Downtown Phoenix Historic Home Tours

It was a year ago this December when we first spotted our 1920's English Tudor home in the F.Q. Story neighborhood in downtown Phonix. We ventured to this unique part of town during the annual Home Tour and our future residence was having an open house the same weekend. It was love at first sight. The perfect front porch, original double-hung windows, and black and white tiled floors just oozed charm and character. A little over a month later we moved in.

If you enjoy history, interior design, architecture, or just like to look at homes the Historic Home Tours have something for you! Food and gift vendors are also on site during the tour. Ticket sales go toward preserving and supporting these historic neighborhoods (as there are no HOA fees). Checkout the schedules below and websites for more information!

F.Q. Story
December 6th & 7th, 2014
Website: fqstory.org

Willo
February 8th, 2015
Website: willohistoricdistrict.com

Coronado
March 1st, 2015
Website: gcna.info

Encanto/Palmcroft
March 29th, 2015
Website: encantopalmcroft.org

Homemade Cheese Ball

My mom makes this cheese ball every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It doesn't feel like the holidays until we're munching on this snack with Triscuits and Wheat Thins. It can be a little tricky to find all the ingredients -- the Roka Blue Kraft cheese can be evasive, only showing up around the holidays and in select grocery stores. I went to three stores this year before I found it at Safeway. I had to get a manager's help, and even then it was on the top shelf out of sight. Best of luck in your cheeseball making adventures!

Mom's Cheese Ball

8 oz. cream cheese (not fat free as pictured)

1 jar Kraft Old English cheese

1 jar Kraft Roka Blue cheese

4 oz. blue cheese

1 clove garlic

1 small onion

chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

parsley

Mix cheeses with electric mixer until soft. Add garlic and onion to the mix. Chill at least 2 hours, or until firm enough to handle. Roll into ball form and coat in nuts. Makes 1 large ball or 2 small. Freeze, then thaw, for best serving results.

Must-Watch TV: The Profit on CNBC

Listen up, folks. Marcus Lamonis is the prophet on The Profit. If you can get over the pun and the constant tweets on re-runs, this is must-watch TV.

What is it? Well, imagine a Shark with a heart from ABC's Shark Tank out in the wild stalking prey. He finds struggling small businesses. Assesses them. And makes an offer. Then, the madness begins. 

One small business owner insulted a nine-year-old girl. Another refused to trade down her new BMW while her employees helped pay for inventory out of their own pockets. And the popcorn people - oh my - lied, cheated, and tried to steal the Prophet's ideas.

Watch it. Here's a sampling.

Perks of Sephora Rewards

I've mentioned before that I love the rewards program at Sephora (HERE). A couple times a year they offer some AWESOME makeup bags filled with 8 different samples. Here's my latest reward:

This package introduced me to my new masacara favorite, Blinc. It's a tubing mascara which means that each lash has a tube around it giving extra length and volume without smudging or flaking off. It really is fantastic. Read more about tubing mascara here.

And guess what? It's already time for another one of these awesome makeup bags! I get to choose one of three with my next purchase. Which would you choose? Is there a product you've been wanting to try? Let me know!

 

IKEA is Getting Crafty

Have you been to Ikea lately? Most of it looks the same. It still takes a year to walk through, the furniture is still uncomfortable and the Sweedish meatballs are still filling. But it's the new section that caught my eye. Holy smokes. I was in a gift-givers paradise!

They have TONS of coordinating wrapping paper, ribbon, gift tags, paper lanterns, party supplies, and more! It was such a nice little treat and I got to explore the new paper crafts section with my friend Maryann which made it that much better (the hubs wouldn't appreciate it like my lady friends. That's the gospel truth). AND, the best part? Christmas trimmings and wrappings a-plenty! Go check it out!

Fast 5 Minute Pop Sugar Workouts

Who loves a quick workout? Um, me. I combine these short videos so I can work different areas like my arms and then switch to my legs, but these videos give me a quick variety and I can go for 10 minutes or 45 to match my energy level that day. A little is better than none, and Pop Sugar makes that possible with their quick vids. Burn some fat, and enjoy!

5 Minute Sculpted Arms (link for mobile)

5 Minute Crop Top (link for mobile)

5 Minute Sexy Back (link for mobile)

Paint Nite

Who knew that as an inexperienced artist you could paint a snazzy little canvas like a pro? And in two hours or less, may I add. The lady friends and I had a fun evening at Paint Nite in Phoenix and our cityscapes were pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. Some had a little help from wine and others from Coke (the cola, not the other), and a fabulous time was had by all!

Paint Nite provides you with all the tools you need to create your masterpiece and you just show up and have a good time. And maybe you'll be lucky enough to win a drawing or game like I did. Yup, a pass for a free paint night and green smock were mine for the taking! Visit their website HERE to find a class in your neck of the woods. And take someone fun along. It makes the evening so much more enjoyable!

Extra Credit: Frame your painting and hang it on the wall. There is something about a frame that makes the art look like it came from a store and you paid big bucks. Really.

PLAYLIST: Now and Then

I've created the perfect mix of current tunes intermixed with some oldies. I took it for a test run today and was completely pleased with this heart-pumping combination. You're in for a treat folks, a real toe-tapping, dance in front of the mirror like no one is watching, shake your bon-bon treat. (Yes, that was a Ricky Martin reference. Find him in the list below!)

PLAYLIST: Now and Then

1. Shake it Off. Taylor Swift.
2. Stuck in the Middle with You. Stealers Wheel.
3. She Bangs. Ricky Martin.
4. Live and Let Die. Paul McCartney.
5. Blurred Lines. Robin Thicke.
6. September. Earth, Wind, & Fire.
7. Let's Get Loud. Jennifer Lopez.
8. That's All. Genesis.
9. Let it Rock. Kevin Rudolf.
10. Don't Stop Me Now. Queen.
11. Lights. Ellie Goulding.
12. Show Me How You Burlesque. Christina Aguilera.

DIY Gilded Vases

In case you haven't heard, gold is in right now. I really like the shape of these Mama Chia glass bottles and couldn't bear to part with them so I had to find a way to repurpose their use. Enter Gilded Vases. With some tape and gold spray paint I turned these bottles into beauties!

DIY GILDED VASES

1. Dampen a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and wipe the expiration date and other writing from the surface of the bottle. Light pressure should remove the ink fairly easily.

2. Remove the label from the bottles by soaking them in warm, soapy water. Use a hard, flat edge (like a Pampered Chef scraper) to help remove the sticker in one piece. If sticky residue is left on the bottle use Goo Gone to wipe it from the surface. Wash and dry bottles throughly.

3. Using tape (painters tape, masking tape, round stickers, etc.) create designs on your bottle. The area under the tape will be left clear when the tape is removed. Be sure the edges of the tape/stickers are adhered strongly to the surface. Any lifting will cause the paint to creep in on the edges.

4. Prepare an area to paint the bottles. I prefer Rustoleum spray paint with primer already in the paint. Spray 3-4 light coats of paint over the bottles, leaving about 3 minutes between coats for the paint to slightly dry.

5. After drying the bottles for 1+ hours, remove the tape and allow the paint to dry for an additional 24 hours. Add water, flowers, and voila! Enjoy your beautiful new vases.

For another glass jar project, read HERE.

Fall Nail Wrap Designs

Jamberry has some adorable and classic prints for the fall. I'm currently wearing Sweet Whimsy paired with White & Teal Polka on my fingers and toes (photo 1). It's such a great combination and the perfect transition from summer to fall! Some of my other favorites are Pumpkin Spice (photo 2) and Webs & Monsters for little fingers and toes. To view all the designs, click HERE.

Have questions about Jamberry? Message me or comment below! Read more about these nail wraps in previous posts HERE and HERE.

Top 10 Phoenix Restaurants

A huge perk of living in a big city are all the options for food. You'd typically think of New York or Chicago for great restaurants, but I'm here to tell you Phoenix can hold it's own! Here is our list of Top 10 Phoenix Restaurants.

1. La Grande Orange. Spicy Pimento Dip? Say no more! But I will. The Margherita Pizza is our personal favorite. We've tried them all and there's not one we don't like. And if you're into salad the kale is king. Read our original LGO post HERE.

2. Bobby Q's. Cornbread? Check. Delicious pulled pork? Check. Fabulous mac n' cheese? Check. Mini doughnuts? Double check. This place gets it done deliciously well. I'm usually not a big BBQ fan, but Bobby Q's is definitely is deserving of a top spot. Mmmm hmmm.

3. Pino's Al Centro. Pino's really does have a Mom and Pop feel to it. It's not the fanciest place, but it's small, quaint, and serves some delicious grub. Make sure you listen to the specials, it's usually worth getting.

4. The Henry. Fox Restaurant Concepts has some awesome spots in the valley like Sauce and The Arrogant Butcher, but The Henry takes the cake for us (or the Warm Croissant Bread Pudding in this case -- delicious). The decor is amazing and the food is even better. Best to make a reservation!

5. Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. Named by RateBeer.com as the NUMBER ONE best new brewery in the WORLD. That's saying something. But can I tell you the food is damn delicious? You must try the artichoke dip.  Oh, and the tagline? "Handcrafted Beers, Facecrafted Beards." Gold.

6. The Breadfruit. It's Jamaican, mon! This quaint little place serves up big flavor, especially if you're a seafood fan. Enjoy a cocktail and/or cigar at the Rum Bar. This is a slightly hidden downtown gem. Again, make a reservation.

7. Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles. Soul food at its best. And I've got good news for you, if you fly through Phoenix Sky Harbor you can try this place at the airport (Terminal 4, Passenger Lobby Level 3). My favorite? The chicken and waffles, duh.

8. The Main Ingredient. Central Phoenix has a few old homes that have been converted into restaurants but this is our favorite. A unique menu in an idyllic setting where the outside seating is perfect with twinkling lights and inside it's nice a cozy.

9. Cornish Pasty. It's like you just landed in Portland, Oregon. But you didn't. The Cornish Pasty got it's start in Southwest England and is a British style empanada filled with warm, hearty goodness. I like the Bangers & Mash but there are a plethora to choose from.

10. d'Lish. A great health food location for breakfast and lunch! Get the California Club and the hummus plate. I'm getting a d'Lish craving just thinking about it. Read our original post about d'Lish HERE.

Disclaimer ... OK, so a few of these don't technically have Phoenix addresses but they're in the valley so I'm counting them in. Neener neener.

Fall Decorating Ideas

I'm going to pretend it wasn't 100 degrees last weekend in Phoenix. I'm so ready for the fall and miss the cool weather and the changing leaves. Since traditional fall weather isn't coming to the Valley of the Sun I will find a way to bring it here, at least in spirit.

I found some great fall decorating ideas while out and about this weekend. I also ran across this amazing photo of my mom, her siblings and friends from Halloween back in the late 1940's. It's a gem! I'm so excited to get this picture printed, framed, and displayed along with the rest of my holiday decor.

Picking a Juicer

The Rolls Royce of juicers is the Norwalk 280. It runs a cool $2,500. I'm sure it's fantastic, but when I was looking for a juicer this one was out of the price range. Just slightly, of course. :/ We tried 3 different juicers before deciding what worked best for us. Here's the biggest difference you need to know about when deciding the right juicer for you: Masticating or Centrifugal. Read more HERE.

These are the 3 juicers we took for a test run.

1. Bella High Power Juice Extractor. It's an affordable centrifugal juicer available at Target for $70. Not bad! Overall it worked fine, but it kind of made a mess with leaks and spitting kale out of the machine. Ultimately, it wasn't our favorite.

2. Omega Model J8006 Heavy Duty Nutrition Center Juicer. This is a high quality masticating juicer that we got from Bed, Bath & Beyond for about $300 (less the 20% off coupon that's always available). It takes a little more time to use than the previous juicer, but you do get slightly more juice. This machine will also make pastas and nut butters. Yum! The biggest disappointment with this one was juicing fruits- it's just not effective. It turns it into mush and clogs the juicer. It's great if you just want to juice veggies!

3. Breville Juice Fountain Plus. Another centrifugal juicer similar to the first, but higher quality. This specific model is available at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $150. This was our winner! It had a wide mouth opening to fit whole apples, was speedy, and it didn't spit our veggies back at us like the Bella. We've been using this model for about 3 months and really like it!

If you missed our other juice posts, read more:
Juicing Post #1 HERE 
Juicing Post #2 HERE

Mascara Tips & Favorites

The golden rule with mascara is that you're suppose to replace it every 3 months (read more HERE). That's sometimes a hard pill to swallow when you've paid $20+ on a tube. If it's empty it is easy to toss it. My problem is I never seem to run out because the tube doesn't get empty! Here's my solution to using high-end mascara and feeling OK about throwing it out upon expiration: get the TRIAL SIZED MASCARA. Why?

1. You can get trial or sample sized mascaras for FREE. If you're a beauty rewards member at Sephora, Ulta, or Birchbox you can usually score these puppies as a free gift or in a bonus. If not, you can buy a smaller size, like this They're Real! mascara from Sephora for $10.

2. There's nothing quite like a fresh tube of mascara. It glides on your lashes super smooth and looks phenomenal the first couple weeks. Knowing that you got the mascara for free (or cheap) makes it easy to change it up every couple months.

3. My mascara favorites change constantly. Using the smaller sized tubes gives me an opportunity to try out different brands to see which I like best. There is a great sample pack from Sephora that gives you 10 trial sized mascaras, plus a certificate to redeem a full-sized tube of your favorite. The downside: it's only available during certain times of the year, usually winter.

FINAL TIPS.
Don't pump the wand into the tube. This makes the mascara dry out faster. Changing it out every 3 months also helps you to avoid bacteria that can build up with prolonged use. After using it for a while it starts to dry out and clump, which doesn't help anyone's lashes look good. My current mascara favorites are Makeup Forever's Smoky Extravagant and Benefit's They're Real!.

Looking for an Eyelash Curler? Find out about my favorite HERE.

Veggie Feta Squash Bowl

I love a good, healthy meal. I've posted another Scratch 'N' Stef original spaghetti squash recipe HERE, and this is another goodie! The downside to this meal is that it takes some time, about an hour to cook overall. But a plus: its vegetarian!

Here are two other spaghetti squash bowl recipes you might enjoy. SPINACH ARTICHOKE SPAGHETTI SQUASH and BAKED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE. Happy grubbin'!

VEGGIE FETA SQUASH BOWL
Ingredients:

• 1 small-medium spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 green pepper
• 1/2 c. mushrooms
• 1/3 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 c. chopped onion
• 1 c. cooked broccoli floretts 
• 1 c. cooked carrots, sliced
• 1/2 c. feta cheese
• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper
• garlic powder (or garlic cloves)

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and take out the seeds. Rub each squash half on the inside with a teaspoon of olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. On a baking sheet, add about a cup of water and place the squash halves face down. Set the timer for 35 minutes and put in the baking sheet in the oven.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the other ingredients, seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Set aside.

3. After spaghetti squash is cooked (outside of squash is tender, but still holds its shape), remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Using a pot holder, carefully remove the spaghetti-like strings from the squash halves with a fork, adding into the ingredients from step 2.

4. Mix all ingredients together. Spoon the mixture back into the empty spaghetti squash "bowls" and place back into the oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve with a side of garlic bread. Enjoy!

What to do in NYC on Vacation

Just in case you're wondering what you should do while on vacation in NYC, here's a short video. And by the way, New York doesn't have to break the bank. Here are a few tips to help save while having fun in the Big Apple.

1. Stay somewhere Uptown: We stayed in East Harlem (SpaHa), but West Harlem, the Upper West Side, and Washington Heights are more affordable and easily accessible via public transit.
2. Buy a Metro Card and use it. Use the green and red subway lines to travel north and south in Manhattan, and use crosstown buses to go east and west.
3. Don't wait in long lines to go to Liberty Island. Save your money and ride the Staten Island Ferry for FREE.
4. Citi Bikes: There are hundreds of Citi Bike stations throughout the city, and it's only $10 a day. Note, unfortunately, the blue bikes haven't made it north of 61 Street yet. Patience.

And now, for your viewing pleasure watch the video below or click HERE to visit our YouTube Channel. (Must use link to watch on mobile).

9/11 Museum and Memorial

"No day shall erase you from the memory of time." -Virgil

Those are the words on a wall in the 9/11 museum surrounded by blue watercolor papers that mimic the color of the sky the morning of September 11th, 2001. Behind that wall are the remains of unidentified victims from that day.

Dusty black shoes, a tattered red wallet, and crushed firefighter's helmet are a few of the items displayed along with stories of the person they belonged to that remind us of the everyday life that was forever interrupted. Personal photos of each victim are shown at the "In Memoriam" exhibit ... a heartbreaking, humanizing reminder to go along with 2,977 names. #neverforget

Read more about the museum from CNN HERE.