Tag Archives: neighbors

Nov26

Get Into The Holiday Spirit

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Get Into The Holiday Spirit

Hi! We are full fledged into the holiday season and I think everyone could use a heaping dose of holiday cheer. This has been a crazy few years, to say the least! Spreading holiday cheer can be with grand gestures, but oftentimes it’s the little things that mean the most. Small acts of kindness that can turn someone’s entire day around. The ideas we’re about to discuss will put you on the Nice List, for sure, but that’s beside the point. It just feels good to do good! Let’s discuss:

Help a Neighbor:

Spreading holiday cheer can start right across the street! Should you have a neighbor that might need some extra help, be the person to offer. This could include shoveling snow, stopping by with a delicious meal, gifting a wreath for their door, or lighting up the outside of their home for a festive touch. I know firsthand the power of these gestures. Our downstairs neighbor is one of our best friends and whenever I am cooking, there is always a plate ready for him too. It makes both of our days and that is exactly what friends are for. ❤

Donating:

Toy drives and food pantries are amazing ways to share your good fortune. Lots of local businesses in my neck of the woods are hosting drives for toys and food so ask around for a place that you can drop off to. This is also the time of year for grocery stores to run promotions like “spend X amount and get a free turkey or X Y and Z”. A local shelter could really benefit from that for their holiday meals. A gesture like this can truly do a world of good so give what you can so everyone in your community can have a special holiday too.

Blessing Boxes:

In the same breath, I have seen countless posts on talk of the town pages about people creating Blessing Boxes. It is essentially a Little Free Library but for pantry items. Food insecurity is such a major issue and creating a Blessing Box for your neighborhood would be fantastic. When an entire neighborhood gets together, there is nothing you can’t do to help so give what you can. Even if what you can give is not a lot, don’t downplay it. It still makes a huge difference!

Care Packages:

A resounding need at homeless shelters as the weather turns is cold weather clothing items like thick socks, gloves, hats, scarves, and jackets. Other items that are always needed include personal hygiene supplies, underwear, and diapers. If you look on their websites, you might also find wish lists for families that are living there. Creating care packages to drop off can help keep the neighbors in your community warm and comfortable. You can also make cash donations on websites too and find ways to volunteer your time. This is always a need and you might find yourself returning at least once a week.

Nursing Homes:

There are so many people who have no one to spend the holidays with, especially those in nursing homes. You could host a holiday card or gift drive to drop off or simply be there and spend time. I often see posts from local nursing homes requesting something like this on talk of the town pages. If you can’t find any posts, call around. This can create such a bright memory for all parties involved!

Everyone deserves a safe and happy holiday season. Do what you can to make it happen and remember, anything you do is something! ❤

Do you volunteer anywhere? How do you spread holiday cheer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May19

Be That Neighbor

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Be That Neighbor

Hello!! Johnny and I were absolutely addicted to the show Fear Thy Neighbor and quickly finished the entire series with daily viewings after work and marathons over the weekends. As you can imagine if you haven’t watched the show, it is all about the worst neighbors ever lol. Our running joke as we watched the series was “What are we going to do, get mad at Tony?!”. Tony is our downstairs neighbor and he is the absolute best so every time we watched Fear Thy Neighbor, it was an exercise in “can’t relate” for which we are so thankful!

Tony, Johnny, and I became fast friends when Tony moved in and we would chat away every time our paths crossed when he was out for a smoke. This turned into Dinner Club get togethers, watching movies, going to the shooting range, and just having fun. And, of course, we always come running every time Tony might need a quick favor around the apartment. I’m going to be perfectly honest, our neighbors in our old apartment were not the best. Some were insanely loud and another was feeding the raccoons outside of her apartment door lol. So, when Tony moved in not doing any of that and being someone we actually wanted to hang out with, it was nothing short of a gift.

The other day as we were eating a baked potato dinner and watching an episode of SVU, Johnny got a call from Tony. It was nothing urgent, just asking if he could change the battery in his smoke detector as he wasn’t comfortable going up on the ladder. In a heartbeat, Johnny put down his meal and ran downstairs. In the handful of minutes while Johnny completed the task at hand, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky and proud I am. Lucky to have Tony and proud to be those neighbors. And not in the Fear Thy Neighbor way but in the best way possible!

Having a neighbor that we truly consider to be a best friend is something we have never experienced and it feels so good. I love that we are the people that Tony calls when he needs a helping hand and having regular hang outs together. The feeling is mutual across the board and that is a beautiful thing. The moral of the story? Be that neighbor!! Be the neighbor who fixes an extra plate at dinner. Be the neighbor who offers to take the trash out or shovel the walkway. Be the neighbor who is never too busy for a chat. It will do both parties a world of good and the relationship with our beloved neighbor is a testament to that. ❤

Johnny and I love our apartment so much and Tony is part of the reason why. I am so happy to have and be a good neighbor and the smoke detector story was a wonderful reminder!

Do you have a great neighbor? Have you ever had an awful neighbor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr13

Friday Night Dinner Club

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Friday Night Dinner Club

Hello!! Johnny and I are incredibly lucky – close to three years ago, we moved into a bigger apartment and it is still nothing short of a gift. Of course, the extra space is nice but one of the best things is, easily, our neighbor. Our downstairs neighbor, Tony, has been a staple in our lives since he moved in shortly after we did. We quickly bonded after our numerous chats while he was outside smoking and these chats turned into full fledged hangouts. We love going to the shooting range, playing pool, and my personal favorite – Friday Night Dinner Club.

Friday Night Dinner Club is exactly what it sounds like lol. One Friday per month, we will go out to eat together and take turns on picking where to eat and picking up the tab. We have hit up all of our favorite spots together and tried new restaurants too and it is always a blast. With the unpredictable winter and early spring weather, our Dinner Club meetings have taken place in Tony’s apartment. I will cook or we will order takeout and watch a movie for our entertainment. We had our March meeting this past Friday and it was a raging success:

For Dinner Club, I decided to cook us a huge dish of baked ziti, garlic bread, and salad. Then, we made the short trek downstairs to our co-founder’s digs to eat, drink, and be merry. Our original plan was to rent the newest Jason Statham vehicle, A Working Man. Unfortunately, that plan was foiled because it isn’t available yet. That was no matter because we watched another Jason Statham vehicle, instead. One of all of our personal favorites – The Beekeeper. We have watched The Beekeeper several times together during Dinner Club and it hits every time. Johnny, Tony, and I will spend the entire duration quoting the movie, hollering, and laughing whenever I react to a particularly “ouch” moment. We live for action and horror movies and this one takes the cake!

Even though Johnny and I have lived in our apartment community for upwards of five years, we have never had a neighbor like Tony. It is so special to have a friend literally right downstairs and it makes all of our lives so much better. I love having a neighbor that I can fix an extra plate for, shoot the breeze with, and shoot – have an entire club based around our friendship. A club that is deserving of jackets at some point in the future because we have definitely discussed it extensively lol. 😀

I cannot wait for our next Dinner Club meeting with the improved weather! Me and my favorite guys will be stepping out on the town and we are all already looking forward to it!

Do you have an amazing neighbor? Do you have any “clubs” with your friends? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar15

What’s Cookin?!

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What’s Cookin?!

Hello!! One of my favorite things in the world is to cook dinner. I love being able to spend time doing my thing in the kitchen and creating something delicious for Johnny and myself after work. And, because I will never master the fine art of cooking for two, I always have plenty to share with my parents and beloved downstairs neighbor, Tony. Despite loving to cook and fixing a plate for my loved ones, I find that it is the first thing that falls by the wayside when I am having a mental health moment (Or week or month but who’s counting lol).

The lack of desire to cook and sheer exhaustion physically and mentally was definitely the case for me recently. However, I am pleased to report that your girl is back! I am feeling much better and it felt so good to be able to make some of mine and Johnny’s favorite dishes. I whipped up a big pot of Fettuccine Alfredo and chicken breast for him. I also made my world famous spruced up baked potatoes and jalapeno popper quesadillas! And, of course, Johnny ran a plate down to Tony and I fixed a plate for my parents too.

The combined act of not only preparing the food but sharing it is so satisfying to me and I take pride in being the neighbor and daughter that surprises someone with a home cooked meal. I expect nothing in return for this because it’s truly my pleasure. It’s always nice to be complimented, though, and this text exchange with my mom made my day:

I guess the moral of the story is a few things. First and foremost, if you are noticing that some of your favorite hobbies or passions are becoming difficult to do – it’s okay!! However, it’s going to be glorious when you get that desire back and this post is a testament to that. Don’t beat yourself up over taking a break because you’re just going to feel worse. Rather, get back in your flow little by little and when you are back – You’re back, baby!

Second, if you have something to share – share away! Whether it’s posting your artwork on social media, fixing an extra plate for a loved one, or mowing your neighbor’s lawn, doing good feels good. Your gifts, skills, passions, and hobbies are all valuable and I’m not talking money. These are all things that someone, somewhere is going to appreciate and that makes what you are doing even more special. For example, I love knowing that my neighbor or parents aren’t going to have to cook dinner for themselves when I share the bounty. This is not only an act of kindness for them but myself too so share liberally because it’s going to do your world a world of good. ❤

I am back to being genuinely excited about cooking and it’s an amazing place to be. I hope all of you are finding full passion in the things that make you happy too!

What is your favorite hobby? How do you share it with others? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec22

Simple Ways To Spread Holiday Cheer

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Simple Ways To Spread Holiday Cheer

Howdy!! The countdown to Christmas is SO on and I am sure everyone is busy with their holiday prep. Me? I am officially DONE with shopping and wrapping so I am eagerly anticipating for the celebrations to hurry up and get here! It wouldn’t be the holiday season if everything didn’t feel a little bit crazy right now. However, it is always great to spread some happiness to friends, neighbors, and strangers. If you have some extra time to spare and holiday cheer to spread, let’s look at a few simple ways that you can make it happen:

Shovel Driveways/Sidewalks:

As of now in Akron, Ohio, we have had a snowy day or two and that has been it. If you live somewhere snowy, though, your neighbors will always appreciate some help with removal – especially if they are older. There is a reason why “heart attack snow” is a real thing! Take some extra time to clear off a driveway or two or make a path on some sidewalks if your neighborhood has them. This can really take a load off for those in your community physically and metaphorically and is an ideal way to spread some cheer if you are going to be experiencing a White Christmas.

Donate To A Shelter:

SO many grocery stores are running promotions such as “spend X amount and get a free turkey or ham”. If this applies to you and you don’t need the free item, donate it to a shelter instead where it can be used and enjoyed. This is exactly what my family did for Thanksgiving with the promo being ran at Giant Eagle. You can also take a look at the websites for shelters in your area. Chances are, they will have a list of items that they need in the moment like winter coats, winter accessories, feminine hygiene, and diapers. They also might have ways to sponsor a child so you can cross off some toys on their wish list. Whatever you choose to do will do a world of good.

Santa Mail:

I don’t know if this is a thing in your neck of the woods. But, in mine, I am constantly seeing posts from local nursing homes on social media asking for pen pals for their residents. If this is something that is doable where you are – go for it! Call a nursing home, get a batch of holiday cards, and send your well wishes. This has the potential to really brighten someone’s day. Better yet, you could form a lasting friendship with these correspondences and that is a gift in itself.

Sweets & Treats:

There is always sure to be an overflow of holiday sweets like cookies, pies, and candies. If you find yourself with WAY too much – you already know what to do. Make a delightful assortment on a tray and send it a neighbor’s way! If there’s a shortage of sweets, perhaps a neighbor with a bare yard would like a wreath on their door or some twinkling lights. Knock on the door and ask! Even if the answer is no, it’s such a thoughtful offer that will not go unnoticed.

Spreading holiday cheer doesn’t have to be a huge gesture. It can be small, meaningful things that make someone’s day and will show that you care!

How do you get into the holiday spirit? Do you volunteer in your community? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec11

Community Fun

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Community Fun

Hello!! Listen, I’ll be the first to admit that there are downsides to living in Ohio. It’s basically just corn lol. However, I love my life here and still wouldn’t change it for a thing. One of the best parts about the greater Akron area is the true sense of community we have and it’s greater amplified by all of the fun events hosted throughout the city. Concerts, food truck festivals, vendor fairs, you name it and chances are we have done something similar in our neck of the woods!

A particularly fantastic community gathering spot is the Quirk Cultural Center in Cuyahoga Falls. At the Quirk, they offer workshops for people of all ages. From tiny tots to seniors, there is something for everyone there. In fact, I used to take pottery classes there for several years in my youth and have enjoyed watercolor painting classes in my adulthood. And, this past weekend, I took my nieces there for a special crafting workshop so they could make Christmas presents for their parents.

All I knew for the craft class was that we were going to paint mugs and the girls were so excited. I was too because any time with them is the best time! Even though it was a simple activity, our hosts at the Quirk did such a phenomenal job of making it special. When we walked into the space, we were greeted by a huge Christmas tree, holiday inflatables, festive music, and a hot chocolate and cookie station. The greatest surprise was how neat the mugs to be painted were. There was a snowman, a reindeer, Santa, and a mug with Santa’s belt going around the middle. They seriously looked like something you could paint at All Fired Up and it only costed ten dollars per person to participate.

The girls and I had SO much fun and my eldest niece did a banner job painting the mug herself and my younger niece, who is two, did the best she could lol. Either way, I knew they both knew that they were making something for their parents and they were so happy to have a gift for them that they made all by themselves! There were so many families at the event and it was a joy to get in the holiday spirit all together. I hope that they will be doing more paint parties soon because it was a hit for both the adults and kiddos!

A wonderful time was had by all at our pseudo All Fired Up workshop and I am definitely feeling merrier and brighter for it!

What kind of events does your community put on? Have you ever taken a crafting workshop before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep3

Friday Night Dinner Club

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Friday Night Dinner Club

Hello!! Johnny and I truly hit the jackpot when we moved into our bigger apartment a few years ago. We have ample space, were able to get the bunnies because of it, and best of all – we have the best neighbor! Our downstairs neighbor, Tony, is one of my favorite people in the world. He is in his late sixties and I always like to think of him as my pseudo grandpa. Johnny and I would see Tony outside every day on his smoke breaks and we became fast friends after making introductions. We love going to the gun range together, shooting pool, watching movies, and participating in Friday Night Dinner Club.

Friday Night Dinner Club is exactly what it sounds like lol. Once or twice a month, we go out to dinner together and take turns on who’s picking the restaurant and who’s paying. This has been a staple in our schedule for the past four or so months and is something we always look forward to. It gives us a chance to catch up, have a good meal, and enjoy each other’s company. From Mexican and Italian to chain restaurants or bar food, we go everywhere and it’s such fun to see where we will end up next!

This past Friday, we had a Dinner Club meeting at Luigi’s which is an absolute must in Akron, Ohio. This was a highly anticipated outing because they were closed during our last attempt to go and we haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Luigi’s is a mom and pop style Italian restaurant and offers a huge menu of pizza, sandwiches, pasta, salads, and the like. The portions are more than generous and Tony and I barely made a dent in our pasta. Meanwhile, Johnny annihilated his meatball sub lol. We have been waiting on this meal for over a month and I think everything tasted even better because of it. Having two extra meals out of leftovers is also never a bad thing. 😀

I am so glad that Friday Night Dinner Club has become our “thing”. It’s something so simple but it hits just right every single time. I have hung out with some neighbors once or twice during my extensive tenure at Timber Top, sure. However, I have never had a neighbor like Tony that feels like a true neighbor. He has turned into family – someone who we end our meetings on with an “I love you” and that means so much to me. Johnny and I love our apartment and our Dinner Club co-captain plays a huge part in it!

Johnny is choosing the restaurant for our next meeting and he has been carefully weighing his options. Wherever it is, we are going to have the best time. We always do!

Do you do anything similar to our Dinner Club with your friends? Do you have an awesome neighbor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug28

Weekend Fun

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Weekend Fun

Hello everyone! I don’t know about all of you, but I had a fantastic weekend. Well, it was fantastic until I got randomly sick on Sunday night. I spent a majority of the night awake with a scratchy throat and low grade fever. It was absolutely miserable and I ended up having to call off on Monday to catch some extra Zs and recuperate. Everything leading up to that was awesome and jam packed with a lot of fun. It was a bit of a rough week so I definitely needed it!

On Friday, Johnny and I spent the evening going shooting at Range USA with our neighbor, Tony. It had been a long while since we hit up the range together and we were all looking forward to it. After work, we loaded up in Tony’s car and made our way to Range USA. Tony is seriously the best neighbor in the world and we love spending time with him to shoot the breeze, watch movies, and have dinner parties – and go shooting on occasion! We made use of every minute of our hour time slot at the range shooting .22s and Tony was able to give me lots of pointers. This was only the third time I have been to the range and it really helped. I even got a few bullseyes. 😀

Once we were home from shooting, Johnny and I took it easy for the rest of the night because we had Saturday plans too. On Saturday afternoon, I had a lunch outing with one of my best girlfriends and then Johnny and I were going to go to another one of my best girlfriend’s birthday party. Lunch was divine and before I knew it, over three hours had passed at the Mexican restaurant while we sipped drinks and chatted away. As always, once the girl talk starts it is damn near impossible to stop! It had been way too long since I was able to get together with her and I can’t wait to do it more often.

Unfortunately, Johnny ended up not feeling great on Saturday so I had to fly solo to Lea’s birthday party. I admit, I was a bit anxious to go without my main squeeze. I don’t hang out in groups a lot, much less a group of people that I went to high school with lol. I put on a brave face because I knew that I would have as much fun as I decided to have. So, I decided to have fun. I ended up staying way past when I told Johnny I would be home because I was enjoying myself so much. I truly do come alive at events and it was really nice to catch up with lots of familiar faces. I’m even getting coffee with one of the girls who I talked a lot with soon. I’m excited!!

Despite ending the weekend on a sour note, the build up sure was a blast. Being a tad bit under the weather was a small price to pay for tons of fun!

Do you keep in touch with people you went to high school with? Do you like hanging out in group settings? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May18

Car Chase Craziness

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Car Chase Craziness

Hello!! Johnny and I live in an apartment community called Timber Top. It is a sprawling, labyrinth like property and you are, without fail, going to get lost if you’re a first time visitor. Back in high school, Timber Top was the place to be to go stupid with your friends and buy weed lol. Fast forward ten years later and there is still never a dull moment in TTop. In the five years that Johnny and I have lived here, a building caught on fire, we had a carbon monoxide leak in one of the buildings, and there was a tragic pandemic of people literally falling through their stairs. Needless to say, we are used to it by now. However, we were definitely not expecting to cross “high speed car chase” off of our Timber Top Bingo cards!

This past Saturday, Johnny and I were playing games and relaxing after our Mother’s Day celebrations. As we were becoming one with our couch, we heard police sirens in the distance. Now, this is not uncommon whatsoever in Timber Top. It was different this time, though, because there were a lot of sirens blazing and they seemed to be heading right towards our street. As always, Johnny and I are nosey AF so we booked it onto our balcony just in time to see five cop cars chasing down a silver sedan. The car being chased led the cops to our semi-secret back entrance shortcut and we thought that was the end of it… Until five minutes later…

Shortly after Johnny and I settled back in the apartment, I thought I could very faintly hear sirens again. I thought I was just imagining it until they got louder and louder. Johnny and I leaped off the couch and headed back outside because, sure enough, the car chase was still on. In a foolhardy move, the car in question led the cops BACK into Timber Top! After some Smokey and The Bandit style speeding and maneuverability, the chase ended when the driver locked themselves in at a dead end.

At this point, everyone and their brother was outside watching the action too. In fact, people were legit running to see the aftermath and arrest. We were all shook and, thankfully, no one was hurt. After the exhilaration wore down from the spectacle, I couldn’t help but think about the other times the TTop community has come together. Most recently, it was for the total solar eclipse. Three winters ago, us tenants rallied to shovel out our cars from the parking lot after a huge snowstorm. Two summers ago, my entire building came outside to complain together after the Great Kitchen Flood of 2022. Whether it be a car chase or lending a hand or ear you know us TToppers are going to be outside on our porches as soon as it happens!

The car chase was one of the craziest things Johnny and I have witnessed in Timber Top and now my husband can cross “seeing a car chase” off of his bucket list. I wonder what’s going to happen next!

Do you get along with your neighbors? What’s the wildest thing you have seen in your community? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr24

Should Your House Differ Dramatically In Style From Those On Your Street?

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Should Your House Differ Dramatically In Style From Those On Your Street?

If you live in a suburb, private housing area, or conventional community, odds are you have neighbors and perhaps a street where many houses are visible. In the internet of community life and connecting to the environment around you, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to style their properties so that a good balance between unique style and wider conformity is achieved. After all, it’s nice to have that aesthetic line through across the street. That might also mean sharing similar driveway designs but with its own twist, such as stone pavers lining the driveway sides or patio area.

But what if you hope to differ dramatically from those on your street? It’s your house after all, and you shouldn’t have to ask permission to enjoy a little fun. In this post, we’ll discuss a few tips for achieving the best possible outcome:

Blending In vs. Standing Out:

It may seem tough to find that sweet spot between fitting in and showing your own personality, especially if the other houses around you are, quite frankly, a little dull. But a property that sticks out too much may seem out of place and even draw attention, which could go against security and safety. An understated approach could be angling for some personal touches that provide unique value, but don’t go overboard and clash severely with surrounding aesthetics. So you may wish to paint your house pink. But if the houses either side of you are softer, pastel colors, it might work better for a lighter pastel pink that fits in, but is clear in its identity. This is just one example, but shows where to start with your planning process. If you want to stand out, CBI Design professionals can help with a redesign.

Considering Neighborhood Aesthetics:

Most communities adhere to some established aesthetic for cohesion among properties, because often, communities are built at relatively similar periods or at least “eras”. There may be unspoken (but still relevant) guidelines around home colors, lawn decor styles, or architectural designs, but you can always balance two differing opinions. Maybe you want a modernist house but are happy to curate the interior to match while offering more robust and rural exteriors to fit in among the landscape. If something happens and you need a roof repair or replacement, it can be a good idea to keep with the current traditional style of those around you to ensure you fit in.

Respecting Your Own Property:

Of course, you get to decide what you do with your own home. That being said, it can feel somewhat inspiring to allow the natural character of the home underneath to come out. If you’re looking for small wins, then you can restore certain elements of a home’s history, such as the vital function to the very unique river water wheel, unblocking the chimney, restoring the window arches, and using reclaimed wood to fashion a door that matches the period of the place. When it’s clear you’re paying utmost respect to the home, who could ever criticize you for updating parts of it to the modern age?

That being said, sometimes modern updates are necessary for comfort as well as style. If your air conditioning system isn’t keeping up with the summer heat, a quick search for “air conditioning repair near me” can help ensure your home stays cool while you focus on making it look its best.

With this advice, we hope you manage your project well, even if you implement changes for a different effect!

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