Blog Posts

First Apartment Tips from Redditors

Back in May, we shared some of the most upvoted life hacks on Reddit . To start off the new year, we’re turning back to this online community in search of first apartment tips. If you’re new to Liv Ahwatukee and are considering taking a tour of one of our available apartment homes, we’re excited to introduce you to our community. We hope the following tips will inspire you as you begin your year in Phoenix, AZ. Top “first apartment” tips according to Reddit Take your time looking at the place. Don’t feel rushed. If you’re seriously considering a place, make note of anything that is damaged in the apartment. Take pictures and document, document, document! Get a plunger before you need one. Introduce yourself to the neighbors. Dish soap is not a replacement for dishwasher soap. If you did use dish soap in your dishwasher, use cold water to clean it up; hot water makes the problem worse. Have a box or bag with toilet paper, a hand towel, some soap, some plastic cups, and paper towels in it at the ready. It should be the first thing you put in the apartment and unpacked immediately. During the move you'll eventually need to use the bathroom or drink water. Now you can. Add a four pack of 60W light bulbs, a cheap Walmart floor lamp, a plunger and a yellow sponge with the green abrasive pad on one side. Pack a shower curtain if there's not already one and cleaning products such as Lysol, Drain-O, Pledge, and Windex. Buy a coffee maker or kettle and stop spending money every day on coffee or tea. Find out what’s within walking distance. Always have at least a month’s worth of the cost of rent in savings — ideally more. At least have the security of being able to afford rent even if you lost your job tomorrow.

Our Favorite Blog Posts of 2018

Welcome back to the Liv Ahwatukee Blog! Join us as we take a quick look at our favorite blog posts of 2018. We hope that as you’ve visited our blog, you’ve found tips and information that are relevant to you. If you have any ideas about what you’d like to read about in the future, leave a comment below. We hope to be a valuable resource where you can find helpful tips and information about not only our apartment community in Phoenix, Arizona but other fun topics as well. Favorite Blog Posts of 2018 Take a moment to review our favorite blog posts of the year. Priceless Budget Tips “In today’s post, the Liv Ahwatukee Blog is sharing a few budgeting tips...Not buying something when you can’t afford it (or buying less than you make) is a priceless tip that’s not always easy to follow. If you’re spending too much or struggling to keep a budget, then keep reading to learn how you can start right now in your Phoenix, AZ apartment.” Cleaning Out Your Apartment: Throw These Things Away! “There’s no better time than the beginning of a new season to get rid of a few things from your apartment. At Liv Ahwatukee, we’re inviting all of our residents to declutter their apartments in Phoenix, Arizona. Care to join them?” Board Games of the Month: Tokaido and Viticulture “Today, we’re highlighting two board games that we love: one about winemaking and the other about taking a journey across Japan. When you host your next game night, consider adding these two games to the agenda.” Make Your Own Cereal “For many of us, a bowl of cereal is what gets us started each day. Instead of heading out to the grocery store and purchasing your favorite boxes of cereal, why not try to make your favorites in your Liv Ahwatukee apartment? This week, we’re highlighting recipes for a few classic bowls of cereal.”

We Bet You'll Love These Board Games

Odds are you’ll be hanging out with friends or loved ones this month, so make the most of it with an exciting game or three — that’s right, we’re recommending three games that we bet you’ll love (even if you aren’t into board games)! As you hang around the Liv Ahwatukee Apartments community or travel outside of Phoenix, AZ, make some new memories with a game that’s sure to make people smile. We highly recommend it! The Resistance “ The Resistance is a party game of social deduction. It is designed for five to ten players, lasts about 30 minutes, and has no player elimination. The Resistance is inspired by Mafia/Werewolf, yet it is unique in its core mechanics, which increase the resources for informed decisions, intensify player interaction, and eliminate player elimination.” Spyfall 2 “SPYFALL is an easy-to-learn card game of bluffing, probing questions, clever answers, and suspicion. At the start of each round, players receive a secret card letting them know where they are – a vineyard, jail, coal mine, gas station (20 unique locations!) – Except that one player receives the SPY card instead of the location. The Spy doesn’t know where he is, but wins the round if he can figure it out before he blows his cover!” Saboteur “Players take on the role of dwarves. As miners, they are in a mine, hunting for gold. Suddenly, a pick axe swings down and shatters the mine lamp. The saboteur has struck. But which of the players are saboteurs? Will you find the gold, or will the fiendish actions of the saboteurs lead them to it first? After three rounds, the player with the most gold is the winner.” Do you have a favorite board game? Share the title of it by leaving a comment below. Then we can check it out and have some more fun!

The Best Hot Chocolate Recipes this Side of the Internet

Picture this: a subtle sweet aroma hovers over your bed, beckoning you to open your eyes. As you sit up, the smell grows stronger. You open your mouth and let the flavor of the smell wash over your tongue. The taste, something you imagine as strong and sweet, makes your tongue tingle. You pause. Toasted marshmallow fills the air. Suddenly you imagine yourself sitting by a campfire, your mouth filled with a bite of your friend Dan’s best s’mores: dark chocolate, cinnamon, and, of course, marshmallows — lightly toasted, gold and brown. One of our favorite things about winter is the influx of hot cocoa recipes. Sure, Phoenix, AZ may not be the coldest place in the world, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a seasonal drink at our Liv Ahwatukee apartment community. Hot cocoa is one of those drinks that is filled with nostalgia. A sip of toasted marshmallow cocoa might take you back to times when you sat around a campfire. Maybe the classic dark chocolate will remind you of your childhood home. Perhaps peppermint cocoa brings out a different memory for you altogether. Join us as we drink to old memories and to new ones with these delicious hot chocolate recipes. You can also share your favorite recipes in the comments below. Toasted Marshmallow Cream Hot Chocolate Coconut milk, heavy cream, dark chocolate, and marshmallow cream frosting are just a few of the ingredients in this decadent drink. Sounds good, right? BA’s Best Hot Chocolate This is what you’ll need to make this decadent drink: 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3 cups whole milk, 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and lightly sweetened whipped cream. YUM! Peppermint Hot Chocolate The drink alone sounds great, but it’s the cocoa whipped cream that has us even more interested to try it! A fun note: If you’re not sure how many servings you’d like to make, the website has a neat feature. Simply hover your mouse over the serving size and a counter will appear. Slide it up or down and watch the entire recipe adjust to your needs.

Joyful Movies to Watch this Holiday Season

Some of our favorite holiday traditions include watching movies. Join us in this tradition by turning the lights off, sitting back, and enjoying a movie or two before the month is over. Whether you’re staying in your Liv Ahwatukee apartment or vacationing outside of Phoenix, AZ, make time to laugh a lot (and maybe even cry a little) with these joyful movies. The following titles and descriptions were found at IMDB.com . It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) “An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.” White Christmas (1954) “A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.” Die Hard (1988) “John McClane, officer of the NYPD, tries to save his wife Holly Gennaro and several others that were taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.” Home Alone (1990) “An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.” The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) “The Muppet characters tell their version of the classic tale of an old and bitter miser's redemption on Christmas Eve.” The Santa Clause (1994) “When a man inadvertently kills Santa on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place.” I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1998) “A college student faces an impossible journey when he is left stranded in the desert, thousands of miles from home, with no money and only a few days left until Christmas.” Last Holiday (2006) “Upon learning of a terminal illness, a shy woman (Queen Latifah) decides to sell off all her possessions and live it up at a posh European hotel.” The Holiday (2006) “Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.”

Fun and Silly Holiday Gift Suggestions

Welcome back to the Liv Ahwatukee Apartments Blog! As we grow closer to December, we turn our thoughts to holiday gifts. We all have that holiday party where we‘re required to bring a silly gift, or a “white elephant” gift. The gifts in today’s blog post are perfect for these occasions. If you aren’t planning to attend any of these parties with silly gift exchanges in Phoenix, AZ, these gifts are still perfect if you want something to make someone smile. Check them out below! Canned Unicorn Meat is the first gift on our list. No, this isn’t edible. With no can opener necessary, your friends can easily open this surprising gift to find a dismembered stuffed unicorn. Check out this product description that made us smile: “...When you open your can, you will find one tiny unicorn which has been appropriately sliced into its main cuts of meat. Simply use your Growth Ray to re-embiggen the unicorn before skinning it and processing its flesh. Or if you're lazy, just bring it to your local Mad Scientist-Butcher. He'll know what to do.” With a new Star Wars movie releasing every year, you might not want to pass up on these Star Wars ice cube trays . From the description: “Star Wars has captured the hearts and minds of many sci-fi fans for nearly 40 years and the love of this franchise has been passed on from generation to generation. If you haven't joined the hype then it's never too late, and these molds will make any Star Wars Marathon night a get together to be remembered!” This Ax Pizza Cutter has a fun design. Shaped like a real ax, this cutter will have your friend feeling like a real lumberjack the next time they slice a freshly baked pizza. For less than $10, this gift is one that’s sure to put a smile on the receiver’s face. The fourth and final gift on our list is The Dog Dicer . This is “the quickest and easiest way to dice hot dogs into toddler bite size pieces. Using the Dog Dicer will dramatically reduce the risk of choking hazards associated with these American classics, making them safe for children to eat, all with one quick, simple, and safe motion.” Which gift on our list is your favorite? See something you’d like to add to your apartment? Treat yourself this holiday season! Thanks for reading. Happy holidays!