What Can You Write in a Journal or Diary?

It’s yours. Write anything you want. You might record notes and thoughts for people to read years from now or express secrets no one will ever see but you. Your jottings might go into a traditional bound book or an electronic file. If you want, keep it private with a lock or a password.

Some people write about:

• Current events and reactions to them.

• Things they’re thankful for every day.

• Sketches of scenes they saw and people they met that day.

• Poems and short (sometimes very short) stories.

• Things that make them angry or frustrated or that they just want to vent about.

• Letters they’ll never send. These can be to celebrities, politicians, friends, enemies, or exes.

Diaries Aren’t Just for Young People

Sure, a lot of people get their starts in diary-keeping as children. But you’re in good company with adult journalists too. Famous ones include Marie Curie, polar explorer Robert Scott, Thomas Edison, Che Guevera, Mark Twain, and astronaut Peggy Whitson. Daniel Defoe, author of “Robinson Crusoe,” also kept a diary of his time in London during an outbreak of plague, including both statistics and personal experiences.

You don’t need to commit to a lifetime of journaling. Try it for six months, then go back and read what you’ve written. You may find it interesting.

Another great diary topic is your experiences in a new home, especially if that home is Pine View Village. Contact our friendly leasing team today to discuss how you can make the move to our comfortable and convenient Flagstaff apartments.

The post Joys of Keeping a Daily Diary appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Start With a Plan

Pouring over boxes of decorations and trying to find a place for everything can be a frustrating experience. Instead of winging it, start with a plan, deciding what types of decorations you would like for each room and specific space. Draft a quick sketch so you can remember what you originally envisioned.

Take an Inventory

Next, pull out all of your decorations and sort them by your plan based on the room they are going in and the area. This will also be a good time for you to determine if you will be in need of any other decorations to make your vision complete.

Make Any Necessary Repairs

With all of your decorations out give them the once over to see if there are any in need of repair. It is easier to fix anything that needs it now before you notice the problem once it is in its place. For example, if you plan to use lights in your decorations, make sure that all the bulbs on the strands work before putting them up. 

Start Big 

When you are ready to begin the decorating process for each space, start with the largest item going in the space. Items such as garland and greenery can be more difficult to place around smaller items, so it is best to place them first as a background.

Don't let decorating your apartment for the holidays get you stressed. By following the few tips above you can make the process easier and more enjoyable. Looking for a new Flagstaff apartment to decorate this holiday season? Call Pine View Village today to inquire about available floor plans.

The post 4 Tips to Make Your Holiday Decorating a Breeze appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

5 Ways To Exercise In Your Apartment

Yoga Videos

Yoga is a wonderful way to get a low-impact workout session at home. Just find a quiet corner, and use a great video on your phone, tablet, or laptop.  You will only need a yoga mat, comfortable clothing, and a towel or mat for your exercise. 

Aerobic Videos 

Similar to yoga, aerobic exercise can also be a great way to get your body moving. Just search for an interesting video that has lower impact movements that won't make too much noise for your neighbors. You can even find a variety of videos to keep you excited about your workout.

Take A Walk 

This one might be a bit of a cheat, but you can still do it without going too far from home. Fresh air and sunshine can help to elevate your mood and get your metabolism going.  Why not take a walk around your apartment community or drive to a nearby park? It is a good way to get exercise without actually going to crowded public areas. 

Strength Training With Household Objects

Almost anything with weight can be used to work out.  Cans of soup can be employed to work your biceps and shoulders.  Chairs are an option for squats or leg-lifts. Just find a trustworthy strength-training website and feel free to grab something from around the apartment to get in shape.

Dance The Night Away

Thanks to headphones, you can put on your favorite song and dance without disturbing other residents. Dancing is a fun way to sweat and get your heart moving!

Get Moving at Our Flagstaff Apartments!

Exercise can make you feel healthier and happier this fall. If you need more room to roam, why not contact us to discuss our available apartments in Flagstaff?

The post Top 5 Ways To Get Exercise Without Leaving Your Apartment appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Choose a color scheme

Color impacts mood, so opt for a bedroom color scheme that has a spa-like peaceful feel. Linens, accent pillows, and wall décor are all easy places to pop in calming hues. Lilac, ice blue, mint green, and soft yellows are peaceful shades that promote sleep while navy feels cozy and welcoming. Avoid dark purples and reds, which can add to stress. 

Clean up clutter

In order to fall asleep, your mind needs to relax. Clutter adds to mental strain and makes it difficult to feel peaceful. Clear off nightstands, put away clothing, and ban clutter from the bedroom.

Use high-quality sheets

No one sleeps well on scratchy sheets. Considering that between seven and nine hours a day are spent in bed, it makes sense to buy the best sheets and pillows you can afford. For high-quality sheets that won’t break the bank, look for 100% cotton options between 300 and 500 thread count.

Add a little white noise

The idea of adding noise into a peaceful place seems counterintuitive. However, the mind often has a hard time turning off when the environment is too quiet. A white noise machine, fan, or playing nature sounds, can help you drift off into slumber.

Make the bed

A good night’s sleep starts in the morning. Spend a few minutes making the bed and your nighttime routine will feel more relaxing and peaceful. Crisply pulled back sheets are much nicer to crawl under and your bed will welcome you to rest.

It’s always easier to sleep in an apartment you love! To check out our Flagstaff apartments with beautifully designed master bedrooms, give us a call today.

The post Sleep Soundly With These Easy Bedroom Transformations appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Give It a Colorful Makeover

Most metal cabinets are just dull. Fortunately, it's easy to give a cabinet a little personality by painting it a new color. 

1. Take your cabinet outdoors or to a well-ventilated spot. Use a drop cloth to protect the area.  
2. Clean and dry your cabinet. If necessary, sand down any rusted areas. 
3. Remove the drawers.
4. Cover the drawer pulls with painter's tape to protect them from the paint.
5. Spray metal primer on your cabinet and drawers and allow to dry. If you can't find spray paint, you can apply a metal primer instead. 
6. Spray paint your file cabinet and drawers with your favorite color of rust-resistant spray paint. 

A File Cabinet that Doubles as a Chalkboard

Would you like to be able to write inspirational notes or reminders to yourself on your cabinet? Then use chalkboard paint instead of regular spray paint on your file cabinet. Just follow the first seven steps above, but instead of spray painting your cabinet, apply three coats of chalkboard paint. Ideally, you should wait about five hours between coats. 

Add a Wooden Top

Find a piece of nice wood that is the same size or slightly bigger than the top of your file cabinet. Attach the board by drilling in 1-inch screw from the underside of the cabinet. Use washers to keep the screws from going all the way through your wood. 

Have you been searching for a new apartment home close to NAU where you can store all your files, trinkets, and keepsakes? Then, please come by and see our apartments in Flagstaff. We offer shared apartment homes that are individually keyed, a furnished common room, and more.

The post Give Your Boring Metal Filing Cabinet a Fun Makeover appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Trim Your Dog’s Nails

Your dog’s nails can become long enough to cause discomfort while going on summer walks. Longer nails can also snag on carpeting, furniture, or other surfaces and accidentally tear off. You should trim your dog’s nails when the tips become long enough to touch the floor. Whether you use guillotine-style clippers or scissor-style clippers, make sure you don’t trim nails too much. If your dog has white nails, stop trimming before you reach the pink-colored area called the “quick.” For dark nails, trim a small amount at a time, and stop when you see a pinkish area inside the nail.

Bathe Your Dog

Dogs don’t need frequent baths, but you should give your dog one if they've been playing outside in dirt or mud. Make sure you have all of your bath supplies ready, including dog shampoo, towels, and a brush. Brush your dog’s fur before bathing them to loosen mats and eliminate dead hair. Give your dog a bath in warm water, then dry their fur off as much as possible with towels. This helps prevent your dog from getting your carpets and furniture damp or wet.

Brush Your Dog

Regular brushing can help prevent your dog’s fur from getting matted or tangled. Brushing also helps keep your dog’s fur shiny and healthy. Use the right type of brush, such as a slicker brush for longer fur or a bristle brush for shorter fur.
 

Our community welcomes up to two pets per apartment. Please contact us to learn more about the pet policy for our apartments in Flagstaff.

The post Tips for Grooming Your Dog This Summer appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

This strawberry recipe only requires a few ingredients and a short amount of time to make. You’ll need frozen strawberries, honey or agave nectar, plain non-fat yogurt, and fresh lemon juice. To make it, mix all of these ingredients in the food processor for about 5 minutes or until you have a creamy mixture. You can either enjoy your strawberry frozen yogurt right away, or store it in an airtight container for later.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

This recipe gives you even more nutrients thanks to the combination of strawberries and bananas. To make this recipe, you’ll need mashed bananas, strawberry chunks, old-fashioned oats, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, and baking powder. Start this recipe by greasing or lining a muffin pan. Put all of the ingredients in a blender, then mix until they're smooth. Fill up to 3/4 or 2/3 of each muffin cup with the muffin mix. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. Wait for the muffins to cool before taking them out of the muffin pan.

Strawberry Granola Bark

This sweet dessert offers plenty of protein. To make it, you’ll need low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, honey, sliced strawberries, and granola. Mix the honey and yogurt together in a small bowl. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil, then spread this mixture into it. Lightly cover the mixture with pieces of granola and sliced strawberries, then gently press these ingredients into it. Place the pan in the freezer for about one hour, then cut into a dozen slices.

Try one or more of these strawberry dessert recipes in one of our comfortable apartments in Flagstaff, AZ! Contact us to learn more about our apartment amenities and floor plans.

The post Healthy Strawberry Desserts for Summer appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

How To Get Your Cables Untangled And Keep Them That Way

• Unplug everything and dig in. This is the really tedious part of the process, but it's gotta be done. It can be frustrating and can feel like your wires are defying the laws of physics just to stay one step ahead of you, but stick with it. You'll get them all untangled sooner or later.
• Once everything is all straightened out, start labeling. You'll thank yourself later. Some masking tape and a black marker will do the trick nicely. Wrap a piece of tape around the ends of the cord and write what it goes to. Or, you can use colored tape if you have some handy.
• Use cable ties to combine cords that go to together. Cable ties are ideal, but if you don't have any on hand, anything non-conductive like rubber bands or zip ties will do. Tie them every foot and a half or so.
• Long cords that run along the floor can be combined inside of PVC pipe or those foam insulator tubes. You'll want to hide these behind furniture if you don't want your home to look like a plumbing supplier, but this can be a big help in keeping cables from getting dragged all over the place.

Once you're all neat and organized, plug everything back in and you're ready to go. A little organization goes a long way with all those unwieldy wires.

If you're still looking for a place to plug in, get in touch with Pine View Village to see the floor plans available at our apartments in Flagstaff, AZ.

The post Tips To Detangle Your Cluttered Cables appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

1. Clear Out Your Clutter 

The more objects around you, the more overwhelmed you'll feel. This is bad news for people who love their tchotchkes, but good news if you're looking for an easy way to start lowering your blood pressure. As difficult as it can be to let go of certain objects (or at the very least to store them in a closet), you can't really start to de-stress until you can move around without running into something. 

2. Turn Your Bathroom Into a Spa

It really only takes a couple of candles, some dish soap, and a classical station on your iPhone to turn your bathroom into a spa. The idea is not necessarily to use the fanciest products but to take the time to set things up. When we're stressed, we forget to show ourselves the care and attention we deserve. Slow yourself down and make time, so you don't waste time on anxiety. 

3. Get Rid of Your Electronics 

No, you don't have to throw them in the trash, but you really should turn them off and put them away. Our devices keep us connected, but they can just as quickly leave us feeling overwhelmed by everything from the news to the latest post on social media. There's no problem checking your page if you're feeling cool and collected, but leave it be if you're already feeling stressed. 

Pine View Village understands what it means to give our residents a space in which they can relax. If you'd like to learn more about the availability or floor plans offered at our Flagstaff apartments, give us a call today. 

The post 3 Simple Ways to De-Stress Without Leaving Your Apartment appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.

Build something spectacular from dollar store items. 

You can find some really neat things at just about any dollar store, or even already lying around your house, but most of these are not designer-decor worthy. The trick is to pull together certain items and make something that is design worthy. The Sorry Girls on YouTube do this a lot, and some of their creations look nothing short of fancy even though they cost just a few bucks. For example, you can pick up small mirrors and hang them together on a wall for a mosaic look or create a makeshift lantern out of glass picture frames with simple metal frames. 

Order secondhand items online. 

What do people do when they are tired of looking at things? They tend to pass them along at donation drop-off points across the country like thrift-stores or sell them online. Many thrift stores even sell directly online now as well. You can get some really good deals on pricier furniture and decor by shopping at these places. BlesserHouse blog covers some really cool way to use ordinary thrift-store finds for designer purposes as well. For instance, a stack of vintage suitcases can make an awesome accent in a corner of your living room if you have a travel theme, and brass wall sconces look amazing when brushed with some chalky white paint.

Decorating the living room in your Flagstaff apartment doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money. Reach out to us at Pine View Village to find out more about how our apartments are easy to look designer with just a few touches.

The post Decorating Your Apartment Living Room on a Budget appeared first on Pine View Village Apartments Blog.