Blog Posts

Pampering Your Dog in Tacoma

Do you know someone who treats their dog like a tiny, fur covered human? Many people go to what might be considered extreme lengths to pamper their dogs. You can find anything from diamond-studded collars, to a mink fur coat for your dog . I might not go that far to pamper my dog, but that doesnt mean I am immune to the urge to spoil the little guy. This can be an issue when I need to travel for work. I cant very well just leave him locked in the bathroom for a weekend. Call me crazy, but even if I were to have a friend stop by to let him outside and feed him, I wouldnt feel right leaving him alone for all that time. Lucky for mewell, its mostly lucky for my dog Bark Central specializes in boarding for dogs of all shapes and sizes. Bark Central is located on 118th St just off Pacific Ave, practically right around the corner from Nantucket Gate Apartments. They offer doggy daycare, teeth cleaning and dog boarding. And, for those particularly privileged pets, luxury suites are available. Here dogs, or families of dogs, can get their own private room. Here they can lay around and nap all day, or socialize with the daycare dogs if they choose. Obviously, these rooms are limited, so you should make reservations well in advance if you wish to book a luxury suite. If you just adopted a new dog, and would like to get them socialized, doggy daycare is a great idea. Dogs are evaluated before being placed in a play group according to size and temperament. They are allowed to mix and mingle with other animals, as they move freely between inside and outside play areas. If you have to leave your pet while youre away from Tacoma, then give them the best! Try Bark Central next time youre out of town.

Skydiving near Tacoma

The Pacific Northwest boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the countrygreen forests, picturesque mountains, and the gorgeous seascape combine in breathtaking ways around every other corner. Youve seen these beautiful views on walks, on drives, maybe on a ferry or boat ride; but have you ever seen them from above? The first successful freefall and parachute skydiving attempt occurred in the year 1919; now, ninety-five years later, skydiving has become a world-popular sport. In the United States alone, over three million jumps are made each year. And if youre interested, you can be one of them! Several professional skydiving centers are conveniently located not far from our Nantucket Gate apartments. Skydive Kapowsin is located an hour west of Tacoma, in Shelton, while Skydive Snohomish is located an hour north inof courseSnohomish. Both centers offer tandem jumping (skydiving while attached to an instructor who will monitor protocols so beginners can enjoy and learn), skydiving classes, and the opportunity to earn a skydiving license so that you can try it on your own! Check out their websites to learn more. If youre worried about safety, you neednt bethe sport is very safe, and every year new technologies and gadgets are being invented to make it even safer. Tandem skydiving guarantees that youll have someone along who could handle any problem that could come up, although its unlikely that one would. But, if you are still uncomfortable with the idea of jumping from a plane, there is another option. iFLY Indoor Skydiving offers people the chance to skydive in a wind tunnelyou can have the experience of freefalling without ever getting more than a few feet from the ground. Plus, indoor skydiving is great way to practice the form and technique of skydiving to get ready for (or perfect) real skydiving. iFLY is located just twenty minutes from Tacoma. You can go and practice whenever you want.

Gluten-Free Restaurants in Tacoma

I grew up next to a neighbor who had Celiacs Disease back before anyone knew what that was. It was very difficult for her to find places to eat out in those days. These days, its still tricky, but the rise in popularity of gluten-free diets has made her life a lot easier! If you like to keep your meals as gluten-free as possible, here are a few excellent choices for dining out in and around Tacoma. Pacific Grill With options for lunch, dinner, and dessert, Pacific Grill has an excellent range of food for anyone looking to avoid gluten! Plus, dont forget that they deliver. Europa Bistro Head to Proctor district and enjoy a variety of gluten-free pasta, ravioli and gnocchi (my personal favorite). Friesenburgers Feeling like Fries and a burger? Head to the Dome District and stop by Friesenburgers. They have separate fryers and grill zoning to reduce the risk of cross contamination with other, gluten-filled items, so you can order fries without wondering if they were made in shared oil. Dukes Chowder House One of my favorite chowder places anywhere, Dukes features gluten-free appetizers, salads, burgers, seafood, andof coursetheir signature chowder. Plus, they have some of the most gorgeous outdoor seating available, right on the Sound. Savor Tacoma Creperie With both savory and sweet crepes in traditional or rice-flour versions, this is an excellent stop for someone on a gluten-free diet. Those with Celiacs should be careful, thoughthe kitchen does not feature a separate gluten-free preparation area. Julies Gluten-Free Bakery Located out in Puyallup, this little bakery will require a bit more of a drive; but it sure is worth it! Julies only serves gluten-free food, so theres little to no chance of contamination, and her baked goods are regularly compared to and declared superior to even their gluten-containing competitors. With pastries, breads, gelato, cupcakes, granola, croutons, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and even many vegan options, Julies has it all. These are just a few of my favorite local resources for gluten free food. For a more lengthy run-down of the gluten-free options available around Tacoma, check out this post on Tacoma Foodie!

Adding Heirlooms to Your Apartment Decor

We all have them, boxes that we lug around from place to place, but never unpack. And perhaps, in one of those boxes, you have carefully packed family heirlooms treasured bits and pieces from yesterday, that are safely cocooned away. And while they may be safe, consider the pleasure they could bring if they were displayed in your apartment to be enjoyed by all. Heirlooms can bring a unique touch to your decorating theme. Who else do you know who has a 1930s era fishermans creel? Or what about those old-time family photographs? The black and white and sepia toned hues can be used to create a striking visual focus for one of your walls. Do you have your grandmothers cookie jar? Pull it out, clean it out, and fill it with cookies, and create fond memories for a new generation. Did your grandfather smoke a pipe? Or have a favorite coffee mug youve inherited. A small shelf would be the perfect place to display the items. Did your grandmother do handwork? Display a collection of small items together in a shadow box, using tatting or a crochet doily in the background. Do you have boxes of old photographs with interesting views, people, experiences, but nobody wrote on the back, so you dont really know who they are, but you cant quite bring yourself to throw them out? Scan them and create a picture book for your coffee table. Mixbook , Heritage Makers , and Snapfish all offer programs to create photo books. Do you have a collection of programs and ticket stubs? A mason jar or shadow box makes an interesting place to display them. Shadow boxes also make a great way to display scout or military insignia and awards. Display your great-grandmothers handmade quilt on the wall or fold it over a quilt stand. And each day they spend out of a dusty box, the closer you can become to the people whose lives paved the way for you to become the person you are today. Please feel free to share a picture of something you inherited in the comments.

Seattle Art Museum near Tacoma

For over seventy years, the Seattle Art Museum has been gathering and displaying art from around the world. Their collections include Asian, African, Ancient American, Ancient Mediterranean, Islamic, European, Oceanic, Asian, American, modern and contemporary art, and decorative arts and designparticularly popular are the Native American galleries and their collection of Australian Aboriginal art. With so many amazing options to choose from, the Seattle Art Museum is an engrossing and fascinating way to spend an afternoon, day, or weekend, and it is located less than an hour away from Nantucket Gate Apartments in Tacoma. The museum features numerous exhibits and programs, encompassing a wide variety of sensory experiences. Current headlining exhibits include: City Dwellers: Contemporary Art From India Come see the colorful, contradictory, and complex India of today through the works of some of the countrys leading artists. Pop Departures Examine the American Pop movement in art, from pioneers like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein to the next generation and contemporary artists. Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 19201945 Reveals the widespread and particular impact of Art Deco on Japanese culture. Through a wide range of mediums, this exhibition introduces the spectacular craftsmanship and sophisticated designs of Japans contribution to the movement. Live by Night: the 37th Film Noir Series Live in the night world of film noir. This nine film series starts on September 25th with the classic The Maltese Falcon. Visual Vertigo Indigenous artists from the center of the Australian continent unleashed a wave of art production in the 1970s that has been described as a renaissance of the worlds oldest living cultures. A few masters of this unusual chapter of art history are assembled here. The Seattle Art Museum is located at 1300 First Avenue in Seattle. For more information, including hours and admission rates, check out their website here .

Laptop Care in Tacoma

Take a moment to try to picture your life without computers. Its a completely different existence, isnt it? No more smartphones, tablets, netbooks, laptops, or desktop computers . . . think of all the conveniences you would lose. No matter how you spend your time here in Tacoma work, school, or play computers probably make it easier or more enjoyable. The computers in our lives tend to be wonderful, helpful things, whether were looking to work more efficiently or relax and have fun. So its always a good idea to take good care of your computersthose things can be expensive to replace, after all! And of all the computers in our lives, larger portable computers like laptops and netbooks tend to be the easiest to break or wear out while being costly to repair or replace. Here at Nantucket Gate, we want to do all we can to help you to live connectedso heres a few tips for caring for your portable computer. Run your laptop on a smooth hard surface. They may be called laptops, but your lap isnt the best place for them. Pillows, blankets, and other soft, uneven surfaces can block airflow out of your computer and cause it to overheat, which is one of the biggest contributors to computer failure. Put your computer to sleep before putting it in your bag. Just because you closed the lid does not mean the hard drive has stoppedit can take several seconds for the hard drive to shut down. And while that hard drive is spinning, it is more vulnerable to being damaged if the computer is moved or bumped. Dont leave it plugged in all the time. Being plugged in all the time isnt good for your computers battery. If you were to remain sitting all day, every day, your muscles would begin to atrophy from lack of useits kind of the same for your laptops battery. It needs to get out and get some exercise now and then. Plus, unplugging the laptop regularly can save on your electricity bill! Clean out your computer every year or so. We dont mean to delete unwanted filesget yourself a can of compressed air, a laptop vacuum, and some cotton swabs and clean out the vents and openings of the computer. Dust buildup is a major cause of computer overheating and failure. Shut down the computer once a week. Most computers are programmed to perform standard self-maintenance when they shut down and reboot, such as clearing caches and short-term memory or installing system updates. You might be surprised how many problems this can fix! Did we miss any great computer care tips? Please let us know in the comments!