Shelby's Social Diary

The eve of Christmas Eve rocks for Houston party animals

American Idol's Kimberly Caldwell and Chef Eric Aldis at Mo's
Photo by Tony Bullard
From left, Jonathan Plumhoff, Alison Plumhoff, Ryan Zehl, and Laura Zehl atWarehouse Live
Photo by Tony Bullard
Susan Oeho at Warehouse Live
Photo by Tony Bullard
Mark Riddell plays bass guitar with The Good Times Christmas Group at WarehouseLive
Photo by Tony Bullard
Alicia Rainbolt at Warehouse Live
Photo by Tony Bullard
From left, Elizabeth Jensen, Zach Springer, and Will Bradley at Warehouse Live
Photo by Tony Bullard
From left, Jonathan Plumhoff, Alison Plumhoff, Laura Zehl and Ryan Zehl atWarehouse Live
Photo by Tony Bullard
From left, Eric Aldis, Kimberly Caldwell, and Johnny "V" Vassallo at Mo's
Photo by Tony Bullard
From left, Amalfi Vasquez, Ali Bhatti, and Ashley Walker at Mo's
Photo by Tony Bullard
Jennifer Glover, left, and Sandy Bell at Mo's
Photo by Tony Bullard
Lisa Sowle, left, and Susan Lueckemeyer at Mo's
Photo by Tony Bullard
Justin Aldis and Kristy Caldwell at Mo's
Photo by Tony Bullard
From left, Dr. Trip Chaudhury, Jennifer Ford, and Kim Horvath at Mo's
Photo by Tony Bullard
From left, Gil Gertner, Lisa Sowle, Judi Ramsey and Ken Ramsey at Mo's
Photo by Tony Bullard

T'was the night before the night before Christmas and all through the town, the party animals were rocking, steppin' up and gettin' down.

CultureMap dropped in on two gatherings Wednesday night, taking the pulse of the holiday spirit at a charity bash at Warehouse Live and checking out the scene at that always-sizzling Mo's . . . A Place for Steaks.

The thought four years ago — when a group of friends divined the idea of the "Eve of Christmas Eve Party" at Warehouse Live — was to create a really good reason to get out of the house and to hang with friends before the command-performance, strictly-family family time of Christmas eve and Christmas day.

The fourth annual bash proved that plenty of twentysomethings and thirtysomethings are just itching to jump the ranch for at least one night during the holidays. The place was packed by 10:30 p.m. and, while the dancing was slow to start, by the time DJ Ripley was really cranking, the happy feet were trekking all over the dance floor.

From the get-go, this event, which nominally raises funds (the cover is a mere $15) for selected charities, has been a hit. The turnout easily scales to 700 and, this year, the crowd estimates climbed toward 900. It was, shall we say, a joyous night for hosts Tyler McQueen, Billy O'Neil, Alison and Jonathan Plumhoff, Laura and Ryan Zehl, Emily and Ryan Sweeney, Taylor Dillingham and Meredith Riddle. And for Texas Children's Cancer Center Candlelighters.

Several miles west, in the Galleria area, Mo's was enjoying its usual high-spirited, nighttime revelry with a special guest for its holiday party — Kimberly Caldwell. The woman who placed seventh in the second season of American Idol today works as an entertainment correspondent for the TV Guide Network and has just recorded her first CD. Personal friends with Mo's chef Eric Aldis, she came in to spread the joy. A native of Katy (as is Aldis), Caldwell was in from her base in LA to spend the holidays with family.

It was your typical Mo's high-energy night with the place packed to the rafters with comely Santa's elves, a band keeping up the party tempo revved and owner Johnny "V" Vassallo loving every minute.

unspecified

h-town tenacity

Houston punches in as one of 2026's most hardworking American cities

Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

Houstonians are hard workers.

Houston and its residents are proving their tenacity as some of the hardest-working Americans in 2026, so says a new study.

WalletHub's annual "Hardest-Working Cities in America (2026)" report ranked Houston the 37th most hardworking city nationwide. H-town last appeared as the 28th most industrious American city in 2025, but it still remains among the top 50.

The personal finance website evaluated 116 U.S. cities based on 11 key indicators across "direct" and "indirect" work factors, such as an individual's average workweek hours, average commute times, employment rates, and more.

The U.S. cities that comprised the top five include Cheyenne, Wyoming (No. 1); Anchorage, Alaska (No. 2); Washington, D.C. (No. 2); Sioux Falls, South Dakota (No. 4); and Irving, Texas (No. 5). Dallas and Austin also earned a spot among the top 10, landing as No. 7 and No. 10, respectively.

Based on the report's findings, Houston has the No. 31-best "direct work factors" ranking in the nation, which analyzed residents' average workweek hours, employment rates, the share of households where no adults work, the share of workers leaving vacation time unused, the share of "engaged" workers, and the rate of "idle youth" (residents aged 16-24 that are not in school nor have a job).

However, Houston lagged behind in the "indirect work factors" ranking, landing at No. 77 out of all 116 cities in the report. "Indirect" work factors that were considered include residents' average commute times, the share of workers with multiple jobs, the share of residents who participate in local groups or organizations, annual volunteer hours, and residents' average leisure time spent per day.

Based on data from The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), WalletHub said the average American employee works hundreds of more hours than workers residing in "several other industrialized nations."

"The typical American puts in 1,796 hours per year – 179 more than in Japan, 284 more than in the U.K., and 465 more than in Germany," the report's author wrote. "In recent years, the rise of remote work has, in some cases, extended work hours even further."

WalletHub also tracked the nation's lowest and highest employment rates based on the largest city in each state from 2009 to 2024.

Source: WalletHub

Other Texas cities that earned spots on the list include Fort Worth (No. 13), Corpus Christi (No. 14), Arlington (No. 15), Plano (No. 17), Laredo (No. 22), Garland (No. 24), El Paso (No. 43), Lubbock (No. 46), and San Antonio (No. 61).

Data for this study was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Travel Association, Gallup, Social Science Research Council, and the Corporation for National & Community Service as of January 29, 2026.

austin reports wallethub