Make New Year’s Eve a family event

New Year’s Eve is often hard on parents. Do you leave the little ones behind? Do you take them along? If you find yourself trying to decide what to do this time around, we have an idea: bowl away 2017 and welcome 2018 playing with your family at Mt Hood Lanes in Gresham. It is only a 20-minute drive from home, and the whole family can participate!

The alley will have an earlier party that small children will enjoy. From 6:30 to 9:30 lanes will rent at $75 (shoes included), with party favors provided and a mock New Year’s countdown at 8 pm.

If your children are a bit older, they could join you in the Family Monte Carlo celebration, from 10 pm to 1:30 am, when lanes will rent at $175 for 3 games, with food, party favors, champagne or sparkling cider and a real countdown at midnight.

Does that sound like something your family would enjoy? Find additional details here, and then call to make a reservation. For sure this will be a sold out event!

Have a wonderful New Year’s celebration whatever you do. We look forward to “seeing you” again in 2018!

How to Make the Perfect Pie Crust

pie

The fall season is all about pies, pies, and more pies, especially when it comes to Thanksgiving. From apple to pecan to pumpkin, pies make a great addition to any holiday meal. When it comes to pie though, it’s all about the crust. If you’re gearing up to bake some delicious sweetness this season, here’s a quick recipe for perfecting that pie crust.

 

What You Need:

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water
  • food processor

 

How to Make the Crust:

  1. First, dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Then, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and pulse in a food processor. Next, add the butter and shortening, mixing until the butter is about the size of peas.
  2. Then, pour the ice water in slowly while pulsing until the dough begins to form. Once the dough is formed, roll it into a ball on a floured board. Plastic wrap it and let the ball refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
  3. After the dough has hardened, cut the dough in half and roll each piece on a well-floured board. This is the hardest part! You’ll want to create a circle, so roll from the center to the edges. Keep turning the dough and spreading flour to make sure it doesn’t stick. When you’re finished, fold the dough in half and place it in a pie pan. Repeat this for the top crust.

 

Don’t forget to make some cool pie crust designs! Here are a few to try.

Make it a Black Friday to remember!

Sure, Black Friday is about getting a jump on your holiday shopping, but it is also a day off work and we must take advantage of it. So we have an idea: how about a full day of shopping at Bridgeport Village, wrapped in a bow by the lighting of the holiday tree at Lake Oswego?! It takes just 30-minutes to drive to Bridgeport Village from our apartments, and it would make for a great Black Friday outing.

Bridgeport Village is ready for the holidays. On Black Friday the stores will be open from 9 am to 8 pm. Besides giving you a chance to buy holiday presents, you’ll enjoy the Christmas Bear prancing about from 11 am to 1 pm, the Dancing Santas from 1 pm to 3 pm, and Toy Soldiers and a Trumpet Solo from 3 pm to 5 pm. See all about it here.

The tree lighting celebration at Lake Oswego starts at 5:30 pm. This would be just a 20-minute drive from Bridgeport Village, and it will be a great way to infuse your family with holiday spirit. See details here.

Make it a Black Friday to remember. The holidays are here!

A Family Harvest Festival for Halloween Celebrations

The Harvest Festival at Fir Point Farms is back, which means that it’s time to start making autumn memories! There’s so much to do and so many activities lined up, that you’re going to want to check it out.

 

What: Family Harvest Festival

Every year, Fir Point Farms hosts their annual festival. Peruse the pumpkin patch for that perfect pumpkin. Take a trip on a hayride around the farm or enjoy nature on their Nature Trail Path. Don’t even get us started on the food. Try some of the best apple cider donuts you’ve ever tasted or stock up on homemade loaves of bread at their Country Store. Admission is free and so is parking! It doesn’t get much better than that, right?

 

When: Tuesday-Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm

The Family Harvest Festival will take place throughout the month of October, so you have plenty of time to plan a trip. Plan on spending the day there, though. There’s so much to do, you might just want to go back for a second time!

 

Where: 14601 Arndt Road, Aurora, Oregon

Only a 40-minute drive from your Sunnyside Village apartment, pack up the car and get ready to make some family memories. For directions, go here.

Have fun at Lee Farms’ pumpkin patch

October is the month for pumpkin fun – pies, decorations, and Jack-o-Lanterns – and we want you to know about the perfect place to get yours: Lee Farms.

Until the end of this month Lee Farms is running a patch in which you can find pumpkins of all colors and sizes, and also enjoy activities like a corn maze, hayrides, inflatable slides, pony rides, feed farm animals, and much more.

Lee Farms is located at 21975 SW 65th Avenue in Tualatin, 97062. This is about a half-hour drive from Sunnyside Village. Admission is free on weekdays, and $5 on the weekends. The admission includes a hayride, the corn maze, the petting zoo, and parking. Wristbands (ranging $15-$20) are sold for access to the play area and other activities. You will also want to stop by the Country Store, which will tempt you with seasonal decorations, apple cider, and much more.

There are only two weeks left of pumpkin fun at Lee Farms and you don’t want to miss it. Find all information about it here.

Fall Activities Near Clackamas

Fall Activities

Fall Activities Near Clackamas

 

Planning Fall activities? We have just the things for you and your family and friends. Celebrate one of the most beautiful seasons before Fall passes us by! Pick pumpkins straight from the vine at Bushues Family pumpkin patch, take a hayride around the farm, eat delicious food, or go on a super spooky trail that will give you the goosebumps! These Fall activities are great to spend some time with family and friends and create new memories! Don’t forget your camera.

  1. Bushues Family Pumpkin Patch is located nearby right in Boring, Oregon. A great farm pumpkin patch giving the wonderful experience of the fall season to kids of all ages. Have you ever picked a pumpkin right from the vine? No? Well, now is your chance to hop on the hayride and pick your pumpkin straight from the vine!
  2. Pumpkin Run – Run into the new season Saturday, September 30th through Tuesday, October 31, every day from 10 am- 6 pm. Explore the hay pyramid, enjoy tasty food, and pet the furry friends!
  3. Halloween Fantasy Trail – Do you like to explore trails and see new things? The Halloween Fantasy Trail is here to give you new “spooky sights” through tunnels, mazes, and a crooked house!

 

Clackamas Hiking Trails

clackamas-hiking-trails

Clackamas hiking trails are fun for everyone who lives in the area. We have couple recommendations for you to try.

Clackamas River Trail Hike is a family friendly moderate hike, on an undulating trail. Some parts of this path are swampy, so bring the appropriate footwear; you will see ancient cedars and Douglas-firs.  This hiking trail is open to the public all year long but in winter may have snow.

Along the trail you will go through these areas:

  • Pup Creek Falls
  • The Narrows
  • Indian Henry Trailhead

Mount Talbert Nature Trails, some hikes are mostly covered by trees, wildflowers are abundant, the park has about 4.2 miles of hiking trails. You may find an area of extinct volcanoes, a lava dome, as well as facts about cultural and natural resources posted along the paths.  The park is open daily and free to the public, with over 200 acres of forest and streams. Although dogs and bikes are not allowed on these trails, it is a great moderate hike for the family or an outing with your close hiking buddy.

Get out this weekend for some fresh air and take a hike!

 

Get Ready for Labor Day Weekend!

Labor Day weekend is coming up, so it’s a time for many to get ready for relaxation and recharging during your much-needed break from work.

If you’re the outdoorsy type who wants to escape the hustle and bustle of noisy city life, there’s always the beautiful Mount Talbert Nature Park! Perched on top of extinct volcanoes, there are incredibly tall trees surrounding the four miles of trails. It’s also not uncommon to see deer, woodpeckers, and other wildlife during your trek in the woods. Take a rest in one of the many picnic areas for a bite! If you’re wanting to stay indoors instead, check out the Aquatic Park in North Clackamas. Completely indoors away from the elements, you can take the family for a swim! There’s surfing, swimming, slides, plus more!

From all of us here at Sunnyside Village apartments, we hope you have a very fun and safe holiday weekend!

Retro Summer DIY

Summer DIY

Summer DIY

When summer comes around, redecorating your home can be fun and creative! Looking for great new ideas on how to make your home more retro or old fashioned can be difficult. But this summer DIY is perfect for recycling old licenses plates and making them into the perfect add on to any home.

Supplies:

  • License Plates
  • Metal Snips
  • Nails
  • Hammers

How to Make:

Begin creating your new house numbers by choosing as many license plates as you would like for this project. Keep in mind that the more options you have in licenses plates will give you more options to have for your house numbers or for any other occasion you would like. Next, carefully cut through each licenses plate, in between each individual number, creating your address. Lastly, secure you house numbers with nails.

This project is a fun and creative way to redecorate any home into a more retro or old fashioned style. It is an inexpensive and a great way to recycling more things from around the house and putting them into a creative use!

Need more inspiration? Check this out!

Weekend Destinations

Weekend destinations are always good for when you want to do something different and fun but not a lot of time to do it in. Clackamas, OR has a plethora of things to offer in the way of weekend fun!

For instance, if you’re into history, there’s the Philip Foster Farm. His farm was a welcome sight to weary travelers of the Oregon Trail, and you’ll learn all about him and the way of life of those long before us! There’s also the Museum of the Oregon Territory. There’s plenty of exhibits there on the local history of Clackamas County from the 19th and 20th centuries to the present. Educational and fun for the entire family! If you’re just wanting to keep things chilled out and want to enjoy nature, stop by Little Zigzag Falls. It has plenty of nature and wildlife trails, plus the falls are absolutely beautiful!

We know you’ll find something you’ll enjoy close to home in Clackamas, OR for your weekend destination!