Blog Posts

Come Sail Away with Me

There are plenty of things to do in the summertime here in WNY. This week the StoneGate Apartment Homes Blog is highlighting several opportunities residents may want to look into from sailing classes to bird watching to attending the theatre. Sail Buffalo Living in Williamsville means water is nearby and sailing is a heady adventure. If it’s not something you’ve done before, you can change that. According to their website, Sail Buffalo offers a nationally ASA accredited sailing education, a boat share program, and unlimited access to their sailing community. Their goal is to “train people to be safe, confident sailors, and provide on-water access, continuing education, and social networking to our Sail Buffalo Community!” Visit their website for more information about available classes and sailing opportunities. Buffalo Ornithological Society For 90 years, the Buffalo Ornithological Society (BOS) has been promoting the study of birds native to the Niagara Frontier Region. The BOS region covers Western New York and parts of Ontario, Canada. The society is a great resource for anyone who is interested in birds, from “ the backyard feeder- watcher, the avid lister or the environmental activist, to the dedicated citizen scientist or the professional ornithologist.” There’s something for every skill level and interest. Regular society activities include programs, field trips, bird counts, research opportunities, and more. Review the website for more information and to become a member and check out the calendar for upcoming events. Theatre Alliance of Buffalo If you enjoy going to the theatre without making a pilgrimage to a New York Broadway show, the Theatre Alliance of Buffalo (TAB) is the resource for you. Representing more than 20 theatres, TAB is “a consortium of more than 20 diverse, professional theatres that strongly believe in the power, relevance, and continuing importance of live theatre in our hectic, modern world. The WNY region features some of the finest talent that we're sure will entertain, surprise, educate and engage theatergoers of all ages.” Take some time to explore this informative website and choose some shows to go to this summer! What do you like to do in the summertime here in WNY? Let us know in the comments; we love to get the scoop on what’s happening in the area.

Surf’s Up: Websites of Interest for Our 55 and Better Community

The world shrinks as we become more and more dependent on connecting via the internet, mobile devices, and streaming. It can be daunting to sort through the mass of information we encounter on a daily basis. Today the StoneGate Apartment Homes Blog has handpicked a few websites we think may be of interest to members of our apartment community here in Williamsville, NY. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) If you’re looking for resources about government programs, benefits, and retirement planning, this is a great resource. There is also a section about healthy aging which includes staying involved in your community. ThirdAge The term ThirdAge comes from the European idea of there being a Third Age — the time when life begins anew when you hit your early 50s. The website is a resource for online discussion groups covering a range of topics. There is also an area to explore related topics, as well as a marketplace filled with helpful links. Senior Net If you want to learn more about computers, SeniorNet, a nonprofit organization, will fill the bill. Its mission is to give computing skills to seniors. It runs seminars for seniors across the country as well as free online courses. It also hosts discussion groups on over 200 topics of special interest to seniors. Senior Law “SeniorLaw is another of those home-made sites that presents some serious information with a light hand. New York-based lawyer David Goldfarb, 50, puts the site together to make general information about Elder Law available to seniors, their families, and attorneys. You'll find information on Medicare, Medicaid, estate planning, trusts and the rights of the elderly and disabled.”* What are your favorite websites that cover topics you want to learn about? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for taking the time to read our post.

How to Organize Your Documents

We live in an increasingly paperless world, but there are still plenty of stacks of papers that can easily crowd our desktops, drawers, filing cabinets, and our peace of mind. Organize all your documents so you can relax, knowing you’ve conquered the paper-clutter monster. Try out some of these tips from today’s StoneGate Apartment Homes Blog. First, reduce and simplify. If you’re like many of us, odds are you probably have folders and stacks of mail full of documents that you probably don’t need to keep. Some of them may even still be around after years! Tackle these papers first by checking out your most recent papers and going through them with the mindset of organizing by need. Documents related to taxes, insurance, and other important things should be kept, but some you don’t even need. Keep a shredder or recycling bin handy so it’s easy to immediately get rid of the old and unimportant papers. Depending on your habits and the number of papers you need to go through, getting rid of everything that it is unnecessary to keep may take a while. Focus on one small step at a time and give yourself a timeline so you can have something to work toward. Organize by category. Once you’ve purged all the unnecessary papers, sort according to a system that works for you. A good idea is by category : financial documents can be together and organized by year, while documents pertaining to your identity (including your birth certificate, social security card, and passport) can stay together. If there are multiple people in your household, keep this organization method consistent for everyone by designating a folder for each person within the categories. Take photos. Of course, sometimes there are documents you want or know you should keep but that you don’t necessarily need to have a physical copy of — for example, crafts, hand-drawn photos, letters, or certificates. If you have a smartphone, camera, or even access to a scanner, take a photo so you can have an electronic backup. Then connect your photos to an online storage space like Google Drive so they can stay safe even if your phone breaks. Whatever your specific organization method, the key is to give each paper a home. If you need to make yourself a guide for finding these documents later, create one on your phone or in a trusted notebook. All of these efforts will definitely help you feel more on top of your life. We hope you find success with these tips soon, so you can get out and enjoy summertime in Williamsville, NY!

Creamsicle Appreciation — Yum!

Summer is the perfect time for cold treats like popsicles and ice cream. Why not combine the creamy goodness of ice cream with the fruity deliciousness of a popsicle? That is probably exactly what 11-year-old Frank Epperson was thinking when he invented the creamsicle in 1905 by enclosing his vanilla ice cream with a layer of frozen fruit juice. Put your StoneGate Apartment Home kitchen to work and make one (or more) of these homemade creamsicle recipes soon! (Or just head to your favorite grocery shop in Williamsville, NY and pick up a supply of frozen treats!) Orange Creamsicles The good ole classic orange creamsicle. You can’t go wrong with the classics. Send your taste buds into nostalgia with these creamy orange frozen treats! Orange Pineapple Creamsicles Pack a punch with this flavorful treat. Take a slight twist on the classic orange creamsicle by adding pineapple into the mix. The next thing you know, you will be daydreaming of being on a beach wearing a grass skirt and attempting the hula. Blackberry Raspberry Creamsicles The combination of these two tart berries with the sweet creaminess of vanilla ice cream is a match made in heaven. The vivid contrast of deep purple against white is also pretty neat. Prepare to have a purple-stained mouth. Apricot Berry Creamsicles You’ll be surprised by how well the contrasting flavors balance each other out. Apricots and strawberries are the original recipe ingredients, but feel free to switch out the strawberries for another type of berry, if you choose. Strawberries ‘N Cream Creamsicles A classic flavor combination that never gets old. Indulge in this tasty, sweet treat that will have a starring role in your dreams. Golden Plum Creamsicles If you can get your hands on these hard to find golden plums, you will definitely want to try this tasty not-your-ordinary-creamsicle recipe. Make your own! Get creative and come up with your own unique flavor combination using your favorite fruits. We hope you enjoyed our article and got some great ideas to try for creamsicles. Thanks for reading our post. Enjoy the rest of your summer here in WNY!

Retirement Coming Up Soon? Plan a Party!

If you, or someone you know, has recently retired or is planning on retiring soon, don’t you think the occasion demands a celebratory party? We do, and this month StoneGate Apartment Homes Blog is bringing members of our apartment community here in Williamsville, NY some ideas about how to pull off a successful gathering. Choose a Location The location of where to hold your party is dependent upon several factors such as how many people you plan on inviting, what the guest of honor prefers, and the tone of the entertainment. Some suggestions: Reserve the clubhouse here at StoneGate Plan a luncheon or dinner at the retiree’s favorite restaurant A pot luck meal at the office if the honoree hasn’t left quite yet Drinks & nibbles after work at a local venue A social hall at a local venue in Williamsburg A picnic at a local park Party Planning Essentials Decide who you are going to invite, and if it’s an office-based retirement party, be sure to include the retiree’s family members, essentially, include the people who are important in the retiree's life. Decide whether or not to include speeches and include the accomplishments of the retiree as part of the speech — but make sure your speakers won’t be long-winded. Allow time for the retiree to share parting thoughts too. Depending on the venue, you may want to include music in the background. Include some retirement-themed songs in the playlist. Designate a photographer to get pictures of the occasion and create a photo book with the pictures as a gift for the honoree. Retirement gifts from the office are often a part of the party. If you plan on giving one, be sure it’s tasteful and fits the person being honored. Check out these retirement gift ideas to get a feel for what is appropriate. Whichever way you decide to go, we hope these tips will spark your imagination to plan the best retirement party WNY has seen!

Ten Apps Every Senior Should Know About

Here at StoneGate Apartment Homes, we strive to provide technical advantages for members of our community here in Williamsville, NY with our online resident portal and online payments. In this day and age, technology is the name of the game. While it may feel a bit intimidating to explore, once you get into it, it’s actually quite user-friendly and intuitive. We’ve rounded up ten apps we think you will like using. If you have a smartphone or tablet, a few of these apps may already be installed on your device. To add the others, just find the icon on it or download it from your app store, set up an account or log in to it, and let your fingers do the walking! Entertainment and news 1. Lumosity Scientists and app designers have designed the games in this app to enhance memory, attention span, and other factors that can improve cognition. Download this for hundreds of games at your fingertips! 2. Spotify If you like listening to music, this app will open up a whole new world of songs, artists, and radio stations for you to discover. You can craft your own personal library, sort songs into playlists for you to listen to by topic or genre, and follow other people to see what they’re listening to. If you use the free version, you’ll have to occasionally put up with ads, but for a monthly fee you can forego those and skip as many songs as you want. 3. The Weather Channel Save yourself some time in the morning waiting for the news to tell you the weather by checking it as soon as you wake up on this app! Just put in your location to stay informed on the weather. 4. Flipboard This app is a personalized magazine, catered to your interests. After setting up your account, choose categories you want to read about. You can choose as many as you want, ranging from news to business, science, politics, technology, and more topics. Connecting with others 5. Skype Skype is a great application that people use in all settings for business or personal purposes. You can video call your friends and family, set up group calls, or send text messages to your contacts. Just know your username and your friends’ so you can know how to find them. 6. Instagram Instagram is one of the best social media platforms around. You can follow your friends, get recommendations on who to follow based off of your Facebook friends, comment on and like the photos that show up in your feed and share your own photos. Make it your own type of art and way to connect with people by editing your photos in the app, tagging your friends and your locations, using hashtags, and crafting captions. Health and safety 7. Medisafe Keep track of your medications and when you’re supposed to take them by logging them in this app. Medisafe also gives you tips for your medications and can connect you to prescription coupons, too. 8. MedCoach for Apple or Android Similar to Medisafe, this app is a convenient way to remind you to take your pills. It also links you to your pharmacy so you can refill your medications, so consider taking full advantage of it for extra convenience. 9. Fitbit The Fitbit app is a great way to help you stay active and on track of your daily steps, exercise patterns, and sleep goals and cycles. You can connect your app to a Fitbit you wear on your wrist and participate in competitions with friends. 10. Uber If you have ever had trouble getting around WNY, Uber’s usefulness might astound you. It uses GPS information to gather your location and connects you with a driver nearby when you let it know you need a ride. It will then tell you when someone is on their way, including the name of the driver and the car and license plate to look for. You’ll pay through putting your credit or debit card information in the app, so it’s a convenient way to get a ride in a pinch! What apps do you use on a regular basis? Let us know what your favorite apps are in the comments! Thanks for taking the time to read our post.