Celebrate National Cash Mob Day at the Dollhouse & Toy Store

Posted on March 23, 2012 by admin

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Small Business Saturday for One Local Family

Posted on November 25, 2011 by admin

If you’ve been watching any TV over the last few weeks, you’ve most likely been hit with the barrage of American Express commercials about Small Business Saturday. We were certainly inspired by last year’s event when we developed the idea of One Local Family, and we’re excited that the topic of shopping local seems to have become something far more prevalent this year.

In fact, President Obama issued a statement about the day. Here it is:

“From the mom-and-pop storefront shops that anchor Main Street to the high-tech startups that keep America on the cutting edge, small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the cornerstones of our Nation’s promise.  These businesses create two out of every three new jobs in America, helping spur economic development in communities across our country and giving millions of families and individuals the opportunity to achieve the American dream.  Through events such as Small Business Saturday, we keep our local economies strong and help maintain an American economy that can compete and win in the 21st century.”

All we can say, is a big “YEAH!”

I think the message of buying from small business is starting to sink in. We don’t need to camp out in front of Best Buy or Wal-Mart. There are alternatives to big-box retailers.

We’re excited about where the holiday presents will be coming from this year. We have to put more thought into them than usual. Obviously, we’ll be hitting the Doll House & Toy Store in Scottsdale where we love to shop for the boys. And, I’ve already put in my wish for a new clarinet from a local music store. That’s a size 2 ½ reed, Santa! I also have my eyes on a pair of houndstooth Toms wedges from Frances in Phoenix.

Next week, it’s the 5th birthday party for Judd. Yes, it will be completely local! From where we are having it (Scottsdale Gymnastics) to the cupcakes we’ll be serving.

All for now, but I hope you’ll get out tomorrow, and buy from a local business. What a nice tradition to keep going year after year!

Song of the Day: Holiday

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Hallelujah! A Good Phoenix Restaurant with Good Bread!

Posted on November 20, 2011 by admin

If you’ve read a few of my blog posts, you know that I haven’t always been enamored by the dining options in Arizona. Yes, I’m spoiled when it comes to food! I cook a lot, grew up in one of the great food cities of the world (San Francisco), and expect half-way decent meals when we eat out. Unfortunately, it can be kind of a hit or miss adventure here – even at the locally-owned restaurants.

We’ve certainly had amazingly good food at places like the Turquoise Room at La Posada Hotel in Winslow and Los Dos Molinos here in Phoenix. I like a good burger every once in a while at the Skeptical Chymist or Four Peaks, and never turn down the opportunity to enjoy a BYOB dinner at Giussepe’s on Scottsdale Road/Thunderbird.

But, I unfortunately have far more on my list of where I’ve dined over the last year that I would prefer never to return to. Here are a few of my common frustrations that I have with many of the area restaurants

  1. Crappy bread. This is a problem of epidemic proportions. Bread is too often an afterthought in Arizona with “Wonder Bread” quality slices being served in otherwise decent restaurants.
  2. Ditzy, untrained, inappropriately dressed servers. Another glaring problem that you see over and over here. I think it’s the strategy for many Scottsdale restaurants to find a “hot looking” 18 year old dressed in Spandex to gaze blankly at customers as they enter a restaurant just to prove the point that the place is cool and trendy.
  3. Uninspired desserts. If I had a dollar for every menu that features a chocolate chip cookie skillet thingie or a ghastly cheesecake, I’d be a rich lady. No thanks!
  4. Fruity iced tea. Read this rant on my biggest restaurant pet peeve.
  5. Sliders, Buffalo wings, and chicken fingers (sorry, all kind of gross in my book!)

Much to my delight, I have a new addition to my list of favorite Phoenix restaurants. It’s St. Francis on Camelback and Central. I learned about the restaurant at Local First’s festival last week, and decided to give it a try last night.

It was fantastic! The menu made sense to me. It was small and seasonal with lots of things I like to eat. I ordered mushroom soup which you rarely see on menus anymore and the pot roast. Both were delicious – a perfect fall meal. And, the bread!! I think its MJ bakery’s sourdough! Finally, a restaurant that gets it!  Service was quick, efficient, and there were no Spandex-clad hostesses to be found.

Not surprisingly, the chef Aaron Chamberlin trained in San Francisco and has worked at a couple of culinary standouts in the area La Grande Orange Pizzeria and Chelsea’s Kitchen. We’ll definitely be back, and will bring the boys next time. Apparently, kids eat free! I have a feeling the boys will really like this place.

So, as we approach the end of our year being exclusively local, it appears that there are getting to be more choices for us who don’t like to eat coronary-causing portions of fried food from non-descript chain restaurants. Thanks goodness, and I hope it’s a trend that will continue!

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A Fall Roundup of Local Businesses and One Local Event!

Posted on November 4, 2011 by admin

So, we’ve had family visiting the last two weeks, and I haven’t been as good about blogging. Of course, as a mom, writer, and business owner, time is always short, but it has been particularly busy lately!

Yet, we’ve continued to keep our local promise and wanted to share just a couple of the places we’ve visited recently along with an upcoming local event.

A big thank you to the Mardi Gras Costume Shop in Scottsdale where we were able to score some great Halloween gear for Rex and Judd. Rex found a very odd donkey mask there that he wanted. We jazzed it up by gluing fake hair to it. Of course, he also wanted hair glued to his neck, chest, arms, and legs. So, he became a unique donkey/werewolf boy. Tufts of fur can still be seen in the back seat of the car along with some candy wrappers. Hmmm. Judd, the traditionalist, went as a very cute batman.

We had a very tasty family dinner at Grimaldi’s Pizza at Scottsdale Quarter. A fun place to go, and the boys love the fact that they give kids pizza dough to play with. Of course, our two used their dough to create moustaches and beards for each other – not necessarily to the delight of neighboring tables.

Randy stopped by his favorite place to buy his coffee beans – Passport Coffee & Tea. They supply many of the local restaurants with coffee and tea, but also have a store in the Scottsdale Airpark. I’m not a fan of coffee, but I love their loose leaf tea (especially the iced tea blend) which I actually use for hot tea in the morning. Really good! Their prices are excellent, and they are very friendly. We encourage you to go say Hi to this local business and buy some of their products!

I had a run in with my bad boy cat “The Captain.” He bit me about one o’clock in the morning about a week ago because I had stopped petting him. Yes, even I need to get some sleep. I was so tired that I didn’t get up to clean the “wound.” Lo and behold, I developed a nasty infection on my thumb that quickly spread up my arm. Thankfully, our trusty dermatology practice “North Scottsdale Dermatology” was able to see me right away. Randy dutifully took my antibiotic prescription over to Sun Drugs on Via Linda so that I could get started on my two week regimen of pills. Fortunately, I’m feeling better, and I have a follow up with Dr. Rodriguez today to make sure that I’m well enough to go see Sergio Mendes at Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts on Saturday night. Yes, I love Sergio Mendes and have been collecting his albums since I was a teenager. I can even sing a mean “Mas Que Nada.”

And, finally I’m very excited about working with my friend Mary on Judd’s (and her twins Brynn and Kieran’s) fifth birthday party. We’re doing a combined party at Scottsdale Gymnastics.  Mary and I are both former gymnasts, so it is certainly apropos. Next week, we’re heading over to Simply Sweets to pick out our cake or cupcakes that we’ll be serving. Dana is a very talented local baker who has a wonderful little shop near us. She also sells baking supplies for making your own cakes and cupcakes. If you get a chance, check out her blog that showcases some of her very creative work. She’s actually expanding her store, and will next year have it set up for birthday parties and private events. I think I know where we can hold Judd’s 6th b-day!

So, that’s just a bit of what we’ve been up to lately. Looking forward to our local holidays this year. It’s hard to believe that we’re now in our 11th month of OneLocalFamily. Time flies when you’re having fun!

Oh, and if you’re not busy next Saturday, head over to the Local Fall Festival on November 12 at the Duck & Decanter (1651 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix).  Hosted by Local First Arizona, it’s a great opportunity to have some fun and learn about local businesses.  Wines from AZ, food, entertainment, and stuff for the kids to do, we’re really looking forward to going.  10-4 – See you there!

And, to get into the spirit of Sergio Mendes, one of my favorites: Ye-Me-Le

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Instead of Occupying Wall Street, Try Occupying Your Local Businesses and Banks

Posted on October 17, 2011 by admin

Being from San Francisco, passionate about civil rights, and just a tad more opinionated than most, I appreciate all that the Wall Street protestors are trying to achieve. I’m in agreement about their beefs with banks, monetary policies, and government. I don’t agree that the top 1% of the population should hold so much of the wealth. Yet, I wonder if many of these protestors have ever considered where they shop, eat, and bank. Could they be simultaneously contributing to the problem while also trying to protest against it? Have they ever thought about it?

I ponder what the impact on Wall Street and the top 1% would be if the other 99% decided not to shop at national chain stores that buy their products from China, eat at fast food restaurants that are a primary cause of obesity, and use ATMs at banks that have received bailout money?

Couldn’t one key solution to today’s woes be to simply make a pact like we’ve done with OneLocalFamily? We have spent less money this year, eaten better, and have consumed less. I’m going to a business meeting tomorrow on my bike. I made dinner tonight for my family with food purchased from a store owned and operated in my community. And, we might just go to the library instead of buying a book from an online book retailer that doesn’t feel that they should have to collect taxes when their local competitors have to.

While I was too young to be part of the activism of the 1960s, I do believe that we all have the capability of standing up against things that are not morally correct or socially functional. However, it’s how we go about doing so that really makes the difference.

Sure, I can set up a tent on Wall Street and hope I can be heard. Or, I can put my money where my mouth is and make a difference by writing this blog and hopefully inspiring a few others to join us in buying local.

How I wish a reporter would ask one of these protestors where they bank or shop. The answer would probably be quite surprising and hypocritical. I believe that change starts at home, and that if we all do our part, we’ll begin to see real impact one community at a time.

I hope that others will join us in choosing to spend their dollars locally. Together, we can make a real difference.

Song of the Day: Power to the People

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How a Toy Store Inspired One Local Family

Posted on October 9, 2011 by admin

The temps are finally starting to cool off here in Scottsdale, and it’s amazing how our little city is starting to return to life. More cars, busier restaurants and stores, and just an increasing number of people wherever you go. While I like the hot, stillness of summer in Scottsdale, the place definitely feels more alive when the temps drop below 110 degrees.

I started the weekend with a bike ride. And, then we headed down to Yavapai Park so that Rex and Judd could watch Judd’s preschool teacher (Mr. Eric) play flag football. He’s the quarterback of the team, and kind of a hero to our two boys. Not the typical thing that we do on a Saturday morning, so it was kind of fun.

From there, we headed up to The Doll House & Toy Store in North Scottsdale because we wanted to pick up a gift for our neighbors who recently had a baby girl. I personally know the owners of the toy store, and they’re fantastic and truly dedicated to what they’re doing. It’s amazing to watch how they greet customers by name, offer inspired suggestions, and maintain a level of service that you simply do not see in big box retail stores.

We found the perfect gift that the boys could give the baby – a pink and lavender dump truck! What little girl won’t need a pastel-colored truck for taking to the park and playing in the sand? And, The Doll House wrapped the gift, too! Love it!!

Last November, we were first motivated to create One Local Family because our favorite local restaurant had gone out of business. But, there was also another reason that I’ll share with you now that specifically relates to toys stores that helped launch our “local” efforts. Here’s the story.

Three years ago, I was doing some family tree research to learn a bit more about my ancestral roots. In my online search, I happened upon a name of someone who appeared to be connected to our family, yet I had never heard of him before. I called my mother to ask her about the person. She couldn’t believe who I had found. It was her cousin who she lost contact with back in 1952 in San Francisco.

Thanks to Facebook, I was able to make contact with him! He’s now living north of San Francisco. I found out that he and his mother had relocated to Los Angeles when he was just three years old, and had no contact until I found him in 2008. What an amazing discovery this was!

I quickly organized a family reunion for him to be reunited with my mom a couple of years ago, and he is now thankfully a treasured member of our family to say the least. He’s fantastic, caring, and kind, and we’ve made up for lost time by staying in close contact. He loves our children, too.

Our cousin is also transgender.

One day last November, he called me. I thought it was to just chat. However, it turned out he wanted to share something that was upsetting him. He had gone to the biggest retailer in toys (I won’t name it here, but you can guess quite easily) to buy Rex and Judd Christmas presents. One of the salespeople who he had gone to for help laughed at him and treated him terribly because he looks “different.” However, he was focused on buying the presents for our sons, and did his best to ignore the treatment so that he could send gifts to the boys.

His story broke my heart! There was absolutely no reason for this situation to occur, and it shed light on the reality that we need to have a variety of places to shop, not just one choice. We need to be able to buy from those who treat us well, and not be subject to ridicule or discrimination because of how we look.

Fortunately, we found an alternative toy store near where my cousin lives – a local shop where I hope, if he wants to buy something for the boys, he will go. I never want him to receive that treatment again. And, no retailer should ever be able to get away with treating their customers like this!

Song of the Day: Freedom 90!

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Another Local Dilemma – Boys Underwear

Posted on October 2, 2011 by admin

If you read our recent AP article, you learned that we had some challenges with buying the boys socks earlier in the year. Yes, my mother tried to solve the problem by mailing me some that she bought at WalMart. Her take on it was that we weren’t breaking our vow of staying local for 365 days because she actually paid for the socks. Hmmm, thoughts on this one?

Well, we’re facing another wardrobe staple dilemma that will soon become a crisis. The boys need underwear. I used to buy them organic cotton undies through an online retailer called HannaAndersson. They make good kids underwear.

But, this year, I can’t place an online order and run to the front door in delight when UPS drops a brown box on my doorstep filled with boys’ underwear. Nope, I have to find an alternative, a local alternative. Without Kohl’s, Old Navy, Target, Macy’s, Nordstrom, or uggh, even WalMart to choose from, where do I go?

I’m on a hunt right now to find underwear that I can buy from a local store. Sorry, I’m not heading to a second-hand store for this purchase! Have any ideas? Drop me a line.

Isn’t it strange when you think that the everyday products that we don’t give much thought about are the most difficult to buy from a local business. If I need an organic, dark roast, fair-trade coffee, I can think of ten local places to choose from to make my purchase. Boys underwear – I can’t think of anywhere to go.

So, we need help, and we need it quick. Holey underwear isn’t charming, and we don’t want my mom to make another trip to WalMart.

Song of the Day: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

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A Concert and a Cold

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

If you read this blog, you know that we love music and even occasionally get out to a concert every now and then. This last Tuesday, we were able to escape for a date night to see two favorites who had a whole slew of hits in the 1970s – Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs.

We couldn’t miss this show at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix. And, Randy bought us tickets as an early anniversary gift. We were in the 7th row of this funky little theater with a revolving stage. Yeah!

 Well, the morning of the concert, of course, I woke up with a cold. Runny nose, sore throat, the works! I haven’t had a cold since last December so I guess I was due, and I distinctly remember several kids with snotty noses at the birthday party we attended last weekend. Needless to say, I felt like crap! Now that’s what you call good timing. Not!

Anyway, I made it through my workday, and our babysitter arrived at 6:45 to watch the boys who were delighted to have an evening off from mom and dad. We headed to Phoenix with a haboob brewing (that’s a dust storm for all of you who aren’t living in AZ), and made it to the theater with 30 minutes to spare.

Great seats right in front. Yet, I must say the legroom is seriously lacking. At 5’9”, my knees nearly blocked my view of the stage. Hmmm? Randy had an easier time of it, as my legs are about five inches longer than his even though he’s taller than me. Oh well, we were there, and I was going to do my best not to let this cold or the lack of legroom ruin the concert.

The Celebrity Theater has been an institution in Phoenix since 1963. It’s claim to fame is that no seat in the place is more than 70 feet away from the stage. It holds 2,650 seats to be exact. And, because the stage is spinning (not unlike my treasured Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, CA that was torn down in the early 1990s), you really do get to see the performers from every angle.

So, we tried to make ourselves comfortable, me with a wad of Kleenex in hand, and the show began. Michael McDonald (who is a BIG guy) sat down at the keyboards and began to play. We were so close that we could see him spitting as he belted out “What a Fool Believes” “Minute by Minute,” and all of his hits from when he was with the Doobie Brothers and when he was a solo performer. He’s a talented guy, no doubt, and seems like he’d rather play his music than chit-chat on stage. I’m fine with that.

I must say that there were some especially irritating people sitting next to us at the show. One couple showed up late and proceeded to talk through Michael McDonald’s performance. And, the two 50-something “ladies” next to me, when not guzzling their margaritas, kept having to climb over the top of my jammed in legs to dance wildly in the aisle. Yes, I get the music is good, but there’s a time and place for uninhibited, drunken dancing, and I’m pretty sure a Michael McDonald concert on a Tuesday night in Phoenix isn’t it. As these two proceeded to get drunker, their climbing over the top of me turned into downright stumbling. Hopefully, they caught my cold germs in the process!

Michael finished up his set, and soon Boz Scaggs started. He’s good. I’ve seen him a couple of times in San Francisco. I believe he still lives in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, the cold was really starting to get to me by the time he was singing “Look What You Done to Me” from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, and I briefly fell asleep. Sorry ladies, no more climbing over this tired gal.  

Randy poked me, and we departed just as Boz finished his last song. We were home by 11pm to find two boys, the Captain, and our new two mice “Cleveland” and “Francisco” sleeping. I slept until 6:30am which is unheard of for me. I woke up feeling like death warmed over, but glad that we were able to see the show.

I weathered through the cold yesterday, but this morning, I’m heading over to Sun Drug on Via Linda to pick up something for my nose that is still running like a tap. Yes, Sun Drugs is a local pharmacy. Did you know that there still are such things? Hopefully, I’ll be back in the swing of things soon. Who has time for a cold!

And, to all my Jewish friends and family members, Happy New Year!

Song of the Day: It Keeps You Running

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One Way to Help Lower the Unemployment Rate – Buy from a Local Business!

Posted on September 24, 2011 by admin

The high unemployment rate continues to be a top news story, a hot topic for political candidates, and even something that most of us are chatting about with neighbors, friends, and family. We personally dealt with unemployment back in 2007 when my husband was laid off unexpectedly one month after the birth of Judd, and we continue to hear stories from those around us currently having to face the challenges of looking for work in a terrible job market and bad economy.

While there have been lots of ideas thrown around about stimulus plans, tax breaks for small businesses, and putting Americans to work on infrastructure rebuilding projects, you never seem to hear anyone mention that perhaps more jobs would be created if consumers bought from local businesses.

When you consider that businesses with less than 500 employees have created two out of every three new jobs over the last 15 years, doesn’t it simply make sense to tell everyone to buy from these businesses? Perhaps, no national politician is going to stand up and tell voters to stay away from WalMart and go to the Farmers’ market instead, but maybe they should!

Of course, the argument is always that WalMart has better prices than the local businesses. I don’t think this is necessarily true in all cases, but, perhaps we all need to take a “macro” look at all of this.

If we only support national chains, and subsequently, local businesses fail, who pays for the displaced employees who then can’t find jobs? Don’t all of us?

Well, some “lucky” individuals might be able to shift over to working at WalMart, but it’s like a game of musical chairs. Someone (or in this current economy, many people) will be left without chairs at all. WalMart, Target, and the like can’t hire everyone! And, so it goes – where you have no support for locally-owned businesses, you also have higher unemployment rates!

Is our collective quest for finding the cheapest price on toilet paper or a gallon of milk contributing to the high unemployment rate? I think so!

This shouldn’t be a political issue. It’s simply logic. The more thriving businesses we have in a community, the better off the community and its economy will be. And, a healthy local economy can be somewhat immune to the effects of a global economic crisis, if it is healthy and functioning as it should be.

As a small business owner who strives everyday to help other business owners, it’s easy for me to be passionate about this topic. But, I think politicians, city leaders, and economy experts also need to be equally as enthused about telling consumers that their purchasing decisions are contributing to the unemployment rate. I truly believe that if more people understood the connection between big box retailers and growing unemployment, they would be more likely to support their local businesses. At least, I’d like to think so!

Song of the Day: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime

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Date Night Local Style

Posted on September 17, 2011 by admin

Last night, we went on a rather rare date – meaning a night out on the town sans Rex and Judd.  Keeping it completely local, it required some investigative, preliminary research. So, I let Randy handle it. I do too much research everyday with my business.

Surprise, surprise!  Randy came home with lavender roses (my favorite) from the locally owned flower shop to set the stage for the evening, and then we headed to Durant’s on Central in Phoenix. I had read much about Durant’s over the years but had never been. It’s definitely a culinary institution in the Valley, yet, being a self-proclaimed food snob from San Francisco, I didn’t have the highest of expectations.

Let me tell you, this is the place to go when you want to escape the Scottsdale trendy scene and experience the comfort of yesteryear. We walked in to find red, vinyl booths, wood-paneled walls, and a menu straight out of the days of relish trays, cocktails, and cholesterol-laden entrees.

Now, I never order prime rib – probably because of watching too much Sanjay Gupta or my family’s history of heart disease. But, last night, I ordered an 8 oz. prime rib with a Caesar salad and mashed potatoes. Of course, I had my obligatory glass of vino to wash it down.  It was good! No, actually surprisingly, really good! The Caesar tasted like honest-to-goodness anchovies, and the tender prime rib came with a ramekin of horseradish – just the way I like it! Good stuff! The wait staff was aloof but attentive – the way they should be in this type of place.

We rolled out of the place fat and happy, and made an executive decision that it was time to go dancing – and at Talking Stick Resort. Not far from where we live, the place was packed. The Psychedelic Furs were playing there last night, but somehow, I suspect that most were there to throw their money in the slots, smoke, and lose track of time. We were there to dance.

So, we headed up to the 14th floor. It was a little weird with a hybrid karaoke/real band singing and playing guitar to computerized tracks. But hey, what the hell! I rarely get out, and I was just tippy enough not to care.

I don’t think Randy digs dancing with me especially as I tend to showcase my KTVU 1988 Dance Party moves for all to see. Anyway, we danced to semi-decent renditions of songs by Earth, Wind, and Fire, the Commodores, The Guess Who, and Marc Anthony. You should have seen my intrepretive dance moves to “Magic Carpet Ride.” I nearly cleared the floor!

Then, I glanced over to the guitar player, and I was sure that it was the same guy that plays mellow tunes at the Scottsdale Farmers’ Market where we buy our local produce. Hunh? That’s a bit weird, but ok! I kept dancing.

I glanced at my watch, and it was 9:30. Time to pack it in and call it a night.  We threw a few dollars in the slots on the way out and were even were able to catch one of the Psychedelic Furs signing autographs. How things have changed since I first listened to the “Furs.” But, ok, at least I’m still enjoying a drink and a dance.

Song of the Day: Pretty in Pink

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