There are a lot of ways you could introduce Stacey Weber.
She's a chef. A Scottsdale business owner. The woman behind Amelia's by EAT. A fiancee to Aaron. A mom to Jack.
But after spending some time getting to know her family, there's an easier way to describe them. They don't sit still very often.
"We are known for our spontaneous lifestyle amongst our friends," Stacey told us. They're usually going somewhere, trying something, or finding another reason to get out and enjoy Arizona.
And on the rare Friday night they actually stay home? Jack makes the popcorn.
For the third edition of It's a Nice Day With, we're heading to McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale to meet Stacey, Aaron and Jack. We talked food, family, Arizona sunsets, the neighborhood they love, and the one Arizona pest Stacey does not want joining them at home. Somewhere in there, we'll get to why a Scottsdale pest control company keeps showing up in a story about popcorn.
The chef lets Jack handle Friday night snacks
You might expect a different answer when you ask a professional chef what her family eats on a Friday night.
Stacey's answer was better.
"We enjoy eating Jack's famous air popped popcorn."
Apparently Jack's popcorn has earned a reputation. And we kind of love that. Stacey spends her whole professional life around food, and the thing her family looks forward to at home is something simple her son makes.
Some nights deserve a great restaurant. Some deserve Jack's popcorn.
Why McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale feels like home
Stacey and her family live in McCormick Ranch, one of Scottsdale's most established neighborhoods.
When we asked what makes it feel like home, she didn't mention an address. She mentioned the people.
"McCormick Ranch feels like home because it is filled with friends who feel like family, and the most picturesque green belt with massive eucalyptus trees."
That's Scottsdale living in one sentence.
McCormick Ranch gets talked about for its greenbelts, mature landscaping and central location. But those aren't really what turn a neighborhood into a home. It's knowing people. It's raising your family around friends. It's the part that never shows up on a real estate listing.
If a Scottsdale chef is recommending food, we're listening
We obviously couldn't sit down with Stacey without asking where she likes to eat.
Her family's "we could eat this every week" answer starts with the obvious.
"We live at Amelia's, so that is always a staple," Stacey says. "Other than that, I'd say a great steak at home."
Fair enough. Amelia's is her own McCormick Ranch restaurant, named after her grandmother, Alma Amelia, so "we live there" is closer to a fact than a figure of speech.
When we asked which Arizona businesses she recommends every chance she gets, Amelia's made the list alongside another Scottsdale favorite, Sweet Republic.
Her hidden gem picks get more specific. "Harvey's Wineburger," she said, and for anyone heading north, "Barn Bros if you're in Flagstaff." That's Harvey's, a 16th Street dive that's been cooking burgers in red wine since the 1950s, and The Barn Bros, the Route 66 estate sale and secondhand furniture shop where half of Flagstaff finds its living room.
These are exactly the recommendations we love getting from someone who actually lives here. Not "the 10 best places according to the internet." The places you'd text a friend and tell them they need to try.
The one Phoenix food event she won't miss
There is one thing Stacey isn't leaving to spontaneity.
"Devour Culinary Classic," she said. "It is the coolest food event Phoenix has to offer."
Coming from a chef, we'll take that seriously. Devour brings together chefs, restaurants and food lovers from around Arizona every year. If Stacey's calendar is blocked off for it, there's probably a good reason.
Sunset. And it's not close.
Arizona sunrise or Arizona sunset?
"I prefer an Arizona sunset 1,000 percent," Stacey said. "I love watching sunsets anywhere beautiful in North Scottsdale."
Not a single overlook. Not a restaurant patio. Anywhere beautiful in North Scottsdale. That might be the most Arizona answer possible.
When people visit from out of town, her tour goes beyond Scottsdale. "We love to take out of town guests to wander around Cave Creek, go on a good hike, and Sedona." Old West, then desert, then red rock. It's an efficient way to explain the whole state in a weekend.
And her advice for anyone who just moved here and is staring down their first July? "The heat won't kill you, and you will survive the summer."
If she only got one sentence to convince someone to move here, though?
"There is no need for snow boots here."
She's not wrong.
Scorpions in McCormick Ranch: the one surprise Stacey doesn't want
One of our favorite questions in this series is a fill in the blank. Home feels safe when...
Stacey's answer was immediate.
"I don't get stung by a scorpion."
And there it is. Welcome to Scottsdale.
Scorpions are one of those things Arizona homeowners learn about quickly. In neighborhoods like McCormick Ranch and North Scottsdale, they're one of the pests we get called about most. The same things that make the neighborhood beautiful, the mature landscaping, the irrigation, the block walls and all the little places other insects hide, also give bark scorpions food and shelter. Which is why scorpion control in Scottsdale is a year-round conversation, not a summer one.
So there's a very Scottsdale version of feeling comfortable at home. Walking through the house barefoot without wondering what's around the corner.
That's where Nice Pest Company comes in.
Our job isn't to make Stacey think about pest control more. It's the opposite. We want families to spend less time thinking about scorpions, crickets, cockroaches, ants and the other bugs that show up around Scottsdale homes.
Stacey has a restaurant to run. Jack has popcorn to make. Aaron presumably has his own responsibilities. Nobody needs "hunt for a bark scorpion with a blacklight" added to Friday night's itinerary.
Fun. Professional. Community driven. Real.
We asked Stacey to describe her experience with Nice Pest Company in one word.
She cheated.
"Fun, professional, community driven, and real."
We'll allow it. Because those four words are pretty close to what we're trying to build.
Yes, we're a local Scottsdale pest control company. We treat bugs. We provide residential pest control in Scottsdale and help homeowners deal with crickets, cockroaches, ants and the rest of the Arizona lineup.
But Nice was never supposed to feel like just another truck that shows up, sprays the house and disappears. We're part of these communities too. The people whose homes we service own the restaurants we eat at. They're raising kids here. They're building businesses here. We see them at events, in neighborhood groups, at schools and around town.
They're our customers. But they're also our neighbors. That's why we're telling their stories.
And then Stacey interviewed us
At the end of our questions, Stacey decided she had one for us. If you had to eat any pest, which one would you choose?
Her answer? "A cricket," she said. "They are high in protein."
Of course the chef had reasoning prepared.
We'll trust Stacey on the food. But if the cricket is hopping around your kitchen instead of sitting on a plate, give us a call.
A Nice Day in Scottsdale
A nice day looks different for every family.
For Stacey, Aaron and Jack, it might mean being spontaneous and seeing where the day takes them. It might mean dinner at Amelia's. It could be wandering Cave Creek, hiking somewhere beautiful, catching a North Scottsdale sunset, or staying home with a bowl of Jack's famous popcorn.
But wherever the day goes, Stacey made one requirement clear. No scorpion stings.
We can help with that part.
Frequently asked questions about pest control in McCormick Ranch
Are scorpions common in McCormick Ranch?
Yes. McCormick Ranch's greenbelts, mature trees, irrigation and block walls create ideal conditions for Arizona bark scorpions. Activity peaks in summer, when scorpions move indoors looking for water and shade.
What pests do Scottsdale homeowners deal with most?
Scorpions, crickets, cockroaches, ants and spiders are the most common pests in Scottsdale homes. Ongoing pest control keeps populations down before they move inside.
How often should you get pest control in Scottsdale?
Most Scottsdale families choose recurring residential pest control on a monthly or bimonthly schedule. Year-round service matters in Arizona because pests don't take winter off the way they do in colder states.
Looking for pest control in Scottsdale, AZ?
Nice Pest Company provides pest control throughout Scottsdale, including McCormick Ranch and North Scottsdale, with service for scorpions, crickets, cockroaches, ants and other common Arizona pests. If you're tired of finding scorpions around your Scottsdale home, reach out to our local team. Your house should be the place where you get to stop thinking about the bugs.
Make it a Nice Day.
Read more from the series: It's a Nice Day With MaKela and It's a Nice Day With Amanda Oliver.
