Blog Posts

Reddit Movie Recommendations

Welcome back to the Liv Ahwatukee Apartments Blog! Sometimes you just need a moment (or a few hours) to let your mind relax. One of our favorite ways to do that? Movie night! Today we thought it’d be fun to dive into the world of online communities and see what the users of Reddit have to say about what to watch. If you don’t already know, Reddit is a website where people can post content such as links, text posts, and images, which people can comment and vote on. The more popular the comments in the post, the more points they receive. In thinking of all the upcoming movie nights you’ll probably hold in your Phoenix, AZ apartment, we found a great Reddit thread about movies people thought were going to be good but then ended up being amazing. So, without further adieu, here are the movies that received over 1,000 points from that thread: Over 2,000 Points How to Train Your Dragon Galaxy Quest Over 1,500 Points In Bruges Tucker and Dale vs Evil Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 21 Jump Street Shaun of the Dead Ip Man Stardust Zombieland Over 1,000 Points Stranger Than Fiction Fantastic Mr. Fox Groundhog Day Lucky Number Slevin The Prestige Scott Pilgrim vs. the World District 9 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Despicable Me Sunshine Wall-E Drive The Avengers Visit IMDB for descriptions and ratings of the above films. If you’re planning a movie night in your apartment, you’ll want to prepare by choosing snacks. Food Network has a lot of movie night food recommendations, but we love this list probably most of all: “Mini Movie Night Foods.” Check out their menu: Mini Lasagnas with Sweet Corn and Mascarpone Mini Sandwich Buffet: Mini Grilled Cheese and Tomato, Mini Rachael’s and Mini Spicy Patty Melts Mini Antipasto Calzones Mini Meatballs with Raspberry-Balsamic Barbeque Sauce Mini Espresso Cakes with Peanut Butter Frosting Do you have a list of movies that surprised you by how good they were? What about some delicious movie night snack recommendations? If so, share in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Three Exciting Games to Enhance your Game Night Experience

If you’re a regular visitor of our the Liv Ahwatukee Apartments Blog, you’ll know that we love writing about board games. We love writing about board games almost as much as we like playing them — not just because they’re fun, but because they bring people together. This month, we’re encouraging residents of our Phoenix, AZ community to invite a few friends over to play something exciting. Here are three exciting board games that will make your next game night experience the best one yet! Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game If you’re into the whole “zombie-craze,” then this game is perfect for you. Dead of Winter can be considered the closest version of a Walking Dead board game. You and your friends will take on the role of survivors living in a weakened colony where humanity is haunted by flesh-craving creatures. Work together (or secretly against each other) to obtain important objects, protect the colony, and fight off the dead. For two to five players. Captain Sonar We like to call this game “Battleship on Steroids!” Why? Captain Sonar takes the classic Battleship game and turns it into a real-time team battle for domination. For up to eight players, you and your teammates will control a submarine. Hurry and locate the enemy sub before they blow you out of the water! Just remember, communication is key! For two to eight players. T.I.M.E Stories This is one of our favorite board games of all time. In T.I.M.E Stories, players act as time travelers who are trying to prevent temporal faults in the universe. Take on the roles of different people from the early 1900s and medieval times as you travel back in time to save the world from an ever-growing force of darkness. For two to four players. Find out more about these great games by visiting boardgamegeek.com .

Our Favorite Bubble Bath Recipe

When was the last time you slipped into a bubble bath? If you can’t remember, then it has been too long! Today we’ll be sharing one of our favorite bubble bath recipes for you to enjoy in your Phoenix, AZ home. Run the hot water and slip into a relaxing afternoon here at Liv Ahwatukee Apartments! Honey & Vanilla Bubble Bath One of our favorite bubble bath recipes is made with honey and vanilla. The key to getting this bubble bath just right is the egg white. We know what you must be thinking: honey, eggs, vanilla — who’s cooking what? This recipe smells great, is simple to make, and is a great place to begin if it’s your first time making a bubble bath. Hello Glow shared a great recipe with these ingredients. All you’ll need is ½ cup of light almond oil, ¼ cup of honey, ½ cup of mild liquid or body soap, 1 egg white, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Simply combine the ingredients together and then pour ¼ to ½ cup under running water. Keep the rest in the refrigerator for your next soaking. Here’s what Stephanie Gerber at Hello Glow had to say about this recipe: “My first attempt at making bubble bath a couple of years ago was a total bomb. The secret is the egg white! It helps create bigger bubbles that last longer. But you still won’t get huge bubbles. Agitate the water to activate the soap and enjoy.” Whilst relaxing, add some more fun to your bath by bringing candles into the picture. We recommend looking for flameless tea lights, which flicker like a real flame without actually burning anything. When relaxing, it’s best to be safe — you don’t want to be worrying about open flames, especially if you have a lot of them. Making your own bubble bath will turn bath time into something even more special (and who doesn’t want that?). A homemade bubble bath is more than a great thing for you— it’s also a great gift to give away for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other celebrations. Thanks for reading. We hope you have a great month!

Dungeons & Dragons Attributes in Real Life

Welcome back to the Liv Ahwatukee Blog! To finish off our Dungeons & Dragons-themed month, we’d like to discuss “attributes.” Dungeons & Dragons uses the following six attributes: Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each attribute/ability has a score which defines the magnitude of each attribute. Modifiers affect the scores of the attributes, whether adding to or subtracting from the initial number… Okay, so maybe that’s a lot to take in. Just bear with us. We found an interesting Reddit thread about relating the attributes used in Dungeons & Dragons to real life . Here’s just a small part of what someone shared. The numbers to the left are the score (the numbers in parenthesis are modifiers): Wisdom 1 (–5): Seemingly incapable of thought, barely aware 2-3 (–4): Rarely notices important or prominent items, people, or occurrences 4-5 (–3): Seemingly incapable of forethought 6-7 (–2): Often fails to exert common sense 8-9 (–1): Forgets or opts not to consider options before taking action 10-11 (0): Makes reasoned decisions most of the time 12-13 (1): Able to tell when a person is upset 14-15 (2): Can get hunches about a situation that doesn’t feel right 16-17 (3): Reads people and situations fairly well 18-19 (4): Often used as a source of wisdom or decider of actions 20-21 (5): Reads people and situations very well, almost unconsciously 22-23 (6): Can tell minute differences among many situations 24-25 (7): Nearly prescient, able to reason far beyond logic Here is this week’s quest: Apply one of the attributes to yourself (particularly one you’re not the best at) and give it a score that you think fits. Feel free to look at the above link to scroll through and find what a person on Reddit outlined, or do it on your own! The next time you leave your apartment, keep your attributes and attached scores in mind. What modifiers do you have in your life that end up affecting your overall score for that attribute? Perhaps you’re rather charismatic except when in stressful situations at work. As you go about your days in Phoenix, AZ, or wherever you are located, think of ways you can improve on your scores. Good luck!

It's Time to Take a Break

Even the most skilled adventurers need to take time to refresh! That’s why in today’s blog post, we of Liv Ahwatukee Apartments are encouraging our residents and readers to make time for a break. Whether you live in Phoenix, AZ or somewhere far away, we hope you make relaxation a priority so that you’re well rested for your next adventure! This week’s quest: take time to relax. Hide your phone. Or just tuck it away somewhere out of sight! A simple way to instantly make a room more relaxing is by removing electronics . Every day, our bodies are stimulated by screens, so it’s probably a good idea to take some time away from them. Spend quality time reading a book, taking a nap, or even relaxing in a bath of hot water. That extra 15, 30, or even 60 minutes without a screen distraction might be worth more to you than you expect. Cook something. Sometimes it just takes a warm meal to make you feel better. In addition to the many recipes that we’ve shared on our blog, Bustle has a great list of 16 healthy recipes we encourage you to make in the near future. Enjoy dishes like Creamy Butternut Squash Linguine, Beef Bourguignon, and Twice-Baked Potatoes! Buy a plant. Add a touch of nature in your apartment. According to SheKnows , plants are “a good way to induce relaxations. Despite size, their presence in a room is invigorating. Every room should have something earth-themed to merge nature with the indoors.” We like the sound of that! We hope you make time to relax this week. Take a break from electronics, cook something new, or buy a plant and add it into your living room as a way to induce relaxation. Whatever you decide to do, remember that this is time specifically for you and nothing else. Don’t worry about your bills or daily stressors… Instead, give your body the much-needed attention that it deserves. If you do, then this quest will be a success!

A Simple Dungeons & Dragons Menu

Welcome back to the Liv Ahwatukee Blog. This month, you are a traveler seeking adventure, and our hope is to help you succeed in your endeavors. At our apartment community in Phoenix, AZ, we hope to inspire in you a sense of purpose and excitement in February. This week’s quest: dine appropriately in your apartment. Adventurers need nourishment! That’s why we’re sharing a Dungeons & Dragons-themed menu for your dining pleasure. Check out the following ideas for an elemental dinner, edible fireballs, and more! Elemental Dinner Menu We found this great article on the Dungeons & Dragons website. Click on the above link for step-by-step instructions for great dishes like Saganaki (for the fire element), Shell Pasta Soup (for the water element), Roasted Root Vegetables (for the Earth element), and Cotton Candy Cloud Cocktail (for the air element). Here’s what the article says about “decor” in order to get everything set up for this creative menu: “Everyone needs an excuse to get fancy once in a while, right? Here’s your excuse. Get out your nicest plates and silverware, light some candles, and use those cloth placemats and napkins you never bother with. Or, if you don’t want to get too crazy, go for a more rustic adventuring vibe. Cut placemats out of kraft paper and use twine loops as napkin rings. Either way, print out a menu and place one at each place setting.” Edible Fireballs For this sweet treat, you’ll need the following ingredients: heavy whipping cream, semi-sweet chocolate chips, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and Pop Rocks. Here’s what The Geeky Hostess has to say about this dish: “These fireball truffles were created for a Dungeons and Dragons lover. The truffle, named after a popular spell from D&D, has a hint of spice and a bit of a kick from the Pop Rocks. Use them to butter up a new DM or make them for everyone in your adventuring party!” Tavern Menu We love this D&D-style Tavern Menu that The Geeky Hostess put together. She first includes an image of the actual menu, followed by an explanation of each item. How cool is that? If you’d like to put together a similar type of menu, she even includes a link to the free online program that she used to design it: “I made the menu using Canva , my ultimate favorite graphic design tool. It allows you to make great images very quickly, even if you have no graphic design skills. I would highly recommend it!” We also recommend that design tool!