Blog Posts

Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies in Tacoma

Cleaning supplies can be smelly, harsh, and difficult to safely dispose of. Thats why lots of people are learning to make their own cleaning supplies. They can be better smelling, better for the environment, and better for you! Going green with your cleaning products might seem overwhelming, unless youve got a handy-dandy roadmap to success. When I began searching for alternative natural options, I found a wealth of information online. Of course you could go out and purchase a detailed publication such as Green Clean , or Going Green with Clean , because they can offer a great deal of in-depth knowledge. The majority of sources will first recommend that you invest in the following ingredients: baking soda, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, borax, castile soap, a few fresh herbs such as citrus, olive oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil, and eucalyptus. Once youve got these in stock, you can begin mixing some safe and all-natural household cleaning products that wont deaden your senses, among other things. You will, of course, need water and some spray bottles or containers to mix them in for ease of use. A simple one to start with is this excellent homemade 3-in-1 all-purpose cleaner . The ingredients you will need, are 2 cups of water, 1 cup hydrogen peroxide, and cup of lemon juice. Simply mix, and use. Feel free to add more or less lemon, or add some eucalyptus for a healthy and fresh scent. The peroxide is the primary cleaning agent, and due to its use as a wound cleaner, its safe for just about anything. Youll want to keep in mind that it can lighten colors in the same way that bleach does. This is only relevant if you will be using it around fabrics. Because it is odorless, you wont have the disgusting chemical smelling aftermath. The acidic lemon juice also helps in the breakdown of grime. You will be able to enjoy the citrus scent that tends to liven up your senses, rather than deaden them, which is the double whammy of bonus points. For an amazing recipe book of cleaning products, visit Apartment Therapy , where you can find just about any cleaning product recipe you could imagine needing for your Tacoma apartment. Im downright certain that by the time you are done perusing, you will have metamorphosized into a sparkly cleaning butterfly!

Making a Home Theater In Your Tacoma Apartment

Have you been wanting to take that courageous first step of making your own apartment home theater? If youre one of the brave souls that wants the entertainment ecosystem you fully deserve, you might not know where to start. Add to that the desire to keep things under budget, and maybe that wonderful dream of yours starts to slip away. But hold on a sec! Thanks to trending DIY hackery, that dream is now more feasible than ever. So where should you go to map out your master plan? Here are the websites we would use if we were you: 1. IKEA Hackers IKEA is well known for their stylish and modular furniture thats sold at affordable rates. And youre not the only one thats seen the inner Lego in their design. This website is perfect for taking advantage of the hidden flexible nature of even their available furniture. Whether you want to turn a bookcase into a projector mount, or transform a coffee table into a speaker stand, a simple search on their site will provide you with some highly useful results. 2. Instructables Looking for something outside the realm of IKEA? This site provides a more comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach. Everything from acoustic panels to projector shelves is featured on this site . And because its a part of the DIY scene, most of their projects often utilize items you might already have in your home. Plus, once youre done with your theater, youll even be able to find the perfect recipe to accompany you on your theaters maiden voyage. If youre looking for tips on how to set up projectors, speakers, and what to look for in equipment, lists like this can also be resourceful. Just remember to take out any of their suggestions that wouldnt work in your apartment! Do any of you have experience with building your own theater in your Tacoma apartment? What tips and tricks worked best for you? What advice do you have for our readers? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

Benefits of Drinking Coffee in Your Tacoma Apartment

If youre someone thats been on the fence about drinking coffee, youre not alone. With 54% of Americans over the age of eighteen drinking coffee everyday , its easy to wonder what youve been getting out of our morning cup of Joe. But recent research suggests there are some surprising health benefits that come from daily cup of coffee. Below, well outline some of those exciting health benefits. 1. Coffee Is Full of Antioxidants Surprisingly enough, coffee contains more antioxidants than both green tea and cocoatwo of the standards in antioxidant stardom. Research has shown that before coffee beans are even processed, they contain nearly 1,000 antioxidants. And during the roasting process? They develop even move. Antioxidants fight inflammationthe root cause of arthritis and many different forms of cancer. By disarming the free radicals that can over oxidate cells, antioxidants help protect our cells from the damage the results in chronic disease. 2. Coffee Is Good for Your Heart Were not speaking symbolically. Recent research at Harvard School of Public Health showed that drinking the right amount of coffee can reduce your future chances of heart failure by 11%. Another Dutch study found that moderate coffee consumption gave participants a 20% lower chance of heart disease. So how does it work? The theory exists that coffee can help shield your body from the arterial damage thats caused by inflammation. The key between both studies? Trying to stick to just two cups a day. 3. Coffee Safeguards Cognitive Health Trying to keep your brain in tip-top shape? A recent Finnish study discovered that there was a link between drinking three to five cups of coffee as a middle-aged adult and a 65% decrease in Alzheimers. The theory here? Apparently, caffeine consumption through a beverage like coffee helps bypass the build-up of plaque that might be connected to the disease. What do you think? What benefits have you seen from drinking a morning cup of coffee in your Tacoma apartment? What are some of your favorite healthy coffee recipes? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

Healthy Snacks to Make In Your Tacoma Apartment

If youre looking for healthier recipes to try with your kids or your friends this year, youre not alone. According to the CDC , childhood obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past three decades alone. And in 2012, nearly twenty-percent of children between the ages of six and eleven were overweight or obese. Because avoiding childhood or adolescent obesity can reduce the risk of future health issues, eating healthier snacks can be a great way to help them set the right habits at an earlier age. So where to begin? Heres a list of our three favorite nutritious snacks. 1. Jicama Fries If youre looking for a suitable french fry substitution, this ones definitely worth a try. Jicama is a root vegetable thats got plenty of Vitamin C, fiber, and low in calories. Because of its crunchy texture, its the perfect understudy for the common diced potato. And because of its mild flavor, it does an excellent job at absorbing other flavors. To get the recipe, head over to Super Healthy Kids for the step-by-step. 2. Homemade Fruit Leather Homemade fruit leather is a great way to trick your kids into eating more fruit. And because youre making it yourself, youll be able to control the amount of preservatives and sugar intake. If youve ever made your own applesauce before, this recipe picks up from where you left off. Heavenly Homemakers has the recipe on their website. 3. Homemade Granola Bars While granola is nothing new, were always on the look out for more minimalist and portable ways to make this classic nutritious treat. If youre looking for something thats easy to make, this is your go-to snack. The kind folks over at Minimalist Baker cooked up a way to make some with just five ingredients. Head over to their site to check it out! Have some other healthy recipes that can be made in your Tacoma apartment? Share them with us in the comments!

Using Spring Cleaning Leftovers in Tacoma

Whether theres a noticeable change in the weather this spring or not, this season still keeps its reputation as a fresh start to reorganize every inch of your Tacoma apartment. And there may be something to that. By purging your home of bad bacteria, mildew, mold, dust, and notorious grime, youll be reducing your chances of catching a spring cold . Youll also be more prepared to handle any seasonal indoor and outdoor allergies . Once youve cut down on the clutter and grime, you might have some unused knick knacks lying around. To add some organization ideas to your regular cleaning routine, weve brought together a list of a few of our favorite repurposing projects below. Unused Colanders Usually only good for draining part of your next meal, theres a few more creative ways to use any extra colanders youve got in your drawers. If you need to add some light to your home, you can easily transform it into a colander pendant lamp via Handmimaniaor turn several into functional hanging light-up wall art thanks to the Decorators Notebook blog. And if you want to turn a storage problem into a storage solution? You can use your ceiling, or the underside of a wall-mounted shelf, to turn a series of colanders into some useful extra space. Old Muffin + Cupcake Tins In keeping with the extra storage theme above, you can also use any old muffin or cupcake tins as a drawer organizer for miscellaneous apartment or office supplies. Their divided shapes are perfect for keeping even the smallest of kitchen culprits in line. If youre already covered with plenty of extra storage, muffin and cupcake tins also make the perfect molds for candles and seed starter pots. Extra Baking Pans While youre probably starting to get the idea, well just throw in that extra baking pans make fantastic low budget outdoor garden planters before we reveal an unconventional ideamaking a playable cake pan-jolele! Though this ones more of a labor of love, the finished musical product is well worth the work. To get the full list of supplies youll need to grab at the hardware storeor find in the cushions of your couchhead on over to Makezine to see it for yourself.

Sports Bars around Tacoma

Make sure you know what your options are for each game day. Some lucky souls will manage to snag tickets to the game, but the rest of us have to be more creative. Many people like to spend the game at home with family, friends, and an unhealthy pile of snacks and drinks. Others might prefer to go out and enjoy the game in a sports bar. For that last group of people, heres a breakdown of some of the best sports bars in the Tacoma area. The Office Bar & Grill Located on Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, the Office has a reputation for great food, a wide selection of quality drinks, and excellent service. With seven HD bigscreens around the bar and quite a few happy hours (twice a day Monday through Thursday, three to six Friday, eleven a.m. to six p.m. Saturday, and all day Sunday), youre sure to find the game you want and the best food to accompany it here. Be warned, though, that they tend to get crowded in the evenings on weekends and game days. Oh, and dont forget . . . try the bacon-wrapped tater-tots. North End Tavern Also known as Slappys Garage, the North End Tavern is the place to go if youre looking for somewhere a little more down-to-earth and low-key. Often described as a dive in all the best ways, the Tavern serves great food, beer, and wine, and features seven HD flatscreens to watch your favorite games on. Two pool tables promise something to keep you busy during commercials. Just remember to get here earlytheres a limited amount of tables, and they go quickly on game day. Rookies Sports Bar and Grill Although Rookies is further away that our previous entrieslocated in Columbia Cityit also boasts many features that may just make it worth the drive. As a local, non-chain establishment, Rookies prides itself of its use of local, natural ingredients in its food, making for some of the best sports bar fare youll find in the area. Their take on drinks is this: If you can think it, we can make it. Whatever drink youre craving, they promise theyre up to the challenge. With fourteen flatscreens around the bar, including a massive seventy-incher, youre almost certain to find whatever game youre looking for. More than anything else, they promise great service to you and your familythats right, family; kids of any age are welcome. So if youve been looking for somewhere to go out and watch the game with your kids, Rookies just might be the place for you.