Blog Posts

Hands-on Crafting near Puyallup

I came across a quote this week from a Serbian poet and journalist named Dejan Stojanovic: Creating means living. Thats certainly true for many people, whether theyre creating visual art, crafting stories, composing music, or even coding a perfect program. Other people prefer creation of a more hands-on variety, and there are quite a few studios around Puyallup that cater to their needs. Heres a few that you can check out. Pottery and ceramics : The Throwing Mud Gallery offers six-week courses in beginning and advanced pottery for students over eighteen years old. If you dont have six weeks of evening to spare, you can drop in on their ninety-minute Try It class or just stop by their ceramics studio for some pottery painting, which is available for all ages if an adult comes along. Glassblowing : The Tacoma Glassblowing Studio holds workshops and classes with expert glassblowers. Whether youre an old hand at crafting glass or a complete beginner, they have something for you. In addition to their classes, they also have a gallery filled with the work of local glassblowers and their Northwest Glass Pumpkin Patches. Metalworking : If youre interested in blacksmithing or crafting metal jewelry, check out the Tacoma Metal Arts Center . They offer classes, workshops, and private lessons in a variety of metalworking, and even rent out studios to advanced artists. Learn to craft fine jewelry, home decorations, and even your own tools! They also offer tours and an open gallery for curious visitors.

Making the Most of Public Transportation

Perhaps you use public transit every day, perhaps you used it years ago, or perhaps it is a foreign term to you entirely. By definition, public transportation, or transit, is a shared passenger experience which is available for use by the public. City buses, trolleybuses, trams, light rail, passenger trains, rapid transit (metro/subways/undergrounds) and ferries are all types of public transportation. Public transportation is a safe and affordable way to commute. It helps reduce traffic congestion, it saves energy, decreases automobile pollution, can provide exercise (like biking from the train to the office), contributes to a sense of community A bus/train pass is often less expensive than buying gas, even if you are only commuting part of the way. And most public transit offices offer monthly passes that cost less than the per day use. Cars create about 50 percent of pollution nationwide*; so the more people who use public transit, the less pollution is expelled into the air we breathe. And less pollution is a win for everyone. Traffic conditions nationwide are often in a state of congestion. If it wasnt for public transportation, it would be worse. A single, large city subway can carry about 30,000 passengers in one hour. If those riders drove instead, ten additional highway lanes would be needed to accommodate the additional traffic. And, think about this, if every American who currently uses some form of public transit were to stop, and drove to work, one person per car instead, they would fill the equivalent of a nine-lane freeway stretching from Boston to Los Angeles. Additionally, while others are feeling road rage at being stuck in traffic, you can get caught up on your reading, homework, scan your email, or cruise through FaceBook. Saving energy is another benefit or using public transportation. Public transit is twice as fuel efficient as automobiles, and that kind of efficiency adds up, and saves more than 45 million barrels of oil a year. The energy saved is enough to cool, heat, and operate about a quarter of all American homes each year. An added benefit, is that public transportation is, statistically speaking, safer than driving. The National Safety Council estimates that riding the bus is over 170 times safer than traveling by car. Thats a pretty striking number. Add exercise to the formula, walking or biking to and from your destinations, and its a win/win situation. The benefits of public transport are evident. So start commuting, or take a day trip using public transport, and send us a comment about your experience. *Stats for this article were taken from Wikipedia and PACommutes .

Checking In to Work Out

Youve got a great fitness center on site, but have you been there since you toured the place before moving in? (If you are a regular user, kudos to you; invite a neighbor to work out with you, soon.) Todays blog will focus on ways to take advantage of having a fitness center on site. Most of us have been there on the merry-go-round of getting all excited to work out, sticking to it for a few weeks, and then easing off in week three, and by week four we may guiltily think, I should work out as we drive past the fitness center on our way home. So here are some tips to get that first month under your belt, and get over that hump that derails so many of us, and on to a lifetime of healthy living. There are dozens of sites on the web, with workout routines. Here is one from Muscle & Fitness to get you started. The key thing is to create a workout that is demanding, but not so much that you burn out in the first two weeks. Slow but steady progress is what were looking for here; building both body and the habit of working out. When do you work out? As with most things, planning a consistent time is key to accomplishing the goal. Are you a morning person? Perhaps first thing in the morning is the best time to get a workout in before your time gets consumed with other projects. Do you work from home? How about hitting the fitness center for a mid-day break? Need to unwind before bed? A workout may be just the thing to work out the days kinks and stress at the end of the day. Now youve got a place, and a time. What do you wear? Comfortable clothes my friend; comfort is key. Youre going to be sweating, wear something absorbent, and a good pair of shoes, that will give you the proper support (you dont need a twisted ankle, right?). A quick online search yielded dozens of websites devoted to fitness wear. Another thing to consider is having a workout buddy. Whether its your partner, spouse, child, or a neighbor; having someone to work out with helps. Having someone to be accountable to can give you the motivation to get up and at em when the alarm clock goes off at odark-thirty. And when you just want to snuggle with your dog and a cup of tea, knowing that your neighbor is expecting to see you at the fitness center in fifteen minutes may just get you out the door. Keep track of how often you are exercising, and if you are staying with your schedule. If you are missing multiple days, perhaps you need to tweak your timeframe. And, track your journey, so you can see how far youve come! This page has a review of the Best Fitness Trackers of 2015 And this is a popular site for tracking fitness and food. And of course music. The beat of the music helps to keep us on task, moving in rhythm to the music. And, while we are focusing on our bodies, we can enjoy our favorite tunes. What is your favorite workout music? Its great to look back and find joy in the journey of becoming a healthier you. Leave a comment and let us know what you did to be more healthy this month.

A Book Club in the Clubhouse

Do you remember the kid at school who always had his nose in a book, or were you the girl who was a voracious reader? Chances are, shes still reading; and if you like to read too, you can bet that there are plenty of other people in your community who like to read. One of the perks of living here is the use of the clubhouse, and what better place to get together for a lively discussion about books? Todays blog is about how to go about organizing a book club. One of the marvelous things about book clubs is that they are so flexible. Essentially, two ingredients are necessary for a book club, books and readers (and throwing in some good food is always a plus). Generally speaking, a book is chosen,read, and then the members of the club get together and discuss their opinions, thoughts, and observations about the book. Book clubs can be formal or informal, focus on a specific genre or explore multiple genres. One person can decide the titles or it can be a democracy where everyone gets a voice. Books can be planned for the year, or month-to-month, or in some book groups, the person who brings the food that month chooses the book too. The gathering can be held the same time every month, i.e. every third Wednesday or on a rotating schedule. Flexibility, thats the name of the game. So, to get started, first, decide the type of club, formal or informal, the genre/s, when to meet, and who to invite. Second: Decide on your first book. (It might be a good idea to start with a book youve already read for the first one.) A book that is not too long and is a fairly easy read (and falls within your genre guidelines) is a good first choice. Here are a couple of websites that have lists of books that are currently popular with book clubs: LitLovers About.com Resources for Book Clubs, Classes & Reading Research Third: Choose a date and schedule the clubhouse. Remember, its not set in stone, after your first meeting, you can change the schedule to meet the needs of the members. Fourth: Advertise - use your community bulletin board (electronic and physical), have the office put it on the scheduled events, word of mouth, to get the word out. Create a FaceBook Group to facilitate communication for the ongoing club. Many books have book club Study Guides, that have thought provoking questions to stimulate discussion, these can be accessed online, and are sometimes in the book itself. And many libraries have book group loan kits where multiple copies of popular books can be checked out. Libraries also often have books available to lend electronically; this is a great option for people who use Kindle, Nook, or other reading apps. (Check in advance to see if the book you are considering is available electronically for loan.) And there is always the method of passing a book around if only a few copies are available. Books groups tend to work best when the numbers average about a dozen. Enough people that you get a consistent turnout, but not too many, so everyone has an opportunity to share their thoughts. So if several differently focused book groups are available, the more to choose from. And there you have it. A fun, friendly way to use the clubhouse in your community and an opportunity to read a book genre you may not have tried before. Leave a comment today and share your favorite book with us.

Getting to Know You How to Meet Your Neighbors

If you are like most Americans, you are more likely to be able to identify your neighbors car than know their first name. The majority of Americans, by nature are busy people. What with work, children, parents, committees, etc. many of us dont take time to meet our neighbors, let alone interact with them. Studies have shown that there is a link between getting to know and trust our neighbors and our health. There are advantages both physically and emotionally in knowing our neighbors. So what are some ways to get to know your neighbors? Here are a few ideas. Host a Block Party Use the clubhouse or commons area of your community. Perhaps you could invite the people on your floor or in your building. Start with the people you know and divide and conquer food & drink, activities, and promotions. Utilize bulletin boards (physical and electronic), plan some games that generate conversation and getting to know each other. Ask Your Neighbor Questions Whether it is asking for a restaurant recommendation, where the library is, or how to access the onsite fitness room, asking your neighbor a question opens up communication and the opportunity to get to know each other. And its easy, simply knock on the door and then ask. Utilize the Services in Your Neighborhood Chances are some of your neighbors go to the same grocery store, quick stop, or dry-cleaners as you do. When you see them there, take a minute or two to chat, and establish a connection. Perhaps make a concrete plan to get together for coffee or plan a playdate for your kids. Coordinate a Group Bringing together a group of people doing a shared activity is a great way to meet the people in your community, and enjoy a hobby at the same time. So start a running group, an exercise group, a book club, a recipe exchange group, etc. (And check to see if a group already exists and join up.) Take a Gift to Your Neighbor A loaf of bread, a plate of cookies, a container of fresh fruit, flowers, tickets to the theater all are simple, easy ways to say hello, nice to meet you, see you again, get to know you. And who knows, simple gifts could lead to a life-long friendship. Take a Walk Simply taking a walk in your community and greeting the people you meet along the way is a good way to open up communication. Who knows you may inadvertently begin a walking group! Comment and let us know how you got to know your neighbor.

Getting the Most Out of the Playground

One of the best place for kids to enjoy is the playground; knowing something about Playground Etiquette will help create better community relations for everyone. Tip # 1 Keep an Eye On Your Children Its something that should go without saying, but we all know that one parent or caregiver, the one who reaches the playground with the kids, and immediately sits down on the bench and proceeds to be glued to her/her phone, oblivious to the kids who are monopolizing the swings. Please, be aware and keep track of what your kids are doing. Kids, especially young ones, need constant supervision. Take time to join them in their play. Tip #2 Let Everybody Have a Turn We know little Johnnie loves to swing. But if a line is forming, waiting for a chance to use the swings, too, thats a good indication that you need to finish soon. Give your child a couple of minutes warning that you are going to play on something else soon, and use the situation as an opportunity to teach the child about sharing. Tip #3 Clean Up after Yourself Its happened to everyone who uses playgrounds, coming across that sticky spot, stepping on a piece of chewed gum, or trying to find a picnic table to sit at that doesnt have bits of trash from a meal still there. Simply taking the time to throw trash in the can, and wipe up sticky spills (or report larger ones to maintenance) will make the playground more pleasant for everyone. Tip #4 Be Prepared Making & taking a playground pack, including tissues, wet-wipes, band-aids, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a plastic bag can help you avoid the little emergencies that can happen at the playground. Scraped knee? A quick wipe down, a bandaid, and a kiss, will get a kid back to the slide in no-time. And if you have sunscreen and/or insect repellent, you wont have to cut your visit short. Tip #5 Be Courteous When you are asking another parent or a child for cooperation, you DONT want to get involved in a screaming match. So, rather than telling another parent to make their annoying child stop his annoying behavior, gently suggest to the child, an appropriate behavior he can do. For example, My daughter would like to use the slide, too, and if you dont move, you may get hurt when she slides down. Rather than Get off the slide, now! The old saying, you get more friends with honey than vinegar applies to this situation. Playgrounds are awesome places to get outside, let kids get some exercise, and to socialize and get to know your neighbors.