More and more valley residents are realizing it’s time to stay put in their homes due to the current market conditions in real estate. We call this group, the “stay-at-homers.” Many are realizing now is not the time to move unless absolutely necessary. As the result, folks are looking for ways to beautify their homes without breaking the bank.

Have you ever stopped to think about the dollars you can save by turning to your local merchant for your furnishings and home services? Ikea and Ashley Home Furniture are terrific stores with phenomenal products, but have you ever considered what it means to our state when you buy from a locally-owned business? Not only can you save money by supporting your local merchants, but you are also supporting the state programs and services funded by the dollars generated by your purchases. “When you shop at a locally owned business, 45 cents of every dollar stays in Arizona — versus only 13 cents of every dollar spent at a national chain,” says Local First-Arizona, a nonprofit organization working to strengthen communities and local economies.

A new way for valley residents to find the perfect match to local home décor hidden gems (unique home décor stores and experienced home service professionals) is through a new online, free, real time, matching application for consumers provided by iSearchDecor. iSearchDecor is a locally based company that, at no charge, provides an easy way for consumers to venture out of their immediate vicinity and find local hidden gems that one may have never found on their own. Many people tend to go to the same places over and over again, or aimlessly drive around not knowing where to go. With iSearchDecor, instantaneously, consumers can receive targeted information on where to go for exactly what they need in home decor. A map is even provided for quick reference.

Look to a local merchant first for all of your home décor and home service needs. By supporting them, you are also supporting your community and your state.

iSearchdécor is the Nation’s premier, no charge, on line, real time, matching application for consumers who seek the perfect match to local home décor hidden gems (unique home décor stores and experienced home service professionals). To learn more about the program, to find hidden gem stores and service professionals, and to receive exclusive insider savings on purchases, visit: www.iSearchDecor.com and include SanTan210 in the “How Did You Hear About Us” field.

Alicia Guerrieri is founder of iSearchDecor.com.

Written by Alicia Guerrieri

With 360 days of sun each year, Arizona is one of the most popular outdoor states in the country. However, there’s a hidden danger, and many families aren’t aware of the full extent of this threat to themselves or their children.

Did you know that as little as 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure can result in lifelong damage to skin? Tanning booths, once thought to be a safe, cause irreversible skin damage that can be especially lethal to teens whose skin is more easily damaged.

Skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer nationally, with more than 1 million cases reported annually. Although it’s perceived as being less dangerous than other cancers, it claims a life every minute. On the positive side, skin cancer is preventable with proper protection that starts early and continues for life.

Most skin cancers are rooted in a lack of protection that occurs during childhood. Over the years, damage compounds and the skin’s ability to repair itself breaks down, leaving a person vulnerable to basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and the most deadly, melanoma.  It is very important to note that only one sunburn could lead to cancer.

At Deseret Aesthetic & Lifestyle Institute, we provide free skin assessments using state-of-the-art imaging equipment that painlessly lets us peak under the skin’s surface.  By snapping a picture with our Beau Visage equipment, we see damage to blood vessels, melanin, and any potentially dangerous conditions– all before they are visible to the eye.  With intervention and care, most skin damage can be reversed; even damage that occurred years ago.

To keep safe, use only sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 or greater that offers both UVA and UVB protection. Deseret Aesthetic can help you the select highly effective sun care products that won’t cause breakouts, a concern for acne-prone teens, who often avoid sunscreen for this very reason.

You can minimize your risk of skin damage and skin cancer by seeking shade under an umbrella, tree, or other shelter before you need relief from the sun. To be safe outside, always wear daily sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. Your best bet is to protect your skin anytime you’re outside—even when you’re in the shade.

Dr. Gregory Allen, M.D. is the founder of The Shun the Sun Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and fighting skin cancer. As a practicing physician, Dr. Allen is alarmed at the startling rise in skin cancer cases, especially among young people.  A volunteer lecturer at local schools and churches, he sees a widespread lack of awareness regarding the dangers of being out in the sun unprotected.  Arizona has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the nation. He is the medical director of Deseret Aesthetic & Lifestyle Institute, located at 1425 South Greenfield Road, Suite 102, Mesa, Arizona 85206, (480) 832-7546, www.deseretskin.com.  The clinic, which specializes in wellness and anti-aging treatments, offers free cancer screenings and skincare evaluations.

Written by Dr. Gregory S. Allen, M.D.

Three Valentine’s Spots to Set Your Heart On

The East Valley may not be the heart of the culinary world, just yet, but if you want to spend some special moments with your heart’s desire this Valentine’s Day, here are three local places that combine warmth, good food and an excellent selection of wines.

Cork, 4991 South Alma School Road, Suite 1, in Chandler offers an eclectic menu, explains owner/general manager and sommelier, Robert Morris. “Our menu changes frequently, and we specialize in a multi-course style of dining, with two to three courses the norm,” Morris says. Cork has a small bar/café area for intimate rendezvous. The restaurant’s wine list, with more than 400 selections, has obtained a Wine Spectator

“Award of Excellence,” Morris notes.

Another stop in Chandler is D’vine Wine Bar & Bistro, 3990 South Alma School Road. Owner Mark Nowicki also has a location, the original, in the Las Sendas community of northeast Mesa. The Chandler restaurant opened June 1, 2007.

“D’vine is a comfortable location to unwind, listen to live entertainment and indulge in a chef-driven menu,” says Nowicki, adding that live entertainment is scheduled the evening of Valentine’s Day.

You can also enjoy the D’vine experience at the bar. “Our award-winning wine list is extensive yet approachable,” he says. “Servers are well trained in selecting the optimal wine to complement the guest’s tastes

and/or food choice.” David Newton is the sommelier in charge of the D’vine wine program, assisted by Josh Ronding in Chandler.

The restaurant offers 200 different labels focusing mostly on New World wines — U.S. (in particular, Napa) South America, Australia — with a few Old World French and Italian wines as well.

In Gilbert, consider Vine Expressions Wine Bar, 1030 South Gilbert Road, Suite 103, in Gilbert Town Square. Gilbert residents Darlene and husband Davin Smolnisky opened the town’s first wine bar three years ago.

This year for Valentine’s Day, Vine Expressions is holding an afternoon wine tasting, 2–4 p.m. for couples to enjoy before dining at one of the East Valley’s fine restaurants.

The wine bar offers several hundred different wines from around the world, with more than 30 options by the glass. The glass menu changes every three months to give customers new wine options. Vine Expressions will also special order wines not in the store.

With their wine, customers enjoy appetizers, panini’s, salads and desserts. Wine tastings are every Wednesday, 6 to 8 p.m., and live music is scheduled every Saturday night, 8 to 11p.m.

For Valentine’s Day and any day, Vine Expressions offers camaraderie and good wine. “I love looking throughout the bar at night and knowing almost everyone’s name and how they found me. There is great sense of community among our customers,” she says. “You may walk in alone and not knowing anything about wine, but you walk out with a new favorite wine and having met new friends, telling them you will see them again next week. I can’t imagine it any other way.”

Written by David M. Brown

Season’s harvest can create a rustic centerpiece

The holidays offer so many opportunities to showcase the bounties of the season. Take advantage of fall’s colorful gourds and hearty plants to create a centerpiece that celebrates the holiday’s humble beginnings.

Three small cabbage plants can be rooted in a white pumpkin and accented by beaded pins and delicate white blossoms. Smaller gourds surround the arrangement; some have been hollowed out and used as candle votives. Suit your centerpiece to your personal style by playing with different shapes and colors, or swapping seasonal plants for autumnal blooms. Step-by-step, Cyndie Turtoro of Design in Decor (www.designindecor.com) shows you how.

Carve a large opening around the stem of your pumpkin, leaving plenty of room for your arrangement. Remove the stem cap, and use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp. If using seasonal plants, remove them from their containers and pour any loose soil into the gourd. Extra potting soil may be needed to keep plants in place. If using fresh flowers, line the gourd with plastic wrap, insert floral foam, and add ice water for extra longevity.

Insert plants or flowers and arrange as desired. Tip: Ornamental cabbage, as pictured in this article, is part of the Brassica family, which also includes mustard greens and kale. Brassica plants come in a variety of colors, from deep purple to white, and will keep for long periods of time.

Accent your centerpiece with ornamental pins or beads, rhinestones—anything you wish.

To create candle votives, cut off the bottom of the gourd first, so it will lay flat. Carve out the top, and use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Tip: Artichokes also make fun, festive votives. Remember to trim the sharp points off of the leaves!

A centerpiece using seasonal plants can be made several days before your event. Turtoro recommends putting arrangements outside at night for longer lasting freshness. Fresh flower arrangements can be made one day before, taking care not to bruise lighter colored blooms.

Lori Archibald is executive editor of LetsPartyMagazine.com. Visit the website for party-planning ideas, how-to articles, recipes, theme parties, DIY décor and more.

Written by Lori Archibald

Photography by Xaris Studio

Clark Kent used to wear glasses to hide his identity as Superman. In these days, the right eyewear can turn you into Superman … or Superwoman as the case may be.

Community Magazines went to Premier Eyecare of Arizona to get the right frames to enhance any face. S.I.M. Fashion/Film Agency of Gilbert provided the models and photographer Bridgette Marie put it all together.

Premier Eyecare is located at 3271 East Queen Creek Road, Suite 107 in Gilbert. Call (480) 892-3937 or visit it on the Web at www.premiereyecareaz.com.

Photography by Bridgette Marie (www.bridgettemarie.com)

Models Zandrea and Laura provided by S.I.M. Fashion/Film Agency Eyewear provided by Premier Eyecare of Arizona

“The Positive Place for Kids” in the East Valley is about to become a whole lot more positive.

In September, the Boys & Girls Club Compadre Branch in downtown Chandler opens the doors to its brand new home where more than 2,000 kids a year will feel safe to learn, grow and have fun. In describing the condition of its site since 1983, Branch Executive Mindy Elias says, “Oh goodness, it’s old and not fitting the kids we’re serving now.”

Thanks to Mayor Boyd Dunn keeping a promise, city council and the voters supporting it, the new 33,000-square-foot facility has been good news from the start. Everything worth saving from the old building was donated to other local nonprofits. The new structure was completed for a cost of $7 million, about $1.4 million less than the approved bonds.

Beyond saving greenbacks, the new Boys & Girls Club is a Leed-certified building with the highest environmental standards. The kids really learned about the environment throughout the construction, even doing walk-throughs every Thursday with the Chase Building Team. There’s been no vandalism, nothing stolen, total protection from the community, making it one of the easiest builds Chandler has ever seen.

Inside the new facility, everything will be new. Thanks to Intel generosity, this site will host the world’s largest Intel Computer Clubhouse with 45 computers for the kids. The Wellcare Foundation is providing a doctor’s office and a dentist’s office where kids will receive free care.

It’s got a soundproof music studio, a video production studio, a gymnasium, meeting rooms which other nonprofits will share, and a full-service kitchen where in addition to feeding  young hearts and minds, the Boys & Girls Club will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for those who otherwise might go hungry.

Outside, the old structure was demolished to make way for the new parking lot. Outside is where the public can help, too. The club is looking for donors at www.clubzona.org who want their name on one of 1,800 bricks paving the front entrance. This money goes directly into programs for the kids paying for everything from food in their tummies to crayons in their little hands.

That Chandler has so championed this cause is pleasantly mind-boggling to Mindy Elias.  At age 5, she began in the Boys & Girls Club in Tempe, got her first job there, and has been the Queen Caretaker of the Compadre Branch kids for 10 years. “I have the best job in the world, and to be so supported by the city and the voters it’s just been amazing.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley’s annual membership fee is only $20. No one is ever turned away if they are unable to pay the fee, making it the ultimate No Child Left Behind program.

“The Positive Place for Kids” in the East Valley is about to become a whole lot more positive.

In September, the Boys & Girls Club Compadre Branch in downtown Chandler opens the doors to its brand new home where more than 2,000 kids a year will feel safe to learn, grow and have fun. In describing the condition of its site since 1983, Branch Executive Mindy Elias says, “Oh goodness, it’s old and not fitting the kids we’re serving now.”

Thanks to Mayor Boyd Dunn keeping a promise, city council and the voters supporting it, the new 33,000-square-foot facility has been good news from the start. Everything worth saving from the old building was donated to other local nonprofits. The new structure was completed for a cost of $7 million, about $1.4 million less than the approved bonds.

Beyond saving greenbacks, the new Boys & Girls Club is a Leed-certified building with the highest environmental standards. The kids really learned about the environment throughout the construction, even doing walk-throughs every Thursday with the Chase Building Team. There’s been no vandalism, nothing stolen, total protection from the community, making it one of the easiest builds Chandler has ever seen.

Inside the new facility, everything will be new. Thanks to Intel generosity, this site will host the world’s largest Intel Computer Clubhouse with 45 computers for the kids. The Wellcare Foundation is providing a doctor’s office and a dentist’s office where kids will receive free care.

It’s got a soundproof music studio, a video production studio, a gymnasium, meeting rooms which other nonprofits will share, and a full-service kitchen where in addition to feeding  young hearts and minds, the Boys & Girls Club will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for those who otherwise might go hungry.

Outside, the old structure was demolished to make way for the new parking lot. Outside is where the public can help, too. The club is looking for donors at www.clubzona.org who want their name on one of 1,800 bricks paving the front entrance. This money goes directly into programs for the kids paying for everything from food in their tummies to crayons in their little hands.

That Chandler has so championed this cause is pleasantly mind-boggling to Mindy Elias.  At age 5, she began in the Boys & Girls Club in Tempe, got her first job there, and has been the Queen Caretaker of the Compadre Branch kids for 10 years. “I have the best job in the world, and to be so supported by the city and the voters it’s just been amazing.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley’s annual membership fee is only $20. No one is ever turned away if they are unable to pay the fee, making it the ultimate No Child Left Behind program.

Written by Thomas Baldrick

A quick drive north is all it takes to cool down.

Fortunately, getting away in Arizona is as easy as getting into your car. Let’s start our three-night summer getaway from the Valley heat with a ride to Sedona — where the world-famous red rocks change color with the hours, Oak Creek Canyon offers soothing green riparian sites and, some say, spiritual vortexes provide energy and renewal.

“Sedona is the ideal place for Valley residents to escape to in the summer; no other drive in the world produces such a dramatic change of scenery in only two hours,” says Mark Grenoble, president of Scottsdale-based Enchantment Group, owners and managers of Enchantment Resort and Mii amo. “Whether your Sedona adventure takes you on an aerial tour to the Grand Canyon or a relaxing getaway at an award-winning spa like Mii amo, Sedona proves to be the perfect setting for locals to enjoy cooler weather, in a stunning natural setting.”

Opened 22 years ago, the 70-acre Enchantment Resort and Mii amo spa border the Coconino National Forest at 4,600 feet in Boynton Canyon — spectacular even for Sedona. 

The 220 Southwest-style rooms are variously configured; all have high-speed Internet, mini- bars, coffee makers and other items. Some feature gas grills, kitchens, microwaves and indoor/outdoor dining areas. The clubhouse contains two restaurants: the Four Diamond Yavapai Restaurant, with breakfast, lunch and dinner and a jazz brunch Sundays, and the Southwestern Tii Gavo for lunch and dinner.

Cooler still than Sedona is 7,000-foot-high Flagstaff; take the switchback road up Oak Creek Canyon, one of the state’s great scenic highways. Book a night at Laurel and Richard Dunn’s four-bedroom England House, 614 West Santa Fe Avenue. 

Bed and breakfasts offer more than any other accommodations; they exude the charm of home life and provide a real sense of the town, village or city you’re staying in. One caveat, though: Small children may not like B&B’s as much because of the lack of resort-style activities on site. B&B’s are particularly good for adult getaways.

Barbara Michelbach-England and William England, a master stone-cutter, built the two-story Coconino and Moenkopi stone house circa 1902. Features include Sear and Roebuck pressed-tin ceilings, different room to room; the Dunns even have a 1902 Sears catalog for you to check that detail.

Upstairs, the rooms are Song Catcher, Star Gazer and Stone Cutter; downstairs, the Pantry room. The sitting room attached to Stone Cutter views the San Francisco Peaks (“best seat in the house,” notes Laurel) and features a trundle bed in an alcove, separated by red velvety curtains. “The room is like a little apartment — a true romantic hideaway,” she says. “We have return guests who spent their entire honeymoon up there, who come back every year.”

Celebrating a birthday, anniversary or wedding? The Dunns will put candles on your table. If asked, they can arrange for special-occasion flowers, although all rooms always have seasonal varieties.

For dinner, enjoy any of a number of fine local restaurants, including Brix, Cottage Place, Josephine’s, Pasto, Pesto Brothers, Swaddee Thai, Mart-Anne’s, Beaver Street Brewery, Mountain Oasis, Karma and the Wine Loft and Cuvee 928.

During the summer on Wednesday evenings, the city of Flagstaff hosts concerts in Wheeler Park. And, downtown in Heritage Square, there are dance lessons. On Thursdays, also on the Square, 

the city sponsors live music. On Friday evenings, live entertainment precedes “Movies on the Square” — “quite fun,” Laurel reports.

“What’s most important to us: that our guests have a wonderful and memorable time,” she says. Trust me: Trust her.

Another two hours south and east is Greer, not only one of the most beautiful areas in the White Mountains but one of the most beautiful places anywhere. At 8,600 feet, you are far away from the desert heat and close to the stars. Nights, and days, are magical here. Daytime summer temperatures: an average 74 degrees.

Probably the most famous place to stay here is the Molly Butler Lodge, which turns 100 next year. Overlooking the Greer Valley and Little Colorado River, Molly’s has hosted Teddy Roosevelt (he came here to hunt); John Wayne (he had an area ranch); and writer Zane Grey. Herbert Hoover stayed here, too.

These giants roomed at the historic Longhouse, now under renovation. The new structure will have four ultra-luxury rooms: the Herbert Hoover Suite, Zane Grey Suite, John Wayne Suite and Molly Butler Suite. The Duke’s suite features burlap wall coverings, twig hardware, lantern-style light fixtures and fabrics including denim, leather, woven leather and cow hide. More romantic, Molly’s suite has crystal doorknobs, reclaimed wood floors, a slipper-style bathtub and fabrics such as paisleys. 

Molly Butler Lodge is just 12 miles from the Sunrise Ski Area, if you’re planning ahead for the winter. Other area activities include hiking and fishing (630 miles of trout streams are nearby), archeological digs, stargazing, and wildlife watching, including elk, deer, antelope, bald eagles, golden eagles and fox.

The food is also highly regarded — “1 of the Top 25” Restaurants in Arizona for 2009 by Arizona Highways magazine, notes Scott Pace, one of the lodge’s owners. His partners are Allan Johnson and Jeff Safer. 

Written by David M. Brown

Have your mom, or mom-to-be, massaged on Mother’s Day.

Chandler’s spas can pamper your family’s best lady with a variety of specialty massages and even treatments specially created for her day, May 10.

Aji at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, offers the expectant mother the Je’ved Ge’e (Mother Earth) package — a custom maternity massage followed by a facial and pedicure. For moms who are not pregnant, Aji offers its Honey Agave Body Scrub.

At the Chandler Fashion Center, the Madison Avenue Salon & Day Spa offers the popular Swedish Massage, which will help reduce stress and soothe her. Remember when you didn’t get home one date night until 2 a.m.? She had to pacify your dad first, then deal with her anxiety: You owe her.

Madison Avenue debuted seven years ago at Chandler Fashion Center. Owners Sean and Deborah Larusso opened an Ahwatukee location in April 1998. Here, mom may also enjoy other treatments, including facials, waxing, peels, manicures, pedicures as well as acrylic and gel nails.

“We offer several different packages where treatments are combined in order to allow our guests to achieve serenity and balance in just a few hours,” says Sean, who adds that a dermatologist also offers injectible treatments such as Botox.

On the 372,000-acre Gila Indian Reservation, the 17,500 square feet Aji Spa comprises 17 treatment rooms, a salon, fitness center, a traditional Native American roundhouse for meditation and a watsu pool, explains Assistant Spa Director Heather Michaels. 

“Aji” is a Native American word for “sanctuary” and is Arizona’s only Native American spa and one of only seven spas in the state to earn the Mobil Four-Star Award. The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa is owned by the community and managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. 

As part of its Mother’s Day treatments, available throughout May, mom has full use of the spa facilities, including the Aji Café. In addition, mothers-to-be receive an infant massage book as a parting gift. 

The community is home to the Akimel O’otham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) tribes; as with all other aspects of the resort, authenticity of the experience will increase mom’s enjoyment. “Aji offers the only truly authentic Native American spa menu in existence,” Heather notes, adding that the spa services have been developed from ancient rituals, including custom-combinations of natural herbs and local ingredients, such as white clay, Shegoi (creosote) and river rocks from the Gila River.

The cultures are showcased throughout the spa in its design elements, artwork, architecture and shared legends. The river, so central to the community’s history, flows just outside. “With the spa pool, five whirlpools and watsu pool, the Gila River reaffirms that water is the source of nourishment, renewal and life itself,” says Stephanie Heckathorne, director of public relations for the resort.

Just like mom. 

Written by David M. Brown

Ethier at home in the Cactus League. Twist and turn Andre Ethier’s life in any direction you please and even the most ardent of pessimists will have to admit the Los Angeles Dodgers’ right fielder is living a charmed life.

The 26-year-old Chandler 

resident is making his first prolonged Cactus League appearance this spring after the Dodgers set up shop in their new Glendale home.

The team’s move to the Valley after a six-decade spring romance with Vero Beach, Florida, will give Ethier a chance to sleep in his own bed every night. A nice perk when you consider he and wife Maggie are new parents. She gave birth to their son Dreson in September. 

Maggie grew up in Mesa and was a two-time All-American gymnast at Arizona State University where she’s an assistant coach with the women’s team. They both still have plenty of family in the Valley to lend a helping hand with the babysitting chores.

Talk about living under a lucky star.

He’s even getting a chance to share thoughts about his favorite local Mexican restaurants with fans on his food blog “Dining with ’Dre.”

Interestingly, the Valley native’s big break started in uncertainty. The St. Mary’s High grad signed with Arizona State in 2000, but was considered a little too green for Division I play.

ASU head coach Pat Murphy suggested he get some seasoning under the tutelage of Doyle Wilson at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. 

“Andre took it as motivation and became a terrific player for us,” Murphy said at the time.

Ethier returned to ASU his sophomore season and ended up being a two-time Pac-10 All-Star before signing with the Oakland A’s as a second-round draft pick in 2003.

Ethier was traded to the Dodgers in 2005 and made his Major League debut on May 2, 2006, at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had a walk and a double in that game.

“It’s still my biggest thrill,” Ethier says.

Ethier was expected to be a reserve outfielder in 2008, but ended up having a breakout year instead. He finished among the Top 10 National League batters with a .305 average, hit 20 home runs and had 77 RBIs.

Ethier spent the first part of the season as the starting left fielder before moving to his natural position in right when L.A. acquired Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox before the trading deadline.

The Dodgers went on a tear down the stretch to edge the D-backs for the Western Division crown. They topped the favored Chicago Cubs in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series.

This season, Ethier figures to be a fixture in right for a team that will have a nucleus of young, talented everyday players. 

In a career that has already had more than its share of glimmering moments, Ethier’s future looks brighter than ever. 

Written by Jim Walters

Photography by Amber Matsumoto/LA Dodgers