Blog Posts

Popsicle Recipes

Staying cool during the summer here in Phoenix, AZ is no easy task! Luckily, our Liv Ahwatukee Apartments is here to help with a few popsicle recipes that you are sure to love. Try them out and bring them along on your next picnic or to enjoy poolside at our apartment community’s salt water swimming pool. Peaches n’ Cream with Basil and Honey With ripe peaches, cream, yogurt, honey, and fresh basil, there’s a lot to love about this recipe. The honey and basil work surprisingly well together in this healthy concoction we’re happy to call one of our favorite summertime snacks. Key Lime Pie Popsicles This recipe is fairly simple. All you need is Greek-style yogurt, key lime syrup (which is easy to make, as explained in the recipe), vanilla extract, and graham crackers. The result is beautiful and delicious. Fruit Smoothie Popsicles Simple yet delicious, this recipe allows you to customize it according to your tastes by using your favorite frozen fruit(s). The only ingredients you will need are orange juice, vanilla Greek yogurt, and frozen fruit. Fruit Juice Pops This simple recipe makes for a refreshing frozen treat that is the perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors. You will need water, sugar, unsweetened apple juice, unsweetened pineapple or orange juice, lemon juice, and popsicle molds. Homemade Strawberry Popsicles Super delicious and incredibly simple to make, you will love these homemade strawberry popsicles. All you will need is a blender/food processor, popsicle molds, chopped strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar. Green Juice Popsicles These are the healthiest popsicles on our list, but they still taste amazing! All you’ll need is a blender to mix the fruits, vegetables, and juice. The rest is simple. This is a great healthy snack for kids, especially if you’re having a difficult time coaxing them to eat their vegetables.

Tips to Stay Hydrated this Summer

It’s no secret that the summer months here in Phoenix, AZ can get really hot! To help combat the hot weather, the Liv Ahwatukee Apartments community invites you to stay hydrated. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Drink 8 glasses of water a day.” While this is easy to remember, it can get boring or even prove difficult for some people to accomplish. Are there ways to help you track how much you’re drinking during the day? Yes. Can you make water more interesting? Believe it. How to Stay Hydrated At Liv Ahwatukee Apartments, we believe that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to create a happy lifestyle. This week, we hope you follow these suggestions for staying hydrated by drinking enough water. Adding flavor to your water is a great solution for people who struggle to drink enough throughout the day. Sometimes drinking water can feel boring — especially if you’re used to drinking sugary sodas or other beverages. While water can seem like a tasteless option, it doesn’t have to be. Add slices of fresh fruit or vegetables into a pitcher of water; you can even add herbs like mint or basil. Check out these 27 Fruit-Infused Waters for more ideas! For many people, drinking water throughout the day would be easier if they were reminded to do it. While setting an alarm for every hour or two is one solution, why not try something a little more fun? Daily Water is a free, easy-to-use app that keeps track of how much water you’re drinking, sets reminders for when it’s time to drink, keeps water drinking logs, and can share those logs by email. Not only will this app alert you when you need to drink more water, but it will also let you know if you’re drinking too much. With 18 features, Daily Water is a great help for those who need an extra push, while saving your progress. Have you ever used a smart water bottle? Hidrate Spark 2.0 is a revolutionary tool to help you stay hydrated. Complete with a sensor that tracks how much you’re drinking, a connection to an app so that you can save your progress on your phone, and a glowing feature that lights up when it’s time to drink more water, this bottle might be just what you need. Whether you’re inside or outside of your apartment, it’s important to stay hydrated. We hope that one of these suggestions helps you stay on track and motivated to keep drinking water. Stay hydrated, healthy, and happy. Thanks for reading!

Great Movie Soundtracks

With so many great movies coming out every year, it’s no surprise that we’ve listened to a lot of great music. Today, the Liv Ahwatukee Blog is sharing what we think to be some of the greatest soundtracks in recent years. Whether you’re cruising around Phoenix, AZ or chilling in your apartment, get some great listening in with these soundtracks. Dunkirk One of the things that Director Christopher Nolan always gets right in his movies is his choice of music. Dunkirk is a visually breathtaking masterpiece with an equally stirring soundtrack. After seeing this movie, you won’t be forgetting the imagery or great music anytime soon. Baby Driver If you’ve seen Baby Driver, then you’ll know just how important the music is to this movie. Not only is each track a driving force in moving the story forward, but an important element that gets noticed, and discussed, by the actual characters themselves. With high-energy chase sequences seemingly choreographed to memorable nostalgic tracks from the 1970s, there are plenty of songs that everyone will enjoy listening to over and over again. Swiss Army Man Much of the beauty of the indie film Swiss Army Man comes from its enchanting soundtrack. In our opinion, one of 2016’s most compelling and daring films was also one of the most rewarding listens. That was Swiss Army Man. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 It was no surprise that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 had great music. Much similarly to Baby Driver, Guardian’s soundtrack is a throwback to past generations. The music is upbeat, catchy, and tugs on the heartstrings of memorabilia and nostalgia. Whether you want to dance or just listen, this soundtrack is one of 2017’s best. Wonder Woman DC movies have always had great music, and Wonder Woman is no exception. With each track a new layer of emotion is added, building Wonder Woman’s story along with a great experience for the audience.

Embrace the Amenities of Liv Ahwatukee

At Liv Ahwatukee Apartments, we put luxury living first by offering high-end, resort-style amenities in individual homes and in community areas. Residents of our community in Phoenix, AZ have the opportunity to enjoy the ease and comfort of living in a place designed specifically for them. Take a look at the extensive list of our amenities below. We have something for everyone. Community Amenities Concierge recycling and trash Electric car charging stations Fully enclosed bark park Liv Simply concierge services Outdoor BBQ and lounge areas 1-mile jogging path around the community 24/7 access to The Hub with business center, media room, and gaming systems 24/7 emergency maintenance services Award-winning on-site maintenance team Saltwater heated pools and spas Smoke-free community Social events every week for a wide variety of interests Splash pad Playground Private garages and covered parking Wi-Fi throughout all amenity areas Apartment Amenities Air Conditioning Ample storage space Barrier-free units Ceiling fans Controlled access Dishwasher Full-size washer & dryer Gourmet kitchens with granite countertops Private patio/balcony Private wireless router in each home Programmable thermostat Range Stainless steel, Energy Star appliances Thoughtfully designed layouts USB outlets in each home Walk-in closets Are you a resident of Liv Ahwatukee? If so, what’s your favorite feature of our apartment community? If not, take a moment to decide what amenities are important to you in an apartment community. A final note before you leave… Amenities may add incentive for you to move into an apartment community, but there are other things to consider like location and price. Once you’ve decided on a place, we recommend checking out this apartment checklist by Updater . Even if this isn’t your first apartment, this checklist is definitely worth looking over. Thanks for visiting the Liv Ahwatukee Apartments Blog. We hope you have a great month in Phoenix, AZ or wherever you might be!

What You’ll Need for the Perfect Picnic

Welcome back to the Liv Ahwatukee Blog. July is the perfect month to head to your favorite picnic spot near your apartment in Phoenix, AZ. Enjoy these great tips to get your picnic season underway! What You’ll Need — Picnic blanket — serving utensils — plates, cups, cutlery, napkins — tasty food — drinks — cooler — condiments & spices — Picnic basket Helpful Tip: Use this picnic packing list from Real Simple to be sure you don’t forget any picnic essentials. The Food Sandwiches have a well-deserved reputation as picnic food. Here are some tips for making, packing, and eating sandwiches: — Butter the bread before adding the filling. The butter acts as a barrier, and the bread won’t get soggy. — Pack the sandwich fillings in separate plastic bags and assemble the sandwiches on site. This allows individuals to build a custom-made sandwich. — Invest in some packets of mayo and mustard; this reduces the chance of spoilage. — Leave the sandwich partially in the wrapping while you eat it. If it drips, the wrapping will catch the drips. — Think outside the breadbox for sandwiches. Serve chicken salad with croissants, fill pitas with tuna salad, and make lettuce or tortilla wraps. On the other hand, spending some time in your fabulous apartment kitchen to make a delicious, old-fashioned, satisfying meal of fried chicken, potato salad, fruit, and dinner rolls is a great way to welcome in the warmer summer months. These foods can be packed up and taken to the park for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to take a chocolate cake for dessert. Of course, portable food is one of the key factors when preparing a picnic. You could also try something a little different: take some fresh salsa and chips for your picnic. We have a tasty salsa recipe from Allrecipes.com for you to try. Other Essentials Don’t forget the paper plates, utensils, cups, and a tablecloth! Once the food is planned, the next step is deciding where to go. If you don’t have time to prepare a picnic, simply stop at your favorite deli and pick up food to take to your favorite park. The point is to eat outdoors and enjoy time with friends and family.

Mashed Potato Heaven

To finish off our month of blog posts, we’re sharing a few sensational mashed potato creations. Last week we focused on one of our favorite sweet treats. Today we go savory! Curtis’ Stone’s Baked Mashed Potatoes with Pancetta The first recipe in our list was posted on Rachael Ray’s website. This recipe for has so much good going for it that it’s making our mouths water just thinking about it. Combined with the potatoes, pancetta, whole milk, sour cream, mascarpone cheese, and black pepper. Top it all off with parmesan cheese. Talk about yummy! Mashed Potatoes with Soft Cheese and Herbs Also from Rachael Ray’s website, this recipe calls for potatoes, Boursin garlic-and-herb soft cow’s milk cheese, milk, parsley, chives, thyme, lemon zest, and garlic. The end result looks delicious. Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions Caramelized onions are already a good idea and can be paired with so many different foods. What about mashed potatoes? This recipe is so simple to make, it only requires a few ingredients. Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes If you’re needing to plan ahead with your meals, check out this recipe. From the website: “You can prepare [these] a day or two ahead of time, refrigerate them, then bake them on the day of. It’s a great time saver, and these mashed potatoes are absolutely incredible. Creamy and buttery, with a slightly crunchy golden crust on top. These make-ahead mashed potatoes are truly heavenly.” You can do so many things with mashed potatoes: add caramelized onions, mix in different types of cheese, eat with bacon and other types of meat… We love them! What’s your favorite way to eat this classic comforting dish? We at Liv Ahwatukee Apartments would love to hear about it! Leave a comment below for residents of our Phoenix, AZ community. Thanks for reading!