Blog Posts

Celebrate St. Patricks Day

Welcome back to Port Landing at Fife’s blog. We love sharing new ideas and advice with our readers. This month, the 17th is St. Patrick’s Day! Even if you don’t have the day off work, we still think this is a great excuse to celebrate. Catholic.org has some interesting facts about the holiday that you can use to impress your friends. Here are a few the site mentions: — St. Patrick wasn’t Irish, and he wasn’t born in Ireland. Patrick’s parents were Roman citizens living in modern-day England, or more precisely in Scotland or Wales (scholars cannot agree on which). He was born in 385 AD. By that time, most Romans were Christians and the Christian religion was spreading rapidly across Europe. — Many claim the shamrock represents faith, hope, and love, or any number of other things but it was actually used by Patrick to teach the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and how three things, the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit could be separate entities, yet one in the same. Obviously, the pagan rulers of Ireland found Patrick to be convincing because they quickly converted to Christianity. Once you’ve learned a little about the holiday, our second favorite way to spend the holiday is with a few sweet treats. These St. Patrick’s Day–inspired treats are certain to bring you luck all year long. From Garnish and Glaze comes this idea for Green Velvet St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes that you’re sure to love. They’re pretty, festive, and delicious! We also love a festive twist on any classic, and this Shamrock Punch from Passion for Savings is just that! The site says, “If you are looking for a drink recipe to serve at your St. Patrick’s Day Party, be sure to check out this Shamrock Punch! This is the perfect addition to your St. Patrick’s Day theme party! Plus, this would also be fun to serve to your kids on St. Patricks Day! This recipe only calls for 2 ingredients which makes it super simple to prepare (and also really cheap)!” Thanks for reading and have fun celebrating in your apartment or anywhere else in Fife, WA this year!

Kickstart Your Morning

Waking up in the morning isn’t always easy. There’s nothing fun about leaving your warm bed and getting started on all your responsibilities for the day. But adding a few things to your typical morning routine can really help kickstart your day. You might even find yourself excited to get out of bed and start your day! It kind of starts the night before. Getting a really good night’s sleep is helpful when trying to get your day going. Try going to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual. Especially on Sunday nights. This will help you start your week off on the right foot. Wash your face in the morning! Some people prefer to shower at night instead of in the morning, but a cool splash of water on your face can really wake you up! Try this energizing face wash by origins. Wake up your skin and your mind will follow suit! Drink some water. Fill it up with cold water at night and leave it on your nightstand and it will still be cool in the morning for you to sip from! We love this one from Revolve. Adding some exercise to your morning can really wake you up as well. Yoga and some deep stretching can help you focus on your breathing and getting your body moving. One bonus to working out first thing in the morning is that you are able to get it done and don’t have to think about it for the rest of the day. Write down your to-do list! This will give you a really clear picture of what you need to accomplish during the day. Tip: start your list with something you have already accomplished, like brushing your teeth or getting dressed. Cross this item off your list when it is done. Doing so will trick your brain into wanting to cross more items off your list! Instant motivation. Here’s to good mornings every day this week here in Fife, WA! Thanks for reading the Port Landing at Fife Blog!

Host a Dinner Party

Entertaining is a fun way to create and impress your friends. An intimate setting like your kitchen table is a great place to make memories and try new foods. Skip the restaurant and crowds and enjoy a meal in your Port Landing at Fife apartment tonight. Having a dinner party doesn’t have to feel stressful or overwhelming. In fact, there are a lot of things you can do to make the evening go much more smoothly. Decide on the meal first. Pick something you want to make and share with your friends. If you want the night to be more about the people and conversation, choose a simple and familiar dish you know your guests will love. If you’re feeling adventurous, try a new dish or something from a different culture. Guests might feel apprehensive about trying something new, so choose wisely! Plan and prepare beforehand. You want your party to be fun. Rushing around last minute will not allow you to enjoy as much as possible. Make grocery lists and do grocery shopping as early as possible. If you’re going to cook a new dish, try a practice round so you know just what you’re getting yourself into. If all else fails, have a backup plan! Don’t feel like you owe any kind of apology to your guests. Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, don’t mention any flaws to your guests. Chances are, they won’t even notice! As for decoration, you don’t have to completely transform your home! Adding simple touches will show your guests you care but you aren’t trying too hard. Cloth napkins and placeholders are a fun and elegant addition to your meal. Soft light from candles and fresh flowers on the table create a restaurant-like experience your guests will love. We hope you love these ideas and have a fun and successful dinner party here in Fife, WA.

Update the Brown Bag

Every day your lunch hour might consist of standing in line, purchasing an expensive sandwich, and rushing back to work to punch the clock. If this feels all too familiar, you might need a lunch time makeover! We’ve got some fun ideas to update your lunch routine and even save some money. Start by thinking about lunch at dinner time! Each night after you have dinner, pack up an extra serving in a container to take to work with you. If you are going out to dinner at your favorite Fife, WA restaurant, consider eating only half of your meal and taking the rest home. This lets you save some room for dessert as well. It’s a win-win! Think about what you’re bringing for lunch. If you’re feeling a slump every afternoon, maybe adding more protein to your lunch will be helpful. Consider your lunch as the fuel that gets you through the workday. Eating something healthy doesn’t mean skimping on taste. Try a whole grain wrap with turkey, hummus, and veggies. There are also a lot of great vegan instant soup options that don’t pack a ton of sodium. If you have a microwave or toaster at work or school, this could open up a lot more options as well. Drink water at lunch instead of soda. This will keep you hydrated and feeling fuller for the rest of the day. Making these easy changes during lunch can help you get through your day without that afternoon slump. If you feel like you do in fact need a little pick-me-up in the afternoons, try a Kind bar or Lara bar. These are great alternatives to the typical granola bar (or even that snickers bar tempting you from the vending machine!). What are your favorite lunch ideas? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading the Port Landing at Fife Apartments Blog!

Valentine Florals

Roses aren’t the only flower perfect for Valentine’s day. Stray from the typical bouquet of long stemmed roses for one of these fun arrangements you can do yourself. Using this idea from Lia Griffith, you can make mini arrangements to give as gifts or display in your home. Find the link right here . She says, “The flowers I use are often inexpensive grocery store finds. I chose white alstroemeria for the largest vase, a bundle of green kermit flowers, simple mini daisy filler flowers and a small bunch of lemon leaf, technically known as salal. When I owned my flower shop many years ago, salal was my favorite green. It is very hardy, has a smooth matte leaf and adds a nice backdrop to any arrangement. Of course, you can choose any variety of flowers, colors and greens you like. Have fun, get creative, and experiment with other office decorating ideas!” We also can’t wait to try this idea incorporating tulips, which are in season this time of year! They are the cutest little sign of spring which is on its way! Find the tutorial here from Life at Clover Hill. From Momtastic, we found this list of 101 great tips and tricks for flower arranging. The author says, “There are so many amazing arrangements out there for every occasion. With these flower arrangement tips and tutorials, virtually anyone can make these—even me!” For pretty vases, we love this one from West Elm. A beautiful flower arrangement would look gorgeous against the rugged feel of this charcoal toned vase. If you want your arrangement to last, using faux flowers is an option as well. There are a ton of different options and styles and you don’t have to wait until your favorites are in season! What are your favorite styles of arrangements? Where’s your favorite florist in Fife, WA? Let us know! Happy Valentine’s day from us at Port Landing at Fife.

Coming to Netflix

Binge-watching Netflix is the greatest activity known to man. Well, maybe not, but with new releases each month and old classics being added all the time, there is no shortage of great content to watch! A few Netflix originals are being added this month, including these great ones. One Day At a Time (January 6th) — Very little is known so far about the reboot of the Norman Lear classic, but what we do know sounds like a perfect homage to one of the TV writers’ most loved shows. The show will be 13 episodes long and will focus on a Cuban-American family who are struggling to keep it together after the separation of the mother and father. Lear returns as an executive producer of the show and, as you can see from the picture above, Stephen Tobolowsky is confirmed to be in the cast along with Rita Moreno, Justina Machado, and Thomas Barbusca. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (January 13th) — This will likely be Netflix’s biggest release! The TV adaption of the classic book series is scheduled to release all eight episodes on the second Friday of the month. The series has been gathering a lot of anticipation so far with a lot riding on the show to, at the very least, eclipse the movie starring Jim Carrey. All evidence is pointing to the show being in good hands, though, with a trailer that manages to capture the perfect feeling that the books leave you with. A Series of Unfortunate Events stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, and Patrick Warburton, Malina Weissman and Aasif Mandvi. Voltron: Legendary Defender (January 20th) — Netflix put out some excellent Dreamworks shows in 2016, and among the very best was the reboot of Voltron. It’s likely we’ll get a similar amount episodes again and will pick up where season one left off. In case you’re new to the series, the show shares many similarities to Dreamworks’ other big show, Transformers, but instead focuses on four teens who become involved in an intergalactic battle against King Zarkon and his armies. We can’t wait to watch some of these new releases with a yummy snack and a cozy blanket! We think you’ll love them too. Thanks for reading.