Blog Posts

Movies Coming Out this December

Get your winter entertainment on by watching your favorite holiday movie in your apartment here at Liv Avenida. If you need to get out of the apartment, though, head to your favorite theater in Chandler, AZ and catch one of these great new films that are hitting the big screen. December 15th Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Action, Adventure, Fantasy “Having taken her first steps into the larger Jedi world, Rey joins Luke Skywalker on an adventure with Leia, Finn and Poe that unlocks mysteries of the Force and secrets of the past.” Ferdinand — Animation, Adventure, Comedy “After Ferdinand, a bull with a big heart, is mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure.” December 20th Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle — Action, Adventure, Comedy “Four teenagers discover an old video game console and are literally drawn into the game’s jungle setting becoming the adult avatars they chose.” December 22nd Pitch Perfect 3 — Comedy, Music “Following their win at the world championship, the now separated Bellas reunite for one last singing competition at an overseas USO tour, but face a group who uses both instruments and voices.” Downsizing — Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi “A social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself.” December 25th Phantom Thread — Drama “Set in 1950’s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.” What movies (on or off this list) are you looking forward to seeing this month? Let us know in the comments! We hope you enjoy these and any other movies you watch this December.

Five Steps to Becoming More Thankful

Thanksgiving was last week, but it’s still November, the month of giving thanks. If you were too preoccupied with preparing for Thanksgiving to make an effort toward having an attitude of gratitude (or if you simply want to be grateful all year long), try these tips. They’ll make a difference in your Liv Avenida apartment community, out in Chandler, AZ, or anywhere else in the world! Write down what you’re grateful for every day. Get in the habit of expressing gratitude for your blessings. It will make you more mindful of your blessings throughout the day, which will help you look for and notice positive things always. Change the way you speak. If there are areas you think your speech could improve, make those changes. Changing how you react verbally to something helps you control your temper and be more of a happy, calm person. That attitude will help you see other people and life challenges as not things that threaten you but as things you can learn from and appreciate. Stop comparing yourself to others. You are a good person because of who you are, and the same goes for others. However competitive life seems, remember that we’re all going through life together, so we should make it enjoyable. Help friends and coworkers succeed. Celebrate victories and encourage others. Be happy for others and for yourself. You deserve it, and they do, too. Live in the moment. Life is here for you to enjoy, so don’t let it pass you by. Find something to be passionate about at work, school, or home. Gain confidence in yourself by trying a new hobby or practicing an old skill. Spend more time with the people you love, and be all there when you are. Own up to your mistakes, forgive others, and try to improve interpersonal relationships. This seems like a lot, and it is. But we have a whole lifetime to practice it all. Serve others. Looking outward and serving others can help you see new ways to love and appreciate them. Service humanizes those you interact with and makes you more affectionate toward them. It makes you think of what they need and how you can fill those needs. Even if others don’t seem grateful for you, you can be grateful for the chance to help them, improve yourself, and add some good to the world. How do you train yourself to be more thankful? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading! Good luck!

Recipes for a Delightful Thanksgiving Dinner

Welcome back to the Liv Avenida Blog! We hope you’re having fun going on our fall journey this month as you prepare your apartment and your schedule for Thanksgiving here in Chandler, AZ. This Thursday is the big day, so if you don’t have your menu ready for the big dinner, try one of these suggestions. We have great ideas for sides anyone will love. The Most Amazing Oven Roasted Corn Skip the canned or boiled corn and go for simple, flavorful corn on the cob. Do as the author of this recipe does and cut the corn niblets off any leftovers to use in salads or homemade chicken pot pie recipes. This will give your plate and your palate a distinct fresh, flavorful break from all the thick gravy. Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes Everyone has their favorite way of making mashed potatoes. If you haven’t found yours yet (or if you simply want to try something new), try this recipe! As the author says, the “whipping cream and butter provide a rich creaminess that will make your potatoes stand out.” You’ll be proud to bring this dish to the table. Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler Pumpkin, pecans, and cobbler are each by themselves a stellar fall classic. Combine them all together in this well-thought-out recipe for the “ultimate fall dessert.” Top the cake with ice cream and dig in to discover the hot caramel sauce on the bottom — and the pecans on your way there! My Favorite Sausage Bread Stuffing Get the perfect blend of flavor, moistness, and crispiness in a stuffing by trying out this blogger’s favorite — the one she always ends up going back to. With just the right amounts of bread, poultry seasoning, Italian sausage, yellow onions, celery, butter, eggs, sage, chicken stock, and salt, this may become a new favorite for you. What are your favorite Thanksgiving dinner sides or recipes? Share with the rest of the apartment community by leaving a comment. We hope you have a fantastic holiday! Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Crafts to Grace Your Apartment With

Last week on the Liv Avenida Blog we talked about keeping your apartment in order for the holidays. We mentioned that decorating your apartment should be an art so you avoid cluttering up what you’ve just cleaned. Try some of these ideas from bloggers all over the internet if you want to create a fall vision for your apartment here in Chandler, AZ. Fall prints and graphics This idea isn’t necessarily a craft, but you can craft a beautiful art aesthetic for your home by incorporating one or more of these prints, pillows, mugs, and blankets in your apartment. Oftentimes simply switching out a summery looking throw blanket with a warm-toned one can be all you need for a transition to a new season. Check out these products for inspiration! “Give Thanks” mantel Add rustic charm to a shelf or bookcase in your apartment by mimicking this look and color scheme. The author of this blog post used burlap to make the “GIVE” banner and mini white pumpkins for the “THANKS” focal point. She used empty brown frames, cream pitchers, wheat bundles, ribbon, cardstock, and extra pieces of burlap to pull it all together. This is a great way to create something that nicely blends in with the rest of your apartment decor and gives your home a nice touch of fall. Thanksgiving table setting Make Thanksgiving dinner the star of your home decorating by copying the ideas in this getup. Use butcher paper and paint for the table runner. Make it extra long so you can paint “give thanks” on the bit hanging over the end of the table’s short side. Then put together a short flower arrangement and bust out your best dishes, warm-toned napkins, and mini white pumpkins for the place settings. It will make your guests feel like they’re dining like fall harvest royalty! What are your favorite color schemes or fall decoration ideas? Let us know by leaving a comment so we can get inspired in our own decorating! Thanks for reading. Have fun!

A Guide for Keeping Your Apartment in Order During the Holidays

We hope you’re enjoying the fall season here in Chandler, AZ this month. November is the month of Thanksgiving, and the rest of the year’s holidays will be here before you know it! Stay prepared for the chaos that often ensues by keeping your Liv Avenida apartment clean and orderly all throughout the next few months. Today we have tips for doing just that! Start with the big cleaning tasks. Get this out of the way before you’re consumed with preparing for holiday dinners and hosting guests! Take a day (or a few, depending on the state of your apartment) to clear your home of clutter, putting papers in folders, clearing away decorations from the past holiday, and giving each item a home in your apartment tucked out of sight or proudly where it can be seen and appreciated. Then you can focus on doing the deep cleaning that will ensure your home feels fresh all month long. This includes cleaning the kitchen, clearing out the refrigerator, scrubbing the bathroom, wiping down tables and countertops, vacuuming or sweeping your floors and rugs, dusting blinds, cleaning your sink and disposal, and doing anything else you can think of. Be strategic in your decorating. It can be tempting to want to just let a metaphorical bomb of decorations explode throughout your apartment. But this can often lead to your home feeling cluttered. If you’re decorating for fall, keep your aesthetic clear by incorporating colors, textures, and shapes that work well together and create a unified look. Next week on the blog we’ll offer some ideas and suggestions for crafts you can make to do this, so be sure to check in again! Clean up small messes every day. Of course, living creates messes. Set aside just 10 or 20 minutes before you head to bed each evening to sweep up, wash dishes, or wipe down things that have accumulated grime over the day. On busier days when you’ll be making more messes (for example, while you’re cooking or decorating), keep this principle in mind and clean as you go so the big messes don’t accumulate as easily. What are your best tips for keeping your apartment clean and orderly during the holidays? Let us know by leaving a comment. Good luck! Remembering these important basics will help you feel better as you navigate your to-do list and your apartment this month and next.

Halloween Safety Tips

We hope you’ve been enjoying our past few blogs helping you prepare for Halloween! With all the fun going on, it’s especially important to remember to take proper precautions for being safe, whether you’re staying in your apartment here at Liv Avenida, going trick-or-treating with the kids around Chandler, AZ, or heading to a party nearby. In any case, remember these Halloween safety tips! Have a buddy. Whatever your plans for the night are, it’s a good idea to have someone with you. Not only is it a great way to encourage you to have fun, but it’s also helpful in case you’re taking care of kids and need an extra set of eyes, or if you think you might need a designated driver coming home from a party where alcohol was served. Plan ahead. Having an idea for what the night will hold will help you take simple steps toward having a smooth, stress-free evening. For example, if you’re going trick-or-treating, map out your route and only include stops at houses of people you know. If you are going somewhere by yourself but you think you might need a designated driver, have a phone number for a taxi service, Uber, Lyft, or another service in your phone and ready to go. And if you’re handing out candy, have an idea for when you’ll stop so you don’t have to worry about it or stay up too late when the time comes. Remember road rules. The world doesn’t stop just because it’s a busy night on the streets! If you’re driving around town, be extra mindful that people (especially in their sometimes dark costumes) may blend in with the night — and especially remember that sometimes, no matter how attentive an adult is, children can forget themselves and dart into the road. So drive slowly around neighborhoods and watch closely. And if you’re walking, follow the rules. Walk on the right side of the road and on sidewalks. Cross only at cross streets or traffic lights. Look both ways before crossing a street, and teach children to do the same. Be aware of allergies. If you’re the parent or guardian of a child with allergies, you don’t necessarily need reminding to beware of the treats your kids get. But if you’re handing out treats, it’s always a great idea to be considerate and to provide a variety of treats (maybe even some cheap toys) so everyone can feel welcome and have fun. Remembering this, especially if someone asks you, can make someone’s night. What other important Halloween safety tips do you think we should all remember? Let us know in the comments so we can all benefit. Thanks for reading. Have a great Halloween!