25 Rules for Moms of Daughters!

25 RULES FOR MOMS OF DAUGHTERS

1. Paint her nails. Then let her scratch it off and dirty them up. Teach her to care about her appearance, and then quickly remind her that living and having fun is most important.

2. Let her put on your makeup, even if it means bright-red-smudged lips and streaked-blue eyes. Let her experiment in her attempts to be like you…then let her be herself.

3. Let her be wild. She may want to stay home and read books on the couch, or she may want to hop on the back of a motorcycle-gasp. She may be a homebody or a traveler. She may fall in love with the wrong boy, or meet mr. right at age 5. Try to remember that you were her age once. Everyone makes mistakes, let her make her own.

4. Be present. Be there for her at her Kindergarten performances, her dance recitals, her soccer games…her everyday-little-moments. When she looks through the crowds of people, she will be looking for your smile and pride. Show it to her as often as possible.

5. Encourage her to try on your shoes and play dress-up. If she would rather wear her brother’s superman cape with high heals, allow it. If she wants to wear a tutu or dinosaur costume to the grocery store, why stop her? She needs to decide who she is and be confident in her decision.

6. Teach her to be independent. Show her by example that woman can be strong. Find and follow your own passions. Search for outlets of expression and enjoyment for yourself- not just your husband or children. Define yourself by your own attributes, not by what others expect you to be. Know who you are as a person, and help your daughter find out who she is.

7. Pick flowers with her. Put them in her hair. There is nothing more beautiful than a girl and a flower.

8. Let her get messy. Get messy with her, no matter how much it makes you cringe inside. Splash in the puddles, throw snowballs, make mud pies, finger paint the walls: just let it happen. The most wonderful of memories are often the messy ones.

9. Give her good role models- you being one of them. Introduce her to successful woman- friends, co-workers, doctors, astronauts, or authors. Read to her about influential woman- Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie. Read her the words of inspirational woman- Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson. She should know that anything is possible.

10. Show her affection. Daughters will mimic the compassion of their mother. “I love yous” and Eskimo kisses go a long way.

11. Hold her hand. Whether she is 3 years-old in the parking lot or sixteen years old in the mall, hold on to her always- this will teach her to be confident in herself and proud of her family.

12. Believe in her. It is the moments that she does not believe in herself that she will need you to believe enough for both of you. Whether it is a spelling test in the first grade, a big game or recital, a first date, or the first day of college…remind her of the independent and capable woman you have taught her to be.

13. Tell her how beautiful she is. Whether it is her first day of Kindergarten, immediately after a soccer game where she is grass-stained and sweaty, or her wedding day. She needs your reminders. She needs your pride. She needs your reassurance. She is only human.

14. Love her father. Teach her to love a good man, like him. One who lets her be herself…she is after all wonderful.

15. Make forts with boxes and blankets. Help her to find magic in the ordinary, to imagine, to create and to believe in fairy tales. Someday she will make her 5 by 5 dorm-room her home with magic touches and inspiration. And she will fall in love with a boy and believe him to be Prince Charming.

16. Read to her. Read her Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. But also remember the power of Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost. Show her the beauty of words on a page and let her see you enjoy them. Words can be simply written and simply spoken, yet can harvest so much meaning. Help her to find their meaning.

17. Teach her how to love- with passion and kisses. Love her passionately. Love her father passionately and her siblings passionately. Express your love. Show her how to love with no restraint. Let her get her heart broken and try again. Let her cry, and gush, giggle and scream. She will love like you love or hate like you hate. So, choose love for both you and her.

18. Encourage her to dance and sing. Dance and sing with her- even if it sounds or looks horrible. Let her wiggle to nursery rhymes. Let her dance on her daddy’s feet and spin in your arms. Then later, let her blast noise and headbang in her bedroom with her door shut if she wants. Or karaoke to Tom Petty in the living room if she would rather. Introduce her to the classics- like The Beatles- and listen to her latest favorite- like Taylor Swift. Share the magic of music together, it will bring you closer- or at least create a soundtrack to your life together.

19. Share secrets together. Communicate. Talk. Talk about anything. Let her tell you about boys, friends, school. Listen. Ask questions. Share dreams, hopes, concerns. She is not only your daughter, you are not only her mother. Be her friend too.

20. Teach her manners. Because sometimes you have to be her mother, not just her friend. The world is a happier place when made up of polite words and smiles.

21. Teach her when to stand-up and when to walk away. Whether she has classmates who tease her because of her glasses, or a boyfriend who tells her she is too fat – let her know she does not have to listen. Make sure she knows how to demand respect – she is worthy of it. It does not mean she has to fight back with fists or words, because sometimes you say more with silence. Also make sure she knows which battles are worth fighting. Remind her that some people can be mean and nasty because of jealousy, or other personal reasons. Help her to understand when to shut her mouth and walk-away. Teach her to be the better person.

22. Let her choose who she loves. Even when you see through the charming boy she thinks he is, let her love him without your disapproving words; she will anyway. When he breaks her heart, be there for her with words of support rather than I told-you-so. Let her mess up again and again until she finds the one. And when she finds the one, tell her.

23. Mother her. Being a mother – to her – is undoubtedly one of your greatest accomplishments. Share with her the joys of motherhood, so one day she will want to be a mother too. Remind her over and over again with words and kisses that no one will ever love her like you love her. No one can replace or replicate a mother’s love for their children.

24. Comfort her. Because sometimes you just need your mommy. When she is sick, rub her back, make her soup and cover her in blankets – no matter how old she is. Someday, if she is giving birth to her own child, push her hair out of her face, encourage her, and tell her how beautiful she is. These are the moments she will remember you for. And someday when her husband rubs her back in attempt to comfort her…she may just whisper, “I need my mommy.”

25. Be home. When she is sick with a cold or broken heart, she will come to you; welcome her. When she is engaged or pregnant, she will run to you to share her news; embrace her. When she is lost or confused, she will search for you; find her. When she needs advice on boys, schools, friends or an outfit; tell her. She is your daughter and will always need a safe harbor – where she can turn a key to see comforting eyes and a familiar smile; be home.

How to Make Your Financial Dreams Come True!

If you were wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, would you still pinch pennies?  Here are a few tips from top grossing celebrities!

“Get Rid of Car Payments”

Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris has a four-year, $2.2 million contract and still drives his 1991 Mazda nicknamed “Bentley,” which he reportedly purchased for $2 from his pastor when he was a student at Florida Atlantic University.

Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris has a four-year, $2.2 million contract and still drives his 1991 Mazda nicknamed “Bentley,” which he reportedly purchased for $2 from his pastor when he was a student at Florida Atlantic University.

“Tuck Money Away”

Take advantage of great information and tools to help build your future and prevent your money from going down the drain.

“Look for Discounts, Coupons and Freebies”

Think clipping coupons is only for us everyday penny pinchers? Think again. Famous celebrities take their coupon clipping seriously — no matter how big their bank accounts — including, from left, Hilary Swank, Lady Gaga (not pictured), Kristen Bell and Carrie Underwood.

“Live on LESS Then You Make”

When Jay Leno recently retired from more than 20 years of hosting the Tonight show, he shared a little secret: He never spent any of what he earned from the show ($15 million annually in the final years), but instead continued to live off income from his standup comedy act. “When I was a kid, I had two jobs,” wrote Leno in Parademagazine. “I worked at a Ford dealership and at a McDonald’s. I’d spend the money from one job and save the money from the other. That’s still the way I am now.”

“Learn to be Fashionably Frugal”

Some of Hollywood’s leading ladies are known for turning up their noses at pricey designer fashions and instead donning more budget-conscious apparel, even for special events. In recent years, both Helen Hunt (pictured) and Penelope Cruz looked stunning at the Oscars in gowns from fast-fashion retailer H&M, but that’s still haute couture compared with the charcoal turtleneck from the Gap that Sharon Stone wore to the awards program back in 1996.

“Teach Your Kids Values”

The list of business tycoons who plan to leave only a portion of their estates to their kids includes, from left, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Ted Turner (not pictured). Buffett says, “I want to give my kids just enough so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing.”

“Experiences = Priceless Memories”

Actor Rob Lowe says, “I’m willing to spend money to create memories for my kids and our times together. If it’s a trip or taking advantage of an opportunity, I will do whatever it takes. In terms of actual things, I’m not one of those guys that collects Vipers or Shelby Cobras, or has a rare book collection.”

“Learn to Cook”

Their kitchens may be the Taj Mahal compared with ours, but a surprising number of celebrities prefer to cook at home rather than dine out at five-star eateries or hire a personal chef. From left, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and Emma Stone enjoy getting together for baking parties at each other’s homes.

Best and Worst Drinks At Happy Hour For Weight-loss!

Happy Hour can be the death to all good “deeds” and “diets” out there.   Did you know that an Archives of Internal Medicine study shows that people who put back one or two drinks a day are less likely to gain weight, research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that men consume an extra 433 calories on days they have just a couple of drinks.

While lowered inhibitions and drink-fueled munchies have something to do with it, 61 percent of the caloric increase comes from the alcohol itself. So, if you’re trying to lose weight while still enjoying the occasional drink, you’d better be wise about which drinks you choose.  A big thanks to K. Aleisha Fetters from Details magazine for putting together this list of what booze it best for weight-loss.  Now your Happy Hour can go back to a happy place once more.

THE BEST

Wine

(photo: Flickr)

Red or white, you can expect to consume roughly 100 to 120 calories per glass. (That’s assuming, however, that you’re drinking a standardized 5-ounce glass. Research from Iowa State and Cornell shows that people tend to over-pour by 12 percent.)

However, there are some considerations to make when picking grapes: White wine typically contains fewer carbohydrates than does red wine, which makes a small difference in terms of calories, says Caroline Cederquist, M.D., author of The MD Factor and creator of bistroMD. Meanwhile, red wine is richer in antioxidants, and a 2014 study in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, red wine’s ellargic acids delay the growth of fat cells while slowing the development of new ones.

Vermouth

(photo: Pixabay)

“A fortified wine with higher alcohol content and infused spices and herbs, vermouth is a calorie saver if you have it by itself–as it’s commonly served in Europe,” says Georgie Fear, R.D., author of Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss. A 1.5-ounce serving contains a mere 64 calories, and typically contains about 15 to 18 percent alcohol, she says. Plus, research out of Budapest shows that it’s jam-packed with polyphenol compounds, which may promote healthy weight loss.

Still, remember that if you mix it into a Manhattan or martini, you’re probably going to be consuming far more calories and sugar, Fear says.

Straight Liquors

(photo: Getty Images)

When it comes to getting the most alcohol for the fewest calories, shots and straight booze on the rocks are the way to go. “There isn’t much of a difference between 80-proof hard liquors,” Cederquist says. “They all have around the same amount of calories and carbohydrates.” And as calories increase along with alcohol content, the difference isn’t huge. For instance, a shot of 86-proof whiskey contains 105 calories and a shot of 80-proof vodka contains 97.

However, you also need to keep in mind that the sweeter the liquor, the more calories it typically contains, she says. “If you’re looking for a lower calorie alternative, avoid the flavored vodkas and spiced rums and go for the original or ‘plain’ option offered,” she says. “If you are looking for a flavor boost, try low-calorie mixers like a flavored seltzer or fresh squeezed lemon or lime. This will provide the taste without the calories.”

Light Beers

(photo: Getty Images)

With fewer calories and carbs, these are the best brewskis for weight loss, Cederquist says. Many light beers contain 90 to 100 calories per 12 ounces, while extra-light beers pack about 55 to 65.

However, just don’t use that as an excuse to have more beers than you typically would, or you’ll undo all benefits. Hey, they generally pack less alcohol, right? Well, yeah, but they actually tend to have a higher percentage of their calories coming from alcohol compared to standard brews. Budweiser Select 55 for example derives 88.2 percent of its calories from alcohol, compared to Bud Light at 74.1 percent, and regular Budweiser at 66.9 percent calories, Fear says.

THE WORST

Sugar-Packed Cocktails

(photo: Getty Images)

“Margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas can set you back more calories than a large order of McDonald’s French Fries,” Fear says. Even worse, calories from sugar-laden drinks come as a sneak attack. When you drink a marg, your body is so overwhelmed with the alcohol content that your body doesn’t properly metabolize the sugar. Instead, it stores the sweet stuff as fat.

There is never a good excuse to drink these and other sugar-filled cocktails especially if you are trying to lose weight or not develop diabetes, she says. Now, if you’ve got a skilled mixologist behind your bar, you’re probably calorically safe ordering a cocktail. After all, he’d never serve up one of these artless offenses.

High-Alcohol Craft Beers

(photo: Getty Images)

“The last five years have seen an explosion of craft breweries creating high-alcohol varieties, which pack more calories per bottle than you may realize,” Fear says. Remember, more alcohol means more calories. Every gram of the good stuff contains seven calories.

For instance, Flying Dog Horn Dog, which contains 10.2 percent alcohol by volume, also contains 314 calories per bottle, and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA boasts 18 percent alcohol by volume, but also packs 450 calories into each bottle. That’s a meal in a glass. Unfortunately, though, all that alcohol can wind up making you hungrier.

Dawson’s Creek to Ashton Kutcher~ Top Celebrity News

Katie Holmes: On the Possible Dawson’s Creek Reunion!

“There’s been a lot of talk about it,” she admitted. “And I don’t know because when we did our finale, it was set five years later, so we kind of did that. And Michelle [Williams’] character passed away in the last episode, so…Yeah, you never know. Get Jimmy Fallon on the phone, pronto!”

Courtney Love On Kicking Drugs For Good!

The Hole frontwoman, 50, stopped by The Late Show on Tuesday, Feb. 9, and dished to host David Letterman about how she finally got clean and resolved one of the most infamous rock ‘n’ roll feuds in history.   The former wife of late Nirvana legend Kurt Cobain, Love reflected on her drug use, explaining that she used “All of it, just all of it. There are no more drugs.”

After spending time in rehab in the mid-2000s, the former wild child stopped using. She told host Letterman, 67, that her sobriety was also aided by religious practices.

“What really saved me was, obviously going to meetings and stuff like that, but I’m a Buddhist,” she spilled. “I chant and I’m really serious about it. I chant twice a day.”

“I’m Nichiren Buddhist so it’s Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo,” Love continued, referencing the devotional mantra. “So I sit there in the morning, ‘Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo,’ and it changed my life. Absolutely. It turned everything around.”

It’s a busy life when you have parents this famous! Baby Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher enjoyed a day out on Sunday with her parents, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, as well as her grandparents!  How cute!!

Gwen Stefani Secrets To Keeping A Lasting Marraige

Sad but true: It’s always a surprise when Hollywood couples last. Sometimes, even the celebrities themselves can’t believe it.  Here Gwen Stefani dishes out her secrets to keeping her marriage going strong after all these years!

“We go through so much together—it’s a miracle that we could stay together this long,” says Gwen Stefani about her 13-year marriage to Gavin Rossdale in the March issue of Cosmopolitan.

The couple married in 2002, after six years of dating. Despite their hectic schedules—he’s on tour with his band Bush, while she runs her fashion lines, was a mentor on The Voice, and will be back performing with her band No Doubt this spring—they’ve found a way to make it work. Here, Gwen’s refreshingly realistic advice on how to go to distance.

Don’t retire the thoughtful gestures
Just because you’ve been married for over a decade doesn’t mean all the sweet things you once did for each other need to come to a halt. “[Gavin’s] on a short tour right now, and he wrote me the sweetest note this morning,” says Stefani.

Make you-time a priority
“It’s good to have those days when we both do our own things,” Stefani says. “I think that’s what keeps relationships going, when both people can be themselves and have their own individuality.” A recent study even found that “high quality” me time (so doing something you’re passionate about) improves your psychological well being.

Keep up the attraction
“I never really saw myself landing a guy that hot,” Stefani says. “I don’t know if I was a nerd in high school, but I definitely wasn’t the super-cute cheerleader so I never saw myself getting somebody like that. But I do think he’s quite handsome. It’s not the most important thing about him, but it is nice … and he makes really cute babies.” And the two aren’t afraid to show it: They recently capped off the People Awards with some red wine and PDA.

Congratulations To The New England Patriots!

The New England Patriots WIN The 2015 Super Bowl!!

Love it! Two of my favorite guys….. Tom Brady & Mark Wahlberg!!

The Dynasty Continues with Robert Kraft, New England Patriots Owner, Tom Brady & Bill Belichick!

The Ultimate Super Bowl Event Guide

The Super Bowl logo sits outside the Phoenix Convention Center in preparation for Super Bowl XLIX at US Airways Center. KIRBY LEE-USA TODAY SPORTS/REUTERS

With the 49th Super Bowl set to be played in the 48th state, Newsweek is bringing is us 47 things for visitors to do in the Valley of the Sun. The University of Phoenix Stadium, located in the western suburb of Glendale, will not only host Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, but also the 2016 college football National Championship Game and the 2017 Men’s Final Four. That’ll be the first Men’s Final Four held west of the Rockies since 1995.

With outlying towns boasting names such as Carefree and Paradise Valley, this Sonoran desert city is the ideal oasis from… winter. After all, it was 78 degrees and sunny on Sunday (but then every day here is a sun day). And how many feet of snow is your town shoveling out from under this week?

With a few exceptions, the Valley’s top attractions are all located at least 10 miles east of the football venue. If you don’t have tickets to the game (if only scalper prices deflated by 15%), you may never venture near it. That’s okay: from outdoor activities to outstanding cuisine, Phoenix is hopping like a jackrabbit. It may be situated in a desert, but it is far from a cultural one.

1 Camelback Mountain, Phoenix/Paradise Valley

Arguably the city’s signature landmark, Camelback may be ascended from either of two trails. Cholla Trail begins at the mountain’s eastern edge and is the easier of the two. Echo Canyon Trail, which recently reopened after being closed an entire year for maintenance (it is literally a comeback trail) is the more arduous. Both are popular with locals and tourists alike.

Give yourself at least two hours to get up and down the tallest peak (2,706 feet) in the Valley, and bring water (perhaps you could tote it in a CamelBak). It’s okay to step to the side and snap a photo, but talking on your cell while hiking is a major party foul.

2. Bottled Blonde, Old Town Scottsdale

We could have named any one of a dozen or so nightspots within projectile-vomiting distance of one another here (American Junkie Cake, Dakota Bar, Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, El Hefe, Majerle’s Sports Grill, Hi-Fi, Maya. Mint, etc.). Put Usher’s “Yeah” on 11 and picture a scene that would leave even Vincent Chase and his crew slack-jawed and you have this bazaar of bottle-service-and beyond establishments. More NBA games have probably been lost here on the eve of tip-off than during the games themselves. Arizona’s epicenter of off-the-hook. 7340 East Indian Plaza

3. Waste Management Phoenix Open, Scottsdale

The rowdiest hole in all of golf – the 16th here at the TPC Scottsdale – welcomes back Tiger Woods after a 14-year absence. Tickets are $30 for general admission and patrons aged 17 years and under get in free. Thursday through Sunday. Corner of Bell and Hayden Roads

4. Steak 44, Phoenix

They could serve cow pies at this, the trendiest of Valley steakhouses, and you’d still be wowed by the bold, futuristic interior. They just happen to serve up magically marbled ribeye and T-bones, too. 5101 North 44th Street

5. Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix

The Valley of the Sun does resorts really, really, really well. For decades, before a surge in properties came about in the Nineties, the Biltmore was the crown jewel of Phoenix resorts. Opened in 1929, it still possesses a stately charm. Find that turquoise bolo tie that is hiding in your drawer and head to the lobby for a drink. 2400 East Missouri Ave

6. Fan Fest at Scottsdale Fashion Square, Scottsdale

Unofficially, the crossroads of Scottsdale is the intersection of Camelback and Scottsdale Roads, and here is where ESPN and the NFL will set up shop all week. It’s quite the cultural –and climatic–shift from Times Square, home of last year’s Fan Fest, and Fashion Square. Corner of Camelback and Scottsdale Roads

7. Sip Coffee and Beer House, Scottsdale

No need to overthink this one: the name says it all. Go from caffeinated to inebriated (or vice versa)  at this Old Town Scottsdale spot whose decor looks like an independent filmmaker’s celluloid dream. 3617 North Goldwater Boulevard

8. The Heard Museum, Phoenix

The state’s, if not the entire Southwest’s, premier showcase for Native American art and history. Currently the Heard is running an exhibit titled“Beautiful Games: American Indian Sport and Art.” This Friday night at 7 p.m., as part of the exhibit, the Heard will host a symposium on “Indigenous Stereotypes in Sports” that will ask, “Why is there broad acceptance and tolerance of American Indian stereotypes in modern society and in the sports world?” Should I save a seat for you down front, Daniel Snyder? 2301 N. Central Ave

9. Greasewood Flat, Scottsdale

Located in the foothills of the Mcdowell Mountain preserve in northeast Scottsdale, this outdoor saloon is located in and around a bunkhouse that dates back to the 1880s. Open fire pits, first-rate burgers and a killer view for sunsets make it worth the trek. 27375 North Alma School Parkway

10. Los Dos Molinos, Phoenix

The quality of a Mexican restaurant, it is hereby proposed, is inversely proportional to that of the surrounding neighborhood and the eatery’s decor.Visit the original location in South Phoenix for an authentic experience. 8646 South Central Ave.

11. Kelly’s at SouthBridge, Scottsdale

When your watering hole is voted by a local magazine as the “Best Place to People Watch” in Scottsdale, well, game over. That’s like being voted the shark with the sharpest teeth. Mouth-watering food and an amped-up atmosphere, too. 7117 East Sixth Avenue

12. Scottsdale Quarter, Scottsdale

One of four upscale shopping centers in town (along with Scottsdale Fashion Square,  Biltmore Fashion Park and, across Scottsdale Road, Kierland Commons), SQ is plush with high-end retail outlets (Nike Store, Apple Store, etc) and bistros (e.g., Dominick’s Steakhouse, True Food Kitchen). Even if your credit card never leaves your wallet, you could cast three seasons of MILF Island in just one hour of strolling the grounds. 15037 North Scottsdale Road

13. Little MIss BBQ, Tempe

Patrons who wait in line for Scott and Bekke Holmes’ Central Texas-style barbecue refer to the couple’s smoked meats as “a life-altering experience.”The best barbecue in town. 4301 East University Drive

14. Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix

The city’s most popular live music venue is also a lounge that boasts a kitchen. While there are no nationally known live acts on stage during Super Bowl week (someone find them a new booker!), it’s still worth a visit. 308 North Second Avenue

15. South Mountain Park, Phoenix

The largest municipal park in the United States at 17,000 acres is home to coyotes and a few other critters you may not want to happen upon unawares, but its 56 miles of rugged running/hiking/mountain biking trails are popular with locals. Elite runners abound here.

16. Top Golf, Scottsdale

Of course, you should try and reserve a tee time at Troon North or the Arizona Biltmore, but this driving range-cum-party place makes golf accessible to everyone. Depending on your handicap, this place is utopia or anathema. 9500 East Indian Bend Road

17. Rita’s Kitchen, Paradise Valley

Located on the grounds of one of the area’s most beloved resorts, the Camelback Inn, Rita’s provides distinctive Southwest flair with killer happy hour views of Mummy Mountain. Walk through the same lobby that movie stars Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne once did. 5402 East Lincoln Drive

18. Harkins Camelview 5, Scottsdale

Specializing in films where things do not blow up, the Camelview is an oasis of quality cinema tucked behind the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall. Currently showing: The Imitation Game and A Most Violent Year, among others. 7001 East Highland, Scottsdale

19. Frank and Lupe’s, Scottsdale

This hole-in-the-wall family-owned Mexican restaurant  will have you dreaming of a siesta afterward. An Old Town Scottsdale favorite for more than a quarter-century. 4121 North Marshall Way

20. The Vig, Phoenix

That upscale tavern with the feel of a neighborhood joint, The Vig is also a trendy spot to take a date. Smart decor and stylish clientele, but you always feel welcome. Fire pits and televisions outside. 4041 North 40th Street

21. Matt’s Big Breakfast, Phoenix

You are going to wake up for breakfast? God bless you! Matt’s, located in downtown Phoenix, believes in keeping it simple (notice the menu) and delicious. Honorable mentions include Scramble in North Scottsdale and Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe, a Valley staple since the 1960s, also in downtown Phoenix. 825 North First Street

22. Piestewa Peak and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve

Formerly known as Squaw Peak, this is the second-tallest summit in the area (2,608 feet) and arguably a more challenging climb than Camelback Mountain.Enter East Squaw Peak Drive off Lincoln Drive

23. Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns, Friday, 8:30 p.m.

The Suns (26-20) are a band of brothers, boasting twins Markieff and Marcus Morris as well as Slovenian siblings Goran and Zoran Dragic. Chicago’s Pau Gasol was named as a starter for next month’s All-Star Game, a contest in which his brother, Marc (Memphis Grizzlies), will start for the West. U.S. Airways Arena, Phoenix

23-A. The Real McCoy

Anyone who has lived in Phoenix the past 40 years reveres and recognizes the voice of Al McCoy, the longest-tenured broadcaster for one professional sports team this side of Vin Scully. McCoy, 81, made his debut in 1972 with the Suns and is as much a part of the local fabric as the magnificent sunsets. Listen to him on KTAR (620 AM) radio. “It’s a wham, bam, SLAM!”

24. Jade Bar at Sanctuary, Paradise Valley

Located partially up the backside of Camelback Mountain, Sanctuary is the resort James Bond would find lodging if 007 ever had business in the Valley. You can bet the mixologists at the swank Jade Bar would know how Mr. Bond prefers his martini. 5700 East McDonald Drive

25. RnR Restaurant and Bar, Scottsdale

Yet another Old Town Scottsdale joint that is jumping, this two-story gastropubspecializing in southwestern fare often appears to be overflowing with humanity. Prime location, too. 3737 North Scottsdale Road

26. Four Peaks Brewery, Tempe

Highly popular with Arizona State students, as it is located closer to most dormitories than the more tourist-friendly Mill Avenue bars, Four Peaks brews its eight mainstays on-site. Another popular homegrown Tempe product, musician Roger Clyne, is known to frequent the spot. 1340 East 8th Street

27.  The Henry, Phoenix

A phenomenal neighborhood restaurant in what is perhaps the Valley’s most esteemed authentic neighborhood: Arcadia. The Henry is a breakfast joint and a coffee bar by day, a sexy eatery after sundown. If you are not here, you feel as if you are missing out on something. 4455 East Camelback Road

28. El Chorro, Paradise Valley

An Arizona landmark that has been around since the late 1930s and was a favorite of screen legends such as Clark Gable and John Wayne (who must have loved it down here), El Chorro has surrendered some of its charm since a recent renovation. Still, if you venture inside to the famed Classroom Bar, pull up a stool and order a shot of whiskey, you may just channel the spirit of the Duke himself. 5550 East Lincoln Drive

29. Carefree

Whenever you have the opportunity to put yourself on the corner of Ho-Hum Road and Easy Street, you take it. This secluded town (pop.,4,000) due north of Scottsdale has more going for it than just its happy-go-lucky sobriquet: the hemisphere’s third-largest sun dial is located here. Just past the city limits, in neighboring Cave Creek, you’ll find The Hideaway Grill where you, your Harley and your leather vest are more than welcome. If you prefer a dining experience where sleeves are encouraged, we highly recommend Binkley’s.

30. Second Story Liquor Bar, Scottsdale

No, that isn’t Don Draper and Roger Sterling in the booth behind you, but it may as well be. A high-end cocktail bar and eatery that mixes swag with swank. 4166 North Scottsdale Road

31. Cactus Aquatic Center, Scottsdale

Finding it difficult, or just a tad chilly, to swim laps in your resort pool? Hit this north Scottsdale natation nirvana that features two heated 25-meter pools boasting approximately 20 lanes. Cost? $3 per session. 7202 E. Cactus Road

32. The Madison, Tempe

Full name: The Madison Improvement Club. This Tempe sweatshop offers yoga and also peddles a “Party on a Bike” program with neon lights, a DJ and bass-thumping music (not mentioned: ASU coeds). A first-timer class is just $10. 149 South Farmer Avenue

33. Culinary Dropout, Tempe

Also known as “The Yard,” this gastropub and acoustic music setting (which is associated with the aforementioned Madison) aims to be the perfect understated undergrad hangout. That group project in Marketing class is due tomorrow? Meet here. Ping-pong tables and cornhole boards are located on the patio. 149 South Farmer Avenue

34. Orange Sky at Talking Stick Resort, Scottsdale

I’ll be blunt: this casino has fewer oxygen tanks-per-patron than the other reservation casinos around the Valley, according to my informal poll. Double down on the sunset vistas at the penthouse-level Orange Sky restaurant, located 15 floors above the Pima Indian Reservation grounds. 9800 East Indian Bend Road

35. San Tan Flat, Queen Creek

Located on the far southeastern edge of the Valley, this outdoor grill and saloonpromises “all the fun of camping without having to sleep on the ground.” Two languages are spoken here: country and western. 6185 West Hunt Highway

36. Tempe Corona del Sol at Tempe Mountain Pointe, Friday, 7 p.m.

Six-foot-ten freshman Marvin Bagley III achieved virality with this dunk in his home debut. Corona del Sol has won three straight state Division I basketball titles and those who have seen Bagley say he has the potential to be the best prep hoopster the state has ever produced. Bagwell’s grandfather, “Jumpin’” Joe Caldwell, was an All-Star in both the NBA and ABA, as well as an Arizona State legend. 4201 E. Knox Road

37. O.H.S.O. Eatery and nanoBrewery, Phoenix

Tucked between Indian School Road and the Arizona Canal in the historic Arcadia neighborhood, this indoor/outdoor saloon is more comfy than your favorite pair of cargo shorts. Dogs are welcome and the bar even provides locks for your bicycle. Try the brisket sandwich. 4900 East Indian School Road

38. Scottsdale Gun Club, Scottsdale

You are in Arizona, after all, home of the O.K. Corral. The SCG offers lessons as well as rentals on handguns, rifles and even machine guns. So if you feel at home on the range… 14860 N. Northsight Blvd

39. Mill Avenue, Tempe

What State Street is to the University of Wisconsin or 6th Street is to the University of Texas, Mill Avenue is to Arizona State. A bevy of bars and street urchins await you. Too many of both to mention here and we prefer not to play favorites.

40. XTERRA Trail Run–McDowell Mountain

Before embarking on a sybaritic Super Bowl Sunday, why not get in a serious workout? The XTERRA offers two trail races in the scenic McDowell Mountains on the morning of Sunday, February 1st: a 15-miler that begins at 8 a.m. and a 7K (4.34 miles) that starts at 9 a.m. Entry fees are $55 and $45, respectively.

41. The Chuckbox, Tempe

Located in the heart of ASU’s Tempe campus, this cash-only burger joint has been tempting Sun Devils to skip that 12:05 Econ class for 35 years. The very definition of rustic, the Chuckbox features mesquite-grilled burgers that are not to be missed. 202 East University Drive

42. The HI-Liter, Phoenix

Dig it, we are not actually suggesting you step inside the Valley’s most popular gentlemen’s club. We are just saying that if you are avidly seeking autographs from professional athletes, the parking lot here may be a better spot to stake out than Fan Fest (p.s. steak and lobster, all day, Thursdays, $11). 4716 North 12th Street

43. The Wigwam Resort, Litchfield Park

One of the few, if not the only, attractions in the Valley west of the site of Super Bowl XLIX, the Wigwam is steeped in history – it opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1929 — and an appreciation for golf. The resort boasts three championship-level 18-hole golf courses, two of which were designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. 300 East Wigwam Blvd

44. Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix

Housing more than 6,000 instruments from approximately 200 countries, MIM is the largest museum of its type on the planet. An Artist’s Gallery features instruments that have been played by everyone from John Lennon to Taylor Swift, while the Experience Gallery invites visitors to make some noise. Oh, and they’ve heard every variation of the “One time at band camp…” joke.  4725 East Mayo Boulevard

45. Portillo’s Hot Dogs, Tempe

Chicago may be known as the Second City, but many Windy City folk consider Phoenix their second city. Which helps to explain the cult-like popularity of this Chicago-style wieneria. 65 South McClintock Drive

46. Butterfly Wonderland, Scottsdale

Not to be confused with “Boogie Wonderland.” A 10,000-square foot atrium, the largest of its type in North America, hosts numerous species of butterflies that number in the thousands. Why should Buffalo Bill have all the fun, right, Clarice? 9600 East Via de Ventura

47. Tent City, Phoenix

Actually, we strongly advocate that you never spend an hour within Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s al fresco jail, but this is a real thing. Prepare to spend at least an evening “camping out” if you are stopped and cited for DUI, and do not for a moment underestimate the zeal of Phoenix and/or Scottsdale police. Local sports legends Tom Chambers, Mark Grace and Diana Taurasi can all vouch for that. 2939 W. Durango St.

Jennifer Aniston Talks About Not Working-Out For Cake Movie Role

It’s probably a safe assumption that Jennifer Aniston is on many women’s celebrity body crush lists The famous actress is 45 and looks amazing. Total girl crush going on here!

Aniston is faithful to her workouts—when she’s not in yoga class she runs, does Pilates, and oh, at one point told InStyle that she brings 8-pound weights with her whenever she’s staying at a hotel. The woman is dedicated. So when Jennifer needed to stop exercising for about two and a half months for her role as a woman addicted to painkillers in the movie Cake (presumably to lose some of her muscle tone and definition) it initially came as a sigh of relief.

“At first I was thrilled, because I said ‘this will be so great I don’t have to work out,’” she said on the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

But as we all know, and Aniston soon found out, exercising is more than just a time-consuming thing you do to stay in shape.

“After a few weeks it really does start to affect your sleep, your stamina throughout the day, your mood,” Aniston continued. “We take for granted how important [exercise] is and why we do it.” Preach.

And Jen speaks the truth: study after study shows how exercise can help you feel less stressed, happier, and even more energized, just to name a few of its many benefits.

So while you may think, “Imagine if I got paid to not work out like Jennifer Aniston!” you, too, would realize what a downer life is without downward dog (or your exercise of choice).

Arizona Sports Center!

Sports Center Live In Sunny Arizona!

The Super  Bowl is ONLY 7 days away!  Are you ready?  We here in Arizona could not be more EXCITED!! Well, ok, I could  not be more excited!! My Patriots arrive today!  The Seahawks arrived yesterday.  Events are going on daily from sun-up to sun-down.  Still in need of a Super Bowl tickets?  If you have the cash, you can get the tickets anywhere from $2250-$5000 per ticket, cha-ching!  Not into football?  No worries, the Waste Management Open begins today through Sunday, this year Tiger Woods is joining the circuit.  Scottsdale is looking at a new record high of crowds for this years tour line up!  Need tickets, you an find them on sale anywhere from $30-$900 a basic general admission ticket or all inclusive tickets for all you can eat & drink all day.  Not a sports, more of a music fan?  Everyday through Sunday there some of music’s biggest acts between Glendale, Scottsdale and North Scottsdale.

Click Here For Listing Of Super Bowl Events

Click Here For Waste Management Schedule

 

 

Top 5 Things To Know About The Super Bowl

Thank you (CNN) for brining the top 5 things to know about this years Super Bowl– Let the hype begin!

After four months of exciting gridiron action, America (and the world) has its Super Bowl combatants.  The Seattle Seahawks will face off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1 in Glendale, Arizona.  Whether you’re a hardcore NFL fan or just a wannabe watching the game for the halftime show and commercials, here are 5 things you need to know for the Super Bowl:

No. 1 vs. No. 1:  This will only be the 11th time that the No. 1 team from the NFC will play the No. 1 team from AFC. And this matchup of No. 1 seeds is happening for the second year in a row. Usually one of the top teams stubs its toe in the playoffs on the way to Super Bowl glory.

Let’s do it again:  Winning the big prize twice is just plain hard to do. Just ask Barack Obama. But if the Seahawks succeed in winning another championship in two weeks, they will be the first repeat NFL champs in a decade. No team has done that since … the New England Patriots in 2005.

Making history, together:  Speaking of the Pats, the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era in New England has been nothing short of phenomenal. The coach-QB combo has produced three Super Bowl wins, 12 division championships and a record of 180-55 together. But there’s more history to be made. Belichick — now the winningest coach in NFL postseason history with 21 wins — will become only the second coach to appear in six Super Bowls, while Brady will become the only quarterback to play in six Super Bowls.

Roman holiday:  After this year’s title tilt, the NFL will break with tradition (for one year) and ditch using Roman numerals in the Super Bowl name. The 2016 version of the championship game — the 50th, to be played in the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium — will simply be known as Super Bowl 50. The Roman numerals are set to return in 2017 for Super Bowl LI.

Music, music, music:  Some folks (OK, lots of folks), don’t care about the game at all. They’ll be watching to see who’s performing at halftime. After many years of halftime shows featuring a musical mashup of singers and groups (up until the Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson fiasco), the NFL seems to have found a winner with shows focused on a single artist. Think of the great Super Bowl halftime shows put on by Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Beyonce. And Bruno Mars simply set the stage on fire last year. This year get ready to “roar” with Katy Perry, and she’s bringing in Lenny Kravitz for backup. Idina Menzel (best known to little girls everywhere as Queen Elsa) will sing the national anthem.

Oh, and for those keeping up with such things (for entertainment purposes only, of course), the early Las Vegas line on the Super Bowl has Seattle as a slight favorite over New England. But that’s subject to change during the next two weeks of unyielding buildup to the game.

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