Blog Posts

Autumn is in the Air Fall Party Ideas

With fall in full swing, its the perfect time to plan a get-together with family, friends, or neighbors, and make good use of the clubhouse at your community. Or if you are in charge of a youth group, a book club, or a special interest group, your clubhouse might be the perfect place to meet. But planning a party, function, or get together can be a pain. Here are some ideas of what to include for an autumn themed gathering. Decorations - Tablecloths in fall colors, red, brown, orange, yellow set the tone. Add some fall leaves (real or paper), and pumpkins, gourds, or cornucopia all are simple, easy ways to decorate. And if you are feeling ambitious, grab some hay bales and corn stalks for an outdoorsy, country feel. Food -- What says fall more than pumpkins? Serve one of these recipes for instant crowd approval. Pumpkin Soup from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Moist Pumpkin Muffins from Food.com Or this personal favorite, Pumpkin Pie Cake Pumpkin Pie Cake Directions: Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees; then complete each step as directed. Crust: 1 yellow cake mix minus 1 cup. (Set 1 cup aside) c butter, melted 1 egg Mix cake mix, melted butter, and egg together until it forms a soft dough. Lightly grease a 9X13 baking pan. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. Set aside. Filling: 2 cups pumpkin puree 2 eggs ? cup milk cup brown sugar 3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to equal 3 tsp.) Mix together until well blended. Pour over top of crust. Topping: 1 cup reserved cake mix cup butter cup brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon Mix cake mix, sugar, and cinnamon together, then cut butter into cake mix with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the chunks are the size of peas. Sprinkle over the top of the filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes (until a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean). Cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream. Along with food, an activity where everyone disconnects from their media and concentrates on conversation and building relationships is a win. Here are some suggestions to get folks interacting. For a group who does not know each other well icebreaker or mingling games work well to get everyone involved: Mingle - Everyone walks around the room repeating the work, Mingle, repeatedly, until the MC calls out a number. Then everyone has two get in groups of that number. If there is anyone left-over at the end (they cant make up the correct number) they go to the Conversation Club (or you can call it jail) where they can visit with each other. Repeat the mingling and calling out of numbers until everyone is in the Conversation Club. And this is another variation of a mingling game to help people get to know each other. Simply having an assortment of board games or card games is also a fun way to promote conversation and provides the opportunity of getting better acquainted. Or putting together a puzzle, doing a craft together, or doing a service project, can all create a sense of camaraderie. Whatever you do, isnt it great to have access to the clubhouse at your community? Leave a comment and tell us about your event.

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.

Upcoming Concerts around Puyallup

Music is performed year-round, but summer is the season of concerts. Late evenings and warm temperatures combine to form the perfect music-listening mood. Check out these performances around Puyallup at the upcoming tail-end of summer. September 4th, 9:00pm: Swans at the Showbox This American experimental rock band is known for its unusual instrumentation and repetitive song structures. They were originally active from 1982 to 1997, and then reformed in 2010. Also performing is Carla Bozulich. September 9th, 7:30pm: Coheed and Cambria at the Paramount Over the past ten years, Coheed and Cambria have distinguished themselves as rock and roll storytellers. Their albums tell the narrative of The Amory Wars, a science-fiction epic written by lead singer-guitarist Claudio Sanchez. The band will be performing with special guests Thank You Scientist. September 10th, 7:00pm: Feed Me With Teeth at the Paramount Jon Gooch is a drum and bass, dubstep, and electro house producer and DJ. He is more commonly known by his stage names Feed Me and Spor. Fans that buy tickets through the pre-sale system will receive an exclusive early copy of Time For Myself, a track from Feed Mes upcoming EP. Special guest Le Castle Vania will be performing as well. September 10th, 8:30pm: The Breeders at the Paramount Best known for their 1993 hit single Cannonball, The Breeders are an American alternative rock band headed by sisters Kim and Kelley Deal. In 2013, original band members Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson reunited with the sisters for a tour on the 20th anniversary of the release of their most popular album, Last Splash. The band is joined in this performance by The Neptunes. September 13th, 7:30pm: Katy Perry at the Tacoma Dome Come see Katy Perrys Prismatic World Tour, featuring songs from her new album Prism and a state-of-the-art stage designed especially for this show. Plus, one dollar from each ticket sold will be donated to UNICEF. Opening for Katy is the popular twin sister duo Tegan and Sara.

Adding Heirlooms to Your Apartment Decor

We all have them, boxes that we lug around from place to place, but never unpack. And perhaps, in one of those boxes, you have carefully packed family heirlooms treasured bits and pieces from yesterday, that are safely cocooned away. And while they may be safe, consider the pleasure they could bring if they were displayed in your apartment to be enjoyed by all. Heirlooms can bring a unique touch to your decorating theme. Who else do you know who has a 1930s era fishermans creel? Or what about those old-time family photographs? The black and white and sepia toned hues can be used to create a striking visual focus for one of your walls. Do you have your grandmothers cookie jar? Pull it out, clean it out, and fill it with cookies, and create fond memories for a new generation. Did your grandfather smoke a pipe? Or have a favorite coffee mug youve inherited. A small shelf would be the perfect place to display the items. Did your grandmother do handwork? Display a collection of small items together in a shadow box, using tatting or a crochet doily in the background. Do you have boxes of old photographs with interesting views, people, experiences, but nobody wrote on the back, so you dont really know who they are, but you cant quite bring yourself to throw them out? Scan them and create a picture book for your coffee table. Mixbook , Heritage Makers , and Snapfish all offer programs to create photo books. Do you have a collection of programs and ticket stubs? A mason jar or shadow box makes an interesting place to display them. Shadow boxes also make a great way to display scout or military insignia and awards. Display your great-grandmothers handmade quilt on the wall or fold it over a quilt stand. And each day they spend out of a dusty box, the closer you can become to the people whose lives paved the way for you to become the person you are today. Please feel free to share a picture of something you inherited in the comments.

A Brief History of Pool

In todays blog, we will take a look at the history of billiards, which comes with its own vocabulary and rules, and the popular American pool game, eight ball. Evolved from lawn games like croquet, billiards refers to a game played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls moving them around a cloth covered billiard table cushioned with rubber rails. Billiards refers to all games played on such a table with our without pockets. On the other hand, pool (also called pocket billiards in some places) is billiard game played on a table with six pockets (one in each corner and two in the center of the longer rail). The earliest documented record of a billiard table was made in 1470? The table, made of stone, with a cloth covering, and a hole in the center which balls could be driven into, was on an inventory of property owned by King Louis XI of France. Louis wasnt the only royal to enjoy a game of billiards. Mary, Queen of Scots was known to enjoy the game, and it was played in many royal courts. The stick, known as a cue short for the French queue, came along later. Pool was originally played with maces being used to strike at the balls, which was difficult when they were positioned close to the edge of the table. Thus the cue stick was an improvement. Wool is still the fabric choice for covering pool tables, being in use for over 400 years (though todays wool is a high-tech blend). Billiard balls were once made of ivory, Sorel cement (an imitation ivory), and a composite called nitrocellulose; today various plastics and resins are used. Billiards claim the honor of being the first sport to have a Worlds Champion, happening in 1873. Some notable pool players include Thomas Jefferson, (who had a pool room concealed in Monticello) W.C. Fields, and Tom Hanks. The most popular American pool game is 8 ball . In this game each player tries to claim a suit (usually stripes or solids), pocketing all of the balls in that suit, then legally pocket the 8-ball, at the same time denying ones opponent opportunities to do the same with their suit and without pocketing the cue ball. So the next time you head to the clubhouse for a game of pool, reflect for a moment on the history of the game. And feel free to share a story about pool in the comments.

Can I Stay with You Hosting Overnight Guests

The phone rings and its your sisters husbands cousin calling to say hes going to be in town, and asking if you can put him up for a few days. Of course you are willing to have him stay, but you dont have a dedicated guest room, so what is the best way to make use of the space in your home? Weve gathered some tips for making guests comfortable whether they are just here overnight, or are staying for the week. Make sure they feel welcome. Something as simple as having fresh flowers out sends an Im happy to see you! Welcome to my home, sort of message. Other welcoming touches are to include a basket with mints, snacks, the wifi password, a charging bar (or a power strip), a magazine, a flashlight, a business card with your contact information, and schedules for public transit (if its likely to be used). Provide the most comfortable bed you are able to. A good rule of thumb (if you dont have a second bed available) is to offer your bed, with clean linen of course, to your guests if they are older than you. And you sleep on the air mattress or fold out bed. Other bed options include a camping cot, a foam pad, or sleeping on a futon, a sleeper sofa, or a daybed if you have room. Lay out extra blankets and a fan if its hot. Clear out some space for your guest, a shelf, a drawer, a cubby, or even a suitcase rack like they have in hotel rooms, also provide a few hangers and a place to hang clothes up. (An over the door hook makes a good place to hang a few items of clothing.) Mention house rules in passing, or include them in your welcome basket. Note such things as quiet time, breakfast time, no smoking in the house, bathroom schedule (indicate the time span the bathroom will be free and make sure the door can be locked) etc. having these things clarified up front prevents miscommunication and awkward conversations. Provide a variety of easy to fix breakfast and lunch foods. Bagels, muffins, and danishes are easy to grab and go. Instant oatmeal, cold cereal, toast, and yogurt all make easy choices. Create a make-it-yourself sandwich option for lunch. Relax and enjoy your houseguest. Being cozy for a few days is typically worth the slight inconvenience it may cause. Take a few minutes and share your favorite tips for having overnight guests in the comments.