Blog Posts

Welcome to the Current Middle Ages

You may not know it, but you have a King and Queen who reign over the land you live in Atenveldt may not be a name you recognize, but it is the name of the kingdom they preside over, and in February, they will be hosting a friendly event not to far from Liv Northgate in Gilbert. Welcome to the Current Middle Ages, where chivalry is the watchword of the day, champions fight for their Lady,and Kings are crowned after winning the field. For thirty years, the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a medieval re-enactment society, has been holding Estrella War in the valley. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are several thousand words to give you an idea of what Estrella and the SCA is all about. What is it you ask? Once a year, members of the SCA gather in sunny Arizona for a week of medieval style camping, pageantry, and honing medieval-style combat skills. And dont forget shopping a veritable Medieval Mall, taking classes on all things medieval, watching demonstrations, and of course meeting with or making friends who share an interest in what life was like in the middle ages. For more information about the event, visit the Estrella War Newcomers Portal . In Medieval fashion, there is a local SCA group in the area called, The Barony of Twin Moons . It is ruled over by a Baron and Baroness appointed by the King and Queen. Barons and Baronesses are referred to as Your Excellency, and Their Excellencies Baron Alystyr and Baroness Gret bid you welcome to their lands which include the greater east valley area of Phoenix. Weekly meetings are held Thursday evenings at the Gene Autry Park (4125 East McKellips Road) in Mesa. Newcomers are most welcome to join for an evening or a century or two. ( Permission to use images .) So the next time you feel like dressing up like a prince or princess, take a step back in time and visit the current middle ages. Feel free to share your thoughts in the Liv Northgate Blog comment box.

Snooze, CRAS, AZWALL More Than Acronyms

What does a get your morning going with a cuppa establishment, an audio/recording school, a Vietnam veterans remembrance wall, and food trucks have in common? If you said they are a part of Gilbert, Arizona, you would be correct. Todays blog post is about some quirky or at the least interesting places in Gilbert. The morning people establishment is called Snooze, an A.M. Eatery; the name is derived from the owners habit of hitting the snooze button on his alarm three times every morning before finally rolling out of bed. Snooze started with one shop in Denver, and has expanded to twelve, the one in Gilbert being the newest. Snooze, a breakfast and brunch joint offers imaginative dishes and eye-opening cocktails in a fun and vibrant ambiance. You can find them at 310 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert. 480-664-4488 And heres a peek at their menu (just reading it will make your mouth water)! In 2012, 72 CRAS (Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences) graduates were nominated for 163 Grammy awards. That is a pretty impressive record for a private technology school. The CRAS, originally called Songshop, moved from New York to Phoenix in 1987, and added a Gilbert location in 2003. The focus of the school is to provide an education that is well-rounded and prepares you to enter into the world of audio the career of your dreams. So heres to the next CRAS graduate who wins a Grammy all from skills learned in Gilbert, Arizona. Operation Welcome Home is an organization that holds ceremonies for members of the service when they return home from a tour of duty. It began in 2010, and other communities in the valley have embraced the idea. The Department of Defense awarded Operation Welcome Home jointly, with the Town of Gilbert a 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War Commemorative Partnership. The result of that partnership is the creation of the AZ Wall Project . The project is a veterans park featuring a scaled down version of the Wall in Washington D.C. which will be 360 long and 8 feet tall. This park will provide healing, education, and inspiration to visitors. And the food trucks they are part of the Downtown District, and you can find them there on Friday nights from 5:00 - 9:00. Check them out. This blog post provides a great review. Also, the Town of Gilbert is looking for your input on the growth of the Heritage District. The survey will take about 5 minutes to complete and your responses will help guide future development decisions: Gilbert Heritage District Survey . Please share your quirky, favorite things about Gilbert in the Liv Northgate Blog comment box.

New Years Resolutions an Annual Tradition

January 1st its a new day, its a new year, its time to make resolutions for the coming year. But first, it might be a good idea to do an assessment of the last year. Make a list of accomplishments, places you visited, people you met, goals you had, etc. Now that you can see what you did last year, use that information to come up with some resolutions for this year. A disheartening statistic is that only eight percent of the New Years Resolutions that are made are actually followed through to fruition. Todays blog will focus on some tips to follow so you are in that eight percent. - Write it down! According to Dustin Wax, a Lifehack editor writing about Writing and Remembering , When we write something down, research suggests that as far as our brain is concerned, its as if we were doing that thing. Writing seems to act as a kind of mini-rehearsal for doing. Ive written before about how visualizing doing something can trick the brain into thinking its actually doing it, and writing something down seems to use enough of the brain to trigger this effect. - Make an action plan. Divide your resolution or goal into doable actions that can be completed a task at a time. The old adage of eating an elephant one bite at a time holds true when we are working on accomplishing goals. What can you do today toward your New Years Resolution, and tomorrow and the next day. - Be flexible with your goals and tasks. Periodically review to see if you are on track. If you are not, take a look at why, and determine whether or not you need to revise your goal,, scrap it, or simply change the way you are trying to accomplish it. - Be accountable to someone about making progress on your goal. At work or at school, we have a lot of accountability built into our daily schedules. But with personal goals, we dont, so ask a friend to help you be accountable for accomplishing your goal. A simple weekly or monthly, Are you on track with your goals? text or email may be sufficient to keep you on task. And next year, when you are looking back on the year, you can be one of the elite, one of the eight percent of people who completed a New Years Resolution. Please comment on the Liv Northgate, Gilbert Blog and share what your New Years Resolutions are this year.

3 Local Breakfast Spots to Wake Up to in Gilbert, AZ

For years, weve heard just how good breakfast is for your health. From commercials, to our parents, its all enduredand for good reason. Even according to recent studies , the argument that breakfast improves focus in the workplace and classroom, aides weight loss, and reduces the risk of heart disease holds up. So if youre looking for ways to balance your daily appetite, get an early start, and be more productive, we recommend grabbing breakfast at any one of the following local Gilbert breakfast spots. 1. The Farmhouse Restaurant Farmhouse is a comfortable, long-running American restaurant serving down-home breakfast and lunch. Local diners go for their famous cinnamon rolls, fresh squeezed orange juice, and responsive service in their rustic atmosphere. Plus, without the temptation of any fried foods, its easier to adhere to your dietary needs. A restaurants taste that lives up to its name. This is a must-eat Gilbert stop. 2. The Gilbert House Restaurant This quaint, family-owned outfit serves diner-style breakfasts and lunches like fluffy omelets and gourmet burgers. From their eggs benedict to their get-to-know-you service, its easy to see what makes this breakfast spot so well liked. If you stop in, be sure to try their orange custard rhubarb pie or their apple-cinnamon bread pudding. 3. The Coffee Shop at Agritopia The Coffee Shop at Agritopia describes itself as a SoHo chic cafe, with an amazing patio, surrounded by a rose garden, located in the middle of Gilbert, Arizona. Theyre best known for their delicious San Diegan omelette and for their cupcakes, which took home the top prize on Food Networks Cupcake Wars. How often do you get the chance to eat nationally famous cupcakes? Dont miss your chance! Where else do residents of Liv Northgate like to go for breakfast? Let us know in the comments!

Space-Saving DIY Furniture For Your Pet

If youre fortunate enough to have a pet, we know how hard it is to find a place for their furniture without overtaking even the biggest apartments, homes, or mansions. But we also know how important it is that they have a place they belongboth inside and out. Fear not! Because weve heard your cry for help, weve brought together a few of our favorite space-saving DIY apartment solutions for your favorite pet. You can explore them all below. 1. Apartment Cat Shelves If youre a proud cat owner, youre probably all too familiar with shreds of cardboard from the all mighty scratch towers. These carpeted shelves are a great way to cut down on unnecessary shreds. By making use of unused wall space, youll also free up more storage in your living room. All youll need for this one is a trip to IKEA and squares of Flor carpet. Head on over to The Hip Soiree for the simple step-by-step. 2. Gumball Machine Fish Tank Having had fish before, tanks and supplies can take up a lot of space. If your underwater friend happens to be a freshwater fish, this DIY gumball fish tank idea is a creative way to incorporate a fun sense of design with a streamlined home. Though this one may take a little more work, the finished product is worth its weight in gold. Instructables has the how-to on their site. 3. Modern Pet Crate Coffee Table Finally, weve saved the best for last. This modular idea is fit for both cats and dogs alike. This DIY coffee table features three walls of enclosure and a spacious opening for your furry friend to comfortably get in and out whenever they want. With airy breathing holes on all sides, theyll still feel connected and a part of the room. If youre as interested in this idea as we are, HGTV has the walkthrough over on their site. As youre trying out any of these ideas, be sure to post photos of your process and finished product. Whether you made modifications of your own, or have an idea youd like to share, wed love to hear about it in the comments below!

Top 3 Morning Coffee Recipes

The alarm goes off again. The start of another day and you need to kickstart your morning routine. You rub your eyes and maybe wonder aloud if you should make a cup of coffee. But maybe you wont need to wonder anymore. Recent research shows that drinking a healthy cup of coffee everyday can be good for your health. And thats good news for the 54% of Americans over age eighteen that drink coffee every day. So rejoice! If youre looking for different recipes to celebrate the news, here are a few of our favorite go-to healthy recipes for your daily cup of Joe. 1. Frozen Mochaccino If youre looking to recreate your favorite frothy frozen coffee drink, youll be happy about this recipe. Normally, drinks like this might be packed with calories at your local coffee shop. But low-fat milk, cocoa powder, and coffee with just a little maple syrup all work together to make a guilt-free drink. To get the recipe, head over to this site for the simple step-by-step. 2. Coffee Creamsicle If blending drinks with other flavors is more your scene, youll love this dessert-derived recipe. All youll need for this is some homemade cold-brew concentrate, vanilla almond milk, a cup of ice, and either store-bought or freshly squeezed orange juice. Womens Health Mag has the delicious walkthrough for this nostalgic mall court treat. 3. Organic Coffee with Coconut Oil If youre looking for a more classic spin on an old stand-by, we recommend this java recipe. For those that have tried to blend coconut oil and coffee before, you might be familiar with how difficult it is to blend. But this recipe uses organic unsalted butter, a drop of vanilla, and stevia to make it settle in just right. Wellness Mama has the how-to on their site. Still not satisfied? If youre looking for a more comprehensive list of ways to integrate more coffee into your day, Greatist has a few in mind. What are some of your favorites? Share some of your coffee secrets with us in the comments below!