Scottsdale has one. Phoenix has one. Chandler has one. Mesa is the latest locale to introduce an art walk as a place to enjoy a leisurely hour or two perusing original art works and crafts produced by members of the East Valley Art Guild.

The 4th Friday ArtWalk premiered in June and had a nice showing. Paintings, photographs, sketches, sculptures, metalwork, jewelry -- many art forms were represented. The Mesa Riverview entertainment district is the location of the monthly event. I expect it to continue to grow from here. Stop by this Friday, July 25, 2008 for the 4th Friday ArtWalk. Admission is free, and it starts at 6 p.m.

The Better Homes and Gardens and the Green Works Living Green Tour will feature the 2,500-square foot Better Homes and Gardens “Living Green Home” at this summer's Maricopa County Home and Garden Show. The exhibit showcases eco-friendly rooms, integrated with green products, materials and appliances. Environmental experts will be on hand to to offer a variety of ideas for small changes you can incorporate into your home to make a big “green” impact. Consumers attending the show will learn easy and realistic steps to saving money, saving energy, and minimizing their impact on the environment.

The Maricopa County Home and Garden Show will take place on August 1, 2, and 3, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

I can tell you a way to save money before you ever get to the show! Yes, that's right -- you can get discounted tickets to attend the Maricopa County Home & Garden Show. Find out how.

You Might Also Be Interested In....

• Maricopa County Home and Garden Show Pictures
• Green Living in Phoenix
• More Local Trade Shows
• Green Living 101

The rains came and the water's flowing! This week's Phoenix Friday Cool Spot is the Salt River Recreation area. Tubing down the Salt River is a long-standing tradition in the Phoenix area. Everyone has to do it at least once, and some people do it several times per year. It's like visiting the Grand Canyon--you can't live here and not go tubing on the Salt. You can certainly go Salt River Tubing this and every weekend, but it is much less crowded during the week, if you can get away from your day job....

This Saturday, July 19, 2008, you can wear a costume at Salt River Tubing because it's Halloween in July! Will you ride on on Betty’s Haunted Bus?

Did you know that restaurant and food service employment represents about 10% of the total employment in Arizona? The Arizona Restaurant Association doesn't see that slowing down any time soon, projecting that over the next 8 years more than 70,000 additional new jobs will be created in that sector.

We'll have more places to eat, and the inspectors will have an ever increasing workload! I certainly hope that for health and safety, they are able to keep up with the restaurant inspections over the coming years.

This month was a slow month for violators. That's a good thing! I have never eaten at Speedy Pit Stop; it doesn't sound especially appealing, but then I don't expect I'll be checking it out soon, judging from the number of major violations they had. See who should be sitting in the naughty chair for June 2008, and check out the hundreds of restaurants that had zero major violations last month. Read more...