Dear Resident’s,
It is truly hard to believe that it is already August. Before you know it, kids will be back in school, and Starbucks will be rolling out its latest pumpkin spice latte! Let’s not think of that just yet though, because we have lots of great things going on right here at Waterford Crossings to help us celebrate the last month of summer.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
- On Wednesday, August 7, please join us for waffles in the office lobby. We’ll be serving up waffles with all sorts of toppings, juice, and piping hot coffee. Be sure and stop by and grab breakfast.
- “A Couple of Coffees” food truck will be here on August 10, 8am-2-pm
- “Donut NV” will have sweet afternoon treats August 15, 5pm-8pm
- We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our Networking Mixer on August 27. Watch for more details on this event.
MAINTENANCE APPRECIATION MONTH
Lastly, during the month of August, we will celebrate our maintenance/service crew, for the excellent job they do in keeping Waterford Crossings beautiful and everything in working order. When you these folks, please thank them for all they do!
This month’s blog is about staycationing—staying at home and enjoying yourself right where you are. We hope you enjoy reading it and getting ideas on what you could do to treat yourself right here at home, to a little R&R.
On behalf of myself and our team here at Waterford Crossings, we wish you a happy August! It is our pleasure to serve you.
Brittanie Owens, Community Manager
Waterford Crossings
STAYCATIONING
Yes. It really is a thing. Staycationing at home versus traveling, is totally possible with the lovely pool, community amenities, and location so close to so many fun things and places!
So, before you get geared up for the return of back-to-school and other fall routines, make plans to spend the last days of your summer staycationing in luxury at Waterford Crossings and taking a new look at what the Nashville, Tennessee, area has to offer!
The American Automobile Association (AAA) says the key to a good staycation is remembering that you’re on vacation, which can be hard to do when you’re staying home. They offer a few tips for planning:
- Stop daily chores and routines.
- Focus on activities you wouldn’t normally do.
- Select activities that relax you and bring you joy.
- Have a plan, even if it’s a loose one.
- Set a budget and stick to it.
Of course, the loose plan the Waterford Crossings Idea Specialists™ have come up with involves hanging out at our beautiful community pool. And not only is it convenient, it and the sun deck and all the landscaping and common areas are always so gorgeous and clean!
Both AAA and Apartments.com have some great ideas about ways to spend your staycation. One suggestion is to cook a fancy meal. And sure, that’s always easy to do in your well-appointed apartment home kitchen, but the Idea Specialists™ have been amusing themselves lately by watching TikToks on private chefs in the Hamptons, which gave them an idea……
YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHEF
Why not hire a personal chef for your staycation? In Good Company offers a range of services—from a chef cooking for you and another person in the comfort of your Waterford Crossings apartment home, to a chef coming once a week to cook all your meals for the week, to a team of chefs cooking for a custom dinner party.
If hiring a personal chef isn’t in the budget, barter with a friend who loves to cook and entertain to cater your special dinner.
SET THE TABLE
And if you’re going to enjoy lovely meals, why not splurge a little and get some lovely new linens to freshen up your dining table?
ELLE Decor has turned the Waterford Crossings Idea Specialists™ on to the Ridhi brand of boho-inspired linens (handmade!) in all manner of summery patterns and prints. According to the site, “You can score a set of printed cloth napkins for just $26, tablecloths starting at $53, and placemats for under $40 (all on Amazon), allowing you to create the colorful tablescape of your dreams without breaking the bank.”
FAMILY SUMMER MOVIE MARATHON
Another good idea for an August staycation is a family summer movie marathon. A google search (the Idea Specialists™ do so love to search!) shows that the Pioneer Woman has a popular post up: “30 Best Summer Movies for Kids That Are Almost as Fun as Being Outside”
One of those is that all-time classic The Karate Kid, starring Ralph Macchio. It doesn’t matter whether your gang is caught up on all six series of Cobra Kai or not, it’s still worth the watch—or re-watch!
Or, if you’ve always wanted to expand your movie repertoire during your time off, check out the Top 10 most popular movies of all time on Netflix.
EXPLORING THE NASHVILLE AREA
If you haven’t spent some time on the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. website—Visit Music City—now would be a great time to do so! In addition to sections on exploring the area and things to do, they currently have some special pages up about summer in the city.
And it’s Visit Music City for the win again with a page dedicated to all the FREE things you can do in Nashville while you’re on your staycation—or any other time, for that matter. From art and history to free music and Cooter’s Place, a Dukes of Hazzard museum, there’s something for everybody to enjoy—including your good doggo!
Given that Waterford Crossings is a very pet-friendly community, the Idea Specialists™ loved coming across this article about how dog-friendly Nashville is. They’ll be checking out the Downtown Dog Park soon.
And If you haven’t been already, now might be the time to spend a day at Cumberland Park, on the east side of the Cumberland River directly between the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge and the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge. The main draw in the summer is the splash pad, of course. There is also a playground area with a kid-sized rock-climbing wall and more.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Playgrounds make the Idea Specialists™ think of school, which seems to start earlier and earlier every year, doesn’t it? These days getting the kids ready to go back to class means familiarizing yourself with their different schools’ websites. Waterford Crossings is located in the Metro Nashville Public Schools district, which has a central website that links to all schools in the area.
The public schools closest to Waterford Crossings are:
- Eagle View Elementary School
- Antioch Middle School
- Cane Ridge High School
Getting ready also means scoping out those sometimes-wicked drop-off and pick-up lines, and making sure everybody has got the supplies they need.
And want.
According to the National Retail Federation’s Annual 2024 Back-to-School Survey, families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, school supplies, and electronics. The NRF’s survey said they expect $38.8 billion to be spent on school supplies in the United States—the second-highest figure on record.
Hot items for teens for fall semester 2024 are North Face backpacks and Vera Bradley lunch bags. (Students at schools that require clear backpacks can still have some fun with colors if they go with a Vorspack.)
HIGH SCHOOL DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HORRIBLE
Got somebody about to start their freshman year of high school? Here’s some guidance for them, from a teenage neighbor of one of the Idea Specialists™. “For classes keep on track with your work and make sure you have all the supplies you need. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t know something. Most people are nice and will talk to you if you talk to them. For things to wear be casual, don’t dress up crazy for school. Lastly, keep in mind that learning is important but that’s not what school is all about, have fun and make friends.”
Oh, and: “With girls Nike, Lululemon, and Free People are popular clothing brands.”
Just knew you’d want to know that!
Have a great “end of summer” vacation-staycation, at Waterford Crossings Apartment Homes, Antioch, TN!
