Posts about Lifestyle

Stretch Your Creativity

In this post, the Autumn Creek Apartments Blog is featuring a few ways to stretch and express your creativity this month. We hope that these tips help you find new ways to be creative — whether you are creative in business, writing, painting, etc. — and express the new and innovative ideas you have. Make time for creative thinking Top Universities suggest that one way to unlock creativity is to set aside some time each day for creative thinking. The author says, “Every textbook on creativity affirms to the importance of setting aside clearly defined time for creative thinking or new projects. But often, even if we show up ready to innovate, still something doesn’t work and fresh ideas fail to pop up like popcorn. There are two reasons for this stalemate. The first is that we don’t practice dreaming, and the second is we don’t practice focusing on cohesive ideas.” Set aside time this month to think about your creative ideas before you create. Spend an hour or two thinking constructively about your project. What is it you want to achieve or create? What problems do you anticipate popping up as you work? How will you confront these problems? Go over your idea in your head, write down plans and lists, and then work. Build off of other people’s ideas In his TED Talk, Embrace the Remix , Kirby Ferguson argued that nothing is new; everything is recycled from the past. Ferguson says, “Our creativity comes from without, not from within. We are not self-made. We are dependent on one another, and admitting this to ourselves isn't an embrace of mediocrity and derivativeness. It's a liberation from our misconceptions, and it's an incentive to not expect so much from ourselves and to simply begin.” Don’t put too much pressure on yourself; just keep plugging away. It’s more important to keep working, thinking, and creating than it is to be completely original every time we sit down to create something. Click the link to read Kirby Ferguson’s talk and to learn more about how Bob Dylan borrowed from the folk singers that came before him. Try something new Sometimes stepping outside of your usual routine is the easiest (and best) way to express and expand your creativity. Take a cooking class in East Amherst or another WNY location, try your hand at painting, or write your first short story or a poem. Do something you’ve never considered doing before. Read a book on a topic you know very little about. Inspiration can come from everywhere and anywhere. Summertime is a good time to be creative. Do you have any creativity tips for us? Let us know in the comments.

Studio-Style Cycling Arrives at Autumn Creek Apartments

Springtime in East Amherst, NY is the perfect time to re-dedicate yourself to your fitness goals, and we’re here to help. Head on over to the fitness center here at Autumn Creek Apartments and check out our new Peloton Bike! Studio cycling has grown in popularity and using a Peloton Bike is like having your own, private cycling studio. Technology combines with superior workmanship to create a fitness option that enables you to take advantage of live and on-demand studio cycling classes from the comfort of our fitness center. The 22” HD touchscreen the bike is equipped with is easy to navigate. Keep track of your progress with detailed metrics which can help you stay motivated to keep up with an exercise program. Choose your preferred options for music, workout length (classes range from 5 - 120 minutes), instructors, and more. The Bike offers about 8000 on-demand classes plus 14 daily live classes which are available anytime. Our daily live classes feature 12 NYC instructors who will inspire and lead you to success with the touch of a button. If you are new to cycling, these suggestions from Shape can help you get the most out of your workout. We particularly like number five on this list: “Sneakers and capris are fine for your first few classes, but if you want to make cycling part of your regular routine (say, at least once a week), you may want to invest in cycling shoes and padded shorts, Figueroa says.” We’re excited about the Peloton Bike that is now available in our fitness center. If it is not available when you visit, be sure to stick around and take advantage of the other exercise equipment we provide for members of our apartment community. What is your favorite way to work out? Have you done studio cycling before? Let us know about your experience in the comments. Update: May 7, 2019: Peloton rolled out some awesome new features inspired by you! Check them out here

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.

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 !

Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Apartment

Spring is here in East Amherst, NY, and so is the perfect time to clean your Autumn Creek apartment! Taking time to do a deep clean this month will help you be ready for the busy summer, which will be here before we know it. Try these tips to make the cleaning process easier for you this month. Start your spring cleaning by taking an inventory of what needs to be done. We like this “walk through” technique which helps pinpoint specific tasks: Simply walk through different rooms of your home with a box or laundry basket in hand for misplaced items you find (which you can then put away where they belong). As you walk through, you’ll get a read on each room and what shape they’re in. Take note of items that need your attention like burned out light bulbs, dirty windows, dusty baseboards, and more. Use a checklist to help you stay on task while you’re doing your spring cleaning. We like this one from Oprah, which breaks things down to a room-by-room approach: Spring Cleaning that Won’t Take Over Your Life: 8 Hours, Start to Finish . In addition to knowing where to start and how to proceed, it’s important to have the tools and cleaners you need close at hand. We like this list Molly Maid has put together of basic cleaning supplies that will help you keep your apartment in tip-top condition. Another helpful tip is to set a timer whenever you clean. Take a break when the timer goes off and then set another timer when you’re ready to start cleaning again. This will make the task of having to clean your entire apartment feel much more manageable because you won’t lose track of time when you’re resting and you won’t overwork yourself. Cleaning a little bit at a time is a lot less draining than having to clean everything at once. Just make sure that you’re using the method that works best for you. How do you get through spring cleaning with ease? Share any cleaning tips and hacks you have with the rest of the apartment community by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading! We hope these ideas help.