Blog Posts

Let’s Go to a Concert at the Arizona State Fair

October is here and that means that the Arizona State Fair is too! This week on the Liv Avenida Blog, we are sharing information about the concert series that takes place each year at the fair. The concert series is held at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix and features a broad range of performing artists. This year, more than a dozen artists will be featured. We are highlighting a few of our top picks. Stryper - Wednesday, October 9th “Orange County California’s own Christian rock band, Stryper, known best for hits, ‘To the Hell with the Devil’ and ‘Honestly’ is said by Popular Culture to be the ‘first Christian rock band to be accepted by the mainstream media.’ Inspired by their strong Christian faith, Stryper features clean lyrics with strong rock music.” Lee Brice - Saturday, October 12th “Arizona Lottery Concert Series presents two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Lee Brice. Brice is known for his top hits, “I Drive Your Truck” and “Love Like Crazy”, and was inducted into Pandora’s Billionaire Club after reaching more than 2 billion streams!” Becky G. - Friday, October 18th "Singer, songwriter, and actress Becky G was born for the spotlight and her multifaceted career is shaping up to be nothing short of iconic. The twenty-one-year-old star’s achievements include two number one hits on the Billboard Latin Airplay Charts ('Mayores” & “Sin Pijama'), a starring role in 'Power Rangers', and guest-starring in Fox TV’s Emmy-winning 'Empire' series." MC Hammer - Friday, October 25th “We’re taking it back to the 90s with Hammer’s House Party featuring MC Hammer and C&C Music Factory with Freedom Williams! Expect a night full of dancing and reminisce while you make memories to remember decades later. Now ‘Everybody Dance Now’!” Check out the Arizona State Fair Concerts Page for more bios and details about all the entertainers who will be making an appearance. Thanks for reading our post today and being a part of our apartment community.

Get Ready, Get Set with Halloween Costumes for Your Pet

This month on the Liv Avenida Blog we’ve been focusing on pets, and even though it’s still September, we thought it would be fun to share ideas for Halloween costumes for pets — doing it now will give you plenty of time to come up with the perfect costume for your furry friend. Here are four ideas to get you thinking. Beanie Baby Pet This costume is super simple, smart, and sweet! Throw it back to your childhood this Halloween by cuddling up with your favorite life-size beanie baby. Just fold up some cardboard, cut out a heart shape, and paste some colored paper cutouts to form the classic tag. Tie it to your pet’s collar or tie a makeshift collar around their neck to secure it. Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf You don’t even need a person for this couple’s costume. Whether you or a little one dress up as Red Riding Hood, your dog is the perfect companion for this look. All you’ll need is an old T-shirt (the person who did this idea used a purple color scheme), some old glasses with a glasses rope, and a shower cap to make this costume. Unicorn Pet Your pet can look and feel as mystical and magical as a unicorn by dressing up as one. The Live Colorful blog has a great tutorial with the rundown on all the supplies you’ll need for this fantastic costume. UPS Delivery Driver This great costume from Chewy California Costumes is perfect for any of you who do not sew. If you’re taking your pup along for any trick-or-treating you or your kids will be doing, this will be a delightful guest at anyone’s door. You can probably find nearly everything you need for a pet costume right in your apartment. Let your pet be a part of this special holiday by dressing them up for the big day. Then, make your way over to your favorite Chandler, Arizona pet park to show off just how good they look to all their friends.

Pet Treats Made Simple

This month the Liv Avenida Blog has been all about pets. We’re excited to share another aspect of having a pet in your apartment home — homemade pet treats! That’s right, we are sharing four recipes you can make at home that are a cost-effective way to provide treats for your cat or dog. Dog Treats Sweet Potato Skins Sweet potato anything is usually a healthier substitute for starchy potatoes, so it makes sense that this would be good for your pets. Low in calories and without any byproducts or unknown ingredients, this is a simple treat that your pup will gobble up in no time. All you’ll need is one sweet potato, cut into small strips, and about twenty-five minutes to dry each side on a cookie sheet in the oven. Store in an airtight container and they’ll keep for about a week. Cheddar Dog Treats For those that are looking for something a little more visually traditional, these dog biscuits are right up your alley. With the help of a dog bone cookie cutter, a bit of your favorite grated cheese, flour, melted butter, and milk, you’ll be able to make these cheesy dog biscuits a reality for your furry best friend. You’ll need just about fifteen minutes to bake the biscuits. Cat Treats Milk Cat-Sicle For those that are looking for a cooler treat on the warmer Pacific Northwestern days, freezing your cat’s milk of choice — whether cow’s milk or goat milk — is a great way to keep your feline friend refreshed. You can often find goat milk powder or milk that’s made specifically for cats at the pet store. This recipe recommends slowly introducing milk to your cat if they aren’t used to it, to make sure it sits well with their stomach. Salmon & Oat Cat Treats Salmon and oats are good for humans, and they’re just as good for your feline friend. Utilizing whole foods in this recipe means your cat will be getting healthier foods that don’t skimp on taste, but that don’t cost an arm and a leg. You’ll just need some canned salmon, oat flour, an egg, olive oil, and dried catnip. You’ll find facts, a list of ingredients, and step-by-step instructions with pictures from the link above for this treat at the Joy the Baker blog. Of course, if you don’t have time to make your own treats, a subscription service is a great option. BarkBox is a convenient way to get toys and treats for your pup, BarkBox is a monthly subscription service that delivers to your door. Filled with “all-natural treats, chews, and our original toys,” the mission is to provide, “The best treats, the best toys, the best seat on the couch.” Based in New York (and Ohio), the company loves to bring joy to pets, and their owners. Thanks for taking the time to read our post this week. We hope you and your pet are enjoying the last of summer here in Chandler, AZ.

Pet Hair: How to Get Rid of It

Liv Avenida is pet-friendly, which is great news to many apartment hunters and pet owners! However, cleaning up after your furry friend can be a frustrating and difficult task. Don’t fret, though! In today’s blog post, we are featuring some helpful tips for removing pet hair from every type of surface. Upholstery and Fabric Use dampened rubber gloves and run your hands along the surface to attract the hair. Rinse off the gloves when covered in hair and repeat the process as needed. You can also use a squeegee for upholstery, especially in your car. Another option is to spray a mixture of water and fabric softener on your upholstered furniture and then wipe off with a rag or paper towel. Wooden Furniture To remove pet hair from wooden furniture, use a soft cloth and furniture polish or an anti-static dusting spray. The anti-static dusting spray will cancel out the electric charge and make it less likely for the hair to keep sticking to the wood. Carpet To remove pet hair from carpet, scrape a pumice stone gently on the surface. Certain fur removal tools used to brush your dog can also be used to remove hair from carpet without scratching or snagging the carpet. When vacuuming, go over areas with pet hair twice and alternate the direction to loosen stubborn pet hair. Hardwood, Laminate, or Tile Floors Use an electrostatic or microfiber dry mop for these surfaces. Vacuums tend to just end up blowing the hair around. Clothes Use a lint roller when you need to quickly remove pet hair before going out somewhere. Sweep the lint roller over your clothes, tearing off the used sheets and replacing them when needed with a clean, sticky sheet. For larger quantities of pet hair, toss a load of clothes into the dryer with a dryer sheet for 10 mins. The spinning and softener loosen up the hair which then ends up in the lint trap. Adding liquid water softener to the washer also helps remove tough stuck-on hair. Pets Remove loose hair from your pet by using a grooming tool or brush. Grooming them regularly will cut down tremendously on the amount of shedding and loose hair you find in your apartment. Bathing your dog is another great way to get rid of loose hair, but don’t bathe your dog too often or you might dry out their sensitive skin. We hope this article was helpful and gave you some new ideas to try! Thanks for being a part of our Chandler, AZ apartment community!

Tips for Keeping a Pet in Your Apartment

Here at Liv Avenida apartment homes, we welcome your furry best friends. We are a pet-friendly apartment community here in Chandler, AZ. We accept dogs and cats, so read today’s blog for tips you might find useful for helping things run smoothly for both you and your pet. Have an idea for what you’re getting into. There are plenty of joys that come with having a pet, but there are also a lot of things to keep track of. Stay aware of them so you can ensure you’re providing a healthy and welcoming environment for both of you. Set a schedule for food, rest, exercise, and play times so your pet can rely on you and so you can focus on addressing problems as they arise. Also, remember to make room in your monthly budget for costs related to your pet’s health and comfort. We require fees, including monthly fees, for pets in our apartments, so stay aware of them so you can make smart decisions for your other finances. Recognize your pet’s need for space and move things around so they can have easy paths to move about your apartment without climbing on too many things and risking knocking things over. Encourage healthy habits and give your pets a bed or play area so they can enjoy their time in your apartment. Keep track of your pet’s health records with an app and devote yourself to grooming them (and brushing their teeth!) and cleaning up after them regularly. Stay committed to a daily routine. Keeping a routine with your pet for simple things like feeding and exercise will keep your furry friend in tip-top emotional and physical shape. Now is a great time of year to enjoy the cooler Arizona weather, so mix things up by taking a walk outside. It can give you an opportunity to bond, meet other pets and owners, and give you both a break. All of these efforts and more can contribute to a great environment, so talk to our leasing office if you have questions about breeds allowed in the apartment community. Next time we will share some tips for cleaning up pet hair. What are your best tips for keeping a pet in an apartment? Let us know by leaving a comment. Good luck, and have fun!

How to Thrift Shop Smart

Thrift shopping is a great alternative to shopping if you want to find unique buys and support local donation centers near your apartment at Liv Avenida! Today our blog is all about how you can thrift shop smart to get the most out of your shopping spree at a thrift shop here in Chandler, AZ . Set a budget. While thrift shopping can be much more inexpensive than going to a mall or boutique, it can still get pricey, depending on where you go, what you’re buying, and how much you’re getting. So go with an idea of what you want to get and how much you’re ok with spending. Be aware that sometimes even one high-quality vintage piece may take up most of your budget. If you’re ok with that, go for it! But setting boundaries and being honest about how important certain things are to you will help you know when to say no and when to indulge. And if you’re worried you might overspend, bring along a friend to give you feedback on what buys might be worth it. Go often. Each thrift shop is unique and carries different items at different points in time. That’s just the nature of somewhere that has a stock of donated items! Of course, that means some trips may not be as successful as others so don’t get discouraged. Talk to employees or store managers and find out when they re-stock. Come back after a week or two to see if anything’s changed so you can find what you’re looking for. Donate. What better way to get involved than by immersing yourself in the practice of thrifting? Setting a goal to donate may be just the ticket to getting you to the thrift shops often. While you’re there getting rid of your things, you can avoid impulse buys because you’ll know exactly what you need to replace. Donating is a good way to give back, too, and to ensure these shops are getting the support they need. What are your best tips for thrift shopping? What are your favorite places to go? Let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks for reading! Good luck, and have fun!