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Happy Friday, Phoenix. In today’s edition: Energy aid plan, breakfast with Santa, Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra: A Season of Light, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
Utility relief effort launches: The Phoenix City Council unanimously approved its first Energy Access Plan to boost enrollment in low-income energy aid by 25% by 2030, targeting 18,000 more households facing high energy costs — see what’s planned.
Care crisis across Arizona: Arizona’s licensed child care providers have dropped 46% since 2002, a new CSI report finds, as costs climb to record highs, waitlists grow, and shortages push parents from the workforce — get all the details.
Costs squeeze outdoor access: Maricopa County will raise park fees starting Jan. 1, with day-use entry reaching $10 in 2026 and $12 by 2028, annual passes to $160 and campsites to $60 by 2028 — see what’s changing and when.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.
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🫶 We got your back
Phoenix icon revived: Durant’s returns Dec. 17 after a 10-month pause under new Mastro ownership, promising the same red booths, kitchen entrance, and Porterhouse Club plaques, just polished. Expect classic staples plus new perks like more steaks, a caviar service, and breadcrumb-fried deviled eggs. Dinner first, Friday lunch arrives mid-January. Reservations are open. See what’s new and unchanged.
Soulful neighborhood hangout: Matilda’s All Day Café is targeting a year-end grand opening on Roosevelt Row, turning a 1914 bungalow into a warm, lived-in spot for coffee, meals, and cocktails from morning to night. Led by chef Matt Celaya (of Mas Amable), the concept evolves owner Devon McConville’s beloved First Place Coffee truck. Get all the details.
Fresh cut, zero stress: Phoenix staple Mane Attraction Salon has delivered great hair since 1977. Every stylist trains in-house before touching a chair, so no haircut roulette. Cuts, color, texture tweaks, and extensions for the bold, finished with that effortless “who is she?” mirror moment.
Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy for regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify who you are and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.
Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.
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📆 Around town this weekend
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Today
🥂 ALPFA Phoenix Gala @ Warehouse 215 | Friday (12/12) at 6:00pm – Feel like dressing up without a wedding invitation? This annual gala gathers Phoenix’s Latino professionals, leaders, and advocates for connection, culture, and big ideas. Expect inspiring moments, real conversations, and enough sparkle to justify the dry cleaner, plus that stay-for-the-community feeling.
🧘 Friday Nite Workshop: Yoga Week 3 – “Solar Plexus” with Aryam Garcia @ Phoenix Center For The Arts | Friday (12/12) at 6:30pm – This mindful series is climbing the chakras, and this week lands on the solar plexus, your get-it-done center. Drop in for bilingual guidance, steady breath, and a confidence tune-up, no pretzel poses required, no incense sales pitch, just you, a mat, and focus.
This weekend
🎅 Breakfast with Santa @ Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Saturday (12/13) at 8:00am – Start the day with pancakes, holiday magic, and a meet-and-greet with the jolliest guy in the North Pole. Kids can whisper wish lists, snap photos, and let the excitement simmer before exploring the museum’s three floors of hands-on fun. A festive morning that sells out fast—because Santa slings a pretty good breakfast.
🧘 Mindful Moments: Yoga in the Dorrance Dome @ Arizona Science Center | Saturday (12/13) at 8:30am – If you’ve been meaning to breathe on purpose, try yoga under the Dorrance DOME’s immersive sky and soundscape. Sharon Ducati guides all levels, the visuals do the rest. Bring your own mat and water, a few are available, $40, your spine will write a thank-you.
🎤 An Evening with Rita Rudner @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts | Saturday (12/13) at 7:30pm – Take a break from streaming comedy and catch Rita Rudner delivering the kind of razor-sharp wit you remember the next day. She’s a legend for a reason, all polish, timing, and arched eyebrow. Make it a night out, cocktails, belly laughs, zero crowd work trauma.
🍺 Breathe & Bond with Brews @ Hundred Mile Brewing Company | Sunday (12/14) at 11:00am – Trade doomscrolling for deep breaths, real conversation, and a cold pint at this laid-back hang. Think mindfulness without the incense, friends without the small talk, and beer that doesn’t require a decoder ring. Low effort, high vibe, your shoulders will drop.
💋 Roxxxy Andrews’ Christmas Drag Brunch @ Stand Up Live | Sunday (12/14) at 12:00pm – Get ready for a fabulously festive brunch as Roxxxy Andrews serves Mariah-level holiday glam with a side of sass. Expect big vocals, bigger wigs, and a lineup of queens belting out Christmas classics like your holiday spirit depends on it. Spring for VIP if you want a post-show moment with Mother herself.
🎶 Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra| A Season of Light @ Center for the Performing Arts | Sunday (12/14) at 4:00pm – Holiday mode with Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra means Nutcracker sparkle, Hanukkah cheer, and Greensleeves nostalgia, with a surprise narrator for ‘Twas. It is BYOB, bring your own bells, not cabernet, for the sing-along and Sleigh Ride. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and carolers handle intermission.
Next week
🎓 Asu Fall 2025 Undergraduate Commencement @ Mountain America Stadium | Monday (12/15) at 2:30pm – Sun Devils, it’s your victory lap. Celebrate years of caffeine, Canvas notifications, and late-night study marathons as you stride across the stage and into the real world (or at least into better-fitting shoes). Expect big cheers, bigger crowds, and a whole lot of well-earned pride.
🕯️ Light in the Window @ Herberger Theater Center | Tuesday (12/16) at 12:10pm – An intimate new play is unfolding in Lola’s living room, spanning five Decembers as she and her Apo craft parols, trade family lore, and sing carols in Tagalog and English. Expect faith, resilience, and a few tears, plus holiday nostalgia without the dishes.
📷 Animals in Focus: Photography Class @ Phoenix Zoo | Tuesday (12/16) at 5:30pm – Trade the backyard hummingbirds for a Phoenix Zoo photo walk, sharpening composition, lighting, and the knack for capturing emotion. Learn to shoot through fences, glass, and foliage, get feedback, then in fall hit Wild Side and Savanna galleries for something frame-worthy that isn’t the dog.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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🎶 Live music & entertainment
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🏠️ Price is right – Phoenix edition
How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).
Listed by: Ferris W Bellamak (Bellamak Realty)
Elegant, private, and artistic in Marion Estates, this half-acre hillside stunner serves picture-window views of Camelback and the Praying Monk. Penthouse energy for entertaining, with 110 feet of glass and five sliders framing the pool and spa. Hit the digital panels, it locks down for a weekend.
Expanded and fully renovated in 2020 by GM Hunt to 3,675 square feet, with 3 bedrooms plus office and 4 ensuite baths. Air-conditioned three car garage, 650 sf showpiece closet, butler pantry-laundry, Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele, ice maker, beverage fridges, whole-house filtration, and an elevated, north south, fenced lot with dog run.
Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →
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