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The Benefits of Mental Exercises

Port Landing at Fife Apartments has an awesome fitness center . In June, we invited you to get fit by visiting our weight room. We hope you’ve been enjoying it. Today, we’re inviting you to take fitness by a different approach: turn your apartment into a fitness center — not one for your body, but one for your brain. We’re sharing a few exercises that will give your brain new experiences. These mental workouts will not only help keep your brain healthier, they can be finished a lot quicker than your normal workout routine; so, if you’ve only got a few minutes here or there, why not do a mental exercise? The truth is, our muscles aren’t the only thing that we lose over time — our ability to perform mental tasks atrophies as well. As you try out these different exercises, remember that maintaining a healthy mental lifestyle is just as important as maintaining a healthy physical lifestyle. One mental exercise that you can do every time you eat is challenge your taste buds. Every time you place something in your mouth, try to identify the different ingredients. What subtle spices and herbs do you taste? Is there more to that layer of meat and cheese than meets the eye? You can also do math in your head. The next time you need to crunch numbers, avoid using a calculator even if the problem involves a lot of numbers. Try to solve it on your own without the aid of paper, pen, technology, and see what you come up with. Then, check your work when you’re done. Depending on how complex the problem is, you might not do well at first. The more you practice, however, the more you’ll improve. Doing math in your head is a great mental exercise, even if you’re just trying to remember how many months ago something happened. Solving these problems can prove to be more effective if done while jogging, walking, or some other physically demanding activity. This next exercise might sound silly, but brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand is a great mental exercise. Use your non-dominant hand to clean dishes, pour drinks, open jars, write, and pretty much any other activity. Drawing a map from memory — be it of your neighborhood, a local grocery store layout, or a city — is a great mental exercise. Try to be a detailed as possible, maybe even add a few plants or power lines if you can remember them. If you’d like to read about some other brain training exercises, check out Brain Metrix . Enjoy staying both physically and mentally active this month by trying out a few different exercises. Let us know how you stay active in Fife, Washington by sharing in the comments below. Thanks for reading today’s post!

The Benefits of Popsicle Sticks

This month, Port Landing at Fife Blog has been focusing on one the popsicle and the popsicle stick for some creative ways to decorate and have fun this summer. So far, we’ve shared delicious recipes, neat crafts, and fun games you can enjoy in your apartment in Fife, WA. To finish off the month, we’d like to share a few of the useful benefits that popsicle sticks offer. If you’ve got a shaky bookcase or if you are in need of first aid, popsicle sticks might be able to save the day! The Finger Splint Bruised or damaged fingers can be the result of heavy lifting, falling, playing in sports, or other activities. After you’ve had an accident, it’s important to protect the injured body parts while making sure no further damage happens until you can get professional help. Splints are used to keep parts of the body in place, which can help prevent further injury. Making a finger splint is simple. After cleaning and caring for the wound, you’ll want to find something rigid — this is where the popsicle sticks come into play. Measure your finger’s length to determine if you need to cut the popsicle sticks to cover the entire bottom and top area of the finger. Then, use medical tape to secure your finger between two popsicle sticks so that it can’t move. WikiHow gives great instructions on making a homemade finger splint. The Wobbly Bookshelf or Table Is there a table or bookshelf in your apartment that’s unsteady? Simply slide one of these (or two) under to help stabilize it. You can easily cut a popsicle stick into smaller pieces so that it hides under a table leg without anyone even noticing. The Knife and Spoon If you find yourself in need of a butter knife, or you have a child who wants to spread their own peanut butter on a sandwich, then this is a great solution. It’s not dangerous, it works as well as a butter knife, and it can be thrown away after it’s used. Popsicle sticks also work well as spoons for pudding and yogurt. Have you seen any benefits or life hacks that come from using popsicle sticks? Share in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Popsicle Stick Games

This month, Port Landing at Fife Blog is focusing on one of the summer’s favorite treats — the popsicle. For this post, enjoy reading about two different games that you can play using popsicle sticks! From just a few sticks to hundreds, these activities are sure to add some fun to your month in Fife, WA. Enjoy! A Bit Dicey - A Minute to Win It Game This game was featured on the popular “Minute to Win It” game show. All you need in order to play is dice and popsicle sticks. “You have one minute to build a tower of six dice on the end of a popsicle stick. The trick here is that the popsicle stick must be held in your mouth. Begin the game by placing the popsicle stick in your mouth. Then start the clock. Using your hands, begin building a tower of dice, one by one, on the end of the stick. To win this game, you must have a vertical stack of six dice on the end of the stick, and it must be freestanding. You must balance all six dice on the end of the popsicle stick in just one minute.” The rules are simple: Do not use your face to keep the tower of dice upright. Also, if you end up dropping any dice on the floor, then you must use replacement dice from the table. While this game might seem easy, it can be quite the challenge! Have fun playing this with your friends in your apartment this month. For an instructional video on how to play “A Bit Dicey,” watch the Minute to Win It video . Chain reaction Building a chain reaction with popsicle sticks is a satisfying equivalent to building a long trail of dominoes and then knocking them down. Popsicle sticks are a little more “explosive,” however, and thus perhaps even more exciting to watch. If you have enough popsicle sticks, split up into teams with your friends. Each team can build a long chain reaction and then race them to see which one finishes exploding first. Just remember that these chain reactions can require a pretty big clean up afterward, so be prepared to do some tidying once you’re all finished. Are you planning on trying out one of these activities this month? Share with everyone in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Popsicle Stick Crafts

This month, Port Landing at Fife Blog is focusing on one of summer’s favorite treats — the popsicle. For today’s post, we’re sharing a few different projects you can make with popsicle sticks. Continue enjoying the stick long after the icy treat is gone with these six exciting projects! Sidewalk Chalk Popsicles by hello, Wonderful With this project, combine a favorite summer treat with one of the summer’s favorite activities. Playing with sidewalk chalk is a great outdoor activity for kids and adults. It can keep them busy for long periods of time. Sidewalk chalk gets even more exciting when it looks like a popsicle. Sunburst Mirror by Gracefully Searching Sunburst mirrors look brilliant on anyone’s wall, and the process is actually quite simple. Just make sure you have a lot of glue and popsicle sticks! Popsicle Stick Photo Bracelet by it’s always autumn You’ll need to buy a pack of jumbo popsicle sticks for this one. Simply boil the sticks for 30 minutes, then soak them for another hour in warm water. After that, you should be able to easily bend the sticks without them breaking. With empty mason jars, place the bent sticks inside — this will help them retain their shape! Place them in the oven for another 30 minutes and pretty soon you can apply photos. These look great, can be made to fit any size wrist, and are customizable. Wooden Helix Vase by The Cheese Thief This is a great way to make a simple glass vase look stunning! In a similar way as the photo bracelet, you’ll bend these popsicle sticks. The instructions encourage you to use a steamer basket, so if that works better than the previous method, go for it! Popsicle Postcards by sheknows Have you ever seen postcards like these? Mail a popsicle to a family member or friend! You’ll not only deliver a message, but “a smile to anyone’s mailbox.” Popsicle Stick Playing Cards by Instructables This craft requires a wood burner. You can also use ink, but the effect from the burner leaves a wonderful result. We hope you’ve enjoyed these popsicle stick craft ideas! What projects will you make in your apartment in Fife, WA? Thanks for reading!

Tasty Popsicle Recipes

This month, Port Landing at Fife Blog is focusing on one of summer’s favorite treats — the popsicle! For this post, we’ve compiled a few favorite popsicle recipes that you can make in your apartment in Fife, WA. Not only are popsicles tasty, they’re generally affordable. From mint chocolate cheesecake to peach and banana smoothie, one of these recipes is sure to catch your eye and cool your tongue — without breaking the bank! What one will be your new favorite? Mint Chocolate Cheesecake Popsicles These cheesecake popsicles are sure to be a hit in your kitchen. With only six ingredients, this cool summer treat is one that looks great and tastes even better. Who said that popsicles have to be fruity to be delicious? Well, they don’t! Key Lime Pie Popsicles This recipe is fairly simple. All you need is Greek-style yogurt, key lime syrup (which is easy to make, as explained in the recipe), vanilla extract, and graham crackers. The result is beautiful and delicious. Green Juice Popsicles These are the healthiest popsicles on our list, but they still taste amazing! While you’ll need a blender to mix the fruits, vegetables, and juice, the rest is simple. This is a great healthy snack for kids, especially if you’re having a difficult time coaxing them to eat their vegetables. Peach-Banana Smoothie Popsicles If you’re looking for the perfect on-the-go breakfast snack, then this is it! Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie Pops While it’s a little early for pumpkin season to hit us, we’re not regretting our having stumbled upon this delicious gem that is a recipe for the keeping. Made with pumpkin puree, heavy cream, caramel sauce, and a bunch of other ingredients, these popsicles are nothing short of a delight. What are your favorite popsicles to make in your apartment? Share in the comments if any of these flavors made it on your list! Thanks for reading!

Swimming Pool Games

One of the perks of living at our apartment community is having a pool just outside your apartment door. Spending time in a pool this month is a necessity in Fife, WA. Port Landing at Fife Blog brings you some fun swimming pool games to play with friends on a hot day this month. Marco Polo is a classic summer game for the pool. The person who is “it” calls, “Marco!” while their eyes are closed. The other people in the pool have to call back “Polo!” while avoiding the person who is “it”. When the person calling out “Marco!” tags someone calling “Polo!” the person tagged becomes the new Marco. Pool volleyball is great for a big group. Divide and spread out over the pool. If one team drops the ball or fails to return a volley, the other team gets a point. You can also just try to see how long you and your friends can keep the ball in the air. Dolphin Race In this game each player races against one another pushing a beach ball across the pool only using their noses. If they touch the ball with their hands, they have to jump out of the pool and start over. For large groups, do a relay race style so everyone can participate. Popsicle A variation of freeze tag, this game consists of one person being and remaining “it”. They swim after others, freezing them with a touch. Frozen players must remain immobile. However, if a player is underwater they cannot be tagged “it”, and if they swim past a frozen swimmer (otherwise known as a ‘Popsicle’) while underwater they unfreeze them. Have fun with these games! Be creative and come up with your own games. What are some of your favorite swimming pool games? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading!