Today, like any other (and literally, almost every) day, we decided to hit up our gorgeous pool for a little sunshine, swimmy and family time…
All went per usual until a certain somebody decided to get REALLY brave and…
SWIM ALL BY HIMSELF!
Kicks his little legs, smiles big and gives it his all!
It’s incredible, adorable, and bitter sweet, all at the same time…
I had to have my Mommy brag and tell the world what an amazing little boy I have.
That is all.
Happy Sunday and enjoy your week!
Here in the Valley of the Sun, we’ve skated through Spring and are heading straight into a sweltering summer, leaving us plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine by the pool. Luckily, our apartments boast a beautiful pool!
I wanted to take a second to share a few photos of it’s sparkling deliciousness with the rest of you that might still be getting the tail end of some winter weather to assure you, warmer days are ahead! And if they aren’t, come visit Arizona, we have only two seasons, Summer and that month where you can wear boots!
Enjoy!
With Mothers Day rapidly approaching last week, I couldn’t help but wonder what I would be getting this year… My fiancé isn’t very good with surprises since he, himself is so excited he tends to spill the beans just so he has somebody to relish in the excitement with. He openly admits I have everything and shopping for me is impossible, even when I’m there, because I will say, “That’s cute!” while walking by just about any store front. When he does shop for me, we usually get about 4 stores deep before he buys me something he swears I’ll look good in just to end the trip. Ooooh, men…
So, this Mothers Day, I wanted to DO something, after, we um, went shopping *hides guilty face*… Our little man is big enough to really enjoy little adventures to see things and do stuff, so I figured we’d head to Cave Creek, get out of the heat, enjoy the small town atmosphere, see the sights and get some drinks and lunch. I’m also pushing for us to buy a house in Cave Creek, so it was a perfect opportunity to go check out the area. I’ve been up there quite a bit, but my better half hasn’t made it much outside of Tempe and now Scottsdale, so it’s all new to him.
The drive up there is beautiful. You get off the 101 at Scottsdale Road and drive North. That’s it, just go North. You run right into this little Western town as the road curves left…
(Please forgive my horrible photography, I had no intention of blogging this little adventure and just snapped away for shits and giggles. Had I stopped the car, maaaaybe just once, we’d have something incredible to work with… Guess I’m just lucky the scenery’s ah-maaazing.)
Once you get into town, there’s not much of it. Scottsdale turns into Tom Darlington and that’s the main road, everything jettisons off from there.
The town itself has a neat little vintage feel. Everything is either in the 50’s style, Western themed, actually as old as the wild west itself, or a biker establishment of some sort. If it doesn’t fall into that category then it’s newly built, beautiful and blends into the landscape. (That’s an amazing thing about Arizona architecture, commercial buildings do a great job of NOT standing out here and letting the natural beauty of this area shine, despite being in the middle of a bustling city.)
When we got into town we realized we had more time than we thought relax before our reservation, so we stopped at the tamest looking place we could find for 2pm on a Sunday… (The area is very biker friendly, so their Sunday Funday was in full effect up there! NOT toddler friendly, but very fun for Mommy and Daddy!)
We ended up at Tap Haus, because their patio is big, they looked like a place we’d want to check out for a later putt and they had a boat in the back I had to know a little more about…
It turns out that boat is an old piece that they picked up and re-did. They had a custom wrap put on and I can only imagine the staff perks that come with that bad boy. Check out their Facebook for a ton of photos from bike week and beyond. They host parties with fashion shows, bike stunts, Harley shows, bike washes and everything in between. I don’t know about you, but this is our kind of place! The beer was cold, the waitresses were friendly, they offered up some key information about moving to the area and of course, ate our mini man up! The waitress there also needs to get some mad credit for suggesting the Pollo Fundito at our dinner destination as well. Superb recommendation, my lady.
After two cold ones, at an unbeatable price, it was off to El Encanto Mexican Restaurant just down the street.
I’ve driven by this place before, a while ago and wanted to go there, because the outside looked beautiful. A few weeks ago we took a trip to hike up in Spur Ranch and passed it again, I snapped a photo, because sometimes, that’s the only way I remember anything. I take a picture. Work schedules, phone numbers, grocery lists, everything.
Anyway, when I was asked if I had any special places I’d like to go for Mothers Day, I spit out, “EL ENCANTO!” So fast, it made his head spin. 10 minutes later we had reservations at the most romantic restaurant in town. Seriously, check out their website, because I got absolutely no pictures of anything except what my focus was on: My son, my burrito and my tequila. And my handsome Spanish Stallion of course, sitting there across the table with his honey brown eyes and sexy face. I love my man. See? Told you this place was romantic! It was voted “Best Place To Pop The Question” a few years back and I can really see why… If we weren’t engaged already we would have been after that meal. Hehehe… (I need to post about our actual engagement one day before we tie the knot, it’s really such a sweet story…)
Anyway, like I said, the pictures don’t do this place justice…
I loved, loved, loved the ambience of the restaurant. They have a duck pond, an area to feed them, multiple rooms and the place really seems to go on forever. You FEEL like you’re in Mexico.
I ordered the pollo fundito and a margarita. I have to say, the margarita was a bit weak, BUT I had already started at Tap Haus (Hey, it’s MY Mothers Day, right?) and they’re pre mixed, so I ordered shot on the side so I didn’t hurt anybody's feelings. Other than that, it was absolutely delicious!
The food was incredible. I can’t even stress HOW incredible it really was. Juicy, delicious, cheesy, flavorful, authentic and amazing. I can’t say enough good things about the food. The service was quick, friendly and competent (no hot plates in front of the baby, ect…)
We wanted to walk around a bit but the baby was starting to get a bit sleepy, it was getting late and the restaurant was getting crowded. Otherwise, I’d have more pictures of the interior which is why I can’t stress enough to check out the website for yourself!
If you’re ever up in the area, I suggest you try it out, if you’re not, bug your man to take you there, men, take your lady there. Just GO!
Oh, and as always… Enjoy!
Almost three years ago, the day after my 25th birthday, I was blessed with a beautiful little baby boy that would change my life, forever.
He couldn’t have come along at a better time and I credit him often with saving me, setting me on the right path and making me try harder, every day. He makes me want to do better, know better and be better, for him. I’ve spent hours, days, months and years researching “baby stuff” to make sure that I feel I’m doing the best I can, for him, every day. I home made baby food for months to make sure he had only the best. When he has nightmares, I sleep in his room, on his floor, next to his bed since he won’t sleep in ours… For DAYS on end sometimes. I loose sleep, sanity, patience, “me time”, youthful freedom and an endless list of things I don’t miss in the trade off. I love him, over protect him, wash his hands too many times a day, follow him needlessly around the playground and cry when he falls. I kiss boo-boo’s, hold hands, kiss noses, sing songs, cut hair, change diapers, read books, give baths and answer never ending barrages of, “Whas dis?”
He’s my best friend, my mini me, my only child, my baby boy… My son… Mama loves you.
Happy Mothers Day, Mamas!
After a hard night of work last night, my wonderful fiancé not only let me sleep in, but informed me when I woke up, that I could go on a baby free adventure, with my puppy.
The weather was perfect, puppy was excited, so we took off to Papago park, right on the border of Scottsdale and Phoenix.
It’s been one of my favorite spots for a quick little mini-hike and I haven’t been there since the weather warmed up… It was nice to trip around and take a few photos, take my time and not wrangle a toddler away from cactus that actually comes to YOU. Yes, I know, the stuff of nightmares.
Anyway, enjoy some of the sights I caught while out there!
These are called “Fairy Dusters”. I’m obsessed with them. They’re everywhere and not the most elusive of the desert flora, but I love them none the less.
I didn’t even try for this, I just took the same picture twice and the focus was opposite each time. I don’t have the most amazing camera, so this one made me happy.
The trails are beautiful, well maintained and super easy to navigate. Total beginners hike, but not much shade at all. Welcome to Arizona.
After finishing the loop, I walked down the trail to the base of Hole In The Rock.
The hike takes you around the back to get up to the top.
From the top you can see the South Mountain, Phoenix and everything in between. I’m really sorry about the horrible photo quality, this one was from my phone. Oops.
It’s a truly beautiful hike, takes only about 20 minutes and is really easy, it’s all ages appropriate for sure.
The park also features the Phoenix Zoo, the Phoenix Botanical Garden, the Oakland A’s spring training facility, the Hall of Flame which is a firefighting museum, and Papago Golf Course. See their website for more information.
Happy trails!
Coming from a long history of college partying on Cinco De Mayo, my Frat Daddy fiancé and I couldn’t really give up one of the best “party” holidays just because we were parents, however, we don’t exactly “party” these days… We wanted something kid friendly, by the pool with a few of our close friends and their little ones. Well we got it! Thanks to the not too hot Scottsdale weather, we threw a nice little fiesta at our beautiful pool!
I wanted to make some margaritas, but I didn’t feel like there was enough effort going into this cocktail sesh, so I figured I’d try to make my own simple syrup. It went SO well, I wish I’d taken more pictures of the process, but I was in SUCH a hurry I had no time to photograph a process that was going much slower than I needed it to anyway. BUT, it’s worth blogging about, because this can be made with most any fruit, I feel like, and could be used in a bunch of different ways!
Plus, it’s too easy!
As you can see, I wasn’t working with the fanciest tequila, that’s why the mixers must be tasty enough to conceal that, um, taste.
For the simple syrup all you do is combine sugar and water in equal parts, on the pot over high heat, boil until the sugar is dissolved. (I whisked away for a little while longer, hoping for a syrupy consistency, which worked, a little) Then, in my food processor, I combined about a cup and half of strawberries and obliterated them, seeds and all, because those little bastards don’t really bother me. If they aren’t your cup of seedy tea, then run your final mixture through a fine strainer to remove the seeds. But you’ll still end up with some in your ‘rita, cuz you’re putting fresh strawberries in there, so you’re really fighting a loosing battle…
Anyway, let the sugar water mixture cool completely before combining it with the strawberries either in the food processor or the blender. You should use just the blender, but I like to make a mess, so I used a food processor and a blender. Mix that shit up, real good, pour in a jar and set aside.
NOW, we’re ready to assemble some dranks.
I didn’t have any Grand Marnier this time, but I really prefer it in my margarita so my recipe calls for it.
This is for one margarita, just double, triple, whatever you need!
2oz Grand Marnier
2oz Tequila
2oz Lime juice (I use the premade stuff, juicing that many limes isn’t for the faint of heart.)
2.5oz Simple syrup
(Depending on your tolerance for the hard stuff, you can add a little Sprite to the mixture which makes your batch of ‘ritas go further and not pack such a punch. Messing with the recipe messes with the taste, keep that in mind. If this isn’t hard enough, or you just had a rough day, don’t be shy about adding some moscato. Don’t drink too many, because you will have a noticeably worse hangover than you can remember having for a long time. Obvi, wine, fire water and the Marnier aren’t friends, but they taste splendidly together.)
For the garnish and rim, keep some sliced limes and strawberries on the side as well as a little receptacle for a sugar/salt mixture for the rim.
You can either rim the glass with a lime wedge and dip into the salt/sugar, but I find that’s not sticky enough and I often fill the other half of my “’rita salter thingy” with lime juice.
Either combine everything in a blender with ice, or in a shaker with ice and serve!
Enjoy and happy margarita making!
We blog browsers know, that Blogging isn’t a very interactive thing, unless you’re “linky partying” or whatever the ladies with FAR more time to do this, do. I do not understand this “linky” and don’t really LIKE the idea of such a flat feeling blog. I wish I could combine the aspects of Facebook into Blogging, but then you get something like Google+ and I’m not much of a fan of that either.
So, I took to Facebook to set up the Good Life a little page it can call it’s own. I wanted to promote my blog, but didn’t want to shamelessly promote it to my friends, via FB, because I have quite a few friends that don’t have children, don’t cook and simply don’t read. Juuuust kidding, no illiterate homies in my contacts.
Um, anyway, getting to the point, we’re now on Facebook. Yay!! That means things like comments, messages and updates! No more lost emails trying to clarify recipes, no more feedback going unpublished in the form of emails I can’t just copy and paste for my own selfish satisfaction… Self promotion is a shameless game, but I have boundaries, people.
I would like to invite all of my regular readers, pinners, followers and friends to head over to www.facebook.com/GiveInToTheGoodLife and “like” the page! I’ll be sharing links to posts and a much, much more!
Enjoy and as always, thank you for your support of The Good Life and me, ChiChi.
