Blog Posts

Autumn Creek Apartments Celebrates National Honey Month

The month of September is National Honey Month. This month here on the Autumn Creek Apartments Blog we want to share some honey recipes, honey facts, and where to find the best local honey here in the East Amherst, NY area. We hope you enjoy this sweet month! Honey-Based Recipes Chocolate Chip Honey Cake Recipe This sweet and rich dessert is great for a get together with friends. The bonus with this recipe is that it has no added sugar, so you can feel good about eating it. The recipe comes from A Treats Affair. Vanilla Honey Caramels Give away these caramels to your friends or coworkers or keep the whole batch to yourself to enjoy over the month. Use sugar, honey, vanilla extract, heavy cream, butter, and coarse sea salt to make these. Salted Honey Pie We know your friends will come ask for the recipe after they try this delectable pie. The recipe comes from Life, Love, and Sugar. Enjoy this dessert this month! Honey Facts from Mental Floss Bees survive on honey. During the winter when food is scarce, honey bees feed on the honey in their hives. Beekeepers only take the extra honey that bees produce so the bees have enough of a food source to survive. Not all honey is made by bees. There’s a type of wasp (the Mexican wasp) that also produces honey. This honey, though, can sometimes be poisonous because of certain flowers that the wasps visit. Honey can be different colors and flavors. Depending on what nectar the bees take the honey can be darker or lighter shades of yellow or even dark purple at times. Local Honey The Empire State Honey Producers Association’s webpage has all kinds of information about honey, from where to find it in New York to how to become a beekeeper and contact information for New York honey clubs. Check it out to learn more about honey . Many WNY local businesses sell honey nearby our apartment community, typically via farmer’s markets. Plan a visit this weekend! What’s your favorite honey recipe? Where do you buy local honey? Comment below and share your thoughts with us. Thanks for visiting the Autumn Creek Apartments Blog!

Celebrate Dog Appreciation Day at Autumn Creek Apartments

Celebrate Dog Appreciation Day on August 26th! This internet holiday, founded in 2004 by lifestyle expert and animal behaviorist Colleen Page, is a day to pamper your pooch in appreciation for enriching your life. We are happy to be a pet friendly apartment community here at Autumn Creek Apartments, and hope you take some time on the 26th — or anytime this month, to spoil your pet! Here are some ways we found that you can pamper your pet this month. We like ideas number one of making homemade treats for your pet (we’re including some recipes), and number seven of getting a glamour shot of your pet! However you celebrate, enjoy spending time with your pet every day! DIY Dog Treats Sweet Potato Skins Sweet potato anything is usually a healthier substitute for starchy potatoes, so it makes sense that this would be good for your pets. Low in calories and without any byproducts or unknown ingredients, this is simple treat that your pup will gobble up in no time. All you’ll need is one sweet potato, cut into small strips, and about twenty-five minutes to dry each side on a cookie sheet in the oven. Store in an airtight container and they’ll keep for about a week. Cheesy Dog Biscuits For those that are looking for something a little more visually traditional, these dog biscuits are right up your alley. With the help of a dog bone cookie cutter, a bit of your favorite grated cheese, flour, melted butter, and milk, you’ll be able to make these cheesy dog biscuits a reality for your furry best friend. You’ll need just about fifteen minutes to bake the biscuits. You can find the recipe details and step-by-step pictures in the link above. X & O Treats Last but not least are these more sweet-focused treats. Because dogs can’t have chocolate, utilizing yogurt and carob in this recipe is the perfect alternative to give them the joy of luxurious taste. With some X & O cookie cutters in hand, and a bit of honey, molasses, olive oil, cinnamon, and whole wheat flour, you’ll have these whipped up in no time. They take about ten to fifteen minutes to bake. We love providing amenities, like providing a dog park and being a pet friendly place to live, for members of our East Amherst, NY community. What is your favorite amenity here at Autumn Creek apartments? Let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading our post today.

Playground Etiquette at Autumn Creek Apartments

Autumn Creek Apartments makes celebrating summer easy here in East Amherst, NY just steps from your own apartment. We feature a few community amenities that make getting out and about fun, such as the playgrounds! We have both a kids activity zone playground and a toddler and children’s playground for our residents to use. Plan a trip to the playground this month and follow these playground etiquette tips for a fun time. Keep your children in sight. Our community is a great place for kids to roam and have fun, but being extra wary of their safety is of utmost importance in a place where you feel safe. Know where they are at all times and have an eye on them so you can promptly and appropriately respond to any problems that occur. Be prepared. Be aware of all the different situations that you could face while at the playground and prepare yourself for them so you can address things calmly if and when they do become a reality. For example, establish a good rapport with your child for taking bathroom breaks, washing their hands well, and being kind to others. Realize that accidents do happen, so come with some basic first-aid knowledge and supplies handy, like disinfectant wipes and bandages. Come with a plastic bag for any trash or messes you or your child make so you can help keep the area clean. Ask for cooperation. We like this pointer from Momtastic . If you notice a problem arising between your child and another, intervene politely and be calm and kind about it to encourage cooperation and to avoid stepping on another parent or guardian’s toes. It’s also more likely to bring the results you’re looking for, so adapt positive thinking and language so you can better encourage good, safe behavior for everyone. We have awesome residents and we are happy to provide the amenities that make our apartments a home — including a safe, age-appropriate place for the kids to play. Thanks for taking time to read our post today!

Tips for Being the Best Guest

Welcome back! Last time we shared travel tips for members of our Autumn Creek Apartments community here in East Amherst, NY. This time, we want to follow that up by sharing tips on a related topic: being a considerate guest. Travelers often stay with family member or friends (and many of these tips apply if you are staying in a hotel or Airbnb too). Wherever you’re staying, practicing good houseguest etiquette is important. Follow these tips to be the best guest ever. Duration of Your Visit Plan ahead. Don’t be the person who asks at the last minute to crash at a friend’s house. Be clear about when you will be arriving and leaving, and don’t overstay your welcome. Mealtimes Offer to help prepare and clear up after meals, pay for food and snacks, and ensure you are using good table manners. Communicate your plans so your hosts will know when you will be eating in. Plan to take your hosts out for a meal as a thank you. Respect Host’s Time & Privacy Don’t expect guests to entertain you all day, every day. Both you and they will appreciate having alone time. Communicate about who will be doing what, when, so everyone is clear about the schedule. Pick Up After Yourself Make your bed each day. Hang up towels. Refrain from complaining about beds, food, and your room — be an appreciative guest. On your last day, strip your bed, fold the blankets and sheets, and then leave them neatly on top of the bed. Remember: be the houseguest you would want to have in your own home. We hope you have an awesome summer season this year! What tips do you have for being the best house guest ever? Please feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for reading our blog post today.

Travel Tips for Summer Vacation

July is the peak summer month to travel, and so today we’re featuring travel tips for members of our Autumn Creek Apartments community. We have the road trip games if you’re driving and airport hacks if you’re flying; plus, some ideas for before you leave East Amherst, New York. We hope that you get the chance to go out on an adventure before summer is through! Road Trip Games Play a road trip game or two to pass the time while you’re on your road trip. Edmunds has an excellent article on the Top 10 Road Trip Games . Our favorite game is “Geography Lesson.” Edmunds writes, “Geography is more fun outside the classroom, isn't it? For this game, choose countries, cities or states (or go nuts and try rivers and lakes or capitals). Let's say your theme is states . The first player names a location, and the next player has to rattle off another state that starts with the last letter of the previous player's state. Therefore, if it were Michigan, the next state would have to start with N, like Nebraska. The A could be Alaska, and so on.” Let’s Fly Away — Airport Hacks Having these items with you will make your time at the airport and on the plane a more enjoyable experience: Empty Water Bottle: Opt for a one with a filter, as you never know what airport water is going to be like. After you’re through security, simply fill your bottle and you’re set to stay hydrated. Toiletry Bag: Choose one that you can fit travel-size essentials into and that will easily fit inside your carry-on bag. That way you can take care of your basic health needs anytime, anywhere. Electronic Devices: Make sure they’re charged (bring along a portable battery, too) and that you have earbuds to go with. Download music, books, movies beforehand as streaming most likely won’t be available on your flight. Cash: You never know when you’ll need to make a cash-only purchase or leave a tip, so it makes sense to have a variety of smaller bills on hand to take care of these sort of things. Snacks: Airport food is expensive. Plan ahead and bring your own snacks. Choose snacks that are not messy and include healthy options. Tea is a great beverage choice. Most airport restaurants will give you a cup of hot water gratis and hot water is available in flight, too. Home Sweet Home Before you leave, make plans so your return to East Amherst is a pleasant and welcoming experience. Be sure to take the trash out, take care of any dirty laundry, and clean out the refrigerator before you leave. Take time to change the sheets on your bed before you head out the door, too. There’s nothing like coming home after a trip and slipping between the sheets of a freshly made bed, except perhaps sleeping in your own bed!

Places for Summer Reading at Autumn Creek Apartments

Here at our Autumn Creek Apartments community, we have a variety of places to enjoy every day. In our post today, we want to highlight some spots that make a great place to slip away and enjoy some summer reading. Plus we have some books to recommend too. Slip into our newly remodeled clubhouse and find a corner to enjoy your book in a cozy atmosphere or head out to the gazebo or our koi pond —there’s nothing like the sound of a waterfall and fresh air to create a pleasant atmosphere for getting lost in a book. Another option is to pack a picnic, take your book along, and enjoy lunch or dinner in our picnic and grilling area. Of course, it’s a time-honored tradition to read by the pool, so head on over. If it’s too warm outside, find your favorite place in your apartment to read. Summer-Themed Reading Suggestions A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith The story focuses on an impoverished, second-generation Irish-American girl and her family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and New York City, during the first two decades of the 20th century. A coming-of-age journey many can relate to across the decades. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic. (Goodreads Review) The Siege of Krishnapur by JG Farrell India, 1857--the year of the Great Mutiny, when Muslim soldiers turned in bloody rebellion on their British overlords. This time of convulsion is the subject of J. G. Farrell's The Siege of Krishnapur, widely considered one of the finest British novels of the last fifty years. (Goodreads Review) Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn As a child, Coriel Halsing spent many glorious summers at Castle Auburn with her half-sister-and fell in love with a handsome prince who could never be hers. But now that she is a young woman, she begins to see the dark side of this magical place… (Goodreads Review) If you missed it, you may want to go back and read our post about The Power of Reading which details the benefits of reading regularly. Stop by your favorite East Amherst, NY area bookstore, library, or download an ebook today and enjoy some summertime reading !