Blog Posts

Show Some Gratitude

Thanksgiving is coming up this month, a holiday devoted to giving thanks for what we have. Take some time to reflect on what you are grateful for, express your thanks to others, and develop a more thankful mindset this month with some tips from the Nantucket Gate Blog. Keep a Gratitude Journal Start a journal that is devoted to expressing your gratitude and write in it regularly. Even on the hardest days, there is plenty to be grateful for if you take a closer look. Write about experiences, people, and events that inspired you or helped you recognize your gratitude for something. You’ll be amazed at what a little change in perspective can do. Actively Look for the Good It can be hard to sometimes see the good in the world, especially if you are going through a hard time. Start looking for the good among all the negativity and noise of the world. At first it might be difficult, but the good is there, even if it is hard to see at times. Once you start looking for good you’ll be surprised by how much easier it becomes to recognize it. Express Thanks It can feel awkward to express your gratitude to others, but it can mean a lot to the person. Be sincere when giving thanks, even if you feel awkward at first. People can recognize when you are being sincere and they will appreciate it, whether you realize it or not. Spend Time Outside There is nothing quite like being outside among the beauty of nature to instill a sense of gratitude in our hearts. The world is full of so much beauty and you get to be alive and experience it! Take some time to reflect on life outside in a quiet place when you can admire the natural beauty of the outdoors. What other ways have you found to help you develop a stronger sense of gratitude? We’d love to hear them! Please share them in the comments below. Thanks for reading our post and we hope you have a great month here in Tacoma, WA, or wherever you might be.

Halloween Costumes from a Box

October has arrived here in Tacoma, WA which means Halloween is coming up soon. Dressing up is arguably the best part about Halloween, oh and the free candy of course! No need to spend a fortune on a costume you are only going to wear once. Our Nantucket Blog has some great ideas for inexpensive costumes that you can make from a cardboard box! Check out these creative costumes that transform an ordinary cardboard box into something extraordinary. A Juice Box This costume is both adorable and simple to make. Use a cardboard box, wrapping paper, colored foam paper, and a plumbing tube for the straw and ta-da! Who wouldn’t want to be a giant juice box for Halloween? Vending Machine With a number of different sized cardboard boxes, some spray paint, a few slinkies, some glue, a piece of plexi-glass, and some candy you could be a vending machine for Halloween! Optimus Prime From The Transformers, Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots and has the ability to disguise himself into a big rig truck at will. This costume takes a lot of supplies and planning, but the result is well worth the effort! Hot Air Balloon Rider Cut the bottom out of a cardboard box to make it into the basket, attach some helium balloons to your basket, and add a few decorative touches. Or follow this tutorial from About Style to turn yourself into the flying house from Disney Pixar’s movie UP! Chinese Takeout Do you love Chinese food? With a medium sized white (or painted white) packing box, some red paint, a headband, some pipe cleaners, and a pair of chopsticks you can become Chinese takeout! Zoltar The Fortune Teller Featured in the 1988 movie BIG starring Tom Hanks, Zoltar is a fortune telling machine that once money is deposited into, it dispenses a card that tells the person’s future. With a cardboard box, some scissors, glue, tape, paint, a fake beard, and a cool hat you can become the future-seeing Zoltar. Make cards to hand out with written futures on them for added fun. What cool costumes have you made from a cardboard box? Share them with us in the comments. Thanks for reading and have a fun and safe Halloween at your Nantucket Gate apartment.

Pristine Pumpkin Desserts

Break out the pumpkin spice lattes! Pumpkin season is here and we couldn’t be happier. Our Nantucket Gate Blog is here to help you take advantage of this great season by sharing some top notch pumpkin recipes that you won’t want to stop eating! Keep reading for some pristine desserts you can make in your apartment this month. Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake Make this incredibly moist, creamy, and delicious seasonal poke cake with vanilla cake mix, pumpkin puree, whipped cream, caramel sauce, pumpkin pie spice, and chopped pecans. Super easy to make and even more delicious to eat! Pumpkin Brookies Classic brookies are a combination of chocolate brownies and chocolate chip cookies; add in the great flavor of pumpkin and this epic dessert just reached a whole new level! Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Chocolate chip pumpkin bread is a pretty common pumpkin dessert, but this triple chocolate pumpkin bread is off the charts! This rich and incredibly moist bread is jam-packed with chocolate, making it a chocolate lover’s dream come true. Pumpkin Spice Fudge This pumpkin spice fudge has the potential to take over the world. Just four ingredients make up these magically tasty squares: white chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon. S’mores Pumpkin Cupcakes The classic summer campfire treat joins forces with a fall favorite to create the ultimate cupcake. These tasty cupcakes feature a graham cracker crumb bottom, pumpkin spice cake center, decadent chocolate frosting, and toasted marshmallow on top. They look almost as good as they taste — almost. Pumpkin Spice Blondies with Cheesecake Swirl This dessert has an intriguing marbled swirl and a flavor combination that will blow your mind after a single bite. The combination of cheesecake and pumpkin is almost too much for us to handle. Pumpkin Spice Pretzels These crunchy treats take chocolate covered pretzels to a whole new level with white chocolate and pumpkin pie spice. We dare you to try to stop after eating just one. Caramel Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin pie is a classic fall favorite. By adding in a ribbon of ooey gooey caramel this dessert just became jaw-dropping. What are your favorite pumpkin desserts? Share the recipe in the comments so we all can give it a shot. Thanks for reading our post! Have a delicious month here in Tacoma, WA!

How to Make a Scarecrow

Fall is here and it is time to get crafty! In this post our Nantucket Gate Blog will be sharing a step-by-step guide on how to make your own scarecrow. Whether your scarecrow is just for an apartment decoration or to keep birds away from your patio garden, get creative and create something you can be proud of. Step 1: Build a Frame Just like how people have bones, your scarecrow needs structural support to keep him upright. Use two pieces of wood to make a cross shaped frame and secure the two wood pieces into place with two nails. Using two nails will ensure the horizontal piece of wood stays firmly in space and doesn’t spin around. Step 2: Secure a Place Once you have created your cross frame for your scarecrow, decide where you want to place it and then secure it into the ground or a pot of rocks, sand, or some sort of ballast, with a mallet/hammer. Step 3: Dress Your Scarecrow Use old clothes that you don’t wear to dress your scarecrow. If you don’t have any clothes that you don’t mind discarding, visit a thrift shop to pick out an inexpensive outfit for your scarecrow. Insert the ends of the horizontal piece of wood through the sleeves of the shirt you are using. Tip: A long sleeve button up shirt works best. Step 4: Create a Waistline Give your scarecrow a waistline by taking a length of string or twine and tying it tightly at the bottom of the shirt to give it a waist. Step 5: Tie Off and Stuff Tie off the ends of the sleeves tightly and then fill the arms and torso of your scarecrow with straw or some sort of stuffing to give it some shape. You can sew or tie on gloves to the end the the sleeves to give it hands. Step 6: Add and Attach Pants and Boots Tie off the ends of the pair of pants and fill them with straw. Attach the filled pants to the torso by using string to make suspenders that are secured by tying them through the belt loops. Or you can use real suspenders if you have some to spare. Attach a pair of boots or shoes to the pants. Step 7: Attach the Head Make a head for your scarecrow by filling an old pillowcase with straw or stuffing. Secure the pillowcase around the top of the wooden frame with a piece of string. Step 8: Add Some Personality Give your scarecrow some personality by sewing on buttons for eyes or drawing on a face, attaching some straw to make hair, and adding a hat. What is your favorite accessory to add to your scarecrow? Tell us in the comments. Thanks for reading our post and have a great month here in Tacoma, WA!

Soups to Warm Your Soul

There is something about soup that is just so comforting and wonderful. Maybe it’s the pleasant aroma that fills your home as you cook it or the pleasant warming sensation that spreads through your body as you eat it. Whatever the case may be, our Nantucket Gate Blog has some great soup recipes that you need to try this fall season. Warm your soul and your Tacoma, WA apartment with a bowl of soup. Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons With fall comes a landslide of pumpkin recipes for everything from dessert to soup. This creamy pumpkin soup is a must try this fall and the grilled cheese croutons are absolutely delicious! Soup and grilled cheese — two foods that were meant to go together, no doubt. Turkey and Rice Vegetable Soup This is a great recipe to utilize your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving in a way other than a turkey sandwich. This tasty soup will fill you right up with its hearty combination of rice, turkey, mixed veggies, and bacon. Sun-dried Tomato Tortellini Soup A creamy soup featuring cheese tortellini, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and many other fresh and flavorful ingredients. Chicken Parm Soup Enjoy all the great flavors of the classic Italian dish, chicken parmesan, in soup form! This hearty dish features a whole lot of cheese, pieces of breaded chicken, and more. Baked Potato Soup With all the comfort and fixings found in a loaded baked potato you will fall in love with this stuffing soup. Potato lovers will rave over it. Chicken Pot Pie Soup With all the ingredients found in a chicken pot pie, this soup achieves the ultimate level of comfort food. Unbelievably creamy and delicious, you’ll be dreaming of this soup long after it’s all gone. Broccoli-Cheddar Macaroni Soup Enjoy the cheesy goodness of macaroni in soup form with the addition of broccoli to help you feel good about eating it. The comfort of mac and cheese teams up with the soul warming ability of soup to make something almost too good to be true, almost. Which of these soup recipes are you most excited to try? Leave us a comment and also let us know how it turned out. Enjoy these great soups this season and thanks for reading our blog!

Add Some BANG to Your Breakfast

You’ve probably heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Starting your day off with a good breakfast can do wonders when it comes to helping you feel energized and be more productive. Our Nantucket Gate Blog is here to share some recipes and local breakfast joints here in Tacoma, WA to add some BANG to your breakfast! Recipes Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole Don’t have time to cook up a hearty breakfast in the morning? No problem! This tasty, protein-packed breakfast casserole can be made overnight in your slow cooker. Just layer the sausage, vegetables, and cheese, and top with a mixture of eggs and cream. You’ll wake up in a great mood to a house filled with the aroma of sausage! Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie A quick and easy breakfast that you can take on-the-go. Blend frozen bananas, peanut butter, milk, Greek yogurt, honey, salt, and chopped roasted peanuts to make this hunger-busting smoothie. PB&J Waffle Sandwich “And in the morning, I’m making waffles!” — Donkey from Shrek Mix a classic breakfast food, the waffle, with the iconic flavor combination of peanut butter and jelly for a portable breakfast that will have you feeling nostalgic for your childhood. Healthy Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Avocado Breakfast Burrito Make these healthy burritos ahead of time and freeze them for a quick breakfast that you can grab on your way out the door. Satisfy your stomach without feeling weighed down. Local Breakfast Joints Marcia’s Silver Spoon Cafe (18 mins) Marcia’s serves breakfast and lunch and is known for their huge portions. If you order the hash browns, be prepared for a mountain of them that you most likely won’t be able to finish. Come in and sit down for great in-house service or take advantage of their takeout options. “Love the food here. If you have to wait it's worth it! It's made fresh and from whole food not powdered or fake eggs, meat & potatoes. The cinnamon rolls are to die for !” — Diana Rush, Facebook Elmer’s Restaurant (10 mins) Starting up in 1960, their first location opened in Portland, Oregon and since then they have expanded to include 28 locations in the northeast. Elmer’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as a seasonal menu that changes six times a year! We recommend their peach blueberry crepes, or anything from their seasonal menu really! “Good food and great breakfasts. The pancakes are the only restaurant pancakes I actually like. Good fast service with an extensive menu.” — Ed G., Yelp We hope you get a chance to up your breakfast game this month and maybe even try out one of these great breakfast recipes or local restaurants that serve breakfast. What are your favorite breakfast dishes to make in your apartment? Share with us in the comments so we can give it a try. Thanks for reading our post!