If youre holed up indoors this spring, enjoying the warmth of your Tacoma apartment, you might be lacking the amount of exercise youd normally get in the summery months. But while youre curled up in front of a good book, your dog still needs to keep an active regimen. If youre looking for ways to keep them more physically engaged, here are some of our favorite tips.
1. Play Fetch Indoors
Though a game of fetch is more dynamic outdoors, youll still be able to get their muscles moving indoors. To avoid any injuries or apartment calamity, be sure to use a softer ball, a more controlled toss, and to move any fragile or dangerous objects out of harms way.
2. Laser Pointer Chase
A typical favorite of cats, dogs are just as likely to follow the high-tech leader as their feline counterparts. The same rules apply when engaged in a laser pointer chase. Be sure to utilize more floor space. Avoid pointing the laser at any walls to minimize potential airborne injuries.
3. Agility Class
If youre looking for something indoors but away from home, call around to different shelters or dog trainers to research available winter aerobic routines. Shelters will often offer agility classes to help your dog get the indoor run they needall while under a roof.
And thats just the tip of the seasonal iceberg. With a little creativity, youll be able to right fit for you and your furry friend. For those of you that have a pet, what have some of your favorite winter routines? Whats been helping your dog or cat get the daily exercise they need? Let us know in the comments below!
Although summer has left, there are still a few weeks of pleasantly warm weather left. In a beautiful place like western Washington, one of the best things to do in such weather is to dine outdoors and enjoy the climate and the views. Here are some excellent option for indoor dining in Tacoma.
The Social Bar and Grill
One of the best outdoor dining atmospheres in the city is found at The Social Bar and Grill at the Tacoma Art Museum. With a comfortable deck featuring a gas fireplace and excellent views of the Glass Museum fountain and the Thea Foss Waterway, its an excellent place to relax with friends and family. The food ranges from excellent sea food to hearty steak or pork, with soups, sandwiches, and salads and a range of shareable appetizers. Check out their website here .
The Forum
Based in the historic Olympus Hotel in downtown Tacoma, The Forum features a cozy fenced-off dining section along the sidewalk, with an excellent, tree-shaded view of some of the most stately buildings in the historic district. Sit down with your choice of soups, salads, sandwiches, or burgers, and take your pick of the bar. The servers are friendly and quick to make sure youre enjoying yourself. You can head to their website here for more information.
Rock the Dock
When it comes to outdoor dining, though, you just cant beat being right down on the waterside. Rock the Dock Pub and Grill is located right on the mouth of the Thea Foss Waterway, and features a long dock filled with comfortable, roomy outdoor seating. A cozy, family-owned pub, Rock the Dock serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a full bar and a local, unpretentious atmosphere. Parking is available for whatever you drivebike, car, motorcycle, or boatand live music is featured every weekend. Check out their website here .
Dukes Chowder House
Perhaps our favorite outdoor dining in Tacoma, however, is Dukes Chowder House on Ruston Way. The restaurant is built out over the water with a breathtaking view of Commencement Bay. They are famous for their all-natural chowders, wild seafood from Alaska, and excellent happy hour, but they also serve equally-tasty steaks and burgers, delicious desserts, and even a wide variety of gluten-free dishes. But dont just take our word for ittake a look at their website here and then head over to see for yourself!
Ballet is one of the most difficult and arduous forms of dance to learn, but is simultaneously one of the most graceful and breathtaking to watch. It requires years of training to learn and master, and near-constant practice to retain this mastery. With such feats of strength and dexterity combined with peerless grace and beauty, is it any wonder that ballet has remained popular for over five hundred years and has spread across the globe from its beginnings in the courts of the Italian Renaissance?
Tacoma City Ballet is a premier ballet school and performance company dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the technique and traditions of classical ballet, and to making the study of ballet accessible to anyone who desires to learn. The school offers four divisions of study in classical ballet: Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet, for beginners ages 3 5; the Elementary Division for early dancers ages 6 10; the Intermediate Division for ages 11 14, which requires a placement class to qualify; and the Company Division for ages 14 21, which also requires that students qualify. In addition to these divisions, the school offers an Adult Open Class Program that teaches beginning through intermediate technique and the Ballet Bees Mommy & Me! open class for ages 2 4.
Students in the Intermediate and Company Divisions are eligible to audition for the Junior and Senior Performing Companies, respectfully. The companies perform throughout the year at various venues, but most particularly in the Tacoma City Ballet productions. Upcoming performances include The Nutcracker and the Tale of the Hard Nut this month.
The Tacoma City Ballet is housed in The Merlino Art Center on the corner of 6th Ave. and Fawcett Ave. More information on both the school and the performances is available at the Tacoma City Ballet website here .
Which is healthier, running a 5k or jogging around the block? a bit of a trick question. Whether youre in a 5K or just going for a jog around the block, the health benefits of both come down to how often youre runningand for how long. Recently, a surprising study showed that slower runners actually tended to live longer than both those who didnt exercise and those who were faster. In fact, those who run too fast usually have about the same lifespan as those who went without a weekly run. And while there is still more research to be done to determine how reliable the research is, it might be reassuring for those that feel intimidated by strenuous exercise.
So while we wait for the results, whats the real takeaway? Its important to pace yourself as you run. If you have your heart set on preparing for your first 5K, remember you can get thereand even participate in the racein a way that doesnt overdo whats really the best for your health. To make sure you pace yourself, youll want to stick to a week-by-week plan that gradually helps you work up to your target distance. Youll also want to make sure you have the following figured out:
1. Know What to Wear
Having the right outfit can be a big motivator to help you commit to your 5K goal. Most importantly, make sure you have the right pair of running shoes and comfortable running socks. We recommend going to a specialized running store to find the shoe thats right for your foot. There are also different websites that help you find a more tailored option based on your running experience, previous injuries, and body type.
2. Know How to Run
Having the right technique will make sure your run is far less tiring, injury free, and more enjoyable. The first rule of thumb? Make sure your foot doesnt ever strike the ground with your heel or forefoot first. Landing on the middle of your foot is usually the smartest way to avoid unnecessary strain or fatigue. Its also important that your foot isnt landing in front of you. Instead, make sure your feet fall just below your hips as you run. For more tips on improving your form, Runners World and ChiRunning both have comprehensive lists.
Tacoma is full of great places to run and great races. Let us know about some of your favorites in the comments!
The holidays might be past, but that doesnt mean you have to be done entertaining! In fact, the new year can be the best time to get together with friendsthe stress and hectic pace of the holidays is over, and you can just relax and have a good time in your Tacoma apartment without having to worry about everything that needs to be done. Go ahead and invite some friends over! And to get you started, weve gathered together some of our favorite delicious (and easy) appetizer recipes.
Bacon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups
These look far trickier to make than they are. All you need is cream cheese, bacon, and bread. Cut the bread into bacon-width strips and spread the cream cheese on it. Then set the bread on a bacon strip and roll it all up together. Use a toothpick to keep it rolled up. Set a full pan of these in the oven and bake until the bacon is crispy. Theyre amazing!
Brown Sugar Kielbasa
If you want something even easier to make, this is it. Simply chop up a few packages of your favorite kielbasa, drop it in a slow cooker, and dump a package of brown sugar on top. Let it cook for five hours on low or two-and-a-half on high. Its that easy. You can add onions, peppers, mustardanything you want to add a little more variety. Or just keep it simple and delicious.
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Looking for something without all the meat in it? Weve got you covered. Mozzarella cheese sticks are always popular, and theyre better than ever when theyre homemade! Youll want to prepare three bowlsone with bread crumbs (panko bread crumbs are best!) and italian seasoning, one with a mix of eggs and a little milk, and one with flour. Get some string cheese sticks (yes, the ones you loved as a kid) and cut them into shorter halves. Now roll them in your bowls in this orderegg, flour, egg, bread crumbs, making sure to get them completely coated.
Now you have two options. You can deep fry them (the classic method), or if youre looking for something a little less oily, you can bake them. If you choose to bake, line them up on a cookie sheet and place them all in the freezer for about half an hour to harden the cheese. Then bake them in the oven at 400F for about eight minutes.
Cucumber Tomato Bites
These are simple and tasty. First, make your favorite cream cheese mixcream cheese, some mayo, a bit of green onion, and some ranch mix is a great option. Cut a cucumber into slices of whatever thickness you prefer. Top each slice with a dollop of your cream cheese mix (you can use a cake icing bag if you want it to look really pretty). On top of that, place half of a cherry tomato, round side down, and garnish it all with a bit of your favorite fresh herb. The end result is both attractive and tasty.
Cucumber Avocado Rolls
Now, these recipes have all been great, but theyve all had meat or cheese in prominent amounts. How about something simple, delicious, and vegan? Just toss some (peeled) avocados, garlic, and basil into a food processer and grind them up until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Now, get a potato peeler and peel long, length-wise strips off of a cucumber. Take these strips and spread your avocado mixture along them. Then roll them up and sprinkle a little paprika on top. You dont even need toothpicks to hold them shut, and theyre fantastic!
For more detailed instructions (with pictures) check out the recipes at the links weve provided for each one. We hope you enjoy these appetizers and that they help you kick off some great parties here at Nantucket Gate! If youve got a great appetizer recipe youd like to share, wed love to try it out! Please leave it in the comments.
