Osaka Japanese Steakhouse in Mesa, Arizona!

 

When celebrating a birthday, it is exciting to be able to find a fun spot for dinner that not only has delicious food, but fun entertainment as well. We recently had the pleasure of stopping by Osaka Japanese steakhouse in Mesa, Arizona to celebrate my husbands birthday. A few of our family members live over in the area, so they invited us out to dinner to celebrate and spend some time together. Osaka offers a regular service style section where you can order dishes like sushi, and appetizers or you can request a teppanyaki table & order a dish to be grilled right in front of you. Quite a few restaurants that have this style of seating will often sit smaller groups together at one large table, but lucky for us the table we were sat at fit seven people which was perfect for our party, so we didn't have any strangers at our table. 

Depending on the day & time you want to visit for a meal, I highly recommend calling ahead of time to make a reservation. The restaurant was absolutely packed when we arrived & if we hadn't called earlier in the week to make a reservation we would have been waiting around for quite a while for a table to open up. 

Every teppanyaki plate comes with rice, some veggies, two shrimp plus your choice of meats along with a small salad and soup. I am not a huge fan of the dressing they use, so I didn't eat the salad but the soup was good despite being just a broth with two small mushrooms floating in it.

My teppanyaki dish was delicious, the meat was cooked just right and I enjoy the sauce they serve with it. I do wish that the veggies had been cooked slightly more and they could use slightly bigger portions for the meats with how much each dish is. While I do understand that part of the cost of the meal is the entertainment from watching the chef cook, a bigger protein portion I think would help balance out the cost. Especially since most parties will typically type the chef as well before he leaves the table.

Our table also had some of their sushi, spicy edamame and dumpling. All three dishes were enjoyable and I didn't have any issue with them. A family member of ours treated us to a dinner here for my husbands birthday & had mentioned to the staff that it was his birthday. At the end of our meal they brought over some small cakes, a big candle & a fun mask for my husband to wear while they played some loud drums and a happy birthday song. You'll frequently hear this through out your dinner as almost every table there had someone celebrating either a birthday or another event. The chef who did our teppanyaki had also made my husband a balloon headband to wear because it was his birthday & the chef liked his hair style. This spot is a little pricey per person for a meal, but to visit for a celebration or a once in a while thing I think it is worth it for the experience! 

This specific location is located at 6730 E. Superstition Springs Blvd Mesa, Arizona 85206 and they have a secondary location in Gilbert.  

🌵 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. 

Winchester Mystery House Review!

 

For quite some time I've wanted to visit the Winchester Mystery house in person, even way before the movie it was a spot on my list of places to visit. The history of the house is quite interesting & I've always loved things that are spooky/supernatural so of course it was on my list of places to see. We were finally able to stop by in December on a family trip to California, thus we were able to be there when it was decorated for Christmas. 

I thought it was interesting that they allowed guests to take photographs, but we were all told we couldn't film inside of any of the rooms. Our whole tour lasted about an hour, and it took us through about a dozen rooms in the house. The house is much larger than that, but a lot of the rooms are closed off to the public. 

The tour might not be for everyone, the ticket prices are a little high & none of the furniture in the house is original from when the home belonged to Sarah Winchester. However the furniture is from the same time period, after she had passed away her niece inherited all of her belongings so she kept what she wanted & sold off the rest. I didn't want to visit for the furniture though, I can to see the house itself. It's story and the way it was built is interesting and something we aren't likely to see again, so the tour kept us interested and we had a good time. 

If I ever happen to be blessed enough to build my own home, I would definitely want an indoor green house like the rooms she had built here. It would be nice to have a whole indoor space to take care of my plants and protect them from the elements. Speaking of plants, the property has a large garden which you can also tour. We weren't able to do that this time around because we were on a schedule but we did opt to buy a photography package. You were given some period friendly clothing to wear over your own & then the photographer takes you inside of the house to take some photos inside of the rooms. 

We 100% thought the photography package was worth it because not only did we get to take photos inside of some of the rooms you aren't allowed to enter on the tour, but the photographer told us quite a bit of extra information and history of the house. The gift shop was lovely as well, they had a ton of stuff to look at if you are waiting for your tour time to start. I picked up a few small souvenirs to bring home with me, but I was sad that all of the penny press machines and such were not working.  All in all, it was a lovely visit and I can cross this off of my to do list! If I had a chance to see more of the house and explore the gardens, I would come back again. 

If you are planning a trip to California & are looking for other activities to do feel free to type in "Things to do in California" in the search bar of my blog so you can find some other great activities in California. You can also click the "Things to do in California" link located on the right hand side of my blog/in this post.

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

July Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

It is officially that time again to jump into a new Beauty & the book giveaway! I wanted this giveaway to have a bit of summer vibes with shades of orange and light pinks. Escape the heat and either relax on the sofa, or next to the pool with your new read and give yourself a little spa day. The summer heat can be a real nightmare for our skin so I made sure to include quite a few skincare products to help combat dry skin. 

Later this month I will have a second giveaway up on my IG/Tiktok pages for some makeup products and there will be two winners. Keep an eye out if you'd like to enter that giveaway as well. Now let's dive into what is included in this giveaway bundle.

★ What's Included; ★

💚 Paper copy of 'Take Me Apart' 
💚 Trendbeauty Summer Vibes eyeshadow palette
💚 Pink beauty blender with cactus holder
💚 Sweet orange hand cream
💚 Lip balm
💚 L.A Colors flower tattoo stamper
💚 L.A Colors cheek + lip tint
💚 Covergirl Yummy Gloss
💚 IT Cosmetics mascara 
💚 Goldie Steve Madden perfume sample
💚 Ioni liquid eyeshadow 
💚 Blemish Patches
💚 Under eye masks
💚 Two sheet face masks
💚 Clay face mask
💚 Three beauty samplers
💚 Freeman cleanser mask
💚 Nair body cream 
💚 Assorted cute stickers 

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. At the moment this is open to US Residents only. 

This giveaway ends on 08/13/2025

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. 

June Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

This month's beauty bundle includes two different books to add into your summer reading list! Kick back on the sofa with a new book in hand while pampering yourself. The summer heat can be pretty harsh on your skin, so I included a few different masks to help hydrate your skin. This summer the weather has been quite hot as expected, so aside from spending some time with family we've mostly been hiding away inside where the A/C is. I hope all of you are staying cool, while having fun this summer!

✴ What's included in this month's bundle; ✴

♡ Shrek Revolution Palette 
♡ Crystal Ball filled with bath bombs, a loofa & a bracelet
♡ 2 Face masks
♡ Hair mask
♡ Acne patches
♡ Leave in conditioner samples
♡ Marie Claire glow dew drops
♡ B-pure glow up night moisturizer
♡ Cakaila lipstick
♡ B-pure lip balm
♡ Wet N Wild lipstick
♡ Ioni Brow sculpting gel
♡ Trio of false eyelashes
♡ Sinful colors nail polish in purple
♡ NYX lip plumper 
♡ Olay super eyes serum
♡ Shrek socks
♡ Copy of 'She wouldn't change a thing'
♡ Copy of 'What beauty there is' 

Normally this giveaway is open worldwide, however this month I have to keep it to US residents only. 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 07/13/2025

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. 

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.