Blog Posts

August Celebrations at Liv Northgate

What is your response when people ask, “What’s your favorite holiday?” We’re guessing it’s one of the major holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween — there’s nothing wrong with that! But did you know that August is full of fun and quirky holidays to celebrate? Liv Northgate Blog is excited to share a few August holidays to celebrate throughout the month. While they might not become your favorite, they’re sure to add some more fun. Invite some friends over to your apartment in Gilbert, AZ to celebrate in August. National Book Lovers Day - August 9th What better way to spend a summer day than reading a book? There are many books you can read in a single day — or over the weekend. Here are a few, with Goodreads reviews, which we think sound interesting. (Check the link for more suggestions about how to celebrate National Book Lovers Day. Animal Farm by George Orwell "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal by Joan Blos I, Catherine Cabot Hall, aged 13 years, 6 months, 29 days…do begin this book. Return from Tomorrow by George G Ritchie At the age 20, a soldier George Ritchie died in an Army hospital. Nine minutes later he returned to life. What he experienced would change him forever. Kiss and Make Up Day - August 25th “Each one of us has had a fight with a loved one at some point in our lives. Whether it is between you and a friend, family member, neighbor or coworker after time has passed you remember the cause? Was it your fault? Was it their fault? Was it anyone’s fault? Do you want the discord to go on any longer? That is probably the most important question of all.” Take time to resolve differences and start new. Remember to keep an eye on social media for #kissAndMakeUpDay . Race Your Mouse Day - August 28th “While you're waiting for whatever it is to finally come up on your screen, race your mouse in and around the icons.” We hope you enjoy these days of August by celebrating one (or more) of the great holidays that are still to come! Check out this list of unique and bizarre holidays so that you don’t miss out. What’s your favorite holiday? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading.

How to Successfully Evaluate Reviews

Welcome back to the Liv Northgate Blog! In our most recent blog post, we shared some tips for writing reviews. This week, we are sharing tips about how to successfully evaluate the reviews you may read. These tips can apply to all types of reviews, even though the focus is on apartment reviews. Evaluating Reviews Trusting someone else’s opinions can be hard, especially if the perspective is skewed or biased. Look for reviews that fairly address the aspects of apartment living that are most important to you. Look for common themes among multiple reviews. If several people are saying the same thing, it’s more likely to be legitimate. Read the overall tone of the reviews — are they mostly positive or negative. Take the extreme reviews (both good and bad) with a grain of salt. In fact, toss them out of consideration. Look for reviews that give clear, concise, detailed information, and note if there is a response and what the response is. Reviews that are vague are not helpful. Keep in mind that not everyone will have the same set of expectations or experiences. Focus on the aspects of the apartment community that are the most important to you. Spot fake reviews by looking out for language that sounds like it came from a brochure, vague language, and reviews that play on your emotions rather than presenting the facts. Even if a review isn’t fake, if it is too vague and unclear about the situation of a problem and how it was resolved or not, it’s probably not very reliable or helpful to you in determining what an apartment community is really like. What other thoughts do you have about apartment reviews? Share any wisdom and tips from your own experience with the rest of us by leaving a comment. Submit a review of our Gilbert, AZ apartment community today so we can meet your needs. Thanks for reading. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Importance of Writing Reviews

These days, reviews are a part of our everyday lives. We depend on reviews to find the best products at the best prices. We also write our own reviews on products. Knowing how to write an effective review is a good skill to have. Today, the Liv Northgate Blog is sharing tips for writing reviews with a focus on apartments, though the information can be applied to just about any type of review. Why Write a Review When you were searching for an apartment, you likely read the reviews as part of your search. As a resident of our apartment community, you are in an excellent position to share a detailed review of the location, amenities, neighbors, and other factors that are a part of your daily life. We value the feedback we receive from reviews. Of course, if there is an issue, we want to help resolve it, so please contact management to discuss concerns. The best place to get these things off your chest is in a one-on-one conversation with your property manager, NOT online talking trash. Call ahead and schedule an appointment. Have evidence to back up any assertions or complaints. Aim for resolution of your three key gripes, and have a positive attitude. What to Include in a Review Whether your review is positive, negative, or somewhere in between it is important to include relevant details, stick to the facts, be specific, and strive to be objective. Take time to think about what you want to say and focus on sharing the experience. Pay attention to spelling and grammar and use complete sentences. Use exclamation marks sparingly, and resist the urge to use more than one at the end of a sentence! Remember that poor writing mechanics can instantly devalue what you are saying — a reader may think, why should I trust what this person’s opinion if they don’t take the time to write clearly . Be fair. Your experience may or may not be typical of everyone living in an apartment community, so avoid talking about your experience as if it is. Acknowledge in your review that it is one experience and that others may have had a very different experience. Just remember to give relevant details , to be succinct in your writing, and to consider the perspective of others involved so the review can be as helpful and easy to read as possible. Help someone out and take a minute to write a review for our Gilbert, Arizona apartment community. Next time, we’ll be sharing tips about how to evaluate reviews successfully, so stay tuned.

Celebrate National Hot Dog Month

Liv Northgate Blog — Hot Dog Edition! Summer and hot dogs were made for each other. It makes sense that July is National Hot Dog Month. Get out there and celebrate with these fun recipes, decoration ideas, and restaurants to try out this month. Experience some of Gilbert’s restaurants that offer savory hot dogs. Head on over to Higley Hot Dog on E Williams Field Road. With an excellent Google rating, Higley’s is an excellent place to get an all-American hot dog. Bring cash to pay and enjoy a few hot dogs soon. You can also check out Mugsy Dogs on E Queen Creek Road. Mugsy Dogs offers a full-on menu of hot dogs including Italian and Polish dogs; plus all the fixins. Check out these and other awesome local restaurants and food trucks for tasty food and a great local experience. Hot Dogs to Taste If you enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes, check out some of the following unique twists on the classic hot dog brought to you by the Food Network : Keep it classic with grilled link hot dogs with homemade pickle relish or give your hot dogs a little twist with this nacho dog recipe. If you like a little bit of kick, try out this chipotle chili cheese dog recipe . Basically, the possibilities are endless. If you’re feeling super gung-ho about National Hot Dog Month, you could even try out a different recipe for every day — or maybe every weekend! Fun Hot Dog Facts There are plenty of random hot dog facts to help you get through National Hot Dog Month. One of our favorites? Hot dogs were a favorite food to some astronauts. Mental Floss writes , “Believe it or not, astronauts on the Apollo 7 mission in 1968 didn’t really like the freeze-dried ice cream they were to be served in space. The food was removed from the space program, and it eventually found a home in museum gift shops. However, one classic meal item that later crew members—including those on the Apollo 11 mission— actually enjoyed was hot dogs. ” Celebration Suggestions In keeping with the holiday, hold a hot dog cook-off with some of your friends rewarding silly prizes for different categories such as most creative, spiciest, and overall best flavor. Or, hold a hot dog eating contest in our apartment community. Celebrate the depth of your love for hot dogs with all sorts of hot dog themed decor . No matter how you choose to celebrate, we won’t judge. Thanks for reading this Liv Northgate Blog post. Share any additional fun ways to celebrate National Hot Dog Month in the comments. Have a great month here in Gilbert, AZ!

July Celebrations

July is full of fun holidays to celebrate. The Liv Northgate Blog brings you some reasons to celebrate this month here in Gilbert, AZ. We have some fun internet holidays to share. We hope you get a chance to celebrate some of these holidays this month! National Ice Cream Month What better way to cool down in the Arizona heat than to enjoy some ice cream this month! Head to your favorite Gilbert ice cream shop or try one of these recipes. Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream from Happy Food Dance Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream brings the comfort of campsite food to your apartment kitchen. The broiler-toasted marshmallows and sweet, vanilla-y base really make this recipe stand out. You’ll love the smoky taste of this cool and refreshing dish. No Churn Blackberry Chip Ice Cream from How Sweet Eats Any excuse to visit our local farmer’s market is a good excuse. Use locally-grown blackberries to make this Blackberry Chip Ice Cream. Mix the creamy ice cream base with fresh berries and dark chocolate, freeze for six hours, and enjoy. National Fried Chicken Day (July 6) Who doesn’t love some delicious fried chicken? Try out this Garlic Fried Chicken recipe from Allrecipes. You’ll need skinless, boneless chicken breasts, garlic, pepper flakes, salt, paprika, seasoned bread crumbs, 1 egg, flour, salt and pepper, butter, and vegetable oil. This is a fried chicken recipe that’s sure to please everyone. Hammock Day (July 22) Hammocks are a great way to relax this summer. Invest in a hammock to hang outside around the neighborhood or at the local park. Bring a good book and have a relaxing time. You can find some great hammocks online . Find one that fits your needs and enjoy! What are your favorite holidays to celebrate in July? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading and have a great month!

Abracadabra Bow Wow Teaching Your Pet Tricks

Here at Liv Northgate in Gilbert, AZ, we are happy to be a pet-friendly community. In fact, we have a dog park and host events for our residents with pets at our apartment community! Today our blog post is focused on training your dog or pet tricks. Enjoy! Basic Training Principles Once your pet has some basic commands down, you can begin expanding your training. Cesar’s Way shares Five Essential Commands You Can Teach Your Dog which are sit, come, down, stay, and leave it. Visit the blog for step-by-step directions for teaching each of these commands. Another skill, worth mentioning, is to teach your dog when it’s appropriate to bark. If this isn’t an issue, wonderful. However, if it is, the Humane Society’s directions are helpful: How To Get Your Dog To Stop Barking . Pet Tricks Fetching may seem basic, but it can come in handy in all sorts of situations. If your pet doesn’t already have this down, try the tips suggested from Josh Weiss-Roessler at Cesar’s Way for teaching your pet effectively how to bring things to you. Roll Over While this may seem to be a basic trick, it never fails to delight and is one of the easier tricks to teach. Follow the directions from The American Kennel Club and soon your dog will be rolling over on command. Playing the Piano This trick is a bit more advanced and it requires a lot of dedication and persistence in getting your dog not only interested in a piano or keyboard but also in getting them to play it. But take it in steps and reward them generously for their actions and you’ll have the next Mozbark in no time! Have you successfully taught your dog tricks? What are your favorite tricks, games, or skills to teach your pet? Leave a comment and share your tips with other members of our apartment community.