October 28th is National Chocolate Day, and we’re looking forward to it. Chocolate is delicious, and it’s also always nice to have the opportunity to highlight some of the incredible places near our community! In this case, it’s chocolate and candy stores only a short trip from our location in Gilbert, in case any of our residents are interested in celebrating National Chocolate Day with something special.
Winstead Candy Co - Mesa
Winstead Candy Co is Arizona-local, and family owned and operated, which just makes their sweet treats even sweeter! They sell all types of quality candy, so even if a member of the family isn’t in the mood for chocolate, they can chow down on some gummy sharks or butterscotch hard candies. However, their chocolate selection is as wide as it is delicious, with chocolate mint meltaways, chocolate covered English toffee, giant layered peanut butter cups, and much more. They’ve got two locations, one in Mesa and one in Chandler, and are currently allowing people to shop in person or order online from their store and get the candy shipped directly to them.
Sweeties Candy of Arizona
Sweeties Candy is a whimsical wonderland with a huge variety of candy of all types. It’s housed in Chandler, and holds the distinction of being the largest candy store in Arizona! Their candy is sorted by color, and they sell both common candy and more exotic kinds that you usually can’t find outside of specialty stores. They’re open for both careful in-store shopping and curbside pickup right now, so there’s options! They stock such a wide selection of candy brands that their website can’t even fit them all on one page, so their “Our Candy” section is only a sample of some of what’s in store.
d’Vine Gourmet
Another store that originated right here in Arizona, d’Vine Gourmet sources all their ingredients and materials as locally as they possibly can. They sell other things --including snacks and jam-- but their selection of sweets includes a lot of fun locally-created goodness, including various types of chocolate. They provide online shopping, so you could get their treats shipped to you directly!
Happy National Chocolate Day! We hope you enjoy, whether you do it at home or with the help of some of our nearby chocolatiers.
Yoga is relaxing, fun, and can be genuinely great exercise. The problem is that many of us don’t really know how to start with it, especially without the help of an in-person class to get things going. Here’s some things that may help you get started with the best mindset and expectations.
It’s all about the breath.
Yoga is about creating a deeper level of harmony between your body and your mind, and deep, attentive breathing can be incredibly helpful for this. You’re meant to breathe into your whole body during yoga poses, particularly into any spaces that may feel tense in the position, and allow it to help you relax. Your breathing can impact how your muscles relax into each stretch or pose. If something is particularly difficult for you or requires a lot of concentration, take a moment to ensure you’re still breathing, and try to relax; it can be easy to get caught up in trying to do the pose and forget how important it is.
Listen to your body.
There can be temptation, when following a yoga video or guide, to push yourself to do exactly what the teacher is doing -- we should avoid that impulse. Follow along to the best of your ability, of course, but you shouldn’t push yourself into doing any pose that feels deeply uncomfortable, painful, or dangerous. Everyone’s bodies are different, and different levels of practice and experience can factor in as well. The poses we see in a guide or on a teacher may not be what our bodies can currently do, and that’s totally fine. Just try to ease yourself towards the stretch, back off if you feel like something is wrong, and keep practicing.
Frequent practice.
One of the best ways to productively practice yoga is just that: to practice. Frequent sessions will help you to manage more difficult poses, stretch and strengthen your muscles, and relax tension in your body.
We hope you enjoy your experience if you end up giving yoga a try! Remember to breathe into the poses, and drink water after a session.
The change from classroom study to studying at home can feel like a blessing in many ways, but it’s okay if it feels like a curse. Suddenly, a piece of your external structure has been ripped away. Your environment, and the physical shift between home and school, has been going a long way to build your sense of daily routine!.
To keep schooldays manageable, it can help to replace that sense of routine. Some ways to do so are to remember to get dressed every morning, to start the day with a walk around the block instead of a walk to school, and to create a visually distinct “home classroom.”
Whether your “home classroom” is a room or a corner, here are some tips to make sure it’s working for you!
Don’t Work Where You Sleep...
…even if your only option is the bedroom.
As you study at home, your brain will rely on a visual transition between parts of your day: Here is for sleep, here is for study, here is for work, here is for play. Setting up your desk in a different room from your bed is the optimal solution, but even if that's not an option, you can create a visually separate "space."
Establish a corner of your room as your office, and keep laundry and other bedroom clutter away from that space. Consider rearranging what you have hanging on the wall, and hanging some decor you don’t associate with your bedroom. A small area rug under your desk and chair can further create a visually distinct zone.
Organization is Functional, Not Complicated
Some people thrive on color-coded journals and polished, Instagram-worthy notes. Others find that unsustainable. And that’s okay! Much like we all have different learning styles, so, too, do we all have different optimal organization patterns.
Keep any materials you’re liable to lose track of in an organized but visible space, like a desktop organizer rather than a drawer. If you struggle to pull out your textbooks and do the readings, remove the steps between you and studying. Ask yourself: Do I work better if I pack all my things up every day, or if my textbook is already open on the desk?
Create a Space That Makes You Feel Good
This is different for everyone. Do you breathe easiest around a lot of plants? Would you prefer to study somewhere with clean crisp lines, or somewhere homey and warm? Give yourself a little time to experiment with your aesthetic, and take note of what keeps your brain awake and heart happy. You’re supporting yourself in learning, not creating a prison cell.
Studying from home remains a challenge no matter what tools you have. But we believe it is one you can challenge. And we wish you the best of luck!
In our day and age, vegetable gardening is one of the most accessible ways to connect to nature—and it’s not restricted to community garden plots or sprawling backyards. Every year, more and more people are beginning to grow healthy, vibrant foods within the walls of their own apartments. If you’re feeling the urge to reconnect to nature in a delicious way, we have some great tips for you.
Getting Started
If you have a south-facing window or balcony, chances are your plants will receive full sun through the fall. If not, identify the room in your apartment that gets the most natural sunlight, and take note of how many hours it’s sunny each day. “Full sun” is 6 or more hours of sunlight each day, while 3-6 hours is “partial shade.”
With our hot temperatures and desert climate, Gilbert, Arizona is in growing zones 9A and 9B. Elsewhere, the seed-sowing window is ending, but in zone 9, September and October are the perfect time to sow the seeds for a wide variety of fall vegetables.
Here’s a selection of the fall crops that we think work best in an indoor or outdoor container garden:
Green Beans
Use a narrow but deep pot for your green beans. For a cheap pot, you can drill holes in the bottom of a hardware store bucket. Be sure to have a tray to place it on, rather than ruining your carpet! Keep your green bean container somewhere exposed to full sun, and sow according to packet instructions. For pole beans, be sure to add a trellis!
As a bonus: Green beans are a nitrogen fixer, which means that they’ll leave this pot with nitrogen-rich soil for your spring indoor crops!
Carrots
Although technically a full-sun crop, carrots are noted to do well even in imperfect lighting conditions and are perfect for a kitchen counter. To plant your carrots, select a pot at least eight inches deep and fill it with well-drained soil, but no large stones. Keep the soil consistently moist, especially early on to help seeds germinate. The soil should feel like a moist sponge—but not one wet enough to leak!
Lettuce
Lettuce can be grown in full sun, but is a perfect choice for a partial-shade room. Be sure to keep lettuce away from window sills: The way your windows focus the sun’s light on its leaves can be like a magnifying glass frying an ant.
Layer in pebbles as the bottom inch or two of your potting soil, and make sure you have good drainage materials mixed throughout. Plant lettuce 6-18 inches apart depending on the seed packet’s instructions, and as always, be sure to water the soil and not the leaves.
Spinach
Full sun is best for rich, nutritious, leafy spinach plants, but they can be grown successfully in partial shade. Use the same potting mixture as you do for your lettuce, ensuring soil is well-drained. When planting outdoors, spinach plants are usually placed 12 inches apart- but indoors, anecdotally, many gardeners are able to place them much closer.
If you have pots left over, look forward toward the first week of October: it’s nearly time to plant peas and kale!
Autumn has officially begun, and with it comes a whole new selection of things to be excited for. Whether you’re looking forward to the changing leaves, the comfortable nights in, or a socially-distanced afternoon in a pumpkin patch, we can all agree there’s plenty of fun to be had. Today, we’re going to be talking about one of the coziest things about the season: hot fall drinks.
Slow Cooker Apple Cider
Apple cider is a staple of the season, but not everyone makes their own. With just some tasty ingredients and a slow cooker, you can make a delicious hot cider that will warm you all the way to your toes, all at home!
Ingredients
9 medium-sized apples of your choice (We personally recommend honeycrisp!)
10 cups of water
1 finger of ginger, a couple of inches long
1 orange
3 sticks of cinnamon
½ a cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cloves
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
½ a teaspoon of allspice
Directions
To prep ingredients: Wash your apples and your orange. Then, cut both fruits into quarters. Peel and slice your ginger into thin strips. You can use less or more ginger, depending on personal flavor preference. Not everyone likes the taste!
You want to have your slow cooker ready to go, a vessel for all this autumnal deliciousness. Add all your non-liquid ingredients into the pot: the apples, the orange, the ginger, and all your spices. Then, pour in your water. It should be enough to cover all the ingredients, but with a couple of inches of room at the top so it won’t boil over.
Put the lid on your slow cooker, and cook your cider! You either want to cook it on low heat for 6-7 hours, which can be done overnight or while you’re working, or on high heat to 2-3 hours. When that time has elapsed, you want to mash up the soft apples and oranges, and then put the lid and cook it for one more hour!
After the cooking is done, you should strain out the solid ingredients, leaving only the liquid. Then you put the finished liquid into your chosen container, mix in your sugar, and drink it hot!
Honey Latte
This fairly simple, tasty latte enhances your morning coffee with the dreamy combination of warm milk and golden honey. It’s perfect for those days when you want something special to drink without sacrificing your caffeine fix!
Ingredients
Steamed/hot milk of any kind you like, whether that be dairy or otherwise. The amount of milk required will depend on the size of your mug, so it’s hard to specify! If you have a way to foam milk, that can also in the cup after your coffee.
2 shots of espresso, or some strong coffee if espresso isn’t an option.
2 teaspoons of honey, and some extra to drizzle on top.
Directions
Pick out a mug. The size is up to you. This is a delicious latte, so you might want to go with a big one!
Add your two tablespoons of honey to the bottom of the mug.
Pour some of your warm milk into the mug, and stir to mix the honey at the bottom. This definitely shouldn’t be more than half the cup, as you’ll still be putting in your coffee, and more milk or foam.
Add in your espresso or coffee, and then pour in the rest of the steamed milk! You can also add your foam now, if you’d like. Top with an additional drizzle of honey on top. Then drink!
S'mores Hot Chocolate
This sweet drink is a little more elaborate and takes more steps than the others, but it’s also a decadent, desserty delight that’s worth the effort. Give it a try!
Ingredients
3 cups of milk of any kind
2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
3 tablespoons of sugar
½ a cup of mini-marshmallows
¼ a cup of cocoa powder
Crushed graham crackers, for the rim of your mug
A pinch of salt
Directions
First, crumble up your graham crackers and put them on the bottom of a wide round tin or something of a similar shape. You don’t need too many, because it’s just for topping and for rimming your mug, but you want to put them in a vessel that’s big enough for you to dip the mug in.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. This will be used to broil your marshmallows! When you do it, you want to use the top or second highest oven rack, so you can get them toasty and gooey without having to be in the oven for long.
Heat your milk in a saucepan on the stove, over medium heat. You don’t want to overheat the milk or scald it, so take it slow. You want it to be heated through, but not to develop the skin on top that can happen when milk is heated too quickly at a high temperature.
While your milk is heating, if you keep an eye on it, you can take some of your marshmallows, split them, and rub the sticky side around the rim of your mug to help the graham cracker crumbles stay in place.
Dip the rim of your mugs into the graham cracker crumbles until you’ve got a nice circle of crumbs around the top.
Put your chocolate syrup, your sugar, your cocoa powder, and your salt into your heated milk on the stove. Then whisk it thoroughly to mix and combine the ingredients. Turn off the heat when it’s all fully combined.
Pour your hot chocolate into your mugs, and top with marshmallows. It’s nice if they cover a good bit of the top. Then, carefully put the mugs on a baking sheet in your pre-heated oven, and let the marshmallows heat until they’re gooey and browned. Watch them carefully to make sure they don’t burn! They shouldn’t need to be in there very long.
Turn off your oven, and use potholders or a towel to remove your baking sheet from the oven and set it somewhere safe for the heat, like the top of the stove. Let the mugs cool a bit. They should cool quickly, without the liquid inside getting cold!
Then, add some extra graham cracker crumbles on top if you’d like, or some more chocolate syrup, or really anything you’d desire if you want this to be even sweeter! At that point, you’re free to enjoy.
Let us know in the comments if you try any of these delicious fall drink recipes, and what you thought if you did! We’d also be happy to hear about your favorite drinks for ringing in the beginning of the new season.
National Cream Filled Donut Day is September 14th, and while we don’t really need an excuse to sample some of Gilbert’s finest pastries, it’s always nice to have one. So in order to make the best possible use of the holiday, here’s a list of some of the best donut shops and bakeries in the area.
Donut Worry Coffee & Smoothies
Only a thirteen minute drive from our community, this Arizona-local shop serves more than just dessert. They feature bagels, coffee, milk tea, sandwiches, and a truly stunning array of donuts in different flavors (and don’t worry -- they have cream filled!) As a result you can not only satisfy your donut cravings, but get a whole breakfast as you do it. They’re keeping their usual hours but doing take-out only, so you can pick out your favorites and eat them in the comfort of your own home. Or in your car, if you can’t wait.
(Image from Donut Worry Coffee & Smoothies)
Donut Parlor
Donut Parlor has been providing delicious donuts since 2016, and actually also partners with a variety of Arizona charities to support good causes, so this is a treat that’s both tasty and potentially helpful! They have a ton of different donut flavors, covered in sprinkles and icing, from Ferrero Rocher Nutella to Boston cream to cinnamon sugar crumble. Try them out, they won’t disappoint! They’re doing delivery and takeout right now, so you can get them brought right to your doorstep without even having to leave the apartment.
(Image from Donut Parlor)
19th Donut Hole
This donut shop is also doing both takeout and delivery, so getting a selection of gorgeous pastries is super easy! 19th Donut Hole works with local suppliers to get the freshest ingredients possible, and they sell more than just donuts -- they have coffee and full, customizable cakes, too! Coffee and donuts are already a classic combination, but so is one of their chocolate chip roll specialty donuts and a buttermilk bar. Try them yourself, and tell us what you think!
(Image from 19th Donut Hole)
Happy National Cream Filled Donut Day! It may not technically be a real holiday, but we hope you celebrate with something delicious.
