Celebrate love from new heights this Valentine’s Day at Sheraton Dallas with a romantic candlelit dinner on the 38th floor and an exclusive weekend getaway package!

Love Above Dallas: A Romantic Dinner in the Heart of Downtown Dallas

This romantic, skyline-level experience features a candlelit four-course dinner set against sweeping, panoramic views of the city, with a live DJ adding just the right touch of ambiance. Taking place on February 14 from 7 to 10 PM in Sheraton Dallas’ luxurious Chaparral Ballroom on the 38th Floor, the evening starts at $98 per person and offers limited seating for an intimate, elevated celebration.

Guests will check in at the Open Palette hostess stand before being escorted to the dinner. A welcome toast and complimentary self-parking are included.

Guests can indulge in a thoughtfully crafted Valentine’s Day menu that blends seasonal ingredients with elevated flavors, from rich, slow-braised 44 Farms short ribs with sweet purple potato purée to tender sous-vide halibut served over creamy corn risotto to decadent dark-chocolate crème fraîche delice.

Couples can make the night even more special with champagne enhancements, keepsake photo moments, or curated proposal packages designed for unforgettable memories.

Reservations for the Love Above Dallas dinner are required. To secure your table and view the full menu, please see here.

Love in the Heart of Dallas: A Romantic Getaway for Valentine’s Weekend

Enhance your Valentine’s weekend with the Love in the Heart of Dallas getaway at Sheraton Dallas, designed for couples seeking a romantic escape in the heart of downtown. This special package invites guests to a cozy stay just steps from the city’s best dining, nightlife, and cultural attractions, paired with thoughtful perks that make celebrating together effortless and memorable. Couples can enjoy a bottle of champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, breakfast for two the following morning at Open Palette, and late checkout at noon.

From comfortable, stylish accommodations to the chance to explore nearby attractions, entertainment venues, and local favorites, it’s the perfect complement to a Valentine’s dinner or weekend adventure in Dallas, all wrapped in Sheraton’s signature Texas-sized hospitality.

Treat your Valentine to a weekend they’ll remember long after the last toast.

To learn more about the Love in the Heart of Dallas package and book your weekend stay, please see here.

Sheraton Dallas Hotel is located in Downtown Dallas at 400 North Olive Street, Dallas, Texas 75201.

The start of a new year often brings quiet reflection. Many families think about what they want more of in the months ahead: more purpose, more connection, more ways to show up for the people around them.

For children in foster care across the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, the idea of a “new beginning” can carry special weight. These are children navigating big transitions through no fault of their own, often moving between homes while waiting for stability and consistency. What they need most is not perfection, but care, patience, and a sense of belonging.

Across Dallas County and neighboring communities, the need for foster families continues. Each child represents a story still unfolding and a future shaped by the support they receive today.

Foster care looks different for every family. Some provide temporary care, others step in for relatives, and some offer long-term stability. No matter the path, families are supported with training, resources, and a network that understands the challenges and rewards that come with caring for children in foster care.

As the year unfolds, it offers a chance to consider how small, intentional choices can create meaningful impact. For some, that may mean learning more about foster care. For others, it may simply mean gaining a deeper understanding of the children and families in our community who need support.

EMPOWER is a child welfare collaborative that supports foster parents and helps children find safe, loving homes across Metroplex East — including Dallas, Grayson, Fannin, Collin, Hunt, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis and Navarro counties.

New beginnings do not always come with fireworks. Sometimes they begin quietly, with compassion, patience, and the willingness to care.

In December, the spirit of the season filled the Toy Drive Warehouse at Community Partners of Dallas as EMPOWER caseworkers gathered for the organization’s annual toy distribution event. Throughout the morning, caseworkers moved through rows of carefully sorted gifts, thoughtfully selecting presents based on wish lists submitted by children in foster care across Dallas County.

For many of these children, the gifts represent more than a holiday surprise. They are a reminder that they are seen, valued, and cared for during what can be an especially difficult time of year. By allowing caseworkers to “shop” for the children on their caseloads, the event ensured that each gift felt personal and meaningful, reflecting individual interests, personalities, and hopes.

EMPOWER serves as the Community-Based Care contractor for Metroplex East, supporting children and families across Dallas, Grayson, Fannin, Collin, Hunt, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, and Navarro counties. Through partnerships with Community Partners of Dallas and other local organizations, EMPOWER works to strengthen permanency outcomes and provide stability for children navigating the child welfare system.

Events like this toy drive are made possible through the generosity of the North Texas community. Donations, volunteer support, and year-round engagement help ensure that children experiencing abuse or neglect have access to essentials, comfort, and moments of joy when they need them most.

Those interested in supporting future efforts can learn more about Community Partners of Dallas and how to get involved through upcoming drives and volunteer opportunities. Together, these collective acts of kindness help brighten the holidays and reinforce a powerful message to children across Dallas County: they are not alone.In December, the spirit of the season filled the Toy Drive Warehouse at Community Partners of Dallas as EMPOWER caseworkers gathered for the organization’s annual toy distribution event. Throughout the morning, caseworkers moved through rows of carefully sorted gifts, thoughtfully selecting presents based on wish lists submitted by children in foster care across Dallas County.

If you’ve ever thought about remodeling your home, you probably pictured the end result. The beautiful kitchen. The bathroom that finally feels like a retreat. The space that actually works for your life.

What you may not picture is the dust, the noise, the decisions about grout colors you never knew existed, and the moment you realize you’ve been living without a functioning kitchen longer than planned.

The truth is, remodeling isn’t always easy. But it also doesn’t have to be miserable.

The difference usually comes down to the relationship between the homeowner and the contractor. The smoothest projects are not just about good design or quality craftsmanship. They are built on communication, trust, and a shared understanding of what really matters and Kitchen Design Concepts can help you achieve your goals.

Here are a few lessons we see play out time and again in the most successful remodels.

It starts with knowing your “why.” Maybe your family has outgrown the space. Maybe your home still feels frozen in the 1990s. Maybe you are ready for a kitchen that works with you instead of against you. When homeowners are clear about what they want and why they want it, decisions get easier and the project stays grounded, even when things move quickly. 

Asking questions helps more than people realize. Remodeling can feel overwhelming, especially if it is your first time. Understanding the timeline, what to expect day to day, and how decisions impact the budget can bring a lot of peace of mind. Open conversations early tend to prevent stress later.

Remodeling is also very much a team effort. Homeowners do not need to manage every detail, but staying engaged, making decisions when needed, and speaking up if something feels off goes a long way. When everyone knows their role, the process feels far less chaotic.

Then there is real life. Kitchens get torn apart. Bathrooms go offline. Work-from-home calls compete with construction noise. Planning ahead for how daily routines will shift, even temporarily, makes a huge difference. Sometimes it is as simple as setting up a coffee station in another room or claiming a quiet corner of the house as a retreat from the mess.

And finally, there is flexibility. Even the most carefully planned remodels can uncover surprises behind walls or run into supply delays. The projects that stay on track emotionally are the ones where everyone is willing to problem-solve together and keep perspective.

At the end of the day, remodeling is a journey. It can be frustrating at times, but it can also be exciting, empowering, and deeply rewarding when you feel supported along the way.

A home remodel does not have to be something you dread. With the right partnership and the right mindset, it can be the start of falling in love with your home all over again.

If you’ve ever thought about remodeling your home, maybe in the new year, you know that remodels usually start with excitement and inspiration, then as the new year gets closer and closer, questions pile up. Who’s deciding this detail? And how did something that felt so clear at the beginning suddenly feel complicated?

Often, the answer comes down to understanding the roles involved, especially the difference between a kitchen designer and a contractor, and how they work together.

The Role of a Kitchen Designer

A kitchen designer starts with how you live, not just how you want your kitchen to look.

They’re the person who listens when you talk about how you cook, who gathers in your kitchen, where clutter builds up, and what isn’t working anymore. From there, they translate those habits and frustrations into a layout that makes sense.

Designers think about how you move through the space, where appliances should land, how much storage you truly need, and how all the pieces fit together visually. Cabinetry, countertops, lighting, finishes, hardware, and color palettes all fall under their care, but so do the details you don’t always see at first, like ergonomics and flow.

A good designer helps you see options you may not have considered and flags potential issues before they become expensive mistakes. Their goal isn’t just a beautiful kitchen, but one that works day in and day out.

The Role of a Contractor

Once the plan is in place, the contractor takes over and turns that vision into reality.

Contractors handle the hands-on work: demolition, framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, flooring, and installation. They coordinate crews, manage timelines, secure permits, and ensure everything meets local codes. They’re also the ones navigating the daily realities of the job site and solving problems as they arise.

Without a clear, thoughtful design guiding the work, even the most skilled contractor is left making decisions on the fly, which is where projects can start to drift off course.

Where Things Can Get Tricky

When designers and contractors are hired separately, homeowners often become the go-between. Suddenly, you’re relaying decisions, tracking orders, aligning schedules, and making judgment calls you didn’t expect to make.

That’s where stress creeps in, not because anyone is doing their job poorly, but because no one is responsible for the full picture.

A More Seamless Way Forward

Some remodeling firms take a different approach, bringing design and construction together as one team. In a Kitchen Design Concepts Design + Build model, the people shaping the vision and the people executing it are aligned from the beginning.

Designers understand construction realities. Project managers understand design intent. Questions get answered faster, decisions stay consistent, and accountability is clear.

The result isn’t just a smoother process, but a kitchen that looks the way you imagined and functions the way you need it to, without the constant second-guessing.

Because at the end of the day, a kitchen remodel shouldn’t feel like a juggling act. It should feel like progress toward a space that truly fits your life.