Campfire in a Can lit up the night during our engagement photo shoot in Show Low, Arizona. We had such a great time exploring the forest, making delicious s’mores with Reese’s peanut butter cups, and hanging out with good friends for the weekend.

Photos by the talented Chanelle Sheridan. Special thank you to Rocky for his hospitality.

By now, many of you have created a Pinterest “Food” board. For some, this board might be titled: “Delicious”, “Yum” or “Savory Delights” as I have seen. For me, this board is “not just for your eyes-only”, but an invitation to enjoy these creations with me as they come to life in my kitchen.

Dinner is No Longer a Bore

Pinterest has shown me how small changes to “everyday” ordinary dishes can keep cooking fresh and fun. I have literally seen at least 5 different ways to prepare asparagus this summer just by looking at random pins from my friend’s board.

It’s easier than ever to find a meal that looks delightful. No more searching via keyword for what I would like to make for dinner. These days, I simply login and browse the many pinned images of tastiness until something catches my eye. Upon clicking the image, I am directed to the site (from which the image was originally pinned) and the recipe (if applicable).

I have always been a visual person and tend to skip over recipes from websites when no image is attached. With Pinterest, this is never an issue. In fact, these enticing pictures can sometimes get me in over my head when I see that I need to pick up over 10 ingredients from the grocery store.

Shopping is No Longer a Chore

In the past, I used to write out a list of the ingredients needed for a recipe (but always forgot to include the amount needed). Now, I just open the Pinterest app on my smart phone, click on the pinned image, and reference  the recipe as I stroll through the aisles to gather ingredients.

I find grocery shopping to be far more fun with a vision as to what those groceries will come together to form. I get excited to get those groceries home, re-create the image and then take some pictures of my own.

Recreating Images Galore

Sometimes I find myself re-pinning images from others boards and other times, I scour some of my fave food blogs such as, picky-palate.com or thefoodinmybeard.com and pin images on my own. My board becomes a line-up for future meals… kinda like a “to-cook” list.  Recently, while on thesweetslife.com, these cheesecake stuffed strawberries looked like the perfect blend of simple and fabulous. With just a few ingredients and 30 minutes, these little gems will be a favorite take-along to office potlucks and family gatherings.

Leaving Them Wanting More

Having your friends over for dinner this weekend? Pinterest lets you see what your friends and family enjoy eating. Check out your guest’s Pinterest boards and make a dish just for them.

Don’t know what to get your friend for their birthday? Surprise your friend with the gift of a Pinterest dessert from their board.

For those of you out there that haven’t yet created a food board, you may want to reconsider; someone may want to surprise you with your favorite Pinterest dish.

I was helping my bestie out by modeling for a Rosie the Riveter and retro style photo shoot. It was such a blast.

Photos By: Chanelle Sheridan
Visit her Facebook Page – CKS Portraits

The Real Estate Bar Camp at the Scottsdale Stadium (pictured here) was an open forum full of Realtors, property managers, lenders, and home inspectors; a group of professionals eager to learn and share in all sectors of real estate.

The camp was broken down into sessions that the attendees and volunteers felt were trending topics in the Real Estate World. The four sessions that I attended were: “Useful iPad Apps”, “Realtor’s Property Resources”, “Property Management Tips”, and “How to Search the Market like a Pro”.

Here are some takeaways from each session:

Session 1: Useful iPad Apps for Realtors

Taking an iPad house hunting is more fun than a notepad. While a notepad is great for notes, the iPad can be used to take notes, pictures, and there are even programs such as Magic Plan that can help you to create a floor plan of any home. Digital Signing Apps, such as, SignMyPad and DocuSign Ink can allow for signing of contracts and forms without ever printing the documents. Who doesn’t love to save trees?

Session 2: What is RPR?

Are you a Realtor that doesn’t know about RPR – Realtor’s Property Resource? This national database (included in our NAR fees) includes:

tax assessment,
public record information,
notice of default,
foreclosure data,
MLS provided information,
zoning,
liens,
permits,
school districts,
flood plain maps,
demographics and much more.

If you are a home buyer and would like more information on a particular lot, ask your agent to see any available information from RPR.

Session 3: Property Management Tips

With all the investors in the market, the need for property managers is on the rise. Do you know what it takes to be a good property manager? Here are a few useful tips whether you are managing just one property to several properties:

• Merchants Information Solutions evaluates tenants and runs a credit check for around $18
• Ozone treatments have been known to eliminate pet or smoke odor
• A majority of tenants prefer two tone paint, ceiling fans, and tile/carpet for flooring, and a backyard with at least a small amount of grass

Session 4: How to Search like a Pro?

Are you a prospective home buyer looking to search online for available properties in the market? Ask your Arizona real estate agent to set you up with an MLS portal to view active homes on the market within your search parameters.

Homes found on other search sites are typically not updated as frequently as the MLS and may no longer be on the market. Don’t get discouraged if the home you find is not available; with access to a search portal, you will get updates on new listings and pricing reductions immediately.

My Final Thought

The open forum camp allowed for more Realtors to share technology and other resources available in order to “help each of us be better at what we do” (rebcphx.com). I encourage agents to attend day camps, ask questions during Continuing Education courses, and to continue to share with the members of the real estate community. If you know of an App or anything that has helped you provide a better client experience, please share the love in a comment or tweet me @JennaMeeker.

As an Arizona native and after the celebration of the States 100^th birthday, I wondered what it was that has kept me living here all these years. As a licensed Arizona Realtor, I have the opportunity to help others make the beauty that is Arizona, a place that they too can call home.  Here is why Arizona is so easy to love:

1. Arizona is a 5 hour drive away from other “hot” locations.
• For a weekend of gambling, shows, glam, and all around letting loose, Phoenicians can jump in the car for a 4 -5 hour road trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. (I hear that the new bridge over the Hoover Dam has decreased the drive time, but have yet to test this out.)
• Grab your passport or visa and head out of the country for water sports at the beach, bargain shopping for knick knacks, and dancing….  hello Rocky Point, Mexico.
• At just a 5+ hour drive away, California‘s celebrities, beaches, and the magic kingdom make for a fun family getaway.

2. The sightseeing around Arizona is breathtaking.

• We have one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World here. For those of you new to Arizona, the Grand Canyon is full of beauty and history. Some of the most beautiful waterfalls and scenery are inside this canyon just waiting for the next adventurous soul.
•  Kartchner’s Caverns, a fascinating “live” limestone cave with stalactites dripping down like icicles and giant stalagmites reaching up from the ground.

• Sedona, the Red Rock spiritual town with its natural beauty and vortex energy can rejuvenate even the day visitor.

3. Tank tops & flip flops. Yes, Phoenix summers are a bit overwhelming but we have some of the best spring, fall, and winter weather in the Southwest. The low humidity (frizz-free hair) and no need to run the A/C or heat for half the year is a win-win situation. Did someone say pool party?

Speaking of weather, Arizona is clear of natural disasters…. We enjoy the monsoon season.

4. For cooler weather, perhaps the cool pines of Northern Arizona; including Payson, Pine, and Flagstaff will tickle your fancy.

You can go from cactus to pine trees in under 2 hours. The hiking trails, fishing and camping are abundant at many of the lakes and rivers that run throughout our state.

5. As much as Arizona is a melting pot and has been known to lack a sense of community, I find that more people have come together at events such as Farmers Markets, fundraisers, art/music events, Meetup groups, and children/adult sports leagues.

Even when someone leaves, they are drawn back to this irresistible state for one reason or another.

6. No Daylight Savings Time here! We “Zonies” have so much sunshine (Vitamin D) in this state that we have no need to change our clocks.

7. Bountiful Sunsets, mountain views and wildlife surround us. (The photo of the bobcat in the main image was taken in the backyard of my parent’s home.)

8. The cost of living is lower than many other cities and buying a home can be more affordable.

9. The highways and ease of getting around town has the average commute time to around 28 minutes for residents. Our grid system makes it easy to navigate around the city for our out-of-state visitors. We also have a bus system and light rail incorporated for a greener solution to transportation.

10. Our Sports Teams: The Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals (We don’t need no stinkin’ Manning!), the D-backs, and the Coyotes. We also get to enjoy spring training baseball games here due to the great weather conditions.

Please leave comments below and share what you love about Arizona. If you are looking for a home here in Arizona, I am at your service. Please email me via the contact form.

After news that no one hit the big $300 Million jackpot in the Tuesday drawing of Mega Millions, I started getting hyped. I couldn’t resist but to mention this big jackpot opportunity with my fellow coworkers.  I thought why not get everyone at work involved and make it an office pool? Out of curiosity, I sent this email just to get a feel for the interest:

Hi Phx team,

The Mega Millions jackpot is up to $476 Million. Cha – Ching!!  I know all of you have heard office lottery pools hitting the jackpot. Well let’s try our luck, shall we?

 The tickets are $1 each and I am accepting money for the pot. Everyone that is playing should put in an equal amount. We will do 2$ or 5$ depending on the interest. I plan on buying several tickets for the Friday, March 30^th drawing. I will purchase the tickets, make copies,  and distribute it to those participating via email.  

Don’t be the odd man out like this poor guy:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/lotterys-biggest-loser-albany-man-opted-mega-millions/story?id=13256437#.T3OATUdcdqU

Let me know if you are interested, come on over with your money and sign up. If we win, we will split the money equally between all participants.

Minutes later, the entire office was in a frenzy. I had people crowding my desk holding out $5 dollar bills and all sorts of chit chat and replies to my email. This was only the beginning.

For three days, the office was talking about the lottery nonstop. There were mass emails sent to all the participants with calculations of each of our winnings after taxes. I heard everything from what my coworkers would buy to how our odds of dying from flesh eating bacteria are greater than winning. This didn’t stop any of us from the excitement of knowing that as an office, we could be millionaires together.

Shortly after, news got out that our office purchased 280 tickets and next thing I know, I was on the radio with 550 KFYI. Listen to the Radio Announcement Here > Megamillions Winners in AZ

In the end, I believe this office pool brought me and my coworkers closer. I think it may have also improved some of our math skills with all the calculating of odds and winnings. Good luck team!

Last night, I felt like I was speed dating with the “restaurants on wheels” in Downtown Phoenix. I hopped from truck to truck as the owners tried to woo me over with offerings of a variety of samples. This being my first Food Truck Mania experience, I was pleased to be able to taste several small dishes at cheaper prices.

Upon my arrival, the chilly wind required that I warm up with an indulging homemade hot chocolate topped with marshmallows from Shine Coffee. Who doesn’t love when someone offers to put marshmallows in your cocoa?

While sipping on my cocoa, I heard the Pizza People announce that their Popeye pizza was fresh out of the oven and ready for slicing. The sample sized slices consisted of an ample amount of toppings that allowed for every bite to deliver the fresh spinach that even Popeye himself could appreciate.

Next, while waiting for a burrito, Buzzbeez, the most vibrant colored truck on the lot caught my attention. The purple and yellow wrapped truck displayed a  picture of a woman dressed like a bee. On the other side of the truck, the art came to life as a tall woman in a bee outfit (pictured here) offered me a complimentary piece of fried chicken. This crispy and juicy chicken breast made me realize that I need more fried chicken in my life.

The jambalaya burrito from Jamburrito Cajun Grille was well worth the wait and was overflowing with a mix of Andouille sausage, chicken, rice, peas, Creole and Etouffee sauce. I loved that they turned the jambalaya into a burrito for a delicious and filling meal on the go.

I was just about ready for dessert when I came across the “Sold Out” sign at Mama Toledo’s Pies.
Mental note: Snag dessert first…. people like pie!

In place of dessert, I couldn’t resist but to try Lumpia (a crispy egg roll with pork, carrots, and cabbage dipped in sweet sauce) from Hey Joe’s Filipino Street Food menu. As an egg roll lover, I can honestly say it was one of the best egg rolls I have ever had. The crispy wrapper held in those evenly distributed egg roll fillings with such care and the pork meat was amazing. I also enjoyed the staff and their great customer service.

Leaving full and satisfied; I didn’t have any real criticisms. The trucks were very busy and the wait was a little longer than I had expected. The food exceeded my expectations and I look forward to being served many more menu items from these pick up windows.

I know this was only our first date, but could it be love at first bite? To all you food trucks, you have been warned… I will be stalking you.

I can say I survived WordCamp Phoenix 2012 held at the Chandler Center of the Arts. This amazing all day camp had my brain bubbling like a cauldron full of magical WordPress knowledge.

Each hour, I chose one of three – 50 minute courses to attend including, Real Estate Blogging by Jay Thompson @PhxREGuy, The Discipline of Creativity by Ward Andrews of DrawBackwards Design, and Creating Content with Joe Manna from InfusionSoft just to name a few of my favorites.

From these courses, a few things I learned:

• Write your own content for your site and do it often. Use plug-ins such as Editorial Calendar to schedule dates for your posts to be published. This tool is handy for bloggers that like to write content in advance and publish it throughout the week.
• Take breaks to encourage creativity. Ward Andrews says, “Most of my creativity happens when I am not at my desk.”  His presentation captured different means of enhancing creativity through photography, travel, and ‘letting things marinate’.

• Don’t always talk about yourself.  Joe Manna’s presentation emphasized the need to write content for your visitors and to have a purpose.

The 3-day camp included: access to all courses, lunch, t- shirt, and tons of free giveaways for only $35. For anyone interested in starting a web page for personal or business purposes, I would recommend researching classes or courses in your area. There are also many resources on the web, such as codex.wordpress.org that can help you get started. A wise Ward Andrews once said,”To get ahead, you must get started.” This site is my start and I hope that you enjoy.

See all you Phoenix WordCampers in 2013.

Welcome to my site! I think its important that everyone has a cozy something that they can personalize and make their own. Since I spend a majority of my day on the internet, I decided to create a website and share a little about me with the world wide web.