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You're settling into your new Flagstaff apartment, but so far, the main living space simply does not reflect your preference for artsy things. If you want your living room to have that same artistic flair that you do, you may have to make some adjustments. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
It's All About the Wall Art
Without question, wall art is going to be the one thing in your living room that helps exude that art-deco style you are trying to achieve. You could go with one piece of large artwork, such as a painting or tapestry, to set the theme of the room, or you could hang a collection of items, such as:
- a few small paintings
- framed art-themed pieces, such as mini sculptures
- sculpted pieces of metal filigree
Bring in Some Artsy Furniture Pieces
You really do not have to go all out with your furniture to generate a more art-worthy space, but you really should have a few noteworthy pieces. For example, it is perfectly fine if you only have a basic contemporary sofa and chair, but dress up the space by bringing in a deco coffee table or statement piece.
Don't Forget the Small Stuff
A conservatively sized sculpture on your bookshelf, a small framed Monet print on a coffee table, a hand-stitched throw—the small details can do a lot to support your art-deco theme. Something as simple as a trinket placed on your coffee table or a throw pillow with a hand-painted or embroidered image will tie the look together.
With a little creative thinking, a few good art pieces, and a couple of changes, your apartment living room can look just as art-deco as that swanky art museum you love. Reach out to us at University Square to find out what floor plans we have available at our Flagstaff apartment community to suit your or someone you know's art-loving lifestyle.
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If you’re entertaining soon in your apartment in Flagstaff, AZ, you might be in a panic. The guests are coming soon, but your place isn’t in the shape you want it to be. Now you have to put in a ton of work to get it clean before they arrive. Does this sound familiar?
The problem here is that many of us get into a vicious cycle in which we wait until we absolutely must clean before getting started. Operating this way causes stress and can even affect your social life. The secret to quick cleaning is to never have that much to clean in the first place. Here are two tips that will help you do just that.
Never Leave a Room Empty-Handed
Our first tip is to never leave a room empty-handed. Whenever you move from one space to another, stop and be present. Ask yourself what is out of place. Make it a habit to pick up a handful of items that are out of place each time you go from one room to another. Put them away, then go about your business.
Never leaving a room empty-handed is one way to decrease the amount of cleaning you’ll have to do later.
Know the Power of 10
Second, know the power of 10. One reason we don’t clean is that we feel like we don’t have the hours it would take to get the apartment looking perfect. Instead, set smaller goals. Spend at least 10 minutes in the morning and at night cleaning something. Work incrementally instead of saving everything for the day before company arrives.
Wrapping Up
Keeping your home clean is important, and sometimes staying motivated is hard. Of course, it’s easier to stay motivated to keep things clean if you love where you live. The Flagstaff apartments scene has plenty of options, but if you’re looking for an awesome off-campus living opportunity near NAU, contact our office today.
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Following a Mediterranean diet can facilitate numerous health benefits, including weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, and greater longevity! Let’s talk about how you can implement a Mediterranean diet into your own life and reap the benefits.
How to Start Eating the Mediterranean Way
What does eating the Mediterranean way mean?
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods, fish, whole grains and olive oil along with moderate portions of meat, cheese, and red wine. It’s been a way of life for peoples along the Mediterranean Sea for centuries.
How to start the Mediterranean Diet
1. Eat mostly plant-based foods.
Because of the fertile land along the Mediterranean, vegetables and fruits grow in abundance, and they are a major part of every meal. Try to eat between eight and 10 services of vegetables and fruits each day.
2. Go for whole grains when possible.
People on the Mediterranean eat quite a lot of bread, and in the Eastern Mediterranean, pita is served with almost every meal. You don’t have to shy away from grains with this diet, but do switch to whole grains and avoid packaged-type grains with unhealthy additives.
3. Avoid butter and use olive oil instead.
Olive oil is a mainstay of Mediterranean life from Portugal to the Middle East. Use it to cook with, drizzle it on salads, and replace that butter dish with a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil.
4. Eat fish a few times a week.
Meat is eaten extremely rarely in most Mediterranean culinary traditions, but fish is a mainstay. Try grilled mackerel or trout, canned or fresh tuna, or a fillet of baked salmon.
5. Enjoy food with family and friends.
Unlike most diets, there’s a social element to this way of eating as well. The climate on the Mediterranean is pleasant almost all year-round, so people are often outside, and socializing is a huge part of life.
As you can see, you may need to brush up on your cooking skills to try this diet. So, why not do so in a brand-new kitchen of your own!
Looking for apartments in Flagstaff? Contact our office today and see what floor plans we have available.
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Since there is still a lot of winter left, embrace the rest of this beautiful season with activities that remind us of the joys of winter. These enjoyable crafts can be made by adults or by kids with supervision, and they look great when put out on display in the living room, kitchen or dining room.
1. Rustic Snowflake String
Cut out 10 paper snowflakes from good quality craft paper. Make the snowflakes all about the same size, but try to vary their shape. When you're done, string a piece of rustic twine between two nails on your wall, and hang up the snowflakes with clothespins. This looks great against a dark background! If your walls are a lighter color, use dark blue paper to make your snowflakes.
2. Wintry Candleholder
For this project, you'll need a thick, sturdy pillar candle and a glass candleholder of the proper size. Fill the bottom of the candleholder with blue, silver and white glass beads; then place the candle on top of the beads. For the finishing touch, wrap twine around the base of the candleholder, and tie a bow with the twine.
3. Snowy Candy Jar
Paint a jar with the image of a snowman. Use a sponge or a paintbrush to apply acrylic paint to the jar and allow it to dry. Use a paint pen to write a funny phrase ("all my best friends are flakes!") or an inspirational message on the other side of the jar.
Finally, fill the jar with a favorite winter candy. Leave the jar out on a coffee table or on your kitchen counter where friends and family can access it.
Join Us at University Square
University Square is a vibrant community throughout the year, from beginning to end. Come join us for fun and good times at our apartments in Flagstaff, AZ. Call to view our available units.
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Spring is around the corner, and it's time to get your apartment ready for the sunshine. North facing windows? No problem! Here are a wide range of tricks to brighten up your space, no matter the size.
Lighten Your Decor
This is a great time to invest in bright throw pillows and cream-colored rugs. Lighter colors are better here, but you don't need to stick to neutrals. Try experimenting with pastels or bright patterns.
Use Mirrors and Polished Surfaces
These reflect the light back, making the room seem brighter overall. Steal a tip right out of a decorating guide and place a large mirror opposite the windows. This will reflect light around the room. You can also polish furniture or flooring for extra shine.
Add Flowers
For a more subtle psychological trick, set out a vase of fresh flowers. Get a little creative here and skip the roses. Popular options include chrysanthemums (one of the longest lasting cut flowers), tulips (trendy and a perfect fit for spring), and daffodils for a splash of sunny color.
De-Clutter
Clutter doesn't just make spaces feel smaller. It also casts extra shadows in a room, making it literally darker. Get a head start on spring cleaning. Throw out, give away, or put up items you don't use all the time.
Add Lamps
Here's where you can really get creative. Check out local thrift stores or garage sales and you might score some really funky, unique lamps. Another option is to check out different lightbulbs. Some come in playful colors, while others have a special coating and mimic natural daylight.
Are you looking for comfortable living with easy university access in Flagstaff, AZ apartments? At University Square, we're in walking distance from NAU. We offer a wide variety of floor plans including studios and multi-bedroom apartments. Come by our website to see what's available.
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Cooking in your Flagstaff apartments is much more enjoyable when you work from an organized pantry. While there’s not necessarily a science to pantry organization, there is definitely an art to it. Here are five tips for organizing your pantry in your apartments in Flagstaff.
5 Tips for Organizing Your Pantry
1. Use Clear Containers
Clear storage containers allow you to see inside everything without having to open them. This is a huge time-saver that adds up over time. It will also help keep you from feeling frustrated by not being able to quickly locate ingredients.
2. Invest in the Same Brand of Storage Containers
It doesn’t matter which brand you choose for clear containers as much as sticking to the same brand. The reason is that you’ll be able to have the same dimensions for your storage containers; all the small sizes will be the same, all the medium sizes will be uniform, etc. This helps a lot when you go to the next step, which is fitting items inside the pantry.
3. Fit According to Size
Now it’s time to fit everything into your pantry. Large storage containers go farthest back, medium sizes go in next, and smallest sizes go in front. If you like, you can also put each size on separate shelves.
4. Remove Dry Foods From Bags
Many dried foods are sold in plastic bags. These shouldn’t be stored in your pantry like this, though, because it’s hard or impossible to see what’s in the bags without lifting and inspecting each one. Instead, put dried foods like rice, lentils, beans, and pasta into your clear storage containers, labeling each one accordingly.
5. Use Over-the-Door Storage
Removable hard or soft over-the-door storage units are very useful for your pantry. Here, you can store smaller items like food coloring, spices, and smaller canned foods.
Even if you don’t cook every single day, you’ll really love experimenting with different ways to keep your pantry organized in your Flagstaff apartments. To see the kitchens and floor plans that are available, please contact us today!
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Certain pets, including dogs, need baths on a regular basis. If you have dogs who don’t really enjoy being in the tub, there are ways to make bath time more pleasant for them and less stressful for you. Use the following tips when it’s time to give your dogs a bath again.
Gather Supplies Ahead of Time
Make sure you have pet shampoo, towels, a dog brush and any other bath supplies you need in easy reach before getting your pet into the tub. This makes it much more convenient for you to grab the items you need without having to worry about your dog jumping out of the tub.
Use Treats as a Lure
If you have pets who don’t like being in the tub, getting them into it can be the biggest challenge at bath time. You can use treats to lure pets toward the tub. Place a couple of small treats on the far side of the ledge around the tub to encourage your dog to get into it in order to reach them. Even if you have small pets who can be picked up and placed in the tub, treats can help them stay calm. Using treats also forms a positive association with the tub, which can make even the most skittish pets eager for bath time.
Get Three Towels Ready
Have three towels ready to use for bath time. Place one on the floor, so your pet won’t get water all over it after getting out of the tub. Drape another towel over your dog right after getting out of the tub to prevent water droplets from getting on the walls and other surfaces. Use a third towel to dry your dog off.
Our pet-friendly community allows up to two pets per apartment. Contact us to learn more about the pet policy for our apartments in Flagstaff, AZ.
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Many residents of apartments in Flagstaff don't make the most of their community clubhouse. If you're among them, keep in mind that the clubhouse is for everyone and that it can be used in many ways. Following are three suggestions designed to provide you with inspiration on using the clubhouse in your apartment complex.
Ways to Use Your Apartment Community's Clubhouse
Crafting Nights
If you want to get to know your fellow community members better, why not offer to host a crafting night? Find a night that works best for the majority of residents and encourage everyone to bring their favorite crafting projects to work on. If you're good at your chosen craft, you could offer to teach a class. Provide popcorn and something delicious to drink, such as hot cocoa in the fall and winter and sparkling cider during spring and summer. Who knows — you might even start a regular tradition.
Study Groups
Study groups help students avoid procrastination as well as provide them with motivation and commitment. Most students also find it helpful to hear different perspectives, and you'll also be able to compare class notes with others. Whether it's a one-time group to get past a particularly tough midterm or something ongoing for a challenging course, your apartment community's clubhouse has large tables that are ideal for study groups.
Book and Hobby Clubs
If you're a voracious reader or have a hobby that you enjoy and would like find others who have the same interests, consider setting up a book or hobby club using your apartment community's clubhouse as a meeting place. Your community manager should be able to help you with the specifics. For instance, perhaps there's a community bulletin board in the office where you can tack up a notice, or maybe your apartment complex has a social media page where you can reach out to interested parties.
Our pet-friendly community offers studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
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In many ways, you can’t avoid clutter in life. Paper builds up, there are clothes in your closet that you don’t wear and those knickknacks you’ve had since childhood are difficult to get rid of.
Still, decluttering your life remains a great way to gain clarity and control over organization, and this means better organization of your mind too. If you can come up with some useful ways to declutter your apartment, you’re setting yourself up for success in other areas of your life.
Try These 4 Apartment Decluttering Tips:
1. Have a Place for Everything
Decluttering your life starts with having a place for everything you own. If you want to keep it in your life, make sure it has a place to go.
2. Abide by the 60-Second Rule
Will it take you 60 seconds or under to put that thing (whatever it may be) away? Do it now instead of holding off and shoving it on the counter “to deal with later.”
3. Abide by the Six-Month Rule
Have you used it in the last six months? You probably don’t need it, if not. You should either give it away, donate it, or recycle or trash it if it’s no longer usable.
4. Be Careful With New Purchases
Aimless shopping is dangerous — not only because it can make you waste your money, but also because it can clutter up your apartment in a jiffy. Sure, you went to Florida and you want something to show for it. But are you really going to be happy with your coconut chimes purchase once it comes time to put them up in your place? Maybe not. Think hard before you buy.
Still Looking for an Apartment in Flagstaff?
You can’t declutter your apartment if you don’t have one! If you’re on the lookout for a new place in the Flagstaff area, give us a call. We’ll let you know which of our Flagstaff apartments are still available.
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Need to know how to stay more organized in your apartment? When things get busy with work or school, it’s never easy to keep your apartment organized. Fortunately, these tips will help you figure out how to get your life in order even when things seem chaotic in general.
Use the One-Minute Rule
This is a great rule that can help you throughout your entire life. If the task takes less than one minute, consider it done. Make sure you complete tasks that take less than a minute right away because these things can make a huge difference in your organization (taking out the garbage, putting the dishes away from the dishwasher, folding a basket of laundry).
Learn How to Make Decisions Quickly
Many people struggle with small decisions that they need to make on a regular basis. Should I buy the fat-free milk or the 1% milk? Do I need the extra-strength garbage bags or will regular strength do? What toothpaste do I buy? Unfortunately, these decisions take a large chunk of time out of your day, so learn to make them faster.
Have a Home for Everything
This is a big one. Make sure that every item you have has a home in your home. Staying organized is about doing the small things quickly. When you get home from work or school, for example, you should know where to put your keys, your coat, your purse or wallet, and your book bag. When things like these don’t have a home, that’s when your apartment gets cluttered and disorganized.
Get Organized in Your Very Own Stylish Apartment
Style and organize your new apartment just the way you like it when you move into one of our cozy Flagstaff apartments for rent! University Square Apartments offer the best off-campus NAU housing in the area. You’ll get all the convenience and comfort of University Square’s unique situation. Plus, you’ll be within walking distance to NAU campus!
Contact us today to see what floor plans we currently have available!
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