Blog Posts

Fun Flower Arrangements

We hope you’re having a relaxing and productive spring here in Chandler, AZ. Make your apartment an oasis by decorating it with some beautiful spring flower arrangements this month. Today’s Liv Avenida Blog has some ideas for fun flower arrangements you can try to really add that extra touch of excitement to your home. Garden watering can arrangement Motivate yourself to get started on the indoor garden you learned about last month in the blog by grabbing a spare watering can, some floral foam, a decorative wooden garden stake, and making this pretty arrangement! You’ll need some line flowers to guide the eye up along the stake and the ivy, so go to your favorite floral shop and pick flowers that work well the color scheme you have in mind. Pineapple floral arrangement Show off your love for this sweet tropical fruit by hollowing it out (and eating the insides, of course!) and filling it with water and your favorite tropical flowers. The Be Spoke Bride blog has a great tutorial, complete with photos, that you can follow. We love that this homemade vase adds distinct texture to your arrangement. Pick some soft and fluffy flowers to contrast with the spikes of the pineapple for a great finish. Submerged flower centerpiece Submerging your distinctly shaped, beautiful flowers in a tall cylindrical vase is an exquisite way to showcase their beauty and your own green thumb! This idea is great because it’s a super easy way to make use of one type of flower. You don’t have to worry about adding in and moving around a ton of other filler flowers you may not know what to do with. Just be sure to put it somewhere it won’t be easily knocked over so you can keep it around for as long as possible! What are your favorite flower arrangements to try this time of year? Share your ideas with us by leaving a comment! Thanks for reading!

Journaling Tips Anyone Can Try

Any day is a great day to record your own personal history, but spring — a time of new beginnings — is a perfect time to start or rededicate your efforts to keeping a journal. This week’s Liv Avenida Blog has some tips and ideas you can try for starting or staying consistent at keeping a journal this month. It will help you preserve your memories and reap all the other benefits of journaling , in your apartment or anywhere else in Chandler, AZ! Decide what you want to get from your journal keeping. People approach journaling differently because one creative outlet that works for one person may not work best for another person. If you’re not naturally a writer, you can still keep a journal that’s meaningful to you without forcing it. There are plenty of different types of journals that can work for you, including a bullet journal , an online blog, a gratitude journal , or a notebook you use to draw, paint, or design in. Consider your talents and hobbies and see how you can incorporate it into keeping a journal that is unique to you. Make it an easy addition to your everyday routine. Instead of making a lofty goal to write in your journal for an hour or more every day, take it one small step at a time and adjust it according to what you want to get from it. Writing for an hour about your day may totally work for you, but if it’s difficult to make that commitment, start simpler and write down something (or multiple things) that made you happy each day. The consistent effort will turn it into a habit that you’ll eventually look forward to and get better at. Use your journal as an opportunity for reflection. Embrace the opportunity you have to completely be honest with yourself by really thinking about what you’re writing and what it means to you. You definitely can write (or draw, etc.) about whatever you’d like, but going through your struggles and triumphs on paper is a great way to learn and re-learn lessons and show yourself how you’ve grown over time. You may only be able to see those lessons in hindsight as you read through a few completed journals, but those will be invaluable to you when you do! What are your favorite ways to keep a journal? Share your ideas with us in the comments! Thanks for reading!

How to Give Yourself a Stay-cation

It’s officially springtime here in Chandler, AZ, so enjoy this cheerful time of the year in your apartment at Liv Avenida, whether you’re going to take an official spring break or not, by treating yourself to a stay-cation right at home. This week’s blog has some tips for making an enjoyable one. Treat it like a real vacation. Set aside time for you stay-cation so you can make sure you’re not missing out on any of your day-to-day duties at school, work, or even home. Clean your apartment so you can have a nice environment to truly relax in. Pick a time this month to have your stay-cation and commit to it. It will be easier to do that if you choose a time that naturally fits into your break times — like weekends, for example. Find something that works and let yourself get excited about it! Disconnect. As you’re planning your stay-cation, plan activities you’ll enjoy doing without needing to check your phone or computer every five minutes. This should be a break for you from the stresses of your normal life, so if you’re pestered by thoughts or emails of work and school, write them down and set your list aside to worry about when your break is over. Writing your thoughts down will help you relax because then you won’t have to worry about forgetting anything important! Treat yourself to a facial or a trip to a spa. Facials and other spa-like care can do a lot to help you feel relaxed and refreshed, and they’re a great pampering activity to help you feel like the break is a special one. Check out Google reviews for some spas in Chandler or browse Pinterest for some homemade facials that might work for your needs and your skin type. Enjoy community amenities. Your luxury apartment isn’t the only thing available to you for a peaceful haven away from the city! Liv Avenida has amenities like saltwater heated pool and spas and group yoga, pilates, and Zumba classes that make it easy for you to relax and stay active with. We hope however you choose to treat yourself this spring, you finish your break feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of the month! Thanks for reading!

How to Treat Stains and Odors around the Apartment

Spring is officially here, so as you’re working to get your spring cleaning done in your apartment within the next few weeks, don’t neglect the stains! It may seem like there’s no hope, but with the tips and resources in this week’s Liv Avenida Blog, it can be a doable task. Brighten up your whites. We may often avoid buying white clothing, towels, shoes, or other items, but getting them may actually be a good idea. You can just soak them in a solution of water and baking soda. We suggest ¾ of a cup to a gallon of water. If you need, you can also bleach them. Clean any stain with specific solutions. The University of Illinois has a comprehensive stain solutions guide that you might find extremely useful. It has solutions for antiperspirant, foods, cosmetics, ink, perspiration, and much more. You can also print out this stain removal guide and hang it near your washer or dryer for a more condensed version to live by. Get rid of odors. Using baking soda and water to treat your clothes is not only good for brightening up whites, but it can also be a great start to getting bad odors from them, too. Reader’s Digest suggests soaking smelly clothes in a mixture of ½ a cup of baking soda and a gallon of water before adding ½ a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle as they wash. Clean your carpet. Carpets often go unnoticed — we only walk on them, after all. But paying attention to the messes we leave on the carpet and cleaning them doesn’t have to be difficult. Cleanipedia has some great tips, cleaning products, and tricks for cleaning stains from your carpet . You can use powders, shampoos, baking soda, or even salt for absorbing odors and soaking up fresh stains. What tips do you have for stain removal? Let us know by leaving a comment! Good luck on your spring cleaning, and especially on any stains you’re trying to get out!

Tips for Indoor Gardening

The great thing about indoor gardening is you can do it any time of the year, as long as you can find plants and seedlings at your local grocery store here in Chandler! Gardening outside may seem impossible because of the often extreme temperatures here in Arizona, but you can still grow some herbs, vegetables, or other greens in your apartment. Learn how in this week’s Liv Avenida Blog! Choose what you want to grow. Start small as you make your decisions so you can figure out what works for you, your habits of caring for plants, and how much space and light you can give your plant. One good option is to try growing plants in water . You just have to keep the water fresh when it gets murky or low, but otherwise, you just need a vase big enough to allow for the roots or cuttings of your plant to live and grow. Discover the world of growing herbs inside . If you’re not sure where to start, the blogger of Grow a Good Life says to try chives, oregano, rosemary, thyme, or parsley. Rosemary withstands a temperature fluctuation of 45 to 70 degrees, so even if you prefer your apartment on the cold side, it should be fine. It also works in cactus-potting mixes. Thyme is drought resistant once established. Each of these herbs adds intense flavoring and beautiful coloring to your dishes, too! Find the right materials. Starting an indoor garden doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you figure out exactly what you want to grow, you can have a better idea for the pots, soil, and any other materials you’ll need to sustain them. Check out Yelp’s suggestions for the 10 best nurseries and gardening stores in Chandler, AZ . Once you have things planted, remember to keep a good schedule, but don’t panic if you forget to water it a couple times. Give them attention and persist so you can reap what the fruits of success! Do you keep an indoor garden? Share your wisdom to keeping one successfully in the comments! Thanks for reading. Happy gardening!

Pie Recipes for Pi Day

Tomorrow is March 14th, Pi Day, so it’s time to start planning your celebrations. This week’s Liv Avenida Blog has some recipes you can make, right in your own apartment here in Chandler, AZ, to enjoy this unique holiday with. Pizza Pie You don’t have to have dessert pies to enjoy this holiday! Make a delicious dinner with some simple ingredients by following this tutorial for inexpensive homemade pizza. You can use pepperoni to create the Pi symbol on the top of it, making it a perfect celebration of the day. Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Pizza If you love your pizza with a bit of a kick, this recipe is for you. Whether you follow this blogger’s recipe for homemade pickled jalapenos or buy your own, they do their job wonderfully by adding a little excitement to your typical pizza. Check out this recipe for a helpful photo tutorial to making a perfect crust, tender chicken, and a tasty pizza. Quick and Easy Pie Chart Pi Day Fruit Pizza Pie You can make everyone you’re sharing pie with happy with this one: you can fill each section with a different type of fruit filling. This Instructables tutorial has clear tips for getting the materials you need, preparing the crust, and putting it all together. Then, simply enjoy! Caramel Banana Cream Pie If you like bananas, caramel, graham cracker crusts, and custardy delight, this recipe is for you. The graham cracker crust is easy to make, and so is the rest of the pie. The finished product, infused with caramel and layered with soft, thick bananas, will have everyone you share this with asking for more. If you want another banana cream pie-inspired recipe, scroll to the end of the post to check out the banana cream pie yogurt parfait one. Ultimate Pi Day Pie This idea is straightforward enough: prepare your crust, fill that with your favorite pie filling, and top it with every digit of pi that you can fit on your confection. Serve this to some of your friends and you’ll look like the smartest, most talented baker around! What are your favorite dessert, pizza, or other pies to make (or eat) on Pi Day? Share your recommendations in the comments! Thanks for reading. Happy Pi Day!