The placemat is a favorite at many dinner tables: The often-whimsical plastic version catches the slip of spaghetti from a youngster's fork, while a nice cotton placemat elevates the dining experience just a little without having to set down a whole tablecloth.

A smattering of butterflies have flitted through my yard this spring, loitering briefly around the lantana and aloe stalks before moving on to lusher landscapes. Those fleeting backyard glimpses are nothing compared to the up-close and personal look you get at hundreds of butterflies inside The Marshall Butterfly Pavilion at Desert Botanical Garden.

The silky petals of a fragrant pink shrub rose; the crunchy texture of a gravel path; a nook where grass rustles and a stream runs. What we smell, see, hear, touch and taste can make a garden walk a wonderful sensory experience.

Celebrate Mother’s Day a little early this year with a free visit to the Desert Botanical Garden. On Friday, May 10, communities around the nation honor the beauty and diversity of our environment with National Public Gardens Day. The Desert Botanical Garden offers free admission from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day, as well as free admission to the Spring Butterfly Exhibit from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Looking for some help in the garden? Many of nature's most useful critters lie literally at our feet, underappreciated and ignored despite their ability to eliminate insects, condition soils and pollinate plants.

Visiting this spring's décor previews often felt like exploring an art gallery. There was an artistic vibe to everything from dinnerware to drapery, art photographs to textiles.

Soak up a wealth of natural beauty at Desert Botanical Garden’s annual exhibit, where hundreds of butterflies feed and flutter in the enclosed Marshall Butterfly Pavilion. Visitors can also learn more about the elegant creatures and which plants attract them.

Butterflies should get a lot easier to spot starting this Spring in Scottsdale.

For more than 50 minutes there was more than a little nervousness in the stands and on the field for No. 3-seeded Highland in its Division I girls soccer first-round match.

The tragic shooting of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., felt particularly personal to many students and teachers, including fourth-grade teacher Jaime Hunt at Higley Unified School District’s Cortina Elementary School in Queen Creek.

There are stores full of exquisite bedding. But fancy sheets, duvets and mattresses can sometimes fall short of our wish lists, in style, price, comfort or all three.

Brophy swim coach Pat O’Neill knew Gabriel Espinosa was the favorite to win the 50-yard freestyle at the Division I state championship meet in early November.

There’s often an asterisk when athletes dominate at a lower classification level because it’s unknown how they would fare against the best.

I love the swimming holes of Slide Rock and the roaring Havasu Falls. These not-so-secret escapes are gorgeous, must-see destinations.

Seeking gift ideas for that music lover this holiday season, check out the following box set reviews from The Associated Press:

When it comes to finding distinctive gifts, I’ve long been a fan of gift shops inside arts and culture venues, such as Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Desert Botanical Garden and Heard Museum.

When it comes to finding distinctive gifts, I’ve long been a fan of gift shops inside arts and culture venues, such as Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Desert Botanical Garden and Heard Museum.