Staying fit and keeping active is an essential part of maintaining your health, and luckily there are always lots of great opportunities to make exercising a fun activity as well. Summer is an especially great time to get outside and enjoy the warm weather while getting some intense exercise.

There are plenty or races and marathons being planned all over California, and in particular there are some opportunities nearby The Crossing. So strap on those running shoes and put on your active wear and head out to some of these upcoming races and marathons:

• Villa Park Union Bank Run: This race will kick off on Saturday, June 25th with a 5k race at 7:17 a.m. and a 10k run at 7:55 a.m.  Registration is required, and costs $35.
• Summer Solstice Watermelon Run: Free watermelon for everyone that completes the race, plus prizes given out for different groups. Starts Thursday, June 23rd.
• Peters Canyon Summer Trail Run Series: Evening run through scenic park in Tustin with food and music to follow the race. Come to either the June 9th, July 7th, or August 4th race.

Each one of these great events will help you keep fit and you’ll have a lot of fun attending them, too. So get out there and stay active!

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One of the best parts of summer is getting to spend time outside grilling hot, delicious food for yourself and your family.  Everyone loves a good plate of spicy, sweet BBQ, and luckily there’s a big festival celebrating this delicious food on the way.  Only about a 20 minute drive from The Crossing, the Orange Country BBQ Festival will be on Saturday, June 11th at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.  The party gets kicked off at 11:00 a.m. and lasts into the evening until 6:00 p.m.

You can come out and be a part of all the exciting events going on.  There will be a car show, BBQ eating contests, the “Mr. BBQ” pageant, plenty of live music to enjoy, plus lots of fun activities for the kids.  And of course the main attraction: the State Championship BBQ Contest.

Show up early on Saturday morning to get registered early and pick up your tickets to make sure you get into this once a year event.  You’re sure to find plenty of good food and big fun at the Orange County BBQ Festival, so don’t miss out.

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There’s an exciting event coming up in the Tustin area this weekend that promises plenty of food and fun.  The Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cookoff will feature a chili-cooking teams from across the area, competing for a chance at major cash prizes and being declared the best chili in Tustin.

Several events are planned in conjunction with the cookoff, and there’s fun for everyone to enjoy.  There will be live entertainment throughout the day, as well as multiple craft vendors, carnival rides for the kids, car exhibitions, plus all the chili you can eat.  This family-friendly event comes only once a year, so don’t miss out on all the excitement.

The Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cookoff will take place down in Tustin this Sunday, June 5th, starting at 10:00 a.m. and lasting until 5:30 p.m.  The event will take place a few miles away from The Crossing,near Pepper Tree Park in downtown Tustin.  It’s free to attend as well, and chili tickets are just $1 per serving, so it’s a great entertainment option if you’re looking for something inexpensive.

You can check out their FAQ page as well for more information.

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The most delicious event in Orange County (right here where our Anaheim apartment community is located) is going on right now. This is your chance to try the top 100 restaurants in our county without spending too much money.

Here at The Crossing, we can’t think of anything much better than this.

The prix fixe menus are priced at $10, $15 and $20 per person for lunch, and $20, $30 or $40 per person for dinner, so you can find a great meal at whatever budget fits your lifestyle. Go to the event’s website to see the list of participating restaurants.

Will you take part in Orange County Restaurant Week? If so, you better make your reservations now before the spots fill up and the week is over.

Photo Credit: Ned Raggett

Perhaps you practice yoga. Maybe you take advantage of the yoga studio here at our Anaheim apartment. Have you ever thought about how green your yoga might, or might not, be?

We’re an eco-friendly apartment community, so we want to consider these things.

Breathe Magazine has a quick article about this subject. Here are four things to consider:

1. Choose a green, eco-friendly mat made with non-toxic, biodegradable materials. Barefoot Yoga Co. makes some good ones, or for shopping local Crescent Moon Yoga located in Anaheim may have eco options.
2. Consider your consumption. You don’t have to have the latest, trendiest yoga gear to practice. This goes against the basic teachings of yoga.
3. Stay close to home so that you reduce the amount of energy you waste traveling. This one should be easy for our The Crossing Anaheim residents.
4. Be mindful of your diet. Many yogis opt for a vegetarian diet with a focus on whole and local foods.

How green is your yoga practice? Talk about it on Facebook.

Photo Credit: Trinity

The Crossing Anaheim now has a new courtesy patrol offered by security company Chief Protective.

They will be available at night from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. and will patrol the courtyards (including the edible courtyard area,) the exterior and interior of the community, the underground parking areas and the common areas. Their phone number is 888-332-4648. The Crossing residents can call if they have issues.

Another tip our apartment residents may need:

• If you need a work order or a maintenance request, please go to our post, How to Submit a Work Order or Maintenance Request.

If you have any other issues, please let us know or stop by our office. Thank you. We hope your new year is off to a great start.

- The Crossing Anaheim

Valentine’s Day is soon arriving. This holiday is a great day to celebrate the people you love. If you and your significant other, or maybe you and a group of friends, are planning to go out to eat for the occasion, several restaurants would be good choices in Anahiem.

1. Fire + Ice Bar + Grill offers American cuisine. They’re running this deal from Saturday to Monday, 2/12-14 in 2011: dinner for two, bottle of wine or Fire+Ice shared libation and dessert for $50. Call 714-808-9757 if you want to reserve your spot now.
2. McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood in Anaheim. Oysters on the half shell is one romantic option at this restaurant. When you make reservations, ask about ordering flowers, custom menu messages and whatever else special requests you may have. 714-535-9000.
3. Morton’s The Steakhouse. You can choose from their  full dinner menu or opt for a special three-course menu for two. 714-621-0101.
4. Buca di Beppo is an Italian cuisine restaurant. 714-740-2822.

The Crossing Anaheim is an apartment community in Anahiem. If you’d like to reach us about renting or talking about our community, call 888-884-1294.

Photo Credit: brooklyn

We know that our residents here at The Crossing Anaheim have been having some issues with hard water.

Princeton defines hard water as, “water that contains mineral salts (as calcium and magnesium ions) that limit the formation of lather with soap.”

One tip for your dishwasher is to run a half gallon of vinegar through your dishwasher a couple of times a year.

We offer Delta faucets here at our community. From their handbook, read below to find some tips to use in your own apartment.

How to rinse your kitchen faucet

• To flush your faucet, remove the aerator and black sealing gasket above it.
• Turn hot and cold faucet handle(s) to full on
  position(s) and flush lines for two minutes before
  turning off water.
• Replace aerator with black sealing gasket above it.

When you’re cleaning your faucet, don’t use these items:

• Industrial cleaners
• Abrasive cleaners
• Toilet bowl cleaners
• Bleach-based cleaners
• Polish
• Ammonia solutions
• Heavy-duty scrub sponges
• Products containing hydrofluoric,
  hydrochloric and/or phosphoric
  acids and caustic agents

How to remove lime and mineral deposits

Place a cloth soaked in white vinegar over the deposits for several hours, then try the mild cleanser.

To clean the aerator:

• Unscrew the aerator.
• Remove it and the black sealing gasket above it.
• Rinse the gasket in clean water.
• Soak the aerator in a 50/50 vinegar and water solution for several hours.
• Flush the aerator with water.
• Rub stubborn deposits with a toothbrush.

Hope these tips help you keep your faucets clean and working here at The Crossing Anaheim. If you have questions, let us know on Facebook, or stop by our office.

Photo Credit: Hustvedt

Street sweeping will soon be a common thing here at The Crossing Anaheim. On January 12 and 19, 2011, street sweeping teams will be sweeping the parking lot.

Starting in February, they will be sweeping on the first and third Wednesday of the month. This will continue each month for the rest of the year.

*Your vehicle will have to be moved between the hours of 8 a.m.to 12 p.m.

Thank you for your consideration.

Also, Halo Detail—yes, they’ve been here before—will be here Tuesday, January 18 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Find them right outside of our rear entrance on Grove Street.

Prices start at $25. Will you be there? (Tell your apartment community on Facebook.)

Photo Credit: DanBrady

Here at The Crossing Anaheim, we have an apartment yoga studio. Have you read our beginner’s guide to yoga yet? We think it’s helpful.

When is the best time for you to practice yoga?

The best time for yoga is in the morning after a shower and on an empty stomach. This isn’t always possible considering all the things we must do during the day. You can also practice yoga any time of the day, but try not to eat anything heavy 2 to 3 hours prior to your session.

If you can, you should try to do yoga every single day. You can take advantage of our yoga studio here in Anaheim, but really you can do yoga anywhere you want.

Photo Credit: mandydale