Blog Posts

Create a Summer Calendar

Summer is here and we’re excited to make summer calendars with all of our Liv Ahwatukee residents. Start the season off right by making a calendar to help you stay on top of your busy schedule (work, adventures, and vacations included). We have a few DIY calendar ideas to help you get started. Follow one of these tutorials or be creative and make your own. We hope you enjoy the new season here in Phoenix, AZ. Washi Tape Calendar This washi tape calendar is a super easy DIY project from Modish and Main . All you need is washi tape, a marker, and sticky notes. At the beginning of each month just switch out the sticky notes and you’re good to go! This DIY calendar also won’t require any holes in your walls, which is great as a renter. Click on the link for detail and images. DIY Chalkboard Calendar The chalkboard look is very popular and a great addition to a rustic- or modern-style home. This project is from Sincerely Sara D . You’ll first need a chalkboard; she used an old mirror and painted it with chalkboard paint. You’ll then need the following materials: printed lettering (get free printables from the link above), a semi-permanent chalk pen, and regular chalk or chalk pens. DIY Desk Calendar This calendar is a great item to put on your desk or nightstand. This project comes from Home Made by Carmona . “I’m in love with this project—not only is it ridiculously easy, it also combines two of my favorite things: watercolors and ombré. C’mon, who doesn’t want a pretty little desk calendar in their office? And don’t worry—you don’t need to be an artist to pull off this project. If you can hold a paintbrush, you can paint ombré! You may need to practice a little beforehand (I definitely wasted about 5 gift tags before I figured it out), but once you get the hang of it it’s quite simple.” DIY Glass Calendar This glass calendar is so pretty and fun to add to your apartment. This idea comes from My Humble Abode . To make this you’ll need a picture frame, chart tape, spray paint, a dry-erase marker, alphabet stickers, a screwdriver, a ruler, and scissors.

Cleaning Tips for Your Kitchen

Keeping your kitchen clean can be a difficult task, but here at Liv Ahwatukee Apartments, we want to help you out! We’re sharing a list of helpful tips and tricks to make this process easier. We hope you have a great and clean month here in Phoenix, Arizona. Cleaning the fridge. Cleaning out the fridge doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. Apartment Therapy shares an article that gives tips on how to clean your fridge in less than 30 minutes . Removing hard water stains . Hard water stains can be a pain to get rid of. Click on the previous link to read some practical tips and ideas on how to get rid of hard water on faucets. “Start by mixing half water and half Vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture in your tub and shower [or on your faucets] and wait a few minutes before wiping clean.” Wiping down the range hood. The following tips will work for any greasy surface. Simply use a spray bottle full of rubbing alcohol. After you’ve sprayed your greasy surface with rubbing alcohol, simply wipe away the grease with a paper towel — no scrubbing required! The Creek Line House shares some pictures of the process. Use a soapy washcloth for any remaining grease. Cleaning the oven. These ideas from The Pioneer Woman show how to simply clean out your oven using baking soda, vinegar, and water. Click on the link for details on how to complete this process. Don’t overestimate granite. Granite is a great substance because it can take a lot. But as with most things, tender love and care are important for keeping your granite in tip-top shape to ensure long-term quality. Avoid these common pitfalls of interacting with granite : Don’t use harsh or abrasive cleaners or sponges, Windex, acidic cleaners (such as vinegar, lemon, lime, or anything with ammonia or bleach).

Filling Salad Recipes

Summer is finally here! Celebrate by making one of these tasty salad recipes that will fill you up. The next time you have guests in your Liv Ahwatukee apartment in Phoenix, AZ, indulge in one of these delicious recipes. BLT Balsamic Chicken Avocado & Feta Salad from Cafe Delites Salads don’t need to be boring or flavorless, and this dish is definitely not either of those! For this salad you’ll need bacon, mixed lettuce leaves, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, feta cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Marinate the chicken fillets in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, water, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, honey, and salt, and then cook it. Fruit Salad With Sweet Lime Dressing from Valerie’s Kitchen This recipe calls for strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, green grapes, mangoes, and kiwi, so you’re sure to get a range of crisp and juicy textures and flavors. The sweet lime dressing uses lime juice, powdered sugar, and chopped fresh mint for garnish. Texas Style New Potato Salad from She Wears Many Hats This potato salad is so tasty and a great picnic or barbecue addition. Ingredients include red potatoes, red onion, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, oregano leaves, minced serrano chiles, chopped cooked bacon, fresh cilantro, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and coarse black pepper. Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad from Spicy Southern Kitchen Pasta and salad join forces in this delicious side dish. Here is everything you will need to make it: diced chicken breast, mayonnaise, sour cream, pressed garlic cloves, lemon juice, cooked penne pasta, minced anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, sliced romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, green onions, shredded parmesan cheese, ground black pepper, and croutons. Cucumber Tomato Salad from Country Living This refreshing veggie salad is the perfect healthy side for your next picnic. To make it you will need red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh cilantro, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, olive oil, and fresh cilantro.

3 Things for a Guaranteed Best Game Night

If you’ve always attended and have never hosted a game night, you’ll find out real fast how hard it can be. We don’t mean that hosting game night is as difficult as taking a math test or solving a world crisis. What we mean is that knowing where to begin can be challenging when it comes to hosting a great game night. Sit back and read along with residents of Liv Ahwatukee Apartments as we share some great tips for hosting a game night in your Phoenix, Arizona apartment. 1. Snacks Unless previously planned, don’t cook a huge dinner for game night. Keep it simple and provide snacks that can be quickly grabbed between turns. While chips are a popular choice, keep in mind that you may not want people handling greasy foods and touching game components. Keep hand sanitizer and napkins readily available or try other popular snacks, such as pretzels, crackers, M&Ms, and other treats, that won’t leave much residue on cards or game pieces. As for drinks, punch is always a classic. Check out some of these tasty punch recipes . 2. Games When planning a game night, it’s important to keep in mind the players. Unless you’re planning your evening around a group that all loves one type of game, it’s a good idea to have a variety that people can choose from. The last thing you want is to have a game that takes an hour to explain. Choosing board and card games like Tsuro and We Didn’t Playtest This At All are great not only because they’re simple to learn, but they work with a lot of players. It’s always a good idea to have games that work well for six or more players. 3. Seats and Table This really depends on the games you’ll be playing. Some games require a lot of standing, some are in an open area, and some are required to be played at a table. The most important thing is to make sure the seats are comfortable. Odds are people will be sitting quite a bit during the evening, so get something that you’d feel comfortable sitting on for a few hours. Keep plenty of pillows available, too! It’s also important to make sure that you have a big enough playing space. If you need a table, choose one that is big enough so that everyone can sit around comfortably — you won’t want to be sitting so close together that the person next to you can see everything in front of you, especially if you’re attempting to hide information during a game. We hope you have a fun and successful game night this month in your apartment. Let us know what games you’ll be playing by sharing a comment below. Thanks for reading!

How to Properly Clean Your Phone

Did you know that phones carry 18 times more bacteria than a public restroom? If you don’t regularly clean your phone, then you’re carrying around a handful of germs on a daily basis — and it’s disgusting! While we wish that a simple YouTube video would do the trick to help you feel clean, it sadly won’t physically clean your phone for you. Before you dump your phone into a bucket of bleach (not a good idea) or fork out nearly $100 or more for one of these phone cleaning devices , take some steps that are both affordable and effective. The Liv Ahwatukee Apartments Blog is highlighting a few phone cleaning tips in today’s post. Stop carrying bacteria around in your pocket every time you drive around Phoenix, Arizona and take charge of cleaning your phone. Most of the information in this post comes from How-To Geek , so feel free to check out their webpage to learn more. To begin, you’ll need the following: — Lint-free microfiber cloth — Q-tips and cotton swabs — Toothpicks — Distilled water — Rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol After turning off your phone, remove the outer case if you’ve been using one. We also recommend removing the battery, if you can. Start by pouring a small amount of distilled water onto the microfiber cloth, but don’t soak it. You can also make your own cleaning solution using the water and rubbing alcohol. When you wipe the screen, use single straight strokes. Avoid circular motions to prevent scratches. After this, use a toothpick to clear out any gunk in your phone’s tiny crevices. You’d be surprised by all the stuff you can find hiding around your smartphone’s speaker, for example. To clean the camera lens, dampen a cotton swab with distilled water and then use a spinning motion. You can dry the lens using the other side of the cotton swab. We hope that these few simple tips will help you get in the habit of cleaning your phone in your apartment. Try to wipe down your phone every day — even if it’s right before you go to sleep — for a healthier life. Add any cleaning tips of your own in the comments below.

Filling Out Applications

For many people, finding a new place to live is on the top of their list of resolutions for 2018. If this is you, you’re invited to come and check out our great apartments in Phoenix, Arizona. Our Liv Ahwatukee community offers great sights, location, and amenities. Contact us today to schedule a tour! If you’re thinking of applying, then here are a few things you’ll need to prepare: 1. Verify Your Credit It’s important to know where you stand financially before you start filling out an application. Getting a copy of your credit report is a good place to begin the process. Review the report and verify that the information is accurate. If it is not, take steps to make corrections before you fill out an application. Determine if your credit matches the requirements of the application. This is an easy way to avoid disappointment based on credit issues. 2. Documentation Preparation Track down and gather up the documentation you will need. Generally speaking, you will need your driver’s license, social security card, proof of employment, and possibly references. Many applications require a copy of these documents to be attached. Scanning and saving them as a PDF file prior to starting the application can expedite the process when you are actually filling in the application. 3. Do a Read-Through Before you begin filling out an application, read through it to get a general idea of what will be required and what information and documentation you will need to have on hand. 4. Double-Check the Document Once you’ve completed, but before you submit your application, double-check it for accuracy and completeness. This ensures that you didn’t miss anything and that the information is correct. It is annoying to realize after you hit the “send” button that you made a mistake. Be sure to check for typos and correct spelling too. First impressions still count, even if it’s only an application. If you already live here, what do you love about our community? Share in the comments below.