Lisa Fonseca | VOS Lifestyle

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016

MAIL

Lifestyle VA L L E Y O F T H E S U N

Thanks & Giving

FOR A MEANINGFUL SEASON

Home Sharing

Hotel Alternatives for the Holidays

Ocean Prime Lobster Bisque

For a Meaningful Holiday...

EVENTFUL

You can also look around for “angel trees” or “adopt-a-family trees” during the holidays, often sponsored by local houses of worship, businesses, and schools. Select one or a few tags off the trees and donate these items in need. Requests are usually small items, such as a toy for a 10-year-old boy or a sweater for a woman in her 70s. Involve the whole family and have your children pick out items that they themselves purchase for another child their age, to teach the true meaning of the season. To further encourage and carry on the spirit of giving, help your children organize a coat, book, or toy drive on their own or via their school. The feeling they get when dropping off their gift for those less fortunate will be the greatest gift they receive all season long.

Home, Sweet Vacation Home

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016 The Music Man Mesa Arts Theater | November 17 - 20 MesaArtsCenter.com | 480.644.6500 There’s trouble in River City when a fast-talking salesman comes to town. By turns of wicked, funny, warm, romantic and touching, The Music Man is family entertainment at its best. Meredith Wilson’s six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957 and is a family friendly story to be shared with every generation.

Lifetime Fitness Turkey Day 5K/10K

Tempe Fall Festival of the Arts Mill Avenue District | December 2 - 4 TempeFestivaloftheArts.com | 602.331.9016 As many as 400 artist booths line Mill Avenue and the surrounding streets presenting unique and hand-made artwork that offers visitors a distinctive shopping experience. While the Tempe Festival of the Arts primarily focuses on art and the artists who create it, there are also a wide variety of other activities for guests to enjoy.

Live entertainment stages provide musical entertainment for festival-goers. Performances by a number of well-known local musicians keep audiences in high spirits throughout the day. In addition to the scheduled entertainment, street performers, vendors, sponsor exhibits and entertainment booths are set up for the amusement of Festival visitors.

The Nutcracker Phoenix Symphony Hall | December 9 - 24 BalletAZ.org | 602.381.1096 The magic of the holidays comes alive with Ballet Arizona’s classic The Nutcracker. Surrender to the grand sweep of Tchaikovsky’s score and the wonders of childhood. Join Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they embark on a thrilling adventure of dancing toys, mischievous mice, waltzing flowers, and sparkling snowflakes. Ballet Arizona rings in the season with Ib Andersen’s The Nutcracker creating memories to cherish forever.

H

ave you ever wanted to join the millions of people who rent out their second home or portions of their primary home to guests from all over the world? The term “bed and breakfast” has been popular for years, but the digital world has taken this concept to the next level – assisting vacationers in easily finding you and your property.

First, determine whether you want to rent out portions of your residence and act as “host” to guests or multiple guests. The upside to this concept is meeting lots of interesting people and sharing your experience in the local culture with those guests. The downside is opening your private residence to others.

If you own a second home, you may want the home rented out during the times that you choose not to occupy the property. In either case, how do potential guests easily find and rent your property? There are a plethora of vacation rental websites with the most popular ones listed below. You may find that one or several of these fit your needs.

Airbnb With over a million properties around the world, Airbnb.com is probably the largest rental website. Travelers can select whether they want to rent an entire property, a private room, or a shared room. Airbnb also has a social component, where guests can review hosts and vice-versa. Airbnb doesn’t pay the host until 24 hours after guests have checked in to ensure that everything runs smoothly, and there’s also a 24-hour emergency line in case of problems.

HomeAway HomeAway specializes in the traditional private vacation home where guests rent out the entire property for a specific length of time. This service is top ranking on industry-leading search engines like Google. Their advanced web search ability allows travelers to quickly find the property they are looking for. The property owner is allowed up to 24 free photos as part of their subscription. HomeAway provides additional protection options for your vacation rental and provides customer service over the phone, online and via email.

VRBO

A

fter the turkey, stuffing, and pies have vanished, wouldn’t it be nice to look back at this Thanksgiving season and feel good about how you have made a difference and helped your community? Why not make this Thanksgiving the one that truly evokes the meaning of the words “giving thanks.” Make this fall season the time you reach out to someone in need and find ways to give back for all your blessings. Here are a few ideas on how to get started.

Many cities and even smaller towns have soup kitchens or food pantries that help feed those in the community in need. If you’re not sure where to find a food pantry, contact local religious groups or community centers to get details on where to volunteer with your time or how to donate food items. Consider giving of your time or through donations year round to make your contributions

IN GOOD TASTE

1700 W. Washington | November 24 TurkeyDay-5K.com Warm up your Thanksgiving appetite with the Turkey Day Run Phoenix! Since 1989, this event has brought family and friends together to start the day in a healthy way. Join runners, joggers and walkers for a morning of fun. The race day venue will be in the south parking lot of the Wesley Bolin Plaza.

Here you will find race day registration, bib pickup for pre-registered athletes, official food bank taking donations, awards tent and post-race food.

Other easy ideas? Many grocery stores offer “meals in a box” at the checkout line. The shopper simply pays the cost of a Thanksgiving meal at checkout and that food is delivered to a person in need at the holidays. Couldn’t be easier than that. Or consider sending holiday greeting cards and gifts that give back, such as UNICEF cards, proceeds of which benefit vulnerable children around the world. Even simple acts of kindness—taking an elderly neighbor out holiday shopping, raking their leaves, or bringing them freshly baked cookies—will help spread gratitude this season. The simplest idea of all? Inviting someone who may be alone on Thanksgiving to your dinner table. Now that’s giving thanks.

Lobster Bisque INGREDIENTS 1 lb 1/4 lb 1 1 1/4 c 1/4 c 2

lobster bodies butter carrot celery rib diced onion button mushroom cloves of garlic

1 2 tbsp 2 c 1/4 c 1/2 c 1 qt pinch

bay leaf flour clam juice dry sherry white wine cream cayenne

DIRECTIONS Rinse then roast lobster bodies at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. In the meantime sauté all vegetables in butter until caramelized. Crush the roasted shells and add them to the vegetables. Add flour to vegetable and shell mix to make a roux and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze with wine and sherry then add clam juice and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Finish with cream and simmer until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste and finish with cayenne. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and serve.

HomeAway owns both popular vacation rental websites VRBO and VacationRentals.com. All three sites share the same features, provide the same services and insurance and display many of the same listings. Both HomeAway and VRBO are very efficient marketing channels, but you should try both to see which works best for you because performance for each site varies by property location and property type.

REAL ESTATE

corner

count. Get your children involved by setting up a food drive via the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.

Ocean-Prime.com | 480.347.1313

For a Meaningful Holiday...

EVENTFUL

You can also look around for “angel trees” or “adopt-a-family trees” during the holidays, often sponsored by local houses of worship, businesses, and schools. Select one or a few tags off the trees and donate these items in need. Requests are usually small items, such as a toy for a 10-year-old boy or a sweater for a woman in her 70s. Involve the whole family and have your children pick out items that they themselves purchase for another child their age, to teach the true meaning of the season. To further encourage and carry on the spirit of giving, help your children organize a coat, book, or toy drive on their own or via their school. The feeling they get when dropping off their gift for those less fortunate will be the greatest gift they receive all season long.

Home, Sweet Vacation Home

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016 The Music Man Mesa Arts Theater | November 17 - 20 MesaArtsCenter.com | 480.644.6500 There’s trouble in River City when a fast-talking salesman comes to town. By turns of wicked, funny, warm, romantic and touching, The Music Man is family entertainment at its best. Meredith Wilson’s six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957 and is a family friendly story to be shared with every generation.

Lifetime Fitness Turkey Day 5K/10K

Tempe Fall Festival of the Arts Mill Avenue District | December 2 - 4 TempeFestivaloftheArts.com | 602.331.9016 As many as 400 artist booths line Mill Avenue and the surrounding streets presenting unique and hand-made artwork that offers visitors a distinctive shopping experience. While the Tempe Festival of the Arts primarily focuses on art and the artists who create it, there are also a wide variety of other activities for guests to enjoy.

Live entertainment stages provide musical entertainment for festival-goers. Performances by a number of well-known local musicians keep audiences in high spirits throughout the day. In addition to the scheduled entertainment, street performers, vendors, sponsor exhibits and entertainment booths are set up for the amusement of Festival visitors.

The Nutcracker Phoenix Symphony Hall | December 9 - 24 BalletAZ.org | 602.381.1096 The magic of the holidays comes alive with Ballet Arizona’s classic The Nutcracker. Surrender to the grand sweep of Tchaikovsky’s score and the wonders of childhood. Join Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they embark on a thrilling adventure of dancing toys, mischievous mice, waltzing flowers, and sparkling snowflakes. Ballet Arizona rings in the season with Ib Andersen’s The Nutcracker creating memories to cherish forever.

H

ave you ever wanted to join the millions of people who rent out their second home or portions of their primary home to guests from all over the world? The term “bed and breakfast” has been popular for years, but the digital world has taken this concept to the next level – assisting vacationers in easily finding you and your property.

First, determine whether you want to rent out portions of your residence and act as “host” to guests or multiple guests. The upside to this concept is meeting lots of interesting people and sharing your experience in the local culture with those guests. The downside is opening your private residence to others.

If you own a second home, you may want the home rented out during the times that you choose not to occupy the property. In either case, how do potential guests easily find and rent your property? There are a plethora of vacation rental websites with the most popular ones listed below. You may find that one or several of these fit your needs.

Airbnb With over a million properties around the world, Airbnb.com is probably the largest rental website. Travelers can select whether they want to rent an entire property, a private room, or a shared room. Airbnb also has a social component, where guests can review hosts and vice-versa. Airbnb doesn’t pay the host until 24 hours after guests have checked in to ensure that everything runs smoothly, and there’s also a 24-hour emergency line in case of problems.

HomeAway HomeAway specializes in the traditional private vacation home where guests rent out the entire property for a specific length of time. This service is top ranking on industry-leading search engines like Google. Their advanced web search ability allows travelers to quickly find the property they are looking for. The property owner is allowed up to 24 free photos as part of their subscription. HomeAway provides additional protection options for your vacation rental and provides customer service over the phone, online and via email.

VRBO

A

fter the turkey, stuffing, and pies have vanished, wouldn’t it be nice to look back at this Thanksgiving season and feel good about how you have made a difference and helped your community? Why not make this Thanksgiving the one that truly evokes the meaning of the words “giving thanks.” Make this fall season the time you reach out to someone in need and find ways to give back for all your blessings. Here are a few ideas on how to get started.

Many cities and even smaller towns have soup kitchens or food pantries that help feed those in the community in need. If you’re not sure where to find a food pantry, contact local religious groups or community centers to get details on where to volunteer with your time or how to donate food items. Consider giving of your time or through donations year round to make your contributions

IN GOOD TASTE

1700 W. Washington | November 24 TurkeyDay-5K.com Warm up your Thanksgiving appetite with the Turkey Day Run Phoenix! Since 1989, this event has brought family and friends together to start the day in a healthy way. Join runners, joggers and walkers for a morning of fun. The race day venue will be in the south parking lot of the Wesley Bolin Plaza.

Here you will find race day registration, bib pickup for pre-registered athletes, official food bank taking donations, awards tent and post-race food.

Other easy ideas? Many grocery stores offer “meals in a box” at the checkout line. The shopper simply pays the cost of a Thanksgiving meal at checkout and that food is delivered to a person in need at the holidays. Couldn’t be easier than that. Or consider sending holiday greeting cards and gifts that give back, such as UNICEF cards, proceeds of which benefit vulnerable children around the world. Even simple acts of kindness—taking an elderly neighbor out holiday shopping, raking their leaves, or bringing them freshly baked cookies—will help spread gratitude this season. The simplest idea of all? Inviting someone who may be alone on Thanksgiving to your dinner table. Now that’s giving thanks.

Lobster Bisque INGREDIENTS 1 lb 1/4 lb 1 1 1/4 c 1/4 c 2

lobster bodies butter carrot celery rib diced onion button mushroom cloves of garlic

1 2 tbsp 2 c 1/4 c 1/2 c 1 qt pinch

bay leaf flour clam juice dry sherry white wine cream cayenne

DIRECTIONS Rinse then roast lobster bodies at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. In the meantime sauté all vegetables in butter until caramelized. Crush the roasted shells and add them to the vegetables. Add flour to vegetable and shell mix to make a roux and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze with wine and sherry then add clam juice and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Finish with cream and simmer until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste and finish with cayenne. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and serve.

HomeAway owns both popular vacation rental websites VRBO and VacationRentals.com. All three sites share the same features, provide the same services and insurance and display many of the same listings. Both HomeAway and VRBO are very efficient marketing channels, but you should try both to see which works best for you because performance for each site varies by property location and property type.

REAL ESTATE

corner

count. Get your children involved by setting up a food drive via the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.

Ocean-Prime.com | 480.347.1313

VA L L E Y O F T H E S U N

MARCH | APRIL

2016

ABOUT LISA FONSECA

Lisa Fonseca is the top listing and selling agent in the East Valley, and has held that title for nearly a decade. Her success is attributed to impeccable ethics, in-depth knowledge of the real estate market, expert negotiating skills, and a calm perseverance. She is not only highly professional but one of the most attentive and down-toearth agents you’ll ever have the pleasure to work with.

Born and raised in the heartland of Northern Illinois, Lisa embraces the

traditional Midwest qualities of warmth, discipline and a positive approach to life. She launched her professional career in Chicago, holding executive positions in corporate marketing and human resources for William M. Mercer Consulting Firm, then The Marriott Hotels, Inc. and Home Depot, where she launched their operations in Mexico.

Lisa clearly understands the business of real estate and her clients’ needs like few others. Her stellar professionalism, extraordinary people skills and love of what she does, are why Lisa Fonseca is the top listing and selling agent in the East Valley.

MATCHING DISCRIMINATING CLIENTS WITH DISTINCTIVE LIFESTYLES

LISA’S EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY

Lisa is the mother of three accomplished children including teenage twins and a recent college graduate. She is the wife of Al Fonseca, the acclaimed Corporate Chef for Mia Francecsa and Davanti Restaurant. In addition, she is the daughter of Lori and Don Blank, Broker/Owners of Lori Blank and associates. Her love of family is apparent in every aspect of her life.

Celebrate Earth Day Protecting the Planet

WHAT CLIENTS SAY ABOUT LISA

“In all our dealings with REALTORS® over the “We cannot thank Lisa Fonseca enough for her past ten years, we have never met anyone as diligence, tenacity and professionalism while helpful and energetic as Lisa.” helping us sell our home.”

– M.J. & Charles Warchole – Garrett & Cheri Kwakkestain

LISA FONSECA TOP LISTING AND SELLING AGENT IN THE EAST VALLEY REALTOR®, ABR, SRES, ASP, CDPE, MCNE, RSPS, PLATINUM CLUB TOP AGENT

480.437.4379

HomesByLisa@live.com If your home is currently listed, this this is not a solicitation for that listing.

If your home is currently listed, is not a solicitation for that listing.

www.AZLivingLife.com

• 480.460.0996 • www.DesertLifestyle.net Produced Desert Lifestyle Publishing • 480.460.0996 • www.DesertLifestyle.net Produced byby Desert Lifestyle Publishing

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