Make a List

When Thanksgiving comes around, it's usually a cue to start thinking about the things we are grateful for, and our choices tend to be big-ticket items like love, family, and a job. Starting today, create a list of the little things in life that you are grateful for and add one line item per day. You can write things like Netflix, my best friend, coffee, a gorgeous sunset, etc. By the end of the month, you'll have much more appreciation for the little things in life that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

Act Without Reward

As humans, many of us are motivated to do things for rewards. That’s just the way our brains work. But this month, try to rewire your brain to act without the notion of earning a reward. Next time you go through the Starbucks drive-through, consider paying for the car behind you, not because you would get anything from it, but because you know that it could make their day. 

Give Out Compliments

Have you ever been given a compliment that made your day and left a lasting impression? Do the same for someone else today and all month long. When you see another person, think something positive about them and if you feel comfortable doing so, share it with them. Remember, these compliments don’t have to be based on physical attributes, and generally shouldn’t be. Telling someone that their presence makes your life better is a great way to remind them of their importance in this world. The crazy and cool thing is, gratitude actually helps you just as much as the person you are sharing it with.

Let’s take the time this month and throughout the rest of the year to express gratitude. By taking the aforementioned steps, you can find ways to be thankful every day this November, and hopefully beyond. Tell us something you are grateful for in the comments below.

The post How to Be Thankful During Gratitude Month appeared first on Weidner Apartment Homes Blog.

“That Wall”

“Not only do I see it at work, but I also run on the trail that borders Hyde Park. Robin explained, “Hyde Park is such an amazing property, such a cute little community, and it’s in the perfect location, but that wall… ugh, it was so ugly,” she said with a laugh. In contrast, further along the trail she enjoyed seeing a bright and colorful mural painted on a bridge wall.

She said that previously, she had often thought to herself, “If only we had something like that painted on our wall, it would be something nice to look at for our residents and everyone using the trail.” Then the pandemic hit and, by April, while everyone was adjusting to new information, protocols, and levels of response, work slowed down in most of our leasing offices for a bit.

“Something Good”

Robin decided that “maybe something good could come out of all of this pandemic.” Knowing that in normal times, it would have been virtually impossible to pull anyone out of their leasing office for two to three weeks, it was clear that “this was the perfect time to get that wall painted,” she said. So she reached out to someone she’d worked with for years and knew was a talented artist.

When Leasing Consultant Chelsea Cook heard from Robin she immediately said, “Yes!” In fact, she welcomed the distraction. During the first few weeks of the COVID crisis, “we were all kind of scared and uncertain about what was going to happen,” she said. “It was really nice to be able to focus on something creative and positive that had the potential to put some joy out into the world during such strange times.”

While Chelsea currently works at Grand View Apartment Homes in Colorado Springs, she had previously worked at Hyde Park North, where her coworkers had often witnessed her artistic talents when she worked on posters, signs and advertising, but “her true talent was on full display when she created amazing original drawings for each new resident on our chalkboard wall!” said Robin.

As Chelsea considered subjects to display on the new wall project, she said, “I asked Robin if she wanted the wall art to be marketing-focused to advertise for our company, but she said, ‘No, create something to make people happy… I want this to be a Love Note’ so that’s what I tried to do.”

The Project

Chelsea said she loved the idea of painting aspen trees because she’s always been fascinated their beauty. “They’re gorgeous in all four seasons and seem to sport a lot more colors than many other trees throughout the year.” After clearing the design with Robin and ordering supplies, Chelsea got to work.

She said she didn’t need a detailed blueprint because, “I’ve always just been able to see what I want in my head and then make it happen.” Her canvas was one long 149’x8’ wall, and she divided it into four equal sections – one for each season. Next, she applied colors along the bottom and then it was time for the trees. Chelsea said she first painted the tree trunks, then the branches, and finally the colorful leaves. From concept to completion, the project took roughly three weeks to complete.

The Joyful Results

Both Robin and Chelsea shared tales of many people, both Hyde Park residents and people who use the trail, approaching Chelsea as she beautified each portion of the adjacent popular neighborhood pathway to ask about the project, compliment her work, and thank her for Hyde Park’s Love Note to the community at large. “When I told them that our company just wanted to make things a little bit prettier, we got so many thumbs-ups and big smiles,” said Chelsea.

Most importantly, according Robin, “I think we both just appreciated the opportunity to do something that’s making an entire community happy.”

The post Art Project Brings Joy to Community During Uncertain Times appeared first on Weidner Apartment Homes Blog.

Inspired by Love

Inspired by Peter Kageyama’s book, “For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places”, Weidner is embracing the concept of creating Love Notes for the residents in our apartment communities.
 

About Love Notes and Why they Matter

When Kageyama talks about cities, he focuses on “love notes” – simple things created in a city that “surprise and delight”, including interesting artwork or unique design.

These love notes can differ from city to city, including large-scale projects like public art installations and skateboard parks, to small and simple things such as a small rock garden where local residents hand-paint stones and add them to the display. These are the things that make residents proud and become a focal point they can share with visitors.
 
At Weidner Apartment Homes, we agree with Kageyama, that the mutual love affair between people and their place is one of the most powerful influences in our lives, and we believe the concept of Love Notes can apply to apartment communities as well.
 

Weidner Apartment Homes Takes the Concept of Love Notes to Heart

In a city and in an apartment community, Love Notes can help add fun, surprise and delight for “people in their places."
 
At Weidner, these Love Notes can vary from positive messaging, to resident events, to something as simple as an added bench under a shade tree, but they all have one desired outcome: to encourage engagement by the community so that each resident feels a deeper sense of connection and pride in the place they live. 
 
At Weidner Apartment Homes, we feel we all need to be involved in little things like this to help us feel connected to our “place”. Continuing to surprise and delight our residents with Love Notes is a great way to inspire creativity and a healthy sense of community.  
 

How Weidner Follows Kageyama’s Five Guiding Principles for a Community

Kageyama says that, by considering the five guiding principles for a community – “it should be functional, safe, comfortable, convivial and FUN!” he says – the end result will be to build communities that are “lovable, that grab us by the heart.”

Here are some of the ways that Weidner has enhanced its apartment communities, following Kageyama’s five principles:

Functional
On-site management is available to make sure things function smoothly, including a 24-hour on-call maintenance team to cover emergency repairs. Weidner also offers digital options to pay rent and make online maintenance requests for people with busy lives.  

Safe
Weidner values the safety of our residents, and you can count on security-locked entrances to common areas, lighting in common areas, and smoke detectors as just a few of the measures we take. Additionally, some of our communities offer safety features, including gated access, courtesy patrol and attached garages.  

Comfortable
Great amenities include a full kitchen appliance package, ceiling fans, plush carpet and walk-in closets to help make everyday life easier. If you have fur babies, living in a pet-friendly community is not only comfortable, but imperative. Then, once you step outside, many of our communities have great features, including sparkling pools and 24-hour fitness centers. Location matters too, so our communities are close to major routes, shopping, schools, and entertainment.

Convivial
One very important aspect of apartment living is how well the community gets along. This is where Weidner has really brought the concept of love notes to life. In the effort to facilitate resident conviviality and participation, many of our properties have come up with some great creative projects, including:  

• Building a sandbox, complete with toys, for the kids to enjoy together
• Offering a coffee station with hot beverages for a bright start
• Installing a swing on the sturdy branch of a huge tree
• Building benches so residents can enjoy the shade on sunny days
• Holding “Breakfast with Weidner” for busy commuters on the go
• Giving out single rosebuds for Valentine’s Day
• Keeping popsicles in the office to share with the kids on hot summer days
• Providing stones and paint for residents to contribute to a hand-painted rock garden
• Displaying a Tree of Gratitude on the office board where residents and the staff add leaves with handwritten notes about what they’re thankful for

FUN!
Our Community Directors take pride in their work and always try to go the extra mile to meet and exceed resident expectations. This includes making sure there’s an element of fun in their communities.

Here are just a few of the ways Weidner Apartment Homes injects FUN into our residents’ lives:

• Creating on-site dog parks with agility courses, so people can play with their pets
• Holding special resident events like free yoga classes, story-time for kids, taco Tuesdays, s’mores and bonfire night, monthly birthday cakes and many more
• Arranging weekly dog walks so staff and residents can join together to walk and talk to stay in shape and forge friendships
• Hosting summer BBQs and holiday parties for residents to show our appreciation

 
Find a community near you today and experience Love Notes for yourself. 

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