here are the details (subject to change):

Dates: Friday, October 2 – Monday October 5 (morning)

*We will be leaving Friday morning at 7a SHARP. The trip is approximately an 11-hour drive (we’ll make all 11 hours fun, promise!) and we will be leaving Atlanta following the game on Sunday (it is a 12p game, so to be realistic, we will plan to leave the stadium at 5p) and driving home to aim for arriving back in Houston Monday morning around 7a.

The trip includes transportation to and from Atlanta (via Debbie the Texan’s brand new Texan-pimped out conversion van) and to the actual game (including parking), hotel accommodations (all are double occupancy, unless stated otherwise, which will be an increase in price), your game ticket on the Texans side, and a bunch of swag and goodies throughout the trip.

(Still working on some killer details, but lets just say we won’t have to pay for beer on the ride or while tailgating! Thanks Coors Light!)

Transportation: My good friend Debbie the Texan just got a brand new conversion van that is pimped out with Texans swag (see picture above).

Hotel: We will be staying in a hip place – Hotel Indigo, located in the Midtown section of Atlanta. We have priced this based on double occupancy, so either make a friend join you, or we’ll pair you with someone cool. If you want your own room, rates will go up, but still affordable!

The hotel is also giving each guest two free drinks at the hotel bar.

Game Ticket: Duh, what’s a Texan’s Road Trip without a game ticket? We are working with my pals at TicketCity to get the best price on some great tickets.

The tickets we have secured are Section 130, Row 22 on the Texans side (the corner). We have worked out a deal with TicketCity, so if you want different seats, we can arrange that, but know there will be a price increase. Ideally, we can all sit together.

Did I mention Coors Light is providing the beer for us to tailgate? So that’s covered too.

Swag: Details on this, but y’all know how The Blonde Side rolls. Expect some swag y’all. #Promise.

Reminder – this is a road trip – you know that saying life is about the journey, not the destination? It applies here. Eleven hours is a bit of a haul, but we’ll have a blast and we’ll be reppin’ the Texans the whole way down (did you see a picture of the van?).

Since we ONLY HAVE SEVEN MORE SPOTS, we need to know ASAP if you are coming. This is a first-come, first-serve trip. Also, half of the money is due when you RSVP for this trip. Since we are prepaying for the hotel, tickets, etc. it is non-refundable – but if you give us advance warning, we will try to find someone to take your place and refund you. Note, you will only get a refund if we can resell your spot.

TOTAL COST: $550

Again, we only have seven spots, so the first ones to message me AND PAY are on the bus! Even if you want to just get a $200 deposit down, you’re spot will be saved.

Questions or ready to sign up? Email ASAP: jayme @ theblondeside . com

If you are already planning on going to the game and just need tickets, let us know and you can get in on our group prices with TicketCity. You can also book a hotel room at our spot as we have a block reserved – call the hotel and ask for Paul and get “The Blonde Side’s block.”

The Blonde Side has also created a 10k team for the Run10Feed10 Series put on by Women’s Health Magazine. Please consider signing up to run with us (use code WHLAMM for $5 off, so it’s only a $30 donation and you get free swag!). Here is info on the race or you can donate a few bucks here.

*Details subject to change.

June 30, 2015/by Jayme

Degree Get Moving Challenge

Blog, Fitness

Degree Get Moving Challenge with Women’s Health

July 1st is right around the corner and it marks the kick off to the Degree Get Moving Challenge with Women’s Health and Men’s Health.

Although bikini season is already upon us (yikes?), who doesn’t need a six-week fitness challenge to keep us going?

Chris Powell, Celebrity Trainer and Transformation Pro will be leading the challenges. You can enter the challenge (it’s free) either as a bonus form of motivation or if you’re hardcore like me, for a chance to be named the Ultimate Challenger and WIN a one-on-one workout session with Chris Powell!

I am beyond excited that the Women’s Health Action Hero Program selected me as one of the influencers to help push this program forward.

Follow me on Twitter to keep up with my progress and challenges and be sure to check out #GetMoving #WHActionHero to see what others are doing.

Here is more about the program from an official release about the challenge via Business Wire:

Each week Powell will unveil a set of all-new, exclusive endurance, strength, and cardio challenges designed to incrementally increase the level of intensity each week so participants can achieve greater fitness results and keep moving all summer long. Each member’s workout progress is logged and tracked through a custom partnership with MapMyFitness, the number one training app that enables users to track fitness activities via the built-in GPS on their mobile devices.

“This summer I’m challenging men and women everywhere to get moving and maximize their fitness goals together with the teams at Women’s Health and Men’s Health and the support of Degree®,” says Chris Powell.

Summer is a great time to change up any fitness routine to include outdoor activities. The Degree® Get Moving Challenge works to incorporate all physical activity, both indoor and outdoor, and encourages people to vary their workouts in order to win prizes throughout the competition. Inspired by Degree’s movement platform, the collaboration brings together the expertise of Women’s Health and Men’s Health, along with Chris Powell’s approach to proven results to ensure a successful experience for all participants.

At the end of the 6-week challenge, one participant will be named the Ultimate Challenger and win a one-on-one personalized training session with Powell.

The “Degree® Get Moving Challenge” spotlights Degree’s exclusive MOTIONSENSE® technology that responds directly to body movement—the more you move, the more it protects. “More people rely on Degree Antiperspirant than any other brand in America. We’re excited to put our unique Degree® MOTIONSENSE technology to the test in this exciting partnership with Chris, Women’s Health and Men’s Health. We want to help readers keep moving, and challenge themselves to achieve their best,” said Matthew McCarthy, Senior Marketing Director, Unilever North America.

Challenge begins July 1!

June 29, 2015/by Jayme

Life Coach: Session 1

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The keyword in moving forward: CHANGE

Today was my first life coaching session with Sally. I’m honestly surprised at how well it seemed to go (but who knows, I could have easily driven her to drink after hearing about my messy life).

Something I realized right off the bat was how good it felt to just talk to someone. She was listening. She was asking questions. Why is it none of us do that anymore (myself included)?

It was such a treat to talk to someone who wasn’t coming into the conversation with an agenda or any biases. For example – when we started talking about my miserably-constantly-failing-love-life, she didn’t remind me about that loser I wasted ten months on and all the verbal abuse he put me through or that I ignored all the red flags.

She didn’t judge. She just listened and asked questions at the right times.

After we hung up, one thing became clear – I want simplicity in my life. I’m not exactly sure in what areas (actually, all of them) or what I need to do to get there, but through our conversation, Sally kept peppering me with questions that all led back to the words: organization and simplicity.

All of my talk kept leading her to say the word focus over and over.

Being able to just talk and answer these strategic questions led me to another realization. I have two big goals in my life (one of them is getting my memoir published, though the hard part of actually writing it has already been done), and I’m not working towards either of them. Sally says it seems I can “conceive” a goal, but am not motivated to move to the next step. Spot on Sally, spot on.

Today’s conversation was actually the first time I’ve said these two goals out loud and man was it an eye-opener. I have two fairly attainable and highly-rewarding goals right in front of me, and they are just sitting there.

During our hour-long session, I did something I haven’t done in maybe forever. I put absolutely everything away and talked to her (our sessions are via phone). I wasn’t checking Instagram, the radio was off, I actually closed my computer, plugged in my headphones to my phone and just chatted.

Notes to share:

– She doesn’t come into our coaching relationship with an agenda – she says that’s for me to figure out. Yikes, no pressure.

– She pointed out that we all have a tendency to resist change and that I shouldn’t be surprised or discouraged if I feel resistance to our program. She told me to “lean into the process.”

– Our goal is to tune in with current priorities and values, then define new ones.

HOMEWORK: (I told her to be aggressive with me since we set a three-month benchmark to see some results or at least get more focused) I will be taking some online assessments to help me see what my strengths and such are. It may sound easy, but if you’ve taken these before (and you’ve taken them seriously), it’s pretty enlightening. And the next session, we’ll look at and discuss the results.

So after our first session, I’m sure she thinks I’m a basket-case. Guess we’ll see if she can work her magic on me!

Check out her website here.

Stay tuned for our life coaching session and wish me luck!

June 24, 2015/by Jayme

I Hired a Life Coach

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Life Coach – Part 1

About seven years ago, back when I was still in Corporate America, my boss bought me a Christmas gift. (To be fair, since it’s Corporate America, it was probably a holiday gift, because no one is allowed to say Christmas anymore, which is annoying…)

Everyone on the Marketing team got a Visa gift-card. Not a bad gift to spend any way you like on whatever you want.

But I didn’t get a Visa gift-card.

Instead, my boss called me into his office, gave me this long spiel about how great and creative I am, how I have a strong head on my shoulders – “stronger than most,” I remember him saying.

For my gift, he pulled out an envelope as he explained he got me a life coach for Christmas. For a brief moment, it was an insult, then it quickly became comical. All my co-workers could go to Nordstrom and buy a new pair of jeans, but I got a life coach. How screwed up do you have to be to get a life coach as a gift from your boss, and was my screwed up stuff really that obvious?

Long story short, the particular coach he set me up with wasn’t my cup of tea. Not a bit. We just didn’t connect on any level, she never listened to me and she gave me homework I resented and ignored. If she wasn’t listening to me, how could she help me? The little I know about life coaches is they are not one-size fits all.

I’ve always been one to find opportunities to better myself – professionally and personally – and I’m not opposed to an occasional assignment to get me back on track. But we just didn’t work out.

Fast-forward seven years later, five of which I’ve been working for myself as a freelance sports, travel and fitness writer, and I realized I needed a life coach. I’m not just going in the wrong direction, but worse – I’m not going in any direction.

My job, my life, my relationships, my creativity – all things I used to adore about myself and my day – are all at a standstill.

Many of you may not know I fell into this role as founder/editor of The Blonde Side on accident. That same life coach gift-giving boss gave me a solid piece of advice when I first started working for him – he told me to get a hobby. Three years later when I got laid off, I used my severance and my hobby and planned to take a break. That “break” is now in it’s fifth year. But since there wasn’t a lot of planning involved or goals to set, I’ve kept going that same way.

Doing research for a recent article about goal setting, I got the chance to correspond with about 15 life coaches. Most (not all) had great things to say, and I quoted a few, but there was something about Sally Anne Giedrys with Whole Life Strategies Coaching, that struck a chord. We just connected. It was only email, but I could tell we had a lot in common.

Like most online interviews and research, there is some back and forth involved. She would give me tips and I’d ask her to elaborate so I could write about it and make sense of it for my readers.

I realized after writing that article that a life coach would probably do me good. I can’t remember the last time I set a real goal and actually worked towards it. And I think I attribute most of my decision to work with a life coach to how easily Sally and I communicated. She had the credentials, but more than that, the fact she’s a “fervent believer in practical reinvention,” and her belief in a balanced life and to live intentionally – those were all major bonus points. The best bonus of all was that she too is an entrepreneur. Unless your entire income has ever come from the lifestyle of being a freelancer/entrepreneur, you can’t begin to understand how difficult this life is. It may look glamorous hiking in Colorado and laying out on beaches in Hawaii (those parts definitely are!), but it’s hard work and I’ve sort of let things stand still. If I don’t keep pushing forward and coming up with new ideas, my bills stop getting paid. That’s not really an option for me.

So there you have it. The Blonde Side hired a life coach and has committed to giving this my all for the next three months. This is just the beginning – keep along with our journey – I’ll share my homework assignments and things I learn – maybe a few of you will join in with me. Unless of course you’ve already got all your ducks in a row and all your shit together…if so, kudos to you.

June 22, 2015/by Jayme

X Games Austin 2015 Recap

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The Blonde Side recaps X Games Austin – photo: Clark Terrell

I have covered Winer X Games in Aspen multiple times, and Summer X Games in LA, but this was my first time covering the X Games in Austin – their home for the past two years.

It was an absolute blast and damn was it H-O-T.

Here are recaps of my articles to check them all out in one place:

‘Angry Sky’ ’30 for 30′ Screening with interviews with Travis Pastrana, Jeff Tremaine and Mat Hoffman – original story ran on CBS Man Cave Daily

One-on-one interview with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett (he’s a big fan of surfing, FYI) – original story ran on CBS Man Cave Daily

The Blonde Side’s personal recap of X Games weekend – original story ran on CBS Man Cave Daily

Outfits:

Since it was 90+ degrees all weekend long, I relied on some old faithful lululemon outfits to keep me as cool and dry as possible, and wore a hat everyday to keep the sun off my face.

X Games hat pictured up top was bought on site ($35) and although expensive, a damn fine purchase in my opinion!

June 10, 2015/by Jayme

Dr. Shel – Wellness and Medical Spa

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Myers IV Treatment with Dr. Shel in Houston

I recently visited Dr. Shel Wellness and Medical Spa located in Houston (Sugar Land), off Highway 6 and learned quite a few things about what we can and should be doing as women.

If you’re fatigued, get irritated easily, have dry skin or a number of other issues, that stuff can easily be fixed.

Dr. Shel emphasizes a balanced life for her patients and takes a holistic approach. Before you think she’s “one of those doctors” you often hear about, you’re wrong. She is actually a board-certified OB/GYN, who started her own clinic after realizing many women were suffering from ailments (i.e. hormone levels) that could easily be treated. WITHOUT MEDICINE.

I took a tour of her facility (A+), met most of her staff (A++) and got two treatments.

The first was a Myers IV (pictured above), which allows our body to receive 100% of the nutrients by bypassing our digestive system. I noticed an immediate increase in activity, my allergies seemed to not bother me as much, and just overall had a bounce in my step. The main reason I chose this treatment is because of the increased fatigue I’ve been experiencing, and it really did help. (Click the link above to learn more about the Myers IV.)

The second treatment I opted for was the IPL Photofacial and Laser Genesis Skin Rejuvenation. I won’t lie to you – I told them to take the word facial out of the description, because that conjures up relaxing sensations for me. Wrong.

These are noninvasive lasers that safely and effectively treat sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles, large pores, uneven skin texture, and more. There really is no prep or after work for you, except to stay out of the sun for a few days. I noticed after about three days that my freckles were much much lighter and my skin just felt an overall refreshness, just in time for summer. (Click the link above to learn more about the photofacial.)

Dr. Shel Wellness and Medical Spa doesn’t take insurance, but many of the treatments can independently be sent in to your insurance and reimbursed that way. They also work with patient on packages and discounts, so be sure to give them a call and see what services or tests you may benefit from.

1437 Highway 6, Suite 100 | Sugar Land, TX 77478

281.313.7435 | info@drshel.com | www.drshel.com

June 1, 2015/by Jayme