College/Life Balance

The combination of long hours, stressful juggling of social, work, and school life, and lack of sleep can build up into a toxic feedback loop that hurts your health, both physically and psychologically. These tips should help you get back onto a healthy track by establishing some effective, health-positive routines.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is all the rage right now, and that’s because it works. Sit down someplace comfortable, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. As thoughts arise, acknowledge them and then dismiss them, returning your focus to your breath. This helps reduce blood pressure, makes it easier to stay focused, and teaches you to not get distracted or overwhelmed by emotions.

Healthy Eating

It can be difficult to eat a healthy diet while you’re swamped with work, but it’s one of the most crucial things to thrive on a daily basis. Cut down on processed foods, eat less sugar and refined carbs, and meal plan so you don’t have to rely on take-out as much.

Get Enough Sleep!

Prioritize sleep now, even if it means missing out on some social stuff from time to time. You’ll be far more capable of remembering your lessons and more functional in general.

Exercise Daily

Many apartment complexes have gyms available as part of the amenities package, and you should definitely use these facilities. Daily exercise makes your brain work better, helps relieve stress, and has a huge list of other positive benefits.

Balanced life, happy life

Even making a few of these tips a priority in your life will help you handle stress. If the Flagstaff apartment community you live in is like Pine View Village, then you’ve got the community support already built in. Our fitness center is only one of many amenities that make living here a great choice, and you can see available floor plans right now on our site.

The post How to Maintain a Good College/Life Balance appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Mirrored Jewelry Cabinets

These clever storage solutions offer a way to store your favorite jewelry items without taking up much floor or shelf space at all. In fact, some varieties allow you to mount the cabinet on your wall, reducing the floor space required to the lovely number of “0.” You will find options available in a variety of wood finishes and can even paint them to match your walls, so they take up very little “visual” real estate in your apartment too.

Storage Ottomans

These are sure to become fast favorites in your apartment. Not only do they offer clever storage for board games, blankets, coasters, pillows and other essentials, but they also provide clever seating solutions when you have unexpected guests. Some varieties have added benefits that make them well worth the investment, such as converting into tabletop surfaces when you want to take your meals in front of the television or serving as a clean, comfortable space to work when you bring your work home with you.

Sofas With Pull-Out Drawers

Sofa makers are getting creative when it comes to features these days. Many of them now come with cleverly concealed charging stations for mobile devices. Some of them even offer drawers beneath where you can store all manner of blankets, pillows and other living room essentials.

It isn’t difficult at all to find furniture and décor items that pull double duty when it comes to clever storage solution. Contact us today for help in finding the perfect Flagstaff apartment where you can try out these innovative solutions for yourself.

The post Creative Décor Solutions With Double-Duty Storage appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

1. Take a Road Trip

Set your GPS for chillier temperatures that are meant to make you snuggle up in sweaters and soft blankets. The Rocky Mountains are an easy road trip away, and this time of year, they offer spectacular landscapes as the trees begin to showcase autumn shades.

2. Make Homemade Apple Cider

Certain smells and flavors immediately elicit memories of the months when leaves begin to fall from trees and everybody knows Old Man winter is waiting for his turn to knock on the door. Apple cider is certainly one of those substances, and it's actually not very hard to make at home. With just a few ingredients, you can easily convert your kitchen into a production line that'll fulfill many of your taste buds and your olfactory senses.

3. Have a Fall Dessert Competition

Get ready. Get set. Bake! Baking is a quintessential fall activity. Make delicious pumpkin bread, autumnal biscotti, or a delicious apple cake! Have a fun competition to see which creation you and your friends like the most.

4. Imbibe in a Football Funday

Whether you're a fan of college ball, or you prefer to watch the pros throw the pigskin around, nothing says autumn like a good football game. Go the extra mile by hosting a tailgate party in your living room so you can reunite with friends who will share in the celebration.

Settle into a stunning apartment during the fall season so you can be ready to welcome guests when the holidays roll around. This is the perfect time to swing by our Pine View Village community to take a look at available floor plans!

The post Fun Ways to Enjoy the End of Autumn appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Typically, good dog food shouldn't cause any upsets in the pet's digestive system, and it should provide plenty of energy. It should also be healthy, affordable, and appealing to your pet. So, are you looking for the best dog food? Here are some tips to help you accomplish your goal.

How to Choose the Dog Food That Is Best for Your Dog

Consider Your Dog’s Age, Breed, and Activity

Your dog’s overall health, physical characteristics, and behavior are critical factors you need to consider when choosing the best dog food. Keep in mind that lactating mothers and puppies usually require a lot of calories per day compared to their senior male counterparts. Highly active breeds also need more calories than couch breeds. Choosing a dog food with the right amount of calories will help your pet avoid health complications as a result of obesity.

Wet vs. Dry

When looking for the best dog food that has valuable nutrients for your pet, both wet and dry products can be good options. However, the big question among dog owners who live in Flagstaff apartments has always been "Is one better than the other?" Most of the time, choosing between wet and dry pet food is mostly a matter of personal preference. While some pets prefer eating wet food, others love eating dry food. If your dog doesn’t drink a lot of water or struggles to chew, you should go for the wet food.

Be Sure to Read the Ingredients

Lastly, be sure you look at the list of ingredients before you purchase dog food. Remember ingredients are usually listed by weight. Dog food ingredients that contain a lot of moisture such as beef, chicken, or fish will most likely be at the top of the ingredient list. Ingredients that appear at the bottom of the list usually offer more key nutrients such as proteins but weigh less.

Are you looking for pet-friendly apartments in Flagstaff, Arizona? Look no further than the Pine View village. All our apartments are pet-friendly and close to the most sought-after attractions in Flagstaff. Contact us today for further details.

The post How to Choose the Dog Food That Is Best for Your Dog appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Wintry weather often heralds an onslaught of neutral colors in fashion, especially after the holidays are over. After a few weeks of this monochromatic lull, anyone can start feeling a bit bored of the color schemes that they see around them. Though the selections at your local home design store can be a bit bland between January and March, you can still employ a few tips and tricks to warm up your Flagstaff, AZ apartment.

Get Indoor Plants

Indoor plants create instant vivacity in your wintry abode. Not only it is refreshing to see greenery when the landscape outside is leafless and gray, but indoor plants offer the following benefits:

• The color green is known to boost moods.
• Plants naturally detox the air of volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde. They also provide fresh oxygen to keep you alert!
• Taking care of a living thing like plants can decrease feelings of sadness, a common feeling associated with winter.
• Plants naturally increase humidity in the air, which slows down the spread of illness. It's especially dry in the winter, so having a few plants around will help prevent respiratory problems and keep your skin hydrated.

Keeping plants with you all year round will help you feel more healthy. You'll also maintain a consistently cheerful environment of life and natural beauty.

Use Colorful Throws

Just like green plants add a splash of color, have some fun by adding a few colorful throws to your couch and bed. Bright throws will keep you warm while watching TV and make the color palette in your apartment more interesting and fun. Get bold with some bold blues and yellows to kick the frosty feelings of winter to the curb.

Are you looking for a place to live that's packed with amenities? Check all the floor plans available at Pine View Village Apartments today! Call us at (844) 807-1412.

The post Decor Tips to Warm Up Your Apartment appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Most residents try to keep the hot Arizona sunlight out of their Flagstaff apartments, which can make it a challenge to keep houseplants. Fortunately, there are some great low-light plants that will still thrive in your apartment, even as you try to beat the heat. Here are some suggestions if you are in the market for a houseplant that does not need a lot of sunlight.

Low-Light Apartment Plants

• Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii): The peace lily is a flowering plant (and it's not actually a lily). A peace lily is a very forgiving plant that will start to droop when it finally does need some water.
• Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana): This plant grows in water and it tolerates low light very well. However, it does grow faster if you can let it get some bright light each day.
• ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia): The ZZ plant was practically made for neglect. You can forget to water and leave it in low light for months and it still looks great! These plants do so well and require so little care that people often mistake them for fake plants, because they will almost never see anyone caring for them.
• Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata): The snake plant has a nice architectural look. It can go weeks at a time without water and still looks sharp and green. It also does well with low amounts of light.
• Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum): The spider plant is another option that does well in low light. It requires very little watering and, in fact, spider plants do better if you let their soil dry out a bit between waterings. A spider plant will also self-propagate in a large enough pot, sending out roots that will turn into new shoots.

You can still beat the heat and work on your green thumb at the same time with these low-light plants. Contact Pine View Village today to see the off-campus apartment plans that we still have available!

The post Indoor Plants That Can Thrive in Low Light appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Winter is a great time to catch up on your reading whether you're traveling or at home. Especially when it’s chilly outside and you have a hot cup of coffee or tea. All you need is a good book. Here are four suggestions to help you get started:

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

From the author of the bestseller Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng’s latest book tells the story of a family in the suburbs of Ohio, an immigrant mother from China, and a fierce custody battle. Celeste Ng is a writer who creates a complex, compelling and fascinating look at the American suburb, parenthood, politics and more.

The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille

This novel takes place when the United States and Cuba are starting to normalize relations. A U.S. Army veteran who is a charter boat captain brings a Cuban-American expatriate and his granddaughter to Cuba so they can bring back millions of dollars hidden in Cuba.

Vacationland by John Hodgman

John Hodgman, who is a former Daily Show comedian, takes the reader on a meandering trip through the hills of Massachusetts and the beaches of Maine where he often vacationed. Along the way, Hodgman talks about life with humor, sincerity and poignancy.

The Power by Naomi Alderman

This novel has been called “our era’s The Handmaid’s Tale” and it won the 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. It’s the story about a dystopian future where teenage girls wield immense power by producing electrical charges.

Looking for an Apartment in Flagstaff?

Even though winter is right around the corner, it’s still a good time to move to Flagstaff, Arizona. If you’re looking at apartments in Flagstaff, check out Pine View Village. To learn more about our apartments and take a tour, call us today at (844) 807-1412 or visit our website!

The post 4 Books to Read This Winter at Home or on the Go appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

We walk through the rooms of a storm soaked apartment in Houston, Texas, as Mary, a twenty-plus-year resident of Nob Hill Apartments, points out the items she hopes she can keep, but we can clearly see are lost. The safety masks covering our mouths and noses do nothing to block the rank smell of stagnant flood water and growing mold. The air in the apartment is warm and humid, the air outside buzzing with mosquitos preying on the exposed skin of anyone walking through the community working to salvage what they can from the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Even with the flood waters receded, we feel the sense of loss that weighs heavy as a storm cloud over the apartment community we’ve come to serve.

We try to prepare Mary for the worst—the disheartening fact that most of her worldly possessions must be declared casualties of the hurricane’s destructive force. But Mary’s determination outweighs our own, and pushes us in a new direction. Where we strive to prepare her for despair, she insists upon building us up with hope. And as we tell her we will help her as best we can, she leaves us with these words: “When I was a child, my teacher told me that the good deeds you do are added as stars to your crown in heaven. Your crowns are going to be full of all the stars in the heavens.”

***

Our group of volunteers left Arizona in the early hours of September 6 to make our way to Houston. Our team was made up of multifamily housing team members from Bella Investment Group in Flagstaff, AZ, who had committed to partner with Apartment Life, an organization that places CARES Teams within apartment communities to “look for ways to love their neighbors as themselves.” We have often seen the outpouring of love CARES Teams deliver to the residents of our Bella communities—now was our chance to take the CARES mission upon ourselves and make a difference in the lives of those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

After spending Wednesday evening assembling and loading U-Haul trucks with Resident Recovery Kits, we headed into the community on Thursday to see where we could help. As we approached Nob Hill Apartments, a 1300+ unit apartment community situated on Brays Bayou in the Meyerland suburb, we saw streets lined with debris and abandoned furniture, clothing, toys, even cars—all casualties of the surging flood waters. Nob Hill is where we met Mary, along with dozens of other residents who were packing up what they could to leave the community many of them called home. We expected the despair in the faces of the people of the community to match the destruction we saw in the streets. But where we expected despair, we saw hope.

One of the first young men we spoke to assured us that he had not been hit “too bad” by Harvey’s destructive power. “For me, it wasn’t as bad as for other folks,” he told us as we walked through one section of Nob Hill. “Other people got it much worse.” I learned later that for him, “not too bad” meant he “only” lost his car and about half of the possessions in his apartment. He counted himself lucky, despite his losses, and assured us that now that he knew we were there, he would help us find people who needed more help than he did. And he was true to his word. He eagerly came to us with the names and addresses of neighbors who could “really use your help,” and seemed overjoyed to be what he considered a “small part” of our work. The misery we expected seemed to have receded with the flood waters, and in its place love, humanity, and hope had blossomed.

For the CARES team in Houston, the Relief Kits and resources they handed out seemed like only a “drop in the bucket” of the recovery that needed to be done in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. An office team member, who had been pulled from a different property to assist at Nob Hill, described her efforts of pointing residents toward resources and gathering contact information from those who needed to move as “a drop in the bucket” compared to what she felt the people around her needed and the losses she knew they had endured. Even as we gave resources, monies, and hugs to those we met, we began to say that we knew it was only “a drop in the bucket” for those who had lost so much so quickly.

Yet the enduring power of hope outshined our perspective. The more people we met, the more we got the sense that in creating for themselves a sense of normalcy even among lost possessions, abandoned homes, and more, the residents of this community were finding something beyond the despair we saw on the news. Make no mistake—there remains much to be done to restore what has been lost in these communities devastated by the storms. But even beyond the knowledge of loss is the hope of helping hands. We saw donations from across the country pooled together to fan the flames of this hope. We witnessed police cars lining the streets from around the country to lend aid and relief to first responders who had not yet even had the chance to assess and accept their personal losses. We saw barbecue fundraisers and Red Cross vans delivering lunches and dinners on a daily basis where they were needed most. We saw neighbor reaching out to neighbor to lighten each other’s loads. And we saw tears of sorrow become tears of joy as people heard how far folks had come to help.

“To help me?” one woman said to me, stepping back in shock from a tight hug when I told her we had flown in from Arizona. “Y’all came all this way just to help me?”

“We know it’s just a drop in the bucket,” I found myself saying, but she cut me off.

“A drop in the bucket?” she gasped, clasping my hands in her own. “Child, it’s the whole ocean!”

I left Houston with news of the impending impact of Hurricane Irma ringing in the background on every television set we passed from our hotel lobby to the airport terminal. In the shadows of yet another destructive storm, it’s hard to ignore that there remains so much need along the Gulf Coast as residents there work to rebuild. Hurricane Harvey’s impact will be felt in this area for months, if not years, to come.

But even in the shadows of these destructive storms crashing upon our shores and cities, we see the silver linings illuminated by the selfless acts of people who keep their heads held high, their spirits lifted, and the hopes of their communities blazing against the dark times ahead. We can all be a part of bringing hope to these communities. Apartment Life continues to raise funds for relief efforts for both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. The Red Cross continues to step up their efforts to prepare and provide relief. Countless other organizations are out there, waiting for each of us to step up and impact lives by being beacons of hope in the midst of despair.

Please join us in supporting the ongoing relief efforts, and make your own "drop in the bucket" contribution to those impacted by this year's hurricane storms:

Donations for Apartment Life Harvey Relief Kits: https://tiny.cc/alharvey

Donations for Apartment Life Irma Relief Kits: https://tiny.cc/alirma

The post Beacons of Hope in the Midst of Despair: A Local Hurricane Harvey Relief Story appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Basil

This versatile and fragrant plant isn't just delicious—it can also purify indoor air. Basil loves the sun and warmth, which isn't hard to find in sunny Arizona.

Rosemary

This is another great herb to have on hand for tasty dishes like rosemary potatoes. It also acts as a natural air freshener. Rosemary grows well in the winter, especially when placed out of direct sunlight.

Thyme

Want the perfect steak? Then add a few sprigs of fresh thyme to the au jus. When thyme is plucked fresh off the plant, the smell and flavor are like nothing else. This herb also needs full sun to thrive, making a west- or east-facing window necessary for its survival. 

Oregano

This potent herb truly spices up ordinary spaghetti sauces. It grows well in lower light. 

Chives

Chives are tough and won't stop growing, even when you have a brown thumb. Perfect for scrambled eggs or a cozy baked potato topped with butter and sour cream. Yum!

Lavender

This fragrant herb can be used as a natural sleep aid. It can also freshen up any room of the home with its pleasant aroma.

Mint

Mint can be used in home remedies or to freshen breath when you're in a pinch. They also go great in Mojitos!

Parsley

Parsley is also a component in many home remedies and delicious recipes. Place this beautiful and versatile herb anywhere it can get full sun.

For an added touch of home, beautify your Flagstaff apartment with a few indoor herbs! For information about the floor plans currently available at Pine View Village, contact us.

The post 8 Herbs to Grow Indoors appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Here at Pine View Village Apartments, we're proud to be part of the Flagstaff community … and that means giving back when and where we can! This month, your Pine View Village crew was proud to give back to the Second Chance Center for Animals with a day of volunteering!

Second Chance has served as a "rescue from the rescues" through a partnership with over 30 organizations across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Their vision of making sure every dog and cat in Northern Arizona has a home has led to the adoption of so many animals into welcoming "fur-ever" homes! Their partnership with the Coconino Humane Association has saved the lives of at-risk animals who may have otherwise faced euthanasia. During our volunteer day, we were able to paint part of their facility and provide doggy (and puppy!) baths!

Second Chance recently made the decision to pull back some of its offerings, but have encouraged volunteers to support the Coconino Humane Association. We've also been happy to partner with Coconino Humane to sponsor some of our favorite resident events: Rent A Puppy!

Looking to adopt a new "fur-ever" friend? Because Second Chance must empty the shelter by May 1st, they are currently waiving adoption fees on ALL homeless animals! Be sure to stop by the Welcome Center to learn about our animal policies before adopting … Then head HERE to learn more about how to bring home your furry friend between now and April 30th!

To learn how you can help animals in Flagstaff, visit the Coconino Humane Association's Volunteer Page! It's just one small way you can help work "meow-icals" and make a "paw-sitive" difference right here in Flagstaff!

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