The Great Pumpkin Festival at Desert Botanical Gardens
Get into the Halloween spirit with the family at the Great Pumpkin Festival at Desert Botanical Gardens. Take a hayride to the Pumpkin Patch, where kids can pick out their favorite pumpkin to decorate. The event also features a hay bale maze, carnival games, farm animals and music. Check out the event’s website for more info.
Meet the Neighbors: Dick and Leona on Laddoos Ave
Dick and Leona have been enjoying the “Good Life†at Encanterra® since May 2015. Shea Preferred Realty Group had the pleasure of assisting them sell their Scottsdale home and helped them find the perfect home on Laddoos Avenue.
Dick and Leona are originally from Revere, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. In 1974, Leona lived near Dick’s office, where he would often see her walk past his windows. They were eventually introduced and Dick hired Leona as an accountant for his business, a heating oil distribution company. Dick later decided it was time to branch off and follow photography, a passion he loved. He and a partner opened up a store called the Camera Exchange in Cambridge. He loved working for himself and was very successful with his business. Leona continued to work as an accountant and worked over 25 years with a company called Standard Parking Corporation.
In 1996 they decided the cold and bitter winters of Massachusetts needed to be a thing of the past. They packed up, headed west and built a beautiful home in North Scottsdale. Leona shipped her horse out from Boston, then continued to follow her passion of riding, boarding and caring for horses. One day Dick and Leona decided to visit the Arizona Cattle Dog Rescue. They felt the need to adopt a dog that needed a loving home. When they saw “Codyâ€, they immediately knew he was going home with them that day. That was 4 years ago and he’s been such a wonderful addition to their family. Cody loves taking walks around the community and is very friendly too!
After 20 years in their Scottsdale home they realized it was time to downsize. They visited Encanterra® and instantly fell in love with the lifestyle. Dick and Leona are very active in the community. Dick loves to cook and entertain. He was recently elected to be President of the Culinary Club. When he’s not in the kitchen, you can find him enjoying a round of golf. Dick and Leona love being Ambassadors of Encanterra®. Leona was honored last year as the Dancing with the Stars Champion— she has some great dance moves! They love spending time with their two daughters, who live in Georgia and Massachusetts. They also have two grandsons that love to visit them in Arizona; Presley is 13 and Cassius is 10. When you see them out walking their dog, Cody, say congratulations on celebrating 26 years of marriage this October! Welcome to the Good Life, Dick and Leona!
Pending Sale | Monaco floorpan w/ Tons of Entertaining Space at Encanterra®
Pending Sale | Energy Efficient Encaterra® Home w/ Bonus Golf Cart Garage
Halloween Crafts + Recipes
Halloween jumps starts the holiday season with warm flavors, welcoming decor, and youthful fun for everyone.  As any super-crafty person will tell you, this makes it the absolute best time of year for all things DIY. Get your family and friends together to try out some (or all!) of these crafts and recipes.
Striped & Polka Dot Pumpkins
What a seriously adorable Halloween decoration! Pretty easy to do, and there are ideas for other holidays on the blog as well.
10Â Pumpkin Seed RecipesÂ
Swanky Recipes details everything you need to know about  preparing and drying the seeds, plus 10 different recipes for you to try. Never throw out the seeds from your pumpkin carve again.
Mini Caramel ApplesÂ
These are just amazing— delicious caramel apples in neat, bite-sized portions. Best idea ever?
Glow in the Dark Slime Â
For the kiddos. You can tackle this mini-science project together, then switch off the lights and watch their little faces light up with delight!
11 Ideas for Pretty Pumpkins
Decorating Your Small Space put together this list of extra fancy pumpkin ideas, including this absolutely amazing Tinker Bell! I just love the idea of turning a pumpkin into a lantern.
Schnepf Farms Pumpkin + Chili Party 2016
The East Valley’s favorite Halloween festival is back again every weekend in October. Entry to the event includes all the activities listed below (according to the Schnepf Farms event website), plus tons more fall fun, food, and activities available at an extra cost.
Admission Includes:
Hayrides
Roller coaster
Swinging lady bugz
Honeybee adventure
Flying farmers ride
Carousel rides
Jumping pillows
Petting zoo
Country road rally
Rock climbing wall
Miniature golf
Bonfires
Marshmallow roasting
4 acre corn maze
10 acre celebrity corn maze
Farmhouse museum
Hillbilly Bob’s Pig Races
Entertainment
Extreme Canine Dog Show
Lil Farmers Play Yard
Forest ZIP LINE (NEW ATTRACTION)
GYPSY Time Travelers (NEW SHOW)
Mountain Slides
Pumpkin Launch
Fireworks (Friday & Saturday nights)
Country Air
Check out the event website to get all the details!