Blog Posts

Arizona Springtime = The Perfect Time for Outdoor Adventures

Springtime is upon us, and that means more time outdoors before it gets to hot here in Arizona, lighter fare for dinner, and staying out later. In today’s blog post we will be featuring some great outdoor lawn games, summer salads, and picnic fare to take to the park. So pack up the croquet set and your picnic basket, and head on out from Liv Northgate for an adventure at a nearby Gilbert park. Lawn Games Croquet Croquet can be played by two or four players. The object of the game is to hit your ball through a course of six hoops in the right sequence in each direction and finish by hitting them against the centre peg. A portable game, it’s perfect for taking along on a picnic. Bocce Bocce, or lawn bowling as it is sometimes called, was brought to America by Italian immigrants in the 19th century. The game dates back to 4000 B.C. Early versions of the game were believed to have been played in Egypt, Asia Minor, and Rome. Every region has different rules for the game, but these guidelines focus on rules for playing backyard bocce . Summer Salads To get you started, we like this super-easy summertime Tomato/Avocado/Cucumber Salad. 1 avocado cut into small chunks 1 cucumber peeled and cut into chunks 1 basket cherry tomatoes 1 bunch of green onions minced Mix together and let chill. Just before serving, add a garnish of chopped cilantro and 4-8 oz of a hard cheese, cubed. This salad is delicious — but if reading the recipe doesn’t whet your appetite, check out these 25 Summer Salad Recipes from Country Living. Picnic Fare For a simple but filling picnic that you can get at the grocery store on your way to the park, grab a loaf of French bread, a package of American cheese slices, and a cluster of grapes. Instant picnic. Add your favorite beverage, and if you’re wanting to splurge and go all out, get some fried chicken from the deli. However, if you want to do a full-fledged, old fashioned picnic, it will take some preparation. All of these recipes can be prepared a day ahead of time: Fried Chicken , Potato Salad , and Chocolate Cake . Add some buttered rolls and a beverage, and dinner is served. Enjoy the spring weather while you can, the temperatures will rise to sweltering all too soon. Please feel free to share your springtime adventures with our apartment community in the comments.

3.14 - Lets Celebrate Pi Day

Some Star Trek fans may fondly recall how Mr. Spock stopped an evil entity that had taken over the Enterprise’s computer system, ordering it to “compute to the last digit the value of Pi.” We are pretty sure the crew must have celebrated the victory by enjoying a slice of pie! So as not to be outdone by a fictional crew, The Liv Northgate Blog invites residents of our apartment community here in Gilbert, AZ to celebrate Pi Day, coming up this week on the 14th, with a slice of pie. If you’re not certain what all of the fuss is about, the Pi Day website has plenty of information about the number π — which is a mathematical constant, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, approximately equal to 3.14159, which goes on to infinity and beyond. We take the first three digits, 3.14, and read them as a date: Pi Day, March 14th. Pie Recipes to Try for Pie Day Grandma’s Lemon Meringue Pie . What’s not to like? This blend of sweet and tart is a great way to enjoy pie. And bonus: there is no milk in the recipe, so it can be served to people who are lactose intolerant. Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie This recipe offers step-by-step directions for the crust, filling, and topping, and it’s full of cinnamon apple goodness. We recommend serving it with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Banana Cream Pie from Bon Appetit is the perfect pie to complete your Pi Day celebration. Filled with creamy richness, a hint of chocolate, and piled on top with whipped cream, this pie will be a hit. Peanut Butter Cup Pie You get the best of every sweet world with this peanut butter cup pie. The vanilla wafer crust is a new way to experience a homemade crust. The ganache and peanut butter cup layers are just the tip of the iceberg to this scrumptious pie. Once you dip your fork or spoon into the finished product and the melted chocolate and peanut butter cups ooze out, you’ll be smitten! Of course, if you don’t have the time or the inclination to make a pie, head on out to your favorite Gilbert area bakery or grocery store and pick up a pie to bring home! What is your favorite kind of pie? Please share your recipes in the comments so we can all enjoy the goodness. Happy Pi Day everyone!

Spring Cleaning Your Liv Northgate Apartment

March 20th is the first day of spring this year. Get a headstart on your spring cleaning by putting these tips from this Liv Northgate Blog post into practice. You will love how your apartment sparkles! Declutter. Stacks of mail, toys, and other things in our apartments can clutter up the counters, floors, doorways, tabletops, and more, making your whole home feel messy and a bit stifling. Clear these things from spaces they don’t belong quickly by taking a walk through your apartment with a large basket (like a laundry basket) and removing anything that doesn’t belong where it currently is. Start putting items away once your basket is full. This makes it so you don’t have to take a bunch of tiny stops and detours around the house while you’re trying to just clear the table! Deep clean. Remove stale scents and keep everything looking and feeling vibrant with a little detailed cleaning. Dust blinds, fans, smoke detectors, and vents. Clean out your sink and disposal. Disinfect doorknobs and other touch points in your home. Throw away items, papers, and decorations you no longer use, want, or enjoy. This can be a bigger undertaking, but if you do small things when they’re convenient (or if you put in the time all in one go), you’ll be grateful you did! Clean Your Appliances Spend some time this month wiping down and cleaning your appliances. Take everything out of your fridge and wipe down the inside. Throw away items that have gone bad. Clean out your dishwasher , clean your oven, and wipe down your microwave. While you’re cleaning everything, make sure that you remember to wipe down your sink and other appliances around the house, as well. Clean Out the Closet Clean out your cabinets and linen closet. Get rid of items you know you will no longer use. Donate old items to your local thrift store. Try to come up with a system of organizing your things, whether that’s through using removable shelves, bins, or baskets. Wipe down the shelves and the walls of each closet. There are plenty of ways to organize your closets to make them clean, neat, and organized. The idea of cleaning your apartment in preparation for spring might seem like a daunting task, but if you break it down and begin one task at a time each week this month, it becomes doable. What spring cleaning tips do you have for us? Share them in the comments. Good luck cleaning your apartment here in Gilbert, AZ!

Create a DIY Escape Room Adventure

The end of the month is here, which is the perfect time to plan a party — an antidote to the post-holiday letdown that sometimes happens in January. Why not go all out and turn your Gilbert, AZ apartment into an Escape Room for a group of your closest friends. Yes, you could go to a local escape room, but if you are creative type, there is great satisfaction in coming up with a unique adventure. In today’s Liv Northgate Blog we’ve got the scoop on what you need to take into account to create your own escape room. Consider the theme. Whether you want to go with a whodunit, a time-pressure escape, or the seemingly impossible, coming up with a theme is the place to start. Is there something unique about your community that you can build a theme from? What about ghost stories or local landmarks? Do you have a favorite book or genre? All of these could be a springboard for your escape. This list of Wacky Escape Room Theme Ideas may get your creative juices flowing. Gather the supplies. Next, take a look at the layout of your home as well as checking to see what you may already have on hand that you could use for your escape adventure. Do you have a locking briefcase or other lockable containers? What about locks? Because, of course, you will need several different kinds of locks to use for your escape room — from alpha-numeric locks to combination locks to padlocks, and even a hasp lock. Other supplies you need are the items that will create your escape room staging. Choose items that speak to your chosen theme (or choose a theme based on the items you have on hand). What about a clock, a map, or a globe, an old-school camera, an old-fashioned ornate key? All can be a part of your set. Clues can be highlighted for each one of these items. Some other items you will want to include a set of pens to write clues that will show up with a UV flashlight and notepads for your guests to keep track of everything. Puzzles work well for an escape room, put the puzzle together, flip it over and write your message/clue on the back. Use normal things in a new way. Have fun figuring out your set pieces and how they fit into the escape. Come up with the riddles, puzzles, and clues. Once you have all of the pieces, it’s time to put it all together. Figure out clues that lead your detectives from one clue to another, or to another key or riddle. In the end, once they solve everything, they will have all the pieces they need to escape the room or solve the main riddle/question. Do a test run-through. After you’ve done the run through (invite a select group over to do a test run), refine your experience and send out invites for your escape room party! If a complete DIY is not your cup of tea, another option is to purchase an escape room kit that has everything you need to do an escape room party. Have you been to a commercial escape room? What was your favorite thing about it? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for taking time to read our post.

Celebrating President's Day at Your Apartment

Did you know that President’s Day always falls on the third Monday of February? In today’s Liv Northgate Blog, we are providing a few suggestions for different ways that you can celebrate in your apartment here in Gilbert, AZ. Read on to get some ideas on how you can be a part of this patriotic holiday. Red, White and Blue Popcorn This patriotic snack is perfect for enjoying while staying in and watching a patriotic movie such as Independence Day, The Patriot, or Pearl Harbor. Rekindle your appreciation for living in the U.S. by watching one of these great films concerning the fight for freedom. Build a Mini Log Cabin This fun idea from Martha Stewart Living is also edible! Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States was born in a one room log cabin in Kentucky. A National Park now exists at the Sinking Springs Farm where Lincoln spent the first few years of his life. Dress up as a President Dress up as your favorite U.S. president. These kids costumes from Amazon are pretty cool, but you don’t have to buy a costume. Just head to your favorite local Gilbert, AZ thrift store to get all the props and clothing you will need. Patriotic Bingo These patriotic printable bingo cards from Makoodle were originally made to be played on the 4th of July, but we think they also would be the perfect activity to play on Presidents’ Day as well! Use red, white, and blue M&Ms or buttons as spot markers. Presidential Trivia Take this fun quiz from World History Project to test your knowledge about the past and present leaders of this great nation. It may take you by surprise how many of these facts you didn’t already know! How do you plan on spending your Presidents’ Day? Let us know by leaving a comment on this post. Thanks for reading this post and we hope you have a great month here in Gilbert, AZ!

Make Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookies at Your Gilbert Apartment

In case you hadn’t noticed, The Liv Northgate Blog is excited about Valentine’s Day, coming up this week! And what says it’s Valentine’s Day more than heart-shaped everything. One of quintessential images of Valentine’s Day is the heart-shaped, decorated sugar cookie, so we found a recipe to share from Allrecipes.com. This recipe creates a moist, tender sugar cookie . The submitter of the recipe says, “Rich and delicious cut-out cookies - wonderful for special holiday celebrations! These are the best cut-out cookies the long line of bakers in our family has ever found.” Check out these ideas for how to decorate your heart-shaped cookies .There are so many clever (and delicious) ways to say I Love You via cookies! If you want to dry a different type of frosting or icing, these options will be a good place to start. Pair your cookies with a flower or balloon bouquet and deliver the bundle to your favorite valentine! Just for fun, we have some Valentine’s Day trivia questions from HobbyLark for you to enjoy. You may want to brush up on your history about the origins of Valentine’s Day first! — ‘Valentine’ was the name given to which kind of early Christian? Martyrs. — What was St Valentine being executed for? Performing marriages in secret, against the wishes of the emperor. — What kind of flowers are traditionally given to symbolize love? Red roses. — Which Roman god was either depicted as a plump cherub with a bow and arrow or as a handsome teenager? Cupid. — If you’re quick to show your feelings, where do you wear your heart? On your sleeve. — Which symbol does New York’s Empire State Building illuminate on every Valentine’s Day? A heart. We want to wish everyone in our apartment community a Happy Valentine’s Day here in Gilbert, AZ! Thanks for reading the Liv Northgate Blog today. See you next time.