On Saturday October 14, 2023, I went to the Maricopa County Home & Garden Show to see twin brothers Drew & Jonathan Scott, also known as “Property Brothers”, which is their incredibly successful TV show!
The Scott bothers are originally from Canada, where they had a successful show that ended up on HGTV here in the US. Based on the popularity of “Property Brothers”, they grew their franchise to other TV shows, books and even a cartoon called “Builder Brothers”!
The audience was treated to a fun and funny show, there the Scott Brothers talked about their career, a bit about their personal lives, and gave lots of fantastic tips and advice for anyone looking to refresh or improve their current home, or new property.
After their stage show, everyone was treated to a photo opportunity, and the brothers were so kind and gracious to all who were able to stay after. After I received the picture in this post, I realized just how tall they are (or rather just how short I am)!
Thank you again Maricopa County Home Shows for the tickets, it was a fun day!
FTC Disclosure: I received tickets as a courtesy from The Maricopa County Home & Garden Show. Although I received complimentary tickets, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
Last Tuesday, I took my son Dominic to the world premiere of Daddy Daughter Trip at Harkins Theatre in the Scottsdale Fashion Square! It was another amazing Harkins event, with so much happening!
In addition to Harkins’ INCREDIBLY comfy theater seats, drinks and popcorn were provided, as well as a glamorous red carpet event prior to the showing. And BONUS: Rob Schneider introduced the movie in each theatre (see the video below)!
Rob Schneider plays Larry Buble, an inventor who is always dreaming of his next big creation. His talented artistic daughter, Meara (played by Schneider’s real life daughter Miranda Scarlett Schneider), dreams of the ultimate Spring Break, and craziness ensues as they attempt to make that happen! Dominic and I had fun, laughing out loud at this sweet love letter to Arizona and reminder to never letting go of your dreams.
Daddy Daughter Trip premiered only in Harkins Theatres on Friday September 30th, and what’s even more fun is that Mr. Schneider made appearances at Harkins all throughout The Valley this past weekend! I want to thank Harkins for inviting me and Dominic to this fun and fantastic event!
I wanted to share a wonderful event that I will be a part of on August 25, 2022: This is the What She Said speaker series, celebrating Women’s Equality Day. This event is in partnership with The Modern Day Wife, and it will be held at the W Hotel Scottsdale. There will be panels featuring celebrities, influencers, company CEO’s, designers and other influential women! In addition to these panels, there will be a fashion show and other pop ups throughout the event.
I am just one of a wonderful list of influencer co-hosts who will be there, and you can purchase tickets using my exclusive link under the flier above. I hope to see you there, cheers!
Details:
What:What She Said
When: August 25, 2022
VIP Pre-Party: 2:30-4 PM Main Event: 4-9:00 PM.
Where: W Scottsdale
7277 East Camelback Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Registration Options:
Diamond VIP Pre Party – $99.99 Access to VIP Pre-Party, Networking, Swag Bag & Exclusive Photo Opp. Option to get a Headshot taken at the VIP Pre Party!
VIP Pre Party – $55.00 Access to VIP Pre-Party plus networking. Option to get a Headshot taken at the VIP Pre Party!
Premiere General Admission – $34.99 Includes a complimentary What She Said Cocktail.
General Admission – $24.99 Access to Event including shopping, fashion show & What She Said Panels
How YOU doin’? The Friends Experience: The One in Phoenix is now OPEN! As an avid fan of the series, I can confidently say this lived up to ALL of my expectations! I invited Patricia to come with me to the media preview, and we had SO much fun! Here is just some of the fun you can have, too!
The experience features 12 nostalgia-packed rooms, including Monica & Rachel’s apartment, Joey & Chandler’s apartment and of course, Central Perk!
You can relive so many iconic moments like Ross’ “PIVOT” moment, sing “Smelly Cat” with Phobe’s guitar or wake up Ugly Naked Guy with the giant poking device!
The space is “Monica Clean” with lots of health and safety protocols in place!
There’s also an onsite retail store with exclusive products available
Tickets start at $30.50, and private access tickets are also available for groups of up to six or 10 guests!
The experience runs from February 24-May 8 2022!
Thank you SO much to everyone at The Friends Experience: The One In Phoenix for hosting us and for being so kind, gracious and patient with all of our pictures! Patricia and I took tons of pictures, and here are just a few. Cheers and if you are a “Friends” fan, this experience is highly highly recommended!
THE Couch!
PIVOT!
Joey & Chandler’s Apartment
Monica & Rachel’s Apartment
“Could I BE wearing anymore clothes?!”
“Smelly cat, smelly cat…what are they feeding you?”
I remember when I first tried Frosted Frenzy Cupcakes: It was last August, and our foodie networking group got the chance to try their cupcakes. We took home six cupcakes to sample and post our reviews and pictures on our Instagram accounts. I was instantly impressed by how delicious their cupcakes were, and became such a big fan of theirs. So much so, that I have driven to several events in the Mesa area, just to ensure that I grab at least four to six cupcakes!
The first six cupcakes that introduced me to the wonderful world of Frosted Frenzy!
Frosted Frenzy cupcakes have been voted the “Best Cupcake” in The Valley by Phoenix Magazine in 2019 and 2020, and are on the list again for 2021! The reason I personally love them so much is the subtle yet dynamic flavors that they create. The texture is even and consistent in every cupcake, and although the flavors are not overpowering, they are rich and so delicious. Their buttercream frosting is so smooth and light, and they are beautifully decorated. It’s not difficult to get a great picture of these gourmet masterpieces! I love their cupcakes so much, that my husband made a special order for my birthday this past weekend! I want to thank Tami and Brian for always being so sweet and kind when I see them, and for letting me try “The King” cupcake, which is a banana cupcake, topped with peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Both my husband and I absolutely loved that cupcake, and we kind of tore into it before I could get a picture! But I did take a pictures of the rest of my birthday cupcakes, which are pictured below.
I wholeheartedly agree with Phoenix Magazine’s readers, that Frosted Frenzy has the best cupcakes in The Valley! If you want to find out where they are headed next, make sure to follow them on Instagram, and be sure to order ahead on their website. I should know, I went to an event a few weeks ago to visit their truck, and buy a few cupcakes onsite. As I approached the front of the line, Tami informed me that they are just about sold out and only had three cupcakes left, so I bought them all! Duly noted that I will always order ahead!
Thanks again Tami and Brian for my special birthday cupcakes, because these are not only my favorites, but my husband’s and son’s as well!
SALTED CARAMEL – brown sugar caramel cupcake filled with handmade caramel and topped with vanilla buttercream, caramel drizzle and salted caramel crisp pearls LEMON BLOSSOM – lemon-infused cupcake topped with lemon buttercream and crystal sugar ORANGE BLOSSOM – orange-infused cupcake topped with an orange-infused buttercream and crystal sugar STRAWBERRY LEMONADE – lemon-infused cupcake topped with strawberry buttercream and crystal sugar My son’s favorite: LEMON BERRY – lemon-infused cupcake filled with handmade raspberry filling and topped with lemon buttercream and crystal sugar My husband’s favorite: CLASSIC CHOCOLATE – valrhona chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate buttercream and chocolate sprinkles
Last month, a few influencers traveled to Litchfield, Arizona to support a beautiful local farm called Blue Sky Organic Farms. Leased farmland is quickly being sold for housing and retail development, so farms like Blue Sky Organic Farms needs support through their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture subscription) or through their amazing Farm Store.
The Farms Store sells lots of fantastic local and regional brands. I purchased a bag of Noble Bread and garlic seasoning by Molly’s Mills, along with a Blue Sky Organic Farms hemp tote and coffee mug. After seeing the goodies I brought home, my husband wants to return to purchase some other produce and spices!
To further support local farmland, we were treated to a bag of Spud Buds potatoes. Spud Buds is a three-generation family potato farm from Idaho, and they deliver to Maricopa and Pinal counties, right here in Arizona! I will cover a few recipes we made with Spud Buds golden potatoes in a future post, and they were absolutely delicious!
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Spud Buds created Spud Funds to assist organizations with reaching their fund raising goals by having access to restaurant quality potatoes. Check out their site for more information on how you can help!
Thank you to Swell Video for bringing together a few influencers to raise awareness in helping to support local & regional farms!
During this uncertain time, I know more and more people are in a situation where they must work from home. When we still lived in San Diego, I was commuting to work, like most people do, but quit when we moved. After we moved to Arizona, we decided that I needed to rejoin the workforce, but I needed to work from home. I have been very fortunate that my employer in San Diego afforded me that opportunity, and I have been doing so for the last two years.
Working from home is a definite lifestyle change, and I can admit that it wasn’t that easy at first! There are many distractions at home, and it could be so easy to give into them because, let’s face it, your home is your comfort zone! But there are things you can do to ensure you are productive and successful working from home. I’ve learned a few things in these last two years, and I hope they will help!
1) Really try to create a space where you know it’s a work space. If you have a room where you can make it your “office” do it! Purchase an actual desk and office chair if you can, and create a space that you know is your home office, and don’t do anything else there. I would really try to avoid making your bedroom an office. To quote John Mayer in a recent post on his Instagram, make a distinction between work and your “Gentle Hours”, between daytime and night time. Your office space should be where you are in the day, and your bedroom is where you retreat to at night. If that isn’t possible, do your best to remove or turn off any TV’s in that room, to minimize distractions.
I have an actual home office (pictured above). My desk and office chair were less than $200, and I only use it for work. When we bought our home, the additional room that we turned into my office came with windowed French doors. I can see out, yet have privacy when needed. This means that when I’m done, I literally leave the office, turn out the lights and shut the doors behind me. I only have listening devices in my office, so that I can enjoy music, but I do not have a TV in my office. Sorry Dr. Phil!
2) Be sure to wake up at the same time you did when you were going to work remotely. Do not change your routine. Shower, brush your teeth, make your coffee and/or breakfast and change clothes (well, if you want to), so you feel like you’re going to work, because you are!
3) Inform your household when you have meetings, to minimize noise and distractions. Go into a room and close the door and have others close their doors.
Also, I really suggest not multi-tasking while in a meeting. My supervisor once told me that she could tell that I was giving meetings my undivided attention, and that’s because I made a conscious decision to not do other work while in a meeting, which can easily be done when doing phone conferences. I feel that I need to be extra focused because I’m not physically in a board room or meeting room, and I can do my part by eliminating as many distractions as possible.
One more thing about meetings: TAKE NOTES! I’m better at remember things when I write things down in a notebook or on Post-Its. Whether you physically write them down or type it up in your computer, always take notes when in meetings. With everything going on at your home office, it’s easier to recall information when you have it written down or typed somewhere.
4) Make time for scheduled breaks and lunches. Set alarms or email alerts as needed and take them! Do your best to not work through your breaks, because we all need them, especially at home. Make time for your lunch and physically step away from your work space, even if that means that you only go to your kitchen, eat lunch outside, or go for a walk.
5) If you have young kids, give them homework, reading, or a schedule that emulates school. Make sure they get up and have breakfast & lunch, just like if they were in school. Make the distinction between vacation and school hours, like you do for your work space. Our son finishes his Spring Break this week, and he will be home indefinitely. He knows that while he won’t be in school for an extended unknown amount of time, this is no longer a break or vacation. We informed him that when he wakes up in the morning, he will have breakfast, then I have math and reading for him to do, in addition to practicing his trumpet.
6) If you work under a manager or supervisor, inform them of the work you accomplish daily. If you are your own boss, make a schedule and a to do list, and make sure you check things off! I send my supervisor a daily “Tomorrow’s Tasks” email, explaining what I accomplished during the day, and what I will be working on the following day. She let me know that she likes those emails, because she never has to wonder what I’m doing each day.
And there you have it, my tips on how I work successfully from home! I hope they helped in some small way, and please, let me know if you have any other tips and tricks as well. Cheers!
I’m all about having a great cuppa, but a cup of chocolate tea? I recently had the pleasure of trying this flavorful tea from the Cacao Tea Co and not only does it have an amazing chocolate taste, but it’s rich in antioxidants and flavonoids. This tea is 100% organic, as well as gluten-free, caffeine-free and sugar free!
The delicious chocolate taste is so robust because this tea is actually made from cacao husks, so it’s not infused. I added a bit of stevia to mine and I swear, it tastes just like hot coco!
If you would like a bag, they can be purchased directly from the Cacao Tea Co website for $17.50, and they ship worldwide! If you live in the US, they can ship your tea with in one business day!
Check out my slow pour video below, and let me know in the comments if you love it as much as I do!
FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
I have felt so lucky to have met some amazing people, designers and artists since moving to Arizona. After having lived in California for so long, I wasn’t sure how I would acclimate to my new home state, but I feel like I’m truly doing very well out here, trying to live my best life, as the saying goes!
I’ve had the opportunity to go to several fashion events out here, and at one of these events, I met the folks behind a great new local clothing company. Frankie Pina, owner of Arizona Life Apparel, was born and raised in Arizona and wanted to create a clothing brand that would celebrate everything he loves about his home state.
When thinking about Frankie’s passion for Arizona, I wanted to have a photo shoot somewhere unique to where I currently live, like the Chandler Museum.
Speaking of budding artists: My son Dominic took all of these amazing photos!
Outfit: AZ Life Flag Tee (Black/White) c/o Arizona Life Apparel; Izod jeans; Ash sneakers (no longer available); Zeelol glasses; Mesh Coffee Watch c/o Capitola (with discount); Marc Jacobs Saddle purse
FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
(Post title: Lyrics from “Rainy House Nights” by Joni Mitchell)
I know it’s been awhile, but I promise I’ve got some good posts to put up in the next few weeks!
First up: I was featured in an online magazine called Voyage Phoenix, where they highlight inspiring people in the Phoenix, Scottsdale & Tempe areas, including cities like Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa. Both myself and Susan from Styles Revealed have a feature, and we’re talking about how we got started as influencers, and how we balance blogging with work, our families and life in general. It was awesome to be included in such esteemed company. Thank you Voyage Phoenix for the feature!
