Blog Posts

How to Write Poetry Part III

Welcome back to the Liv Northgate Blog where we are now halfway through our how to write poetry month. This time around we are going to keep it simple with an easy format for our poem. Today’s poem is a seven-line fill-in-the-blank format with “What if” and “I might” forming three two-line stanzas (with a blank line between each stanza), with the seventh line asking a question. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. Your topic can be thoughtful, serious, silly, adventurous, or whimsical — you decide. No rhyming is required unless you want to add it. This is the outline for the poem with an example following. What if . . . I might Poem Outline Line 1: What if ______________________________________________________ Line 2: I might ______________________________________________________ Line 3: What if ______________________________________________________ Line 4: I might ______________________________________________________ Line 5: What if ______________________________________________________ Line 6: I might ______________________________________________________ Line 7: Ask a question. What if . . . I might . . . Poem Examples Desert Jasmine What if walked away from Gilbert into the Arizona desert unprepared? I might get extremely thirsty and dehydrated. What if I began to hallucinate? I might think I am walking toward an evergreen oasis. What if my hallucination was actually really, really there? I might quench my thirst with a mimosa while sitting next to the scent of jasmine on the breeze. Why doesn’t everyone walk into the desert unprepared? Mind Expanded What if travel across deserts, rivers, mountains, valleys, and oceans? I might find myself on the other side of the road — and the world. What if I found other words, other ways, and other objects different from what I know at home? I might be puzzled, amused, intrigued, or enchanted by looking at things in a new way. What if I realized that underneath the differences, the function is often the same. I might give up my unneeded prejudices and welcome the expansion of my personal horizons. Why don’t we more readily accept our shared humanity? We hope you enjoy creating a new poem this week using this format. We would love to see the poems you’ve written this month; feel free to share in the comments.

How to Write Poetry Part II

We hope you were able to take time out last week and write a poem using the senses! We’re back this week to share another poem form with members of our apartment community here at Liv Northgate. This time around, we’re going to do a rictameter poem which is composed of 9 lines, with counted syllables. Here is a syllable counter to help you get it just right! Just for fun, we chose to use the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace as the inspiration for our example poem, but you can choose any topic you like for this poem, be it the Arizona landscape or your favorite dessert. The key here is in the number of syllables per line. Line 1 — 2 syllables (same word/words as line 9) Line 2 — 4 syllables Line 3 — 6 syllables Line 4 — 8 syllables Line 5 — 10 syllables Line 6 — 8 syllables Line 7 — 6 syllables Line 8 — 4 syllables Line 9 — 2 syllable (same word/words as line 1) Here is our example poem: Soldiers Steadily march To Buckingham Palace Organized for the Changing of the Guard Marching band — a counterpoint to horses’ trot Foot Guards’ iconic bearskin hats Are images remembered Of the Queen’s Guard Soldiers We love the shape the poem takes, based on the number of syllables per line, and how the title and ending bring the message full circle. Visit this website if you are interested in learning more about the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Give a rictameter a try. We are excited to see what you come up with. Please feel free to share your poems in the comments. We will be back next week with another poetry form to try out. Thanks for taking the time to read our post.

How to Write Poetry Part I

Liv Northgate is happy to bring members of our Arizona apartment community fun and informative blog post each week. This month, we thought we’d through some creativity into the mix and share a series of posts about writing poetry. That’s right, poetry. Don’t be scared, with our step-by-step tips, we will walk you through writing a series of poems the easy way. To get started, we want to start with this quote about poetry: “Poetry, like jazz, is one of those dazzling diamonds of creative industry that help human beings make sense out of the comedies and tragedies that contextualize our lives.” ― Aberjhani* Each week this month, we will include directions and examples for you to write poetry. Who knows, you may discover a hidden talent! Let’s get started with an easy, fill-in-the blank form tied to the five (or six) senses. Senses Poem Simply fill in the blank after each statement to create a poem. I see _______________________________________ I smell ______________________________________ I hear _______________________________________ I feel (touch) _________________________________ I taste ______________________________________ I think _____________________________________ The poem you end up with may look something like this: I see the Eye, a giant orb, commanding the nighttime sky in reddish hue I smell the Thames river, a distinct smell slapping my face with vigor I hear a busking guitarist’s music drifting through the breeze, notes rippling across the pavement I feel the painted wood as I mount a carousel steed, knees clamped, I retreat to childhood magic I taste spicy goodness as mulled cider slips down my throat warming me through I think random thoughts which swirl as I inhale the Houses of Parliament across the river. Take it to another level by taking away the sense words, stripping it down to the essence of creativity. Now our poem looks like this: The Eye, a giant orb, commanding the nighttime sky in reddish hue Beside the Thames river, a distinct smell slapping my face with vigor A busking guitarist’s music drifts through the breeze, notes rippling across the pavement Mounted upon a carousel steed, knees clamped upon wood, I retreat to childhood magic Spicy goodness envelops me as mulled cider slips down my throat warming me through Random thoughts swirl as I inhale the House of Parliament across the river.

Organization 101 for Apartment Living

Cleaning and organizing your Gilbert, Arizona apartment at Liv Northgate may feel like an insurmountable task, but it doesn’t have to be. We have some ideas about how to successfully get it done that won’t leave you tearing your hair out. So let’s get started. Planning is the key. Taking a few minutes before you begin to plan what you need to accomplish, and approximately how long it will take, will save you time in the long run. Plus, like other goals, writing it down is half the battle. List each room as a heading and then under each heading list what needs to be done. Be as detailed and specific as you like. Your plan may look something like this: Kitchen Pantry Cupboard 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Bedroom 1 Closet Furniture Arrangement Misc. Stuff Bedroom 2 Closet Furniture Arrangement Papers/Office Misc. Stuff Bathroom Vanity Towels Cleaning Supplies Livingroom Decor Furniture Storage Misc. Movies/Books Closet Once you have a list of what needs to be done, you can break tasks down into doable chunks of time. For example, perhaps you only have fifteen minutes to start cleaning. In those fifteen minutes, you can clean out a drawer or cupboard, etc. If you have an afternoon, you can do a whole room. Having a list and crossing off finished items creates motivation too; there is something inherently satisfying about seeing work being accomplished. As you organize, get rid of the clutter. Designate items as 1) to keep, 2) give away, and 3) throw away. Give yourself a time limit to dispose of the giveaway items, so that they are not sitting in a pile by the door next month. For the items you are keeping, choose a place to keep them. There is wisdom to having a designated place for everything. Another strategy for reducing clutter is to follow this formula: for every item you bring into the apartment, two items must leave. Following these tips will help you get your apartment cleaned and organized in no time! What tips do you have for organizing your apartment? We would love to hear. Please share in the comments.

Celebrate National Pretzel Day

April 26th is National Pretzel Day. Here on the Liv Northgate Blog, we didn’t want to miss out on this super tasty holiday. In today’s blog post we’ll be sharing some delicious soft pretzel recipes for you to make in your apartment. We hope you enjoy your month here in Gilbert, AZ! Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites from Like Mother Like Daughter For a sweet and soft pretzel, try out these pretzel bites. You’ll need instant yeast, warm water, salt, brown sugar, butter, flour, an egg, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Watch their video by clicking on the link above and make these tasty snacks for friends and family. Cheddar Bacon Stuffed Pretzel Buns from Yammie’s Noshery These cheddar bacon pretzel buns are mouth-wateringly delicious. Once you see the images in the link above, you’ll want to make them right away! You’ll need these ingredients to get started: milk, active dry yeast, brown sugar, butter, all-purpose flour, salt, crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, baking soda, water, coarse salt, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and fresh herbs (they used oregano and parsley). Pretzel Dogs from Buns in My Oven These pretzel dogs bring soft pretzels to a new level. Here’s what you’ll need to make them: warm water, sugar, kosher salt, active dry yeast, flour, butter, vegetable oil, baking soda, an egg, pretzel salt, and hot dogs. German Soft Pretzel Sticks from Gather for Bread Dip these pretzels in a tasty cheese sauce or mustard for the perfect snack. To make these soft pretzel sticks you’ll need light brown sugar, warm water, active dry yeast, canola or vegetable oil, all-purpose flour, baking soda, an egg, salt, and butter. Do you have a favorite soft pretzel recipe? If so, share it with us in the comments below. Thanks for reading the Liv Northgate Blog and be sure to visit again soon!

Words to Live By: Book Recommendations from Liv Northgate

Reading is good for the soul, mind, heart, and brain! Make reading every day — or at least regularly in some way — a goal to improve your life . Reading has a ton of awesome benefits including a better vocabulary, stress relief, and it can even make you a happier person. One benefit you might not know about? Reading can help you see through other’s eyes and comprehend what other people are thinking and feeling. Today the Liv Northgate Blog has several book suggestions to put on your reading list to keep you informed, enlightened, and entertained in your apartment or anywhere else in or out Gilbert, AZ. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World Spend a week with authors Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama XIV, and Douglas Carlton Abrams as they discuss how their life experiences and studies have taught them to seek joy. In a nutshell, the book’s takeaway according to Goodreads, happens as “two great spiritual leaders share their own hard-won wisdom about living with joy even in the face of adversity.” The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell “Gladwell, a New Yorker staff writer, offers an incisive and piquant theory of social dynamics that is bound to provoke a paradigm shift in our understanding of mass behavioral change. Defining such dramatic turnarounds as the abrupt drop in crime on New York’s subways, or the unexpected popularity of a novel, as epidemics, Gladwell searches for catalysts that precipitate the ‘tipping point,’ or critical mass, that generates those events.” — Booklist The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz provides four guiding ideas that can make life more manageable. Gather some wisdom with these quotes from the book . The four agreements are: Be Impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best. What books are on your reading list? Which ones have you loved? Share your reviews and recommendations with the rest of the apartment community by leaving a comment below. Happy reading!