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A simmer pot is a throwback to the days when families would simmer herbs, bark, roots, or leaves to make a healing tincture. That same method can be used today to draw out the smells of your favorite holiday naturals, including cinnamon, vanilla, oranges, cloves, star anise, ginger, pine sprigs, cranberries, lemon slices, rosemary, lavender, bay leaves, and nutmeg.
It's easy to create your own stovetop potpourri using aromatic holiday combinations. Always remember to keep an eye on any simmering pot and make sure you remove it from the heat before the contents have dissipated!
Festive Fall Simmer Pot
Start with a 2-quart saucepan or a small cooker that you don't mind using as a simmer pot. Add enough water to fully cover all your ingredients. For this festive fall simmer pot, we've collected some favorite fall/winter fruits and some very aromatic smells:
- Cut Up Citrus. Whatever citrus fruits you have on hand will do like lemons, limes, and oranges.
- Add Autumn Apples. Quarter or half pieces of Granny Smith or hard red apples will do.
- Toss in Aromatics. Add half a tablespoon of vanilla extract and a few cinnamon sticks.
Put on a stovetop and bring to a rolling boil. Then reduce heat and allow the pot to simmer, adding more water as necessary.
Winter Wonderland Simmer Pot
Taken right from nature, this recipe will have your home smelling like the great outdoors. We've purposely kept this recipe simple to highlight the incredible scents of evergreen.
- Evergreen trimmings Cut the needles from an evergreen tree branch.
- Pine cones Wash and toss in a few pine cones that have fallen to the ground.
- Cranberries – A quarter cup of fresh or 1/2 cup of dried will do.
- Aromatics – Raid your spice rack for a few teaspoons of cinnamon, ginger, or clove.
That's all you need for a winter fresh scent that is sure to put everyone in the holiday spirit. Simmer pots can also be done in a slow cooker for many more hours of holiday delight.
We are wishing our entire Flagstaff, AZ apartment community a happy and joyous holiday! If you are looking for a new apartment home to start new traditions including a holiday simmer pot, schedule an appointment to view our apartments at Highland Village.
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According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.3 million dogs end up in animal shelters each year. Of those, 670,000 are euthanized. That's why it's so important to adopt rather than shop whenever possible. But before you head to a shelter and just choose a dog because it's cute, take the time to learn about these 4 factors that can help you choose the best furry family member for your Flagstaff apartment home.
Size Matters
Maybe you've always dreamed of owning a Great Dane or a Newfoundland, but think twice before bringing one of these gigantic dogs home. Many apartments have limitations on the size of the dogs they allow residents to own.
Breed Regulations
Many apartments, homeowner's associations, and even cities have restrictions on owning certain breeds that are perceived to be more "aggressive" than other canines. The most commonly restricted breeds include pit bulls, Doberman pinschers, German shepherds, and Rottweilers as well as mixes that resemble these breeds.
Shedding
Some dogs shed more than others. Labrador retrievers and German shepherds, for example, tend to shed much more than curly or wiry-haired dogs, such as poodles or Scottish terriers. Some people with allergies can tolerate being around low-shedding canines, but not around a dog that leaves furry tumbleweeds all over the floor and furniture.
Energy Level
If you aren't someone who enjoys long walks several times a day, you should avoid adopting breeds that are known for their high energy level. Hunting dogs, such as German Shorthaired pointers, are known for being very energetic and for requiring a lot of exercise, especially when they are young.
Have you been searching for a pet-friendly apartment in Flagstaff? Then, please come and visit Highland Village! We allow up to two pets in our studio and one-bedroom apartments. In addition to being pet-friendly, our co-living apartment community boasts great amenities. Contact us to learn more today!
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Sometimes we need to celebrate the little things. As we enter Fall 2020, many people may not feel as if there is a reason to celebrate. However, there are a few things we can enjoy this fall, even as we social distance in our Flagstaff apartments.
4 Things To Celebrate This Fall
Cooler Temperatures
Not everyone is a fan of the summer heat. Warmer outdoor conditions often mean we sit inside with the air conditioner on. At the very least, we may not open the windows for fear of letting in the sun. The fall, however, provides an opportunity to open the window to more comfortable conditions.
Candy For Halloween
Kids love to dress up every October and walk around the neighborhood for free candy. We grownups might attend parties in cool costumes. While social distancing may put a damper on some of our holiday fun this year, we can still take this opportunity as an excuse to eat candy. Why not 'trick-or-treat' by enjoying some sweet treats on your own?
Enjoy Those Hot Drinks
Love warm drinks like hot chocolate and apple cider? Fall is the perfect time to enjoy these toasty flavors. Sure you will have the entire winter for hot drinks. However, later in the year the outdoors may get freezing cold. Right now is the perfect temperature. It is cold enough to enjoy the hot drinks, but not so cold that you are uncomfortable.
Take A Stroll In The Fresh Air
While we can't hang around people, many communities have open-air areas like parks that can still be enjoyed. In the summer, public outdoor areas are more likely to be crowded during comfortable temperatures. During the fall, you are more likely to find quiet, secluded areas where you can take a stroll and enjoy nature.
If you can't get out much to socialize this fall, why not contact us at Highland Village to discuss our available Flagstaff apartments? Find a comfortable social distancing arrangement for the right price!
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Although it's still pretty warm here in Arizona, the weather is cooling down enough to remind us that autumn is almost here. With most people spending more time at home, residents of our Flagstaff apartments are stocking up on tasty seasonal foods and cultivating their culinary skills. If you're craving comfort food, try these recipes for some delicious fall favorites.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
When the mercury dips, there's nothing like a bowl of chicken soup to warm you up. Preparing this savory meal is even easier in the slow-cooker. If you have roommates, this recipe yields enough for them to enjoy it, too. If you'll be the only one partaking in the soup, you will have plenty of leftovers to freeze for those days when you don't feel like cooking.
Veggie Pot Pie
Contrary to popular belief, comfort food can be healthy. Here's a meatless version of the traditional pot pie. For this dish, you can make your own crust or buy one that's already prepared. Plus, this recipe gives you the flexibility to add or substitute ingredients to match your tastes.
Squash Casserole
Grace your table with a splash of fall color with this squash casserole recipe. You can serve it as a main course or alongside baked poultry or pork. Combine squash, cheese, and a few other ingredients for a delicious dish that won't disappoint.
Kale, Apple, and Almond Salad
If you need a healthy serving of fruits, veggies, and nuts to go with a meaty main course, this kale, apple, and almond salad pairs well with just about anything you put on the table.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Cake
It is officially the season for all things pumpkin. You will love the enticing aroma that fills your home when this sweet treat is baking in the oven!
Our Flagstaff apartments come with plenty of kitchen space for preparing all of your favorite fall meals and snacks! Contact us to see which floor plans are available.
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Has life been a bit overwhelming lately? Are you feeling stressed out by your work, school, relationships with loved ones, or the news? If the answer to these two questions is yes, then it may be time to make the following changes:
Practice Gratitude
According to researchers, expressing gratitude for the things in your life can actually lift your spirits and help you feel more positive. Best of all, it's easy to do. Just start each day by listing ten things in your life you are thankful for. It can be something as simple as being happy that you woke up in the morning.
Limit Your Social Media Time
Sites such as Facebook and Instagram are constantly bombarding you with posts that may aggravate you or make you feel as if you're not doing as well as others. That's why it's important to limit the amount of time you spend on social media sites. Setting a specific time limit, like an hour a day, can help.
Get a Pet
Did you know that owning and caring for a pet can actually reduce stress levels and anxiety? It's true. Research has shown that even petting a dog for 15 minutes can lower your blood pressure by about 10 percent.
Commit to Exercising
Physical activity is not just good for your body, but also for your mind, according to researchers. And you don't have to run a marathon to reap the rewards of exercising. Even brief periods of activity can improve your mood and reduce your stress levels.
Have you been searching for an apartment community near NAU that offers co-living opportunities? Then, please come check out our apartments in Flagstaff. Our community is pet friendly, so you can have a furry best friend around to help you better deal with stressful moments. Plus, we also have a 24-hour fitness center and other convenient spaces where you can exercise some of your stress away.
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If you have a pet in your Flagstaff apartment, you know how important it is to keep your pet healthy. Unfortunately, pets do sometimes need serious medical care. When that happens, bills can run into the thousands. Pet insurance is available for pet owners. The question is, should you buy pet insurance? If nothing serious happens to your pet, you may feel like the insurance was a waste of money, but on the other hand, it may save you in the long run. Here's what to consider.
Certain Breeds Are More Prone to Serious Problems
When considering if you should buy pet insurance, consider the breed of pet that you own. Certain breeds—particularly thoroughbreds—are genetically pre-dispositioned to inherit serious complications. For instance, German Shepherds often get hip dysplasia. Shi Tzus frequently develop knee issues. Boxers are said to be more prone to developing cancer in the later years. Yorkshire Terriers are vulnerable to portosystemic shunt, a blood vessel defect.
Pet Surgery is Pricey
Surgery for pets is surprisingly expensive. It can often cost thousands of dollars. All of the inherited conditions above can often be corrected through surgery. But if your budget doesn’t include emergency pet surgery, you may find yourself short of the funds needed to save your pet’s life. In cases like this, pet insurance can be a lifesaver.
Pet Insurance Saves You From Making Hard Choices
If you have pet insurance in place, you won’t be put in the position of making a tough decision about treatment options. Pet insurance will cover emergency treatments like inherited conditions. But remember, that it will also cover unexpected emergencies like motor vehicle accidents, accidental poisoning, and more.
No one likes to think about their furry loved one having a need for medical care. But life does deliver the unexpected. Pet insurance might make sense for your pet. You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons. Whether or not you decide to get pet insurance, it’s nice to know your pet is welcome at our Flagstaff apartments. Why not contact us to learn more about our available floor plans today?
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With summer well on its way, you've likely finished up your spring cleaning and getting prepared for the brightness of a new season. Make sure your Flagstaff apartment is ready for the warm weather with a few tips to brighten up the atmosphere.
Change to lighter window treatments.
Bringing in as much natural light as possible always makes it feel just a bit more like summer. If you currently have some heavier drapes, blinds, or shades on your apartment windows, consider swapping them out for some window treatments that are a bit more lightweight. For example, you will get a lot of nice natural light with a basic white shade and some sheer curtains.
Swap out darker area rugs for lighter or more vibrant colors.
Area rugs are an awesome addition to your apartment's interior, but even these can really affect the overall atmosphere. If you are using darker area rugs, it can change the brightness of the entire space, even if you are allowing in a lot of natural light. Try a nice lightweight woven rug in lighter colors to really brighten up a room. For instance, try a cream and white area rug with a low-pile construction in your living room, and it will instantly feel a lot more like summer.
Bring in some summertime flora.
Not every apartment dweller is a big fan of plants, but plants don't have to be living to induce the same kind of summer atmosphere as real ones do. It can really help to highlight the season if you track down either live or faux plants similar to those that grow naturally in the Flagstaff area.
Find a Flagstaff Apartment Perfect for Your Summer Decorating Ideas
When you have a comfortable apartment where you can be happy, it is so much more fun to get prepared for every new season by tweaking your interior style elements. To take a look at the floor plans we have available at our Flagstaff apartment community, reach out to us today!
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Kitchens serve as a place to prepare food, so it’s important to keep yours as clean as possible. Doing so helps prevent spreading germs that could make you sick. Keep the following tips in mind for making sure the kitchen in your Flagstaff apartment stays clean all the time.
Wipe Surfaces
Germs and grime can build up on your countertops, stove, and other surfaces. Wiping these areas down regularly helps stop this from happening. Get into the habit of using an all-purpose cleaner to eliminate germs and get rid of grime and food debris. Spray these kitchen surfaces with the cleaning solution, then give it time to work. After a few minutes, you can wipe everything down using a clean, dry cloth.
Sweep and Mop the Floor
Grime can also build up on your kitchen floor, and food debris can increase the risk of having pests invade. Sweep your kitchen floor at least once a day to get rid of crumbs and other food debris. Mop your floor about once a week using clean water or a cleaning solution to keep dirt and dust from accumulating.
Tackle Dishes Right Away
Whether you load dishes in the dishwasher or wash them by hand, make sure you’re taking care of them soon after eating or cooking. Otherwise, you could end up with a sink or counter full of dirty dishes. Rinse pots and pans or let them soak right after you eat, so you won’t have to do a lot of scrubbing to get them clean later on.
Keep Clutter at Bay
Kitchen counters and drawers can easily become cluttered with mail and other items. Find a place for items you normally toss in a junk drawer or stack on the counter in order to keep these parts of your kitchen from becoming cluttered.
If you enjoy spending a lot of time in the kitchen, the ones in our apartments in Flagstaff, AZ include a pantry, microwave, and refrigerator. Contact us for more information about our available floor plans.
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When you're in front of a television for too long, it's not just your eyes that will start to strain. Your body needs to be kept moving to maintain both your internal and external health, something that most of us are inclined to forget about at the end of a tough day at work. But don't worry, because we won't force you to turn off that set with our easy at-home workouts!
Start With Stretching
Here's the deal with working out in one of our Flagstaff, AZ apartments: You're never going to stick with it if you go from couch potato to wall sits. You really need to pick a goal that you'll actually hit, even if that goal is just stretching your arms and legs during commercial breaks. The problem with inactivity is it doesn't take very long before sedentary habits set in. But the good news is that the reverse is also true. When you start moving, you'll eventually want to move more. Even walking around your coffee table is much, much better than nothing.
Jumping Jacks, Push-Ups, and Lunges
This combination is a great way to get in both weight-based training and cardio activity while watching a 30-minute sitcom. Start with reps of 10 for each exercise and space them out according to your fitness level and goals. This is not about buying a fancy exercise bike and setting it up directly in front of your screen. You don't need equipment to exercise. Plus, you'll work out your arms, legs, and core with these exercises. If you really want to define those abs, feel free to throw in a few crunches too!
There are so many ways to stay fit that have nothing to do with giving up one of your favorite activities. As tempting as it can be to zone out until you fall asleep, challenge yourself to do more. And if you're looking for a big enough space to work out in, call Highland Village to learn more about our Flagstaff apartments.
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There is nothing better than cooking good food for yourself and your roommates in the fully equipped kitchen at your Flagstaff apartment. However, you may not think you can make quite as much as you want because your budget is a little slim. Believe it or not, there are plenty of good meals you can make for a small amount of money that will keep you and your closest loved ones or friends full and healthy for days. Check out these three cheap yet seemingly sophisticated meals you can totally pull off.
Decked-Out Black Beans and Rice
It is the go-to staple for college students and people just getting by, but black beans and rice can actually be really fancy, and this dish can be a wallet-friendly option. Pick and choose from a host of toppings, such as sour cream, corn, shredded cheese, diced onions and peppers, diced tomatoes and shredded chicken. You could easily pull off a meal like this for a small amount of money, and everyone will walk away satisfied.
Spaghetti and Meatballs With Flair
You can make a delicious meal with a few jars of Prego, Ragu, or your favorite pasta sauce, a pound of ground beef or turkey, and some cheap spaghetti and a baguette. If you fix pasta often, you probably already know that this meal is cheap, it's yummy, and it can last for days. If you want to get a bit fancier with your spaghetti dinner, serve up the meal with a tossed salad, and go heavy on the extras like freshly grated Parmesan cheese, oven-roasted garlic cloves, or sauteed mushrooms with Italian seasoning.
Baked Potatoes
This one is really cheap, and it is so easy to pull off in a way that looks high end. Pick up some good baking potatoes, wrap them in foil, and bake them. Keep them in a warm slow cooker, and then have each person you live with choose to add whatever goodies people love on a potato. Sour cream, cheddar cheese, chives, steamed broccoli, bean chili, bacon bits, salsa—gather up some faves and make a smorgasbord of options.
Cooking for those you love can be the spice of ordinary life. Highland's apartments in Flagstaff are perfect for whipping up a variety of dishes, so give us a call to find out what is available today.
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