Blog Posts

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!

5 Ways Photography is Like Writing Your Best Seller

Welcome back to the Liv Avenida Blog! As we are looking at the end of summer (and the intense heat it brings) fading away, our minds are focused on goals and aspirations that often flood people’s social media feeds. Take when summer ends, for example. One goal that we often see is the pledge to finally sit down and write that best-seller. Did you know that you don’t need to write in order to produce a great work of art? In many ways, writing a best-selling novel is like taking a photograph. We hope that today’s blog post will inspire you to expand your horizons in these coming months as a resident of the Liv Avenida apartment community in Chandler, Arizona. Writers and photographers have at least one thing in common: they’re both artists. But as we’ve stepped a little into both areas, we’ve come to realize that writers and photographers have much more in common than a simple title. We’ve compiled a list of 5 ways photography is like writing a novel. 1. Choose Your Genre — When a writer decides to write a story, they must choose which genre the story falls under. In a similar way, a photographer must do the same thing. They decide what type of photograph they are going to take (Is it going to be a landscape shot, a portrait, or maybe an underwater masterpiece?). Even if the story or photograph comes suddenly and unexpected, it still fits into a specific category. 2. Begin at the End — This is all about having a goal. After choosing the genre, both the writer and the photographer have an idea about how their story or photograph will end; the writer has an idea about the story’s conclusion, and the photographer has an idea about what the final photo will look like. They have a vision of how it will end even if they aren’t sure how they will get there. 3. Create the Characters — What people or objects will you select to tell the story of your photograph? What devices will you use to frame the shot so it’s set just right? Each element in the shot plays an important role in bringing it all together. 4. Write the First Draft — Writing the first draft is a lot like taking those first shots as a photographer, especially if it’s for a type of photo that you’ve never done before. It may be uncomfortable at first, but as soon as you start it gets better. 5. Rewrite and Edit — No one gets it right the first time. There are always mistakes waiting to happen. The beautiful thing is with more practice the mistakes get easier to spot, and therefore, avoid. As always, practice helps us perfect what we’ve been striving for. So take some time to do some writing or take some pictures this month! Feel free to post your work in the comments.

Organizing Your Kitchen

With summer finally here, your cupboards could probably use a makeover. Today, we’re sharing some great ideas to help you keep things organized in your Liv Avenida apartment. Having trouble organizing your kitchen pantry or counter space? We think these ideas can help! Stacy and Charlie have some great organization ideas for the pantry . Did you look at the picture? We can’t believe how great it looks! Storage containers can be perfectly utilized in the pantry, depending on which size you choose. Just be sure to label the containers so you’ll know what’s in them. Use mason jars to store items of all types, from yarn to matchsticks and sewing supplies. The clear glass makes it easy to see what’s inside, and it’s even more convenient because you can fill a whole shelf with the jars. You can also put utensils on the counter in a pretty jar or vase. This will add functionality to your kitchen. Plus, a pretty vase on your counter is always a good idea! If you only use your waffle maker once a year for your holiday breakfast or if your cake platters only get used on birthdays, consider moving these items to a closet or storage space. Put a turn-table in the fridge to make it easier to find condiments or sauces while cooking. Purchase stacking shelves to add almost double the space in your cupboards. Be picky about what goes in your cupboards in the first place. Don’t keep large items that are taking up space. Clean out the pantry and fridge periodically so you have more space for fresh foods.Create a separate space for cleaning products, detergents, and soaps in order to keep them away from other foods and avoid contamination and spillage. Purchase a spoon rest for cooking — this will help keep the kitchen clean even while you might be making a mess. Keeping your kitchen organized will save both time and space. It can even save money! If you can see exactly what is in your cupboards, shopping in Chandler, AZ will be much easier and more effective.