Blog Posts

Movies to See Over Holiday Break

Canyon Park Blog wishes you happy holidays this week! While you’ll likely have plans with loved ones at your Puyallup, WA apartment or wherever you’re celebrating this year, we anticipate you’ll have some downtime, too. When you have a few hours to spare, why not see a movie at the cinema? The holiday film lineup is always full of crowd favorites, and this year is no different than the rest. This holiday break, consider seeing one of the following: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker “A year after the events of The Last Jedi, the remnants of the Resistance face the First Order once again—while reckoning with the past and their own inner turmoil. Meanwhile, the ancient conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its climax, altogether bringing the Skywalker saga to a definitive end.” Last Christmas “Kate is a young woman subscribed to bad decisions. Her last date with disaster? That of having accepted to work as Santa's elf for a department store. However, she meets Tom there. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true.” Little Women “Little Women explores the lives of the March sisters in 1860s New England, in the aftermath of the American Civil War. According to one of its producers, the new adaptation focuses more on the sisters' young adult lives, particularly after Meg, Jo, and Amy leave their family home. The film jumps back and forth in time and focuses more on themes rather than narrative.” A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a 2019 American biographical drama film directed by Marielle Heller and written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, inspired by the 1998 article "Can You Say... Hero?" by Tom Junod, published in Esquire. The film stars Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Chris Cooper. It depicts Lloyd Vogel (Rhys), a journalist for Esquire who is assigned to profile beloved television icon Fred Rogers (Hanks).”

Hosting Guests for the Holidays

Are you hosting any guests for the holidays this year at your Puyallup, WA apartment? If so, it’s a great time to start preparing so that they can have an enjoyable experience spending time with you in your home. This week, Canyon Park Blog is sharing three simple ideas you can consider to make sure that both you and your guests have a good time this holiday season. As you get ready to host, consider the following: Give a Warm Welcome Beginning with a warm welcome sets the tone for your guest’s entire visit, and it’s easy to accomplish. Something as simple as fresh flowers, chocolates, or a fruit basket sends a message that you are glad to be hosting family and friends. Take some time to put together a welcome basket and include things like a flashlight, snacks, water bottles, your guest WiFi password, a portable charging stick, mints, and travel-sized toiletries. Provide a Comfy Bed Whether you have a dedicated guest room, a pull-out sofa sleeper, or an air mattress, make your guest’s bed as comfortable as possible. A memory foam mattress pad can go a long way in helping out in this endeavor. Spring for luxurious cotton sheets with a high thread count to help provide a good night’s sleep. Make sure an extra blanket is easily accessible in case your guest takes a chill. Offer Some Privacy Clear out a drawer or a cupboard so your guest will have a place for their things; even a hook over a door can provide a place to hang things up. Let your guests know what time you are typically up and about, especially if they will be on an air mattress in the living room. Let them know if it’s okay to use a bedroom for changing in (much easier than in a bathroom), and let them know it’s fine for them to follow their own schedule.

How to Prevent Driving Under the Influence

This week on Canyon Park Blog, we’re helping you stay safe by encouraging everyone in our apartment community to observe National Impaired Driving Prevention Month! We’re sharing a few precautions that you can recommit to living this month and throughout the upcoming new year. As you attend various holiday celebrations serving alcohol, these tips will keep yourselves, as well as anyone else driving on Puyallup, WA roads, a little bit safer. Use Another Form of Transportation Though driving seems like the most convenient option to get to your holiday parties, there are plenty of other options to get you where you need to go. Check public transportation routes and schedules to see if there is a bus nearby that takes you to your various destinations. If there isn’t, try using a ride service like Lyft or Uber to drive you to and from your event. It might cost you extra time or money to use a form of transportation other than your own car, but you won’t regret it when you wake up safe the next morning. Choose a Designated Driver If you decide that alternative forms of transportation won’t work and you have to go by car, make sure to choose a designated driver before you leave. This might feel inconvenient at first; you may have to arrange a carpool, but doing so is responsible and it will protect both your own life as well as the lives of other drivers and passengers. Choosing a driver who has opted not to drink alcohol during the festivities means you have to plan ahead. Trust us. You’ll be grateful you did. Know How to Spot Drunk Drivers Because it isn’t possible for you to ensure that all other drivers will choose to drive sober this month, it’s important to be able to identify drunk drivers on the road. In the case that you spot a driver who is taking too long at a stoplight, making overly wide turns, braking unnecessarily, driving with no lights at night, driving on the wrong side of the road, or getting dangerously close to cars or other objects, there’s a decent chance that they are driving under the influence. If you see a drunk driver, get out of harm’s way, pull over, and report them to 9-1-1. It would be easy to just take a different street and avoid them. However, by calling the police, you could be saving someone’s life. We hope these tips helped you to know how you can personally prevent impaired driving this holiday season. Thanks for reading, and may your holidays be responsible and safe!

Seasonal Treats to Try

Indulging in delicious treats is our favorite way to enjoy winter. It’s getting too chilly outside for many activities, but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on fun. Cozy nights spent indoors are made even better with something sweet. Light a candle, grab a friend, and make one of these yummy treats! This White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn from Cooking Classy is perfect for movie night. This treat is a fun mix between your typical popcorn and peppermint bark. Also, this is an easy recipe to make a huge batch if you choose to have lots of friends over to share! You could even package some up as a gift for neighbors or other loved ones. We think this treat will pair perfectly with one of your favorite winter movies! We’re also super excited to try this Sugar Cookie White Hot Chocolate from Say Grace. This recipe has “[all] of the flavors of a traditional Christmas sugar cookie combined with white hot chocolate.” What could be better than this treat in a cute mug with whipped topping? If fudge is one of your favorite holiday treats, we suggest trying this recipe for Oreo Fudge from Dessert Now, Dinner Later! Our favorite part of this treat? It only takes three ingredients to make! “You need Oreo cookies, sweetened condensed milk, and a high-quality vanilla/white chocolate chip. I HIGHLY recommend Guittard chocolate because there is no wax in it like some of the other brands. It melts beautifully and creates a smooth fudge.” This recipe for Eggnog fudge from Baking Beauty is the perfect marriage of a delicious drink and candy! Sounds like our kind of treat! We hope you love trying one of these treats. These desserts are great for gatherings with friends or given as a sweet gift. Where are your favorite places to get treats in Puyallup, WA? Let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading Canyon Park Blog.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving is this week, and odds are, you will have a lot of food leftover after the big feast. Rather than reheating the leftover food for your next meal, Canyon Park Blog invites you to transform it into something new. Enjoy eating turkey pot pie, stuffed shells, potato casserole, and paninis in your Puyallup, WA apartment. Keep reading to learn more! Dad’s Leftover Turkey Pot Pie This is a great recipe that takes about 30 minutes to prepare. If you don’t know what to do with all that extra turkey, this is the perfect use for it. Read what one person commented in response to the recipe: “This was fantastic! So easy and quick to make. I used a bag of mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots, green beans, lima beans) and everything else was per the recipe. Delicious. My whole family loved it and my Hubby ate seconds. Will definitely make this again!” Thanksgiving Leftovers Stuffed Shells If you’re more of a visual learner than a follower of a recipe, watch the tutorial video for this recipe at the above link. “Turn all your Thanksgiving leftovers into totally tempting comfort food with this mouthwatering stuffed shell recipe. Mix leftover turkey and stuffing with cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and mayo. Stuff this savory mix into jumbo pasta shells and top with gravy and mozzarella. Then just try to resist when it arrives hot from the oven, all bubbly, beautifully browned, tempting with meat, cheese and Thanksgiving goodness.” Turkey Potato Casserole For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients: one pound of cooked turkey meat, one onion, green beans, cheddar cheese, and one can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and then another 30 minutes to cook. “After a holiday meal half the work is done because you usually have the mashed potatoes and turkey. When I make it from scratch, I usually use chicken rather than turkey. Prep times are from leftovers.” Turkey and Bacon Panini with Chipotle Mayonnaise This sandwich is perfect for getting rid of a lot of leftovers. Did you know that you can make it vegetarian? Simple leave out the turkey and bacon for a lighter treat. What’s your favorite use of Thanksgiving leftovers? Let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks for reading!

Side Dishes Everyone Will Love for Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday is traditionally celebrated with a large feast. In anticipation of Thanksgiving this month, Canyon Park Blog is sharing some non-traditional side dishes that you’ll love if you are looking to switch things up this year. Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese from Sally’s Baking Addiction Macaroni and cheese may or may not be a typical side dish on your Thanksgiving table, but regardless, you will love this butternut squash version of the classic. To make it you will need: peeled and cubed butternut squash, chicken broth, milk, minced garlic, penne pasta, plain Greek yogurt, chopped kale, salt, black pepper, shredded cheese, breadcrumbs, and chopped fresh parsley. Roasted Asparagus and Bacon from The Cooking Channel Add a delicious side of veggies that everyone will eat with these roasted asparagus spears wrapped in bacon. Everything’s better with bacon, or at least that’s our motto. What you will need: asparagus, olive oil, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, and sliced bacon. Cornbread, Chorizo, Cherry, and Pecan Stuffing from Bon Appetit Liven up your classic holiday stuffing by making this recipe, which features an eclectic combination of flavors. What you will need: unsalted butter, white wine vinegar, dried tart cherries, crumbled cornbread, chopped pecans, olive oil, fresh chorizo, chopped onions, celery stalks, salt, black pepper, garlic cloves, fresh sage, eggs, chicken stock, and fresh parsley. Focaccia di Patate from The Wednesday Chef Bread is an essential side, whether it be rolls, muffins, or sliced homemade bread. This fresh focaccia bread recipe will leave you enamored after a single bite. To make it, you will need flour, a Yukon Gold potato, fresh yeast, sugar, salt, warm water, extra-virgin olive oil, cherry or grape tomatoes, dried oregano, and coarse sea salt. What other non-traditional side dishes do you love? Share them with us in the comments so others in our apartment community can try them out. Thanks for reading our post and we hope you have a month filled with great food and even better memories here in Puyallup, WA or wherever you may be this month.