Fort Worth Weekly Classifieds // January 21-27, 2026

Indulge Me Try designed pleasure to fulfill resolutions.

BY MARK HENRICKS

January, the month named for the god of open doors, has become all about closing doors.

Nowadays, this is the time of year you’re supposed to avoid alcohol, stop eating junk food, restrict yourself to a tight financial budget, quit lounging on the sofa and marathon-watching your favorite series, and give up any number of undesirable habits and activities.

Of course, it’s also the month when most of these well-intentioned resolutions for the new year get abandoned after a few weeks of white-knuckled attempts at self-deprivation.

What if the key to actually following through on your self-improvement goals was to cut yourself some carefully chosen slack? That’s the idea behind designed indulgence, also known as strategic indulgence, pleasure scheduling, and a few other terms. By any name, the idea is that if you employ judiciously timed and targeted pleasures, you can boost your self-control more than by relying on willpower and self-deprivation.

Designed indulgence is not just another name for a slip, said Srini Pillay, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and brain researcher and author of Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind. “Designed indulgence is deliberate, time-limited pleasure that’s planned rather than impulsive, so it refreshes the brain, reduces

deprivation, and supports long-term goals instead of undermining them.”

The concept is supported by a sizable list of published research studies and has moved far beyond the laboratory and into the real world.

Grapevine life coach and hypnotherapist Deni Abbie sometimes prescribes it for clients who show signs of perfectionism, burnout, low motivation, anxiety, and avoidance. One specific use case is someone who shows great discipline all day, only to collapse into over-indulgence at night, she said.

Designed indulgence works by addressing specific obstacles that block people from achieving goals, Abbie said. “It reduces stress-driven impulsivity, prevents deprivation backlash, restores motivation through behavioral activation, and increases consistency because the plan becomes livable rather than punishing.”

If you could use a new tool to help with your own attempts to be the kind of person you want to be, here are some things to consider with regard to designed indulgence.

First and foremost, don’t give yourself a gift that’s going to harm you.

“If your goal is to lose weight, your designed indulgence shouldn’t be around food,” said Dallas life coach Ashley Shihab. “It should be something else that makes you feel excited. So, if I’m trying to save money, what else can I do that would give me that feeling without sabotaging my goal?” continued on page 5

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In furtherance of that, figure out why you are considering a designed indulgence. Abbie says possible objectives include stress relief, emotional regulation, reward and motivation, restoration, and burnout prevention. It’s best not to regard a designed indulgence as an opportunity to impulsively deviate from your overriding strategy.

“This isn’t a cheat,” she said. “This is a regulation. This is part of the plan.”

Along those lines, once you plan a designed indulgence, follow through, just as you hope to do on the more deprivation-oriented parts of your resolution strategy.

“It works best when it’s intentional and accountable,” Pillay said. “For every indulgence, you commit to staying on track with what matters.”

An overriding feature of successful designed indulgence is that it avoids extravagance and excess. Keep it small. If you’re celebrating hitting the $1,000 mark in your emergency savings, for instance, don’t design an indulgence that calls for spending $300 on a new pair of shoes when you have a closet full. Tone it down by, say, dropping $5 on crazy shoelaces. Even better, spend nothing at all and go on a walk in your most comfy sneaks.

Designed indulgences can take an infinite number of forms, depending on your specific needs and what you’re trying to accomplish. Here are some examples of designed indulgences that might fit your plan:

• Light a scented candle and take a warm bath

• Brew a cup of your favorite tea

“Designed indulgence is deliberate, time-limited pleasure that’s planned rather than impulsive,’ said Srini Pillay, author of Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind.

• Go for a walk in nature or work through a yoga routine

• Call a friend just to talk

• Engage in a creative hobby

• Watch a comedy show

• Select a favorite recipe to cook

• Finish a small project you can accomplish quickly

• Take a short midday nap

• Spend a little time daydreaming constructively

Feel free to exercise your creativity here. Whatever empowers and energizes you without causing a problem could be a desired indulgence.

Sociologist and writer Anna Akbari recalls

interviewing a lawyer who rebelled against the conservative dress code in his office by wearing cap-toe shoes instead of the more customary wing tips. No one noticed the shoe violation, but even this minor act of rebellion made it easier to otherwise conform.

“Somehow that small aesthetic marker motivated him and made him feel he was doing his own thing even while seemingly playing by the rules,” Akbari said.

While you loosen the leash on your wild side, exercise some elementary caution. At minimum, avoid indulging in a way that could make things worse.

Abbie advised taking special care trying out designed indulgence if you tend to be compulsive. “For binge eating, addiction history, or compulsive spending, indulgences must be chosen carefully and tightly contained — and sometimes require additional clinical support.”

And designed indulgence is just a tool. It has limited applications and is not a perfect method for achieving all goals. A designed indulgent exercise that is uncomfortable or takes you backward may be telling you something. You might want to skip this suggestion and try something else.

“If it’s not your cup of tea, don’t do it,” Pillay said. “Being able to be indulgent is not for everyone.”

If your January has gotten to be too much about closing doors, however, this could be a way to change the narrative — and have some fun — while increasing your ability to self-control.

“To have strategic indulgences at least gives you the permission to explore the outer realms of excitement,” Pillay said. “You don’t want to be the walking dead going through life.” l

Fund Schools

Taylor Rehmet will fully fund Texas public schools so students have the resources they need and districts aren’t forced to cut programs or close schools. Proper funding means smaller class sizes, stronger classrooms, and real property tax relief for families — because the state should do its part.

FIGHT VOUCHERS

Taylor will oppose voucher scams that drain money from neighborhood public schools to benefit a wealthy few. He believes public dollars belong in public classrooms, not private giveaways. Every child deserves opportunity, and abandoning public education only leaves communities and working families behind.

SUPPORT TEACHERS

Taylor Rehmet will stand up for teachers and librarians by ending culture-war attacks in our classrooms. Educators deserve respect, trust, and support — not political interference. Taylor will fight to let teachers teach, protect local schools, and keep politicians out of everyday classroom decisions.

NIGHT & DAY

Happy New Year. Again. It’s

the Year of the Fire Horse,

and North Texas is here for it.

If the New Year isn’t going as planned, or your NYE was a letdown, here’s your chance for a redo. Happy (Lunar) New Year!

Formerly called the Chinese New Year, the Lunar New Year marks the start of spring and the lunisolar calendar year. It’s China’s biggest holiday and is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and here, starting Tue, Feb 17. It marks the shift from the Year of the Wood Snake (2025) to the Year of the Fire Horse (2026).

Family reunions focus on a New Year’s Eve dinner with fish and dumplings for abundance and wealth. Homes are cleaned to sweep away bad luck, elders give red envelopes of money for good fortune, and festivities feature colorful lion and dragon dances, parades, and firecrackers to scare off the legendary beast Nian

The area’s earliest celebration is 11am-7:30pm Sat, Jan 24, and 11am-5:30pm Sun, Jan 25, as the Otaku Food Festival takes over Golden Triangle Mall (2201 S I-35, Denton). This free all-ages event has anime vendors, voice actors, cosplay contests, cultural demonstrations, karaoke, K-Pop performances, photo ops, and more than 100 food and beverage vendors.

The Kimbell Art Museum (3333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-332-8451) will celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse at a happy hour 5pm-7pm Fri, Feb 6. This event is co-hosted by the Kimbell and Fort Worth Sister Cities International, a nonprofit that promotes Fort Worth by fostering global connections

through education, the arts, culture, economic development, and humanitarian assistance in sister cities such as Guiyang, China, where the Lunar New Year is celebrated annually. Highlights include traditional Chinese music by the Dallas Guzheng Association, Lunar New Year artmaking, and an Asian-themed art scavenger hunt. This event is free and open to

the public. Kimbell happy hour refreshments will be available for purchase.

Asia Times Square (2625 W Pioneer Pkwy, Ste 120, Grand Prairie, 972-975-5100) is one of the largest Asian markets in Texas. Its 19th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration takes place the first three weekends of February. The Opening Banquet is 5:30pm-9pm

The tale of an 8-year-old girl competing in an 18-kilometer endurance race on the grasslands of Mongolia with her horse is just one of several compelling stories in Horse Power, screening at the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History.

on Fri, Feb 6, at The Pagoda, the center’s on-site venue. Tickets are $60 on Eventbrite.com, with proceeds going to charity. All other festival events are free Fri-Sun, Feb 6-8 and 13-15, and Sat-Sun, Feb 2122. (Friday festivities run from 4pm to 10pm, while Saturdays and Sundays go from 11am to 11pm.)

Activities include Asian street food for sale, cultural performances, live music, and merchandise vendors during the first two weekends. The festival concludes Sat-Sun, Feb 21-22, with firecracker shows and lion dances by the Jiu Long and Phap Quang Lion Dance Troupes (no vendors these days). For more info, visit AsiaTimesSquare.com/LunarNewYear2026.

Speaking of horses, don’t forget that the new documentary Horse Power is screening at the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History (1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, 817-255-9300) at the Jane & John Justin Foundation Omni Theater hourly daily thru Wed, Feb 18. This film explores the extraordinary abilities of horses and their profound bond with humanity through a series of shorter stories from around the world, including the tale of an 8-yearold girl being trained by her father to compete in an 18-kilometer endurance race on the grasslands of Mongolia with her horse. The version screening here is a 42-minute short documentary produced specifically for IMAX-type theaters, but look for the feature-length version for streaming in the near future. Tickets are $15 and include admission to the museum’s general exhibits. l

By Elaine Wilder

EDUCATION

Kicking It

A partnership between the Dallas Cowboys and FIFA World Cup, Sports with Us clinics teach football with fútbol.

BY RUSH OLSON

Near the end of a recent Sports with Us clinic, a joint event of the Dallas Cowboys and the FIFA World Cup, MC Kristi Scales asked the assembled children whose favorite sport coming into the event was football and whose was soccer. Adherents of each pastime raised their hands in turn. Scales, the Dallas Cowboys’ radio sideline reporter, then suggested she’d like them “to keep playing both forever and ever.”

The event brought approximately 100 students from a Fort Worth primary school onto the AT&T Stadium field for five stations’ worth of sports activities. The field’s yard lines and end zones reflected the game played by its primary occupant, the Dallas Cowboys, but the point of the day, and the bigger-picture sponsorship that led to it, was to showcase more than one code of football.

“This is a really unique opportunity because we’ve got great partners with the Dallas Cowboys, FIFA World Cup 2026, and U.S. Soccer,” said Mike Pavell, the Fort Worth market president for the event’s sponsor, Bank of America. “To be able to bring all those partners together to support a great organization like Western Hills Elementary School and help them experience the power of those brands and what these athletes can bring to them, it really is a great opportunity for us.”

The athletes Pavell referenced included current and former pros from the two sports he mentioned. USWNT player Croix Bethune and former USMNT standout Clint Dempsey joined former Cowboys defensive star DeMarcus Ware and the team’s current placekicker, Brandon Aubrey, to instruct the kids in their respective disciplines.

“What a cool opportunity it is to be able to do something impactful in the community with FIFA and football,” Ware said.

The pro football Hall of Famer added that he had tried soccer as a kid but found himself better suited to American football’s anaerobic nature than the beautiful game’s demanding cardiovascular regimen. But his own athletic experiences also led him to see the benefits of encouraging young people to try different sports.

“In the world today,” he said, “it’s like you’re a football player, you’re a baseball player, you’re a basketball player, but I got an opportunity to play them all. I played baseball. I wasn’t that good at that. I played basketball. I thought I was Michael Jordan. I wasn’t that good at that. And then all of a sudden, I tried football, and lo and behold, now

“You

I was one of the best ever to play the game. So, I think that all the kids that are playing soccer and football, try it all, because you don’t know exactly what you’re going to grow into. One of these sports, soccer or football, they’re going to pick them, and they can be pretty successful at it.”

All-Pro kicker Aubrey said, “You never know what doors are available to you to be opened unless you go out and try things.”

Aubrey didn’t discover his own calling until he was an adult, trying football after an abbreviated stint in professional soccer.

“My soccer career didn’t go as well as I wanted it to,” he said, “and I was disappointed and probably a little bit mopey going into my new career. And, luckily, I had a fantastic wife, still have the fantastic wife, and she kind of poked me out the door and said, ‘Hey, I think you could try this.’ And I thought, ‘She’s crazy,’ referring to kicking footballs, because there’s so much effort and energy and hard work throughout a lifetime that goes into being a professional athlete.”

Before the children began their workouts, Aubrey showcased his knowledge of both sports in instructing his fellow pros. Ware may not have had a soccer background, but he ripped a penalty past Cowboys Mascot Rowdy after Aubrey explained some basics. And, in turn, Dempsey and Bethune went 2-3 between them on 25-yard field goal attempts under Aubrey’s guidance. That these decorated athletes had stepped about of their own comfort zones to try the others’ sport might encourage the young participants to do the same.

“It’s very important to have events like this,” Bethune said, “not just for us as athletes on the soccer and football side but to show the kids that we’re inspiration of what they could be, giving them support, teaching them life lessons through sports.”

Certainly, those life lessons could include the perseverance Bethune has shown pushing past injuries to become one of the world’s best players or that are demonstrated by Aubrey in putting in the work to adapt to his new profession.

The on-field activities consisted of five stations, each with the goal of teaching a soccer skill, a football skill, and a life skill. The kids learned from pros and instructors to move, pass, and kick within the parameters of each sport. At one station, Bank of America personnel offered basic counsel on finances and teamwork.

“It’s all about passing it on to the next

generation and teaching them skills on the field and off the field,” said Dempsey.

The Nacadoches, Texas, native also talked about how the international scope of his job had nurtured his outlook on experiences beyond the familiar. “The good thing you learn from soccer is an appreciation for other cultures and also being able to come together and learn from each other instead of being divided.”

Inherent in that sentiment is the idea that nobody should be excluded from a game they’d like to play. Scales expressed to the kids, “Girls rule on the soccer field and the football field!”

While participation by women in soccer began to grow in the 1980s and exploded in the ensuing decades, it is only in recent years that opportunities in gridiron football have become open to them.

“I feel like women are getting into playing American football,” said Bethune, who watched the sport with her father growing up in Georgia. “There’s a lot more leagues. I think it’s great that we’re involving women in American football.”

That day, one could watch Ware showing both girls and boys how to position themselves to impede a ball carrier’s progress as Aubrey instructed prospective placekickers of both genders a few feet away. Locally, the Cowboys franchise has been active in creating leagues and teams in which female athletes can enjoy the sport.

The big picture for this sporting crossover goes beyond impacting just one school’s third, fourth, and fifth graders. It involves developing participation in, and audiences for, each different football code. Worldwide, association football is, as Aubrey phrased it, “the predominant sport.” In the United States, the game the Cowboys play is the most prominent. In recent years, the NFL has looked to spread its influence beyond the United States, playing games in other countries and empowering its clubs to market themselves abroad. The Cowboys, thanks to factors that have included on-field success, marketing savvy, and the international popularity of the Dallas TV show have had a head start on other American franchises.

CLASSIFIEDS

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR AMENDMENT AND RENEWAL OF AN AIR QUALITY PERMIT PERMIT NUMBER: 72660

APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Custom Building Products, LLC, 1795 109th Street, Grand Prairie, Texas 75050-1908, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for an amendment to and renewal of Air Quality Permit Number 72660, which would authorize modification to and continued operation of a Grouting Materials Manufacturing Facility at 1713 109th Street, Grand Prairie, Tarrant County, Texas 75050. This application was submitted to the TCEQ on February 7, 2025. AVISO DE IDIOMA ALTERNATIVO. El aviso de idioma alternativo en espanol está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/newsourcereview/ airpermits-pendingpermit-apps. The existing facility will emit the following air contaminants: ammonia, hazardous air pollutants, organic compounds and particulate matter including particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less.

The executive director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit which, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The executive director has made a preliminary decision to issue the permit because it meets all rules and regulations. The permit application, executive director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ central office, the TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth regional office, and at the Arlington Public Library – Northeast Branch, 1905 Brown Boulevard, Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas beginning the first day of publication of this notice. The facility’s compliance file, if any exists, is available for public review at the TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Office, 2309 Gravel Drive, Fort Worth, Texas. The application, including any updates, is available electronically at the following webpage: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/airpermit-applications-notices

PUBLIC COMMENT/PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comment or to ask questions about the application. The TCEQ will hold a public meeting if the executive director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. You may submit additional written public comments within 30 days of the date of newspaper publication of this notice in the manner set forth in the AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION paragraph below.

RESPONSE TO COMMENTS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. After the deadline for public comments, the executive director will consider the comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material or significant public comments. Because no timely hearing requests have been received, after preparing the response to comments, the executive director may then issue final approval of the application. The response to comments, along with the executive director’s decision on the application will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments or is on a mailing list for this application, and will be posted electronically to the Commissioners Integrated Database (CID).

INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. When they become available, the executive director’s response to comments and the final decision on this application will be accessible through the Commission’s Web site at www.tceq.texas. gov/goto/cid. Once you have access to the CID using the above link, enter the permit number for this application which is provided at the top of this notice. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For exact location, refer to application. https:// gisweb.tceq.texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=-97.053888,32.776944&level=13

MAILING LIST. You may ask to be placed on a mailing list to obtain additional information on this application by sending a request to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below.

AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/comment, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. For more information about the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. You can also view our website for public participation opportunities at www.tceq. texas.gov/goto/participation

Further information may also be obtained from Custom Building Products, LLC at the address stated above or by calling Ms. Sarah Bibilonisambolin, Senior Engineer, Braun Intertec Corporation, at (210) 446-0242.

January 12, 2026

ADVERTISE HERE!

Email Stacey@fwweekly.com today.

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EMPLOYMENT

Managing Principal Consultant for Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. – develop & lead engrg. initiatives in power systems. 3days/wk. at client site in Fort Worth, TX; 2 days/wk WFH w/in Fort Worth, TX area. Reqs: MS+3 yrs. exp.; 25% domestic travel. Jobsite: Warrendale, PA. Apply at: https://clrco.com/Ae8nj2uAiz

HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER

THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique Spanish-Mediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com.

JACUZZI BATH REMODEL

We can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waiving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. Offer ends 12/27/26.) Call 1-877-593-0683. (MB)

MYTH & MARBLE

See ancient Roman sculpture from the Torlonia Collection thru January 25th at the Kimbell Art Museum. KimbellArt.org/Myth-and-Marble

NEED A FRIEND?

Ronnie D. Long Bail Bonds

Immediate Jail Release 24 Hour Service. City, County, State and Federal Bonds. Located Minutes from Courts. 6004 Airport Freeway. 817-834-9894

RonnieDLongBailBonds.com

OLSHAN Foundation Solutions

Your trusted foundation repair experts since 1933, offereing foundation repair, crawl space recovery, basement waterproofing, water management, and more. For a limited time, receive up to $250 off foundation repair. Call Olshan today for a FREE evaluation at 1-855824-7345. (MB)

PORTABLE OXYGEN NOW

Portable Oxygen Concentrators may be covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Call 833-349-2089 for a free information kit. (MB)

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Texas Towing Wrecker, 205 S Commercial St, Fort Worth TX 76107, 817-877-0206 (VSF0000964): Bumper Pull, 2000, Trailer, NO VIN, $540.41; Stoughton, 2023, Chassis VIN 1DW4C5323PSB22608, $4062.76; and Stoughton, 2023, 53-ft Container, VIN AZNU213072, $4,062.76.

SAFE STEP:

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Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-855-868-0192 today!

STUCK WITH A TIMESHARE?

Wesley Financial Group, the Timeshare Cancellation

Experts has over 450 positive reviews and has done over $50 million in successful timeshare debt/fees cancellations. Get free consultation, free info package, and learn how to get rid of your timeshare today. Call 833-665-3513 today. (MB)

STRUGGLING?

The holiday season can intensify feelings of pressure— especially for those navigating substance use challenges. These feelings are more common than many realize. Visit samhsa.gov/find-help to learn how to support yourself or a loved one who may be struggling. To reach the 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline, dial 988 or go to 988Lifeline.org.

VETERAN CAR DONATIONS

Donate your car, truck, boat, RV and more to support our veterans! Schedule a FAST, FREE vehicle pickup and receive a top tax deduction. Call 1-844-450-1590 today!

VENDOR SPACES AVAILABLE

The Vintage Shops on Lamar has expanded and we are on the hunt for fabulous vendors. Stop in and check us out. Our unique space is fresh, clean, modern, and If you can make your booth “tell a story” we want want you!

747 W. Lamar Blvd., Arlington Tue- Sat 10:30 to 5:30 Sun 12-5