Blog Posts

October 2018 Events Not to Miss

October is a month of celebration! Whether you’re excited for spooktacular festivities at the end of the month or other autumnal fun, we’ve got you covered! There’s plenty for you to do and experience here in Chandler, AZ for a great day or evening out of your Liv Avenida apartment. Check out these events near you! Get The Led Out October 4th at 7:30 pm Start your month with a great concert honoring a classic. Here’s what the site has to say about the event: “Back by popular demand! From the bombastic and epic, to the folky and mystical, Get The Led Out has captured the essence of the recorded music of Led Zeppelin and brought it to the concert stage. “Revel in the music of Led Zeppelin as played by musicians who are passionate about one of the greatest rock bands in history.” A Taste of Greece Fall Greek Festival of Chandler October 5th through 7th at various times Fall is the perfect time for festivals here in Chandler. The temperature is slowly but surely winding down and the best opportunities for experiencing the goods of local vendors abound! Check out the food, entertainment, and goods options at this Greek fest. Here’s more you can expect: “Bringing a slice of Greece to Chandler, A TASTE OF GREECE blends together the historical ancient times of Greek culture with today’s Modern Age in a classic celebration of community and heritage. All proceeds benefiting St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church and related philanthropic activities and community charities.” Find out how you can receive one free admission at the site! Hispanic Heritage Month October 6th at 7 pm Hispanic Heritage Month is going strong, especially with events like these that celebrate all aspects of the cultural history of various cultures. Check out what’s in store: “The rich, cultural history of Mexico fills the stage as this bright, colorful festival returns to Chandler. The 19th annual event features the acclaimed Mariachi Angeles de Pepe Martinez Jr., along with Mariachi Sonido de Mexico, directly from Guadalajara Mexico Soloist, Sandra Guevara and a dazzling array of folklorico dancers firmly rooted in tradition. Order early as this festival always sells out.” And of course, we can’t forget the Brew HaHa Halloween 5K on the 14th! Celebrate Oktoberfest and Halloween all in one go! It may be sold out, but you can always offer support to participants if you’re not signed up. What other events are you looking forward to this month? What are your favorite October activities? Share with the rest of the apartment community by leaving a comment. Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Self-Improvement Week 4: Giving Yourself a Break

All month our blog has been going over meaningful ways you can improve yourself and your life here in Chandler, AZ. There will always be something you can do to improve, so today our blog is here to focus on the importance of taking a break! Your Liv Avenida apartment is a great place to do that. Try these ideas to better train yourself to balance work with rest. Find out what self-care means to you. Self-care is different for everyone. Sure, face masks and bubble baths can relax your body and do wonders for your skin, helping you feel refreshed and calm. But they’re not cure-alls, and that’s ok! Your diverse needs are part of being human. So remember also to drink plenty of water, eat healthy meals, exercise every day, take naps when necessary, or stay home from a social engagement when you’re not feeling well. Find out what helps you feel good — what rejuvenates you physically and mentally — and make time for that. Give yourself permission to do what you love. We’ve touched a bit on how disconnecting from technology can open up room for enjoying hobbies or developing skills. But remember that the things you choose to put your attention to that are more of indulgences are good, too! If it helps, make it a part of your daily schedule so you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out on something else for it. Prioritize sleep. Sometimes it seems like there’s not enough time in the day for all the good and fun things we need or want to do in the day. While there’s some truth to that, it’s even more important to remember that these things shouldn’t come at the cost of your health or rest. Sleep helps your brain work properly and improves emotional and overall health and well-being, so get your sheets cleaned, pillow fluffed, and sleeping area clear of clutter so you can rejuvenate with quality rest. Don’t fret. The idea of improving yourself is good, but try to focus on improving the quality of your life, rather than on defining too much of you on how much you’ve accomplished or on how you have or haven’t lived up to what others are doing. This is easier said than done, but we’re here to remind you that you’re enough! Who said life has to be one way for everyone anyway? How do you physically or mentally give yourself a break? Let us know in the comments! We hope our ideas on improving yourself, handling the negatives of life, and giving yourself some slack positively affect your life this month and always.

Self-Improvement Week 3: Dealing with Challenges

As much as we look for good things to do in our lives and positive mindsets to adapt, keeping up with your aspirations on your journey of self-improvement is not easy! There are always going to be ups and downs. Today we’re focusing on how to deal with challenges or more negative aspects of your life to make room for growth in or out of Chandler, AZ. Avoid or deal with negative people. Often the people we surround ourselves with aren’t lifting us up; instead, they’re dragging us down. Consider your relationships and do what you can to fix them appropriately. It starts with open and honest communication (focus on statements about how you feel, not accusations about what they did, however accurate it may be), and it requires a lot of empathy and patience, which the other person may or may not have developed very well. So be open to change, but draw boundaries for what is acceptable and what’s not and remember that sometimes you may need some space to de-escalate a situation or to maintain your mental health — and that’s ok! Practice healthy coping mechanisms. How you cope with the struggles of life has an impact on your mental and physical health and even on your finances or relationships with other people. Do your best to take control of how you respond to the stressors of life by learning about healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms and making a concerted effort to move past any unhealthy ones and to try healthy ones. Replace bad habits with good ones. Bad habits are hard to kick, so don’t beat yourself up or give up entirely if you slip and go back to your old ways occasionally. Focus on improving each day and establishing healthy habits instead. Reward yourself occasionally and try to keep your eye on a lifestyle change for lasting effects. And don’t dismiss getting professional help if needed! It may change your life for the better. Learn and let go. People hurt us, and sometimes forgiving or moving on from that can weigh heavily on us. Situations, humans, and feelings are complex and nuanced, so there may not necessarily be one cure for everyone. But validating your feelings and experiences (with a therapist, religious leader, trusted friend, or even for yourself) and trying to find something to learn from a situation can help you find a way to move on, a better person. What helps you cope healthily with the struggles of life? How do you deal with any of the points above? Let the rest of the Liv Avenida apartment community know in the comments. Good luck!

Self-Improvement Week 2: Finding Outside Inspiration

Looking inward teaches you a lot about yourself. We hope last week’s blog post about reflection inspired you to evaluate where you’re at and where you want to be so you can empower yourself to change in positive ways this National Self-Improvement Month. Today our blog post is about looking outward for inspiration that you can channel into your efforts for self-improvement. Learn from others. Interpersonal connection is an important part of your social health, so don’t forget to connect with others as you’re striving to improve yourself. You can do this formally by hiring a life coach or personal trainer, but you can also simply focus on being extra aware of others. Ask those who inspire you about their life, struggles, ways of coping, successes, or even sources of inspiration. You never know how your life will change for the better for establishing and strengthening your relationships. Immerse yourself in nature. Arizona may be a desert, but that doesn’t mean there are no beautiful sights and wonders to behold here! Check out these nature spots and parks in Chandler to connect with the earth and to learn more about it. You can also do your part to make the world a better place by participating in conservation efforts in all aspects of your life. Start with something easily manageable to you. Here are a few ideas: use reusable shopping bags and reusable drink cups instead of plastic bags and styrofoam cups avoid using plastic straws when possible carpool to work or school support businesses that take steps to lower their carbon footprint support local politicians who prioritize enacting good environmental policies. Every little bit makes a difference! Disconnect. Technology has changed our world for the better and continues to do so every day. But don’t let it take over your life! Draw boundaries for yourself for how much your personal use of technology or social media is healthy for you. This can open up opportunities to focus on others or to work on skills or hobbies, which may be part of your personal goals anyway. Support an artist. So much beauty, wisdom, and history can be found in art. Visit a museum near your apartment this month. Search out new artists with diverse backgrounds and interests to support, either financially or simply by following them on social media. Opening yourself up to art will teach you loads about others and the world. Where else do you gain inspiration from? Share your thoughts with the rest of the Liv Avenida apartment community so we can all find opportunities get inspired here in Chandler, AZ. Thanks for reading!

Self-Improvement Week 1: Reflecting

Welcome to the Liv Avenida Blog! September is National Self-Improvement Month. Participate by making practical efforts to improve all aspects of yourself and your life, in or out of your apartment here in Chandler, AZ. This month our blog is dedicated to guiding you through some ways you can do that. Our first blog post is all about reflecting and planning for making the best changes for you. Evaluate your goals. Goals are most popular to make in January, but making, working toward, and reaching goals regularly can give you something positive to look forward to each day, giving you purpose and meaning even during the lulls or low points of your life. So try to frame your hobbies and projects around accomplishing goals (even if that goal is just adding joy to your life), whether they’re old ones you need to pick back up with or new ones you hope to start. Write a letter to your future self. If you feel overwhelmed about where to start with your goals and efforts for self-improvement, writing to a future version of yourself can be a safe place for you to sort out your thoughts. Get to the nitty-gritty of what you hope to accomplish and who you want to be five years from now. Then seal it, put it in a secure place, and let the motivation of the hope for the future drive you into action. Identify blind spots. We know ourselves as we know ourselves — not necessarily as others see or are affected by us. Lifehack suggests that you discover potential areas for improvement that you may not normally see by identifying your triggers (things that annoy or affect you negatively) and getting to the root of why it bothers you. These things often go overlooked, but if you can identify it, you’re one step closer to dealing with it! Ask for feedback. Another way to discover your blind spots is by asking those around you (co-workers, friends, family members, neighbors, or even acquaintances) about how you affect them and how you’re doing. Explain that you want to improve, and approach their criticisms as constructively as possible so you can move forward and actually make progress on your journey of personal growth. It takes patience and humility hearing these things, but these are important qualities that make you a better person in the long run. How do you approach self-improvement? Share your best personal reflection tips with the rest of the apartment community by leaving a comment. Thanks for reading! Good luck!

Yoga Routines for a Great Indoor Workout

Working out in the heat, or even in a stuffy gym here in Chandler, AZ, can sound like a nightmare. You can still stay active, though, when you visit a place like our 24/7 fitness center at an earlier or later time of the day, when there are fewer people there or when the sun isn’t quite out yet. You can also try a low-impact workout like yoga, in the gym or even in your Liv Avenida apartment! Try these yoga routines for a fulfilling indoor workout this summer. Try It Now: Yoga from Fitness Magazine If you need a bit of convincing to start yoga, or if you need something simple to transition you into the lifestyle, check out this article. It spells out some reasons you’ll love it and explains how yoga works before getting into the poses. Check out the slideshow for helpful visuals of what each pose will look like so you can work on your form. Yoga Workout - Better than the Gym - Abs & Core from Boho Beautiful Whether you’re looking for something to strengthen your core after a good cardio workout or you want to wake yourself up in the morning, this 14-minute routine is just the option for you. Go through the poses in this routine to raise the heart rate and increase the blood flow throughout your body, speeding up your metabolism, as well. 20-Minute Power Workout to Strengthen and Stretch from Head to Toe from Self Work on your flexibility and your breathing with the series of poses in this article. You may not have the luxury of hearing the directions while you work, but this article still gives you detailed written instructions on how to do each pose that you’ll find easy to navigate. What are your favorite yoga routines and resources? Share any tips you have with the rest of us by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy these workouts and any others you find.