Blog Posts

Energy-Saving Tips For Your Puyallup Apartment

When it comes to trying to save energy, there really isnt a downside. Lower energy uses means less damage to the environment and will also result in a lower utilities bill. And who doesnt want that? Here at Canyon Park Apartments in Puyallup, were all about helping you saveso if youre looking for a few more ways to conserve energy and save money, heres some ideas: Turn appliances off: Its always a good idea to be in the habit of turning off the light or a fan when you leave the room. Beyond those, though, there are many appliances that are frequently missed or which continue running in standby mode, draining extra energy. People often forget to turn off Blu-ray, DVD, and VCR players, for instance, as well as gaming consoles, computers, and printers. Leaving a laptop plugged in after it is fully charged not only uses extra electricity, but is also bad for the laptop battery! Adjust the temperature: Air conditioning can be a big energy sink; and the colder you set it, the more energy it will use! Try raising the temperature a few degrees closer to the outside temperatureyou might be surprised at the difference it will make. And if youre going to be out of town, turn the A/C off entirely! Theres no point in cooling an unused apartment, after all. Air dry: Air-drying clothing instead of putting them through the dryer can be a bit more space- and time-consuming, but it can save a lot of energy. Plus, if the Gilbert air is too dry for you, this can be a nice way to get some humidity into your apartment without the cost and energy-consumption of a humidifier. If you dont want to go to the effort, then you can set your dryer to use the auto-sensor function so that it doesnt keep running after the clothes dry. Most dishwashers have an air-dry setting, too, which uses less energy than the heat-dry setting. Watch that water: Laundry and dishwashers usually have various water settingssome use more water than others, and you can save water by switching to the lowest. Make sure not to let the water run while youre brushing your teeth or washing dishes, keep your showers quick, and put a bottle or jar filled with sand or rocks into the tank of your toiletthat way, it will use less water per flush. And dont forget to keep an eye out for leaks; one little dripping faucet can cost you quite a lot come the end of the month! Have any other great energy-saving tips? Let us know in the comments!

Winter Driving Tips in Puyallup

The winter season is upon us, and with it comes the perils of driving in the snow. While Puyallup is a pretty warm refuge from those winter storms, we all need to venture out into the cold at some point. When we do get out, its important to take every precaution we can to avoid smashing our vehicles, and more importantly, injuring ourselves or someone else. Below you will find a few safety tips for driving in the snow, you can use to have an accident-free, winter season. There are certain things that can be done to prepare yourself for winter driving. One of the first things you should do is check the tread depth on your tires. You should have at least 6/32-inch deep tread on all four tires; if not, it is time to replace them. If there is a heavy storm, you dont want to have to worry about where your car will go when you turn the wheel. New tires can seem expensive, especially during the holiday season, but they are much less costly than replacing the front end of your car after sliding into an embankment. You can prepare yourself and your car for winter, but there are still situations that are out of your control. The best thing to do is simply slow down and take your time. We get so caught up in our daily grind, and need to cram as much as possible into our days, that it makes it easy to forget about driving conditions. Speeding around in icy conditions puts everyone around us in peril. If we plan ahead, and give ourselves a little extra time, we can avoid putting ourselves or anyone else in danger. In addition to slowing down, you want to be sure to give yourself plenty of time to stop. The recommended distance is three car lengths between you, and the car in front of you. This will prevent you from stomping your brakes when the driver in front of you stops unexpectedly. While locking the breaks is often a natural reaction, it is NOT what you want to do in low traction situations. This is because doing so can cause you to skid out of control. The best thing to do is lightly tap on your brake. If your wheels lock up, then ease of the brake and try gently tapping again. Ease pressure on the breaks in order to reduce speed gradually, but steadily. This will prevent the tires from losing traction and, given enough distance, will allow you to come to a safe stop. Many of us will find ourselves getting stuck in the snow at some point this winter. When this happens, dont punch the gas pedal in hopes of climbing out. More often than not, this strategy will end up digging you deeper and making it harder to get out. Instead, turn your wheels from side to side in an effort to clear snow from around the tires. Push on the gas lightly; Try reversing, and then moving forward. If you still find yourself stuck, you might have to get out and clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car. For this reason we recommend keeping a small, collapsible shovel in your trunk; it will come in handy for situations like this and the occasional, car-burying blizzard. We hope that everyone can stay safe during this winter season. A little caution and preparation will do a lot to protect you and everyone around you. Simple things like leaving your apartment just thirty minutes earlier than usual, and taking your time as you drive, can greatly reduce your chances of getting into an accident. Stay safe out there!

Laptop Care Tips for Your Puyallup Apartment

Take a moment to try to picture your life without computers. Its a completely different existence, isnt it? No more smartphones, tablets, netbooks, laptops, or desktop computers . . . think of all the conveniences you would lose. No matter how you spend your time here in Puyallup work, school, or play computers probably make it easier or more enjoyable. The computers in our lives tend to be wonderful, helpful things, whether were looking to work more efficiently or relax and have fun. So its always a good idea to take good care of your computersthose things can be expensive to replace, after all! And of all the computers in our lives, larger portable computers like laptops and netbooks tend to be the easiest to break or wear out while being costly to repair or replace. Here at Willow Hill, we want to do all we can to help you to live connectedso heres a few tips for caring for your portable computer. Run your laptop on a smooth hard surface. They may be called laptops, but your lap isnt the best place for them. Pillows, blankets, and other soft, uneven surfaces can block airflow out of your computer and cause it to overheat, which is one of the biggest contributors to computer failure. Put your computer to sleep before putting it in your bag. Just because you closed the lid does not mean the hard drive has stoppedit can take several seconds for the hard drive to shut down. And while that hard drive is spinning, it is more vulnerable to being damaged if the computer is moved or bumped. Dont leave it plugged in all the time. Being plugged in all the time isnt good for your computers battery. If you were to remain sitting all day, every day, your muscles would begin to atrophy from lack of useits kind of the same for your laptops battery. It needs to get out and get some exercise now and then. Plus, unplugging the laptop regularly can save on your electricity bill! Clean out your computer every year or so. We dont mean to delete unwanted filesget yourself a can of compressed air, a laptop vacuum, and some cotton swabs and clean out the vents and openings of the computer. Dust buildup is a major cause of computer overheating and failure. Shut down the computer once a week. Most computers are programmed to perform standard self-maintenance when they shut down and reboot, such as clearing caches and short-term memory or installing system updates. You might be surprised how many problems this can fix! Did we miss any great computer care tips? Please let us know in the comments!

New Year s Eve Events around Puyallup

The New Year: parties, resolutions, beginnings. Out with the old, and in with the new! It might all sound like a clichÃ©, but thats no reason that we cant all enjoy it. New Years resolutions might be notoriously difficult to stick with, but when you do, it is worth it. There is always something we want to improve about ourselves; and usually, the only thing standing in our way is us. All we need is some firm resolve, and we can change. So take advantage of the new year, and make a resolution or two! But before we can bring in the New Year, we need to ring out the old! Everyone has a different way of celebrating New Years Evesome people like to get together with friends, while others prefer a quiet evening at home. Still others just sleep through the whole thing! But for many of us, parties and entertainment are the way to go. And fortunately, the Puyallup area is full of great New Years Eve events. One of the largest is Tacomas First Night : First Night Tacoma-Pierce County is a family-friendly, arts-centered, alcohol free celebration of New Year's Eve that takes place throughout the downtown Tacoma theater district. A First Night button costing approximately $10 ($14 Day of Event) is all it takes to gain admission to a number of different activities during the daylight hours. Children under the age of 10 are admitted free of charge. The main event kicks off at 6pm by a participatory parade that includes marching bands, costumes, masks and giant puppets. As the parade ends music, dance, laughter fire and magic light up 20 different stages and spaces until midnight. The outdoor events are free to all festival goers. The theme for this coming year is built around the Year of the Ram. We'll feature activities that will play with various aspects of the theme, utilizing artists from the community. And of course, everyone gathers at the outdoor main stage at midnight to join in music, dance, fire and wonder as we wish well the New Year. If that doesnt sound like your style, then check out these lists of events going on in Puyallup and Tacoma , Seattle , and the Kitsap Peninsula . Youre sure to find something youll enjoy. Happy New Year to all of our residents here at Willow Hill!

Make Your Own Coffee Syrups in your Puyallup Apartment

How many of you begin your day with a large cup of coffee? Most of us can use a pick-me-up in the morning, especially when we need to be up early for work or school. And while there are plenty of places to get coffee in Puyallup, their prices can add up quickly. Its a lot less expensive to make your own coffee at home. Although, its not just the coffee at those shops, is it? Its the great variety of flavors and add-ins that they have available. There are nearly as many ways to prepare coffee as there are people drinking it! But theres no reason why you cant prepare whatever variety of coffee that you want at homeyou can buy your own creamers and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg at nearly any grocery store. And as for all of those flavored syrups that your favorite coffee cafÃ© has, well . . . you can make your own. Its actually extremely easy. All you need to do is boil equal parts of water and sugar (honey is also a viable option in place of sugar). Once the sugar is dissolved, you can add whatever flavoring you want. Some of our favorites are mint extract or peppermint essential oil, caramel sauce, and vanilla extract. Or you can mix and match to create more creative flavorings! Orange extract and vanilla extract combine for a great orange cream syrup, for instance, while lavender oil and brown sugar make a tasty, aromatic mix. For storage, you can usually find oil drizzling bottles at many stores for low prices or online at DollarTree.com . Many come with their own convenient labelsyou can make a whole shelf of brightly colored, beautiful syrups. Most homemade syrups will keep for several months on a shelf at room temperature. The shelf life will depend on the ingredients you useoils and extracts will make a longer-lasting syrup than fresh ingredients, so keep an eye on what you put in each one. Have any other great ideas for making your own fancy coffee mixes at home? Let us know in the comments!

Plants For Your Puyallup Apartment

Last week we talked about creating an indoor garden. Maybe youre not interested in growing food in your apartment, thoughmaybe you just like having a splash of summer in your home through the winter. Heres a list of five great plants that you can keep inside your Puyallup apartment. Aloe vera is one of the easiest plants to take care of due to its draught tolerant nature. Often confused for cacti, these spiny looking plants are actually succulents which is a kind of plant with thick, meaty sections that it uses to store water. In addition to helping purify the air, aloe leaves can be broken open and the gel inside used to heal minor cuts and burns. The Spiderplant, or Clorophytum, was the first plant I ever grew on my own. My mother had one growing in the kitchen of our Bangor housing growing up and let me start my own from one of the mother plants babies. If I could grow one when I was 7 years old and keep it alive for several years, anyone can. These plants are very draught tolerant which makes them great for apartments. Also, you can mount them high and let them hang down to give off a bit of a rainforest vibe. The Aspenium nidus, or Birds Nest Fern is another popular houseplant. Not only do these plants require little water, but their color is a little brighter than many other houseplants. Birds Nest Ferns can be found just about anywhere and make a great addition to any kitchen or living room. Another plant that will add a splash of color to your apartment is the Limelight Dracaena. These plants are very drought tolerant, which makes them good house plants. What really sets these plants apart, however, is the fact that they actually thrive in low-light situations. Thats right, limelights unique green hue is most easily maintained by keeping it in a room without much direct sunlight. This makes them perfect for offices and apartments alike. The Philodendron, or Monstera Deliciosa, is one of the more popular house plants out there. This is because of their unique look and the fact that they can grow to be truly massive if taken care of properly. Now, you will need to leave the plant away from windows but close enough to get indirect light and you must rotate it every few weeks to prevent the leaves from growing unevenly. All of these plants are very well suited for life inside an apartment building. Not only because they are drought tolerant, but because they are low maintenance ways to add a touch of life to your home. Furthermore, having plants around the home improves the quality of the air you breathe. So keep this in mind as you head out this weekend. Maybe bring home a potted plant or two. Just make sure you check to see if it can handle indoor life before you condemn some poor outdoor plant to a slow and painful death.