Blog Posts

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Aesop once said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” We here at Canyon Park Blog stand behind these words, and what a better day to test them out than on National Random Acts of Kindness Day? Join in on the festivities this February 17th by taking a few moments out of your day to perform a small act of kindness for someone else. Here are some ideas you could try: Pay for the customer behind you at a drive-through. This is a simple way to serve someone, especially if you have a little extra cash to spend. It’ll make their day, and it will probably make you smile knowing they’ll probably never figure out who it was! Support a friend’s work. Since our world thrives on creativity, there are surely loads of artists and innovators around you. Chances are, one of them is a close friend or relative, and they just might need some extra help to launch their business or spread the word about their work. It won’t take much to help! A like, retweet, share, comment, or small purchase can show them that you support them while notifying others who might love to support them. Teach something for free. Do you have a skill or talent that those around you wish they had, too? It might be knowing a different language, playing an instrument, or knitting. On National Random Acts of Kindness Day, teach a younger family member or a friend who has been asking you to give them some pointers for a while. You could even invite a small group of people over and teach a class on it! Pick up litter. Cities can get dirty with garbage and litter, so take some time to pick up trash in your neighbor to beautify the city. It might be a small gesture, but you could think of it as a symbol of your love and appreciation of the place you live and of your willingness to contribute to the prosperity of your community. What do you plan to do on National Random Acts of Kindness Day? Let our Puyallup, WA apartment community know in the comment section below!

Movies for Black History Month

Canyon Park Blog wishes you a wonderful month! To help you observe Black History Month, which takes place every February, we are sharing some of our favorite movies that honor noteworthy people throughout history. Spend an evening or two this month viewing one of these films in your Puyallup, WA apartment! These stories may get you emotional, but they will also help you have a greater appreciation for the contributions of black people to our society. Hidden Figures During the Space Race of the 20th century, sending someone into orbit was nearly the most sought after achievement possible. This film adds further insight into the story of the first American to orbit the earth, and specifically the genius behind this feat, which came in the form of three gifted Black women. Before Hidden Figures, their efforts were largely unrecognized. This month, enjoy one of the most empowering films of the decade! Malcolm X How much do you know about the life and legacy of Malcolm X? This film serves as a tribute to one of the most famous — and controversial — Black rights activists fighting for liberation. This film details his time spent in prison during the ‘50s, his leadership in the Nation of Islam, and his assassination. X’s legacy will forever live on as a paragon of racial pride and self-determination. Loving The 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia was one of the most monumental decisions for racial equality, voiding any state law forbidding interracial marriage. Follow the story of Mildred and Richard Loving, the couple who fought to make it possible for African Americans and other racial minority groups to marry as they wish. 12 Years a Slave Imagine what it would be like to be a free Black man in the pre-Civil War era, and then to be wrongfully sold into the slave trade of the South. 12 Years a Slave brings the story of Solomon Northup to life on the big screen as he makes his way from owner to owner, merely trying to survive as well as fight for his honor. When he meets an abolitionist after twelve years, his life changes forever. Which film will you watch this Black History Month? Let our community know by leaving a comment below!

Preparing for The Grammys

Are you planning to watch the Grammys this year? Rather than simply tuning in on February 10th, we here at Canyon Park Blog invite you to take some time the weeks leading up to the awards ceremony to prepare! By following these few simple tips, we’re confident you’ll be ready to be an educated viewer of the year’s most significant music awards ceremony. Listen If you’re not familiar with the music being nominated, it’s a good idea to take some time leading up to the Grammys to listen to it! Since there are so many categories, it may seem a bit overwhelming to know where to start. Rather than attempting to listen to everything, we suggest picking three or four major categories and listening to everything nominated within them. If you’re only able to listen to a few categories, make sure to include the most prestigious ones like Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. If you have time to listen to everything more than once, all the better! Study On top of merely listening to these albums and songs, it’s important to get a little bit of background information on them. Who is the artist singing them? What is their story? Do they belong to any minority groups? Why is it significant that they specifically are up for a Grammy award? Of course, there will be songs we like at first listen more than others, but with a little context, songs that didn’t stand out before will start to become more meaningful and interesting. Favorites will always stay favorites, but it’s important to realize that there is more to music and to the Grammys than sound or popularity alone. Enjoy Once you’ve done your homework, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the Grammys! When you don’t know half of the music up for a nomination, the awards ceremony isn’t half as exciting; when you have spent time beforehand preparing, you’ll likely have specific artists and songs you’re rooting for, making the whole event much more fun. It’s perfectly normal to be bummed out when one of your favorites doesn’t win, but make sure to celebrate the success of the winners as well. It took a lot for these artists to get where they are, and winning is no small feat! We hope these tips helped you prepare for your Grammys viewing experience this year in your Puyallup, WA apartment! Thanks for reading.

Picking Up a New Hobby

As the year is still brand new, there is no better time to start a new hobby than right now! This week on Canyon Park Blog, we have tips to help make your process of choosing a new hobby to enjoy a little bit easier. As you decide on a new way to spend some of your free time, make sure to take into consideration your expectations about the following: Time An important element to consider before you invest your energy into a new hobby is how much time you are looking to spend doing it. You may be willing and able to dedicate an hour or two to your hobby each day, but it’s possible you only have an hour or two a week instead. On top of time you have to spend on it each week, think about the time of year as well. Is January the best time to start picking up beach volleyball? Probably not. Whatever amount of time you have to spend on a new hobby, there is bound to be a hobby for you. Cost In addition to time, it’s crucial that you know how much you’re willing to spend on a given hobby before you get roped in. There are plenty of free virtual hobbies you can take up, while others might require you to purchase gear, memberships, supplies, and more. There is no wrong answer to how much you’re willing to spend because it is your choice. However, setting a budget can help you decide which hobbies are realistic and sustainable at the moment. Interaction with Others Have you considered how much interaction with others you’d like to have while you’re participating in your hobby? If you have a desk job with minimal social contact, you might be looking to participate in something with a group of other people. However, if you talk to people all day long, it might be more relaxing for you to pick something you can do without having to associate with anyone else while you do it. Level of Challenge Finally, it would be to your benefit to think about how challenging you’d like your new hobby to be. One of the reasons hobbies are so beneficial in our lives is because they present us with challenges in a low-stress way, and they often include problems we truly want to solve or progress we actually want to make. But at the same time, if other areas of your life are currently presenting you with enough challenges, there are plenty of relaxing hobbies that might be more rejuvenating at the moment. We hope these tips help you pick a new hobby that you can enjoy near your Puyallup, WA apartment! Thanks for reading.

Morning Oatmeal Recipes

When it comes to making oatmeal, we’re aware of all the ways it can go wrong: too many lumps, sticky enough to glue your mouth shut, bland as can be, you name it. Because January is National Oatmeal Month, we here at Canyon Park Blog are dedicated to helping you have a good experience making oatmeal for breakfast. You’d be surprised how delicious it is when it’s prepared right! Sometime this month, try out one (or all) of the recipes below and see what we mean. Tasty Oatmeal Breakfast Recipes from Canyon Park Peanut Butter Banana Chia Oatmeal Are you looking for a breakfast that not only tastes great but will keep you fueled all morning long? If so, then you won’t want to miss this peanut butter-banana-chia oatmeal. Packed with 11g of protein and 17g of fiber per bowl, you’ll get all the nutrients you’ll need for an energy-filled day. You’ll need old fashioned oats, bananas, chia seeds, cinnamon, sea salt, non-dairy milk, and peanut butter. Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats If you haven’t dabbled in the deliciousness of overnight oats yet, then this berry cheesecake oatmeal recipe is a great place to start. After combining honey, vanilla, and berries into a jar or a bowl, stir in the cottage cheese, almond milk, and oats. Refrigerate this mixture for six hours or more, and voila! You’ll have your breakfast ready to eat right when you wake up. Lemon Poppy Seed Oatmeal Enjoy the taste of your favorite muffin, but this time in oatmeal! Turn a regular bowl of oatmeal into a something sweet that will make you so excited to get up in the morning. To make this, make sure to have old-fashioned oats, almond milk, lemon juice, maple syrup, flax meal, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and powdered sugar on hand. To-Go Baked Oatmeal Do you need something that’s a little bit easier to eat on the go? Try baking a batch of baked oatmeal in a muffin tin that will supply your breakfast for the whole week! After making a standard mixture of eggs, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, milk, applesauce, cinnamon, and oats, get creative and add a few your favorite toppings to each tin! Do you have an oatmeal recipe you love? Share it with our Puyallup, WA apartment community in the comments below!

How to Keep Your Apartment Clean This Year

Welcome to 2019! This week we here at Canyon Park Blog have some resources to help you keep your Puyallup, WA apartment clean, not only this month but the whole year! Thanks to the Chicago Tribune, we have this all-inclusive yearlong guide to house cleaning . Keep reading to learn about suggested tasks from the list for the month of January, as well as repeated monthly cleaning suggestions! Clean All Light Fixtures Do you remember the last time you gave your light fixtures a deep cleaning treatment? There’s no time like the present to be proactive and get it done. Once you’ve made a note of all the light fixtures in your house, take any removable parts like plastic or glass coverings down for a thorough wash. Use a solution of three parts warm water and one part vinegar for excellent results. Wash each covering to get them cleaner than they have likely been in ages! Declutter Your Home The first month of the year is the perfect time to reclaim space in your apartment by decluttering! You’d be surprised at how much random stuff can accumulate over the course of the year, so setting aside some time this January to sort through all of your belongings isn’t a bad idea. Make sure to evaluate all of your belongings in every room — even what is buried away in your closets! See how many bags of unwanted clutter you can fill to either throw away or donate to charity. Repeat Some Tasks Monthly In addition to specific tasks to do each individual month, the house cleaning guide recommends you repeat a certain set of tasks every month. Here are a few of them we found particularly helpful: Polish wood furniture. Vacuum and spot-clean furniture. Wash kitchen and bath mats. Wipe down all appliances. Disinfect computer keyboards, remotes, phones, and switches. What are your best cleaning hacks? Share with us in the comments. Thanks for reading our post this week. May your year be full of cleanliness and comfort!