Blog Posts

Holiday Activities

Since the holidays are here, you’re probably going to have friends or family in town to enjoy time with you. The hardest part is picking something. In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve got a short list of holiday activities you could engage in to enjoy your time this December. Make a Gingerbread House Gingerbread houses are a holiday staple and the perfect activity for a winter’s day. Head to the store to get some graham crackers, frosting, and candy. Get any candy you like, but gummies and candy canes are some of the regular candy chosen for gingerbread houses. Building gingerbread houses are a fun activity to do with children, albeit a little messy. So create some memories! Make it a competition or just do it for the photos and smiles, either way, have fun! Bake Do you remember coming home to the sweet smell of cookies? Create that smell in your own home by baking your own cookies! There are plenty of cookie recipes to choose from, so pick one, then get baking! You can choose to keep these cookies for yourself or use them as a gift to give to the people you care about. Make Ornaments If you’re the type of person who puts up a holiday tree, you’re going to need some ornaments. Sure, you’ve probably bought some ornaments from the store, but there is something satisfying and fun about creating your own ornaments to put on your tree. Creating your own ornament allows you or the kids in your family to make a mark on a family tradition of putting up holiday decorations. Do you have any traditions or activities you like to participate in during the holidays? Share them with our Hollywood, FL apartment community by leaving a comment! Thank you for reading.

Ways to Prepare for the Holidays

The holidays are coming up soon, which means there are a lot of things to do to get ready. Save yourself the stress of last-minute activities by getting a jump on the holiday preparation here in Hollywood, FL. In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve got a few tips for you on how you can better prepare for the holidays and save yourself a world of stress. Let’s get started! Shop Early If you’re into the gift-giving of the holiday season, you’re going to want to get a jump on buying presents for your friends and loved ones. Don’t worry about not starting in November, the start of December is also a good time to get ahead of the rest of the general population. You don’t want to be that person that’s scavenging in the department stores for a semi-decent gift on the last few days before the holidays. Shopping early allows you to find what you’re looking for without the stress. Decorate What better way to get into the mood of the season than by decorating your home to match! Whether you choose to put up a holiday tree or just break out the comfortable pillows and blankets, adding a little flair to your home will allow you to enjoy the holiday a little more and treat your guests (if you so choose to invite them over) to a festive visit! Holiday Music/Movies Let’s be honest, around this time of year, the only songs you’ll hear on the radio or in stores are holiday-related. The unfortunate thing is that there isn’t a lot of variety in the songs that they play. Instead of letting the stores decide what kind of festive mood you’re going to be in, play your own music or watch your own movies. Don’t get burnt out on the great, jolly music you can listen to this December! Do you have any ways you like to prepare for the December holidays? Share them with our apartment community by leaving a comment!

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Thanksgiving is here and it’s the time when people get together and have a meal together! Family, friends, or a combination of both will be coming together to celebrate around food and drink, so you should make sure the food one the table is delicious! In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve got a few recipes we’d love to share with you to make your Thanksgiving extra special! We hope you enjoy this short list of side dishes you should try out the next time you invite some friends and family over to your Hollywood, FL apartment. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes 5 pounds medium russet potatoes, peeled 1 1/2 cups half-and-half, heated 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup sour cream Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving staple, so don’t go without it! This recipe is simple enough that you only need a handful of ingredients and an instant pot! Try it before Thanksgiving comes so you can impress! Creamed Corn Cornbread 2 cups yellow cornmeal 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup buttermilk 2 eggs 1 cup creamed corn 2 tablespoons canola oil Cornbread is as good as side dishes get, but it gets even better with the addition of creamed corn! Check out this recipe and make it for all of your Thanksgiving guests to share (and some for the day after). Roasted Sweet Potato with Honey and Cinnamon 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked 1/4 cup honey 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Salt and freshly ground black pepper Bite into the sweet goodness of sweet potatoes seasoned with honey and cinnamon with this recipe. It’s a fun Thanksgiving side dish that even the kids will enjoy!

Get Crafty

Some people haven’t done arts and crafts since their time in elementary school, but crafts are a great way to spend some time and exercise some creativity! With the advent of Pinterest and blogs, people have been able to share their unique craft ideas to the masses, which is perfect if you’re looking to try out your own crafts this fall! In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve got a short list of crafts you could try to beautiful your home for the upcoming holidays! Wine Cork Pumpkin Materials: 25 recycled wine corks Orange acrylic paint Paint brush Hot glue gun Craft knife Green felt Scissors Jute twine Need something to do with all of your extra wine corks? Get crafty and recycle those corks by making a cork pumpkin! This pumpkin will be a great addition to your home and would bring a fun fall theme to your apartment. Burlap and Yarn Wreath Foam Wreath Form. Hot Glue Gun. Ivory Burlap Ribbon. Fall Inspired Yarn. Burlap Flowers . Scissors. Pheasant Feathers. Twigs. Pineapple Doily. Make the entrance to your home a little more inviting with this cute wreath. This wreath is the perfect rustic addition to your front door or walls in your Hollywood, FL apartment! Remember, you’re not limited to this wreath, you can definitely let your creativity run free and do what you wish! DIY Pumpkin Door Mat Leaf and pumpkin stencils Scissors Painters tape Paint in white, turquoise, and gold Foam paint daubers Doormat The doormat is your guest’s first welcome to your home, treat them to a wonderful fall welcome by making this pumpkin door mat! It’s pretty simple, so try it out! Do you have any crafts that you enjoy doing? Share those crafts and instructions with our apartment community by leaving a comment! Thanks for reading.

Pumpkin Recipes

October is here, which means fall is in full swing. It also means that pumpkin everything is being sold in stores. From pumpkin lattes to pumpkin pie, there are a variety of delicious pumpkin options available. In this week’s Sunset Palms Blog, we’ve got a few pumpkin recipes that we think you should try! Pumpkin Bread Cooking spray, for pan 2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted 1 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1 c. pumpkin puree 1/4 c. sour cream 2 large eggs 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling (optional) Bite into a delicious loaf of pumpkin bread! This recipe is a perfect treat for an October evening paired with a nice mug of hot chocolate. Try it out today! Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bites 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough 2 tbsp. baking soda 1 1/2 c. warm water 1/2 c. melted butter, divided 1 c. granulated sugar 2 tsp. pumpkin spice Need a snack? Look no further than this recipe for pumpkin spice pretzel bites. It’s a nice deviation from the traditional pumpkin spice treats, so we encourage you to give this a try the next time you’re into some baking! These bites are also small enough for little children. Pumpkin Spice Latte 1 c. whole milk 2 tbsp. pumpkin purée 1 tbsp. maple syrup 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, plus more for garnish 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/4 c. hot espresso or coffee Whipped cream, for garnish Not really interested in spending a ton of money at your local coffee shop? Try out this pumpkin spice latte recipe! Indulge in the deliciousness pumpkin spice taste without the price tag. Do you have any recipes you’d like to share with our Hollywood, FL apartment community? Leave us a comment!

Halloween Movies

It’s October! The stores are filled with candy and, you guessed it, Halloween decorations. It’s the time of year when children and adults alike dress up in costumes to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve. There are plenty of ways to get into the spirit of the season, but our favorite way here at Sunset Palms is to watch some movies! We’ve got a few movie suggestions for you in this week’s blog, so get the couch in your apartment ready for hours of Halloween fun! Hocus Pocus After moving to Salem, Mass., teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches' book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal. Scream “The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There's a killer in their midst who's seen a few too many scary movies. Suddenly nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with trivia questions, then rips them to bloody shreds. It could be anybody…” Beetlejuice “After Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the unbearable Deetzes (Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones) and teen daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) buy the home, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a rambunctious spirit whose ‘help’ quickly becomes dangerous for the Maitlands and innocent Lydia.” Do you have any movies you like to watch during Halloween? Let our Hollywood, FL community know about them by leaving a comment!