McDowell Mountain Ranch Podcast

As we say farewell to the MMR podcast and hello to Scottsdale Vibes podcast, I want to talk about why we love this city so much. And there's no better person to do that than Stephanie Pressler from Experience Scottsdale. Listen as we discuss the ways this city is going to shine bright and recover from COVID. Experience Scottsdalehttps://www.experiencescottsdale.com/events/ THE place to know all about events.  NDP Culinary Festival https://www.ndpsaints.org/support-ndp/signature-events/cf Coming up in a couple weeks. A night of food, friends and fun. Tickers are $100 online or $125 at the door. And if you’re alumni, you can get in for $50! Go get your tickets now. Can’t wait to see you all there.  Happy Halloween! It’s the last weekend to get spooked! Plenty of pumpkin patches, haunted houses and trick or treating going on. Stay safe and have fun.

The Polo Party is back at WestWorld! Celebrating 10 years, I got to speak with AZ Lady of Polo, Natalie Grancharov-Camacho. We talk of how she got into the game, marrying a 5 generation player and teaching Alicia how the game is played. We laugh and learn and get excited for The Polo Party! Calendar of Events Brought you by Notre Dame Prep Notre Dame Prep is your Catholic HS in Scottsdale. Check them out at NDPsaints.org The Polo Partyhttps://thepoloparty.com/ Buy your tickets for the Polo Party so you can see Natalie and all the other great players. Million Dollar Minglehttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/million-dollar-mingle-celebrity-polo-party-luxury-lounge-experience-tickets-161239075415 Don’t forget about A.C. Caswell’s event too.

It's Polo Time! It's 10 years of The Polo Party at WestWorld. This week, A.C. Caswell joins Alicia at the table talking about his big charity event at the Polo Match. Here how you can get your hands on the Million Dollar Mingle tickets.  Million Dollar Minglehttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/million-dollar-mingle-celebrity-polo-party-luxury-lounge-experience-tickets-161239075415 Don’t forget about A.C. Caswell’s event too, at the Polo Party. I’ve included the link to his parties. MMR Garage SaleThis saturday from 7-11am. The map of the garage sale locations will be posted online at www.mmrca.net beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday morning. On-Site Goodwill Donation Drive: Help Desert Mountain Band Boosters raise money by donating any gently used items to the Goodwill Drive at the Community Center between 1pm – 3 pm.Coffee & Bagels to meet your neighborsTuesday, Oct 19 from 8-9am. A perfect way to start the day! Pre-registration and payment required to ensure ample seating space and for planning purposes. Space is limited so please be advised that there will not be room for any drop-ins. Check your email for the MMR newsletter where the link to register is located. 

Our neighbor Janylle Radden is one of millions with food allergies. Dining out can be difficult and extra work to figure out what one can eat, with food allergies. That's when she took it upon herself to make it easier for her and others like her, creating MenuMd. The easiest way to find your favorite place to eat.  Calendar of Events Brought you by Notre Dame Prep Notre Dame Prep is your Catholic HS in Scottsdale. Check them out at NDPsaints.orgVeronica Leon from Macaroni Kid back with us this month. She is always in the know and I’m excited to hear what she’s narrowed down for us this month. https://nscottsdale.macaronikid.com/events

Alicia and the trio sisters of Fit Family Fitness join Alicia at the table. We talk all things from growing up here in Scottsdale, going off on their own just to reunite and start a family business. Maggie Mills is an MMR resident and she and her two sisters cater to all ages when it comes to physical therapy and personal training. A one stop shop at your home, nonetheless, to Fit all your Fitness needs. Calendar of Events Brought to you by Notre Dame PrepNotre Dame Prep is the Catholic HS. Check them out at ndpsaints.org to learn more.  Fit Family SeminarLink to register: https://airtable.com/shrVNuG0KWcJJLlXr September is Fall Prevention Awareness Month, so we will be talking balance & fall prevention. We'll be answering all sorts of common questions about balance and providing tips on how to improve balance and prevent falls in your daily life!Date: September 30th Time: 9:00 - 9:45 AMRegistration for Fall Garage Salehttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/fall-garage-sale-oct-2021-registration-164189359795 Register your house by Oct 13. The neighborhood sale will be on Sat Oct 16 from 7-11am. This one is extra special in that the On-Site Goodwill Donation Drive: Help Desert Mountain Band Boosters raise money by donating any gently used items to the Goodwill Drive at the Community Center between 1pm – 3 pm. Rail Fair at McCormick Railroad Parkhttps://www.therailroadpark.com/?post_type=event&p=196 This weekend, Oct 2 & 3 from 10am-5pm. The McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park kicks off the fall season by celebrating all things railroading! There will be multiple outdoor model train layouts on display from a variety of railroading clubs from across the Valley. Take a tour of the park’s train shed with our steam engineers and see a wide selection of the park’s seldom seen vintage railroad equipment on display.

If you're like me, you're guilty of using screen time for a little alone time. You get me, parents? What I'm not guilty of is not knowing what my kid is watching. This week, Ilana Lowery joins me at the table to talk Common Sense Media. They do review everything from movies, shows, apps, game and more. A go-to recourse for you to feel safe with what your kids are watching.  Calendar of Events Brought to you by Notre Dame PrepNotre Dame Prep is the Catholic HS. Check them out at ndpsaints.org to learn more.   Common Sense Mediahttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/ Fall Concert Series in the Paradise Park https://www.eventbrite.com/e/concert-in-the-park-thaddeus-rose-band-sept-2021-tickets-159717975765 Thaddeus Rose Band Saturday, September 25, 2021 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Community Center Great Lawn 10607 E. Paradise Lane Come prepared to enjoy a fun evening of dancing and entertainment with the Thaddeus Rose Band. Food can be purchased at the Wandering Donkey's Food Truck which will be on-site. Space is limited.   AZ Restaurant Weekhttps://arizonarestaurantweek.com/ Restaurant Week is going on now through Sept 26. No better reason to get out and try a new place this week!  Reptiles Up Close!  https://butterflywonderland.com/ Every Sunday in September 2 p.m. In this interactive experience, enjoy an educational talk with Butterfly Wonderland Reptile General Curator Lindsey Meder. Learn about the many reptiles and amphibians that share the rainforest with tropical butterflies. There will also be a Q&A session with Lindsey. FREE WITH ADMISSION.

The heat is still coming in with a vengeance. But I'm also desperate to get out of the house. This is where I typically take my kids when the time comes, AZ Boardwalk. This week I have Ran Knishinsky, CMO of Az Boardwalk. A family business started with a passion and love for the city, turned into one of the hottest destinations in Scottsdale.   Besides the heat and Boardwalk entertainment, the housing market is still burning too. So lucky to have Shawn Shackelton on to dig deep into what's happening. I always learn something when she pays me a visit.  Calendar of Events Brought to you by Notre Dame PrepNotre Dame Prep is the Catholic HS. Check them out at ndpsaints.org to learn more.   Arizona Boardwalkhttps://www.azboardwalk.com/ Like you just heard from Ran, there is day’s worth of activities to keep you and your littles entertained at AZ Boardwalk. Go check them out. With this weekend not cooling down at all, what better way to spend your time in doors then fun at Az Boardwalk. Pumpkin Fest at The Princesshttps://www.scottsdaleprincess.com/pumpkin-fest Starts Sept 16 through Halloween night. My family and I went last year and had a blast. Rides, s’mores ciders and this year they’ve added a Spookeasy. Go and enjoy the start of the festive season. Hamilton the Musical https://www.asugammage.com/hamilton If you love the theatre and haven’t seen this play, you are missing out! I am definitely going  while they’re here at ASU Gammage theatre in Tempe. I’ve only seen the play on DIsney+ so am so excited to see these great actress/actors in their element.

Outdoor activities are all the rage here in Arizona. Besides climbing, hiking, biking and off roading, rock climbing is at the top of the list. I had the absolute pleasure of hanging out with Kevin Berk of AZ on the Rocks, a local rock gym here in North Scottsdale. Let's just say, the 31ft in his gym is nothing compared to his outside accomplishments.  AZ on the Rocks https://www.azontherocks.com/ Go Big or Go Small there is room for all at Az on the Rock. We went last week and had a BLAST! Like Kevin said, all ages, experience levels and ages accepted.  Tummie Time Seminar https://fitfamilypt.com/event/webinar-tummytime/ Fit Family Physical Therapy (www.fitfamilypt.com) serves the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale areas, providing in-home, concierge physical therapy and personal training to patients of all ages and life stages - orthopedic, pediatrics & adolescents, athletes, pre- & post-natal, and seniors! Hosted by pediatric PT expert, Maggie Mills (MMR mom), the first topic of the free webinar series is “Real Talk: Tummy Time" — it’s geared toward parent & pediatric populations. Please pass this along to anyone in your community who may benefit from learning a little more about tummy time and pediatric developmental milestones! FREE Concert Series at Scottsdale Quarterhttps://scottsdalequarter.com/events-news/event/2021/09/11/default-calendar/fall-concert-series Bring your lawn chairs and dancing shoes for a FREE concert. Starting this Saturday through Oct 23, enjoy a free concert from 5-7pm.

This week I got a behind-the-scenes look at OdySea Aquarium with Directors. of Animal Care, Education & Conservation. The husband & wife duo were the first hires at the Aquarium. Their love for all things ocean animals is truly felt during our 1-1 time together. We go "in-depth" with them and learn a lot.  Calendar of EventsThis month’s calendar of events is brought to you by Notre Dame Prep. Notre Dame Prep is a Catholic High School with the shared values of Reverence, Respect, & Responsibility.. Check them out on the web at ndpsaints.org OdySea Aquariumhttps://www.odyseaaquarium.com/ Seems like there’s really only one thing to do this weekend, check out Odysea Aquarium of course. Now that you know more about the work that goes into protecting these animals, go check them out. Even if you’ve gone once, there is always something new to enjoy.  Labor Day weekend means the last of the Resorts summer time events. I know my family and I are excited for a little Staycation this weekend. Hope to see some of you all out there too.     Happy Rosh Hashanah to my fellow Jews out there. I hope you have a healthy and happy new year.  

It's the age 'ol question we've asked a lot, "Do we have a good work life balance?" Al Loveland from Strabo joins me a the table to talk about changing your tune from balance to success. With just a few pointers and his Famous 4P's, we're all sure to succeed.        Calendar of EventsThis month’s calendar of events is brought to you by Notre Dame Prep. Notre Dame Prep is a Catholic High School with the shared values of Reverence, Respect, & Responsibility.. Check them out on the web at ndpsaints.org Desert Botanical Gardens Host Flashlight Nighthttps://dbg.org/events/flashlight-nights-2021/2021-08-21/ Flashlight Nights are nighttime self-guided adventures through Desert Botanical Garden. Nocturnal explorers can bring their own flashlights to shine along the trails to capture the night-blooming plants and animals that appear in the desert after dark. Each evening of Flashlight Nights includes socially-distanced activities for all ages. This week an All female mariachi band will be playing.  Beat the Heat end of Summer at Scottsdale Quarterhttps://scottsdalequarter.com/events-news/event/2021/08/28/default-calendar/beat-the-heat Celebrate the end of summer by cooling down with treats, snow, fun, and music in the sun at our Beat the Heat summer social on Saturday, August 28th, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.! Cool down in the snow, play some yard games, grab a Topical Sno snow cone or a boba tea sample from Bubble Bee, ask for a balloon animal, and listen to fun music while you dance around in the splash pad. The first 500 people will also get to pick up toys and items that will help you Beat the Heat!