Madrez Cafe Review! (Flagstaff, AZ)

 

When we go on trips whether it is a slightly bigger vacation or just a small weekend trip to explore one of the cities in our home state, I like looking for locally owned or small chain restaurants to support. On our most recent weekend trip to explore a few things in Flagstaff, I found a small locally owned restaurant called Madrez Cafe. There were one or two options I was looking at for lunch while we were in town, but I am so glad that this is the spot we landed on because lunch was fantastic.  

They offer breakfast & lunch at this spot and are closed for dinner. This is the first spot I've been to that has consistent price across the menu, pretty much all of the breakfast options are $13 each and the lunch options are all $14.50 each. In total for the four of us our lunch bill came out to $60 which isn't too bad for an actual restaurant since some fast food spots can run you just as much. Several of us had ordered the Birria tacos, and they were so good! I like that they came with different sauces to dip them into along with some extra cut up onions. The breakfast bagel, breakfast burrito and the farm skillet were all also pretty good and came with a good amount of food.

Inside of the restaurant felt open, welcoming & cozy and I like that they feature the artwork of local artists on the walls with QR codes you can scan to see more of their work. If it is nice out and you feel like enjoying the weather instead, they have seating outside as well. Wait times for the food were short & everything came out on metal plates which helps keep the food warm and also cuts down on waste as they are reusable. (the staff will collect your plates when you are done eating). So if you happen to be in the area and are looking for a spot for either breakfast or lunch, I suggest stopping by to try out the food for yourself!

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

🟊 This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this ourselves. I just enjoy sharing awesome spots with my readers. 

Out Of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, Arizona!

 

I absolutely love animals & always enjoy visiting different animal spots. On one of the days of our recent weekend trip up north, we stopped by Out Of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, Arizona. I actually went to this zoo several times as a child when it was located near Fountain Hills, but they moved everything up north further to Camp Verde. Which actually works out better for the animals, as it is typically a bit cooler for them there than the previous location. While it was 85+ degrees down where we live, it was a nice cool 68 degrees with some wind on the day we visited. 

The biggest part of this wildlife park that I love is how huge the enclosures are for all of the animals. You'll get lucky and a lot of the animals will be in their favorite spots to lounge within view, and others will be kind of like a safari hunt where you'll need to look for them through out the enclosure. This sanctuary was originally started in 1988 by husband and wife Dean & Prayeri Harrison and their love of animals shows through out the park. Sadly Dean has passed away, but Prayeri is still a huge part of every day operations at the park! In fact she was at the park the day we were there greeting guests, helping answer questions and talk to everyone while they waited in line to buy tickets. Tickets might seem a bit pricey compared to other zoos/animal parks as they are almost $50 per adult, however this is a privately owned park and they have a lot of big cats, bears, etc to provide food to, so that is where the money goes along with the typical cost of operations. 

Another big plus about this wildlife park is that the safari ride is included in admission! A lot of other zoos we've been to charge extra for a safari tour, use of shuttles, etc. When you are on the safari you will be right up close to Zebras, Giraffes, and more. If you are lucky one of the two giraffes will come over and take a treat from your hand, or if you are brave enough to put the food in your mouth, they will give you a big kiss. 

As I mentioned before, the enclosures are quite large which makes the wildlife park a bit spread out. If you'd prefer not to walk the whole thing & want to get to the back section where a lot of the smaller enclosures are (lizards, snakes, birds, etc) there is a free shuttle that will take you back to the main area. You can also stop at one of four shuttle stops to be picked up to go back to the front gates when you area ready to head home. 

Out Of Africa has a large amount of big cats, you'll see quite a few lions, leopards, and wolves. You will also come across bears, porcupines, lemurs and more. All the staff are very knowledgeable about the animals & are happy to talk about them or answer any questions you have. They also feature a tiger splash show,  where you'll be able to see some of the trainers interreacting with one of their tigers playing with toys and jumping into a giant pool. Plus for an extra $5 you can feed one of the tigers (safely of course), the tigers looked like they were loving it! You can tell by the healthy coat and of course the little extra pouch under their bellies that they are well fed and well taken care of. All of the animals seemed content and happy. It was also nice to see that aside from one or two of the animals, that all of the enclosures had more than one in it which is great for socializing. 

They have extras you can add onto your experience as well, such as an extra tour, ziplining over the park, and animal encounters. This wildlife park is in Arizona & like much of the desert there isn't a ton of shade so remember to bring your sunscreen + a hat and possibly an umbrella along with water of course. All of the pathways are dirt and a bit rocky, some strollers will have no issue getting around but other strollers with the tiny wheels may have issues getting through the park. Wheelchair wise, I would say it is easier if you have an electric scooter vs a regular wheelchair. 

Stop by my Instagram or Tiktok page to see a short compilation of clips I took of the animals during our visit. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

🟊 This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this ourselves. I just enjoy sharing awesome spots with my readers. 

Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ - A short review!

 

I've always been fascinated with the beauty of space and I have been a fan of science centers since I was young, so when we visited Flagstaff I knew I wanted to check out the Lowell Observatory. The Lowell Observatory is family friendly & they have an awesome area for small children that offers a lot of hands on science & space based activities. Even as an adult you might find a hands on activity or two in this room that you'll enjoy, like building a mini rocket and trying to shoot it through some hoops. 

A secondary room offers hands on activities that are for teens and adults from balancing two weights to make a chair spin without moving your body, or even a spot that has different things to smell there is quite a bit to do on the first floor. If you want to sit down for a bit they have a theatre that features a number of different presentations ranging from half an hour to an hour long. 

Outside you'll find a number of telescopes set up pointed at different planets & stars with a staff member next to it explaining what you will get to see, how to look into the telescope properly and answer any questions you may have. There are also a few buildings to explore which contain museum pieces, huge telescopes & more. Depending on what you decide to do while here and how quickly you walk around looking at everything you'll be here for one to four hours. 

If you end up getting hungry or want to grab something to drink, there is a café up front across from the gift shop. We had a lot of fun visiting & exploring everything the observatory had to offer. It was definitely worth the visit, and it was nice being able to enjoy the lovely weather while walking around the outside portion of the observatory. Everything was laid out to where things were easy to find, they had plenty of benches along the way in case you happened to become tired plus there were plenty of lovely photo opportunity spots. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Lowell Observatory provided us a discount in exchange for a review, no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

FlagTagAZ - Family fun in Flagstaff, Az!

 

We recently went on a small weekend trip up to Flagstaff, AZ to explore and enjoy the cooler weather that northern Arizona offers. I am always looking for fun things for us to do while on our trips & one of the spots I came across in Flagstaff is called FlagTagAZ where you can do Axe throwing, Laser Tag & More, so it is fun for the whole family. We went on a Saturday afternoon & thankfully the day we went it wasn't too busy, so there were plenty of open throwing lanes and space to relax. 

Before you arrive, you can check out their website to determine if you want to do just one activity or book one of their packages that includes everything. The facility has throwing lanes where you'll be able to throw not only axes but knives & Ninja stars as well. Along with the throwing lanes you'll find, Dart throwing, Laser Tag, Claw Machines, A handful of Arcade games, A photo booth, a food/drink area and a small corner where they have some board games including a huge version of connect four. The price for everything ranges, we went with the Groovy Combo which is 30 minutes of axe throwing and two games of laser tag for $35 per person. 

The throwing lanes are equip with a tablet that allows you to choose a digital game you'd like to play while throwing which is cast onto the wooden planks at the end of the lane. You can choose from games like battleship to regular axe throwing depending on if you want to throw for fun or compete against a friend/family member. I do like that they have the knifes and ninja stars to throw as well, other axe throwing spots we've been to only have the axes so it was great to be able to try out something different. Throwing the Ninja stars was interesting, they were so light weight compared to what I am used to. I am not going to lie, the first time I tried to throw the ninja star it went and stuck in so high I almost couldn't reach it to get it back down! I know I am not the only one who has over thrown though because there were quite a few spots even higher than where my star landed where you can tell people hit. 

After we finished up our half an hour of axe throwing, we went over to the laser tag. The space they have for the laser tag is actually pretty large, and has a second story. I didn't go into the laser tag, however my other family members who did had a fantastic time! The games lasted for a decent amount of time. While the rest of us waited on the laser tag group, we had a look around at what else FlagTagAZ had to offer. 

There is a food area where you can pick up snacks, pizza, or drinks including alcohol which makes it nice if you book a longer session and end up getting hungry. You'll also be able to find a small selection of arcade games plus claw machines. I also noticed that they had a small corner set up that had a number of family board games and a giant version of connect four.  Last but not least, they also have a dart throwing area where you can use either regular plastic tipped darts or metal tipped darts. We had fun checking out everything FlagTagAZ had to offer, and I think it is a fun spot to bring your family to whether you live in Flagstaff or if you are simply visiting to check out near by spots like Bearizona, The Grand Canyon, etc. FlagTagAZ is currently located at 1801 W Rte 66 #102 Flagstaff,AZ 86001 however by the end of summer they are hoping to be in their new location, so please check to verify the address before visiting. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  FlagTagAZ provided us a discount in exchange for a review, no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

April Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

For this month's bundle I knew I wanted to included this adorable "So Groovy" eyeshadow palette that has some bright, fun and exciting colors. I decided to build the rest of this months goodies around that palette. Last month I ended up preoccupied with other things and didn't post a ton, so I have extended last month's giveaway to end on the 21st of this month instead of the twelfth, so if you'd like to enter that one was well you can!  

If you are a fan of older editions of books, I am going to be giving away a copy of 'Through The Looking Glass' from 1977 along with a handful of cute Alice in Wonderland themed beauty goodies. I will be hosting that on my Instagram/Tiktok in just under two weeks. 

🌻 What's Included in this month's bundle; 🌻

💛 Lurella 'So Groovy' palette
💛 B Pure Sheet Mask Set
💛 Morphe Cosmetics Lipstick
💛 Purple & White sleep mask
💛 Pink beauty blender in a Cactus carrying case
💛 Small Blue rubber duckie 
💛 Cloud Light 
💛 Apple scented hand lotion
💛 Orchid acne patches
💛 Liquid Blush
💛 Mascara 
💛 Naturewell face mask
💛 Af94 false eyelashes
💛 Ioni eyelash glue
💛 Maybelline lip blush
💛 L.A Colors purple eyeliner
💛 L.A Colors lip oil 
💛 Hardcover copy of 'The Lost Dreamer' 

This is open Worldwide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the winner notification! This giveaway is hosted by ME.

This giveaway ends on 05/13/2025

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment answering at least one of these questions.

Which item in this bundle are you most excited about?

What is a color or theme you'd love to see in the future for a Beauty & The book giveaway?

Do you have any fun plans you are looking forward to this month? 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

👉 It is easiest if you log onto Rafflecopter using the Name/Email Address option. 

👉 Sometimes the comment widget is a brat, the easiest option to leave a comment on this post is with the Name/URL option. (You only need to fill in the name part) 

You can complete as many entries as you want, there are several one-time activities and daily activities that can earn you more entries into the giveaway. Be sure to keep an eye on my site & social media pages for more giveaways headed your way. 

March Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

It is time for this month's Beauty & The Book Giveaway! This months theme is greens and golds. It has been fun hunting down green things for this giveaway along with some gold touches. Hopefully you all enjoy what I've picked out for this months giveaway. Blog wise you may have noticed things have been slightly slow around here, I've been preoccupied with other things but I will be back soon with new reviews plus some giveaways I'd like to host. For now let's dive into this month's beauty bundle. 

💚 What's Included In This Month's Bundle; 💚

☘ Morphe 'Gold Seeker' Palette 
☘  Hard copy of 'A Mirror Mended'
☘  Maree Under Eye Patches
☘  Orchid Acne Patches
☘  Baby Grogu Socks
☘ Little Green Rubber Duck
☘  L.A Colors Fro-yo Lipbalm
☘  Nail Wraps
☘  L.A Colors eyeshadow palette
☘  L.A Colors green shadow stick
☘  L.A Colors false eyelashes
☘  Le Mercerie eyeliner
☘  Le Mercerie mascara 
☘  Green Glass nail file
☘  Kristin Ess dry shampoo
☘  Juicy Couture "Its Sunny Hunny" perfume sample
☘  BPure Face Mask
☘  Face Cream trial samples
☘  TonyMoly face mask 

This is open Worldwide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the winner notification! This giveaway is hosted by ME.

This giveaway ends on 04/12/2025

This giveaway is being extended to 04/21/2025

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment answering at least one of these questions.

Which item in this bundle are you most excited about?

What is a color or theme you'd love to see in the future for a Beauty & The book giveaway?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

👉 It is easiest if you log onto Rafflecopter using the Name/Email Address option. 

👉 Sometimes the comment widget is a brat, the easiest option to leave a comment on this post is with the Name/URL option. (You only need to fill in the name part) 

You can complete as many entries as you want, there are several one-time activities and daily activities that can earn you more entries into the giveaway. Be sure to keep an eye on my site & social media pages for more giveaways headed your way. 

Hash Kitchen Review!

 

I was recently invited out to try some of the new menu items at Hash Kitchen. It was our first time eating here & we had a great experience. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, for our appetizer we ended up ordering the Billionaires Bacon & the Cannoli donuts. The bacon can seem a little pricey at $8 for one slice of bacon, but my goodness it was amazing. The glaze they used is fantastic & it was a very thick cut of bacon. The Cannoli Donuts were amazing too, we didn't realize how big they would be so we didn't eat all of them just part. You could probably order it as a main course if you wanted. We stopped by the Peoria, AZ location located at 16222 N. 83rd Ave Peoria, AZ 85382.

For our main dishes I ordered the Red Velvet Pancakes which were huge! I was brought a plate with four big pancakes, syrup and cream cheese frosting. It was like having cake for breakfast! I was only able to eat about a quarter of them before I was full so I took the rest home for another meal. My husband ordered the Brunch sandwich which was amazing as well, it was the perfect combination of breakfast foods.

Drink wise I ordered the BYO Seltzer and choose watermelon + vodka. Usually I am not a big fan of most alcoholic drinks as they are too strong for me, but this was the perfect combination. My husband got a muffin top which was basically a boozy muffin in a glass, and he also got a shot. Inside the restaurant feels like a dance club, there is a live DJ playing and it was crowded when we went. We choose to sit outside, it was a little quieter and was quite comfortable for us.

Along with what we selected they had dozens of other scrumptious dishes & drinks. Food Portions are large, depending on what you order you'll be able to get more than one meal out of it. Our waitress was friendly & so was the host who sat us. This is a great spot to go for brunch whether it is for a date with your spouse, or a girls day out, this spot is a lot of fun.

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Hash Kitchen provided this experience to us for the review  free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.