Blog Posts

Emergency Preparedness Kit

The Liv Ahwatukee apartments want to make sure that you’re prepared for the worst. So in order to help, we’re sharing a checklist of things that you’ll want to add to your emergency kit in order to make sure that you’re planning ahead for emergencies. The Red Cross has a great checklist you can print out and post in your apartment where you will regularly see it. Water Make sure you have set aside one gallon of water per person per day for up to three days. Water is an essential item in an emergency kit. Following an unexpected disaster, clean water may or may not be available for use. The water you set aside for your kit is one of the most essential items you will need, as it will be used for drinking and sanitation. Food When getting your emergency kit together, store enough non-perishable food that will last for three days. While you’ll want to choose food that you enjoy, try to avoid foods that make you thirsty — add things like salt-free crackers and canned foods that have plenty of liquid. If you have any special dietary needs, keep those in mind when getting this food supply together. Also, if you pack canned food, make sure you have a can opener or a way to open them. First Aid Kit Some of the items that you’ll want to add to your first aid kit are latex gloves, antibiotic towelettes, antibiotic ointment, burn ointment, adhesive bandages, pain reliever, scissors, and prescription medications. For a full list, look at these recommendations from American Red Cross. Flashlight and Extra Batteries In the case of a power outage during a disaster, a flashlight will help you see when it gets dark. Be sure to test the batteries before you put them in to make sure you didn’t mix them up with any dead ones! Whistle Whistles provide a very loud sound for little blowing effort. If you’re stuck or need assistance, blowing a whistle will alert people, particularly rescue personnel. For a more comprehensive list of things to add to your emergency kit, we recommend visiting www.ready.gov . Prepare now for a disaster by putting together your very own emergency kit in your apartment for any disaster that may come here in Phoenix, AZ. Thanks for reading!

Summer Movie Time in Phoenix

Spider-Man has been around in various incarnations for years, with a history beginning with a 1962 comic book — as the first teenaged comic book hero in fact — and morphing into movies , most recently as a part of the team in Captain America: Civil War last summer. Coming up in July, Spider-Man hits the big screen once again, this time in Spider-Man: Homecoming . As Movie Insider puts it, the plot goes like this: “Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine - distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man - but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.” While you are waiting for this new movie to open, we have some suggestions for some other summer action movies to watch in your Liv Ahwatukee Apartment in Phoenix, AZ. Summer Action Movies Jaws (1975) In a summertime classic, Amity Island is preparing for its busy 4th of July weekend, and no killer Great White is going to get the beach closed. Right? Dog Day Afternoon (1975) This is an intense, masterfully done thriller that uses the summer setting as an example of the flaring tensions that emerge over the course of the day when a little bank in Brooklyn is held up by two gunmen. Apollo 13 (1995) "Houston, we have a problem." Those infamous words were immortalized during the tense days of the Apollo 13 lunar mission crisis in 1970. Based on real events, this movie recreates an epic historical drama at the hands of director Ron Howard. Things are going smoothly until halfway through the mission, when an exploding oxygen tank threatens the crew's oxygen and power supplies. Will they make it back? Edge of Tomorrow (2014) Think Groundhog Day meets Independence Day . An alien race is assaulting Earth. Major William Cage (Tom Hanks) finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop, forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over. 12 Angry Men (1957) The jury box is a sweatbox, and eleven jurors have let the soaring temperature go to their heads. Thank goodness for juror number eight (Henry Fonda), who is determined to make sure justice is done. What is your favorite summer action movie? Please share in the comments section so we can all enjoy it!

Summer Fun Day Trips in Phoenix

Summertime is traditionally the time to head out of town for a vacation, but sometimes that is simply not possible. However, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on interesting sights, adventures, and opportunities! If you will be in town this month, plan some staycation destinations and make a day of it. Today we have suggestions for how you can do so here in Phoenix, AZ. Take time to visit places you’ve always meant to go to. Try out a new theater or club, check out a museum or water park, or drive to the other side of the city to see what they have to offer — essentially, play tourist. This list of The Top 10 Things to Do in Phoenix from Trip Advisor can help you get started. It will be an adventure. As a bonus, you can sleep in your own comfortable bed at Liv Ahwatukee at the end of the day. Specific Tips for Successful Day Trips Clean your car before you go. Get rid of the gum wrappers and napkins under the front seat, and the receipts stuffed between them. Vacuum it out and put in a new bag to collect trash from the upcoming day trip. You’ll be glad you did! Prepare the night before so you can get an early start. Make sure you have everything you will need: directions and tickets, for example. Take water and snacks — sometimes mealtime gets delayed. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Many places you visit require lots of walking to take in the full experience. Take a jacket and umbrella in case you encounter rain. Take some cash with you. There are often souvenirs or deals you may want to take advantage of during your trip. If your day includes multiple stops, check a map app beforehand to determine how much time you will need to allow for traveling. Take into account the time of day, traffic, and possible road construction delays. Be sure to take lots of pictures and share them on Facebook, highlighting your staycation this summer. Where is your favorite place to visit in the Phoenix, AZ area? Feel free to share in the comments.

Frozen Summer Treats

Last time we posted about a summer reading challenge for members of our apartment community here at Liv Ahwatukee with some awesome book recommendations. We hope that’s going well! In today’s blog post we are switching gears a bit and sharing some frozen treats that are easy to make and fun to eat (perhaps enjoy one while you peruse your next book). It’s amazing how quickly simply eating something that is cold can help us cool down. Try one of these recipes the next time the mercury rises here in Phoenix, Arizona. Frozen Pistachio Pie This frozen pistachio pie recipe from the Cutestuff Cooks blog features the distinctive taste of pistachios with a creamy frozen dessert that is sure to please. The chocolate drizzled over the top adds just the right touch. Frozen Juice Bars Frozen treats don’t have to mean unhealthy. Try these healthy fruit and cream bars for a good-for-you option. Recipes include both strawberries and cream and peaches and cream. Yum! Slush A slushy punch recipe is a classic treat that’s sure to hit the spot on a warm day. These can be prepared ahead of time, too. We like this recipe for a banana and pineapple slush punch version from Our Best Bites. Lemon Sorbet Lemon is about as refreshing as it gets, and lemon sorbet takes it a step further, producing a fresh, exciting, cooling, flavorful treat. Sorbet has more sugar than ice cream, but less fat, and it’s non-dairy, too, making it a good choice for those who have lactose issues. Here is an easy Lemon Sorbet recipe to try. Frozen Hot Chocolate Hot chocolate is normally something we drink to warm up in the wintertime, but this Frozen Hot Chocolate sounds perfect for a hot summer day. We love that it looks like hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream on top. If making frozen treats yourself is not on your list of things to do this summer, perhaps a trip to the nearest ice cream shop is in order. Doc’s Artisan Ice Creams, Baskin Robins, and Cold Stone Creamery are all within about three miles of Liv Ahwatukee Apartments, making an ice cream run convenient and fun! Let us know your favorite recipes or ice cream shops in the area by leaving a comment. Thanks for reading today’s blog post.

Summer Reading Challenge - Read a Book This Month

Many residents of Liv Ahwatukee Apartments enjoy reading. In honor of that, and because summer reading is a great tradition (especially for the summer), we’ve put together a list of books that can easily be read in a month, over a weekend, or for an avid reader, in a single day. We hope you get a chance to read a new book or read one of your old favorites. So head on over to our local branch of the Phoenix, AZ Public Library and check out one of these books soon. Holes by Louis Sachar Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway It is the story of an old Cuban fisherman and his supreme ordeal: a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Using the simple, powerful language of a fable, Hemingway takes the timeless themes of courage in the face of defeat and personal triumph won from loss and transforms them into a magnificent twentieth-century classic. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health. A bit of research, (simply type in “bookstore” in the Search Neighborhood box on our neighborhood map page) unearthed about twenty bookstores near the Liv Ahwatukee Apartments area. Check out one of them soon. We have some additional recommendations from last summer that may take a bit longer to read but are worth the time. What are your favorite summer reads? Let us know in the comments! Happy reading!

Yoga Tips

Welcome back to Liv Ahwatukee’s blog. In our post today we’re sharing some ideas for taking advantage of our on-site fitness center! Yoga is something that can be practiced anywhere, even from home. It is very low impact and it can be a great addition to your evening routine. Since little equipment is required, you don’t have to have a ton of space. Near your Phoenix apartment are a few establishments where you can attend a yoga class. The American Osteopathic Association has a ton of information as to why yoga is beneficial for you . It says, “Aside from the physical benefits, one of the best benefits of yoga is how it helps a person manage stress, which is known to have devastating effects on the body and mind.” It then quotes Dr. Natalie Nevins, a physician in California: “Stress can reveal itself in many ways, including back or neck pain, sleeping problems, headaches, drug abuse, and an inability to concentrate. Yoga can be very effective in developing coping skills and reaching a more positive outlook on life.” The Liv Ahwatukee fitness center is a great place to try your yoga routine. A great workout starts with great gear as well. We suggest Lululemon athletic wear for your exercise needs. Their pieces are great for yoga because they breathe well and will hold up no matter what pose you’re doing. Along with your workout we suggest a great yoga mat and a water bottle to accompany your workout. Swell water bottles come in a variety of sizes and styles to fit your needs. If you’re looking for something more formal, check out these suggestion from Yelp for yoga studios and classes in the Phoenix area. These tips will help you get a great start with yoga. Have fun trying a new workout this month. Thanks for reading the Liv Ahwatukee blog.