✅ It’s Wednesday and we have mostly sunny days ahead. Out with the thunderstorms and in with the sun. Take in that Vitamin D and channel it into productivity. Every day is a chance to make progress in the great city of Houston.

In this edition of Houstonicity:

·         “Houston Lets You Be Real” – Meet Your Neighbor with Katie Wood

·         Houston Space Company Partners On Private Space Mission

·         NASA Reschedules Moon Mission To March

·         And More…

Today: 64F | 42F | 🌤️ | 2% Precipitation | N 16 MPH Winds

Thursday: 65F | 49F | ☀️| 6% Precipitation | NW 8 MPH Winds

Friday: 78F | 50F | ☀️| 0% Precipitation | W 10 MPH Winds

Saturday: 78F | 53F | ☀️| 3% Precipitation | SSW 8 MPH Winds

Sunday: 79F | 58F | ☀️ | 8% Precipitation | SSW 9 MPH Winds

Link for more weather information.

KATIE WOOD

Occupation: Owner Operator of KD-Clutter - Professional Organizer, Certified Home Stager and TREC Certified Instructor (teaching real estate agents the power of decluttering and staging home to sell faster).

What do you love about Houston:

Houston has heart in a way that’s hard to explain unless you live here. It’s big and bold but still deeply personal. You’ll find people from every background every walk of life and somehow it all works. There’s a shared resilience here. Houstonians adapt they rebuild they show up for one another and they do it without needing credit.

What I love most is that Houston lets you be real. You don’t have to fit into a mold to belong. You can grow a business, raise a family, reinvent yourself and still feel supported by your community. There’s room here for ambition and authenticity at the same time and that combination is rare.

Houston isn’t just where I work. It’s where I’ve built relationships, found my footing and created something meaningful. It feels like home because it gives people space to grow while still holding them together.

 How do you stay optimistic:

I stay optimistic by keeping my focus small and intentional. As a single mom and business owner, I don’t have the luxury of spiraling too far ahead. I concentrate on what I can handle today for my kids my clients and my business and trust that consistency adds up.

I lean on evidence not emotion. I remind myself that I’ve handled hard seasons before and built something meaningful through them. That perspective keeps me steady even on challenging days.

Optimism for me comes from action. When I take care of what’s in front of me, whether it’s showing up for my children serving a client or moving the business forward, it creates momentum and clarity. I don’t aim for perfect days. I aim for presence progress and trust that I’ll figure things out as I go.

 What advice would you give a new resident:

As a Houstonian, I’d tell a new resident to give the city time. Houston doesn’t impress you all at once. It grows on you through neighborhoods routines and relationships. Explore beyond the obvious. Each area has its own personality and that’s where the real magic is.

Build community early. Say yes to invitations talk to your neighbors support local businesses and don’t underestimate how friendly people actually are here. Houston feels big but it runs on connection.

Embrace the pace and the sprawl. You don’t have to do everything at once. Learn your shortcuts, find your go to places and let the city meet you where you are. And finally respect the heat plan around it hydrate like it’s your job and don’t fight it just adapt.

What should people know about you:

What people should know about me is that I’m real. I’ve built my business through lived experience and I understand busy families because I’m living it myself. I believe organizing isn’t about perfection it’s about individualized curated systems that function for each household and support the life being lived inside it.

I lead with empathy but keep things practical and light. I don’t take life too seriously and I believe laughter makes even overwhelming situations easier to handle. We work hard but we have fun along the way.

I care deeply about my clients and treat every home with respect. I’m proud to have built a business rooted in integrity community and showing up fully for my kids and the families I serve.

Do you have a business, project, or public account you’d like to mention: Oh, that is a loaded question, each project I take on is special and unique.

LEARN MORE ABOUT KATIE’S BUSINESS, KD-CLUTTER

Houston-based Axiom Space is teaming up with Voyager Technologies for its fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, known as Ax-5, is scheduled to launch no earlier than January 2027 and marks a new collaboration between two companies working to shape the future of commercial spaceflight.

The mission will continue Axiom’s focus on scientific research in orbit, with past missions supporting work like medical drug testing approved for FDA trials. As more international space agencies look to train astronauts in orbit, Ax-5 opens the door to broader global participation and brings Houston one step closer to a future beyond the ISS.

NASA has moved its Artemis II moon mission to March after issues showed up during a final rocket test. The agency wanted to launch in early February, but engineers found a hydrogen leak and other technical problems during a wet dress rehearsal. These tests are meant to catch problems before astronauts ever fly.

NASA says the delay improves safety and success. Artemis II will send four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the moon, the first time humans will leave Earth orbit since 1972. If all goes well, launch attempts could begin in early March.

Did CenterPoint handle this year’s freeze better than before? A Houston Chronicle opinion piece asked readers, and many said yes. Several Houstonians noticed fewer outages and pointed to tree trimming and other prep work as signs of progress. Some even called it a vast improvement compared to past winters.

Not everyone was convinced. Some residents felt the lighter weather helped and said a major storm will truly show readiness. Still, for many families who feared a repeat of 2021, steady power brought real relief and a cautious sense of optimism.

Houston families can celebrate the Lunar New Year with a special in person storytime featuring award-winning author Monique Truong. She will read from her book Mai’s Áo Dài and share traditions her family celebrates during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, offering a personal and welcoming look at culture and storytelling.

The event takes place Saturday, February 7 from 3 to 4 pm at the Alief David M. Henington Regional Library. It is open to young children and families. Registration is required, and seating is limited.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud really did cut his hair, and his longtime barber confirmed it. After years of wearing locs dating back to his college days, Stroud decided it was finally time for a change.

His barber said Stroud had talked about cutting it for years and finally followed through. The moment was a big one, ending a look he had worn for more than five years and marking a fresh start heading into the next chapter of his career.

WATCH CJ STROUD GET HIS HAIR CUT IN ACTION.

No. 8 Houston Cougars are back on the court tonight as they wrap up a homestand against the UCF Knights. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Fertitta Center, with Houston riding a strong home winning streak.

UCF comes in hot after a big win over Texas Tech, while Houston looks to keep rolling behind steady scoring and tough defense. Fans can watch on FS1 or listen on local radio as Big 12 play heats up.

That’s Houstonicity for today. I hope you have a massively productive day. You got this! - O.B.

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