Fitness Tips for a Healthier You

Use the Park as a Gym

Warm mornings can be a terrific opportunity to trek over to a park and make use of fitness items already in place. Those fun monkey bars can be an outstanding place to get in your back and arm-strengthening chin-ups. Or, bring a yoga mat or towel and do some fitness moves on the grass!

Community Cardio

Building a healthier you doesn’t have to be a solo project. Many people find that a little fitness camaraderie can go a long way. Consider organizing a walking group that meets at regularly scheduled times. Along with assembling a group of friends, it’s also important to consider similar fitness goals and conditioning. When everyone is on the same page in terms of pace and distance, the activity can be a pleasant fitness excursion.

Squeeze in Your Workouts at Home

There all kinds of gadgets and videos you can purchase to help you achieve the ultimate six-pack abs. But for those of us who are not necessarily "workout warriors," light exercise can usher in reasonably taut abs. Consider doing leg raises off the edge of a sturdy futon or sofa. Just extend your legs and feet straight out; then pull them back steadily while exhaling.

This pseudo-abdominal crunch can do wonders. Start off with a few sets of a reasonable number of repetitions and increase at your own pace. One of the wonderful aspects of this ab exercise is that it can be done in the privacy of your living room.

Take the Plank Challenge

One of the fitness activities that has been trending is planking. The exercise requires only a clear floor space and some determination. Place your elbows on the floor bent at 90 degrees and assume a push-up posture. The key is to hold yourself in a straight line. See how long you last and build up core strength as you improve your planking stamina.

We hope our Country Club Vista community members enjoy health and fitness tips. If you or a friend would like more information about our Flagstaff apartments, call us today.

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Summer just requires delicious beverages. If you can make them healthy, all the better. These are some cool mocktail recipes we hope our Country Club Vista community members in Flagstaff, Arizona, will enjoy.

Virgin Blackberry-Lime Margarita

Let’s improve on the margarita with this splendid and healthy substitute.

Gather These Ingredients

• 6 cups of water
• 3 cups of fresh blackberries
• 1 cup of pure cane sugar
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• Orange wedges and fresh blackberries
• Fruity drink beverage umbrellas

How to Prepare

Place blackberries and 1 cup of water in a blender. Mix until they reach a smooth texture, and then pour through a fine strainer into a large pitcher. Stir in the other 5 cups of water with sugar and lime juice until granules have dissolved. Pour the mocktail over ice and garnish with orange wedges, fresh blackberries and a colorful cocktail umbrella. It is that simple!

Mock Cherry Mojitos

Mojitos are all the rage on cruise ships, all-inclusive resorts and trendy bars. This mocktail is a new take!

Gather These Ingredients

• 1 pound of frozen, pitted cherries
• 3 cups of crushed ice
• ½ cup of fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 3 limes (juiced)
• 2 oranges sliced into wedges
• Maraschino cherries
• Fruity drink beverage umbrellas

How to Prepare

Stir the water, sugar and lime juice in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture reaches a full boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir for about five minutes. Remove from heat and let the lime juice syrup cool.

In a blender, mix the cherries, ice, mint and the lime juice syrup until smooth. Simply pour into glasses and garnish with orange wedges, maraschino cherries and a fun umbrella. 

We hope our Country Club Vista community members find these mocktail ideas helpful. If you or a friend would like more information about our Flagstaff apartments, call us today.

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If you're like most busy residents of apartments in Flagstaff, you sometimes struggle with coming up with a delicious and nutritious weeknight meal. This is where breakfast for dinner can come to your rescue. Breakfast foods were designed to be cooked quickly, but there's no rule that says they can only be eaten in the morning. Having them for dinner allows you to have a hot, filling meal in minutes after a long day at work or school. Here are a few suggestions to provide you with inspiration.

Sausage Breakfast Pizza

Sausage breakfast pizza is an excellent choice for those occasions when you're craving a combination of breakfast and dinner foods. Roll thawed frozen pizza or whole wheat bread dough into a pizza pan and bake until golden brown. Cook the sausage along with some sliced mushrooms in a skillet in the usual way, and slice or crumble it when it's cooked through and set aside. Scramble some eggs in the same skillet. Sprinkle your choice of shredded cheese over the crust, top with the eggs and the sausage mixture, cover with more cheese, and bake for about eight minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve with your favorite salsa, if desired. 

Chicken Sausage and Sweet Pepper Hash

Preparing this in a slow cooker ensures it's ready when you walk in the door at night. Brown a package of sliced chicken sausage with sliced apples in a skillet and remove, and then brown some sliced sweet onions.  Place the chicken and onions in a slow cooker with cubed red potatoes, thyme, black pepper, chicken broth, and chopped sweet peppers. Set your slow cooker to begin about six hours before you're scheduled to come home from work. Serve with fried eggs and your choice of breakfast bread. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out to our office for more great advice on getting the most from life in your Flagstaff apartment. 

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Holiday Turkey

You will probably be serving turkey at your holiday gathering, but it need not be a cumbersome task. In your recipe use just five ingredients, which are: a whole or boneless turkey, thyme, rosemary, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. If you enjoy other spices, you can add them too. Season your turkey with these ingredients and pop it in the oven!

Cranberry Sauce

This side dish that's commonly served alongside turkey doesn't need to come from a can. In just a few minutes you can make it homemade, using fresh cranberries, apple juice, orange zest, honey and a dash of cinnamon.

Brussels Sprouts

If you haven't tried fresh Brussels sprouts, you're missing out on an unbelievably great taste. Wash the Brussels sprouts, then cut them in half. Sauté them face down in olive oil with a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a bit of spice such as rosemary. Drizzle oil over them and place them in the oven for cooking.

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Nothing provides more comfort than sweet potatoes or yams. Create a healthy and satisfying dish by peeling then slicing fresh sweet potatoes. Arrange the pieces in a glass baking dish. Add coconut oil, ghee, sea salt and cinnamon. Bake until the potatoes are soft.

Apple Crisp

So many types of apples are readily available in the winter. Buy whatever variety you enjoy, such as granny smith, Fuji, honeycrisp, jonagold or braeburn. Slice or cube the apples, then place them in a pie dish. Add coconut oil, cinnamon, walnut pieces and almond flour.

You'll need a cozy kitchen where you can prepare and serve these seasonal recipes. If you're looking for apartments in Flagstaff, call our office today to see which floor plans are still available.

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From Your Flagstaff Apartments to the Closest Pumpkin Patch

Nothing says fall quite like pumpkins, and a visit to one of the local area pumpkin patches is a great way to kick off the fall season. You can soak up the fun atmosphere, learn more about pumpkin growing and pick your very own Halloween pumpkin. 

Show Your Fall Spirit on Your Apartment Patio or Balcony

People often decorate for Christmas, but fall decorations are sometimes forgotten. This year, consider going all out with fall decor on your apartment patio or balcony. From scarecrows to pumpkins to mini hay bales, you can create a fun decor that will look nice for the whole fall season. Make up a batch of apple cider and make the decorating a fun mini-party opportunity with family or friends!

Conquer a Corn Maze

The Flagstaff area is close to a couple of corn mazes, which can be a great way to bring in the fall season. Corn mazes in the area include fun activities like rides for the kids, tractor-drawn rides in a giant wagon and even chili and pumpkin parties on the weekends. Corn mazes are a fun and unique way to enjoy the great outdoors as the weather starts to cool down a bit, and they are fun for all ages. 

Fall is a favorite season for the staff and residents at Country Club Vista in Flagstaff. Give us a call today to learn more about the beautiful apartment homes that are available this fall!

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UNO

You’ve been playing this game since you were little, and it's just as much fun now as when you were younger.  Each player gets seven cards. You match the card on the discard pile with a matching color or number.  Special cards give you the opportunity to skip the next player, reverse the direction of the game or even make your opponent draw additional cards.  Wild cards let you change the color to your liking.  The first player to get rid of all their cards wins!

Never Have I Ever

This game has questions of things you may have done.  For example, “Never have I ever been on an airplane.”  Players will answer whether or not they’ve done so.  This is an excellent way to get to know your family members.  Invite friends over to join in the fun and get to know your fellow community members.

Chutes and Ladders

Chutes and Ladders is a fun game that allows the little ones to get involved in the fun.

The object of the game is to land exactly on square 100. You do so by moving the number of spaces determined by the spinner.  If you land below a ladder, you climb to the top and move ahead.  On the other hand, land on a chute and you move downward and lose ground.

Spoons

Spoons is a fun card game with a twist.  Each player is dealt four cards while the dealer takes a fifth card to start the game.  Each person passes a card face down to their left,  while the last player discards into the trash pile.  The process is quickly repeated until someone has four of a kind and takes a spoon.  Everyone else then tries to take a spoon as fast as possible.  The player left without a spoon gets a letter.  Once you have spelled S-P-O-O-N, you are out. The last player remaining wins.

Pictionary

Pictionary is a classic game where each team competes to guess the word being drawn by their teammate.  Each team is allowed one minute to guess.  A correct guess allows the team to roll the die and continue around the board.  The winner is crowned once a team has guessed the word correctly on the final “All Play” square.

Family game night is a time to bond and relax with the people you love.  Our apartments in Flagstaff provide the perfect setting.

Contact us today for more information about our residences at Country Vista.  We look forward to you celebrating your next family night with us.

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Set up the Grill with a Hot Side and a Cooler Side

By setting up the grill with two different temperature zones, you'll be able to cook a wider variety of foods. Things that take a long time to get done, such as potatoes and corn on the cob, should go on the cooler side. Wrap these items in foil so the heat is held in and the insides bake.

The hot side is good for grilling fast-cooking foods like hamburgers, hot dogs and thinner steaks. It's also good for searing items that will then be moved to the cooler side to finish off.

Add New Spice to Old Favorites

One easy way to do this is to make your own spice rubs. Simply blend your favorite spices evenly in a small bowl. Put the mix into its own bottle to keep it fresh and simply sprinkle some onto the food. Another good twist is to mix barbecue sauce in with hamburger meat instead of just pouring it on top.

Use an Instant-Read Thermometer

These thermometers may not truly be instant, but they do produce an accurate reading within seconds. They have thin probes to stick into the meat, so you can tell the temperature without mauling the food. They're essential for avoiding food with either raw or burned insides. Your guests will also appreciate being able to get meat cooked the way they like it best.

With these tips, you're sure to have a great barbecue when you come out and use our gazebo. To learn more about our amenities, just stop by the leasing office.

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Try Kid-Sized Tools

Children are often intrigued by the adult sized cleaning tools, for example the broom and the mop. Purchase child sized versions of these tools — or fashion them yourself by cutting off some of the handle. This allows kids to really feel like they're participating and doing something very grown up. To motivate kids to learn about doing small repairs, you can even get them a personal child sized tool box or tool belt. 

Make Cleaning Into A Timing Game

There is nothing kids tend to enjoy more than a challenge. Tell your children that you're challenging them to complete the cleaning in a certain time frame. For example, say that they have 10 minutes to pick up all the toys in the living room and then put them into their places. This is especially useful if you preface the challenge with something like "Well, I don't think it's possible to do it that fast, but you may prove me wrong." This will motivate the kids to meet the goal and impress you. 

Act It Out

Kids typically love television, so they're very familiar with commercials. During the cleaning, ask them to perform the parts of actors in cleaning product commercials. This brings fun and a bit of silliness into an otherwise boring cleaning process.

Looking for a beautiful apartment community in Flagstaff? Call Country Club Vista to find out about available floor plans now! 

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Keep a Physical Copy of Your Schedule

Plenty of college students practically live for their phone these days, even keeping their schedule inside it. But, what happens when the phone goes dead, or the phone is on silent? It may leave you in a time management crisis. Take a few extra minutes to write down all your appointments and "to do" lists in a paper notebook. Keep the notebook with you all the time so you can stay on track timewise while going through your day, even in the case of phone failure.

Prioritize Your Day Before You Leave Your Flagstaff Apartment

Most college students have a million things to do every day – but it's important to remember that they don't all need to take top priority. Before you even leave home, prioritize your daily to do list. Things like classes can't be changed, but social events can always be moved down on the priority list if needed. 

Push Procrastination Out of Your Life

Procrastination is an easy habit to adopt, but it is definitely destructive for anyone who wants to practice good time management. When you catch yourself wasting time, stop and ask yourself why you're procrastinating. Simply acknowledging the problem can be very helpful. This allows you to remind yourself, once again, that it really does have to be done. The sooner you jump in, the sooner it will be over.

Country Club Vista in Flagstaff, AZ is ready to help you find the new apartment home of your dreams. Give us a call today to find out what floor plans are still available! 

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Easy

Buffalo Park Trail. This 2-mile easy loop starts and ends at Buffalo Park trailhead. To get there from US 180, go east on Forest Ave. to N. Gemini Rd. to the park entrance and trailhead.

Fort Tuthill Trail. Covering 6.6 miles, this trail is accessible from April – October and is rated as "easy".  Find this urban trailhead just west of Northern Arizona University off of Milton Road.

Moderate

Kachina Trail. The Kachina trail, rated as moderate, is primarily used by hikers and is accessible from May – November. Covering 10.4 miles, this out and back trail can be accessed by traveling 7.4 miles Northwest from Flagstaff on US 180 and turning north on SnowBowl Road for about 7 miles. 

Dry Lake Hills Trail. This moderately difficult trail is a 5.5-mile loop is accessible from either Schultz Pass Road or Eldon Lookout Road. To get there, take US 180 North to Schultz Pass Road (FR 420.)

Difficult

Weatherford Trail. Accessible from March – November, this 15.6-mile (out and back) trail is challenging, but beautiful. Used by hikers, walkers, nature lovers and bird-watchers alike, get to the trail by going north on US 180 to Schultz Pass Rd (FR 420). Turn left at FR 557 and continue for 6 miles to the trailhead.

The Flagstaff, Arizona, area is truly a hiker's paradise. To learn more about the Country Club Vista Apartments in Flagstaff, contact our office today by calling (866) 941-5434.

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