Welcome to EVLiving.com - An eastern phoenix blog !

East Valley is a booming area within the Greater Phoenix region. If you don’t know what this implies, this means that there is always something interesting that's happening! The question is - how do you keep up with East Valley's awesome places and events when there is little information about it on the web?

We asked the same question, and it has lead to the creation of EVLiving.com.

EV Living

What You Can Expect From The Site

Important News - we don't cover every news that simply pop-up within East Valley. That's a newspaper's job; and frankly, that's a bit boring. We handpick only the most awesome and interesting East Valley news for you.

Big Events - EVLiving.com provides you with the significant upcoming events in East Valley. This ensures that you don't miss anything memorable and exciting.

Awesome Spots - as mentioned before, East Valley is a growing area. There is always a new fantastic spot that's worth your interest. We will give you the details and the location, so you can enjoy and experience East Valley yourself.

ELiving.com is a Eastern Phoenix blog that is truly dedicated to bringing you the best of the best in East Valley. We regularly update the site, thus it is a good idea to give us a visit periodically.

5 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website

5 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website

Having a good traffic to our website is something that we all wish for. However, most of you may not be aware of the factors that enable you to generate traffic to your website. Here, we take this opportunity to bring to you 5 ways that can help you boost the traffic to your website.

  1. Social Media

When you have a website or blog, you have done quite some effort to get it out there. You expect to get good results when your website goes live. But, it is true that without promotion of the website nothing great is going to happen. This is where social media comes into the picture. You need to let people know that you have a website. You need to let them have a glimpse of it. So, it is very important that you promote your website on all the social media platforms. This can really help to get more traffic to your website.

  1. Email marketing

When you have people coming to your blog or site, you need to keep them coming back. Email marketing can be of immense help in doing so. You just need your users to subscribe to your site with their email id. Once they do it, you can capture their email ids. This will let you build up a massive store of email ids which can be used for marketing. You can then send them automated notifications every time you launch a new product or come up with offers and discounts.

  1. Interact with your customers

The moment you get a comment, do not neglect it. Take your time and reply to every comment that you get form your visitors. This will let you build a rapport with your customers. Building a good relationship with the customer is very crucial for any business. The more you interact with your visitors the better are your chances of converting them into customers. So, keep interacting with your customers and let your website get the traffic that you wish for.

  1. Get traffic from business-oriented social platforms

Your presence on all the social platforms is always good for your business. However, there are some social sites which can give exposure to your business and help you to increase your sales. One such website is Pinterest. Having a great number of followers on Pinterest can be great news if you are a business owner. When you have your products displayed on Pinterest users are sure to notice them and visit your site.

A great strategy to increase your following on Pinterest is to buy followers. There are many websites out there which allow you to buy followers. One among those websites is “PinterestonFire.com”. It can get you a huge number of followers and enable you to get more traffic to your site through Pinterest. PinterestonFire is really a great option for you if you want that extra following on Pinterest.

  1. Guest blogging

Guest blogging can really help in driving some traffic to your site. Getting a blog post for a reputable site can get your website noticed and thus bring good traffic to your site.

These were the 5 ways you could use to drive some traffic to your website. If you found this article useful, please let us know in the comment section below.

Fun Things to do in Scottsdale

Fun Things to do in Scottsdale

Scottsdale is a city located in South Central USA to the east of Maricopa County, in the state of Arizona. The popularity of the city among tourists can be gauged from the fact that approximately 40 % of the economy is credited to the booming tourism industry in the city. This is because of a plethora of fun things to do in Scottsdale, in high- end hotels, spas, art galleries, luxury shopping and a bustling nightlife. Easily accessible by all modes of transport, Scottsdale is only a half an hour drive from Phoenix, the state capital.

Recommended Restaurants:


1. El Chorro-

Dining on the verandah of El Chorro with its renowned sticky buns is a tradition in Phoenix. The restaurant’s sublime setting at the foothills of Camelback & Mummy mountains is a place where you should be to witness generations of residents and travelers alike come together for a gathering with friends or business associates for drinks and live music performances, and on special occasions. El Chorro’s epicurean cuisine has a distinguished Southwestern influence. The 80-year-old restaurant has been renovated recently to maintain its arcadian charm.

2. Fogo de Chao –

Located in Central Scottsdale, Fogo de Chao is one of the most classy locations for a scrumptious meal. Primarily serving Mexican cuisine, Fogo de Chao also provides you with international options. Though it is not the cheapest place in town and prices could go up to $40 per head, this is more than compensated by the excellent service and flavorsome meat steaks. Highly recommended!

Art & Culture Museums-

Scottsdale’s Museum of the West-

This contemporary, 43000 square foot structure is an unmissable gem of the desert that is an ode to the

The main consideration for travellers before we begin with ‘must do in Scottsdale, AZ’ is to avoid the months of June, July, and August, where the temperatures can easily cross 100 degrees in the desert city. The peak season is from January to April, when the temperatures are a mild 70 degrees and the sky is sunny – the perfect combination for Scottsdale activities. However, at the same time, it is to be noted that offseason visits give lip smacking deals and discounts on spa treatments in various hotels.

ONLINE DATING SITES OVERLOADED THIS VALENTINE

Online dating sites overloaded this valentine

Valentine week is like a nightmare for many singles, who are turning to online dating sites for finding love. Dating sites are rising rapidly due to the sudden high demand this week. Websites like dating.com & okcupid.com have reported a 50% rise in registrations.

Effect of valentines week on online dating platforms

  1. Rise in registrations & server load – Many platforms have seen a sudden rise in traffic which has caused problems for some and become the cause of celebration for others. Well equipped sites were able to handle the sudden peak in traffic and profited from it, but others were already running low on resources and this sudden peak caused them to crash.
  2. Niche/Localized Dating site’s popularized – People are looking for finding love near their locality & this has brought localized dating site’s into the picture. One such website NigerianDatingHub.com which caters to people in Nigeria reported a massive increase in registrations during valentine’s week.
  3. Return visitors – This peak in registrations and traffic will surely end after valentine’s week but it will leave the dating website’s with a lot of new users and return visitors.

How has this affected the regular users of matchmaking sites?

The regular users of online dating platforms have suffered a lot due to this surge in traffic and the incoming new registrations. Some websites have slowed down and crashed due to this surge which has also left old users in a bad position. People are also complaining there has been an increased amount of people in chat rooms which have made it difficult for them to stand out or reach to the one’s they like. Most of these platforms have a competitive atmosphere in which people compete to get the favor of the ones they like. As per reports, this competition has only increased has made it difficult for all users.

Other effects of Valentines week

Valentines week affects business in a lot of other ways, some of them are as follows-

  • Major increase in Shopping trends – People are trying to impress their loved one’s and they buy cards, gifts & clothes for the same. Due to this buying trend e-commerce platforms are also profiting.
  • Tourism & travel is at its peak – People love going on a trip with their loved ones on valentines week, this is not only a great way to express love but is also an exciting thing to do. Due to this trend, cities like France get a lot of travelers this week.

Enjoy valentines!

Girl runs out of topics while giving a motivational speech

Girl runs out of topics while giving a motivational speech

A girl was giving a motivational speech to the students of high school in Scottsdale. She got stuck while giving the speech and totally forgot what to say! This was not only embarrassing but also gave us an insight into the quality of speakers the school invites. She was no doubt a poor speaker who should research and read a blog like differbetween.com because she clearly ran out of topics to talk about. Such a writer should have never been invited was invited to a prestigious institution. An institution like a school should especially care about the kind of people they are inviting because students are really affected by what is being said.

What really happened?

The high school hosted a function for students to help them choose their career & motivate them for the future. In this event, the career counselor guided the students about their career options for the future and helped them understand the scope of each profession. After this, the motivational speaker stepped in to motivate the students for their career & studies. She started with a good introduction & then started experiences. This was followed by some motivational stories. As she was telling a story she suddenly paused for no reason. Students assumed it was a technical problem with the mic, but in a matter of seconds, it was clear that she had no topics to talk about.

Is this acceptable?

Some people might say that things like these happen once in a while or the speaker may have had some unknown problems. But, whatever the case is, the school should have done proper research on the speaker before inviting her to such a big platform!

I can only imagine what kind of an impression that would have left on the students. It was an unfortunate incident and we can only hope that it does not happen again.

What to do when we run out of topics to talk about while speaking on stage?

Even if a speaker forgets what to talk about on stage, he/she can make something up just to fill in the gap. What makes it worse is if the person panics in such a situation and creates a block in his mind. If he just keeps his calm and says whatever best he can remember, it will be much better!

Conclusion

I really hope you found this post useful and informative. Do you have any queries or suggestions related to this post? If you have anything to share, feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below. I will try and answer all your questions and take your feedback into consideration. Also, let me know if you want to find out more about topics for motivational speeches. I will be glad to share more insights with you.

To show your support, share this post with your friends on social media and elsewhere. Thank you very much for reading!

Best schools in phoenix

Best schools in phoenix

In phoenix, the students in high school must earn 22 credits to be graduated. This credit also includes credits in American history and economics. State end exam must be taken in Math and English language arts by high school students. Out of the list of Best high schools released by U.S News many of them are present in Arizona. BASIS Scottsdale is the highest ranked school. This is located in BASIS Schools District. From Arizona’s capital of phoenix it takes half an hour drive to reach this.

Top rated Arizona schools are follows:

  • University High School (Tucson)
  • BASIS Oro Valley
  • Catalina Foothills High School
  • Arizona School for the Arts
  • Gilbert Classical Academy High School
  • Arizona College Prep
  • University High School (Tolleson)
  • BASIS Tucson North
  • Northland Preparatory Academy
  • BASIS Scottsdale

Within Arizona, BASIS Scottsdale school has got first ranking. Here the students are provided with advanced placement exams and course work. Moreover in this school the Ap participation rate is believed to be 100 %.  The student body consists 46% female and 54 % male. 53% percent is the minority enrollment. In the BASIS School Inc, this is the only high school.

Within Arizona BASIS Tucson North has got 2nd ranking. Here also students will get advanced placement exams and work. 100 % is the Ap participation rate for this school as well. 50% female and 50% male is the student body makeup. Here 48% is the total minority enrollment.

Within Arizona ASIS Oro Valley has earned third ranking. Here enrolled students have given opportunity to take up advanced placement course and exams. Even for this school 100% is the Ap participation rate.  Here 47% is the female and 53 % is the male student body makeup. 39 % will be the minority enrollment in ASIS Oro Valley.

Within Arizona, Arizona College prep Erie Campus has earned fourth ranking. Here 100% is the Ap participation rate. Students are given opportunity here to take advanced placement exams and course work. Here the student body makeup will have 55 % female and 45% male. 36 % is the minority enrollment fixed for Arizona College prep. Among the Chandler Unified School District high schools this has gained high popularity. There are 7 high schools in this district.

Along with offering advanced courses and honors, University High school also offers beginning dance and software development. They offer enrollment for concurrent engineering courses by partnering with University of Arizona. It also includes foreign language teaching like German and Chinese. Here students group usually range from Model United Nations to archery.

Teenage students in classroom.

Within Arizona Gilbert Classical Academy has earned seventh ranking. Here also students get opportunity to take up advanced courses and exams in placements. 100% is the Ap participation rate for this school. 52 % female and the 48% male is the student body makeup in this school. 33 % is the minority enrollment for this school. In the Gilbert Unifies District there are 7 high schools and Gilbert Classical Academy is one among them.

Best places to work in phoenix

Best places to work in phoenix

There are many options to choose from when it comes to best work place in phoenix. But few of them are considered as Top companies and best places to work in phoenix. Medias have done survey and recognized few companies as best employers. These companies have received highest marks when it comes to employee engagement and they have commendable workplace practices.

Let’s look at some top companies in phoenix.

Protiviti:

This company is into business consulting. It is located in phoenix. Their website is protiviti.com. This company empowers employees in all levels. When there is a new joinee in the company he will be assigned a mentor. Mentor will help the new hires in advocate promotion and guide them in building their career. Mentors are responsible for new hires employment meetings as well. Retention and growth of women are encouraged by a women’s networking group called iGrow. Veterans are recruited by company’s Networking group of recruiters called U. S veterans group and then they are integrated into workforce of protiviti’s. There is bonus program in the company which recognizes individual contributors and they are rewarded accordingly. Employees will work in flexible time. This will help in supporting the local community and to take care of their personal business.

 McCarthy Building Companies Inc.:

This company is into construction. It is located in phoenix. Their website is mccarthy.com. This was initially founded as a family business. But today this company is 100% owned by employees. From CEO to the receptionist salaried employees are not capped bonuses. There will be medal premiums which can be redeemed by individuals. This can be done through the wellness portal and Vitality online health portals. Along with all these in a year there will be a premium free month. There will be programs for career development as well. Field groups are regularly trained by McCarthy. This will be supported by BuildU portal and office staff. This portal is always open and employees can use the career development programs. Employees can vacation around the country in condos owned by companies.

Laser Spine Institute:

This company is into healthcare providing. It is located in Scottdale. Their website is laserspineinstitute.com. One of their main choices when it comes to values is Have Fun. This is also supported by values like Excellence and commitment, integrity, one team, and care. In these company employees favorites can be listed like appreciation events like free ice cream, summer fun series, holiday parties, and team lunches. Importance of healthy life style is reinforced by annual weight loss challenges. Low cost and healthy foods through company vending machines and Cigna wellness programs are arranged for employees. If they participate in these programs, employees will get cash back. There will be awards luncheons to honor employees who are exampled CHOICE values quarterly.

Navy Federal Credit Union:

This company is into banking sector. It is located in many locations like MCAS Yuma, Yuma uptown, Mesa, Luke AFB, and Fort Huachuca. Their website is navyfederal.org. This company keeps separate fund for employee recognition which will be received by team leaders every year. They will also arrange family events, branch outings, and team buildings activities. For service, leadership qualities, and by their innovative ideas employees are rewarded. Company considered these employees as pip or partners in performance and they will be given performance bonus yearly. Mortgage loans, equity, credit card, and discounts are given based on employee’s experience. During their six month president’s wellness challenge if one meets personal wellness goals then that employee will receive a prize.

Fun things to do in tempe

Fun things to do in tempe

In the phoenix Metropolitan area, Tempe is considered offbeat and quirky urban. One can find many attractions here and it is the home for Arizona State University. It is popular for lively nightlife, pedestrian friendly downtown, and brick sidewalks.

Some of the famous attractions here include Tempe Historical Museum, Arizona State University Art Museum, and Hayden Butte preserve. The attractions which children can enjoy are Big Surf Waterpark, SEA LIFE Aquarium, and Halle Heart Children’s Museum.

Downtown Tempe:

Located in South Mill Avenue Downtown Tempe is near Arizona State University. Tempe is known for its lively nigh life, shops, restaurants, microbreweries, entertainment venues, bars and mainly for its brick sidewalks. It is the great place to enjoy and exploring new things.

Tempe is popular for one more reason that is for events which are hosted throughout the year. It is pedestrian friendly. Some of the events include in Mill Avenue’s New year’s Eve Block party, fireworks celebration on July 4th, and Temple art festival. When it comes to cultural events, concerts are hosted in Gammage Auditorium like Wicked, Opera, phantom, and Cats.

Arizona State University Art Museum:

There are more than 12 thousand objects in this museum. It is established in 1950. This museum features permanent collection of objects. Some of them are contemporary and historic European and American prints, contemporary arts which includes new media, American ceramics which includes 3500 pieces, Mexican ceramics and folk art, many works by artists especially Latin American, and art from Southwestern United states and Arizona, and much more. There are many education outreach programs offered by these art museums. Some of them are activities in neighborhoods and schools. Throughout the year there will be events hosted by museum.

Hayden Butte Preserve:

This is present in the southeast corner of Rio Salado parkway and Mill Avenue. It is a protected area. It is a very famous landmark. It is also called as Tempe butte. 1398 feet is the height of the butte. In 1973, City of Tempe has declared this as park. In 2002 it is designated as preserve. This is due to the presence of many desert animals and plants.

There are 500 petroglyphs and which are made by Hohokam Native Americans in between 750 AD and 1450 AD. This is also famous for hiking and much other outdoor exercise.

Tempe center:

This is located in West Rio Salado parkway on the Salt River of Tempe. It is the center for both performing and visual art. The roof of the center is made of intricate geometric folded plates. This is built between 2004 and 2007. This is the main home for dance companies like Chidsplay which is a theatre company, Tempe Symbolic Wind Ensemble, Tempe community Chorus, Arizona Wind Symphony which is a music group, A Ludwig Dance Theatre, Desert Dance theatre and ConderDance.

Tempe Historical Museum:

This museum is mainly dedicated for exploring the history of Tempe. There is a exhibit which entitled Tempe: distinct, diverse, dynamics which is present in the main hall. Through variety of media this tries to present the history of Tempe. There are temporary art exhibitions held in Changing Exhibits Gallery and Community Room Art Gallery. For meeting and performances Community Room can be rented. This museum also offers many education outreach programs as well mainly for children. Other programs hosted by this museum are Tempe historic society’s Lunch Talks, films, concerts, and plays.

Fun things to do in mesa az

Fun things to do in mesa az

It is not that difficult to find adventure at mesa az. There are many outdoor attractions along with cultural and educational attractions. These range from Broadway musicals to interactive museums and old west towns. Yes. Mesa offers all of these in a bundle.

One more thing is to it is easy in Mesa to reach these adventures. The adventures also includes very famous natural attractions like Superstition Mountains, area lakes, Usery Mountain Regional park, Salt and Verde Rivers, and Apache trail. One can explore Cruise Saguaro Lake, Desert Belle, Dolly Steamboat, and Canyon Lake.

It also includes many adventures which are considered family fun. There are many kid friendly museums in Mesa. These will be able to entertain even little ones. The museum which has Natural History is the Arizona Museum where one can hear the roar of dinosaurs. At Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona one can learn all about vintage aircraft. There is a museum called i.d.e.a museum which will definitely entertain kids and sparks their creativity. At Rockin’R Ranch one can feel that they have taken a step back in time. On a hot air balloon ride one can oar the Sonoran skies. Desert Botanical Garden and phoenix Zoo will help to get in touch with the nature. Whatever one chooses to explore in Mesa az they will definitely experience surprise, fun, entertainment, and playful.

Some of the other adventures include:

Orange patch:

At orange patch one can pluck oranges by their own. This is founded in 1960s. Along with oranges orchard and stores also offers acres of citrus which includes, tangerines, Valencisa, Arizona sweets, Rio Red grapefruit, navels, and pink grapefruit. It also offers candy counters, pickled produce and locally prepared preserves.

Arizona Celebration of Freedom:

This offers a jump into fireworks. This is usually held in January. Many adventures are part of this which includes street performers, music, art walk, beer gardens, motorcycles, and classic cars.

Wind Cave Trail:

This is present at Usery Mountain Regional Park. This is mainly meant for octogenarians and toddlers. This is less challenging since it contains lower and easy stretches.  It is present at the base of a cliff and is a wind carved hollow. That is why it is considered best spot for expansive views and it is a popular lunch spot.

Buckhorn Baths:

When waiting for Mesa icon Buckhorn Baths one can peek in the windows. It is the time to spy the taxidermy collection. This is opened in 1935 as a trading post in pristine desert. When a well got dug here a source of mineral water was discovered after that it became Buckhorn Baths. For motor court motels it is the early example.

Mesa Historical Museum:

One among the most underrated tours that too Valley home tours is historic home tour on Mesa Historical Museum in the time of winter. There is a Evergreen Historic District which is one among the highlights and homes here are built between 1910-1940. This was only meant for Whites.  But one among them is for non-whites only that is Alston House. This was believed to own by first Black Doctor in Mesa. Then recently this house has been restored and now it is home for celebration committee of Mesa Martin Luther King Jr. and Hispanic Citizens.

How I paid Homage to my Deceased Father

A father is responsible for the emotional well-being of his child from the time they are born until they are graduated from high school or leave home for good. He shows concern for their happiness, helps them when they are worried or upset, comforts them when they are sad, and fulfill their emotional needs. The value of a father is unmatched in the life of every individual.

However, nothing is permanent in this world and everyone has to go one day or the other. But, it is important that we recognize the good things that a father has done for us and pay adequate respect and homage to him after he is gone.

When my father passed away unexpectedly, I didn’t know how to handle the process of grieving. I felt lost and confused and didn’t know if I wanted to spend the time with him or go off and do something productive. I wasn’t sure which option would protect me more—the time spent with him or my newfound independence. Eventually, I realized that it was time to pay tribute to him for all the happiness he gave us throughout his life.

I thought of some unique ideas to pay homage to my deceased father and summarised them in a list, and I would like to share those with you by means of this post. 

  • Celebrating my father’s birthday: Celebrating my father’s birthday is a time to pay tribute and thank him for the many gifts he had given me. It is also an opportunity to share the joy of a life lived well with others.
  • Installed a bench at my father’s favourite park: My dad loved to take walks on the weekends and we would often meet at a park bench for lunch. I had no idea where to begin, so I hired a funeral parlor to help me plan. After installing the bench, as the months progress and the years pass by, my father’s memory will forever remain in my heart.
  • Charity Drive for the Needy: My father always believed that raising awareness about hunger was more important than making money; and, today I realize that he was right! I organized a charity drive in my deceased father’s name and the money I raised helped to provide a meal to someone in need and provide shelter to the homeless.
  • Popularised my Dad on Social Media: My dad always wanted to be famous; so, I tried a simple trick to at least make him popular on my social media pages on his anniversary. To make his death anniversary special, I posted his photos with customized online photo frames. I took the help of a free death anniversary photo editing online tool that created amazing photos of my dad along with stunning frames. If you too want to do the same for your father, there are many free death anniversary photo editing online tools and apps over the internet that you can use.
  • Plant Saplings: My father was an outdoor enthusiast and a lover of trees. Before passing on, he was always in favor of planting more of them. I am proud to honor his memory by donating tree saplings in his name.