Blog Posts

Holiday Gift Ideas

Welcome back to the Port Landing at Fife Blog! To start off our December posts, we’re writing about gifts. We know that finding that perfect gift for a loved one, friend, or coworker can be a challenge — sometimes it’s next to impossible! But don’t worry, we’re dedicating our first post to helping our residents find the gift that is just perfect for that special someone, whether they live in our Fife, WA apartment community or not. Keep reading to learn more. Tear Free Onion Goggles You probably know someone who can’t keep back the tears while chopping onions. If so, there might be no greater gift this year than a pair of these tear-free onion goggles. Check out what one reviewer said on the website: “I've always hated cutting onions...oh the pain of those tears! I was skeptical whether this product would really work but was willing to give it a try. This product did not disappoint. It works just as described! I am so impressed I am going to buy more pairs to give as gifts.” Toaster Grilled Cheese Bags Do you know someone who loves grilled cheese sandwiches? If so, this gift is absolutely perfect! Check out what one reviewer said on the website: “I've purchased these twice now as gifts for my best friend and sister. In college my best friend would often make a grilled cheese but didn't want to get out a frying pan so she would toast 3 pieces of bread, then add cheese and microwave it. I just gave her these last week for her birthday and she loves them! Awesome gift idea for almost anybody.” Cat Egg Mold & Dog Egg Mold Odds are you know someone who loves cats and/or dogs. Add a little something special to their holiday with these handy breakfast tools. “Meals are always more fun with a friend. Simply fetch this playful silicone mold, place it in your pan, pour two eggs into the rings, and let it cook. With this much fun on a plate, kids and adults will be happy to come, sit, and stay at the breakfast table.” What gifts will you be buying this holiday season? Share in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving just passed, and odds are you still have a lot of food leftover. Rather than reheating the leftover food for your next meal, the Port Landing at Fife Apartments Blog invites you to transform it into something new. Enjoy eating turkey pot pie, stuffed shells, potato casserole, and paninis in your Fife, Washington apartment. Keep reading to learn more! Dad’s Leftover Turkey Pot Pie This is a great recipe that takes about 30 minutes to prepare. If you don’t know what to do with all that extra turkey, this is the perfect use for it. Read what one person commented in response to the recipe: “This was fantastic! So easy and quick to make. I used a bag of mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots, greenbeans, lima beans) and everything else was per the recipe. Delicious. My whole family loved it and my Hubby ate seconds. Will definitely make this again!” Thanksgiving Leftovers Stuffed Shells If you’re more of a visual learner than a follower of a recipe, watch the tutorial video for this recipe at the above link. “Turn all your Thanksgiving leftovers into totally tempting comfort food with this mouthwatering stuffed shell recipe. Mix leftover turkey and stuffing with cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and mayo. Stuff this savory mix into jumbo pasta shells and top with gravy and mozzarella. Then just try to resist when it arrives hot from the oven, all bubbly, beautifully browned, tempting with meat, cheese and Thanksgiving goodness.” Turkey Potato Casserole For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients: one pound of cooked turkey meat, one onion, green beans, cheddar cheese, and one can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and then another 30 minutes to cook. “After a holiday meal half the work is done because you usually have the mashed potatoes, and turkey. When I make it from scratch, I usually use chicken rather than turkey. Prep times are from leftovers.” Turkey and Bacon Panini with Chipotle Mayonnaise This sandwich is perfect for getting rid of a lot of leftovers. Did you know that you can make it vegetarian? Simple leave out the turkey and bacon for a lighter treat. What’s your favorite use of Thanksgiving leftovers? Let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks for reading!

Easy Thanksgiving Centerpieces

This month the Port Landing at Fife Apartments Blog has shared ideas for indoor activities and ways to reflect on what you’re thankful for. To continue with this holiday theme, we’d like to share a few easy-to-make centerpieces for your Thanksgiving table. Enjoy putting together these simple yet striking arrangements that are sure to capture the spirit of the season in Fife, Washington. If you have a cake plate, then this first centerpiece is a no-brainer. All you need to do is cover the cake plate with fall-themed decor, such as fake leaves, pinecones, and squash. A good tip is to head over to a local craft store, pick up a fake pumpkin and other small items for a few bucks, and then pile them on. This is a fun and simple centerpiece that you can really be creative with. Now onto something a little more crafty. We love this Thankful Tree Turkey by Dandelion Patina . Do you have a friend that’s handy with wood? This project is perfect for them! Create your turkey today with wood, glue, and old forks. We’ve never seen this idea for Color Wrapped Wheat (by Inspired by Charm ) until now, and it looks like a great centerpiece! Here’s what they have to say about it: “It’s a simple and easy project, but it’s a beautiful way to add interest and a splash of color to your Thanksgiving table. And don’t worry, even if you’re not hosting the holiday feast, you can still whip up a few of these to decorate your space.” You’ll need dried wheat stalks, embroidery floss (in any color you’d like), and a pair of scissors. That’s it. This DIY Wooden Candle Holder Centerpiece is another great-looking option for your Thanksgiving table. Again, if you or someone you know is handy with wood, it’d be beneficial to get together and work on this project! Still looking for ideas? Here are over 40 Thanksgiving Centerpieces to check out! What’s your favorite centerpiece? Leave a comment below. Thanks for reading. Happy Thanksgiving!

Reflections for Thanksgiving

Have you ever sat at the dinner table on Thanksgiving and listened to everyone sharing what they’re thankful for? Maybe someone started and then the person sitting next to them spoke up, followed by the next person…. Eventually, it leads up to you. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on what you’re thankful for. Whether you want to prepare for when that question comes up at the dinner table or you just want to reflect on things, experiences, and people that have impacted your life, our tips in today’s post are sure to help enlighten and inspire your thoughts. Make this Thanksgiving in your Port Landing at Fife apartment all the more memorable by focusing on the things you’re thankful for. One thing that you can do to help you think about what you’re grateful for is to start writing in a gratitude journal . Head over to a local store and find a journal that stands out. While you might just choose a simple notebook, finding a journal that matches your style (maybe it has a great image on the cover) can help foster creativity. As you begin to write, try to be consistent. Write at least three to five things that you are thankful for every day (morning or night, whatever works best for you). Also, try to be as specific as you can. For example, instead of writing, “I’m grateful for my job,” you can write, “I really like the people I work with at my job,” or “I’m grateful I have a job; I know many people who don’t.” As you record things, you’ll begin to find new things that you’re grateful for — things you probably didn’t think of before. Another fun way to reflect on what you’re thankful for is to go on a gratitude scavenger hunt. This is simple and can be done with friends and loved ones. Simply write down a list of topics. These can be things like “something that makes me smile” or “this has helped a lot of people to live better lives.” Write down ten to twenty items. Then, using your camera, go and take pictures of objects that represent those things you’ve written down. If you’re doing this with friends, compare the different photos. Make sure you don’t use a picture of the same object to cross off multiple items on your list. The whole point of this activity is to find as many things as you can to be grateful for. Share what you’re thankful for in a comment below. We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving in Fife, Washington!

Indoor Activities for Kids

Welcome back to the Port Landing at Fife Apartments Blog! November is finally here. That means it’s time for great food, decorations, reflection, and cold weather. This month, we’re focusing on each of these things. Each week, visit our blog for something different that ties into Thanksgiving. Today we’re focusing on the cold weather and indoor activities. With the weather getting colder week after week here in Fife, WA, it’s a good idea to plan some indoor activities, especially if you have any little ones running around your apartment. We have a few activities that are sure to keep people of all ages entertained. A great indoor activity that is quick and easy to set up inside is this Pumpkin Tic Tac Toe idea! This project catches the eye, is as easy to set up as it is to take down, and will help entertain kids and guests for quite a while. If you’d like, you can make other games like this. If you have enough pumpkins, why not follow the same setup but make it bigger? This way, you can turn any table into a pumpkin checkerboard. The options are endless. If you have kids, have fun involving them so that they can make an activity that they want to play. Making a big picture is always fun. As long as you have enough floor space cleared, taking a giant sheet of construction paper and crayons is a fun way to keep a kid distracted. If you need to entertain guests that are a little older, they can play life-size Pictionary with the same items. This next one can get a little messy, but it’s a great change of pace. We’re talking about painting the windows (with washable paint, of course!). If you’d like to make your own window paint, follow these simple instructions . You’ll need dish soap and Tempera Paint, but that’s about it! Some people even commented on alternative methods to achieve the same results. Check out what Crystal Clark said: “We made some with shaving cream and a few drops of food coloring. Adora loves to color in with these in the shower :) We have the perfect glass shower doors for this fun project.” Of course, we recommend that shaving cream should stay in the bath or shower for an easier cleanup. We hope you enjoyed reading about three simple indoor activities that are perfect for kids and guests of all ages. Being inside does not mean the fun has to stop. Sometimes you’re required to think a little more creatively, especially if you want to keep people engaged and off of their electronic devices. Share your experiences trying out these ideas or any others you have in the comments below. Thanks for reading. Happy Thanksgiving!

October Movie Suggestions

October has had its share of great-looking movies, and like last month we’re sharing a few recommendations. The Port Landing at Fife Blog invites you to leave your Fife, WA apartment and enjoy one of these highly-anticipated movies. Same Kind of Different as Me International art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear) befriends a homeless man (Djimon Hounsou) to save his struggling marriage to Deborah (Renée Zellweger), a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the most remarkable journey of their lives. Buy your tickets today! Marshall As the nation teeters on the brink of WWII, a nearly bankrupt NAACP sends Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) to conservative Connecticut to defend a black chauffeur against his wealthy socialite employer in a sexual assault and attempted murder trial that quickly became tabloid fodder. In need of a high profile victory but muzzled by a segregationist court, Marshall is partnered with Samuel Friedman (Josh Gad), a young Jewish lawyer who has never tried a case. Buy your tickets today! The Foreigner Jackie Chan returns to the big screen in this intense thriller about a humble London businessman whose long-buried past erupts when his teenage daughter dies in a senseless act of politically motivated terrorism. His relentless search to find the terrorists leads to a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official whose own past may hold the clues to the identities of the elusive killers. Buy your tickets today to see The Foreigner! Only the Brave Through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families and communities, the Granite Mountain Hotshots become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the country. While most people run from danger, they run toward it—watching over lives, homes and everything people hold dear, forging a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire in Yarnell, Ariz. If you haven't already seen Only the Brave, we think you'll love it. Buy your tickets online for a great weekend. What movies are you looking forward to seeing? If you already watched some of these, share your favorites in the comments. Thanks for reading!