Blog Posts

Grilling Tips for Your Next Barbecue

May is here, and it’s National Barbecue Month! We know that firing up a grill may not be appealing here in sweltering Gilbert, AZ, but you can still participate in the fun by trying these ideas and tips — in or out of your apartment here at Liv Northgate. Here are some tips: Start Later: Arizona is always hot, especially during the summer. Luckily, it can get pretty cool in the evening! This makes evenings perfect for hosting a barbecue. Cook and Eat Inside: Barbecues by nature are held outdoors. If it’s too hot to be out, cook typical barbecue food inside. This guarantees that you get that same savory taste in a more comfortable setting — we’re not sure why we haven’t tried this sooner! You may want to opt to purchase an indoor BBQ grill to get that unique smokey taste. Head to the Pool: Liv Northgate provides a must-have amenity for any home in Arizona: a pool! It’s a perfect spot for hanging out, relaxing, or even working on your fitness goals. Recipes We can’t write a blog about National Barbecue Month without sharing a few delicious recipes. Here are a few of our favorites: Grilled Steak, Potato, and Mushroom Kabobs This recipe is perfect for the steak lover. You’ll need steak, mushrooms, potatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and oregano. Heat up the grill and get ready for a juicy and delicious kabob. Olive Oil Parmesan Grilled Corn This recipe comes from Fit Foodie Finds . It’s simple, delicious, and sure to please your guests. You’ll need ears of corn, grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub the marinade on the corn, wrap in aluminum foil, and grill until cooked through. Brazilian Grilled Pineapple As an appetizer or dessert, this blend of pineapple slices, brown sugar, and cinnamon is the perfect addition to a barbeque. What are your favorite foods to grill or activities to include during a summer barbecue? Share your ideas with the rest of us by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy your next barbecue in our community this summer.

Get Inspired!

Take some time out of your busy schedule for yourself. Get inspired this spring using these fun ideas from the Liv Northgate Blog. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by the dreariness of a routine that’s turned into a rut. Pull yourself of it by staying active and inspired this month. Explore Spend some time outside of your apartment this month. Visit the Hale Centre Theatre , head out and enjoy dinner at a new restaurant, or check out what is happening at the Gilbert Community Center . Just getting out of the house and trying something new — whether it’s a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try or a new hairstyle — can be an exciting and illuminating experience. You never know where your next idea is going to come from. Imagine Spend some time thinking about your life this month. Where would you like to be in one year? Five years? Twenty? Imagine what you’ll be doing in the future, and then write concrete goals to help you achieve your vision. Brainstorm an invention you’ve always wanted to try to make, a book you’ve always wanted to write, or a piece of art you’ve always wanted to create, and then start creating! Let your vision inspire and motivate you. Create Once you have your vision in your head, start creating it. Join an artistic group, a theater troupe, or a cooking class in Gilbert, AZ. Creating something new and being able to see your own hard work pay off into something tangible is a feeling like none other. Creating something can help you feel inspired in your everyday life and keep you going when winter days bleed into spring. Listen TED Talks can be extremely enlightening and inspiring. One of our favorite TED talks comes from Angela Lee Duckworth. In her talk, “ Grit: The power of passion and perseverance ,” she says: “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.” We hope that you find a way to stay inspired this month! Thanks for reading the Liv Northgate Blog!

Unique Mother's Day Cards to Make or Buy

May is here, and that means that Mother’s Day is coming up soon. The Liv Northgate Blog has ideas for making or buying a unique card for your mother (or another favorite mother) in your life. Shop online, in a brick and mortar store here in Gilbert, AZ, or scope out your apartment for supplies to make a clever card. Whatever kind of card you decide on, be sure to include a handwritten personal message expressing your love and admiration. Take a look at the cards we found to get your imagination flowing: Cards to Make Mother’s Day Card This DIY Mother’s Day card from Love Grows Wild incorporates a page of sheet music into its design. Liz, the author of the blog says, “I love using sheet music or book pages on my cards...it adds a vintage touch and lots of fun detail to the card.” We think this is a perfect card for a mother who loves music. Mother’s Day Cut Out Card Use a photo of your mom and you in this card, and get creative with cutouts to get a peek. You’ll need card stock, pencil, craft knife, eraser, photo, calligraphy pen (or marker), envelope. The blogger says, “As a mother now myself I can say handmade is thoughtful and appreciated” — we agree! Better Homes & Gardens has a wonderful selection of mother’s day cards to give you inspiration — many with easy-to-follow directions. We especially love the Butterfly Mother’s Day card . Give it a try! Cards to Buy Origami Foxes Mother’s Day Card Origami meets sensation in these classy, handmade cards featuring origami foxes attached to linen card. The inside is blank so you can add a personal message, and the card comes with an envelope. These are custom made to order and are ready to ship within 1-2 business days. Bird’s Nest 3D Pop-Up Box Card Surprise! Your mother will love this “bright and vibrant” 3D box card which is “delicately embossed to give the box card special texture and dimension.” This and similar creations are available on Etsy. Papyrus has a large selection of Mother’s Day cards ranging from cute to elegant to cards intended for your grandmother, daughter, or wife. Papyrus accepts VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal. Your card won’t be charged until the order ships. We hope you enjoy creating memories via Mother’s Day cards this month. Share your favorite ideas with us in the comments. Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers in our apartment community and remember, Father’s Day is coming up next month!

Antiques Shops and Venues in the Gilbert Area

As promised, this time the Liv Northgate Blog is highlighting several places in the Gilbert, AZ area where you can find an antique, vintage item, or collectible to add to your apartment decor, to give to a friend, or to resell. We have both online and physical options to share. We’ll start with an online venue. If you’re on Facebook, there is a group that may be of interest. While it does include yard sale and garage sale items, there are also many collectibles and antique items posted for sale. Do your homework on any item you are considering, and of course abide by the posted guidelines for the group: Garage Yard Sales And Collectables and Antiques Arizona . C&J’s Antiques and Garden Hours: 10am – 5pm, Tues – Sat Located in a quaint old-fashioned Gilbert home, this shop is another place to visit when you are looking to get an antique piece of furniture for your apartment or an idea for a gift. One reviewer said, “Such a cute little house filled to the brim with wonderful antiques! Thank you for letting my family stop by yesterday. Such a sweetheart lady behind the counter. We will definitely be back!” — Victoria S. Facebook Review Merchant Square Antiques Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri and Sat: 10am – 6pm, Wed: 10am – 8pm, and Sun: 10am – 5pm With over 58,000 square feet and more than 200 merchants featuring antiques, vintage items, and collectibles in a combined 234 booths and glass cases, you’ll be sure to find something that tickles your fancy! This venue also features an outdoor garden area. This is what one California visitor had to say: “Visited this place January 2018. It is huge!! Lots of booths, count on spending more than an hour at this store. They even have maps with stall numbers so you can mark on your map what booth you want to come back to. . . . This is their only location and I would drive back 7 hours to come back to this store again.” GRG — Yelp reviewer . Where is your favorite place to shop for antiques and vintage items in the Gilbert, Arizona area? Let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading today’s post.

Vintage, Antique, or Collectible? Learning the Difference

There are many different ways to decorate your Liv Northgate apartment here in Gilbert, AZ, including going with a vintage theme in one room or the whole apartment. But just what is vintage, or antique, or retro, for that matter? What about collectibles? Today our blog post is focused on learning some basics about these terms. Next time we’ll share some places you can shop to find the perfect piece to add to your apartment decor or give as a gift. Some Definitions Antiques are items that are at least 100 years old. (For cars it’s 25 years old.) Vintage refers to items that are at least 20 years old. Collectibles are popular items that people like to collect. They may or may not be vintage or antique, but they often are. Retro is something (particularly clothes) that looks out of style for the current time period. Provenance is the written history or proof of a piece’s authenticity, and it is most often found with more expensive items. It is a paper trail for an antique and may include purchase receipts, marketing materials, documents from auctions houses, and even photographs of the piece that establish or prove its history. On Value A general concept in the antique community regarding value is summed up with this adage: A piece is worth as much as you’re willing to pay for it. This concept encompasses the idea that following your heart when it comes to shopping for antiques is okay — just be sure to balance the desires of your heart with your budget. Receipts When it comes to antiques, always get a receipt, even for a cash purchase. The receipt should include the age of the item, the material it’s made from, any damage or restoration, its value, and the price you paid. Be sure to find out the return policy of the shop or vendor in case you need to return an item, and if the item is a gift, find out if a gift receipt is available. Next time, we’ll share some places you can find antiques, vintage and retro items, and collectibles in the Gilbert, AZ area. Thanks for reading today’s post! We hope you found it informative.

Ideas for Your Liv Northgate Balcony or Patio

When it comes to apartment living at Liv Northgate, your balcony or patio is an integral part of your space, and one of our most popular amenities . Today we are sharing some ideas for decorating and using this typically underutilized area to bring a piece of the outdoors in. What better time than to do it in April, before our Arizona weather gets too hot? Gardening Grow a mini garden on your balcony or patio. Living in an apartment means you don’t have your own plot of earth for gardening, but you can create a container-based herb garden on your balcony. We like these 8 ideas for growing an herb garden from Balcony Gardening. Wall Decor Use the wall of your balcony to display items you wouldn’t necessarily hang inside; how about a kite collection to add a splash of color, or your favorite fishing rod and net? Colorful tapestries create a focal point on a balcony wall, and strings of lights create an ambiance for relaxing evening enjoyment. Furniture Your patio or balcony is there for you to enjoy, so as you’re decorating it, make seating a priority. You don’t want to overfill the space, but you will want to have some sort of comfortable seating — a chair or two, or perhaps a bench — so you can enjoy the beauty of Arizona without feeling crowded with furniture or other decorations. Color Use color to create a relaxing oasis with muted tones of blues, greys, and the like, or create a vibrant space with bright, contrasting colors. Pillows, throws, and cushions are all places to add some color. Paint your furniture, be creative and express your personality with varying colors and textures. Check out these ideas for 14 Ways to Make Your Patio Pop With Color . Try out one of these ideas for your Gilbert apartment this month! Feel free to share your best ideas for decorating balconies or patios in the comments. Thanks for reading today’s post.