Body After Baby By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty   Sculpting a fit, toned, and healthy body after the birth of a child is definitely achievable. New moms often want results quickly; however, it’s important to be patient with your changing body and realistic about your goals. If you are easing back into a workout routine, allow yourself time to adjust. Doing small bursts of activity daily, even if it ...

Hot or Chilly M.D. Thalmann bemoans the various temperatures and other topics of the season. I’m supposed to write a cheery, upbeat little blurb about civilian life in the suburbs. Meanwhile, other folks are going to outer space, finding water on Mars, developing driver-less cars, and such––you know, important stuff. Me? Well, the best topic I could come up with is Arizona weather. Newsflash––it’s not hot! ...

Holiday Escape Celebrate the season at The Resort at Pelican Hill. By Adam Toren Photos courtesy of The Resort at Pelican Hill   The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, Calif., is the type of luxurious destination that you can visit over and over again without ever having the same experience twice. All of your stays will have one thing in common, though: They’ll all be amazing. The resort, which i ...

Wild at Heart Arizona-based raptor rescue focuses on all species of birds of prey. By Lauren Bukoskey   Getting a call in the middle of the night about an injured hawk that needs immediate attention could be considered a little bizarre. But for Sam and Bob Fox, who run Wild at Heart, an Arizona-based raptor rescue, it comes with the territory. Their organization is ready to rescue and rehabilitate all ...

Mad for Plaid  Party stylista Jamila Watson celebrates the season with a traditional pattern. Photos by Kourtney Marie Photography It’s time to celebrate! The weather is beautiful and it’s the perfect time to rejoice in the season with family and friends. Plaid is so hot right now and is the perfect accessory for the holidays. This season, I decided to go plaid and decorate for Christmas, using different ta ...

Christmas Eve Corn Bread Mama G. (aka Leann Grunwald) shares a tasty holiday recipe with a kick. It’s no surprise that the style of Mexican cuisine most typical of Arizona originates in Sonora. Beef, cheese, sour cream, masa, yellow corn, roasted green chilies, beans, and more distinguish this cuisine. The possibilities to tie all these delicious foods together is endless. After World War II, young families ...

In Style  10 stylish finds for a fashionable mommy and baby duo. By Nadine Bubeck Photos by Marisa Belle Photography The New Year calls for updated and stylish gear. Consider the start of 2016 a perfect excuse to add fab finds to your closet. Here are 11 mommy + baby must-haves for a fashionable ‘16. Native Sid Boots The latest look from Native: comfortable kids boots that are waterproof, washable, shock ab ...

Holiday Traditions North Valley readers share what makes this time of year so special to their families. By Kristin Caliendo I never realized how important holiday traditions were until I had a family of my own. I was inspired looking back over my childhood, while tracing my family traditions for this column. This journey made me appreciate all the effort my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles put in to ...

Yoga & Poetry  Scottsdale’s Samantha Lang combines her passions in a unique book designed to soothe the soul. By Jennifer Wolff As residents of the North Valley, most of us are busy people. Between working hard, taking care of families, countless social activities, dining out, events, outdoor adventures, and nightlife, we are an intensely vigorous group. Ask anyone these days how they are doing and the ...

Gold, Silver, & Diamonds This is the time of year that silver and gold are not only in jewelry but the colors of many holiday packaging and displays. Customers often ask, “What is a good investment?” To me, investment has many meanings. Do you want to buy it in order to sell it? Gold and silver coins and bars are popular. If so, the price of them is easy to find on a daily basis. Gold coins usually have ...

CONCERTS/MOVIES/TELEVISION    CONCERTS/  Dec. 6 Trans-Siberian Orchestra 2015 Gila River Arena This unique rock band brings holiday cheer to attendees. With a sound described as Pink Floyd meets Yes and The Who, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will perform a rock opera. Their unique sound will bring a twist to the typical holiday feel.   Jan. 9 Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Comerica Theatre Since the debut of ...

CAR GUY Barrett-Jackson Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson opens up about his car collection, his Scottsdale memories, and what the 45th Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction has in store for 2016.   By Sondra Barr Most boys love fast cars, but it’s a rare few indeed who get to grow up surrounded by exotic and high-performance automobiles. For Barrett-Jackson Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson, his Scottsdale childhood ...

FELINE FIXATIONS Let your style go wild with animal print and soft-to-the-touch fabrics. Photos: Brad Olson, bradolsonphotography.com Wardrobe and styling: Shannon Campbell, shannoncampbellstylist.com Model: Sabine Turner––FORD/Robert Black Agency, fordrba.com Makeup and hair: Patrycja Korzeniak, patrycjakorzeniak.com Location and cat: Lynn Spanganberg–Northern Exotics Clothing: Dillard’s Fashion Square, di ...

DIY Magnet Wall This easy-to-do decorating project makes learning fun. By Kristin Caliendo Photos by Kristin Caliendo   When my son came home from preschool one day, waving a piece of construction paper with his name spelled out LEIF, I was so excited that I wanted to find a way to help him continue learning the alphabet. I searched the Internet for inspiration, but fell short of anything more exciting ...

Improve Your Drives  Golf pro Scott Sackett explains how to greatly impact your total distance and spin by changing your contact point. Launch angle, total distance, spin, and contact point: What do these four elements have in common? Well, three are a result of the other. In this case, contact point heavily influences launch angle, spin, and total distance with a driver. Why is that? The driver is a curved ...