Blog Posts

Summer Movies

It’s another hot Gilbert, AZ summer. Stay cool by enjoying a movie marathon in your air-conditioned apartment. This month the Liv Northgate Apartments Blog has five movie recommendations to add to your summer movie binge list. Say Anything … (1989) Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) is a recent high school graduate who has no idea what he’s going to do with his life. Diane Court (Ione Skye), the class valedictorian, has it all figured out. Lloyd and Diane fall in love in the pause between high school and “real life.” Meanwhile, Diane’s father, Jim Court (John Mahoney), deals with a devastating scandal. What About Bob? (1991) Bob Wiley (Bill Murray) is having a hard time right now. When his psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss), goes on vacation, it sends Bob into a tailspin. Bob follows Dr. Marvin on vacation, determined to get the therapy he needs—even if it means driving his doctor crazy. The Parent Trap (1961) There’s nothing like an original summer classic. Susan and Sharon (Hayley Mills) meet at summer camp, discover that they’re twins, and resolve to get their parents back together. The only thing standing in their way? Vicky Robinson (Joanna Barnes), their father’s new fiancee. Grease (1978) Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) meet and fall in love over the summer. Going back to high school complicates their relationship as ex-girlfriends, T-Birds, Pink Ladies, and dance-offs get in the way of their love. Because of Winn-Dixie (2005) India Opal Buloni’s (AnnaSophia Robb) summer gets a lot more exciting when she meets Winn-Dixie, a Berger Picard, at her local supermarket. Winn-Dixie helps new-in-town Opal meet the quirky characters living in her small town. What are your favorite movies to watch during the summertime? What should we watch this summer? Give us your favorite summer movie recommendations in the comments, and we’ll check them out!

Make Time For Reading

Last week the Liv Northgate Apartments Blog in Gilbert, AZ covered the Maricopa County Library District. This week we’ve got five book recommendations for you to check out and read this summer. We encourage all of our residents to add a book or two to their reading list this month! A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius, but she’s in love with Lysander. Helena is in love with Demetrius, but he’s determined to have Hermia. Oberon is upset with his queen, Tatiana, so he comes up with a humiliating plot to embarrass her. Shakespeare’s comedy celebrates the fickleness of love in all its many shapes and forms. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing take on the name “Ernest” to impress the women they love. When their fiancees declare that they couldn’t possibly love anyone not named Ernest, they rush to have themselves rechristened as Ernest. Identities are assumed, swapped, and confused in this classic play. Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie Peter, Wendy, John, Michael, and the rest of the Lost Boys go on the adventure of a lifetime in Peter Pan . While in Neverland they go on fantastic adventures and battle the treacherous Captain Hook. Emma by Jane Austen Emma can’t help but get in the middle of things. Pretty, popular, and witty, she’s decided to amuse herself by matchmaking the people closest to her. Emma muddles through the matters of the heart and makes mistakes in Emma . Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Jane falls in love with tempestuous Edward Rochester, owner of Thornfield Hall. His dark past threatens to come between them and everything they hope to have together. Jane must choose—does she go with her heart or her head? We hope you take some time to read this summer! What are some of your favorite summer reads? What books do you read every summer? Let us know what books we should read this summer in the comments, and we’ll check them out!

Maricopa County Library District

Nothing connects a community like the local library. The local library often holds events, programs, and houses materials meant for the general enrichment of the population. This month the Liv Northgate Blog wants to highlight the Maricopa County Library District! The Maricopa County Library District serves Gilbert, AZ, and the surrounding area. The Southeast Regional Library is the closest library to the Liv Northgate. We encourage all of our residents to visit the library this month. Checking out a book through the Maricopa Library District is easy. All residents of Maricopa County and those who work here are eligible for a library card. New adult books and interlibrary loan books can be borrowed for two weeks. DVDs, Blu-rays, and express items are available for just one week, and all other material is on loan for twenty-one days. Patrons can check out up to twenty items at a time, and each item can be renewed up to five times. Here are a few events coming up at the Southeast Regional Branch of the library in August: One-on-One Digital Assistance Every Monday in August From the website: “If you need assistance learning how to download digital eBooks or audio books to your reading device, then please stop in for personalized assistance with a library professional. PLEASE NOTE: Assistance is limited to questions about digital books and services and will not address specific technical questions about each device. Please be prepared with the following information before attending: basic use of your eReader device such as accessing device settings, accessing WIFI, how to login using device keyboard, etc. CLASS IS LIMITED TO 3 PEOPLE PER SESSION.” Thursday Night Film Club August 4, 2016 From the website: “A book club for the movie-minded! Join us on the first Thursday of each month as we view and discuss film classics and favorites from the 30s through the 80s. General discussion will take place after film screenings, as time allows. Licensing restrictions prevent us from sharing the names of the movies online, but check the poster at Southwest Regional Library for this month’s title.” Mystery Book Discussion Group: Author Visit August 11, 2016 From the website: “Join Arizona author, Aaron Blaylock and the Mystery Book Discussion group when Mr. Blaylock shares the background story and the writing process for his debut thriller, The Land of Look Behind . Copies available for checkout through the library. Registration is required. Appropriate for adults.” Bookends: Adult Fiction Discussion Group August 16, 2016 From the website: “Adults of all ages read and discuss fiction titles on the third Tuesday of each month. This month’s title: Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler.” Coffee and Books—Nonfiction Book Discussion August 17, 2016 From the website: “Join us after summer break for our first title of fall: GIVE US THE BALLOT, by Ari Berman. Registration desired; seating is limited.” We hope that you’ve enjoyed learning a little bit more about the Maricopa County Library District and the Southeast Regional Library, in particular. What’s your favorite event that the library holds? Let us know in the comments!

Running Tips

Everyones running from something in Gilbert, AZ. Thats why Liv Northgate Apartments provides its residents with intensive cardio equipment they need to be able to keep up at their next 5k! Gilberts annual 5K races include the annual Turkey Trot and the Arizona Road Racers Summer Series. We love being part of an active community, so this week were focusing on running tips and tricks for our residents. From Runners World: Work Out Your Core Runners World cites a study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that found that those who work out their core consistently run faster than those who dont. If you want to win your next marathon, then dont skip out on the Pilates classes that Liv Northgate offers! Also from Runners World: Take Time to Slow Down It is advised that runners start and end their workouts by walking! Runners World calls this The 10-Minute Rule. Walking prepares your body for your run and prevents extreme reactions you may have to your workout. From Shape: Breathe Right Scott Keatley says that long-distance runners arent breathing right. Instead of taking short, shallow breaths, try breathing a little more deeply. This will help keep your body (and your lungs!) happy on longer runs. From ACTIVE: Run in a Pack ACTIVE recommends that rookie runners start out by running with friends. This will help keep your motivation up and give you a reason to get out on the road, or the treadmill, on the days when getting off of the couch is a little harder than it should be. From Fitness Magazine: Take a Break Runner Christine Yu says that taking a day off once in awhile can do your body a world of good. Remember not to overwork yourself its better to progress slowly and be injury-free rather than to spend the weeks after your race recovering! We hope that these tips were useful! What are your running tips? Let us know in the comments!

Decorate Your Apartment

Liv Northgate Apartments in Gilbert, AZ have beautiful pools, thoughtfully designed layouts, and jaw-dropping views. While our apartments are stunning, we know that its the personal touches our residents add that make their apartments feel like home. Thats why this month we have four apartment-friendly decorating tips for our residents: Bedding Country Living has some useful advice for how to decorate your bedroom, including some great bedding color combinations. We recommend picking bedding that matches the overall color scheme of your apartment and then using a creative throw to personalize it. Your throw can reflect your interests and hobbieswhatever you love, theres probably a throw for it. Try mixing and matching your bedding for an eclectic look. Paint-Free Color We get it: you want your apartment to be as colorful as your personality, but you cant paint the walls. Have no fear! Brit +Co. has 20 Ways to Add Color to Your Home Without Painting . We want to highlight two of their tips on the blog today. The first tip is: Hang a Tapestry. Tapestries are more and more popular these days, and you can find them in every and any color. The next tip? Display a Collection. This can be a unique way to add color to your apartment. Whether you collect comic books or quirky hot chocolate mugs, displaying your collection on your walls can make your walls more vibrant, add a visual point of interest to the room and be a fun conversation starter for your next get-together. Colorful Curtains The Lovely Side recommends adding flair to your apartment with colorful curtains. You can hang curtains in any color you want or even hang up multi-colored panels if you so desire! This is an easy (and inexpensive way) to highlight your personality in an apartment without changing the apartment itself. Do you have any apartment decorating tips for us? Let us know in the comments!

Frozen Treat Recipes

Liv Northgate Apartments are proud to be located in Gilbert, AZ! One of the great things about living in Gilbert, AZ is that its never too cold to rule out a nice, cold ice cream cone. This week were celebrating the weather here in Gilbert with five frozen treat recipes that you can enjoy all year long. Raspberry Lemonade Slushie from Raining Hot Coupons Use the freshest ingredients to make a fresh and refreshing drink. This Raspberry Lemonade Slushie has just four ingredients and one step: Toss ingredients in blender and blend until ready. It doesnt get easier than that. Peach Sorbet from Crunchy Creamy Sweet This is the perfect recipe to get rid of your ripe peaches before they go bad. The secret ingredient? The simple syrup. It adds a little more of a punch to the already sweet peaches, and makes the lemon a little less tart. Copycat Dole Pineapple Whip from CincyShopper.com This recipe resurrects an ice cream parlor favorite. With only four ingredients, this is sure to become a year-round staple. No Churn Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream from Like Mother Like Daughter Locating an ice cream maker can be a pain, and buying an ice cream maker can be expensive. Thats why were crazy about his No Churn Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Its creamy, chocolatey and the cookie dough recipe is egg-free, so you dont have to worry about raw eggs contaminating your ice cream. Easy Peach FroYo Pops from DelightfulEMade Another Peach treat! This recipe is perfect for a light snack. The ingredients are healthy, and it should take just about five minutes to throw together (minus the overnight freezing, of course). What is your favorite frozen treat? Leave a recipe in the comments, and well try it out!