First Fridays in Phoenix is taking part in holiday magic over at the Science Center where they are auctioning gingerbread houses benefiting Phoenix Neighborhood Housing Services. Of course you’ll also probably find some cool holiday gifts for friends and family.

APS Holiday of Lights Parade is happening Saturday, rain or shine.

Tempe Festival of the Arts is happening and although it’s not specifically a holiday event, you can definitely get some holiday shopping done there.

Glendale Glitters is still going strong offering the perfect place to enjoy some hot beverages while walking amidst twinkling decoration and enjoying festival performances.

Holiday Pet Festival is being presented by the Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary on Saturday. Come on, take Fido out for some fun this weekend.

Giant gingerbread houses

{cc photo courtesy of  Mandy_Jansen  Flickr}

Where are you spending your time this weekend?

Photo courtesy of Lunar Mini Golf Facebook page

Lunar Mini Golf is located at Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix, 9617 N. Metro Parkway West Phoenix, Arizona. They are open Monday through Friday from 3pm until 9pm, Saturday from 10 am until 9pm and Sunday from 11am until 6pm. Call to check for summer hours when school is out at 602-870-4800. Parking is on the lower level near Sears.

Has anyone gone? Let me know if you purchase the deal.

Lightning charred branch above and damaged carport below

Look to the Past

The evening started with a few updates about the possibility of rain and thunderstorms. I followed these along with the NOAA maps and readied my radio and storm kit. While the air smelled of rain, the humidity stifled and the wind was slight, the lightning became quite present. Our house flooded a few years back on August  28th, 2008 and the one thing that stuck out that night was the light show before hand. The air had felt super charged and the lightening was extensive early on. It always leaves me quite unsettled as it should with anyone who knows how dangerous it can be. Last night felt eerily similar.

Lightning Skies in Phoenix

The air felt charged with energy and the lightning strikes branched across the entire sky. While many storms find me outside shooting some pictures under the patio, last night I felt very uneasy and didn’t even venture out to check the rain gauge. At around midnight I thought it safe and tiptoed out to find only about a half inch had fallen over the past three hours. While this is significant for Phoenix, during Monsoon storms more than that can fall within only a half hour which would have made it more remarkable. Walking back into the house I was taken aback by a huge lighting strike that fell across the entire sky above and lit up the area with its characteristic glow. I booked it in and realized I was taking ridiculous risks. All my training came back in a big mind slap reminding me of lightning’s many dangers. Just because the rain and wind had died down didn’t mean it was safe to leave the house. I knew that, but took a crazy risk that I will never do again.

A Loud Thud

Later, at around three thirty in the morning a loud thud had us searching for a cause, while darkness kept the source hidden until the morning light. We found a very large branch had landed on the carport and cracked two of its beams. Luckily the two cars underneath escaped damage. A closer examination of the branch showed singe marks and charring from a lightening strike. We will have to keep close monitoring of the tree since these types of injuries can lead to a steady decline and eventual death of even the most healthy tree. It was a personal note to our family that Mother Nature is quite unpredictable and even this quite minor storm had much to say.

Be In the Know with the NWS

As earlier stated, the NWS is running a lightning safety campaign that I covered on Mamita’s Creations. It is meant to ensure people go inside at the first sign of lightening, which is usually preceded by thunder. Here in Phoenix, this time of the year can be extremely dangerous as hot temperatures lead many into water recreation outdoors. The weather before a Monsoon storm can be quite nice and many enjoy the drop in temperature before the wind and rain take over. I want to make sure you know the dangers of lightning and spread the word to others everywhere. To date there have been eleven lightning-related deaths and that is eleven too many.

Please visit the NWS Lightning Safety Campaign page for more information and please spread the word.

Thanks and stay safe, Phoenix. If you hear thunder please go inside and stay there.

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• When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors (Mamita’s Creations)

Baseball fans, Gleeks and anyone who likes to get their groove on, get your dance shoes out! I’m very excited to spread the word about a this year’s Arizona All-Star Charity Dance-a-Thon benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Held on July 9th the event will take place at the Phoenix Convention Center from 3:00 to  midnight. All event-related net proceeds will be donated equally to the mentioned three charities supporting cancer research and education.

Glee’s very own acclaimed choreographer, Zach Woodlee, will lead the crowd in coordinated and spontaneous dance moves. He and other VIP guests will also serve as judges for a soon-to-be announced contest that will be open to Dance-A-Thon attendees. The grand prize winner of the contest will win an exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity on the set of Glee.

Please register for the event, sponsor a participant or just donate for a cure.  Visit the official site and help me spread the word about this fun and worth-while event. Participants who sign up by July 1 will receive a discounted price of $15 (adult) and $10 (14 and under) and spaces are limited.

***UPDATE***

Thanks to CENPHO on Twitter who informed me this event has been cancelled. What a shame. If you are not following CENPHO, please do. She’s making a difference one tweet at a time while helping the rest of us get up-to-date information.

Having worked with community agencies in the Valley all my life it’s safe to assume I am constantly fighting for our ever-stuggling nonprofits. Let’s face it, fundraising is difficult for non-profits and even more so when the economy is taking a hit. Even still, there are many people across all income brackets who are still willing to give during tough times. While there are many great causes, it’s sometimes difficult to follow the money. Cauzoom helps nonprofits and social groups fund their projects by promoting donations for specific activities allowing people to see the direct benefits of their monetary gift-giving.

By offering specific details for where donations are headed, people may be more likely to not only give, but to also become a part of promoting the project. A visit to their site shows one project raising money to buy an iPad for a child with sickle cell anemia while another boasts purchasing 25 beds for a hospital in India. Just think of the potential for your agency or social group.

Cauzoom also helps groups pursue social media marketing potential with a blog offering ideas and strategies for its members. Visit the site and take a look around. You can get ideas for your own group or find a worthwhile project to support. Cauzoom is also found on Twitter and Facebook showing embracing social media networking. They are definitely a a fundraising possibility to keep on eye on and are worthy of some further research.  It never hurts to have another method to raise funds for your cause and it’s always nice to find a new worth-while project to support.

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Image via Wikipedia

Voice Deal of the Day presented by the New Times is offering $5 ticket (that’s half off) to the New Times’ Artopia this Saturday, April 9th. Enjoy the art exhibition, dance performance by EPIK Dance Company and samples from local restaurants. Live music will be provided by Shawn Johnson.

Deal Chicken is offering $20 for a $40 gift card at Yollipop. In addition to their 16 flavors of yogurt, the bright, fun shop also offers  in-house made cupcakes,  Boba drinks, parfaits, smoothies, shakes, and hot and cold espresso drinks featuring Seattle’s Best coffee. They are located at 3961 E. Chandler Blvd. Suite 100  Phoenix, AZ 85048.

Eversave’s deal is 55% savings at Golfhub.com.

GolfHub.com  Today’s Save: Step into spring on the green with $75 toward tee times in your area from GolfHub.com Expires 11:59 PM – Apr 07, 2011

Let me know if you enjoy any of these deals. That Artopia looks like a great time.

You, my wonderful readers, are in luck. Eversave is launching in Phoenix and we are all celebrating with a $3 off promo code and giveaway.

Eversave Phoenix is going to be your go-to stop for great deals here in the valley. The first deal is for a HydroMassage through My Resort Tanning and Spa. If you think relaxation must cost a fortune than allow My Resort Tanning and Spa to change your mind. With great reviews on Yelp, Yellow Pages and Google, this budget-friendly spa offers luxury treatments at affordable prices. Ease away stress with their 30-minute HydroMassage session. This alternative to traditional hands-on massage allows clients to rest on a bed offering warm jets of water working from beneath in wave-like motions.  There’s no need to remove clothing so treatments are fast, efficient and can fit into even the busiest of schedules. Clients can even enjoy watching movies or listening to music throughout the treatment.

Today’s deal through Eversave offers this $39 HydroMassage session for only $18.  However, Eversave is offering a one-time-use celebratory promo code for an additional $3 off.  When you sign up and purchase this great deal, enter code HYDRO and pay only $15 for the session. This is a great way to try out HydroMassage.

But wait! There’s more.  I have been offered the chance to gift one of my readers with this HydroMassage deal at My Resort Tanning and Spa. So how can you win? I’m so glad you asked. Follow these guidelines and you’ll drift even closer to HydroMassage blissdom.

1. Follow Eversave Phoenix on Twitter @Eversave

2. “Like” Eversave Phoenix on Facebook

3. Join Eversave

It’s that easy. Please promise you’ll come back and let me know about your experience. And remember, you can buy multiple 54% off deals which will make great mother’s day gifts.

The Phoenix Film Festival runs March 31-April 7, 2011

I’ll admit I’m a little biased when it comes to our film festival. I went to high school with the director and he’s one of the nicest guys I’m sure I will ever have the pleasure of knowing. So of course anything this guy is associated with is going to be golden in my book. However, there’s a long list of supporters of the Phoenix Film Festival, so you don’t have to take my biased opinion as gospel. Ask around and you’ll see they are well loved so you are going to want to get tickets ASAP.

The Phoenix area sometimes gets an unfair criticism regarding a “supposed” lack of culture and arts. What I have found is that conservative states have less funding for fine arts programs and must instead rely on community activists and volunteers to bring arts to the masses. Over the past decade I have seen amazing groups and organizations go above and beyond to make sure the Phoenix area is filled to the brim with arts and culture. The Phoenix Film Festival has not only become an important fixture in our city’s arts community, but has made a name for itself on a national and even international level. As with other art groups, we all benefit from the Film Festival’s ultimate labor of love.

This year actors like Peter Weller and Cuba Gooding Jr. may top the list of people to see, but the festival supports it’s humble roots with indie and cult favorites as well. I’m personally holding back screams of excitement for Heather Langenkamp who will be in attendance on Saturday. “Nancy Thompson”, of the original Nightmare on Elm Street, Dream Warriors and New Nightmare, will be promoting her new “I Am Nancy” documentary. And there are so many other amazing shorts and indie films that are sure to provide a fix for every film-goers favorite genre. Don’t worry about being too overwhelmed with choices. They have such an organized set up on their site that guests can read through options, buy tickets and easily add choices to their calendar. They also ticket packages for full event choices or single movie viewings. Every budget can find something an affordable and enjoyable way to participate.

Parents are sure to delight in the Festival’s Kids Day on Saturday with tons of fun hands-on activities for the little ones. There will also be a family-friendly film screening at the end of the event. What a wonderful way to get kids involved with the film process and embrace an area of the arts that is often forgotten. Children can learn about how their favorite films are made and gain a whole new respect for how much time, energy and work is behind the process.

For more information visit the Phoenix Film Festival site.

If you plan on attending, what or who are you looking forward to seeing? Which films are on your calendars? I look forward to seeing you all there. Come back and tell me what you thought.

I did a post over at Mamita’s Creations on eggs. In particular, I talked about eggs with that deep gorgeous hue that only farm-fresh eggs provides. Go take a look and click on the link to find eggs here locally. We have so many farmer’s markets to choose from that it should be easy to find some delicious local eggs. Where do you get your eggs? Do you raise your own chickens like I do? If you own or work in a restaurant, where do you get your eggs?

I learned  Scottsdale Healthcare will be offering two parenting classes in April for only $10. The following are two available workshops:

Help! My Child Won’t Listen will take place on April 14th from 6:30-8pm at the Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital, Conference Center, 7400 E. Thompson Peak Pkwy. The flyer explains,”In this one-night workshop, learn the reasons why children don’t or won’t listen. Learn how to teach your children to listen and learn solutions to encourage better listening skills.”

Consequences that Work will take place on April 28th from 6:30-8p.m. at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center, Conference Center, 9003 E. Shea Blvd. The flyer suggests that, “Whether you have toddlers or teens, this workshop will help you effectively set limits and follow through with appropriate consequences. Discover techniques to prevent misbehavior and discipline methods that leave you and your children feeling empowered.”

Registration is required for both events, so please call 480-882-4636.

I’d love to hear about the event so please come back and leave a comment or contact me.