Thanksgiving Fun at Sunnyside Village

We know Thanksgiving in Clackamas will be a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make it great. Sure it’s 2020, so we must social distance to stay safe, but we can still celebrate. Check out these can’t miss ideas to make Thanksgiving 2020 better than ever at Sunnyside Village.   

Cooking Tips and Recipes

This year make sure your Thanksgiving feast gives your family and close friends something to be thankful for with these tips and recipes. Let’s face it. Thanksgiving is about the turkey, so make sure yours is moist and delicious.

Start by brining the bird. Combine 1 ½ gallons and 2 ½ cups of salt in a large container. Place the fresh or thawed Turkey (to thaw in the fridge – allow 24 hours per 4 pounds of the bird) inside and brine overnight (up to 24 hours). 

Rinse the Turkey off and pat dry before roasting. Season with pepper, salt, garlic, and a little citrus (place cut lemons inside the cavity). If you want that golden color, then baste with a light layer of butter (this can be repeated every couple of hours). Roast for roughly 15 minutes per pound and use an instant read thermometer to pull it out of the oven at 165 degrees. Cover the bird with aluminum foil and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Arts and Crafts

While the turkey is being prepped, it’s time for some fun. We all know it’s going to be hard to get out and spend time with friends and family this Thanksgiving. It’s up to you to make sure that your arts and crafts help your guests celebrate the holiday. 

Start with a gratitude wreath for your door. Grab some colored construction paper and shape them into flat cones (we recommend gold and brown), glue on wheat stalks, attach the cones to a metal wreath base and paint with gold spray paint. 

This is the season to be thankful, so why not help the family with a gratitude calendar? Start with an empty picture frame and run 5 lines of twine vertically inside the frame (gluing them in place). Then, use construction paper (we cut ours into leaf shapes). Write a note every day of November about what you are thankful for. Pin the notes to the twine with clothespins, and you will have a great DIY piece that communicates the Thanksgiving spirit!

Online Black Friday Shopping in Clackamas

This will be a Black Friday unlike any other. No more crazy lines or packed checkout stands. Instead, many local retailers are taking Black Friday online!  Luckily, many stores are open in Clackamas and will deliver as well as provide curbside pickup. Check out the Clackamas Town Center and the Clackamas Promenade. They are sure to have some great deals!

The local grocery stores are also open for your Thanksgiving needs. Deliveries are available from restaurants and markets. This is a great time to get your supplies online and orders delivered. 

Social distancing will definitely make Thanksgiving different this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a fun and safe holiday for everyone. Curbside and at-home delivery make it easier than ever to get the decorations, supplies, and food you will need to make Thanksgiving a hit and to make your Black Friday Shopping better than ever. Don’t be afraid to get creative with some inspiring at home crafting ideas.

Halloween in Clackamas

Halloween is going to be fantastic in 2020, if a little different. Halloween is on a Saturday, there will be a full moon, and people want to celebrate. Sure it’s 2020, so we need to social distance, wear masks of a different sort to help us stay safe, but we can still have a spooky great time. Check out these can’t miss ideas to make Halloween 2020 a hit. Sunnyside Village Apartments is the right place to celebrate. 

How to Decorate Your Apartment

There are so many ways to get your apartment ready for Halloween. We all know it’s important to make a good first impression and this year that’s even truer as most of us will keep trick-or-treaters at a safe distance. Set the stage. Carve creepy pumpkins with stencils and easily available templates. Decorate doors with cut-outs of ghosts, goblins, witches, and more. 

Make sure the neighbors can see some colorful creatures by combining monster cut-outs and contact paper on the windows. For the inside, fairy lights, felt spiders, and glow in the dark skeletons are always hit. It’s the little things that really set the mood. Try the mirror hidden message trick, get some scotch tape and spell out a scary message on your mirror, allow the tape to set and remove. Then run some hot water to reveal hidden messages to your guests.

How to Celebrate at Home

For many of us, celebrating Halloween this year will probably have to be done at home. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to raise goosebumps at home. Start by setting the mood with Halloween baking and some apple cider. Carving pumpkins is always a hit, so each person can get involved in making their ideas come to life.

What’s Halloween without costumes? Make sure to get everyone dressed up and set up a video conferencing call with friends and family so everyone can share the scares. Set up a baby monitor on the porch, so you can have fun interacting with trick-or-treaters. Treats can be in the form of an outdoor haunted house or a video performance through your windows instead of the typical eatable delights.

Movie marathons are great since you can choose movies appropriate to any age group or audience (from Goonies to Friday the 13th, there is something for everyone) and those can be shared from the comfort of your own apartment through a number of popular streaming services (Netflix Party, KAST, YouTube, Discord, Facebook, and more).

Halloween Hotspots in Clackamas

Luckily, stores are open in Clackamas, so you can get what you need for Halloween. Get your costume, makeup, and decorations at Spirit Halloween stores open this year in Portland or Gresham.

If you are looking for a local family treat, then visit Bella Organic Pumpkin Patch and Winery in Portland, where you may enjoy the haunted corn maze, the pumpkin patch, or the farm and vineyard.

If you don’t mind the hour-long drive, then the family may enjoy the outdoor activities at Bauman’s Farm in Gervais from the corn maze to the barnyard bridge or going inside the animal barn while the parents do a little apple tasting and visit the Bauman Cidery. Plus who doesn’t love a pumpkin patch?

Social distancing will definitely make Halloween different this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a fun and safe holiday for everyone. Curbside and at-home delivery make it easier than ever to get the decorations, supplies, and costumes you need to make Halloween a hit. Don’t be afraid to get creative with some seasonal inspiring at-home celebration ideas.

Health and Fitness in the Sunnyside Village Apartments

Fitness is vital to good health. But you may wonder how you can do this at home in the Sunnyside Village Apartments. Help is on the way. You can build a solid at-home exercise and healthy eating plan. Working out and eating right helps more than your body. Fitness and healthy eating helps improve your mental health. Here are some great tips that are sure to keep boost your health and fitness this summer. 

How to Eat Healthy At-Home

Preparation is key to eating healthy at-home. Nothing will hurt your nutrition more than trying to decide what to eat when you are hungry. The good news is that it’s simple and easy to cook healthy meals right in your apartment.

First, decide on your nutritional plan. Many experts recommend a 40 protein/40 carbohydrate/20 fats macro-nutrient approach. Next, plan your meals. An easy tip is to use the size of your closed fist as a guide to the 40% portions. Each meal should have a protein (like chicken, fish, lean beef, or tofu), a carbohydrate, and a serving of healthy fats. Prepare three meals a day and a few healthy snacks, like yogurt or bananas, and you are all set.

Make sure you eat healthy snacks throughout the day because people tend to overeat when they get hungry.

Home Workouts 

The current health crisis has made working out a real challenge. Gyms are closed and most in-person classes are cancelled. The good news is that it’s easy to give yourself a challenging workout in your apartment using just your body weight and minimal equipment. Health and Fitness can be successful at home. 

Cardio and Strength-Based Workouts

Complete fitness takes both cardio and strength-based workouts, and both can easily be done at home without a gym. Walking is one of the most efficient cardio workouts around. Just pick a field, a park, or even the streets in your neighborhood and get ready for some interval walking. A good interval plan is three to one, so walk quickly for three minutes (you should be breathing hard) and then recover with a slower walk. Try to shoot for 10 intervals or a 40 minute walk. You should be burning about 10 calories per minute. You can burn 400 calories in that workout. If you do interval training, then you will also increase your resting heart rate for hours after the workout, giving you an even longer burn.

Strength-Training at Home

All you need for strength training at-home is your body weight. Start with an 8-minute warm up of calisthenics. Your warmup should be 8, one-minute long sets, of body weight exercises. During each set, work as fast as you can for 45 seconds, and rest for 15 seconds. Try this mix for a full-body workout: high knees, jumping jacks, front or rear lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, mountain climbers, up-downs, and jump squats. Once you have mastered that, then grow your strength by adding to the routine. You can do that by extending the time for each set (first to a minute and a quarter, then to a minute and a half, etc.) or adding in sets. Do a little each week, and you should see the difference.

Yoga or Pilates

If you prefer a more relaxing workout, then you can do yoga or Pilates inside or outside your apartment. All you need is a towel or a yoga mat. There are many exercises you can do including planks to build your core, down dogs to strengthen your arms and legs, and sun salutations to improve your breathing and strengthen your body. Yoga workouts can burn 160-460 calories in an hour depending upon your weight and the level of activity you are doing.

Whatever form of exercise you choose, make sure you have a bottle of water and a towel to keep you hydrated and to wipe sweat.

Improve Your Mental Health

The current state of our nation’s health crisis has increased stress, isolation, and loneliness for just about everyone. Rest assured, there are things you can do at-home to improve your mental health. Consider taking a break from the news. Try setting some limits on the news, like a certain time of day or specific days of the week, and step away from all the negativity.

Schedules Help Keep You on Track

Set and follow a schedule. Schedules help establish some certainty. Although being stuck at home or working from home can make you lose track of time, a schedule will help you remember what you need to do and when to do it. Be sure to move every day and spend at least twenty minutes in the sun. Soaking in the sun and increasing your oxygen levels through exercise have proven mental health benefits.

Stay in Touch with Family and Friends

Make a point of keeping in touch with your friends and family. Social media is fine, but nothing beats a call or a video chat to catch up and stay connected. If you can see your friends and extended family with proper social distancing, then that can lift your mood and keep you all safe. Follow these tips and you are sure to flex your mental health muscles.

Gym closures, eating-in, and social distancing are serious challenges to physical and mental health. Luckily, you can stay fit with at-home exercise and healthy eating. With a little work you can be the best version of yourself this summer.

 

Getting Prepared for School in Your Clackamas Apartments

Since school is picking up again towards the end of this summer, it’s time for you to be as prepared as possible in your Clackamas apartments. Whether it’s you going back to school or it’s your child(ren), there are a few things you should think about before the new school year. It doesn’t matter whether you are going to be attending a physical school or you will be telecommuting, it’s important to keep the following objectives in mind:

  1.       Always make sure to keep it a priority to have at least one part of your apartment clear and clean for schoolwork. This promotes concentration and discipline. If you start doing your schoolwork on your bed or your couch, your mind may go into relaxation mode, and you may not do as well as you normally would. So be sure to invest in a sturdy work area that you can keep clean and full of clutter.
  2.       For the sake of staying organized, invest in some school supplies. If you aren’t up to going shopping for school supplies in person, you can always go shopping online, like on Amazon. This is safer, anyway, in terms of not contracting COVID-19. It’s good to have school supplies ahead of time that you’re going to need throughout the year instead of buying them one by one so you don’t have to stress out or spend extra money.
  3.       Lastly, take a look around and see if your Clackamas apartments have certain amenities on the properties that you can take advantage of if you’re going to be doing schoolwork there, such as a computer lab or a lounge. This can be very helpful in terms of compartmentalizing: keeping your personal life and your studies separate. Some people find it almost impossible to study in the same place where they live, anyway. Ask the staff if there are any amenities you can use to make the most of your studies.

Hopefully, these suggestions were helpful to you in terms of making the most out of your studies for the upcoming school year. Be sure to use your Clackamas apartments in your favor, and you are bound to succeed!

Getting Prepared for School in Your Clackamas Apartments

Clackamas apartments back to school

Since school is picking up again towards the end of this summer, it’s time for you to be as prepared as possible in your Clackamas apartments. Whether it’s you going back to school or it’s your child(ren), there are a few things you should think about before the new school year. It doesn’t matter whether you are going to be attending a physical school or you will be telecommuting, it’s important to keep the following objectives in mind:

1. Always make sure to keep it a priority to have at least one part of your apartment clear and clean for schoolwork. This promotes concentration and discipline. If you start doing your schoolwork on your bed or your couch, your mind may go into relaxation mode, and you may not do as well as you normally would. So be sure to invest in a sturdy work area that you can keep clean and full of clutter.

2. For the sake of staying organized, invest in some school supplies. If you aren’t up to going shopping for school supplies in person, you can always go shopping online, like on Amazon. This is safer, anyway, in terms of not contracting COVID-19. It’s good to have school supplies ahead of time that you’re going to need throughout the year instead of buying them one by one so you don’t have to stress out or spend extra money.

3. Lastly, take a look around and see if your Clackamas apartments have certain amenities on the properties that you can take advantage of if you’re going to be doing schoolwork there, such as a computer lab or a lounge. This can be very helpful in terms of compartmentalizing: keeping your personal life and your studies separate. Some people find it almost impossible to study in the same place where they live, anyway. Ask the staff if there are any amenities you can use to make the most of your studies.

Hopefully, these suggestions were helpful to you in terms of making the most out of your studies for the upcoming school year. Be sure to use your Clackamas apartments in your favor, and you are bound to succeed!

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month in Clackamas

celebration national ice cream month in your clackamas apartments

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? It’s a fantastic chance to get out of the heat and enjoy some cold dessert. There are so many types of ice cream out there as well, especially if you have food allergies, and your apartments in Clackamas are near a few places that dish out delicious ice cream. However, if you’re more interested in staying at home, the good news is that you can make ice cream from there too!

Here are some facts you should know while you celebrate National Ice Cream month:

1.       The great news is that there are a variety of kinds of ice cream, like dairy, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and sherbert. National Ice Cream Month should be used as a fun excuse to try them all. Sure, ice cream is sometimes high in calories, but not always. Do your research online if you’re interested in finding a sweet treat that is low in calories yet delicious in taste.

2.       If you aren’t keen on abandoning your Clackamas apartments, then you don’t have to! There are a variety of ways you can make ice cream from your very own home. For tips on how to do that, click here. This will satisfy your cravings and make sure you are still safe regarding everything that is still going on with the virus.

3.       Finally, as mentioned before, Clackamas has lots of great places to enjoy this cold dessert. You should try ice cream from Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream because it’s close to your apartments and their reviews are great!

How will you take advantage of National Ice Cream Month? Will you use the opportunity to try every type of ice cream you can? Will you take on the challenge of creating your own ice cream from home, or do you feel like venturing out to your local spots and try ice cream that Clackamas has to offer? If you know of any great places to try ice cream, feel free to share with your fellow neighbors in the comments below..

Change It Up: Trending Apartment Décor in Clackamas

Now that you’ve gotten the opportunity to spend more time than usual in your Clackamas apartments this year, do you feel like it can use a little decor update? There are lots of creative ways you can change your apartments up so that it feels like you’re in a new space, or at the very least, refreshed in some way.

Here are some tips on how you can make use of new décor for your apartment:

1.       Theme- It’s important to come up with a theme, or at least the ESSENCE of what you’d like your apartment to have. When you’re home, is your goal to feel relaxed, energized, or both? If you want to feel relaxed, use more earth tones, and get things like succulents and incense (if your building allows this) to feel as though you’re more grounded. If you want to feel more energized, bring in some color and use either a citrus-type or spicy kind of air diffuser so that your senses are awakened.

2.       Little Accents- People underestimate the power of little accessories in your home that can truly give it some character. If you’re drawing a blank on this one, think about getting the following things: a wall clock, a movie poster, a record player, a decorative candle, pillows for your couch, and more if you go to the home section of Amazon.com. It’s very important that you do all your shopping online!

3.       Furniture- Right now is a great time to shop for new furniture online or on different apps, like OfferUp, where people are trying to get rid of quality things in order to get more money. Add a new chair or desk to your apartment in order to accentuate the new vibe you’re going for.

That wraps it up in terms of tips for new décor for your Clackamas apartments. If you have any tips, please share in the comments below.

How to Make a Seamless Transition to Working Remotely

Working Remotely, Working From Home, Work From Home, Remote Work, Home Office

Make the switch from the ole cubicle to your home office recently? Staying indoors while working remotely can seem stressful if you go in without a gameplan. Here are some helpful tips on how to take charge of your new remote work journey here at Sunnyside Village!

 

Hone Your Home Office Space

 

Working from home makes it easy to work from anywhere, but some places are better than others. Instead of getting overly comfy in bed, set up a dedicated office space in order to hone your focus. Consider placing your workstation near a sunny window that you can open. The fresh air and sunshine could do you good and keep the blues away while you’re staying indoors.

 

Stick to a Routine Remote Work Schedule

 

Now that you don’t have to commute anymore, it can be easy to let your regular routine fall by the wayside. However, maintaining a regular schedule while working from home keeps you grounded and structured. Keep a planner, wake up at the same time, get dressed in fresh clothes! These simple behaviors will help you stay on track with your daily tasks in the workplace and in general.

 

Take Breaks When Needed

 

While some may struggle with finding motivation while working remotely, others may find it difficult not to overwork themselves! Keep yourself in check by establishing a healthy break schedule in between shift hours. Get up to stretch, take your full lunch hour, everything you need to keep yourself refreshed. And if you’re working from a laptop or desktop, stay on top of the 20-20-20 break routine. Every twenty minutes, look away from your computer screen for at least twenty seconds and focus on something twenty feet away. This will combat eye strain from the bright blue light emitted from electronic devices.

 

You can make your work from home routine breezy by adopting these suggestions! Got any other home office tips to try? Let us know in the comments!

Fostering Local Community While Living in Clackamas

online community, social networking, community resources

As a new resident of Sunnyside Village Apartments, you’ve also become a resident of the vibrant city of Clackamas, OR. The sense of community here is one to be admired, but in the hustle of bustle of things, it’s also easy to miss. As we take some time to stay indoors, now is an ideal moment to support Clackamas and the good people that live here. Here are some ways to foster the local community while living in Clackamas!

 

Virtually Utilize Your Local Library in Clackamas

 

The local library is an underrated community resource. Oftentimes, these hubs offer access to computers, a plethora of books across all subjects, and a welcoming atmosphere regardless of your stature. Whether you’re doing research for a school project or need to use the internet to prepare for a job interview, the library is the place to be. The Oak Lodge Public Library serves Clackamas County in Oregon. You can become a Friend of the Library by signing up here. Your donation and support help keep the city educated and entertained for years to come!

 

Order Tasty Food Delivery in Clackamas

 

The food selection in Oregon is top-notch. The rich, multicultural population in the state shows itself in the local restaurants and eateries that line the streets. If you’re looking for craveable American flavor, Killer Burger has got to be the choice. Hailing from Portland, this local burger chain boasts burger toppings both savory and sweet. From Philly cheesesteak to spicy BBQ bacon, you choose the flavor style! The Happy Valley location is closest to Sunnyside Village, and you can order food delivery in Clackamas here.

 

Stay Informed Through Local News in Clackamas

 

Staying on top of the pulse of Clackamas starts with a subscription to the local newspaper. The local paper is sometimes the only way small cities and townships get information about their own neighborhoods. For a personalized take on what’s current in Clackamas, the Clackamas Review is who you should look to. The Review is available in both print and digital formations. Check out subscription options here!

 

Living in Clackamas is made up of more than just a zip code. Whether out and about or remotely, there are so many ways to stay supportive of your community. How do you plan on getting involved? Let us know in the comments!

Sparkling Clean for the Spring

Spring Cleaning, Cleaning Games for Kids, Green Cleaning, Cleaning Hacks, DIY Cleaning Products

With springtime in the air, new growth awaits this season! You can take ahold of some of that growth by scheduling a spring cleaning session for your apartment at Sunnyside Village Apartments. Here are some cleaning tips and tricks to make the date as seamless as possible.

 

Kids Cleaning Tips to Get Them on Board

 

Most likely, those little ones aren’t the biggest fans of helping out around the house. Getting kids on board with spring cleaning starts with some reframing. There are a few cleaning games for kids that can make it easier for them to get on board with tidying up. You can try a “timed tidy”: Everyone must clean as much as they can before a song finishes playing. Kids will love the excitement of scrambling to get the task done fast so much that they might forget they’re cleaning! Or, you can set up a token system, where for every time they complete an age-appropriate chore, they rack up a token to collect toward a small reward. By associating spring cleaning with good feelings, kids can change their tune with tidying down the line!

 

Powerful DIY Cleaning Products

 

Springtime is known for reinvigorating the natural world around us. Why not celebrate the environment by committing to homemade cleaning products? Not only are they a more frugal choice, but DIY cleaning products are typically simple to make. For example, this all-purpose cleaner recipe uses common household ingredients to create a powerful grime-fighter with a pleasant citrus scent. Spray on kitchen and bathroom counters for an earth-friendly option to store-bought products!

 

More Green Cleaning Hacks

 

Eco-friendly cleaning invokes the spirit of springtime in general! There are plenty of ways to change up your current cleaning arsenal to make your spring cleaning session greener. This helpful list is a great resource for those looking to adopt safer cleaning product choices. Baking soda, vinegar, and pure castile soap are some common (and cost-effective) cleaning heavy-hitters. Feel free to experiment with these green cleaning hacks for all your seasonal tidying sessions!

 

Spring cleaning clears the home of clutter and welcomes a breath of fresh air! How are you planning on getting your space sparkling? Let us know in the comments!