Blog Posts

Local Shopping

Spring cleaning is just around the corner. It isn’t the most appealing of activities, but there’s a plus side to getting it done soon. Getting rid of old things makes room for the new! With the change of seasons comes a change in styles. Forget the chores for a second and focus on the fun. This week’s Liv Ahwatukee Blog has some ideas. Spring style brings out new prints, cuts, and colors. Located right near your Liv Ahwatukee apartment is Nordstrom Scottsdale. This is one of our favorite places for that new pair of shoes or jeans that you just can’t live without. Offering a wide range of designers and clothes at all price points, there’s something for kids, men, and women! For spring, we want to share a few of our favorite picks that we think you’ll love as well. A dress for spring is definitely our number one pick. Lighter florals and smaller prints are fun and delicate. Dresses are pretty versatile, and with the right accessories, they can be taken right from the office to dinner to an afternoon lunch. This striped shift from Caslon comes in a beautiful classic stripe. The orange and ivory stripes are also perfect for the season. This Vince Camuto heel is the perfect shoe to pair with jeans for spring. The lighter taupe brightens up an outfit and the cutouts give a springtime update to your wardrobe. We love the tie on the shoe for a more sophisticated touch. If you’re unable to find something you love in stores, Nordstrom offers free shipping and free returns, so you’re certainly going to be satisfied with your finds. You can also find kids’ clothing, men’s clothing, cosmetics, and accessories. Don’t be afraid to try something new with your style this spring. Scottsdale offers many different shopping and eating options located close to home. Thanks for reading Liv Ahwatukee Blog.

Local Eats

In today’s post we are sharing with you a few local restaurants not far from your apartment at Liv Ahwatukee. Discovering new foods and new dishes is a great way to explore your home here in Phoenix, AZ. As you find new spots to dine, pass your recommendations on to friends so they can try them as well! Listed below are a few spots we are excited to try. Little Miss Barbeque — “Our Central Texas style BBQ is served meat market style! All of our freshly barbecued meats are served by weight on butcher paper with onions, pickles, jalapenos and white bread. Our meats are the best we can get and our sausage and sides are made fresh in house. Our food is cooked using Arizona oak and pecan wood by massive offset Camelback Smokers.” Veggie Village — “The Fundamental reason of being a vegetarian is to develop unconditional compassion, loving, kindness, respect of all life and for environmental protection. Veggie Village’s objective is to provide an environment in which more people can understand about vegetarian food and discover that vegetarian food can be delicious and have a wide range of food choices.” Ten Handcrafted American Fare and Spirits — “TEN is not only the heart of Chef & Owner Jeff Hostenske’s name, but also his passion. Approachable American cuisine covering every moment of his life, starting with Midwest Classics from his childhood, to the culinary upbringing in the low country of Charleston, SC. Solidified with the inspiration from his nomadic culinary career in the United States.” Be Coffee + Food + Stuff — “We feature coffee from both ‘local’ roasters in Arizona + from across the United States. Our coffee bean selections rotate frequently + we often carry multiple roasters. Just like our coffee, both our hot + iced tea selections vary throughout the year as well.” We think you’ll certainly find a place to love as you explore local eateries. Thanks for reading!

March New Movies

Welcome back to Liv Ahwatukee’s blog! Today’s post will be all about new releases that you can expect to see at the theater. A Saturday night at the cinema is our idea of a good time. Any of these flicks paired with a sweet treat and a cold drink make for a great night out. The Shack (March 3rd) — After suffering a family tragedy, Mack Phillips spirals into a deep depression that causes him to question his innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith, he receives a mysterious letter urging him to an abandoned shack in the Oregon wilderness. Despite his doubts, Mack journeys to the shack and encounters an enigmatic trio of strangers led by a woman named Papa. Through this meeting, Mack finds important truths that will transform his understanding of his tragedy and change his life forever. Before I Fall (March 3rd) — When a popular teen girl is killed in a car crash, she relives the critical day seven times and makes changes in an attempt to affect the outcome; in the process, she changes as she tries to make up for previous heartless, self-absorbed behavior and gains a better understanding of herself and others. As she evolves and makes the connections necessary to save a bullied, depressed girl’s life, she comes to accept her own fate. All Nighter (March 24th) — When his daughter (Analeigh Tipton) disappears in Los Angeles, a tough-minded businessman (J.K. Simmons) recruits her awkward ex-boyfriend (Emile Hirsch) to help him find her. Beauty and the Beast (March 17th) — Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful, and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in its castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the beast's hideous exterior, allowing her to recognize the kind heart and soul of the true prince that hides on the inside. Enjoy one of these movies this week and let us know what you think.

Explore Arizona

Spending time outdoors in this beautiful state is a great way to get some exercise and explore your home. There are so many places to visit that you might not have seen yet. Some of these are close to your Phoenix, AZ home and others make a great weekend trip. At Liv Ahwatukee, we love seeing new sites and recommending them to our friends. We found some great ideas from The Crazy Tourist. Find the whole list right here . Lake Mead — Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States, measured by water capacity. It is on the Colorado River about 24 mi (39 km) from the Las Vegas Strip southeast of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. London Bridge in Lake Havasu — “London Bridge initially spanned the River Thames in London until it was discovered that is was sinking into the river Thames. The founder of Lake Havasu City purchased the bridge for $2,460,000 and spent another $7,000,000 transporting the bridge to its current location. It was then rebuilt as the structure you see today.” We think this would make the greatest Instagram opportunity, and we can’t wait to check it out! Mystery Castle — This site is listed on Discover Phoenix, find the information right here . The site says, “Enjoy a tour of the castle, and savor the beautiful surrounding desert landscape and great views of Phoenix. There are a number of hiking trails nearby, including Holbert Trail in South Mountain Park.” We think you’ll enjoy exploring your home. As you visit these sites please be safe and check out the websites beforehand to get information on how to visit these places. As mentioned, these are awesome spots to feature on your social media. Grab some friends and make some memories together. Let us know what your favorite places are!

Train for a Race

Our fitness center is a great place to train and reach all your physical fitness goals. Running a marathon or 5k might seem out of reach but we have a great training plan to share. Find a race here that you can train for. There are plenty of races here in the Phoenix, AZ area. There are lots coming up in the New Year. Allow yourself about 12-16 weeks to train for a marathon. Figure out just what will keep you motivated as you train. Even if you are just trying to get in shape, a training schedule is a great way to track your progress and keep yourself going. From Popsugar we found this training schedule. The site says, “If you have a few 5Ks and 10Ks under your belt, you're probably thinking about running your first half marathon. Doubling your racing distance means building endurance by increasing your weekly mileage. Don't be daunted by this! Try this 16-week training schedule that adds miles safely. There are cross-training, strength-training and stretching, and rest days built into the program to help prevent injury. Plus, the long runs are on Saturdays when you have time to go the distance, giving you Sundays to recover.” When you’re training be sure to wear the correct clothing. Shoes that fit well and support your feet will help to avoid injury. Clothing that is breathable but won’t get in the way is really important as well. Try listening to music or an audio book while training. This can help you focus elsewhere while your body works so hard. Be sure to fuel and hydrate your body while training. This isn’t just your typical workout. You’ll need to make sure you are consuming enough to fuel yourself. As it gets so warm in Arizona, some people opt to train early in the morning before the day gets too hot. It’s important to find what works best for you. Good luck training! Thanks for reading the Liv Ahwatukee Blog!

Try A Bullet Journal

If your New Year’s resolution was to journal more or write everyday, you still have time to catch up! We love the idea of a bullet journal. You still write every day but in smaller amounts. A bullet journal is just a notebook that accommodates a huge variety of planning schemes. You can create calendars and to-do lists, and you can also use it as a diary, a brainstorming notepad, and more. Bulletjournal.com gives a great overview of how to start. The site says , “Note-taking and traditional journaling take time; the more complex the entry, the more effort is expended. The more effort expended, the more of a chore it becomes, the more likely you’ll underutilize or abandon your journal. Rapid Logging is the solution. Rapid Logging is the language in which the Bullet Journal is written. It consists of four components: topics, page numbers, short sentences, and bullets.” For a great journal, decide how big or small you want. You might like lined pages or a more grid style page. Many people love Moleskine for their notebooks. Find the site right here . Pageflutter is also a great resource for journaling. She says, “I used a year-at-a-glance page (with traditional calendar months) as my first page in my 2016 journal and really liked it. Repeated in 2017. The page doesn’t take long to make, and it’s a great cheat sheet to use throughout the year.” Journaling is a great way to record your life and your memories. It can also help you know just what you need to accomplish during the month or the year. Accumulating several journals gives you the opportunity to look back and really see how much you’ve changed or grown. Find what works for you as you journal and try new techniques. Thanks for reading Liv Ahwatukee Blog! We hope you have a great month here in Phoenix, AZ!