Celebrate Memorial Day in Clackamas

“Finally, I wish to remember the millions of Allied servicemen and prisoners of war who lived the story of the Second World War. Many of these men never came home; many others returned bearing emotional and physical scars that would stay with them for the rest of their lives. I come away from this book with the deepest appreciation for what these men endured, and what they sacrificed, for the good of humanity.”- Laura Hillenbrand

Many people just think of Memorial Day as a “day off”, but you should use this as an opportunity to reflect on what it means- with the company of your closest friends and family.

If you feel compelled to honor the lives of those soldiers who fought for our country and died, consider having a small get-together at your apartments in Clackamas. Invite your friends and family and encourage them to bring different foods. There are many ways you can host a little patriotic party to celebrate the rights you enjoy today. Here are some more facts on Memorial Day to educate yourself and your guests.

For tips on how to throw a memorable Memorial Day celebration, click here. You will not be disappointed. So what will you do to honor those who have lost their lives in battle for our rights this year? It’s time to start making some solid plans now!

The Best Place to Celebrate Earth Day

The Best Place to Celebrate Earth Day

The Best Place to Celebrate Earth Day

The Best Place to Celebrate Earth Day

One of the best parts of living in Clackamas are all the beautiful parks and open areas that are under a half-hour drive from the Sunnyside Village Apartments! This Earth Day, why not make a day out of a visit to Mount Talbert Nature Park? The forested mountain features not only fun activities and exciting wildlife, but great views as well.

Mount Talbert Nature Park is one of the coolest parks in the area, as it stands in stark contrast to the bustling neighborhoods around it. If you are looking to break a sweat this Earth Day, you will love the miles of trails, which range in difficulty. The summit features fantastic views, so be sure to bring a camera. The park also features a peaceful prairie and picnic areas, so relaxation is always a viable option at the park! Relaxing can also provide you with a chance to watch for native wildlife and examine local plants.

With so much to do, you will be able to return to Mount Talbert Nature Park weekend after weekend! The park is located at 10945 SE Mather Road, Clackamas, OR, just a twenty-minute drive from the Sunnyside Village Apartments in Clackamas, OR.

Top Place to Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day

Apartments in Clackamas

Top Place to Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day

Apartments in Clackamas

Saint Patrick’s Day is an excellent opportunity to get out with your friends and family and celebrate all that Ireland has provided us with. And where’s the best place to celebrate the upcoming holiday? At an Irish pub! This weekend, why not visit Maher’s Irish Pub in Lake Oswego for their fourth annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival!

This year, Maher’s Irish Pub’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival will be held all weekend long, beginning each day at 11 am! Each day there will be Irish dancers, bands, and bagpipers all day long, providing entertainment for everyone. If you would like to bring any children along, make sure to bring them in the afternoon because once the sun goes down it is adults only! In addition to the entertainment and other activities, Maher’s will be serving up what they do best: traditional Irish food and drink! Regulars highly recommend the Saint Patrick’s Irish Meatloaf or the Guinness Irish Stew. But make sure to save room for the Bailey’s Chocolate Cheese Cake!

What are you waiting for? Make a plan to attend Maher’s Irish Pub’s Fourth Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Festival this weekend! Maher’s is located at 352 B Avenue, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, just twenty minutes from the Sunnyside Village Apartments in Clackamas, OR.

Excellent Date Night Ideas For This Weekend

Date Night in Clackamas

Excellent Date Night Ideas For This Weekend

Date Night in Clackamas

While many do not think of Clackamas as a date night destination, many do not know that there are many fabulous romantic restaurants within a short drive of the Sunnyside Village Apartments in Clackamas, OR. So what are you waiting for? Take your special someone out tonight!

If you are looking for the perfect, upscale eatery for Valentine’s Day or special occasion, look no further than Five Spice Seafood and Wine Bar, just down the road in Lake Oswego. Not only does Five Spice showcase some of the best seafood and wine in the area, but it is also an incredibly romantic setting. Make sure to try oysters with your loved one, the regulars adore them!

Alternatively, if you are looking for a perfect place to end a day out together, or get a late night date started, why not discover Stone Cliff Inn in Oregon City? This steakhouse is not just romantic but includes a menu with something for everyone. The restaurant often fills with couples on the weekend, so we do recommend calling ahead and getting a reservation!

Weather for Valentine’s Day or just a night out with the one you love, there are many options for you and yours! Five Spice Seafood and Wine Bar is located at 315 1st Street, Lake Oswego, OR, while Stone Cliff Inn can be found at 17900 S Clackamas River Drive, Oregon City, OR. Both are within a twenty-minute drive of the Sunnyside Village Apartments in Clackamas, OR.

Easy New Year’s Resolutions to Try

resolutionsOne reason that New Year’s resolutions are hard to keep is that we try to change a whole bunch of things all at once. While it may seem tempting to make a long list of lofty goals for the year ahead, it’s important to be realistic! Here are a few easy resolution ideas to try in 2018 if you really want to stick with it.

 

Start a Money Jar

The good thing about using hard cash is that there’s always loose change floating about. If you can, spend the next 30 days using only cash. When you get home, place all of your extra change into a money jar. If you want to keep this up all year long, you’ll be astounded by how much extra money you have by the end of the year. What you will you use the extra money for? A new outfit? A fancy dinner with your loved one?

 

Get Outside

Did you know that simply being outside can help improve your mood? Make it a goal to spend at least 10 minutes outside every day! Once you’ve hit your 10-minute goal for 30 days, make it 15, 20, and so on.

 

Remember that a resolution doesn’t have to be grand. These are easy resolutions that you can definitely keep!

Three Reasons to Make the Sunnyside Village Apartments Your Home

Are you considering joining our Sunnyside Village community this year? We hope the following reasons will make that thought a reality:

  1. Sunnyside Village offers one, two, and three bedroom apartments featuring in-unit washers and dryers, patios or balconies, and large closets. They belong to a community with amenities like its 24-hour fitness center, a clubhouse, a pool and spa, a sundeck, and night patrolling.
  2. While you can visit Mt. Hood in just a 2-hour drive, you can enjoy it every day from home, as some of the apartments will gift you with wonderful views of the mountain.
  3. Sunnyside Village will bring you the peace of country living while still giving you access to the city. Portland, for example, is just 30-minutes away by car. Yet the complex is also wonderfully situated to provide you with access to nature. Think of High Rocks Park, by the Clackamas River, just a 16-min. drive away, and the Blue Lake Regional Park, by the Columbia River, just half an hour away in Fairview.

We look forward to having you as our neighbor. We know that your family will thrive at Sunnyside Village!

Holiday Lights at the Oregon Zoo

When it comes to the holidays, it’s all about those sparkling Christmas lights. Nothing brightens up a festive winter season than beautiful displays for all to enjoy. If you haven’t had your fill of holiday illumination, then make your way over to the Oregon Zoo. You won’t be disappointed. Be sure to bring your family and friends along for the ride. There’s fun to be had for all!

 

Zoo Lights

Open now through January 7, 2018, the Oregon Zoo is having their annual winter festival! There are over a million lights spread across the zoo grounds, which means that there will be a lot to see. You can even hop aboard their lit-up train and make your way around the park in style! Plus, you’ll want to stop by and say hello to the animals as well.

 

When you’re finished exploring the park, be sure to grab pictures with Santa Claus himself. You’ll want to be sure and hop on the carousel with your little ones, too! Zoo Lights is open from 5 to 9 pm throughout the season. We can’t think of a better way to spend some time with your favorite people and your favorite zoo animals!

 

Get your tickets here.

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!