Blog Posts

Indoor Gardens in Puyallup

There are many great aspects of life at Willow Hill. From the incredibly outfitted interiors, to the beautiful surrounding areas, Willow Hill has just about everything you could want in an apartment home. The one thing you cant do here, however, is enjoy the process of maintaining a vegetable garden or can you? Many people are surprised to learn that I have a vibrant herb and vegetable garden while living in an apartment. They often assume that a home garden would be next to impossible to pull off because of the lack of yard space. While this is a valid concern, it is still possible to grow a wide variety of herbs and vegetables; all without requiring a large plot of land. You would be surprised to learn all the different foods people grow in their apartment gardens . You can plant all the usual suspects like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, but you can also grow a number of things you might not expect. Carrots and radishes, as well as some types of potatoes can be grown in low-soil environments. And, if you prefer cooking with fresh herbs, you are in for a treat; culinary classics like cilantro, rosemary, basil and oregano, to name a few, all do very well in indoor gardens. So youve decided to start a garden, but where do you put it? The deck is an obvious place, if you have one. This allows the plant more access to natural light and fresh air. Not to mention, there is less concern of spilling a little soil or water out there than inside the home. If you dont have a deck in your Puyallup apartment, you can set up your garden on a sill or table near a window. Youll want the garden to be in a place that allows the maximum amount of sunlight. If this is not an option, you can always get a relatively inexpensive light system to help your plants grow. They say it isnt possible, but you really can get the best of both worlds here at Willow Hill. Enjoy all the fun parts of having a garden without having to worry about all the undesirable aspects of yard maintenance. Then, when your garden is ready for harvest, you can enjoy the feeling of independence provided by growing your own food.

Dos and Donts of Cleaning Stainless Steel

Your stainless steel appliances give your home a sleek and polished appearance, especially when theyre sparkling clean! However, smudges and fingerprints often accumulate quickly, taking away some of the sophistication you expect from this beautiful finish. There are plenty of people with all sorts of solutions for your stainless steel sadness, but weve noticed that quite a few of these miracle cleaners dont quite do what they say they will. We have for you what NOT to do when cleaning your appliances, and a few tips on what is safe. DONT 1. Do NOT use anything abrasive, such as steel wool or scrubber sponges. These may scratch the finish. 2. Never rub the steel in a circular motion or against the grain. Always clean stainless steel with the grain. 3. Never use chlorine bleach on stainless steel. It ruins the finish and can corrode the steel. 4. Do not allow residue (cleaning products or otherwise) to sit on the surface of your appliances. Grime, dirt, and cleaning products should be removed as soon as possible. 5. Do not use furniture polish. Any drips on the fridge will be seen and the appliance will have to be coated with the polish again. 6. Avoid baby oil. While it may create a sleek shine, is also susceptible to drips from other liquids. 7. Think twice before using olive oil. It may give your appliances a temporary shine, but it can quickly turn to a greasy residue with just as many fingerprints as before. DO 1. Buy a microfiber cloth. It is gentle enough to avoid ruining the finish, but will also effectively banish streaks and smudges! 2. Use cleaning vinegar. Common vinegar works as well, but takes more elbow grease to remove stains. Cleaning vinegar can be found in many major stores and wont damage your stainless steel. 3. Buy a trusted brand of stainless steel cleaner. There are several brands of cleaning products made specifically for stainless steel, and often its best to go with the professionals! We think this list is pretty comprehensive, but would you add anything else?

Aerial Yoga in Puyallup

Have you ever wanted to be one of those people who find all of the cool stuff before anyone else has even heard of it? Well our Puyallup apartments are giving you that opportunity right now! Yoga has a certain je ne sais quoi that people cannot get enough of. It soothes your nerves AND gives you a good workout? Count me in! To those who have done yoga before, lets step it up a level; and to those who have not, dont worry about itjust dive in head first! Im talking about aerial yoga: yoga that defies gravity! Youve probably seen an aerialist before in a circus act, such as Cirque du Soleil. Theyre the ones who perform on the cloth-type ropes several feet off the ground, and hang upside down with just the ropes wound around their anklescrazy, right? Well dont worry; if youre a beginner you will not be doing stunts that put your life in danger. But if that sounds interesting to you, working up to it is a real possibility. The equipment used in aerial yoga is called a yoga swing. These are essentially hammocks, made out of fabric, that are stable enough to hold up to two thousand pounds. It acts as a support as you master the most advanced yoga poses in no time. Gymnasts work tirelessly, stretching every day to maintain optimum flexibility; however, using a yoga swing makes it feel less like work and more like play. Aerial yoga uses every part of your body, building endurance and strength more quickly than regular yoga. You will be flipping and flying through the air as you get the best workout of your life. Aerial yoga can be done year-round because yoga classes are normally held inside. But sometimes, when the weather is nice enough, classes can be taken outside because yoga swings can be mobile. Imagine being in complete control of your body as you align your breath with the natural, swift motion of the wind and become one with everything that surrounds you. There are several aerial yoga classes being offered near Puyallup and there are even more choices if you travel a little further to Seattle. Athena Vertical Dance is only a fifteen minute drive from Willow Hill Apartments. This exercise can be done by anyone, whether youre five or ninety-five. As long as you are comfortable being upside down, we encourage you to be a part of this growing trend!

Skydiving near Puyallup

The Pacific Northwest boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the countrygreen forests, picturesque mountains, and the gorgeous seascape combine in breathtaking ways around every other corner. Youve seen these beautiful views on walks, on drives, maybe on a ferry or boat ride; but have you ever seen them from above? The first successful freefall and parachute skydiving attempt occurred in the year 1919; now, ninety-five years later, skydiving has become a world-popular sport. In the United States alone, over three million jumps are made each year. And if youre interested, you can be one of them! Several professional skydiving centers are conveniently located within a short drive from our Willow Hill apartments. Skydive Kapowsin is located an hour west of Puyallup, in Shelton, while Skydive Snohomish is located an hour north inof courseSnohomish. Both centers offer tandem jumping (skydiving while attached to an instructor who will monitor protocols so beginners can enjoy and learn), skydiving classes, and the opportunity to earn a skydiving license so that you can try it on your own! Check out their websites to learn more. If youre worried about safety, you neednt bethe sport is very safe, and every year new technologies and gadgets are being invented to make it even safer. Tandem skydiving guarantees that youll have someone along who could handle any problem that could come up, although its unlikely that one would. But, if you are still uncomfortable with the idea of jumping from a plane, there is another option. iFLY Indoor Skydiving offers people the chance to skydive in a wind tunnelyou can have the experience of freefalling without ever getting more than a few feet from the ground. Plus, indoor skydiving is great way to practice the form and technique of skydiving to get ready for (or perfect) real skydiving. And heres the best part: iFLY is located just twenty minutes away from Puyallup in Tukwila! You can go and practice whenever you want.

Museum of Flight near Puyallup

Humankinds first powered flight took place on December 17th, 1903a short, straight glide of 120 feet. Since then, we have learned to fly across continents, oceans, around the globe, and even into space. If youve ever been interested in learning more about the amazing achievements in flight that humans have pursued and achieved, then youre in luck: Willow Hill Apartments in Puyallup are located less than an hours drive away from the famous Museum of Flight in Seattle. The Museum of Flight features an impressive variety of exhibits, ranging from The Birth of Aviation to Space: Exploring the New Frontier. Visitors are invited to explore fighters from World War I and World War II, sit in the cockpit of a replica Hornet fighter or a genuine SR-71A Blackbird, and even explore SAM 970, the original Air Force One. Other hands-on exhibits include a visit to an air control tower and a tour of the genuine Space Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment. Special exhibits and education programs are also available for youth from ages five to seventeen, including the Challenger Learning Center, where students can learn about astronauts and the NASA space program. If youre interested in the amazing exhibits of the Museum of Flight, you can attend seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Admission prices are $19 dollars for adults and $11 for youths. Check out their site here for more information.

Study Tips You Can Use in Your Puyallup Apartment

October is coming to an end, which means it wont be much longer before the students among us begin cramming for finals. Others have late midterms and other projects and tests to study for. Some of you might have projects at work that require a lot of reading and studying, or others might have new jobs with a lot of processes to learn. Or perhaps you just want to learn and retain something new. Whatever your situation, weve collected a few useful tips for studying well that may be of aid, and you can use any of them right in your Puyallup apartment. Study before and after sleep. All too many of us have been up late studying for the next dayit turns out, that can be very good for learning! The brain strengthens new memories during sleep, so studying just before you turn in for the night can help you better remember what you reviewed. In the morning, your mind is rested and relaxed and ready to take in and retain new information. Move around. Whether were aware of it or not, our brain is constantly forming new associations. You might associate a particular smell with a particular person, or a song with a conversation you once had while it was playing in the background. When you study the same information in more than one place, your brain can form multiple associations with multiple environments, strengthening the memory of what you studied. Write it down and read it out. Reading is only one way that we can take in new informationwhen you write information down, your brain uses different skills to go over the information, which strengthens its recollection of the info. Similarly, when you read out loud, your brain is not just seeing but also hearing the information, giving you yet a third layer of mind that the info has gone through. These are just a few useful tips. For a whole lot more (and links to the scientific studies behind these tips), check out this article here .