OPEN HOUSE – Don’t Miss Out!
Come to our Open House this Saturday and see the BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION! We have many new Luxury Apartment Homes opening up as early as February! Hope to see you there! Click HERE for directions to Woodland Reserve.
Ankeny Resident Appreciation Day!
Just a reminder for our valued residents to stop by our Resident Appreciation Day on Saturday, October 29th from 11-2 at the Woodland Reserve Clubhouse, located at:
170 NE 41st Street, Ankeny, IA 50021
We will be serving Walking Tacos, Cookies, Soda and Trick-or-Treat Bags for the kids!
We look forward to seeing you there!!!!
Model Bicycle Ordinance Seeks Approval
Des Moines cyclists will be delighted to learn about the proposed bicycle ordinance which would help them bike from city to city more easily.
Currently, each city in the Des Moines metro like Urbandale, Clive, and West Des Moines, have differing bike laws which require bicyclists to obey different laws when biking in each city.
The new ordinance would streamline rules and make them the same across the board. For example, Clive and West Des Moines currently prohibit cyclists from biking on the road if an adjacent trail exists. The most well-known example of this is the Raccoon River Valley Trail that runs along Hickman Road.
The new ordinance was created in party by the Metro Advisory Council and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. Currently, the discussion is tabled until the October 6 meeting of the Clive City Council.
Save money with local daily deals
Looking to try a new restaurant but you don’t know where to go? Check out one of Des Moines’ daily deal sites that offer discounts on everything from a nice meal to a manicure and pedicure at a local spa and salon. And, you may just find a great new restaurant that you’d never tried before.
Here are a few of our top picks:
- Groupon – You can register for a free account or login with Facebook – either way, you’ll find several deals each day. Recent deals included a discount to New Belgium’s Urban Assault Ride, a deal on a vehicle health inspection, and a facial + mani/pedi combo at a local salon. Groupon has also recently started doing Groupon Getaways that offer vacation packages to locations around the world – some at as much as 60 percent off.
- Living Social – The same concept as Groupon, Living Social offers a variety of deals that you must purchase within 24 hours. The site has their normal deals, as well as a special section for families and escapes to locations throughout the world. Recent deals have included two hours of bowling, $50 toward office supplies, half off at a local pizza joint, and a round of golf at a local course.
- Dealery - Dealery is a “catch-all” for deal sites around Des Moines. The site collects discounts from throughout the area and presents them all in one place. You can also search by categories like beauty, health and fitness, classes, travel, and wine.
Local Businesses to Host “Give Back Days”
Twelve local businesses are teaming up to start “Give Back Days,” which will benefit local charities throughout the Des Moines area. The business are located in or near the West Glen Town Center and include Fuel Juice Bar, Art by Magic, Bella Boutique, Artis Home Gallerie, Autumn Leaf Gifts, Blue Willi’s, Jake’s Journey, StylEyes, The Great Frame Up, Three Dog Bakery, and Wine Styles.
On Saturday, August 13, shop at one of these stores from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and five percent of all sales will go to local charities like:
- The Children’s Cancer Connection
- The AIDs Project of Central Iowa
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
- Make a Wish Foundation
- Metro Arts Alliance
- St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter
- Iowa Breast Cancer Charity
- Wildwood Hills Ranch
If you haven’t done so, Give Back Days can be a great time to check out the shopping complex that’s filled with restaurants, local shops, and a variety of nightlife opportunities.
Headed to the Farmer’s Market? Check out the free shuttle.
If you love the Valley Junction Farmers’ Market but are always struggling to find a parking spot, you’re not alone. But midway through the 2009 season, the city created a solution. There’s now a trolley that runs from areas around the neighborhood to Valley Junction, saving patrons and residents of the neighborhood much stress.
According to the city of West Des Moines, ridership of the shuttle is up 25 to 30 percent from last year and now has 600 to 800 people using the trolley each week. In May through October, the area draws thousands of visitors to the Farmers’ Market and its fresh food and live music. This shuttle not only gives a convenient mode of transportation, but also helps relieve the residents. Before, the neighborhood became quickly congested and it took 10 to 20 minutes just to find a parking spot.
You can get on the shuttle Hillside Elementary School, located at 713 8th Street, where there are nearly 200 parking spots. With a parking spot comes a $5 voucher that can be used at more than 100 of the street vendors. On Farmers’ Market days, the shuttle is available between 4 and 9 p.m.
The Valley Junction Farmer’s Market takes place on Thursday nights through the summer and features hundreds of local vendors, crafters, and live music.
13 Tips to speed clean your kitchen
Apartment kitchens can get messy, with several roommates cooking and eating at different times during the day. Luckily, a deep kitchen clean doesn’t have to be an all-day process. Instead, we’ve put together some time-saving tips and techniques you and your roommates can use to clean your apartment’s kitchen in no time flat.
One of the first tricks to know about keeping a clean and hygienic kitchen is to clean it frequently by doing small tasks – don’t wait until it gets unbearably dirty to do all the hard work. So, we’ve broken it down into tasks you can do every three months, every week, and every day.
Every three months:
- Wipe down the cabinet exteriors
- Clean the stove hood, burners, and oven dials
- Empty your utensil drawers and wipe them out
- Clean out the refrigerator by throwing away old food items and wiping down the inside
- Sprinkle baking soda into your sink, let it soak, then wipe it out for a shiny finish
- Scrub the floors with a tough kitchen cleaner
Every week:
- Sweep and do a quick mop of the floor to keep it looking shiny
- Wipe down your appliances
- Spray Windex on your microwave door and any kitchen windows to keep them clean
- Clean your rugs (and shake them out to get rid of crumbs)
Every day:
- Wipe down the counters and sink after cooking
- Wipe down the top of the stove (doing this right after cooking can help prevent tougher stains)
- Load and unload the dishwasher as necessary. This will keep dishes from piling up.
To make these tasks happen, there are certain cleaning products you should always have on hand. If you don’t, take a trip to Target or Wal-Mart to purchase these basic cleaning products: a broom, mop or Swiffer, 409 Kitchen Cleaner, Windex, and baking soda.
And there you have it – simple tasks that will keep your Des Moines apartment looking bright and shiny so you won’t be scrambling to clean when you’re expecting guests – or better yet, relatives.
Des Moines Coffee Shops
Whether you work from home and need to get out of your “office,” or just want a relaxing place to meet with friends, stop by one of these top-rated coffee shops in Des Moines:
Mars Cafe
2318 University Avenue, Des Moines
Located in the Drake neighborhood, Mars Cafe is a great place to get some work done or enjoy a great cup of coffee with friends. The cafe offers free WiFi and plenty of seating. You’ll also find several outlets for your laptop, which is becoming more and more rare in coffee shops. They’re open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Java Joes Coffeehouse
214 4th Street, Des Moines
This quirky coffee shop is located downtown Des Moines near the Court Avenue district. They offer great coffee (roasted in-house), plenty of seating, and several board games for public use. There aren’t a lot of outlets to go around, so if you’re looking to work, be sure you’re charged up before you arrive. Java Joes is open from 6:30 a.m. to midnight on Friday/Saturday, and until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Zanzibar’s Coffee
2723 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines
Zanzibar’s is known for their freshly roasted coffee and delicious breakfast items. It’s a cozy place to relax with friends – you’ll find local art on the walls and comfortable seating throughout. Their hours are:
- Monday – Thursday: 6:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Friday – Saturday: 6:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Sunday: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Grounds for Celebration
6601 University Avenue, Windsor Heights
With three locations in the Des Moines metro, Grounds for Celebration has become a popular local coffee shop. They offer several varieties of coffee and specialty drinks, along with a drive thru window so you can grab your coffee on the go. Check their website for hours and locations.
Check Out Clive Festival For Summer Fun
On July 15 and 16, head over to the Clive Festival for live music, wine tastings, fireworks, and more. The festival is completely free and open to the public, so can provide a fun atmosphere for the entire family. Activities include a Kids Corner with arts and crafts, inflatable rides, free swim from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, and the state’s largest Slip ‘N’ Slide.
The festival partnered with the Metro Arts Alliance to bring recording artists on stage, including popular names like FreeStyle, Ashanti, and CJC All Star Combo. After the sun goes down, the fireworks display, “Thunder over Clive,” will begin at 9:30, followed by a Des Moines band called Mint. Throughout the day, you’ll also find wine tastings hosted by Ingersoll Wine & Spirits.
For more information, including a full list of events and activities, visit their website.
Winefest set for Mid-June
If you’re a wine lover, you won’t want to miss Sips & The City and Winefest taking place Thursday through Saturday, June 16 − 18.
The weekend holds a variety of events, from exclusive winemaker dinners to a tasting that includes wines from all over the world. Thursday kicks off the popular event with Prima Dinners presented by local chefs and wineries and include an elaborate dinner and wine pairings. Tickets are $250 per person and are held throughout the Des Moines area.
On Friday, Sips & The City will take place at Nollen Plaza downtown Des Moines. It’s a great way to interact with winery owners and discover new wines while checking out music from DJ Diverse. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door, and can be purchased by visiting the event website.
There are also several events happening on Saturday, including an interactive cooking lunch, and food and wine seminars – all held at the Meredith Corporate Office. The weekend will finish up with The Grand Tasting at Nollen Plaza from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $65 in advance, $75 at the door, and includes gourmet food samplings, wine tastings, and music from Fred Gazzo and the Metropolitans.
For more information, including a list of wineries and upgrades like a VIP lounge, visit the Winefest website.