Joss Bates was dropped off at his Ahwatukee home last weekend to find 114 notes hanging around his front yard, displaying quotes, words of comfort, love and encouragement written on them from friends and family.

It’s no secret to Realtors that fabulous kitchens sell homes. Improve the room used primarily for food preparation, and the entire house will feel homier to residents, guests and prospective buyers alike.

The best-tasting veggie burger I’ve ever met is falafel. A product of the Middle East, falafel are deep-fried fritters made from ground chickpeas or fava beans that are tucked into pita pockets and drizzled with tahini. They are delicious, hearty, inexpensive and relatively healthy.

The owners of the new Ginban Modern Japanese Cuisine in Ahwatukee Foothills are combining traditional technique with a modern flare.

For Horizon Honors senior Stephanie Yamamoto, 17, Japanese taiko drumming is more than just rigorous exercise or a way to get in touch with her roots — it’s a spiritual art.

It seems that every culture has a probiotic food that has been made for centuries. The Koreans have Kimchi. The Japanese have Miso Soup and Kombucha. The Africans have Amasi and the list goes on and on. Our history and ancestors have fermented and preserved many types of foods. This actually benefited our health and well being. Meanwhile, in our generation we have gone away from these traditions and have added antibiotics to our bodies. These antibiotics can be found in both our medicine and our food. This has caused a great imbalance in the beneficial bacteria that belongs in our bodies. This imbalance has contributed to a wide variety of diseases. Today, we are seeing a great come back with both probiotic supplements and foods.

This week's "Jack the Giant Slayer," a 3-D retelling of the Jack and the Beanstalk legend, contains all the elements of the classic tale: farm boy, beans, giants, etc. But along for the ride is a new character, Princess Isabelle, played by Eleanor Tomlinson.

Celebrate Japanese art, culture and tradition at the two-day Matsuri Festival at Heritage and Science Park in Phoenix. Exhibits, Japanese food, bonsai displays and live entertainment hallmark this annual event.

The hit Broadway musical, “Avenue Q,” is considered an adult version and parody of the popular television series “Sesame Street.” Many of the characters and puppets are spoofs of the children’s TV show and utilize adult situations, themes and language.

Phoenix Sister Cities is seeking college graduates who would like to live and work abroad in Phoenix’s sister city of Himeji, Japan, during the 2012-13 school year. The deadline to apply is Feb. 10.

If tea is so beneficial to drink, why can’t we eat it, too?

If tea is so beneficial to drink, why can’t we eat it, too?

Sushi Ken

A playful, elegantly made little horror film, “Mama” teasingly sustains a game of hide-and-seek as it tantalizes the audience with fleeting apparitions of the title character while maintaining interest in two deeply disturbed little orphan girls. Being sold primarily on the name of its godfather, Guillermo del Toro, this Canadian-Spanish co-production from Universal is refreshingly mindful of the less-is-more horror guidelines employed by 1940s master Val Lewton, not to mention Japanese ghost stories, but the PG-13 rating might prove too restrictive for the gory tastes of male core genre fans. Still, less bloodthirsty female teens could make up the difference at the box office, as the film provokes enough tension and gasps to keep susceptible viewers grabbing their armrests or the arms of those next to them.

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.

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

Phoenix Sister Cities is seeking college graduates who would like to live and work abroad in Phoenix’s sister of Himeji, Japan, during the 2013-14 school year.

A desire to recycle, save money and add that personal, imaginative touch is what entices many crafty people to create what easily can be bought. This time of year, that includes crafting a lunch sack.