Apartment Living with a Splash of Lifestyle

IT IS GOING TO SNOW IN ALISO VIEJO TOMORROW

It is going to be 80 degrees in Aliso Viejo tomorrow but that won’t stop the snow.  Once again Grand Park will be turned into a winter wonderland! This is a great time for our Aliso Viejo apartment resident to cool down and have some fun.  Grab your sled and climb up Grand Mountain to slide down the long run for all you dare devils, or hop on an inner tube and enjoy a ride down Bunny Hill which will be turned into the short run. Snow Man Park will be transformed onto a playground of snow for children 5 and under. The festivities begin at 10:00AM and last until 2:00PM. Along with tons of snow there will be refreshments and music.

Here are the details:

-          $5.00 per person to sled and play in the snow

-          Pre-registration is required. Contact City of Aliso Viejo City Hall to register, located at 12 Journey #100, Aliso Viejo. For undated information about the Snow Fest please call 949/425-2537. 

HOT WINTER COCKTAILS UNDER 200 CALORIES – EASY ENOUGH TO MAKE AT YOUR APARTMENT

Whether you are making a cocktail at your apartment or ordering one at happy hour, you don’t have to sacrifice taste to stay warm this winter. Trick your taste buds and have a low calorie cocktail inspired by American favorites. Here are 5 warm cocktails that are less than 200 calories.

THE LOW CAL MEXICAN COFFEE

This warm treat is delightful for your mouth and extremely quick to make. If you want to reduce the calories even further you can lower the amount of coffee liqueur added and up the tequila. Pour all the listed ingredients together and enjoy.

Recipe

6 oz. of hot coffee - 3

1 oz. of coffee liqueur - 91 calories

1.5 oz. of tequila (use your favorite brand) – 97 calories

2 Tbsp. of fat free whip cream Optional (Reddi wip) – 5 calories

Calories: 196

Servings: 1

HOT CHOCOLATE WITH A KICK

If you’re not the make-it-from-scratch kind of person, then this is the drink for you. Not only will this drink warm your belly, it tastes so good it will leave you wanting another!

1 packet of sugar-free hot chocolate (Swiss miss) – 60 calories

1 Tbsp. Dark Rum – 66 calories

10 Mini Marshmallow (optional) – 20 calories

Calories: 146

Servings: 1

HOT APPLE PIE

Nothing warms you better than the sweet taste of hot apple cider. This recipe is a really delight. Heat the cider, throw in the agave and lemon juice, and for the finale add rum. You can put the whole cinnamon stick or grate in flakes to add a sweet and savory flavor.

1 oz. apple cider – 15 calories

1⁄8 oz. lemon juice – not enough to count

1⁄2 oz. agave nectar – 32.25 calories

1⁄2 oz. Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum – 34.5 calories

1 cinnamon stick – 17 calories

Calories 95.75 – too good to be true!

Servings: 1

GINGERBREAD TODDY

The gingerbread toddy will warm you up faster than an electric blanket. Not only will it keep you warm but every sip will fool you into thinking you’re eating a gingerbread cookie. Add all the ingredients below into a cup and stir. If you would like the toddy extra hot, throw your mug in the microwave (with all the ingredients) for 60 seconds.

1 oz. brandy – 64 calories

1 oz. gingerbread liqueur - 103

1 lemon wedge – not enough to care!

8 oz. hot water – 0 calories

Cinnamon stick (optional) - 17 calories

Calories: 184

Servings: 1

SKINNY IRISH COFFEE

A twist on an old classic and super easy to make. Mix all the ingredients below together and your cocktail is ready for sipping. Who knows, after a couple you might be inspired to turn on a little Flogging Molly and do the Irish jig.

1.5 ounce Jameson Irish Whiskey – 103.5

6 oz. coffee – 3 calories

Splenda (optional) – 0 calories

Calories 106.3

Servings: 1

Do you have any other tasty hot drink creations?

MAYONNAISE – 5 USEFUL WAYS TO USE IT AROUND YOUR APARTMENT

Mayonnaise is a delicious condiment that adds a delightful taste to any sandwich, salad or dipping treat, however Mayonnaise is more than just spread it is a powerful cleaning product too. This common household item works well removing glue residues, grease and other stains. Grab a bottle of mayo and start cleaning yourself, your apartment and your car, there is no mess this condiment can’t handle.

Tough stains on your hands? Mayonnaise works great to remove grease or tar off your hands. All you have to do is scoop some mayo out of the jar, rub it on the stain, wait a couple of minutes and clean off with water.

Crayon or water stains on your furniture? Rub some mayonnaise on these pesky problems, let it sit for about an hour and  wipe off with a damp cloth.

Residue on glass or plastic? Not to worry! If a label, price tag or any other sticky residue is left behind all you have to do is saturate the sticky part with some good ‘ol fashion mayo, rub around for a minute and wash off. 

Tar on your car? Its time to take the mayo outside! When your car has tar buildup from the road, all you need is some mayo to make the tar disappear. Rub a glob of mayonnaise on the affected area, let it sit for several minutes and wipe with a soft rag. Not only will the mayo remove the tar, it will remove without damaging your paint - hey it goes in your mouth I hope it would be safe on your car!

Piano keys turning yellow? If your piano keys are looking dull and discolored just wipe mayonnaise on them, wait a couple of minutes and wipe off. Your keys will look shiny and new.

Mayo is one multi-purpose condiment! Not only can it fight grim, goo and grease,  it can also be used as a beauty product. Spread it on your skin for an instant facial, use it to condition your beautiful locks and brush it on your plants leaves for a quick shine. It has also been used to clean up animals in oil spills!

What have you put mayonnaise on?

VAMP UP YOUR APARTMENT IN 2012

It’s a new year and a new you, why not vamp up your apartment too. Ditch those white walls and give your apartment a pop of color. Choosing the right color for your apartment can be tricky, that’s why I am here to help. Before you grab that paint brush, make sure you check with your apartment management to confirm you are allowed to paint your walls. If you can’t, not to worry you can still give your apartment a splash of color without painting the walls; you will just have to get creative. Before we get to that blog lets discuss the best practice for picking a color for your apartment.

1. Neutral. You cannot go wrong with painting your apartment walls in a neutral tone. The shades in this family will add warmth and comfort to any room.  Using a neutral color will allow you to add pops of color with fun accents like a rug, sofa pillows and etc. Light tan and beige are great colors that will go with any decorating style.
2. Natural Shades. If you love the outdoors and would like to bring it in your apartment, light shades of blue and green are the perfect fit for you. These colors not only give your walls a colorful pop, they pull your eyes to the window which opens up the room. When choosing these colors make sure you are picking light shades. The best accent pieces to coordinate with light green and blue are whites, yellows and browns.
3. Yellow. Who doesn’t love yellow?! It’s the color of sunshine. Painting your walls a bright yellow will open up any space; making it appear larger.  Another bonus is... Yellow is a color that makes people happy so when you have guest over you will have a bunch of happy people! It also makes a room feel warm and cozy. Wood furniture looks great in yellow rooms as well as white.

Painting your apartment walls in light colors will keep your space open and airy. If you are one who likes darker tones make sure your furniture is a light color with clean lines and keep the room free of clutter. A dark color will pull the walls in making a room feel smaller than it actually is, trust me I know. One time I decided to paint my bedroom rock star purple (a deep, deep purple) and put dark, handcrafted pieces of wood furniture in it. This did not last long, not only did the room feel closed off and sad, it made me sad and being sad is no fun. Remember neutral, natural and yellows are always going to be the best way to go when picking a color for your apartment, with so many colors in those tones I am sure you will find the one that fits your personality – good luck!

What color have you painted your apartment walls?

HAPPY MARTIN LUTHER KING’S DAY FROM SHEA APARTMENTS

People around the country are celebrating Martin Luther King’s Day and Shea Apartment Communities would like to join in on the celebration and wish everyone a wonderful day.

"We have come from different ships, but we're in the same boat now" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM DAY WITH SHEA APARTMENTS

Did you know that this Sunday, January 15, 2012, is National Strawberry Ice Cream Day?! It is a day to remove your spoon from chocolate and vanilla and pay your respects to the delicious flavor of strawberry. There is so much to like about strawberry ice cream, its fresh, creamy and just pure delightful! Shea Apartment Communities will be celebrating this delicious national holiday, we just couldn’t resist.

If you live at the Shea apartments in Laguna Niguel or Club Laguna Apartments, head over to their resident services office between 1:00 – 4:00PM for a scrumptious scoop of strawberry ice cream and give tribute to the amazing flavor.

If you are feeling dangerous, whip up some strawberry ice cream from scratch. Don’t forget to send a picture of the end result.

Here is a strawberry ice cream recipe that will knock your socks off.

Ingredients:

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar, divided

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl, set aside in fridge for 1 hour.

Grab a large mixing bowl and beat eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add 3/4 cups sugar, mixing well. Stir in milk and vanilla and mix well.

Add strawberries with juice and mix well.

Gently stir in whipping cream just until combined.

Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Whola! Now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

ANNOUNCING SHEA APARTMENT COMMUNITIES GEMM NOMINEES

I am proud to announce Shea Apartment Communities nominations for the GEMM Awards -we couldn’t be more excited!

Drumroll please.. AND the nominees are:

• Brian Olsen, Community Manager at Crystal Springs Apartments.       Olsen was nominated for Community Manager of the Year for a community with 300 – 399 apartments.

• Eva Avila, Assistant Community Manager at Club Laguna Apartments. Avila was nominated for Assistant Manager of the Year for a community with 300 – 399 apartments.

• Del Parry, Community Manager at Madrid Apartments. Parry was nominated for Community Manager of the Year for a community with 200 – 299 apartments.
• Laura Donahue, Leasing Consultant at City Lights Apartments. Donahue was nominated for Leasing Professional of the Year for a community with 600+ apartment.

• Manny Nava, Maintenance at City Lights Apartments. Nava was nominated for Maintenance Technician of the Year for a community with 400+ apartments.

• Devon Nevett, Leasing Consultant at Club Laguna Apartments. Nevett was nominated for Leasing Professional of the Year for a community with 400 – 599 apartments

• Christine Chalawatanabul, Account Administrator at Club Laguna Apartments. Chalawatanabul was nominated for Administrator/Bookkeeper of the Year.

• James Theall, Leasing Consultant at Seaside at Laguna Heights Apartments. Theall was nominated for Leasing Professional of the Year for a community with 400 – 599 apartments.

• Jorge Aguirre, Maintenance at Seaside at Laguna Heights Apartments. Aguirre was nominated for Maintenance Technician of the Year for a community with 400+ apartments.

• Crystal Springs Apartments, our apartments in Fountain Valley California. Crystal Springs was nominated for Community of the Year with 300+ apartments – more than 20 years old.

• Woodbridge Meadows Apartments, our apartments in Irvine California. Woodbridge Meadows was nominated for Community of the Year with 300+ apartments – more than 20 years old.

And those are our nominees – isn’t that fabulous?! We are so proud of all our nominees and cannot wait for the awards to come. Just in case you aren’t familiar with the GEMM awards, here is a little more info.

The GEMM Awards (Greater Excellence in Management and Maintenance) are hosted every year by the South Coast Apartment Association (SCAA) and are the most sought after awards in the multifamily industry.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

Shea Apartment Communities would like to wish you a Happy New Years! Welcome to 2012, we hope it’s a fantastic year for all!!!

PLAN A NEW YEARS EVE PARTY FOR YOUR KIDDIES

New Year’s Eve is not just for adults the kids love to celebrate this grand event too. If you in the mood to stay in on NYE, why not invite all your kiddies friends over and plan a kids New Year’s Eve extravaganza. Here’s how!

The Decorations

• Just like any other kids party, you want it to be colorful and fun; think streamers and balloons. A candy theme would be perfect, with lollipop center pieces, a candy corner and more. After all, you want the kids to stay up until midnight and I have a feeling candy will do the trick.
• Pass out party hats, tiaras and noise makers.  
• Create a New Year’s Eve banner and hang it low enough for the kids to touch. As they come in have the kids write on the banner and then take a picture of them in front of it, so they have a little keepsake to take home.

The Crafts

You have to keep the kids busy in order to avoid fussing and fighting, confetti balloons should do the trick!

• Give the kiddies construction, glitter and any other scraps they can make confetti with. Place a bowl in front of each child and have them put their confetti creation it.
• Once the kids are finished grab a balloon, a funnel and one child’s confetti bowl. Place the funnel in the balloon and pour the confetti into the deflated balloon. Repeat for all children.
• Once all the balloons are filled with confetti, blowup each of them and tie. Write the child’s name on the balloon with a sharpie or paint and pin to the wall. Make sure to pin the balloon by the bottom of the tie to avoid popping.
• Give each kid a clothespin at the stroke of midnight and let them pop their balloon. I have to warn you this will get messy but they kids will enjoy.

The Refreshments

Keep this kiddie friendly! No need to get fancy.

• Fruit punch should do the trick.
• Hand sandwiches, chips, dips, fruit, veggies and crackers are a good choice for the main course.
• Don’t forget the sweets!

Your kiddies will enjoy and their friend’s parents will thank you!

Do you have any other tips?

NEW YEARS EVE EVENTS HAPPENING AROUND YOUR ORANGE COUNTY APARTMENT!

We hope you had a great Christmas holiday. Now that that’s behind us we can focus on New Year’s Eve. Yeah! What do you have planned? We are only five days away to the start of 2012 and I can hardly wait! There are so many events going on this New Year’s I thought it would be fun to share some of my top picks near our Orange County apartments, here we go.

OC FAIR NEW YEARS BLOCK PARTY

This is a great event for those who want to party in style and leave their black ties at home. Throw on your best blue jeans and put on your dancing shoes for a celebration unlike any other. The OC Fair New Year’s Eve Black Party will have multiple stages with tribute bands singing music from the 60’s to the 90’s. There will be a comedy show, dueling piano entertainment, a casino lounge, rides and more. It you want to get your dance on, just jump into the party zone where a DJ will be spinning dance music form the last 5 decades. Did I mention there will be food and beverages galore?!

•             Time: 7:30PM – 1:30AM
•             Tickets: $40 per person
•             Parking: $10 - $20

GREAT NIGHT! GREAT PARK FAMILY NEW YEAR’S EVE

If you are looking for a family affair, jump on over to Irvine’s Great Park. Not only will this party be rocking with music from the 40’s to present, there will be local dance groups, a disco DJ and a 5-piece band that will rock the night away. Dads can enjoy looking at military vehicles and vintage cars while the kiddies enjoy crafts and carousal rides. Gourmet food vendors will line the park. This is the perfect place for residents at our apartments in Irvine, enjoy!

• Time: 5:00 – 9:00PM
• Tickets: Free
• Parking: $10

RITZ-CARLTON, LAGUNA NIGUEL NEW YEAR”S CELEBRATION

Now I only recommend this if you are feeling like a baller because it is a tab bit pricey. The Ritz New Year’s celebration starts with a four course meal prepared by Executive Chef Andres Jimenez and then move on to hours of live entertainment. There will be confetti canyons and a midnight champagne toast – all to make a memorable night. This is a great event for residents at our Laguna Niguel apartments!

• Time: Seating begins at 8:00PM
• Tickets: Don’t gasp - $375

QUEEN MARY NEW YEAR’S EVE

This event is on the outskirts of OC but close enough to mention. Jump onboard the Queen Mary for a night of food and dancing – if you’re feeling saucy you can make a weekend out of it! There will be seven parties on board this famous lady from jazz, dueling pianos, disco and more. To make your NYE night even better, peek into the sky at 9:00PM and midnight for spectacular firework shows – WOWZERS!

• Time: 6:00PM – 2:00AM
• Tickets: $99

With so many events happening around this great city, I cannot name them all but please share where you will be going to bring in the New Year.