Blog Posts

Tips for Elevating Your Mood During the Colder Months

As the weather starts to get colder and fall slowly turns into winter, it’s common for people to experience a shift in their mood. Whether it’s due to experiencing seasonal depression or being inside more often because of the weather or anything else that might affect people’s mood, it’s more common than you might think. This week on Nantucket Gate Blog, we are bringing you three simple ideas that could help elevate your mood during the colder months this year. This season, consider trying the following as you go about life in your Tacoma, WA apartment: Develop a New Hobby This season, we suggest investing time in developing a new hobby you can enjoy. On top of merely helping you pass the time, having a hobby you like to participate in can make you feel more satisfied with your life, and it can help to dissipate some of those low feelings. For some, a new hobby during this time of year might look like getting outdoors with a pair of snowshoes or cross country skis to enjoy the winter weather. For others, it might mean picking up an indoor hobby like knitting, learning the basics of a new language, or playing board games. There is no right answer when it comes to hobbies; it’s all about what sounds enjoyable to you. Get Enough Sunlight During this time of year, the lack of sunlight can contribute to feeling down. As the days get shorter, it’s easy to spend all the well-lit hours of the day at work and to get virtually no natural light at all. Since sunlight in known to elevate mood, it’s a good idea to find small ways to be exposed to it throughout the day. On days when it’s warm enough, grab a jacket and take a short walk outside on your lunch break. When you aren’t able to do that, consider finding a spot at work near a window to get some natural light while you work. It may seem like something small, but a little bit of sunlight can go a long way in the winter! Embrace “Hygge” Hygge (pronounced hooga) is a Danish concept that roughly translated to “a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being”. In practice, hygge looks like creating cozy and peaceful spaces to help you feel good when it might be otherwise hard to do so. During the colder months, this could look like putting on your comfiest clothes and wrapping up in a blanket to read a good book or to watch your favorite television show, among many other things that could help you feel cozy. You can enjoy hygge alone or with other people you care about, and there is no way to do it wrong as long as you’re feeling more comfortable, calm, and content as a result. How do you elevate your mood during this upcoming season? Share with our community in the comments below

National Novel Writing Month

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, happens every November, and if you have ever wondered what all the fuss is about, reading this post will enlighten you. According to the official website, NaNoWriMo is a “fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing.” The idea is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. The quest begins each November 1st and runs through 11:59 p.m. on November 30th. The first NaNoWriMo, held in the San Francisco Bay area, took place in July of 1999 with 21 participants. It has grown to a much larger, well-known endeavor with thousands of participants all over the country. (The history of NaNoWriMo is interesting to read about too.) Even though it’s already started, if you want to take part this year, no problem. Visit the NaNoWriMo site to register and get started. If you’d rather feel more prepared, read all about it and make plans to participate next year. If you’ve ever been an aspiring novel writer (or known someone who is) this is a fun bandwagon to jump on. Looking for some advice about writing for NaNoWriMo? Consider these thoughts ( Pep Talks ) from famous authors: From Brian Jacques “The advice I continually give to young writers is this “Learn to paint pictures with words.” Not just once upon a time, but… In the long secret dust of ages, beneath a blue forgotten sky, where trade winds caress the sun bleached shores of unknown realms… See, as much as there are words in poetry, there is a poetry in words. Use it, stay faithful to the path you have set your heart upon and follow it.” From Garth Nix: “Rereading and revision works best after rest. I like to let chapters sit for at least a day or two before I go back to re-read and revise them. A little bit of space is helpful in looking at the work with fresh eyes and mind. This can work well for getting a rhythm of writing too, where you spend part of your writing time re-reading and revising a previous chapter and then go on to write new material. The re-reading and revising helps you get back into the ‘world’ of the book and the new writing helps you feel that you’re making forward progress, not just revising the old.” From Kristin Cashore: “Breathe. Be kind to yourself. Don’t panic. Take risks. Make messes. Decide every day that in your writing toolbox, next to the fear and self-doubt, you are also going to keep at least one tiny little seed of faith. That’s all you need to keep going—one mustard seed. Keep tight hold on that faith, and keep writing.” Should you choose to participate in NaNoWriMo this year in your Tacoma, WA apartment — or wherever else you go that inspires you to write — we here at Nantucket Gate Blog wish you the best of luck. Thanks for reading our post today!

Halloween Night Suggestions

Halloween is just three short days away! Do you have plans yet? If you no longer have young kids at home, chances are you won’t be out trick-or-treating. To help you decide what you will do instead, Nantucket Gate Blog has some suggested activities for Halloween night! Rather than spending the 31st of October like any other weeknight, add something festive to your evening by doing one of the following: Watch a Scary Movie One obvious suggestion for Halloween night as an adult is watching a scary movie. Horror might not be your preferred film genre, but it can be a fun escape from normal life to watch something that typically only exists in nightmares. Whether or not you have a high tolerance for frightening movies or not, there is bound to be something out there at the level of horror you’re looking for. If you’d rather watch something funny, there are plenty of classic Halloween comedies out there too! Tell Ghost Stories When was the last time you told ghost stories by flashlight? While it’s a staple of childhood summer camps and sleepovers, gathering together to hear a good scary story can be a lost art among adults. If you have other friends or family members who would prefer not to go out on Halloween night, why not invite them over to swap your favorite ghost stories? If you’d prefer to spend the night alone, you could also consider reading something by a frightening author like Stephen King or Edgar Allan Poe. Eat Your Favorite Treats Halloween is the perfect time to eat all of your favorite sweets; even though you might not be going door-to-door for candy, it’s still a good idea to treat yourself. If you’re in the mood for classic Halloween candy, stop by the grocery store on your way to work and pick up a bag of your favorite treat to receive during your trick-or-treating days. For those of you who have developed a more sophisticated palate, consider baking or purchasing your favorite dessert like fancy chocolate or pumpkin cheesecake. Whatever you’re in the mood for, you deserve to be indulgent on Halloween night. How do you enjoy spending Halloween night in your Tacoma, WA apartment? Let us know by leaving a comment.

What to Consider When Developing a New Hobby

With the colder months of the year approaching, it might be a good time to start thinking about how you want to spend your free time. There is no better time to start a new hobby than right now! This week on Nantucket Gate Blog, we have tips to help make choosing a new hobby a little bit easier. As you decide on how to pass your spare time this upcoming season, make sure to take into consideration the following: Time Commitment Something important to think about before you invest your energy into a new hobby is how much time you want to spend doing it. You may be looking to dedicate an hour or two to your hobby each day, but it’s possible you only have an hour or two a week instead. On top of how much time you have to spend on it weekly, think about the time of year as well. Is winter the best time to start picking up beach volleyball? Probably not. However much time you have to spend on a new hobby, there is bound to be something out there for you. Cost In addition to time, it’s a good idea to consider how much you’re willing to spend on a given hobby before you get sucked in. There are plenty of inexpensive or even free hobbies you can take up, while others might require you to purchase gear, memberships, supplies, and more. There is no wrong answer to how much you’re able to spend. However, setting a budget can help you decide which hobbies are realistic and sustainable at the current moment. Social Interaction Have you thought about how much interaction with others you’re looking for while participating in your hobby? If you have a desk job with little human interaction, you might be looking to participate in something in a group setting. However, if you talk to people all day long, it might be more relaxing to you to choose a new hobby you can do without having to associate with anyone else while you do it. Level of Challenge Lastly, it would be to your advantage to decide how challenging you’d like your new hobby to be. One of the reasons hobbies are so good for us is because they require us to face new challenges in a low-stress way, and they often include problems we truly want to solve or progress we actually want to make. At the same time, if another area of your life is currently presenting you with enough challenges, there are plenty of relaxing hobbies that might be more refreshing for the time being. We hope these tips help you decide on a new hobby that you can enjoy near your Tacoma, WA apartment!

The Best Episodes to Watch on National I Love Lucy Day

How familiar are you with the classic sitcom I Love Lucy? While it hasn’t been on the air for a new season in over 60 years, it remains one of the most iconic television programs in American pop culture. Because Tuesday, October 15th is National I Love Lucy Day, Nantucket Gate Blog is helping you relive some of the best moments of the show by sharing a few of our favorite episodes with you! Take an hour or two on Tuesday or any other time this month to enjoy some classic family entertainment in your Tacoma, WA apartment! “Job Switching” On arguably the most famous episode of I Love Lucy, Lucy and her friend Ethel get a job in a chocolate factory while their husbands do chores at home. If you’ve ever seen the scene at a conveyor belt where Lucy shoves multiple chocolates in her mouth, it comes from this episode! “Lucy Wants New Furniture” In this hilarious episode, Lucy’s husband Ricky gets angry when she buys new furniture without asking, so he makes her use her allowance to pay for it. Watch as Lucy comes up with creative ways to do all the activities she would typically spend her allowance on, but this time without paying any professionals to help her do them. “Lucy is Enceinte” When Lucy finds out she’s newly pregnant, she intends to tell Ricky, but he is always busy! Instead of telling him in private, Lucy heads to the nightclub where he works to share the big news, and Ricky ends up finding out in one of the most public ways possible. “First Stop” Ethel and Lucy make a roadtrip to California with their husbands, and they run into some comical mishaps along the way. After a misleading sign for a lousy cafe leads them to spend the night at a scummy motel, they soon realize the owner is taking advantage of them. What is your favorite I Love Lucy moment? Let our community know in the comments below.

Tacoma Film Festival 2019

October has officially arrived here in Tacoma, WA. Among all of the enjoyable fall festivities that this month brings, it also means it’s time to enjoy some up-and-coming cinema at the annual Tacoma Film Festival! This October 3rd - 10th, Nantucket Gate Blog invites you to support the local arts by attending the festival. Whether you make it for one film screening or attend as many as you can with a festival pass, you’re bound to have a good experience. The Tacoma Film Festival (TFF) has been called “the ultimate indie film festival” by CityArts ., This festival lasts a week and features independent films from around the globe. Film screenings for the event will be held in Tacoma’s Grand Cinema , a local, independent, nonprofit art house cinema. The mission of the TFF is to bring people together to appreciate the art of film and to show “never-before-seen storytelling and perspectives [that] deserve to be shared and celebrated.” The Tacoma Film Festival happened for the first time in 2006 and has continued to grow in size and hype each year since. The festival showcases new independent films with stories that deserve to be shared. They are the only festival in the world to host Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film annually, which internationally recognizes new and talented filmmakers and spotlight them and their work. Every year, the festival awards the best films for their achievements in a variety of categories, including best short narrative, best short documentary, best regional film, best screenplay, best cinematography, and more. You don’t want to pass up the opportunity to attend this exciting festival celebrating the art of film. MovieMaker Magazine has named the TFF as one of the Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee for four years in a row! And since the festival continues to grow and become bigger each year, we don’t anticipate that changing any time soon! Learn to further develop a taste for the art of cinematography at the Tacoma Film Festival. Thanks to members of our apartment community for reading our post today!