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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.

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.