Blog Posts

Ideas for the Long Holiday Weekend from Liv Northgate

Welcome to the third post in our series of what to do in November to celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving. This week the Liv Northgate Blog has some ideas of what to do during the upcoming long weekend, particularly if you’re not into Black Friday shopping. Whether you stay here in Gilbert, AZ or head across the country to visit family, we think these ideas are great! Things to Do Over the Long Thanksgiving Break Volunteer A great way to get into the spirit of the holidays is to make it a tradition to volunteer at a local charity or shelter. Find out if the shelters in our area serve a Thanksgiving meal and if they do, volunteer to help serve. Enjoy the feelings that come from giving back to our community. Read about the History of Thanksgiving Make it a tradition to read about the history of the holiday and how it all began. Think about the hardships and struggles the pilgrims went through in a new and unfamiliar land. Learn about the meaning behind the holiday and teach your family and friends. Create a Thanksgiving Tablecloth Use a white tablecloth and some fabric markers to start a fun tradition of writing what you are thankful for each year, along with the date, your name, and age at the time. Add to the tablecloth each and enjoy reminiscing over memories of past years. Put Together a Family Cookbook Compile a cookbook with your family’s Thanksgiving recipes! Make copies for everyone in the family so even when you aren’t together for Thanksgiving, you can still enjoy the tastes of home. Make a Gratitude Tree Each year, make it a tradition to create a gratitude tree from fallen tree branches and cut-out paper leaves. Decorate your “leaves” and write something you are grateful for on each leaf. Have anyone who visits add a leaf to the tree. What things will you be doing over Thanksgiving weekend? Please share with us in the comments below. We want to wish everyone in our apartment community a happy Thanksgiving!

Being the Perfect Guest at Thanksgiving Dinner

Welcome back to the Liv Northgate Blog! It’s a given that the host of Thanksgiving dinner will have their hands full with menu planning, prep work, and figuring out the seating chart; however, if you’re a guest you can lighten the load! Follow these tips to improve on your Thanksgiving dining experience, if you’re in Gilbert, AZ or not. Bring something to the dinner. Whether you’re bringing a gift or a side dish, it’s always nice to bring something to the host’s home. Ask your host ahead of time if they would like you to bring a dish or a dessert. If you choose to bring a gift, make it both personal and thoughtful. Arrive on time. No one wants to wait for dinner (especially Thanksgiving dinner). Make sure that you arrive only slightly after the host asks you to come to dinner, and don’t expect the host to hold dinner for you. If you know that there’s going to be traffic, make sure that you leave your apartment with plenty of time to spare. Try your food before you pass it on. Make sure that you taste your food before you season it. There’s nothing worse than an over-seasoned meal, and it’s great to give your food a little taste before you start pouring on the salt. You won’t know how much salt or pepper you need on your meal until you try it. Compliment the host. The host has worked incredibly hard on the meal. Make sure that you remember to compliment the meal, the host’s home, and the desserts before the meal is through. Also, it’s always polite to thank the host for opening up their home to you. What are your insights into being an awesome guest? Share with us in the comments. We want to wish everyone in our apartment community a happy Thanksgiving!

Gilbert Turkey Trot! Be There This Year

It’s November and that means our thoughts turn to the annual Gilbert Turkey Trot in Arizona. Continue reading for more information about this exciting event! Turkey Trot at San Tan Village: An Overview Since 2011, the Gilbert Turkey Trot has raised more than $250,000 which has been used to make a difference in the lives of children in our community. Runners, from Arizona, and from out of state, gather each November to enjoy the spirit of community found here in Gilbert. Plan on heading over to San Tan Village on the 21st to check in and pick up your packet, and return bright and early on the 22nd to race. Sign up for either the Gilbert Turkey Trot 1-Mile Fun Run or 5K before November 11th and save five bucks on the cost of registration. Tips for Training for a Turkey Trot Running in a turkey trot may be for a good cause, but don’t forget to take sensible precautions before the race so you won’t regret taking part. Plan ahead and do some training before the big day. Here are some basic things to remember: 1. Train before the day of the race. Even if you’re just now deciding to take part in the turkey trot, doing some training between now and then will be beneficial. Be sure you wear proper shoes and follow a healthy training plan . 2. Get a good night’s sleep. During the time of your training, be sure to maximize your rest. Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on training. 3. Dress for success. A good rule of thumb for runners is to dress for the race as if it’s 10 degrees warmer than the thermometer actually reads. In other words, dress for how you’ll be feeling mid-run, rather than before you start. 4. Remember to pace yourself. Pick up the pace for a shorter run and slow down for a longer run. As they say, slow and steady wins the race (or perhaps helps you beat your personal best). 5. Be sure to have fun. The turkey trot is for a great cause — enjoy it! Will you join residents of our Liv Northgate apartment community in participating in the Turkey Trot? Remember that 100% of all proceeds benefit a local non-profit organization that is devoted to making a difference in the lives of children. Stay tuned to our blog to get the scoop on more Thanksgiving-related content.

Frankenstein Friday at Liv Northgate

Frankenstein’s monster is, of course, one of the most famous icons of “scary stuff,” along with the likes of Count Dracula, the werewolves of London, and Jack the Ripper, and the last Friday of October is Frankenstein Friday. The Liv Northgate Blog is sharing some ways to incorporate this fun, freaky holiday into your Halloween celebrations. Frankenstein is the creation of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. The genesis of the story came from a dream, which Shelley incorporated into a story as the result of a writing challenge issued during a Swiss vacation Mary took with companions Percy Shelley (her future husband), Lord Byron, and John Polidori. early two-hundred years later the legend lives on through dozens of book, television, movie, and stage adaptations . Ways to Celebrate Frankenstein Friday at Your Liv Northgate Apartment Begin reading (or re-reading) the book, Frankenstein. Perhaps locate and read a copy of Mary Shelley’s original text which was written when Shelley was just eighteen years old. It’s a story that retains its fascination even two hundred years after it was penned. There’s sure to be a copy at the Gilbert, AZ public library — or even online viaÃ¢ÂÂ Overdrive . Host a Frankenstein movie marathon at your Gilbert apartment. We suggest starting with the 1931 film adaptation (the first one) which stars the legendary Boris Karloff as the iconic green-hued, bolt-necked, square-headed monster, and be sure to include Mel Brooks’ comedy take, Young Frankenstein, which stars Gene Wilder as Frankenstein’s monster. (Many people confuse the character Victor Frankenstein, the scientist, with the monster. In Shelley’s original work, Frankenstein creates a monster.) Enlist a friend to attend a Halloween party appearing as Frankenstein and his monster. Frankenstein can sport crazy hair, wear a white lab coat which is splattered with (fake) “blood” and the monster will, of course, feature green hues in hair and on face (perhaps a dusting of green powder along with green eyeliner and eyeshadow), or go all out and use green face paint. Ham it up as this famous duo; after all, it is a night for the other-worldly. We hope everyone in Liv Northgate has a safe and happy Halloween. What plans do you have? Feel free to share them in the comments.

Costume Ideas for Halloween at Liv Northgate

Welcome back to the Liv Northgate Blog and October in Gilbert. Halloween can sometimes creep (pun intended) up on us and suddenly we need a costume but don’t have the time or $$ budgeted to buy an expensive costume. Try one of these costumes instead. Last Minute Costumes Pirates! Yo ho ho - being a pirate is a super easy-to-pull-off costume idea for couples for Halloween. You can both be pirates, or one can be a pirate and the other a wench. Have fun and brush up on your pirate-speak , because it’s an important part of your character. Nerd/Geek Throw on some suspenders over a white t-shirt and wrap some white tape around the center of thick-rimmed glasses. Bring along a calculator because you never know when you might need to calculate an equation to maintain your image. Flight Attendant This is an easy outfit to put together and you probably already have everything that you need at your apartment. A nice blouse, a pencil skirt, flats or low heels, a scarf, and a small rolling suitcase are basically all that you need. Don’t forget to put on your best fake smile! Deviled Egg Dress in all white and attach a yellow circle of felt to your stomach. Add devil horns and a tail to turn yourself into a "deviled" egg. Other Options for Costumes A quick visit to a Gilbert, AZ thrift store could be the answer to your Halloween costume quest. Think outside of the box and look for pieces that can be put together to create an epic costume. Perhaps a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and mustache to be Magnum P.I., or a flowing skirt, headband, and big glasses to be a hippie, for example. Let your imagination soar. A good option for procuring a new-to-you costume is to get together with together with friends from our Liv Northgate apartment community and swap out costumes. Mother Nature Network has a great how to do it article: How to Host a Halloween Costume Swap . What are your plans for celebrating Halloween this year? In our next post, we’ll share a monster of a plan. Thanks for taking the time to read our post this week.

Apartment Applications: How to Prepare

If you’re looking to rent an apartment here at Liv Northgate in Gilbert, AZ, we look forward to meeting you and giving you a tour of our apartment community! Before you apply, though, you should remember to check a few things so you can have an idea for what’s coming when your application is in review. 1. Verify your credit. Begin by getting a copy of your credit report. You’ll want to verify that your credit matches the requirements of the property you’re applying to. This is the easiest way to avoid disappointment once an application is submitted. 2. Prepare the necessary documents. Driver’s licenses, proof of employment, and details for references (depending on the property you apply for) are common and oftentimes essential things people ask for. If the application doesn’t have fields for these, usually a copy will need to be emailed or faxed to the manager or on-site staff. Keep copies of this information on hand in one place so you can move through this part of the process easily. 3. Read through first. An easy way to avoid making mistakes is to do a clear read-through of the application before beginning to fill it out. This will give a general idea of what will be required and will make it easy to ensure that information isn’t entered twice. Much like taking a test, verifying what is to come makes the overall process much easier. 4. Double check the documentation. Once you’ve completed your application, make sure to read through it a second or third time or to have a friend double check the information you’ve provided. This is to ensure that the information was entered correctly and thoroughly. This can also work as a way to calm your own anticipation and nerves. After all, one of the worst things is to submit a document only to notice errors after it’s out of your hands. If you’ve done your prep, go ahead and see what’s available and apply online to Liv Northgate today. You won’t find a better community in Gilbert. Do you have any personal or foolproof methods for submitting rental applications? Share those in the comments below for others preparing to fill one out today!