Valley Lifestyles March 2016

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Just for Kicks MARCH 2016

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LIFE COACHES HELP CLIENTS LIVE BETTER LIVES

MESA’S WORLD CUP SOCCER PLAYER JULIE JOHNSTON SET TO BE HONORED

T H E E S S E N T I A L L I F E S T Y L E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E E A S T VA L L E Y

from pain

Let us help At Desert Women’s Care, Dr. Richard Demir specializes in helping women cure their chronic pelvic pain. Dr. Demir and his team run a thorough set of tests to find the root cause of the pain, be it gynecologic, urologic, gastrointestinal or even psychiatric.

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Valley Lifestyles Magazine 3200 N. Hayden Rd., Suite 210 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Phone: (480) 348-0343 Comments: christina@timespublications.com www.valleylifestyles.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the Times Media Group. Photographs, graphics and artwork are the property of Valley Lifestyles Magazine. © Affluent Publishing LLC.

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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FEATURES 30

JUST FOR KICKS

As a child soccer player Mesa’s Julie Johnston dreamed of a day when she would compete on an international stage. Eventually she did, and her team would win the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Because of her work with #SheBelieves to inspire young girls, Johnston will be honored with a HOPE award.

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

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BORN HEROES

Good therapists admit that we all have problems, but the best will help clients arm themselves with tools to cope, get rid of the shame of bad decisions, lose weight and enable us to live the life we deserve.

By Julia De Simone

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RIDING THE EDGE

The development of new rim-side trails means that more of the Grand Canyon National Park is open to biking and Bright Angel Bicycles delivers the twowheeled fun there.

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By Scott Shumaker

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Hope for the best, but plan for all outcomes.

I meet women who are financially devastated by divorce or the death of a husband every day. They never planned to get a divorce, or lose a spouse — no one ever does — yet it happens. Women are hit harder than men because women typically make more career sacrifices than men do. Women are naturally caregivers and naturally the parent who falls into the role of supporting her husband and children. Therefore, they naturally end up with an impacted earning capacity upon divorce.

That’s what alimony is for, right? Sort of. Alimony is designed to support the spouse who cannot support themselves and serves as a repayment for the investment made in a spouse’s education or earning capacity. But alimony is trending down and even if you are awarded alimony, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will receive it. (Check our estimator to see what you might collect in alimony: https://mymodernlaw.com/spousal-maintenance-estimator) Collecting can sometimes be harder than getting an award of alimony.

What can you do to make sure you will be protected no matter what happens?

1. Find your passion and think about how/if it can become a marketable skill. There are so many ways to make money. I know one guy who makes a living and support his wife and five children simply through buying and selling items on craigslist. I know another, who makes a $200k a year selling a multi level marketing product. Others make stuff on fiver or etsy.

2. Train for continuous improvement. Take every opportunity at work or in the community to make yourself more valuable. If training is being offered, take advantage of it. If you can get a certification, even better! You can find free training to be a mediator, computer programming, CNA training, and more.

3. Grow your network. A person’s network may be one of their most valuable resources. All you need to do is make more friends. Really. Make it a point to be friends with as many people as possible, but also be strategic. In this day or social media, no one is untouchable. If you want to a position at a specific company, connect to their employees, you will find them on LinkedIn. If you do these three things you are protecting yourself against the potential devastating financial aspects of divorce, you are enriching your life. Invest in yourself, serve as an example to your children and peers that you can have it allwhatever that means for you.

“

Ms. Tarascio is

fair, honest, and

compassionate. (an

element that seems to be sorely lacking in the legal arena) However, one should not mistake Ms. Tarascio’s kindness, for weakness.

She is a formidable opponent, indeed!

Billie Tarascio

DIVORCE? WE HELP GOOD PEOPLE SOLVE PROBLEMS • Get the Guide: 7 steps to take before filing for divorce • Get Through a Divorce with Kids • Dating After Divorce • Meet the Attorneys and more at www.mymodernlaw.com

www.mymodernlaw.com

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DEPARTMENTS 9

UPFRONT | 480 SURVIVING AND THRIVING

Mesa resident Lauri Leadley faced the daunting obstacles of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and, as an adult, cancer while she was pregnant and a second cancer diagnosis in 2013, yet she has persevered and used the obstacles as inspirations to celebrate life.

14 TRENDING THREADS

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14 HANDS-ON ART? 16 HAUTE ITEMS: Spring into Clean 18 DOWN SYNDROME 20 KEEPING IT SIMPLE 22 LIVING FEARLESSLY 24 SCENTS SENSE

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26 SEEDS OF LOVE

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28 DESK JOB?

51 FOOD & WINE THE VUE 55 YOU GOTTA TRY 56 TOO EASY! 58 IN SEASON: Cauliflower 60 RESTAURANT GUIDE

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62 10 GREAT DATES 64 LAST WORD

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UpFront 480 TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

SURVIVING AND

Thriving

DESPITE CHALLENGE AFTER CHALLENGE, LAURI LEADLEY CONTINUES TO COME OUT ON TOP

BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON

Mesa resident and business owner Lauri Leadley has faced some of life’s most daunting obstacles and lived to tell about them.

Not only has she lived, but also Leadley—a respiratory therapist, clinical sleep educator and president of Valley Sleep Center—has made it her mission to share her amazing story of survival to inspire others to make the most out of life.

Leadley likes to describe her life as “one of many trials but also many victories.” For example, a childhood diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis forced her to undergo several medical procedures—but also inspired her to become a respiratory therapist.

In 1992, while pregnant with her third child (her other two children were ages 4 and 2 at the time), Leadley discovered a lump in her breast and had to undergo a lumpectomy. Doctors discovered that she had an aggressive form of cancer known as Burkitt lymphoma. It was devastating news to the young mother.

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“I was told by a nationally known medical director, an expert in lymphoma, to ‘get my affairs in order,’” she remembers.

In addition to being a mom of two and halfway through her third pregnancy, the then-26-year-old Leadley was only two years in to establishing her business.

“They told me that I needed to terminate the pregnancy but we had already named him,” Leadley says. “The weekend I had to make the decision. I remember going to church and hearing the pastor say that you’ll ‘never have joy in life without taking risks.’

It was then that we decided we’d take him how we’d get him.”

After the life-changing decision to continue her pregnancy and undergo treatment for cancer, Leadley experienced four chemotherapy treatments and three surgeries while still pregnant.

“I’ve have chemo, then they’d test the baby; chemo, then they’d test the baby,” she says. Once she was 34 weeks along, on Jan. 7, 1993, her son Connor was born healthy and “with a full head of hair,” she recalls.

The date also happened to be Leadley’s 27th birthday.

“Connor is an absolute miracle,” Leadley says. “He’s now 23 and working on becoming a youth pastor. He was definitely meant to be here for a purpose. All of my children were.”

Fast-forward and Leadley’s Valley Sleep Center grew as she continued to balance an impressive career and motherhood.

“I learned from Jim Collins’ book ‘Good to Great,’ ‘Get the right people on the bus in the right seats on the bus,’” she says of her business success. “I've also learned to inspire and empower the leaders of my company.”

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

Continued from page 10

Today, Valley Sleep Center has five locations across the Phoenix metro area.

In February 2013, Leadley began to face another challenge when she found a lump in her breast.

“If I were to tell women one thing, it would be to ask your health care provider if you have dense breast tissue because, if you do, you have to use an MRI or ultrasound; a typical mammogram won’t do,” she notes.

With the lump spotted, it was determined to be stage 1 breast cancer. She sought out the opinions of several medical professionals and found that’s she’d have to have several rounds of aggressive chemo and a double mastectomy.

“I chose to do a double mastectomy because I didn’t want to risk coming back with cancer in the second breast,” Leadley explains. “It was really, really hard to realize I’d be facing chemo again.”

Leadley says that, once again, her children were her inspiration to keep going.

“My son, Colton, had been in training to be a Navy SEAL and told me that he felt like he couldn’t go on after the first day of the Navy SEAL ‘Hell Week.’ But, he reminded himself that there were no other options—just like I had no other options but to get through six rounds of chemo,” she says.

After going through chemotherapy, Leadley had genetic testing done and was grateful she had undergone a double mastectomy; she likely would have had cancer in her second breast, she explains.

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About a year later, in January 2016, Leadley celebrated her 50th birthday with a family trip to Hawaii. Today, in addition to her three children, she is a proud grandma of two.

“I wanted to do something big for my 50th birthday because life is one giant celebration,” she says. “I didn’t think I’d live to see my daughter go to kindergarten and here I am a grandma. I hold those blessings really close to my heart.”

This month, to celebrate 30 years of marriage, Leadley and her husband are going on a river trip across Europe.

Leadley remains busy—she says it’s a full-time job trying to stay healthy. She also still deals with rheumatoid arthritis and the treatments that come with that.

Valley Sleep Center is still run by herself and her husband.

Also, Leadley is an inspirational speaker and blogger, sharing her journey with others and her expertise on a variety of topics.

“Everything in life is a big risk—from starting a business to battling cancer,” Leadley says. “But everything is also a lesson to be celebrated. Life is full of celebrations.” VLM

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

TRENDING

THREADS

HANDS-ON ART? INDULGE AT SPARK! MESA’S FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY

BY CASEY BLAKE

Looking for the latest fashion trend to incorporate into your life? So are we. Ahead you’ll find the hottest clothing, purses or accessories in the East Valley to complete your look.

FLAT MULES It’s spring in the Easy Valley and that basically means that 75 percent of the people in these parts have put away their closed-toed shoes until October. However, flat mules, the latest trend from bloggers across the country, offer the sleek look of closed-toed shoes with the easy, breezy feeling of slip-on sandals or flip-flops. Here are three of our favorite mules in the East Valley at varying price points.

1. Pointed Toe Mule Flats, $20 at Charlotte Russe at SanTan Village.

2. Pointed Flat Fashion Mule, $25 at Old Navy at Shoppes at Gilbert Commons. 3. Open Road Slip On, $100 at Free People at Chandler Fashion Center.

1.

2.

3.

When day-to-day life leaves us hard-pressed to take hands and eyes away from our devices, an immersive, hands-on arts festival could be just what the doctor ordered. And at spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity, interaction with the artwork is not only welcome, it’s encouraged.

With a full lineup of live music by bands like Vintage Wednesday and Dry River Yacht Club, and works that explore the intersection of art and technology, you’ll have no shortage of things to see and hear at this free event. The music and highly sensory works of inventive artists might even lure you away from your screens.

When you touch one of the 16 electronic “trees” in Christopher Janney’s Sonic Forest you’ll trigger a series of events, from an original score of melodic tones, environmental sounds, and whispered expressions to an ever-changing color palette of LED lights.

In MIZARU, you’ll press the membrane of a large transparent box with a white spandex wall, and watch it spring to life with fiery visual patterns and music that shift according to the depth and pressure of a person’s touch.

In Telepoem Booth, you’ll step inside a relic from the past—a phone booth— and dial up a poem by an Arizona poet.

Much like the treehouses of our childhood imaginations, Human Nests made of reclaimed wood will beckon you to walk through and explore a temporary environment of people-sized, nest-like structures.

Add to this the sights of live aerosol and chalk art pieces created across campus, the opportunity to contribute to a large-scale kaleidoscope mural of fused beads, and the chance to go completely analog in an hour-long studio sampler class like Flameworking or Watercolor. And that’s just an appetizer of the full menu of arts experiences.

Allow yourself to play for a day at this all-ages festival. It’s the perfect excuse to look away from your devices and take your imagination for a date.

Celebrate your creativity from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19. VLM THE MESA ARTS CENTER IS LOCATED AT One E. Main St., Mesa. For more information, call (480) 644-6500 or visit mesaartscenter.com/spark.

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

SPRING INTO

CLEAN

Spring time is clean time! With the warmer weather slowly approaching, we should all start thinking about spring cleaning our homes. If going through your junk mail or cleaning out your closet sound like dreaded tasks, maybe some of these organizational tools can help you stay motivated and keep it fun.

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ROAD TRIPPIN’ WITH MY FRIEND Find 5 Great Day Trips From the Valley

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS NONPROFIT SPREADS EDUCATION AND HOPE TO THOSE WITH THE CONDITION AND THEIR FAMILIES

BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day, a time to spread awareness, education and hope for those impacted by the condition.

According to the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition that impacts one in every 691 babies in the United States annually (approximately 6,000 each year). There are approximately 400,000 people in the United States living with Down syndrome.

“Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21,” according to the NDSS website. “This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome.”

“A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm—although each person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees, or not at all.”

The NDSS adds that people with Down syndrome have an increased risk for certain medical conditions such as “congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, Alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia and thyroid conditions,” but given the treatable nature of these diseases, those with Down syndrome are leading longer lives than ever before.

Still, there is a natural grieving process that comes from hearing your child will be born with a disability—a process that Gina Johnson, a Gilbert resident, knows well as her 32-year-old son, David, has the condition.

“Sometimes, the hardest news to tell a parent is that their child has a disability,” Johnson says. “When David was born, they told his dad first and my husband began to sob. When they told me, I didn’t even know what Down syndrome meant; and the books 32 years ago were horrible!

Ideally, we’d like to have the news presented to parents in a different way.”

“When David was born I thought God had made a mistake; not because he had Down syndrome but because I had been selected to be his mom,” Johnson recalls about the overwhelming experience.

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Johnson, a mom of seven and grandmother of more than 10, says that “mother’s intuition” told her something was amiss during her pregnancy with David.

With a background in social work and years worth of education on the condition, she now knows that Down syndrome is one of the most common birth defects and believes that abortion rates of fetuses who test positive in utero for Down syndrome are on the rise.

“When you have a baby with Down syndrome you might wonder ‘Did I cause this?’ But it’s just one of those random things of nature,” she says. “Because of the Down syndrome, David had a rough start to life and we all had a powerful experience of coming to terms with the condition.”

The road for those with Down syndrome and their families is not always smooth because of societal misconceptions.

“People say really dumb, hurtful things when a child has Down syndrome,” Johnson adds, reflecting on some of her experiences. “But I fell in love with the little boy and realized that, as a mom, my best is good enough.”

To help other families impacted by Down syndrome, Johnson founded Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona nearly 25 years ago. The nonprofit’s mission is to educate, empower and give hope to those with Down syndrome and their families, Johnson says.

One of the core components of this goal is to reach out to families impacted by Down syndrome early. Thanks to the several partnerships the nonprofit has built over the years, today when a baby is born with Down syndrome in the Valley, Johnson or another volunteer visits the family personally to provide hope, resources and gifts.

"Be so proud and don’t put a limit on what they can do.

You’ll see things differently—and they will too."

OPPOSITE PAGE: Marisa Robson, who sung the national anthem at the Sharing Down Syndrome Walk, hugs the Easter Bunny.

LEFT (top & Center): David Johnson, the 32-year-old son of Gina Johnson, works at Albertson's, loves going to movies, flirting with girls and hanging out with friends, Taylon Perkins and Tucker Candland.

BOTTOM LEFT: Proud dad Mike Factor kisses son, Andrew.

“We provide families with a ‘welcome packet’ of sorts that includes about $200 worth of books, DVDs, CDs, baby supplies and more that educate them about Down syndrome,” Johnson says.

“We provide these and all of our events and information for free.

Parents shouldn’t have to pay to learn how to help their child.”

She estimates that thousands of families have benefited from these welcome packets over the years.

“It’s so much a better world today to be born into [with Down syndrome] than it was 32 years ago,” Johnson reflects. “The personal visits are important because it helps to connect our organization to families and, in turn, those families to other families impacted by the condition. Parents meet each other and think ‘Wow, me too!’”

In addition to the welcome gifts at birth, Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona and its chapters across the state host regular play groups, support groups, and offer a variety of educational resources for children of all ages with Down syndrome.

To raise funds for their outreach efforts, the organization hosts ongoing fundraising events, including a golf tournament on Monday, March 21. There will also be an annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 26, and ongoing parent support workshops throughout the year.

“I believe this [helping families impacted by Down syndrome] is the mission that God has given to me,” Johnson shares. “David came into this world to help me become the person I was supposed to be all along.”

To families with a child with Down syndrome or any disability, Johnson has some words of wisdom: “Be so proud and don’t put a limit on what they can do. You’ll see things differently—and they will too. You have a wonderful journey ahead.” VLM To learn more about Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona, including information and details on upcoming events, visit sharingds.org.

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

KEEPING IT

SIMPLE

PUT THAT SPRING BACK IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE

BY JASMINE KEMPER

It’s spring cleaning time in the East Valley, which means it’s time to wash the windows, clean the baseboards and organize the garage.

Spring is the perfect time to complete all of these dreaded tasks, especially because the temperatures are rising just enough to bring us Arizonans out of hibernation.

Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant Andrea Brundage knows a thing or two about keeping things clean and organized. She’s the founder of Simple Organized Solutions (SOS) in Mesa.

As an organizer, Brundage does not clean your house for you.

Instead, she helps overwhelmed clients—most of whom are busy entrepreneurs—organize their homes and lives. She says she is “part teacher, part product manager and part coach.”

“Typically, they’re running their business out of their home office and it spreads into the kitchen or into the dining room.

Not everybody has the skill set to actually set up a business,” Brundage says.

If you’ve tried to organize in the past without success, a professional organizer can help ease the stress and anxiety.

“Living in a lot of chaos affects us not just in our productivity but in our physical and mental well-being. It’s a really holistic issue,” Brundage says.

This professional organizer recommends cleaning twice a year instead of one.

“Those bigger clean times really set you up for the rest of the season. Getting your windows cleaned, cleaning your screens, getting behind your fridge and going through your files...spring is a really good time to go through your files because you probably have to file your taxes by now,” Brundage says.

While purging your life of unwanted clutter is good from time to time, Brundage suggests organizing bits of your home every

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day so the mess doesn’t get out of hand. Also, taking on tasks for which you have time ensures that they will be completed without any distractions or excuses.

“Being able to actually get through a project from A to Z is what I encourage here. You need to pick a spring cleaning task that you have the time to actually start and finish,” she says.

“What do you have time to do? Do you have time to clean all of your windows? If you only have 10 minutes, that’s not enough time to clean your windows, but you could go through your spices in 10 minutes.”

Otherwise, the mess gets even bigger and defeats the purpose.

Another mistake people make during spring cleaning is not having the correct tools to get the job done.

“If you’re going to do your windows and you use Windex but you only have a little bit of Windex left that’s not the job to start today,” Brundage says.

Brundage offers tips for making spring cleaning a more enjoyable experience: reward yourself for a task, turn up the

music or invite someone over to organize with you.

“Sometimes you can make it fun by mixing it up a little bit, maybe inviting someone over to help you and then you [can] go over and help them,” she says.

Lastly, Brundage recommends keeping your entryway free of clutter like junk mail because it is the first thing you see when you walk through the door.

“Your home should be your sanctuary so that entryway sets the tone. If that’s nice and organized then you’re walking into a peaceful place, I think that’s really important,” she says. VLM

SIMPLE ORGANIZED SOLUTIONS 10446 E. Los Lagos Vista Avenue, Mesa (480) 382-1085 professionalorganizeraz.com

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

LIVING FEARLESSLY ANGELA VERTUCCIO AND HER FAMILY MAKE FARMING FUN

BY TISHA MARIE PELLETIER

PHOTOS BY MURPHY BANNERMAN

When Angela Vertuccio met her husband Cono after working in the automotive industry together, she never could have imagined all that was in store for her.

A military child whose mother and father were in the Marines, Angela traveled and lived overseas before moving to Yuma her senior year of high school. Following graduation, it was a natural fit to move to Phoenix and start her own journey.

The co-owner of Vertuccio Farms Event Management, Angela quickly settled into “farm life” after marrying into it in 2000 knowing that she and Cono both had a “strong desire to work for themselves.” Now after 16 years, she’s the proud mom of two sons, Joseph, 13, and Anthony, 5, who splits her time at the farm managing the day-to-day operations, homeschools her boys, and keeps the household running in tip-top shape.

How does she do it all?

Using her time wisely. That plus her four must haves: family, wine, books and good food.

“Owning a farm, you definitely get into a routine each day. I’m an early riser and start right at sunset first with prayer and meditation, then strong coffee,” says Angela. “After, it’s getting kids up, breakfast, packing lunches and heading to the farm, followed by school, swim and soccer practice and most importantly, dinner as a family. Then we get up and do it all over the next day.”

At the farm, Angela oversees the scheduling of events and field trips, advertising, staffing and the business side of things, while Cono tends to the farm and the animals.

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“He definitely has the green thumb, while I have the business background. Cono loves my structured ways, even calls me the ‘Schedule Nazi,’ but knows that the schedule I give him is productive, fruitful and has led to our success,” comments Angela.

“Together, we make a really good team. The farm runs like a well-oiled machine because we’ve made it a family affair. From our amazing staff to our sons, everyone helps out wherever they can. We first started out with just the farmers market and have continued to expand with the addition of 25 acres and seasonal events. We work hard, then break, but we never get bored. There’s always something new around the corner to prepare for.”

Preparing for Next Events

Coming up on March 26, Vertuccio Farms will host its anticipated Easter Egg-sperience, a family-friendly event with a special visit from the Easter Bunny as well as a pancake brunch and egg hunt. Other popular events on the farm this season include Farm Fun and Food Trucks on Saturdays, U-Pick peaches, tomatoes and veggies in the

spring, then preparation for the farm’s Fall Festival begins right after summer break.

“We see tens of thousands of people each year between all our events, school trips and birthday parties at the farm,” says Angela. “Our numbers keep growing each year as we work to expand, improve and keep affordable fun. It’s what keeps bringing people back and has become our motto.”

Marrying into farm life has given Angela the chance to be “part of something bigger than myself,” she adds. It has allowed her the freedom and autonomy to lead and make decisions to move the farm toward something more than food by creating education and fun others can experience on a real working farm. But more importantly, it has provided Angela the opportunity to be the mom she set out to be while also being more present in her children’s lives.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher as a child,” says Angela. “Homeschooling my sons was the right choice for our family, and it works out well for our schedule. Joseph and Anthony are learning how to be kind, charitable, assertive and have a good work ethic. I’m grateful that I get to instill these values in them and bring out the person they are created to be.”

When asked where she draws her source of inspiration from. Angela smiles and says, “Faith, family and other women inspire me. There’s a famous quote from Michelangelo when he was sculpting ‘David’ that reads, ‘Every brick of stone has a statue inside, and it’s the task of the sculptor to discover it.’ ‘David’ was always there. Michelangelo revealed it with talent. I, too, am an artist working at revealing my core and what I’m made up of.”

Imparting Wisdom

Her tips for success? “Live fearlessly. Push the envelope and know thyself. Being an entrepreneur is not always a solo affair and sometimes, two heads are better than one. Being a leader takes some humility. Be vulnerable, get feedback and always, always continue to learn new things. Enjoy the life you lead. At the end of the day, learn to, like Paul McCartney sings, ‘let it be.’”

On the Horizon

“I’d like to host large wedding-type events and take the farm to the next level, perhaps even develop frontage and be a property manager. As for my family, we will definitely keep on working, learning as we go and having fun while we’re at it.” VLM

VERTUCCIO FARMS 4011 S. Power Road, Mesa 85212 vertucciofarms.com

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: The family stands in the peach tree groves on their 40 acre farm. Guests have the option to pick their own peaches.

OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT: Angela Vertuccio co-owns Vertuccio Farms Event Management with her husband Cono.

OPPOSITE PAGE RIGHT: This goat munches on greens at the farm.

THIS PAGE TOP LEFT: Angela Verttucio walks with her son Anthony Vertuccio around the farm, which is open through out the year for guests to enjoy the amusement rides and farm experience.

TOP RIGHT: Cono Vertuccio looks over an onion grown on the farm. Vertuccio Farms are known as the only "Pizza Farmers", because they grow all the ingredients needed to make a pizza — part of their farm is even in a pizza shape!

ABOVE: Joseph, 15, and Anthony, 5, run along the jump pad. Vertuccio Farms offers many attractions for children to have fun and explore.

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

SCENTS

Sense

PICKING THE PERFECT CANDLE SCENT BASED ON YOUR HOME’S MOOD

BY BREANNE DEMORE

What do you think the cavemen would think if they saw the fire that they worked so hard to discover was being used to make our homes smell nice? OK, to be fair, there are probably a lot of other things about our society that cavemen would be astonished by before candles, but we think they would be pretty damn impressive by our control over that hot stuff.

Depending on the atmosphere that you want your place to evoke, different candle scents will fit better than others. Below we’ve broken it down by mood to tell you which candle scents to check out!

Peaceful

Clean

Citrus, grapefruit, lemon and orange, scents are often found in cleaning products and the fresh scent leaves behind fresh air.

Scents modeled after the smell of fresh laundry also keep the home feeling clean.

Lavender is extremely popular and for a reason. It reduces stress and induces a sense of peacefulness. Jasmine relieves stress and counters anger. Geranium is a soothing and relaxing scent.

Honeysuckle, frankincense, sage and chamomiles can relieve stress and alleviate mild symptoms of depression.

VLM

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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Happy

Ginger is known to promote healing and confidence. Rose and other floral notes bring about a sense of warmth and romance. Vanilla adds calmness and happiness to spaces. Sandalwood is also known to create warm, sensual moods.

Energetic

Lilac can help with decision-making and improves memory. Cypress can be used as a pickme-up and lemongrass can add a fresh energy to the home. Peppermint is also known to relieve stress while giving one energy. Other energy inducing scents include: pine, clove and patchouli. VLM

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

SOWING THE

Seeds of Love MESA AGRICULTURE PROJECT REAPS BENEFITS FOR ALL

BY JULIA DE SIMONE PHOTOS BY TIM SEALY

Jerri Wandler likes to think of her roughly 2-acre orchard as a Garden of Eden in Northeast Mesa.

But instead of forbidding anyone from taking the fruits of their labor, Jerri, her husband, Mike, as well as a board of dedicated community members are actually eager to share their fruits and vegetables as the Urban Shared Agriculture (USA) project.

In fact, they want to celebrate it with a Harvest Festival. The first festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the orchard, located at 2340 E. Hermosa Vista Drive in Mesa.

“I just want to share the abundance of this property with my community, and those interested in growing,” Jerri Wandler says.

“When people come together to grow and share, it’s not only sharing live nutrients, you come together giving back.”

USA’s mission is twofold. The organizers want to grow healthy, organic produce, vegetables and herbs to be shared among volunteers and charity organizations. They also yearn to educate the community about sustainable gardening benefits such as therapy gardening and social connections. Dedicated to these causes are USA’s board members Nancy Long, Tricia Schaeffer, Shelia and Stephen Slomski and Melissa Sinks.

Shelia Slomski says the project is especially personal to her. The retired teacher who grew up on a farm in Iowa said she was in shock when her own daughter was unaware of how vegetables were grown.

“I was absolutely appalled at how much she didn’t know because we don’t have what we grew up with,” the Mesa resident says. “I think there’s a healthy certain respect to teach children about the land, and how it’s grown. It’s nurturing.”

Long, who had been composting for more than 20 years, says the benefit of an organic food and lifestyle truly “hit home” when she was diagnosed in 2001 with multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system.

“The neurologist impressed upon me the importance of staying organic,” she says.

Although the Mesa resident didn’t grow up on a farm, she

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has always been “very rooted in agriculture” since her childhood in Iowa.

“The vision for the garden is to have a central location to gather us as a neighborhood and have some root in where our produce is coming from,” Long says. “There’s a lot involved in the vision of this garden, and we’re just getting rollin’.”

Yet the project as well as the upcoming festival almost never came to light.

Wandler says when they chose to purchase property in Arizona, the intention was to locate something near Mike’s business and their daughter’s university. They also envisioned something much smaller than their Wyoming ranch, which they also call “home.”

“It [the ranch] is a lot of work so we wanted the opposite of this,” she says. “I’m so glad we changed our minds.”

Wandler, who has grown everything from corn to kale on her Wyoming ranch, said she knew she had to find a way to share the abundance of citrus trees as well as other trees like apples and figs from the property. She says although the previous owners picked the citrus they consumed, they hadn’t been harvested in three years.

“It was going to waste,” she says.

Her solution? She loaded the citrus in a wheelbarrow sporting a “Free Fruit” sign.

But she didn’t stop there.

She also enlisted the help of her neighbors—now board members—and volunteers. So far, they have picked, packed and donated citrus to Meals on Wheels, Veterans on Patrol in Tucson and an orphanage in Nogales.

“I wish I could have seen the kids’ faces when they bit into those babies,” Wandler says.

Kids are keys to the program. McKay Moody, 16, of the Eagle Scouts is in the process of assisting with this endeavor. The Mountain View High School junior says he and fellow Eagle Scouts are working on designing and implementing raised, garden beds as part of the organization’s service project. The Mesa teen is

MESA HARVEST FESTIVAL TO BE FRUITFUL Expect a fruitful event at the first Harvest Festival in Mesa— literally.

Jerri Wandler, orchard owner and board member of the Urban Shared Agriculture (USA) community project, encourages Mesa residents to come learn about the group’s “Grow it Forward” philosophy, and how to be a part of its neighborhood project.

“I just have this picture of [families] and the community coming together like they used to when being entertained.

I just envision this harvest festival...as a pretty big ‘shindig,’” Wandler says.

In addition to fresh, organic lemonade and orange juice from the orchard’s citrus, a number of events are lined up for the festival.

The event kicks off at 9 a.m. with “Yoga on the Orchard.”

Following a good stretch, the family-friendly festival will officially begin at 10 a.m. Included in the event is a farm petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and a tentatively scheduled, live-dramatic interpretation of Shel Silverstein’s book, “The Giving Tree.”

A local master gardener also will be on hand to provide handouts as well as answers to visitors’ gardening questions. In addition, fun and healthy citrus recipes will be distributed.

“We would love to see people come and share and be a part of the movement as well as connect with neighbors, build friendships and have some fun,” board member Nancy Long says.

Admission and on-street parking is free.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

facebook.com/USAGrow

TOP: Board members Nancy Long, Stephen Slomski and Sheila Slomski

confident the Eagle Scouts and local church members can build durable beds within a couple of weeks.

“It would be a cool thing to know that I’ve given to my community and service by bringing a group of youth together and finishing what I started,” McKay says.

Volunteer opportunities with USA are available 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays. To inquire, go to: www.facebook.com/USAGrow or email www.USA@spcdock.com VLM

BOTTOM: Board members Stephen Slomski and Sheila Slomski along with Eagle Scout McKay Moody pick Arizona Sweets from a tree at the USA orchard.

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TRENDS | PEOPLE | CULTURE | STYLE

DESK JOB? HOW TO KEEP FIT WHILE SITTING AT WORK

BY JULIE LEMEROND

Most of us are sitting at a computer for many hours each day, which can lead to slouching, lethargy and weight gain.

But with some gentle effort on our part, we can burn a few extra calories while sitting all day, and maybe build some muscle, too. While this is by no means an exchange for a full workout, here are some great tips to keep in shape at your desk!

Engage Your Core

It’s as simple as sitting tall, energetically pulling your navel toward your spine, and holding for five to 10 breaths. Release, take a few breaths and repeat several times. Make sure to keep breathing—slow, steady breaths—as you are engaging the whole center of your body. Very easy to do at your desk and your coworker at the cubicle next door won’t even know!

Shoulder Rolls

When your hands don’t need to be typing, let your arms lay down by your sides. First take a few shoulder rolls— inhaling up and exhaling and you circle back. Then, sitting tall, squeeze your shoulder blades together and again hold and breathe with it. Relax for a few breaths and repeat several times. When you are done, do a few gentle neck rolls to release any leftover tension in your neck and shoulders.

Leg Lifts

Sit tall with a straight back, and lift one leg at a time as if hugging it towards the chest, engaging your core. Flex your foot and hold, breathing steadily. Count to ten and then switch sides, repeat this series ten times.

Hip Stretch

To get a great stretch into those hips, sit tall and cross one leg over the other, making sure that your chair is low enough that the leg touching the floor is at a 90-degree angle. Create a figure-four cross and place one hand on your knee and the other on the foot of the crossed leg. Sit tall, inhale, and then lean forward until you feel the stretch in your hip. Breathe with it, and then switch and do the other side.

Sitting at a desk all day exercises your brain, but keeping your body in shape can be a challenge. Along with trying some of these techniques, also make sure to get up at least once per hour and walk around the office. Take the stairs whenever possible, choose the longer route as you walk across the building...all these little things add up! Also, consider switching to a standing desk if your company allows it— another great way to stay productive and burn a few more calories throughout your day! VLM

Tush Squeeze

Take care of your greatest (ahem) asset while you sit. Squeeze your tush and again, just hold and breathe. Repeat this several times throughout the day and you’ve got a headstart on your evening treadmill workout!

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

FIND JULIE: on the web at julielemerond.com

PUMP IT UP WHETHER IL VOLO IS IN THE GYM OR ON STAGE, MUSIC IS ALWAYS THE FOCUS

Come in and see what

is all about!

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Before

Il Volo’s Piero Barone is pumped up—literally and figuratively.

The charming singer in the Italian “popera” trio is pumped about Il Volo’s U.S. tour as well as the workout he just finished at a RitzCarlton “somewhere in America.”

“I can’t wait to bring our show to Phoenix,” he says. “It’s been two long years.”

Barone is joined in Il Volo by baritone Gianluca Ginoble and fellow tenor Ignazio Boschetto, all of whom practically grew up in the public’s eye.

As teenagers, Ginoble, Barone and Boschetto were discovered on an Italian singing competition show “Ti Lascio Una Canzone” in 2009. They performed solo until the show’s creator put the three together. By the fourth show, the men were singing together.

The 23-year-old bespectacled Barone says he didn’t mind aging in the spotlight. That maturation is evident on Il Volo’s fifth studio album, Grand Amore, and on its PBS special, “Il Volo: Live from Pompeii.” But there’s always that image to uphold.

“It’s great doing PBS special,” Barone says with a laugh in his thick Italian accent. “But you have to fix all the time your hair and put on makeup. We have to concentrate [in front of cameras], you’re not just with the boys, you have to improve your image.”

It’s not that Il Volo’s image was tarnished. The band’s career is shining brightly, having won awards here and abroad. Barone has a couple special places in his home for them.

“We bring them home to put in our wall,” he says. “In my house, I have the award wall. I put all these awards in my wall, yes. I put the awards in the bathroom, too.”

While Barone is a big fan of Pavarotti and Domingo, he listens to plenty of American music to get him jacked at the gym.

“At the gym, I always listen to Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Pink—all these artists who get me up,” he says. VLM

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

Just for Kicks MESA’S WORLD CUP SOCCER PLAYER JULIE JOHNSTON SET TO BE HONORED

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Johnston and her teammates founded #SheBelieves, a campaign to inspire young girls to accomplish all their goals and dreams.

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As

A CHILD, Julie Johnston watched women’s soccer on television with her family, one day hoping that she, too, would reach that international stage.

The Mesa native’s dreams came true—and then some—when the centerback and her team won the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in a 5-2 victory over Japan in Vancouver.

Even prior to the win, in an effort to give back to the young fans who supported them, Johnston and her teammates founded #SheBelieves, a campaign to inspire young girls to accomplish all their goals and dreams.

“Just a few years ago, I was in the stands, watching the games,” says Johnston, calling from Texas where the team is working to qualify for the Olympics. “Now, it’s cool to have people look up to you. At the same time, they could be there, too.”

For Johnston’s efforts of promoting girls and women to do their best, the nonprofit Florence Crittenton Arizona will honor her with the HOPE Award during its 14th annual Teaming Up for Girls luncheon on Thursday, March 10. The keynote speaker is Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was kidnapped at age 11 and rescued 18 years later in Concord, California.

Florence Crittenton Arizona provides shelter, education, counseling and support for at-risk girls. Founded in 1896, it is the state’s oldest social service agency.

“I think she’s an example of some true girl power,” says Kellie Warren, Florence Crittenton’s CEO, of Johnston.

“With her being a native and just what she’s accomplished through soccer, I think she can give a hopeful message to girls.

We’re very much excited about her being the centerback for Team USA. They won the World Cup. We were on the edges of our seats watching these women with their power. Anytime there’s inspiration or hope, we want to share that.

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"... She's an example of if you

can put your heart and soul into it,you can do it."

— Kellie Warren, Florence Crittenton’s CEO

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"... I'm just so thankful that they

feel I can do something and inspire other young girls."

“Many of our girls have aspirations to go to college or participate in sports.

She’s an example of if you can put your heart and soul into it, you can do it.”

Johnston is just as thrilled, but she about her honor.

“It’s so cool,” she says. “I love being home and feeling the amount of support that I had from my state in general. I had tons from family and friends.

“I never thought I would be looked upon to get an award like that for just being me, and going for my goals. I’m just so thankful that they feel I can do something and inspire other young girls and anyone else around the state who listens to and sees my story. I’m really excited to be a part of it.”

SUCCESSFUL AT A YOUNG AGE Johnston is the second youngest player on the U.S. team, at age 23. She was the “Player of the Match” in the U.S.A. versus Nigeria game and was named to the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Squad. Johnston chalks up her success to her humble childhood in Mesa, where she attended Dobson High School.

“I loved it,” she says about growing up in Mesa. “It’s what made me. My parents are very, very hard working and tried everything they could to allow me to play sport in a club. I love everything about Mesa. I love going home. I feel safe at home. It’s so hard to put in words. I’m so thankful for all the support I’ve gotten from friends, family and supporters from Arizona in general.”

The best part of the World Cup victory was being able to share it with her friends and family.

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

“They allowed me to be able to do this,” Johnston explains. “They pushed me to work as hard as I could. They gave me the opportunity to play for amazing clubs in our area. At the same time, they made me make my own decisions and grow up. I’m very thankful. Telling me they’re proud of me makes it all worthwhile.”

She admits that she faced adversity, but she emerged stronger because of it.

“That’s not easy,” she says. “There are 23 players out of the entire country. It’s difficult and it should be. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it. You’re up against amazing, amazing players.

“Being one of the younger ones, I’m trying to find out what kind of player I am and how I can help this team. That’s just a part of it. Through all the obstacles that were thrown at me, that makes the journey to get there even more enjoyable after the fact when you realize how much more you’ve done.”

She sees what she has accomplished in little girls whom she meets— especially a young girl who is wearing her jersey.

“To see that, I was just stunned,” Johnston says. “It was the coolest thing that someone loved watching me play enough to wear my jersey and have my last name on their back.”

Johnston wholeheartedly embraces the idea of being a role model.

“I think as a team we come together because we want to be good role models,” she says. “We have a platform to be able to do that. I don’t think it’s pressure, but there is pressure from myself.

“I am young. I continue to learn how I can be a better person. I think it’s important to grow as a person. I learn and I have amazing teammates who have been there and played longer and can show me the ropes on certain things. At the end of the day, I’m here because I love the sport and I love working hard to be the best I can on and off the field. It’s a continuous thing that I love to do.”

IF YOU GO Florence Crittenton’s Teaming Up for Girls Luncheon begins with a general reception and raffle at 10:30 a.m. at the Arizona Biltmore Resort, Frank Lloyd Wright Ballroom, 2400 E. Missouri Avenue, Phoenix.

Tickets range from $275 to $575.

For more information about the event, call Amanda Lasita at (602) 288-4555 or email her at alasita@flocrit.org.

The money raised will support the organization’s mission and essential programs such as Girls Ranch Group Home, therapeutic group home, transitional living and community-based services. Funds from the event will also support the Girls Leadership Academy of Arizona, a Florence Crittenton Initiative and the state’s first and only single-gender public school. These programs help girls and young women ages 10 to 21 discover their self-worth and empower them to become successful adults in the community. VLM

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

LIFE COACHES HELP CLIENTS LIVE BETTER LIVES

BY JULIA DE SIMONE

GOOD THERAPISTS WILL ADMIT that we all have problems, but the best will arm their clients with the tools to bid “adios” to that freeloader, help us whittle away those pesky pounds and enable us to live the life we deserve.

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37

Heather Sayers Lehman, professional speaker and executive coach, is one of those mentors skilled in assisting people with “all of the above” and more because she’s walked in those same shoes of shame.

“More people have so much shame regarding their choices, that’s why I’m so open about the gigantic failures and choices I’ve made,” Lehman says. “It takes a little courage to confront that shame. They’re not alone.

There’s a way out, and a way to change.”

Although Lehman primarily assists clients virtually via her Phoenix home office, she has 20-plus years’ experience in health and wellness. She offers public speaking and executive coaching, corporate wellness consulting and training as well as group coaching programs. Her clientele consists of mainly women, ages 30 to 50 years old around the Valley and within the United States and Canada.

The no-nonsense therapist says she’s a “master of overcoming obstacles” including leaving behind her childhood home laden with drugs, public assistance and chaos during her high school senior year as well as epic disasters following in her 30s.

“We do attract all sorts of relationships that keep us stuck and hard to change,” she says.

However, when Lehman finally decided she wanted something different, a “hero” was born—herself. Today, the divorced mother of two helps her clients deal with a variety of issues, including emotional eating, by being “honest” with them.

“I know that’s what I needed because I can BS my way out of anything. People like it or don’t, but people do much better when you’re honest. My perception is that I need to be really honest with you to help you,” she says.

During her discussions with clients while working as a corporate coach as well as her own food issues, she discovered emotional eating was a “universal” problem— prompting her to pen an e-course and then her book, “Don’t Eat It: DEAL with It! Your Guide On How to STOP Eating Your Emotions.”

She says by promoting a peaceful relationship with food, clients see results. According to Amazon reviews, readers have referred to the book as a “lifesaver,” enabling them to not only lose weight but focusing on the root cause of emotional eating to stop.

“People are grieving, are sad, are afraid and using food,” she says. “A lot of (people) have lost a lot of weight just by coping; they don’t need Ding Dongs to cope, she says.

Three techniques Lehman promotes in helping clients deal with issues include—journaling, meditation and having a coping tool kit on hand.

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Heather Sayers Lehman, professional speaker and executive coach ...

... SUGGESTS PEOPLE NOT GET FIXATED ON HOW THEY

Meditate BUT JUST FIND WAYS THAT WILL AID THEM IN CALMING THEIR BRAINS.

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Shelia Slomski, certified personal life coach, says “It is a process of examining what is going on right now in your experience...

... DISCOVERING WHAT YOUR BARRIERS OR CHALLENGES MIGHT BE AND CHOOSING A COURSE OF ACTION TO

Make your life BE WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE."

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

The virtual coach and speaker says journaling is crucial because it forces people to take the time to “look at the emotional landscape inside.” Lehman journals five times weekly.

She says initially some people are hesitant to journal, writing about routine tasks such as grocery shopping until realizing they are truly avoiding addressing past issues or fears.

“They clearly don’t get into the matter because they are deeply afraid of something. It’s a huge compass to see what’s going on so they really want to purse deeper healing,” she says.

Lehman, who meditates daily, said this technique is especially helpful to introduce calmness in your day-to-day life. She meditates in the morning for approximately 20 minutes daily by listening to a guided mediation series without “a lot of fuss.”

However, she suggests people not get fixated on how they meditate but just find ways that will aid them in calming their brains.

“I think we get wired-in for different emotions...

Mediation is really helpful so you’re not stuck in that 'my hair is on fire' mode,” she says.

Lastly, Lehman says a “coping tool kit” is especially useful when it comes to overeating. She says a lot of people are dealing with weight issues because they are “emotionally eating” away their problems rather than focusing on why they are eating. The professional speaker and coach teaches them to use different mind and skill sets to deal with these issues.

“If someone finds they are angry every day at the same people, they can develop different mind sets and different skill sets to enrich their lives so they can look outside themselves. I know if I feel anxious, I have A, B and C (in my coping tool kit) to deal with my anxiety,” Lehman says.

Shelia Slomski of Mesa also helps her clients break their barriers to success by changing their outlooks so they, too, can transform their lives.

“You take that person and their story and walk with them to give them techniques to a different place,” Slomski says.

After almost two decades working as an Arizona educator, the veteran teacher decided to take those skills and help in even a greater capacity as a certified personal life coach with her Mesa practice, “Breaking Your Barriers.” In addition to working with private clients and groups within the Valley, Slomski also offers her services via phone and Skype. The

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“I’VE SEEN THEIR LIVES CHANGED. ONCE THEY CAN GET OUT OF THE SITUATION AND MOVE ON ...

I’VE SEEN WHAT I THOUGHT WERE

Miracles"

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

certified personal life coach says her clientele include middle-age to retirees, mainly women.

Recently, however, she’s seen a lot of males dealing with mid-life changes regarding jobs shifts or situations with adult children. Slomski says she’s usually able to equip them with the tools to lead a better life within five weeks.

“What we know is everyone has the same stuff; everyone has issues. There’s no one that doesn’t have issues,” Slomski says. “We can either look at life as a whole, or you can enter into it with, ‘What do you want more in life, and what do you want less of, and that’s powerful.”

One effective way of achieving that is through life coaching.

“Not everyone has to be vivacious, charming and beautiful – that’s OK,” the life coach says.

“We take who you are because everyone has a gift to give, they do. We look at all your gifts.”

According to Slomski, life coaching addresses specific, personal projects – your passions and your life dreams. She helps clients achieve their “dreams or passions” by establishing an alliance to learn more about their goals. She follows with techniques and tools to help clients move toward their goal.

“It is a process of examining what is going on right now in your experience, discovering what your barriers or challenges might be and choosing a course of action to make your life be different — be what you want it to be,” she states on her site. “When we go into [traditional] therapy, we talk and talk and talk. [Here instead] we establish goals and start with one step.”

But sometimes it’s difficult for people to hone in on these gifts and skills, so another technique Slomski might incorporate is “Power to Peace,” a 2-minute meditation technique where breathing and visualization are used to bring stress levels down. She credits Alex Lloyd, who earned doctorates in psychology and naturopathic medicine, with establishing these techniques. According to his site at dralexanderlloyd.com, the root of all of our energy work is activating four healing centers in the body to do something critical—reduce stress in the body.

Slomski says she has clients rate their anxiety on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the greatest followed by the 2-minute meditation technique frequently throughout the day for a week.

“It calms your system down and uses releases to visualize and have a moment of calmness,” she says. “We get into fight or flight system when we panic. When you can calm down get into a rational mindset, it [produces] a peaceful effect.”

Slomski also incorporates Energy Tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) in her practice. She is also a certified EFT practitioner.

EFT is an ongoing tapping process on specific, natural acupuncture points where you tune into your body-mind, speak a truth about how you feel currently and choose how you’d like to actually feel. It was originally used to help victims or violence or in severe car accidents. It is also especially helpful for those needing relief from such ailments as anxiety, stress, pain and suffering or overwhelming feeling as noted on Slomski’s website. Links to short videos of Brad Yates, Master EFT practitioner, are listed on the site.

Free tutorials also can be found at the Official EFT site via founder Garry Craig’s website, emofree.com.

“It goes into the subconscious. Once you neutralize the memory get to that place and remove the blocks, those response systems change,” she says. “I’ve seen their [clients’] lives changed. Once they can get out of the situation and move on with their lives, I’ve seen what I thought were miracles.”

Slomski says although you’re never going to talk people out of their fears, EFT helps remove the blocks so they can be more open.

“In life, you have to handle emotional pain.

You don’t want it to cripple you. It is part of life’s journey,” Slomski says. “If you can learn techniques, then you can move on.”

Costs and time sessions vary for each specialist’s services. For more information on Lehman services at OvercomingU.com and GYSTCoachingcom while Slomski can be reached at breakingyourbarriers.com. VLM

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6 hour drive

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OUR DESTINATION VACATION, NO MORE THAN 6 HOURS FROM THE VALLEY

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER

riding the edge

BRIGHT ANGEL BICYCLES DELIVERS TWOWHEELED FUN AT THE GRAND CANYON

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6 hour drive Grand Canyon river guides Wes Neal and Kyle George had a simple idea: encourage Grand Canyon National Park visitors to spend more time outside of their vehicles by offering bike rentals inside the park. In 2010, they managed to secure access to a 28-square-foot “shack” at the South Rim and together they launched their bike rental business, Bright Angel Bicycles & Mather Point Café.

The timing was perfect for their venture.

In 2008, the Park Service developed miles of pedestrian- and bike-only “greenway” trails along the rim, including three miles of the original wagon road out to the Hermit’s Rest—which today is the western end of the South Rim’s paved road. The park’s development of new rim-side trails means that more of the park than ever is open to biking.

Neal and George rented more than 6,000 bikes out of the shack in their first year of business. In 2012, the partners competed against much larger companies to win a game-changing 10-year Park Service contract. Since this success, they’ve moved from the original shack into a 1,200-square-foot building. Neal and George have also added a coffee shop and café, which serves fresh food from local Flagstaff businesses.

I decided to pay Bright Angel Bicycles a visit on an exceptionally beautiful weekend. When I pulled into the parking lot by the visitor center, I quickly spotted rows of bikes and knew I was in the right place.

My girlfriend and I gave our basic information like height and biking experience before a BAB employee picked out two hybrid bikes for us. A hybrid bike is a mixture between a mountain and road bike. BAB’s bikes have big comfortable seats and let you enjoy the canyon views from a more upright position than other styles. After helping us adjust our helmets to a perfect fit, we were ready to hit the trail.

It was a beautiful day with a few wispy clouds and the perfect temperature as we began our adventure.

We quickly left the crowds at the visitor center behind as we progressed down the greenway. I felt a bit giddy as we peddled along because I love bikes and I love national parks, but this was the first time I’d combined the two. Are we really allowed to ride here like this? Yes. In a short time, we approached the first of many canyon vistas on our ride.

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journey

THE PAVED GREENWAY WINDS ITS WAY CLOSE TO THE RIM FOR MOST OF THE

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6 hour drive

Naturally, the view was stunning, and after taking it in for a moment, we peddled on down the trail.

This is when I began to learn the first rule of biking the Grand Canyon: when you approach people meandering along the rim, ring your bike bell, which all of BAB’s bikes have, early and loud to let them know you are coming. This is smart practice because visitors near the rim of the Grand Canyon are usually in something of a trance. The mile-deep gulf presents the viewer with a wall of silence, shape and color that is so unlike anything encountered in everyday life, it is a bit mesmerizing.

We opted for the 7-mile roundtrip ride out to Yaki Point and back. The paved greenway winds its way close to the rim for most of the journey. Views of the canyon appear frequently, and sometimes the trail is just a few feet from the rim. The ride was mostly flat, with just a few gentle ups and downs.

On bikes we seemed to move from vista to vista in a surprisingly short time. I had only experienced the Grand Canyon pullouts by car, so biking in and out of them and past carbound tourists made us feel as if we had VIP access to the rim. It could have been more my imagination than reality, but as we breezed by people on our comfortable bikes, I often sensed people thinking, “Why didn’t we think of that?”

Our ride out to Yaki Point and back was the perfect adventure for us, but with so many paved trails open to bikes, there are lots of different adventures that can be put together. Neal says that the 5.5-mile section of the greenway trail along the Hermit Road is one of the best rides in the park.

During nonwinter months, Bright Angel Bicycles operates a shuttle service between Hermit’s Rest and Hopi point, so customers can enjoy the downhill ride down to Hermit Rest without having to sweat the uphill. BAB also leads guided bike tours that provide guests with information on the history and geology of various points of interests.

After returning our bikes, we felt like we’d had a full day of adventure at the Grand Canyon, but we decided to make another stop: a window-side table at the El Tovar Hotel cocktail lounge was calling us. VLM

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BRIGHT ANGEL BICYCLES & MATHER POINT CAFE 10 S. Entrance Road Grand Canyon 86023 (928) 638-3055 bikegrandcanyon.com

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Drs. Howie and Joy Brauer

3336 E. Chandler Heights Road, Suite 119 (corner of Chandler Heights Rd. and Higley) Gilbert, AZ

Quality Dentistry with a Compassionate Touch!

Comprehensive Adult and Children’s Dentistry Nitrous Oxide • Oral Conscious Sedation Emergency Treatment • Cosmetic Dentistry

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www.sevillefamilydentistry.com

Mon 7am-4pm | Tues 10am-7pm | Wed 9am-6pm | Thurs 9am-6pm | Friday 8am-5pm Sat 8am-3pm Weekend & Evening Appointments Available!

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

ROOM WITH A‘Vue’ AUGUSTA RANCH’S RESTAURANT RATCHETS UP THE IDEA OF GOLF-CLUB CUISINE

BY KENNETH LAFAVE PHOTOS BY TIM SEALY

ABOVE: Meatball Pasta ($13.99) is simple, flavorful comfort food: Homemade meatballs and cavatappi pasta in a rich marinara, with fresh basil.

The view at Augusta Ranch is all about the golf, but The Vue at Augusta Ranch is all about the food.

“We’re not a golf course restaurant, we’re a restaurant with a golf course next door,” says Chris Field, director of operations for the East Mesa eatery. With general manager Chad Carnahan and head chef Nic Abstender, Field helps make sure The Vue lives up to a growing reputation for cool twists on bar and comfort food.

“The Vue is a new American wine pub, a neighborhood-centric, family-friendly establishment featuring fresh, local, homemade foods with a culinary forward edge,” Field says.

So much for the hot dogs and chips you might expect at the usual ninth-hole snack bar. The ninth hole at the Augusta Ranch Golf Club—rated by The Arizona Republic the state’s No. 1 executive golf course—is a fountain and mini-lake that serve the double purpose of water-trap and eye-pleasing aqua feature. Around the lake, the golfers come and go, in golf carts and on foot, VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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food&wine

FOOD SPOTLIGHT

OPPOSITE: A wine sauce adds dimension to the Moscato Mussels ($14.99), served with pita rolled around melted brie.

LEFT: The VUE appetizer board ($16) is chosen daily by the chef to include a variety of meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables. Ours included truffle-infused gouda, fresh strawberries, caperberries (larger capers) and a Tuscan salami with fennel.

BELOW: The Arizona Smoked Wings ($7.69) come in a range of heat intensity, from mild to "insanity."

while inside The Vue, the focus is on food-as-relaxation.

It’s a place deserving of its name. The exterior is simple and the interior is unassuming. The small dining room and the adjacent bar are orientated to the windows that look out at the course, the golfers practicing their swings, and the golf carts scooting across the green.

Everywhere you look from inside The Vue, you find yourself gazing through a window at, well, the view.

Real estate mogul Kenny Klaus owns The Vue, though he is better known as the owner of The Hub, a sports bar about a mile and a half from Augusta Ranch.

The success of The Hub prompted the administration of Augusta Ranch to ask Klaus for a restaurant to replace the old hot dog stand. With 75 beers and a huge outdoor patio where one could easily imagine spending the whole day, hot dogs are just a distant memory.

Klaus turned the management of The Vue over to Field and Carnahan, who also make things happen over at The Hub. “We’ve run restaurants around the Valley for 15 years,” says Carnahan of his partnership with Field.

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“We’ve been operating for so long we have kids who came in when they were little now coming in to ask for jobs.

“We’re a family place not only in who we serve but who we are as people. Most of our staff has followed us from place to place. One of our former busboys is now a manager.”

The key to The Vue is the local feel.

“It’s a place where you come on a daily basis,” says Field. “It’s less a destination than it is a neighborhood restaurant, with bike paths and walking paths that lead from the houses around us. And the food isn’t fine dining. A lot of what we do is whimsical. It’s fun.”

“Fun” means invention. Take the Cacciatore Bread Bowl, a classic of braised chicken and stewed tomatoes, elaborated by chef Nic with tri-color peppers and served in bread bowl more typically used to cradle things like beef stews.

A number of dishes draw on the fact that the bar is a prominent feature at The Vue. The popular Beer-Steamed Burger is one. An appetizer board is

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food&wine

ABOVE: The bruschetta ($12 for four; mix and match) come in eight varieties. Shown here are the Caprese (fresh mozzarella, roasted tomato, basil, olive oil and sea salt), and Granny's Melted Brie (Granny Smith apple, melted brie and raspberry jam).

an inspired set of variations on the usual items, with truffle-infused gouda and caperberries—large, succulent, fully grown versions of the pickled flower bud we call “capers.” Bruschetta is given a number of twists, including “Piggy,” a combo of sausage and bacon under peppercorn cream sauce.

Prices for most items range from $9 to $30, with the menu constantly in flux.

“We change the food all the time, and the guests have a say in that,” says Carnahan. “They ask for this dish or that, depending on where they’re from. A man from New Jersey suggested a steak sandwich. Someone else from New England asked for clam chowder.”

Your beverage could be anything from a can of Pabst to a shot of 12-year-old Glenlivet. The wine list includes vintages from California, Washington, Chile, Italy, New Zealand and Germany.

“We have as much to do with being a resource for the people in this neighborhood as we do with food and

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drink,” says Field. But the neighborhood vs. destination thing may a moot point.

“We’re getting about 30 percent golfers and 70 percent others. Those others are mostly from the neighborhood, but we’re also getting Chandler, Gilbert, Gold Canyon,” Field adds.

The Vue is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, plus brunch on Sunday. For the wheat-sensitive, there is an extensive gluten-free menu, featuring breads and pastas from Scottsdale’s Gluten-Free Creations. VLM

THE VUE AT AUGUSTA RANCH: 2401 S. Lansing Mesa 85209 (480) 300-5398 vueaz.com.

YOU Gotta

Try:

MAC & CHEESE BITES

BY BREANNE DEMORE

Modern Grove was a concept that developed in Flagstaff and then moved down to the Valley by Miriam Hayenga. Hayenga thought that the concept would be well-received by the bigger population of the greater Phoenix area. The idea was to create a place that would define the heartbeat of the local community and neighborhood. Today there are two locations, one in Phoenix and one in Mesa, and a third will be opening in Gilbert very soon.

According to general manager Sean Crone, “With the utilization of local organic ingredients, along with the option of adding a local craft beer, wine or a full-on cocktail to your meal, Modern Grove is definitely one of a kind in the fast-casual game.”

The whole menu looks impressively delectable with plenty of healthy and decadent items. However, it is the mac and cheese bites that caught

our eye. Mac and cheese balls dipped in panko mix, deep fried and served with a bacon cheese sauce—go ahead. We’ll give you a minute to wipe the drool from your chin.

Crone describes the “amped up” mac and cheese as “a universal favorite that’s been given a makeover and turned into finger food.” Finger food with an amazing dipping sauce, even! VLM

YOU CHEDDAR HURRY: MODERN GROVE MESA 1958 E. Brown Rd., Suite 103 (480) 275-2584 moderngrove.com

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food&wine

EASY RECIPE

Too Easy!

Pizza Rolls These pizza pinwheels are the perfect addition to any meal. When making them, you can keep it simple with just cheese or sprinkle in your favorite pizza toppings!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • 1 can Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust • ½ tsp. garlic salt • 1 tsp. dried basil • 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese • ¼ c. shredded Parmesan cheese • ½ c. sliced pepperoni, chopped • 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Press dough out into a large rectangle.

2. Evenly spread garlic salt, basil, cheeses and pepperoni over the dough.

3. Beginning on a long end, roll the dough up firmly to create a log. Slice it into 1-inch pieces.

4. Set the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes 5. Serve the marinara sauce on the side. *Recipe courtesy of tablespoon.com

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SUPER SIMPLE RECIPES FOR BUSY-BUT-HUNGRY FAMILIES

B VERDE CANYON RAILROAD b

Breathless WE’LL LEAVE YOU

AND YOUR CAMERA FULL

• Rare FP7 engines pulling beautifully-restored cars with panoramic window views of a dramatic river-carved canyon • Red rock canyon beauty beckoning all to an outdoor viewing car – two seats for the price of one • Sipping refreshing margaritas, private-labeled beer or wine – the only stress is which to choose

IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD DAY WHEN YOU’RE ON A TRAIN

Make Reservations Online at VerdeCanyonRR.com

800.456.3117 • 300 NORTH BROADWAY • CLARKDALE, AZ • JUST 20 MINUTES FROM SEDONA

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

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food&wine

IN SEASON CAULIFLOWER

CAULIFLOWER

BY BREANNE DEMORE

One of the several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, cauliflower is related to broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens and kale. Although the vegetable was introduced to Spain from Syria in the 12th century, it is thought that Pliny referred to the plant in his “Natural History” in the second century and is said to have originated in Cyprus.

The Italians introduced cauliflower to the French about the 16th century as cauli (from the Latin “caulis” for cabbage) fiori (Italian for flower) where it was considered a delicacy. The British then introduced the vegetable to India in 1822.

Today cauliflower is pretty commonly found in the grocery store produce aisle. While you might have assumed it was good for you considering its designation as a vegetable, we bet you didn’t know that it has 58 percent of your daily value of vitamin C and only five grams of carbohydrates.

While you can eat cauliflower raw, steamed, microwaved, stir fried or any other one of various methods, we thought we would pick some more creative cauliflower recipes for you to try. It helps that they are pretty simple and easy, too! VLM

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust INGREDIENTS:

½ head cauliflower, coarsely chopped • ½ c. shredded Italian cheese blend • ¼ c. chopped fresh parsley • 1 egg • 1 tsp. chopped garlic • Salt and ground black pepper to taste DIRECTIONS:

1. Place cauliflower pieces through the feeding tube of the food processor using the grating blade; pulse until all the cauliflower is shredded.

2. Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover and steam until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cooled, about 15 minutes. 3. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat. 4. Stir Italian cheese blend, parsley, egg, garlic, salt and pepper into cauliflower until evenly incorporated.

Pour mixture onto the prepared baking sheet; press and shape into a pizza crust. 5. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

< Low

Carb Cauliflower Leek Soup INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. olive oil • 3 tbsp. butter • 3 leeks, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 large head cauliflower, chopped • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 8 c. vegetable broth • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 1 c. heavy cream DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat, and sauté the leeks, cauliflower and garlic for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. 2. Remove the soup from heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or hand mixer. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix in the heavy cream and continue blending until smooth.

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food&wine

RESTAURANT GUIDE

SOCAL FISH TACO COMPANY, the coastal California-inspired food café, has given Gilbert’s Heritage District a surf vibe. From the East Valley family which established Mesa’s Seafood Market three decades ago, SoCal Fish Taco Company is a beachcomber’s take on today’s gastropub, serving premium microbrews and quick, zesty, affordable food in unfussy under-roof and under-the-stars patio settings. Fish tacos, wraps, fresh salads, crab cakes, large shrimp, raw oysters and chowder in a bread bowl: This is food you buy on the beach or from taco stands near the beach in El Segundo, Marina del Rey, Manhattan Beach and Coronado Island. This is food that brings thoughts of the waves, billowing blue sky and feet-in-the-sand summer memories.

219. N. Gilbert Rd., Gilbert (480) 80-SOCAL (76225) www.socalfishtacos.com Mon-Sat: 11am-9pm, Closed Sundays

CALLING ALL BREAKFAST LOVERS! If you haven’t been to the Henhouse Cafe you are truly missing out. You’ll feel right at home with the friendly atmosphere and shabby chic decor. Our food is purchased locally from farm to table, We even make our own sausage in house. It’s high quality comfort food that will delight your taste buds The menu is bursting with egg items from the griddle to chicken and waffles. The homemade sausage and homemade green chile sauce is so delicious!! We don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the Henhouse Cafe menu.

3133 S. Lindsay Rd., Gilbert (480) 899-4214 3244 E Guadalupe Rd., Gilbert (480) 219-7379. www.henhouse-cafe.com Mon-Sun: 6:30am-2:00pm

THE LIVING ROOM WINE CAFÉ AND LOUNGE has been drawing crowds since their openings in Chandler’s Downtown Ocotillo, and in Scottsdale at Market Street at DC Ranch. The locally owned group is expanding into Tucson and set to open their innovative wine concept in beautiful La Encantada shopping center, mid-October. The Living Room is all about hospitality and staying true to their mantra of love, laugh and lounge. All ages are welcome. The Living Room is truly the modern day version of the Irish Pub and neighborhood uncrushed hangout; Its a chill lounge. Delicious sharable food, 25 wines and sangrias by the glass, a handpicked list of wines by the bottle, beers and spirits. Fall weekend brunch. Sit in soft seating areas or on one of the cozy patios.

Open daily at 11 am 2475 W. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler (480) 855-2848. www.livingroomwinebar.com

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ROCK LOBSTER IS THE SUSHI ROOM reinvented. Promising fun, energy and the authentic creativity of Teppanyaki. Rock Lobster has 25 menu items and all of The Sushi Room favorites. A huge Sake line-up, Asian beers and spirits add to any occasion.

The Teppanyaki room is perfect for special events and celebrations. This is Downtown Ocotillo’s place to party, an exciting night out and affordable for families. Happy hour daily. Reservations are suggested for the Teppanyaki tables.

2475 W. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler (480) 821-9000. www.rocklobsterrocks.com

AN UPSCALE CASUAL RESTAURANT bringing authentic Creole Cajun Cuisines to the east valley. Featuring made-from-scratch dishes straight from the chef’s grandmothers’ kitchen in Louisiana. Offering many staples such as Gumbo, Étouffée, Po Boy’s and red beans and rice made with homemade Andouille sausage. Not to mention the hearty Bayou Bucket full of fresh crawfish and shrimp all flown in from Louisiana’s Gulf Coast and full of flavor.

Celebrating Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras starting 2/9/15 5070 S. Gilbert Road #400, Chandler (480) 895-1655 www.creolecajunbistro.com Tuesday-Saturday 11am - 10pm Sunday 11am - 7pm Closed Mondays

CHoP CHANDLER is Chandler’s first locally owned steakhouse and grill. Featuring steak, seafood and the new burger bar menu.

Simply prepared seasonal fish and nightly specials are cooked to perfection on the seven-foot mesquite hardwood grill. Salads, fresh vegetables, desserts, vegetarian and lighter fare options also grace the menu. The energetic social atmosphere is amplified around the U-shaped bar. The intimate interior is filled with amber lighting, wood finishes and plush chocolate leather booths.

Enjoy an extensive wine list, beers and spirits.

Happy hour 4 to 6 pm. ChoP’s private dining area will accommodate parties of 50, is equipped and perfect for business meetings.

Open daily at 4 pm 2625 W. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler (480) 821-0009. www.chopchandler.com

CE L ST. PATREBRATE ICK WITH US’S DAY !

4341 E Baseline Rd. • Gilbert

(480) 539-2988

www.geckogrillaz.com

BREAKFAST SPECIAL

Buy one meal and get one meal 50% off* *Second meal must be of equal or lesser value. Valid Mon.-Fri. 8am-11am.

Not valid with other offers. Expires 3/31/2016 VLM

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datebook Roots N’ Boots Queen Creek FRIDAY, MARCH 11, THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 13

Presented by Banner Ironwood Medical Center, this exciting spring rodeo celebrates Queen Creek’s history with a myriad of events including bull riding and roping. There is also a carnival that includes many community competitions for attendees to participate in. Other events include mounted shooting, pig chase and, of course, the rodeo dance.Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre, 20464 E. Riggs Rd., Queen Creek, rootsnboots.org

GREAT DATES Devour Phoenix Palette to Palate THURSDAY, MARCH 3

Top chefs are paired with painters to interpret each other’s masterpieces in an exceptional show. The prestigious event will be held on the sixth-floor balcony of the Renaissance Hotel downtown. Arizona wines will be served with delicious dishes. New works of art will be created by local artists exclusively for this event.

Renaissance Hotel, 50 E. Adams St., Phoenix, (602) 3330000, devouredphoenix.com

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” TUESDAY, MARCH 15, THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 20

The 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” tells the tale of Monty Navarro, heir to a handsome family fortune. To secure his fortune, he takes drastic measures to remove the successors standing in his way. During his scheme, Monty has to fend off his mistress and his fiancée while making sure he doesn’t go to jail.

ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., (480) 695-3434, asugammage.com

McDowell Mountain Music Festival FRIDAY, MARCH 11, THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 13

Celebrating its 13th year, the McDowell Mountain Music Festival has a full lineup of artists from around the world. Acts like Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Animal Collective and Bloc Party are scheduled to make appearances as well as popular Arizona bands like The Senators and Fairy Bones. All proceeds from the festival benefit two local charities, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation and UMOM New Day Centers. Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third St., Phoenix, (602) 343-0453, mmmf.com

NASCAR Good Sam Race Weekend FRIDAY, MARCH 11, THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 13

Join in the excitement of NASCAR’s first short-track race of the season. Held annually at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, the Sprint Cup Series Race is not one to miss. On Saturday, new NASCAR drivers compete with the veterans in the Axalta Faster. Tougher. Brighter. 200 Race. Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), 7602 S. Avondale Blvd., Avondale. (866) 408-7223

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“Ragtime: The Musical” FRIDAY, MARCH 18, THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 20

At the beginning of the 20th century, a Jewish immigrant, wealthy woman and Harlem musician meet in New York. In the city that never sleeps, three unlikely friends team up to celebrate and create a better future. Dubbed an American classic, this 13-time Tony Award nominated musical is a must see. Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix, (602) 262-7272, theaterleague.com

Arizona Scottish Gathering and Highland Games

Great American Barbeque and Beer Festival

SATURDAY, MARCH 19, THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 20

SATURDAY, MARCH 19

Regardless of their heritage, everyone is welcome to come out and join in traditional Scottish events at this year’s Highland Games. Celtic singers, fiddlers and Highland Country Dances are set to perform throughout the entire event. This year the Highland Games will be hosting the 20th anniversary World Championships of Scottish Athletics. Up to 15 world-class women throwers from around the world will compete. For amateur competitors, there are 11 classes in which to compete. Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, (480) 788-6694, arizonascots.com

More than 60 pit masters from across the country are teaming up to create the ultimate barbecue event. Sample a variety of brisket, pork, ribs and chicken and wash it down with craft beer from SanTan Brewing Company. A new eating competition zone has been added for barbecue fanatics to participate in.

Granger Smith will be performing at the festival with supporting acts Zack Deputy, Ben Miller Band and Georgia Chrome. Dr. AJ Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Pl., Chandler, (602) 276-2499, chandlerbbq.com

Haru in the Garden: A Festival Welcoming Spring SATURDAY, MARCH 19

To celebrate spring, the Japanese Friendship Garden will be opening its doors for an evening of tea and traditions. Visitors can experience a classic Japanese tea service while viewing elegant kimono displays.

Beer, sake and Asian food will also be served. Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix, 1125 N. Third Ave., Phoenix, (602) 274-8700, japanesefriendshipgarden.org

Chris Botti with the Phoenix Symphony SATURDAY, MARCH 26

Chris Botti brings his Grammy Awardwinning trumpet playing to Ikeda Theater at the Mesa Arts Center. Combined with the Phoenix Symphony, this event is sure to be a pleasure to any jazz enthusiasts. Ikeda Theatre at Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa, (602) 495-1999

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last word

FINAL THOUGHTS

FROM SISTER TO MOTHER

BY BREANNE DEMORE

There are few things odder than witnessing your sibling becoming a parent.

Sure, watching a sibling get married is weird. Getting to know their new spouse and their family is always interesting. Maybe even watching your friends have kids is pretty odd.

However, in my opinion, watching three of my sisters become parents over the course of the last seven years has been one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen.

As the youngest of five girls, I’ve had the pleasure of being in the audience as my sisters have chosen four completely different, yet all amazing, life paths. While significant moments in their lives will always stand out to me, I don’t think I will ever forget when any of them have told me they are pregnant—all seven times that has happened.

The first one was a mass text message: “Due Halloween.”

For some reason, my initial thought was that her dog was having puppies because she had just gotten married only about two months prior. However, since her dog is male, I crossed that out as a possibility pretty quickly. I was going to be an aunt and my sister was going to be a mother.

For some reason, I don’t remember her pregnancy bothering me much. Other than watching an elbow or knee roll from one side of her stomach to the other, the pregnancy part doesn’t stand out to me so much.

The birthing process definitely did, but we’ll just leave that out.

I do remember going over to their house a few weeks after my oldest nephew was born and walking in to see my sister look exhausted. Yet, she was looking at this little bundle that had let her get approximately 10 hours of sleep in the last two weeks with this unconditional love and sheer happiness.

Then, about three years later, I got to watch another sister become a mother to twin boys. The word “exhausted” only scratches the surface but unconditional, endless love and a tremendous amount of patience once again shined through yet another one of my sisters.

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VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | MARCH 2016

As of right now, a third sister is 27 weeks pregnant and I know that yet again, I’ll be thrown for a loop when I see her lay eyes on her son.

Don’t get me wrong, my sisters are truly incredible mothers and I love my nieces and nephews more than I ever thought possible. It’s just that these are the girls that called me “loser” and teased me about my crush when I was 4. These are the girls that would argue with my parents about whether or not it was OK for their “midriff” to show in a tank top. These are the girls that I watched beg my parents for a later curfew. Now, they are the ones making the rules.

Now, they definitely still call me “loser” on occasion and absolutely still tease me, but watching them become the most important person to one (or three) other human beings has given me a whole new respect for them.

Being in the audience for my sisters’ lives has taught me many things, but being able to watch them become such incredibly selfless and loving mothers might be the biggest lesson of all. VLM