Blog Posts

Easiest Plants to Take Care of for a Pop of Color in Your Home

Have you ever thought about bringing home a plant, but hesitated because you were unsure how to take good care of it? If so, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Not everyone has a natural green thumb or the time and energy to research and create the specific conditions some plants need to survive. Lucky for us, some plants are incredibly easy to take care of! Here’s a few of the hardier plants available that can breathe some life into any home. Peace Lillies Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) are one of the most popular indoor plants, all because of how simple they are to care for. They like low to medium light, which means they can be placed nearly anywhere in the home. As for watering, peace lilies aren’t fussy plants that need a specific amount of water every day. They actually only need to be checked once a week. Pro tip: if their soil is still damp, you still don’t have to water them! Peace lilies are able to live through periods of drought, so a little forgetfulness is a mistake these plants will easily forgive. In addition, peace lilies are known for their incredible ability to clean the air and neutralize toxic gases like benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide. Aloe Vera Plant We’ve all heard that succulents are easier to care for, but here’s one of the most useful and popular, the aloe vera plant! Coming second on our list, the aloe vera enjoys sitting in indirect sunlight or artificial light. Homes are usually the perfect temperature for the aloe vera, considering their range of comfort, and it’s another plant that only needs to be watered sparingly. A thorough watering every three weeks should do the trick! Aloe vera plants are well known for their medicinal use, since they can be applied topically to scrapes or burns. Sounds like a handy plant to keep in the kitchen; just make sure you avoid sitting it in front of a window! Spider Plant Last but not least, we have the Chlorophytum comosum, or spider plant. Now, don’t run away just yet! It’s only called the spider plant because of its arching, ribbon-like leaves, not because it’s harboring any critters. The spider plant is known as one of the most adaptable house plants, easiest to grow, and has a reputation of being nearly impossible to kill. They’re a great choice for a first time plant owner. The spider plant enjoys indirect lighting the most, but can live in any condition besides direct sunlight. This is a plant that you can water well and can survive in both humid and non-humid environments. This is another plant with air purifying properties, and is sure to make a statement wherever you decide to let it thrive in your home. There’s a plant for everyone out there! Whether you’re prone to overwatering, underwatering, or moving your plant around to try and find the perfect spot, there’s tons of plants that make for good options for gardening beginners. Make sure to let us know in the comments what kind of plants you like best, and what you more experienced gardeners think are best for beginners!

Stay Connected Online to the Phoenix Public Library

As social life, schools, and workplaces migrate increasingly online, it’s easy to lose touch with the support we have right here in our community. Fortunately, the Phoenix Public Library remains running strong, and offers a wide range of online programs for children and adults alike! Early Childhood Tools The stage between 3 and 5 years old is home to critical development for young children. And even before we found ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, not everyone had access to quality early childhood care. Tools for School is a program developed by a kindergarten teacher and offered by the Phoenix Public Library. This YouTube series is designed for parents and guardians to use with their children. We’ve all seen some of the less educational YouTube entertainment designed to keep children occupied, but Tools for School offers real-world activities for truly engaging, family-centered kindergarten prep! College and Job Search Support Phoenix Public Library offers learners of all ages resources, mentoring, and resume-building skills. Check out their one-on-one college student mentoring programs on topics from entrepreneurship to filling out FAFSA. PHXWorks is a program designed to offer career support. Their online offerings include one-on-one resume help, job hunting and career programs, and workshops to build your interview skills. Online Storytimes Children who develop a love for books early in life become stronger readers, writers, and communicators. To that end, in these busy times, PPL’s Early Literacy Librarians offer both live and pre-recorded storytimes for children and families, in English and Spanish. To have your child’s name included in the day’s welcome and goodbye songs, tune in to their Instagram account on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You can find pre-recorded storytimes to enjoy with your family on the Phoenix Public Library website! Infant-Caregiver Sign Language BabyTime with Sign offers a grand total of 27 brief courses covering different areas of ASL vocabulary. Long before babies can speak, they can—and are seeking to!—communicate with the important people in their life. Using sign language with infants and toddlers aids in fine motor development, cognitive development, language development, bonding, and decreasing frustration—for your baby and you alike. This is just a tiny selection of the online programs Phoenix Public Library offers. Their website features a full listing of programs and] online classes, as well as i nstructions to registe r for your eCard! We could all stand to use the library a little more often, especially in times like these.

Hiking Trails in the North Phoenix Area

With so many things currently closed, it can be hard to know what to do for fun when you want to get out of the house. To give you a helping hand, we’re providing a list of some of the best hiking trails in our area! You can have fun, take in some scenery, and work up a sweat all at once. Phoenix Mountain Preserve The Phoenix Mountain Preserve has trails for all levels of hiker, from barrier-free nature walks, to more intense climbs towards the peaks. You’re bound to see something beautiful whether you stay low or go high, so you really can’t go wrong! The linked website provides information on all the different types of trails, as well as their lengths, so you can check it out before you go and see what might be the best fit for your family. There’s the opportunity to check out a really gorgeous sunset, and if you’re an advanced hiker, you could see about watching from one of the peaks. (Picture from the Phoenix Mountain Preserve website) Reach 11 Recreation Area Reach 11 Recreation Area is 1,500 acres of park, with 18 miles of multi-use trails. That’s a lot of options! You’re really spoiled for choice, with trails running along the Central Arizona Project canal and an incredible bevy of brightly-colored wildflowers during the blooming season. It’s much less mountainous than our last suggestion, so it’s great if you’re looking for a more leisurely walk and the opportunity to check out some greenery. There’s nothing like some time in nature to help you forget your worries! (Picture from the Reach 11 Recreation Area Yelp page) Apache Wash Trailhead Only a seven minute drive from our very own community here at Acero North Valley, this trailhead is good for all levels of hiker, and a good spot to walk year-round! This is another place with the opportunity to look at some beautiful desert wildflowers. The trail itself is only around 2.8 miles, but it’s a loop trail, and right near home, so it’s easy enough to keep going if you’re not done. You might notice something you didn’t see the first time around! (Picture from Apache Wash Trailhead Yelp page) Remember to always bring lots of water when hiking, and have fun! If we missed one of your favorite hikes, please let us know what it is in the comments! We’re always happy to hear more suggestions. We hope you enjoy!

Our Top Reads for National Read a Book Day

National Read a Book Day falls on September 6th each year. Whether you’re a voracious reader or just trying to get into the habit, it’s a good reminder to slow down, carve out an hour, and spend some time alone with a book. To Fall in Wonder Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt If you haven’t read this under-celebrated classic, you’re in for a bittersweet treat. Join 10-year-old Winnie Foster in meeting the Tucks, a family who stumbled into immortality by drinking from a freshwater spring. We won’t spoil the rest, but it’s a journey filled with wonder from beginning to end, and perfect for a reader who doesn’t mind a bittersweet conclusion. To Learn Something The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo If you already know Marie Kondo’s name, you know what you’re in for: A gentle, personalized approach to our connections with objects and environments. You don’t have to be ready to commit to an apartment deep-clean to read Kondo’s therapy session of a book. When you are ready to apply your newfound knowledge, Kondo even offers an accompanying journal, to use with the book and document your journey. To Connect With The Earth The Turquoise Ledge, by Leslie Marmon Silko Leslie Marmon Silko’s memoir contains lessons about living side by side with rattlesnakes, about uranium mining and history, about the intersection of science and spirituality that summons the clouds to the Sonoran desert. This is more than connection with the Earth, it’s a history lesson, it’s a lens into one woman’s journey on it—one that honors the land it was written on, at every turn. For Some Good Nonsense The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart The under-appreciated spiritual cousin of A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Mysterious Benedict Society offers secret societies and brilliant children facing high stakes with a happier, goofier tone. George “Sticky” Washington, The Great Kate Weather Machine, tiny contrarian Constance Contraire, and a woman dressed like a number two pencil join Reynie on his mission: to infiltrate the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. If you missed The Mysterious Benedict Society as a child, don’t worry; it’s a story you never grow out of. We’d love to hear some of your favorite books in the comments, as well as if you try any of these suggestions. Happy National Read A Book Day! We hope you take the opportunity to read.

Crafty Ideas for At-Home Art

Getting creative is, in our humble opinion, one of the best ways to spend some time when you have to stay home. It’s a fun way to get your hands moving and your brain working, and you might wind up with a great souvenir from your project -- or at the very least a fun story. However, we know it can be difficult to figure out where to start, especially if you don’t have a lot of artistic experience. Here’s some suggestions for fun art projects you can try out without needing a single art class! Collage Collage is a great creative outlet, especially if you have old magazines or newspapers lying around that you wouldn’t mind cutting up. It allows you to create something memorable out of already-existing pieces, and works well for people that don’t feel they have a lot of innate artistic ability -- you can make it look very much like what you’ve envisioned without needing to create each aspect by hand, the way you might with a drawing. All you really need is magazines to cut pieces from, some glue, and something to put your collage on! This can be paper, a notebook, cardboard, a poster, or whatever else you feel like decorating. There’s a wide variety of options for a beautiful artistic outcome. Box Decorating This art project is both beautiful and functional. Just about any box works for this, whether it’s an old gift box, a shoebox that needs some renovation, or the type of simple wooden box you can get at most craft stores. After you’ve chosen your box, you can create a masterpiece with just a hot glue gun and essentially anything you’d like, from plastic flowers and sequins from your local craft store, to some of your broken jewelry, to photographs or pages from books (and that’s just a few of the possible combinations!) Beautifying an old box means you get to flex your creative muscles and wind up with a new and innovative storage solution that’ll be as nice to look at as it is useful. Plant Pot Painting Potted plants can be a great way to brighten up your apartment. Unfortunately, the pots they come in don’t always match the liveliness of the flowers! Acrylic paint can be a great solution for that, and it’s even better if you can grab a paint sealer to ensure your artwork doesn’t get messed up when you water the plants. Each member of the family can pick a pot and get to work, and the end result is bound to be a fun and pretty way to keep your plants looking fresh. A fun tip is to try drip decorating, where you elevate your pot upside down, and drip acrylic paint down it from the bottom up. After you let it dry and seal it, it’ll be a gorgeous swirl of colors. Getting creative is a great deal of fun, and the end result can help liven up a wall, or even provide somewhere new to store your trinkets. It’s also a fantastic way to spend time with your family, doing something that everyone can be a part of. If you or your family have been working on a new art project recently, we’d love to hear about it! Your ideas may even inspire us for our next creative endeavor.

Summer BBQ Recipes to Make at Home

A delicious barbecue recipe is one of the staples of the summer for a lot of people. But what are you supposed to do when you’re craving that classic barbecue flavor, but can’t have a proper outdoor cookout with the neighbors? We’ve got the answer! Today, we’re recommending some great recipes for delicious barbecue dishes you can make at home on the stove. Skillet-Cooked Barbecue Chicken This recipe is great for giving you the traditional barbecue feel without any need to even touch a grill. It also can be made fairly quickly, so you’re not laboring over the hot stove for a long time in the summer heat. Ingredients: -2 chicken breasts, halved -¼ teaspoon salt -1 tablespoon olive oil -¼ cup water -3 cloves of garlic -½ cup barbecue sauce of your choice -Additional seasoning, for instance a barbecue seasoning blend Directions: Mince garlic. Rub garlic on your halved chicken breasts, and then evenly season with both the salt and the seasoning mixture of your choice. Any other spices you’d like can be added at this stage to taste -- we all prefer different blends! When your chicken has been properly seasoned, heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat-high heat. Add your chicken, and cook for around four minutes on both sides. Add your water and your barbecue sauce, and then cook for a few more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Then you can eat! Oven Barbecued Salmon This recipe is a fun twist on the usual preparation of salmon, and maintains a barbecue feeling despite being cooked in the oven! It takes a bit more preparation than the previous recipe, but should have delicious results. Ingredients: -5 salmon fillets -2 tablespoons of brown sugar -1 tablespoon of chili powder -3 tablespoons of orange juice -2 tablespoons of lemon juice -1 tablespoon of paprika -½ teaspoon of garlic powder -½ teaspoon of salt -½ teaspoon cumin powder Directions: First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Grease or butter a pan, and then put your salmon fillets in it. Drizzle your orange and lemon juices on your salmon. Mix your spices in a bowl, and then sprinkle the mixture over your salmon fillets, seasoning equally. Bake your salmon for approximately 12-15 minutes, until the fish is nice and flakey. After that, all that’s left is to plate it and enjoy. Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob Corn on the cob is a classic barbecue treat, but you can have a wonderful version without going anywhere near an outdoor grill. Oven-roasted corn on the cob is just as delicious, and can be seasoned in all sorts of excellent ways depending on your personal preferences. We’ll provide a recipe for a Ingredients: -However many ears of sweet corn as you’d like, husked -Butter, softened -Any other preferred seasonings Directions: Husk the corn and remove as much of the silk from it as you can. Rub your softened butter on each ear, coating it liberally, and season with salt and pepper. At this point, you can add any other spices or seasonings you’d prefer, whether that’s herbs, paprika, sauce, etc. Wrap your ears of corn in foil (butter definitely required first!) and then roast them in the oven for around thirty minutes, or until tender. It’ll be tender and sweet when finished! We hope you enjoy these suggestions for at-home barbecue! We’re certainly excited to experiment with our recipes. Let us know in the comments what your favorite summer barbecue food is, especially if we didn’t mention it!

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