A beachy body wash, Wine 101, a puppy paw saving balm, and more!

4 places I love that you definitely need to try.

5 fun things to do in November and what to wear.

I have good news and bad news. The good news is Phoenix and Scottsdale is a prime tourist destination due to its good weather. Okay, maybe that becomes an inconvenience to everyone trying to get around town in a timely fashion. But the bad news is, this weekend it's going to about 95 degrees. Hopefully, we can push the days of 100+ days off just a little longer so we can spend more time outdoors. With this in mind, I put together a little list of my four favorite places to hang out. Some of them will let you beat the heat and one will let you enjoy a little time outdoors.

The Hotel Valley Ho has always been one of my favorite places in Scottsdale. It has been open since 1956 and designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright student, Edward L. Varney. It quickly became known as a fashionable hot spot of the valley and a favorite of celebrities and sports stars. In 1973 it was purchased by the Ramada hotel chain and its vintage design was deemed "out of date" and covered. In the early 2000's it was purchased again and restored to its chic, mid-century modern look where it has remained ever since. Throughout its years it has expanded to include a high-rise with new guest rooms and condos and the American restaurant, Cafe ZuZu. It has even been called one of the "best preserved mid-century modern hotels in the country."

Full disclosure: it's been incredibly nice here the past couple weeks. Unless you count yesterday being about 96 degrees which is more of an outlier. Regardless, that means we are spending a ton of time outdoors lately. Phoenix in the spring has an influx of snowbirds avoiding the frigid temperatures of their home state in favor of pool days, baseball games, and hiking. While it might be my biggest driving annoyance (just because it's sunny doesn't mean we drive differently!), I figured I would share more of my favorite places to visit in the Phoenix metro area.