Blog Posts

Bringing History to Life in Sunny Arizona

We hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl war, and that your team won! This month, the Liv Northgate Blog wants to share information about another war that is coming up this month in Arizona. We’re writing about the Estrella War, which isn’t a war in the traditional sense but is, rather, a week-long WAR put on by a group of medieval reenactors, February 20 – 26, at the beautiful Schnepf Farms, a hop-skip-and-jump away in Queen Creek, just over 12 miles away. This is not a renaissance fair, but an opportunity to immerse yourself in a medieval world — or about as close as you can get, anyway. The group’s website explains it like this: “Estrella War is one of the oldest and largest events held in the SCA. It’s purpose: to embark in the fun and frivolity of a week of medieval style camping, pageantry, combat & weaponry skills, arts & sciences including classes & demonstrations… and of course gather in the camaraderie of friends old and new who share in the diverse interests of middle ages life.” The event has been held now for 30 years, Gilbert residents may have heard about it, or maybe even seen people dressed in funny clothes buying ice and camping gear at merchants in the area. For more information and to register for the event, visit the Estrella War website . The event includes medieval arts and sciences, youth activities, archery, special events, combat, and a town square filled events, games, and of course shopping. Events are held all over the Known World’s Kingdoms — the United States and beyond — this video gives you a good idea of what you may find at a large SCA event . A local medieval re-enactment group, The Barony of Twin Moons , spearheads the event. The group meets weekly according to their website for a weekly Fighter Practice, and newcomers are always welcome. Plan now to get away to the past this month, and learn a new-old skill. If you prefer the more modern counterpart to medieval combat, check out this fencing center in the Gilbert area: Arizona Fencing Center From the website: “Arizona Fencing Center welcomes all interested fencers from beginner to Olympic level with our Introductory, Beginner and Advanced classes, open fencing, and private lessons! We have something for everyone. AFC hosts the scouts, birthday parties, team building events, social meeting events, home school fencing programs, and Fencing For All Foundation’s Zorro Project. “AFC is proud to be the home of some of the best fencers in the country. We are very fortunate to have the coaching expertise of Head Coach, Florin Paunescu. Coach Florin has developed numerous fencers to national and international levels of fencing both here and in Europe; he is the ONLY Olympic level coach in Arizona.” Arizona Fencing Center is about 17 minutes from Liv Northgate Apartments. Next week, we’ll have a Valentine’s Day related blog, including its history. Thanks for reading this Liv Northgate apartment blog post today!

Plan a Super Bowl Party for Your Liv Northgate Apartment

The Super Bowl is coming up on February 4th, and we’ve got ideas for celebrating and watching the game in style with a party at your Liv Northgate apartment. So read through our post, plan your party, and head out to your favorite Gilbert area grocery store for snack ingredients you don’t have on hand, and get ready to rumble! Invitations The days of paper invitation are pretty much a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean your electronic version has to be a series of text messages or social media posts! Take a look at these: 15 Super Bowl Party Invitations , to get ideas or to just use. Figure out how many people can comfortably fit in your apartment, and invite more than that, because not everyone you invite will be able to make it. Do your best to get RSVPs so you will know how much food to plan. Theme The theme is a given — football — but how do you make it work for you? We have some ideas for fun, easy, ways to build the football theme at your party. Super Bowl Fiesta From the blogger: “When I watch football I love to get dressed up and make a lot of noise. Get your guests to go crazy during the game by providing them with a few wearables and noisemakers.” Mardi Gras Super Bowl Where “Super Sunday meets the Big Easy” is what you can do with this theme. Add an element of fun with football confetti, and don’t forget the beads! Check out these 13 Super Bowl Party Ideas for more simple decorating ideas for a super bowl party. Food A super bowl party is a great opportunity to have your guests bring potluck dishes to end up with a unique variety of food — however, if you like to know what’s going to be served, it may be better to plan the food yourself. Take into account how much time you have/want to invest in food preparation as you plan. Decide whether you want to do a full meal or just serve snacks. We’ve rounded up some snack recipes to help you get started: Football Puppy Chow Turn almonds into footballs for this easy-to-make, fun-to-eat snack. You will need Chex cereal, green candy melts, vegetable oil, creamy peanut butter, chocolate chips, white M&Ms, whole almonds, and powdered sugar; plus white icing for the almonds. And for the health conscious football fan, Everyday Health has some healthy options for your game day goodies . There is no need to sacrifice taste for nutrition. Serving Truffled Popcorn with Rosemary and Garlic doesn’t even sound like it’s something on the healthy side --but it is indeed. Bon Appetite! MyRecipes.com also has some great ideas for eating in style with essential tailgating recipes for things like Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Dip --served with chips or chunks of bread, it’s a warm filling dish for game day, and for dessert, check out these ideas: 8 Football Shaped Desserts Enjoy the super bowl via the big screen, right here in Gilbert, AZ, and thanks for reading today’s post in the Liv Northgate Blog this week!

Celebrate National Popcorn Day

January 19th is National Popcorn Day, and this month the Liv Northgate Blog is featuring several popcorn recipes. Invite some friends from our apartment community over to join you and enjoy and an evening full of popcorn, movie snacks, and your favorite films. We’ve got some recipes for a variety of popcorns to try. Popcorn Recipes Oreo Cookie Popcorn from Two Sisters Crafting This is a really easy popcorn recipe that can double as an after-dinner dessert. Not feeling well? Have a chicken soup dinner and then binge watch your favorite Netflix series while you munch on this sweet snack. Marshmallows, popcorn, mini Oreo cookies, and butter make this treat both delicious and unique. Easy Homemade Kettle Corn from Yummy Healthy Easy Kettle corn is a great, easy snack to share with friends on a January evening in Gilbert. Put in a couple of your favorite Hitchcock films for a classic movie marathon. This popcorn is topped with canola oil, Truvia (or sugar), salt, and melted butter. Chili and Lime Popcorn in Coconut Oil from Killing Thyme This is our only savory popcorn on the list, but it’s one of our favorite popcorn recipes. Chili powder and lime make for a unique (and spicy) taste. This recipe makes just enough popcorn for a night in with your favorite movie. Cinnamon Toast Popcorn from Two Sisters Crafting This cinnamon toast popcorn is perfect for anyone who wants to transport their favorite breakfast toast into a fun movie snack. Use popcorn, butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon to make this delicious treat. Feel free to make much less popcorn than the ten cups this recipe calls for. Marshmallow Popcorn Balls from Chef in Training Plan a party for National Popcorn Day and serve these marshmallow popcorn balls to your guests. This recipe takes a lot of popped corn — sixteen cups — but the rest of the recipe is pretty simple. You’ll love the butter, sugar, corn syrup, marshmallow, and vanilla topping that holds these popcorn balls together. Of course, you could also head out to your favorite Gilbert, AZ movie theater for the latest movie and a big tub of buttered movie-theater popcorn, washed down with an extra-large drink. See what’s playing on the big screen this month at Movie Insiders . Thanks for reading today’s post. We’ll be back next week with suggestions for Super Bowl Sunday to celebrate football Arizona style!

Ideas for Korean Cuisine From Your Gilbert Apartment

This month, the Liv Northgate Apartments Blog is bringing residents of our Gilbert, AZ apartments local Korean restaurants near your apartment in Gilbert, Arizona. Today we are featuring Red Kimchi Korean Restaurant, Arirang Korean BBQ, and Korean BBQ. Read on to learn more about these restaurants in today's blog post. Korean Restaurants Red Kimchi Korean Restaurant Nothing beats Korean for dinner! Grab some food from Red Kimchi Korean Restaurant in Scottsdale Arizona. From the website: “Come and experience the valley's best Korean dining and lunch spot. We offer a great selection of unique Korean dishes, traditional selections, seafood, and barbeque meats prepared for you or which you can grille to your preference at your own table.” Red Kimchi Korean Restaurant is about 30 minutes from Liv Northgate Apartments. Arirang Korean BBQ Need dinner plans for tonight? Try some delicious Korean from Arirang Korean BBQ. According to their website, “Arirang Korean BBQ in Chandler is an authentic Asian-fusion restaurant dishing out excellent Korean BBQ and Japanese Noodles in the East Valley. Enjoy daily Lunch Specials throughout the weekdays and try a BBQ Combo Plate to sample our different meats and sides.” Arirang Korean BBQ is about 20 minutes from Liv Northgate Apartments. Korean BBQ This weekend is the perfect time to eat out at Korean BBQ, a local Scottsdale Korean restaurant. They use authentic, time-tested recipes and fresh ingredients. The results are a menu that “bursts with flavor,” as their website puts it, and the website says this about customer service: “Let's talk service. We have it in spades. Our dedicated staff is attentive and knowledgeable. Did we mention friendly? When you dine with us, you're always in good hands.” Korean BBQ is about a 20-minute drive from Liv Northgate Apartments. Where are your favorite places to eat in the area? We hope you take some time this month to try one of these Korean restaurants. Thanks for reading today’s post.

Taking Stock for the New Year

January is a good month to take stock — a personal, financial, and physical inventory — to see where you’re at. Today, the Liv Northgate Blog has some tips on how to take a look at where you’ve been so you can plan on where you want to go during the coming year. Personal Take some time to write down the highlights of 2017, including your thoughts about your successes and failures. Think about and jot down some of the things you may want to accomplish in 2018. Reflect on how you have made personal improvements and how you can maintain them as you go forward. Make appointments with the eye doctor, dentist, and your primary care physician for an annual checkup. Knowing your health needs are taken care of will help give you peace of mind as you begin a new year. Financial Review your annual budget from 2017, and note where you may need to make changes. Decide how much money to save and invest. Review your insurance coverages and determine whether anything needs to be changed or if you want to shop for a different insurance provider. Gather together the paperwork you will need for taxes. Determine if there are major purchases you will want to make this year, or costs for travel you will need to take into account. Consider setting up a holiday fund to contribute to monthly, so at the end of the year, you can pay cash for gifts. Physical Take a good look at your apartment. Check your apartment’s first aid kit, add needed supplies, toss and replace expired medications. (And if you don’t have a first aid kit for your apartment, get one.) Be sure to have some bottled water set aside in your pantry, and check to make sure you have flashlights that work too, in case of a power outage. Put new batteries in smoke detectors and clocks. Check the filters for heating and cooling. Check for any leaks in the plumbing. Make note of any needed repairs and submit a maintenance request. It’s a good time to also take a look at your car and provide any needed maintenance, update your emergency car kit (or get one if you don’t have one), and do a detailed cleaning. We hope that these tips will help you feel safe and secure here in Gilbert, Arizona as we head into a new year. Thanks for reading today’s post, and if you have any tips for taking stock for the new year, please share them in the comments.

Bring a Bit of Winter to Your Arizona Apartment with Paper Snowflakes

Bring a touch of wintertime to your Liv Northgate Apartments Blog with snowflakes! Today we are bringing our apartment residents ways to celebrate Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day (December 27th) with suggestions, patterns, and sources for craft supplies at local craft stores like Michaels, JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts, and Hobby Lobby. Read on to learn more about this winter favorite in today's blog post. Making Snowflakes How to Make 6-Pointed Paper Snowflakes If you’re a little rusty when it comes to making paper snowflakes, this clear, concise tutorial will help you create beautiful snowflakes in 11 illustrated steps. It all begins with a square of paper and a pair of scissors. 3D Paper Snowflakes with directions from Wikihow These snowflakes take the fold, cut, and unfold concept a step further. With a little more work you can have a 3D masterpiece. Make some of various sizes to hang in your windows or from the ceiling. Snowflakes from Cardboard Tubes From the blogger: “The process is pretty easy. Each of the tubes are flattened, cut into 1 inch segments of different lengths, and then spray-painted white (or whatever color you prefer). The different size loops are hot glued together to make the snowflake shape.” This Fun and Facts with Kids post has nine, count ‘em, nine different snowflake patterns to create. Try your hand at the Flying M, Stars and Diamonds, Acorns and Hearts, and more! Paper Snowflake Window Curtain Paper snowflakes can look beautiful in your windows as holiday curtains. Follow this tutorial to create a winter wonderland to hang in your window — a curtain of ice — without the chill. Clothespin Snowflakes by Stephanie Lynn These snowflakes bring an old-fashioned feel to holiday decorating. They can be made as a plain and simple ornament, or you can add glitter, feathers, or other bits and pieces to jazz them up. Use them as gift toppers, tree ornaments, or even hang them on the wall. Lace Snowflakes from the Aunt Peaches blog Lace is lovely to look at, but we don’t often get out grandma’s lace tablecloth for everyday use, so perhaps it’s time to use it as the basis for a family heirloom. This blog teaches you how to make beautiful snowflakes from lace (get yours from a thrift shop if you can’t bear to cut up grandma’s tablecloth!). Frosted Pipe Cleaner Snowflake Ornaments Frosted snowflakes make beautiful ornaments for your holiday decor. All you need to make these is white pipe cleaners, spray adhesive, Epsom salts, fishing line, and acrylic sealer. These snowflakes sparkle — just like the real ones! Local Craft Stores Michaels “At Michaels, we believe anyone can make, and we’re on a mission to inspire and encourage everyone to unleash their inner maker. With helpful store Team Members and a broad selection of merchandise, combined with compelling in-store events and online content, we believe we offer the most complete arts and crafts experience and are the preferred destination in the industry.” Michaels is about 6 minutes from Liv Northgate Apartments. JOANN Fabrics and Crafts “JOANN Fabric and Craft Store in Gilbert offers a great offering of fabrics, floral, yarn, beads, scrapbooking, and crafts. It’s located at 2753 S. Market Street.” When it comes to paper, they have the best selection around. JOANN Fabrics and Crafts is about 11 minutes from Liv Northgate Apartments. Hobby Lobby From the website: “Hobby Lobby is primarily an arts-and-crafts store but also includes hobbies, picture framing, jewelry making, fabrics, floral and wedding supplies, cards and party ware, baskets, wearable art, home accents and holiday merchandise.” Hobby Lobby is about 14 minutes from Liv Northgate Apartments. We hope members of our apartment community at Liv Northgate enjoy creating some “wintertime” crafts this month! Please share your favorites in the comments.