15 Amazing Things About Spring in Scottsdale {as seen through my Instagram stream}

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I went on record last fall as quite possibly the Valley’s most bitter mom when I ranted about our lack of autumn crispness and Starbucks’s insistence on pushing pumpkin spice on us anyway. While I won’t deny that the stabby anger was real (nor do I believe I’m the only one who’s OVER.IT.ALREADY. by September), I find myself in a different place this time of year.

So to make up for it, I’m here to sing the praises of spring in Scottsdale today. More specifically, March in Scottsdale. And since I’m a bit of an Instagram addict and iPhoneography hobbyist, I thought I’d take you through some of the joys of a Scottsdale spring as seen through my IG stream.

If you’re new in town, prepare yourself for a glorious month. If you’re visiting, welcome! And if you’re like me and looking forward to one more of many Arizona springs, just enjoy the view…

xo,
Sarah

15 Amazing Things About Spring in Scottsdale

1. no more socks

Baby socks are ridiculous, aren’t they? They don’t stay on and never seem to fit the size they advertise. And really, I can’t be bothered to wash, match up, and keep track of socks for three kids for more than about two months. So glad we’re back to bare baby feet, sandals, crocs, and sneaks-sans-socks!

bare baby feet

2. palo verde trees

I love love LOVE the Palo Verdes in bloom (for newbies, those are the trees with the pale green bark and nondescript leaves most of the year until OMG YELLOW EVERYWHERE). I know these cause allergies for some, but they’re breathtaking to look at – especially when you drive through a whole bunch at once – like that stretch of Princess Drive just east of Hayden.

palo verde

3. baseball

March means Spring Training! What’s not to love about $5 lawn seats and cold beer? If you’ve never taken the kids and have little ones, I wrote a post about going to spring training games with kids a couple of years ago (I also rewrote “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” from a toddler’s perspective so you should probably go read it).

spring training, scottsdale

4. hiking

This is a great time of year for family hikes! I love this photo of my family (before there were five of us) two Easters ago on the trail where 40th Street heads into the Phoenix Mountain Preserve just south of Shea. Want some ideas for great hikes for kids in Scottsdale? Check out this post from the archives!

hiking

5. eating outside

Here’s what happens when I send my kids outside to eat lunch: they eat more, they argue less, and the birds gladly take care of the mess. March is the perfect sweet spot for al fresco dining – and it works just as well in the backyard as it does on the patio of your favorite restaurant.

eating outside

6. the sunsets

I know, I know. We get amazing sunsets all year round. But something about the perfect temperatures, the lengthening days, and the still-cool desert nights that follow make sunsets this time of year even better.

Sunset

7. iced coffee

Warm enough for iced coffee. Cool enough for jeans. The end.

iced coffee

8. swim lessons

We always start swim lessons in March. By August I’m so tired of wet swimsuits and sticky sunscreen, but in March it’s all new and exciting again (and a little bit intimidating – see below).

swim

9. gardening

The last frost is behind us, and growing weather lies ahead! If you’ve been meaning to plant a backyard garden, do it! (Or make your husband do it like I did.)

garden

 

10. ¡salsa!

The best part of having a garden? Eating from it! We are loving our homemade salsa this year – tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro all straight from the garden. (And by “we” I mean the same “we” who built the beds, planted the seeds, and harvests the bounty. See previous.)

salsa

11. blooming ocotillos

When I first moved to Arizona nine years ago, I couldn’t figure out what the big deal about ocotillos was. To me they looked like a pile of sticks in the desert. In fact they ARE a pile of sticks in the desert … until they do THIS:

ocotillo

12. flip flops

It’s been real, Toms. See you in December, Uggs. Helllooooooo, flip flops.

flip flops

13. pedicures

Speaking of flip-flips, it’s time for a pedicure (or as I like to think of it, 45 minutes of solitude).

pedicure

14. splash pad

It’s the beginning of splash pad season! That means we come prepared with all the right toys, skin-safe sunscreen, and fluffy clean towels. (By the end we’re digging a damp suit out of the trunk from yesterday’s swim lesson, letting the kids air-dry, and muttering something about the benefits of Vitamin D.)

splash pad

15. cactus colors

We may not have fall foliage, but how many of your faraway friends have colors like THIS?

prickly pear

What are your favorite things about springtime in the Valley? Comment below, or come find me on Instagram {@powersofmine} so we can connect there!

6 COMMENTS

  1. This made me so homesick in a wonderful way. Granted I’m pregnant and hormonal but this was just what I needed to send my San Diego self into desert withdrawal!

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