Go Back to School, Really!  
As the kids settle into their own school schedule, perhaps it’s time to expand your own horizons.  Want to perfect your culinary skills?  Learn how to watercolor? Discover Tai Chi or a new language? TheGreatCourses.com is without question, one of the finest resources to help you cross off that ‘some-day-I’d-like-to” … self-improvement idea. 
Here are a few more that may inspire you to rejuvenate your mind and explore something new.

Essential Secrets of Spices – The Everyday Gourmet
Decorate Like a Designer
Scientific Secrets for a Powerful Mind
Write About Anything

Throw a Tail Gate Party
Whether it’s in a parking lot at a local high school, a professional arena or the Cantera pool deck, fall is “tail-gate season’ and a great reason to get the neighbors together. All it takes is a little preparation and before you know it, you will be cheering on your favorite team with friends and family alike. The easiest way to ease into your first tailgate gathering is to make it a potluck. This keeps it simple and ensures your guests will have their favorite foods to nosh. 

Visit a Local Farmer’s Market 
If you have yet to discover the many Farmers Markets in El Paso, now is an ideal time to do so. It's safe to say that the arrival of fall brings the best cooking and baking possibilities back into your kitchen. From pumpkin patches and apple picking to the colors of beets, eggplants, and sweet potatoes to accent a fall meal, the culinary choices are almost endless this time of the year.
For a good list of Farmer’s Markets in El Paso, click into VistElPaso.com. 

Pick Out A Pumpkin 
Within a short drive from our apartments to rent in El Paso, Texas, there are plenty of opportunities to start the fall season off right – picking out that perfect pumpkin, pears, apples and then some. To get you in the spirit of the season, here is a list of our favorite farms and orchards in El Paso.

El Paso’s Farmland 
Mesilla Valley Maze 
La Union Maze
 

The post How to Ease into Autumn in El Paso, Texas appeared first on Cantera Apartments Blog.

Earlier this month we provided you with lots of fun and festive ways to get into the mood of the holidays – and Thanksgiving in particular. To keep the theme moving through the rest of the month, here are more ways to enjoy your family and friends today and through your Thanksgiving feast!

Play Hide the Pumpkin
No matter what the weather, this game can be played indoors and out.  You only need a dozen (or more) of those cute little pumpkins and gourds and hide them like it’s Easter!  The easy part follows – let the kids keep the pumpkins to color as a decoration for the table on Thanksgiving Day. Or better yet, use them as name place cards for your guests.

Tik-Tok & In-laws
Got company in town or coming your way?  This is a perfect time for the kids to make their own documentary about their friends and family.  Think:  video for TikTok!  They will be amazed to hear what their Grandma and Grampa’s Thanksgiving memories are, and the interview will be something to treasure for years to come. 

Stroll Down Memory Lane
Once the videos are done, find some time to look through the family scrap books with your family.  If they are not marked with names or details, now is a wonderful time to chart the past so as not to lose the history of your ancestors. Families to follow will appreciate the time and talent that they will treasure and pass on for years to come. 

Create a Gratitude Vase or Bowl 
Everyday is a day to be thankful for what we have in life, yet it is during the month of November when the idea is more vivid than others.  Throughout the month, select one day a week (maybe Sunday) and have the family (and your friends if you so desire) write down their thoughts on Autumn colored paper and place their words of ‘thanks’ in a clear vase or bowl. During dessert on Thanksgiving, pass the bowl or vase around the table and read them out loud.

Bring Out The Board Games   
When is the last time you played Bingo? How about Monopoly or a good old fashion round of Go Fish or Yahtzee!  If you don’t have games at home, hit the local thrift shops as they usually overflow with options to get the gang together this holiday season.
  
Put on a Parade – or Turkey Trot
Who needs the 4th of July when you can organize a costume parade or Turkey Trot right here at Cantera! We’ll help you spread the word to get the goblins, ghosts and dressed up pups out of the house and onto the paths around our community.  
  
Thank a Soldier
There’s a program called Operation Gratitude that welcomes letters from all ages thanking our soldiers for their service.  From personal cards to hand-drawn colorful pictures of pumpkins and turkeys, any and all messages will be delivered to bring a little joy into the lives who deserve our thanks most. 

We Thank You
On behalf of our entire staff at Cantera apartment community in El Paso, we thank YOU for being such kind and considerate neighbors.  For that, we are very grateful!
     
 

The post Festive Ideas to Celebrate Thanksgiving – All Month Long (Part Two) appeared first on Cantera Apartments Blog.

If there is one thing that is on everyone’s mind this month, it’s the big Thanksgiving feast to come!  Yet, with 30 days in the month, there are so many other fun things to do during this time of the year.  
To get you in the mood, our family at Cantera apartments in El Paso has searched the world wide web to provide you with so many ways to engage your family and friends with these festive ideas.
Read on now, and then come back later this month for more ideas to jump-start the festivities for your Thanksgiving and holidays to come.

Get Festive
Wouldn’t it be fun if everyone at Cantera put a small decoration at their front doorstep? The concept could be as simple as a pile of pumpkins to home-made scarecrows or ghosts made out of Kleenex or white sheets.  Whatever your inspiration, get started and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

Go Leaf Peeping!
Now is the time to soak up all the sensational colors of Autumn. Ever wonder where those colors come from? It’s a science lesson that we may have all learned back in school. Let us refresh our memories.  It’s all about photosynthesis. Most of the year, we see green trees flourishing all over Austin and creating Chlorophyll – which turns the tree’s ability to take in our glorious sunshine and create glucose.  The millions of Chlorophyll cells actually saturate the leaves, which makes them look green to us. Those beautiful gold, orange, yellow and bronze are actually the REAL colors of the Autumn glow.

Host A Tailgate Party!
If the weather is our favor, why not invite your neighbors at our apartments in El Paso over to the pool for a BBQ before your favorite game.  Make it a Potluck and have your friend bring the recipe of their favourite fall food.  Gather them all up and share it with all who attend.
Not into football? Host a Pie Swap by the Pool!  Caramel Cheesecake? Pecan Pie? Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie?  No matter what the final choice may be, don’t forget to bring the recipes!
But wait, there’s more.  Check our next Blog for more ways to celebrate the holidays this year.
 

The post Festive Ideas to Celebrate Thanksgiving – All Month Long (Part One) appeared first on Cantera Apartments Blog.

Trunk or Treat
October 23, 2022
The Ridge
Trunk or treaters unite!  Here’s another one of the many events being held by local establishments to keep your Halloween spirit in full treat.  See all the decorated cars outside of the church that overflow with goodies for every goblin!

Boo at the Zoo!
El Paso Zoo
October 22 & 23, 2022
Your favorite Halloween event is back!  Dress the kids and drive on over to the El Paso Zoo for a full day of festive fun.  Guests under 12 are welcome to go trick-or-treating through 12 candy stations.  And of course, make time to stroll through the zoo to take in lots of animal education and entertainment.  

Ride & Treat
El Paso Convention Center
October 22, 2022
Reservations are required for this annual event at the Convention Center.  Jump on board the El Paso Streetcar for a fun-filled streetcar ride, treats, and spooky stories, too, provided by the El Paso Public Libraries.

Mid-Town Spirits Halloween Fest
Mid-town Spirits
October 22, 2022
It’s a frightful costume party, and you’re invited. Head to mid-town for this first annual event that promises to set a new benchmark for celebrating the spirits while enjoying your favorite spirit well into the night.  Bring an appetite and signup for a Tarot reading and hang around for the LED light show (on stilts!) 

Spooky Moon Texas
Ascarate Park
October 29, 2022
Presenter Quattro Hermanos is prepared to take top honors for the most spectacular scene and sensational Halloween event of the year.   From their massive state to the first drone show in El Paso (shown at Burning Man and in Vegas, too), Spooky Moon promised an event to remember.  Included in the festivities are music galore, face painting, carnival games, petting zoo, reflexology sessions and so much more. 

Monster Bash
Cielo Vista Mall
October 30, 2022
This first-time event is filled with everything you would expect from a Halloween Monster Bash.  They are promoting it as a “spooky good time” with a costume contest, treat or treating, Jack-0-lantern decorating, spooky performances and … karaoke, too.

The post Where to Find the Best Halloween Events in El Paso (Part 2) appeared first on Cantera Apartments Blog.

Easter Jokes for Kids to Share with Family & Friends
Within our blogs throughout the year, we like to find ideas to keep the kids away from screen time and into the family festivities.  Here’s the beginning a full list of family-friendly jokes for kids young and old!  For more, click on this link provided by The Pioneer Woman – one of our best resources for food, fun, and so much more!
•    What happens when you crack a bad joke at school on Easter? 
     You get egg-spelled!
•    What does one Easter bunny say to another if they want to flirt? 
     You're ear-resistable.
•    Why should you never show Easter eggs a scary movie? 
     They're all a little chicken! 
•    Who would lose in a fight: peeps or chocolate bunnies? 
     Peeps, because they're way too soft.
•    Which college did the Easter bunny have at the top of his list? 
•    John Hop-kins University, their track team is great at the long jump!

And our favorite … 

•    What happens if you fall in love on Easter? 
     You live hoppily ever after.

Cheers to all during this very blessed season.

The post Top Ideas for Easy Pleasing Easter Meals appeared first on Cantera Apartments Blog.

Many of our holidays have traditional characters or icons are symbolic of our celebrations throughout the year.  From Cupid at Valentine’s Day, four-leaf clover during St. Patrick’s Day, pumpkins in October, and St. Nick, these colorful elements have become iconic to some of the most celebrated holidays around the world.

 So what’s up with a bunny and a basket that are so iconic to Easter which is just around the corner?

There are almost endless references throughout the world wide web that tell the tale of the furry friend that brings joy to all during this time of the year.  

We selected some insight from an article in TIME magazine that seemed to provide a succinct story that we will share with you now.

They note that the connection of the bunny to Easter started back in time and evolved during pagan celebrations that occurred during the beginning of spring.  During this time of the year, throughout the world, spring is symbolic of ‘renewal of life.’  Mirroring this vision was, and continues to be, the observation of Christ’s resurrection that also occurs during the vernal equinox. Included in many of the stories that we researched was another connection of Eostre, ‘The Goddess of Dawn and Fertility.”

It is also noted that the credit for tying these concepts and occurrences together goes to Missionaries who were said to merge the pagan traditions with Christian holidays.  Apparently this made the celebrations of Eostre and the resurrection an easier story to tell … and be accepted worldwide.  

Fast forwarding the whole concept of the Easter Bunny, postings note that it was the German’s who brought the bunny into the picture.  The historic rabbit, named “Oschter Haws’ or ‘Easter Hare, gets the credit.  

As the story is told, Oschter Haws laid a nest of colorful eggs that were then presented to well-behaved children.  Much like Christmas Eve when children leave cookies and milk for Santa, back in the early 1660s, children would leave carrots in bunny nests.  Today,  Easter Baskets are reminiscent of days gone by when children would make nests for Oschter’s eggs.  Throughout time, the “eggs” have transformed into more than something for a meal for all.  Chocolate bunnies, candies, and little gifts now fill children’s baskets on this day of celebration of the resurrection of Christ. 
So there you have it!  Watch for our next blog for delicious recipes to prepare for your Easter celebration this year on April 17th.
 

The post What is the History of the Easter Bunny and Easter Baskets? appeared first on Cantera Apartments Blog.

So how did St. Patrick’s Day get started, and why is the Shamrock so symbolic? 
We did some research and found the most susctinct story via History.com.  Within this site, as noted below, you will learn that although it orginally started within the Catholic faith, today it has evolved into a world wide celebration of the Irish. 
The following details are courtesy of
 History.com.
“St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage."
Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people.
In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well-known legend of St. Patrick is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.”
This following synopsis may be the ideal talking point at your dinner celebration (note: see our first blog of this month for delicious ideas to pull your party off at Cantera Apartments in El Paso!
St. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.
May the luck of the Irish be with you and yours this month, and all year-round!
 

The post How did St. Patrick’s Day get started appeared first on Cantera Apartments Blog.

Trim Your Christmas Tree

With more and more families spending time at home, there’s no doubt most will be diving into the holiday spirit earlier than ever before. This tradition of decorating a tree is a longstanding custom in our home which started way back in Middle Ages! Within the history books, they tell us that the concept of decorating trees is believed to have started in Germany and reached popularity in America around the early 10th century. 

Get A Pickle

Speaking of traditions from Germany, here is an interesting tidbit about “Christmas Pickles.”  Although we do not have a green pickle ornament, millions of families across the globe hide one of these funny-looking things on their tree as a game for their kids. The first one to find it usually gets a special gift. So how did this start? History notes that the former Woolworths retail store started the idea when they got a surplus of these odd items to put on a tree from Germany … back in the late 1800s. 

Make a Calendar for Advent

It looks like this tradition started in Germany as well. Credit apparently goes to Gerhard Lard who was a publisher and decided to create a way for children to prepare for the birth of Jesus. As time went on, the 12-day calendar, which included a door that opened to a verse from the Bible, took on many new forms. Today, the Advent calendars may include a piece of chocolate, a toy, or verse to share with family and friends.

Bake, Bake, Bake and Decorate!

Here’s an interesting piece of history. The concept of Christmas cookies actually started way back in ancient times and is a part of Norse mythology. As the story goes, the cookie concept began when children would leave cookies and milk out for Santa. During the Depression, when families were close at home, the concept of baking and decorating cookies took off and grew into one of most popular things to do during the holiday season. We encourage you and your family to bake a batch for all those first responders who stopped their lives for all of us this past year.

Don’t forget the Christmas Cards!

Leave technology for business matters and send good old-fashioned cards out to your friends and family this year. The worldwide tradition dates back to 1843 and is still very much alive today. Credit for the first card concept goes to a company called the Hall Brothers who lived in Kansas City. Today, “Hallmark” and thousands of other printing companies produce the 1.6 billion cards that are purchased today.

At our apartments for rent in El Paso, TX, we love to hand-make our cards and send them to people who made a difference in our lives. Maybe you will too? 

No matter how you choose to celebrate, we thank you for being part of our community and wish you a healthy and memorable holiday to come!

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