Blog Posts

Getting a Better Night's Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for being able to function and focus well during the day. In this Nantucket Gate Blog post, we are sharing a few ideas to help you achieve a better night’s sleep. Try these ideas out at your apartment to help you awake feeling more rested. Adjust Your Diet The Help Guide says that cutting down on your caffeine intake after lunch can help you fall asleep at night as can having a light dinner. Choose healthy snacks if you need something to eat before bed. Cut down on your liquid intake before bed and avoid eating rich, heavy food right before you go to sleep. Get Rid of Naps Keep any naps you have to take to under twenty minutes. Taking too many naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night. Save your sleeping for bed and try to avoid falling asleep while the sun is still out. You can find more sleep tips from WebMD . Daily Exercise Fitting exercise into your daily schedule can promote a good night’s rest. If you spend a lot of time sitting down throughout the day, small amounts of exercise can make a big difference. Your body needs to burn off the calories taken in through food. If you aren’t burning them off through daily activity you may find it difficult to fall or stay asleep at night. Simple increases in exercise can make a big difference. Incorporate Plants in Decorating Being in nature creates a calming and reflective mood. Bringing plants into your space can do just that. Find plants that will work well indoors and in your area. Try out an aloe, spider, snake, or dracaena plant to get started. Address problems. Of course, sometimes physical problems go unnoticed that may be preventing you from rest. Keep a sleep journal to log your symptoms, visit a sleep doctor, or wear a smartwatch that tracks your sleep patterns to determine what you need to do to address problems. What are your best tips for getting a better night’s sleep in Tacoma, WA? Share your ideas with us in the comments. Thanks for reading our post.

Summer Popsicle Recipes

The warm summer months are a great time of year to be outside here in Tacoma, WA. As you spend more time outside, keep your body hydrated to avoid overheating. Our Nantucket Gate Blog has a great solution to both of these potential problems: popsicles! Read on for some refreshing popsicle recipes that you can make in your apartment. Kiwi Pineapple Popsicles from The Slow Roasted Italian Sweet meets tart in this flavorful popsicle recipe. Mix pineapple, clover honey, and kiwi in a blender as the base for these tropical treats. Then freeze - it’s as (nearly) as simple as that to make these Kiwi Pineapple Popsicles. Orange Strawberry Sunrise Popsicles from The Healthful Ideas The colors of this popsicle simulate the changing colors of a sunrise. To make these delicious and aesthetically pleasing popsicles, you will need fresh popsicle molds, popsicle sticks, squeezed orange juice, fresh or frozen strawberries, water, and maple syrup. Coconut Pineapple Ice Pops from Live Well Bake Often These creamy popsicles will have you dreaming of a tropical getaway. Ingredients include chopped fresh pineapple, Almond Breeze vanilla almond coconut, honey, shredded sweetened coconut, and coconut extract. Blueberry Lemon Popsicles from Bigger Bolder Baking Blueberries and lemons make a surprisingly good combination. For this recipe, all you will need is fresh blueberries, lemon zest, and vanilla yogurt. Bring on the creamy, fruity deliciousness! Watermelon Popsicles from Cooking Classy These watermelon popsicles look just like a juicy slice of watermelon! To make them, you will need the following ingredients: cubed seedless watermelon, granulated sugar, lemon juice, canned coconut milk, fresh kiwi, and mini chocolate chips. Have you ever made homemade popsicles? Share your experience with us in the comments, as well as your favorite popsicle recipes. Thanks for reading our post. We hope you have a fantastic summer here in Tacoma, WA!

Swimming Pool Games

In our last Nantucket Gate Blog post, we highlighted a few pool safety guidelines to help our residents have a fun and safe time at our outdoor swimming pool and jacuzzi. In this post, we are sharing a few games that you can play in the pool this summer here in our Tacoma, WA apartment community. Duck Push In this game, players (divided into teams, each with a rubber duck) use air power (blowing) to push the rubber ducky across the water. Of course, a bit of water splashing on your opponent’s duck to slow him down is to be expected — but don’t touch the ducks! Ping Pong Scramble This is a winners-get-the-bragging rights scramble for ping pong balls. You will need 40 ping pong balls, four different colored markers. Create four sets of ping pong balls by marking each ball with a colored dot. (4 colors, 10 balls for each set). Divide players into four teams and line up on the edge of the pool. Drop all 40 ping pong balls into the pool. On “go” players jump into the pool and collect the ping pong balls for their team. The first team to collect all ten balls wins. Chicken Fight This classic pool game is one of our favorites. “ A chicken fight in the pool is like double-decker wrestling. There are two teams consisting of two people each. Each team has a ‘bottom’ and a ‘top.’ The ‘top’ climbs onto the ‘bottom’s’ shoulders. The two ‘top’ people are the only ones who actively fight. The object is to knock your opponent into the water, either by toppling just the ‘top’ or both ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ together.” The goal of the game is to knock your opponent off the shoulders of their teammate and into the water. Just be sure to play safely. Noodle Joust For this game, you will need at least two people, an inflatable raft, and two pool noodles. Two people sit on the raft in the middle of the pool and use their pool noodle to try to knock the other person off. What is your favorite game to play in the pool? Let us know in the comments. We hope you get the chance to enjoy some time at the pool this summer.

Swimming Pool Safety

Summer is here and it’s a great time to be outdoors in Tacoma, WA. Even better, our Nantucket Gate apartment community has an outdoor pool and jacuzzi for our residents to enjoy. Before you jump in the pool, read this post to review some pool safety tips to ensure everyone has the best possible experience. No Running. Don’t run. This is common sense. Wet decks plus wet feet plus running equals painful abrasions, or worse. Better safe than sorry, walk. Supervise children. Children get excited at a place like a pool, so set some boundaries beforehand so they know what behavior is and isn’t acceptable. Stop bullying when you see it and encourage frequent breaks so your child can go to the restroom. Accidents happen, of course, but when they do the fun stops and the pool must be cleaned. Teach them to use the facilities and supervise them so you can intervene when necessary. Wear appropriate swimwear. People splash and puddles abound at a pool area, so come dressed for the occasion to eliminate the stress of getting caught in the line of fire. Make sure any children you’re taking to the pool are also dressed appropriately so they can play to their heart's’ content. Caution them against playing around vents and suction cups so no loose hairs or edges of clothing get caught. Be mindful of others. Horsing around may be fun, but there are plenty of ways it can hurt or bother someone else, especially in a crowded pool. Remember that there are other people in the pool, so keep the splashing to a minimum if you’re close to someone and practice having fun without getting into a stranger’s personal space. This not only is polite, but it can help you avoid accidents. Another important part of being mindful also means listening to the lifeguards on duty and taking frequent restroom breaks so we don’t have to stop, clear everyone from the pool, and clean it! Which pool safety tips would you add to our list? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading our post.

Ways to Observe Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day, which is on Monday, May 28th this year, we are sharing a brief history of the holiday, as well as a few different ideas for ways that you can celebrate it here at our Nantucket Gate apartment community in Tacoma, WA. A Brief History Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer. Ways to Observe Visit a nearby cemetery or the Tahoma National Cemetery and place flowers or flags on the graves of fallen heroes Fly the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon as Memorial Day is a day of “National Mourning.” Participate in a "National Moment of Remembrance" at 3:00 PM local time, to pause and think upon the meaning of the day and for taps to be played where possible. Wear your Memorial Day pin from the first of May until the end of the day on Memorial Day. Visit a local memorial or monument and take some time to reflect on their meaning and significance. Record in a journal your feelings of gratitude for being able to live in the land of the free because of those brave men and women who have died protecting it. Take the time on Memorial Day to post a meaningful message on social media that shows your thanks and appreciation for your country, your freedom, and those men and women who gave their lives protecting it. We hope you found this post helpful and that you gained a few ideas for how you can commemorate Memorial Day this year and in future years to come. Thanks for taking the time to read our post!

Photography Tips and Tricks

Along with May being National Hamburger Month, it is also celebrated as National Photography Month! Try your hand at photography this month at our Nantucket Gate apartment community here in Tacoma, WA. We are sharing a few tips to help you out on your quest to capture the best possible shots when taking photos. Use Natural Lighting Whenever possible, opt to utilize natural lighting over artificial lighting or flash. The hour before sunrise and the hour before sunset are often referred to as the “golden hours” and are considered some of the best times to take photos outside to achieve a warm, natural glow to your photography. Haze and Blur Effect Crumple a plastic bag, wrap it at the front of your camera lens and fix it with a rubber band. Tear it at the center using your hand which will create stretch marks and create a fading transition effect from blurred to sharp region. You can double up on bags to achieve an even greater blurred effect. Capturing Moving Objects To capture your subject in motion, choose a shutter speed that is around two steps lower than needed. Keep your camera on your subject, with your finger half way down on the shutter to lock the focus. Take the photo and pan the camera with them as they move. Choose Subjects You Love Photography is a great hobby and can be a lot of fun, especially when you choose to photograph objects and subjects that you are passionate about. Find something you enjoy and then experiment photographing it from different angles and perspectives. Angles are Important Experiment with different angles while taking photos. Angles are important and have a huge effect on your photos. It is especially important to take into consideration angles when photographing people to achieve the most flattering photo possible. Do you have any other photography tips of your own to add to this list? Leave them in the comments below. Thanks for reading our post!