Blog Posts

Back to School Guide

School is almost back in session and it’s time to gear up! With the new school year right around the corner, you might be wondering what school supplies are needed, where to get them, where to go to school clothes shop and what you should make for lunches this year. We’ve rounded up a general list of school supplies that your student might need, where to do your shopping and some school lunch recipe inspiration! School Supply Must-Haves Backpack Pencil Pouch Pencils Pencil Sharpener Pens Colored Pencils Mechanical Pencils Notebooks Highlighters Eraser Folders Planner Binder Subject Dividers Index Cards Glue Ruler Scissors Calculator Where to School Supply Shop Walmart Target Office Depot Dollar Tree Where to School Clothes Shop Walmart Target Kohl’s Ross Marshalls Maurices Vancouver Mall Easy Lunch Inspiration DIY Pizza Lunchable 1 package 100% Whole Wheat Arnold Sandwich Thins 1 jar pizza sauce (no sugar added) 1 - 8 ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese Put cheese and pizza sauce in small containers. Pack lunch box with bread, cheese, sauce, spoon, and napkin. Wait for your children's undying love and gratefulness when they return from school. (Don't forget to pack a piece of fruit.) Grilled Cheese Dippers with Tomato Soup Ingredients 2 slices of whole-grain bread 1-2 slices Cheddar cheese Butter, for grilling Instructions Butter one side of both bread slices; flip over onto a flat surface. Place cheese on one slice of bread and cover with the second slice Place cheese sandwich, buttered side down, on a skillet over medium heat. Grill for 2-3 minutes, until cheese, has begun to melt and bread is golden brown. Press down with a spatula, flip, and grill the second side. Remove from pan onto a cutting board. Allow the grilled sandwich to cool down for five minutes, cut the sandwich into narrow strips, and pack in a lunch container. Serve with tomato soup in a thermos. Kid-Friendly Pasta Salad Ingredients 1 cup cooked edamame 1 cup chopped carrot 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 cup halved black olives 1 cup cheddar cheese chunks 1 cup Italian Salad Dressing 1 box of Explore Cuisine - Organic Chickpea Fusilli ½ cup of fresh parsley Instructions Prepare pasta per direction on the box. Once pasta is cooked, rinse in cool water, drain and set aside. Cook 1 cup of edamame per the instructions on the box. Set aside to cool. Chop and prepare your carrots, tomatoes, olives, and cheese. Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Chill and serve! We hope everyone has a successful and great school year! On the first day, snap a picture in front of your Acero Jensen Park apartment home and share it with us on Instagram and Facebook .

Sports Bars to Watch the Olympics

The Olympics are here! What better way to cheer on Team U.S.A. than from one of our local sports bars near the Acero Jensen Park community? Lucky for us, we have our fair share of sports bars to choose from just 15 minutes away or less. Here are some of our favorite nearby sports bars to catch any game at, but especially the Olympics: Buffalo Wild Wings We all know the drill when it comes to Buffalo Wild Wings. At Buffalo Wild Wings you will have tons of TV’s to watch with different Olympic events on, as well as a huge menu with a variety of things on it. Buffalo Wild Wings specializes in award-winning wings with 26 sauces and seasonings to choose from! Billy Blues Bar and Grill Billy Blues was once the dream of two brothers that became a reality. At Billy Blues, you will find great food, live music, and TV’s that will allow you to watch the Olympics this summer! Hooligan’s Sports Bar and Grill Hooligans has a fun and friendly atmosphere for people of all ages and it’s a great place to watch your favorite games and sporting events such as the Olympics! Not to mention, they have great food and drinks to munch and sip on while you watch the Olympics. Charlie’s Sports Bar & Grill With 50 TVs, you won’t miss an Olympic event at Charlie’s. On top of that, Charlie’s has over 40 taps, a great food menu, shuffleboard, pool, darts, and so much more. Main Event Sports Grill Head Downtown to watch the Olympics at Main Event! Main Event has great family-friendly dining, an awesome happy hour, innovative cocktails, and plenty of flat screen TVs for you to view your favorite Olympic events. Penalties Sports Pub The perfect place to watch the Olympics, enjoy some time with friends and family, and eat some good food! You can enjoy pizza, sandwiches, salads, and a variety of appetizers while you watch Team U.S.A. After you give these sports bars a try, let us know which one is your favorite in the comments and what your favorite summer Olympics event is! Deck out in your very best Team U.S.A. gear, snap a picture and share it with us on Instagram and Facebook .

Best Thai Food in Vancouver

If Thai food is your go-to take-out option or one of your favorite types of cuisine, you are in luck! Vancouver is stacked with amazing Thai food options. Whether you’re looking for somewhere minutes from our Acero Jensen Park community or need to find somewhere when you’re out and about, you have options. Everyone has their own opinion on what the ‘best’ Thai food is. This is why we’ve come up with a list of the top-rated Thai restaurants in the Vancouver area, all under 15 minutes away from our community so you can decide which ones are your favorite! Here are the top-rated Thai restaurants that are under 15 minutes from our community: I am Thai Eatery Pure Thai Cafe Delish Thai Nam Jai Thai Cuisine Sri Thai Cuisine Thai Little Home Thai Wok Kitchen WanSook Thai Food Thai Orchid Restaurant Nom Nom Restaurant and Grill Ginger Pop Not wanting to dine in? Don’t worry about that! The majority of these spots offer delivery through Grubhub, UberEats, or other food delivery services as well, making it convenient for you on nights when you don’t feel like leaving your cozy Acero Jensen Park apartment! Next time you order Thai food from one of these amazing restaurants, snap a picture and share it with us on Instagram and Facebook . Once you’ve tried your fair share of different Thai food spots, let us know which ones you think are the ‘best!’

Exploring the Washington and Oregon Coasts: The Oregon Coast

Source: @ nopaper on IG at Cannon Beach, OR If you haven’t taken a peek at our last blog, go back and read it! As we mentioned, living at Acero Jensen Park puts you within hours of various mountains, lakes, rivers, and beaches. In the last blog, we focused on beaches in Washington, but in this blog we will be giving you the rundown on the Oregon coast. Once again, all of these locations are 3 hours away or less from our community! Seaside, OR Being just 2 hours away, Seaside is the perfect spot for a day trip, or longer of course. When visiting Seaside you will find plenty of restaurants, pubs, and cafes when you are ready for a bite to eat. Out on the sand and beyond you can enjoy kayaking, hiking, razor clamming, kite flying, sandcastle building, and so much more. Cannon Beach, OR Cannon Beach is around 2 hours away and is considered one of the best overall beaches in Oregon and has been recognized as one of the world's most beautiful places. Making it a must-see beach. One of the biggest attractions at Cannon Beach is Haystack Rock which is a massive towering rock formation off the coast. Ecola State Park is also at Cannon Beach and the perfect place for panoramic coastal views, walking paths, and hiking trails. Manzanita, OR A little over 2 hours away from our community you will find Manzanita. While Manzanita is scenic with turquoise surf, exposed cliffs, and beautiful horizons; it is also full of great fishing spots. Fishing for Chinook salmon, sturgeon, steelhead trout, as well as crabbing and clam-digging at low tide is all doable when you visit Manzanita. Rockaway Beach, OR If you are looking for a quiet and uncrowded beach, head out to Rockaway Beach just over 2 hours away from our community. At Rockaway Beach, you will find shops and restaurants and you are always welcome to have a beach bonfire! Pacific City, OR Just under 2.5 hours away from Acero Jensen Park, you will find Pacific City! Being just beneath the large headland of Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City is great for surfing and fishing. You will also find cafes and breweries that overlook the sea. Lincoln City, OR On the Central Coast, you will find Lincoln City a little over 2.5 hours away from our community. At Lincoln City, you will find kite festivals, glass floats created by local glass blowers, saltwater taffy, and music festivals. You will also find several nearby hikes and Devil’s Lake and Siletz Bay where you can partake in open water fishing, water sports, and swimming. Depoe Bay, OR Nearly 3 hours away you will find Depoe Bay, also known as the “whale watching capital of the Oregon Coast.” Make sure to visit March through December to catch a glimpse of the whales during their migration. You can see them at the Whale Watching Center, shore observation decks or on charter boats for an up-close view. Newport, OR Newport is 3 hours away from our community and one of the most diverse beaches on the coast. At Newport, you will find an active working waterfront that is home to one of Oregon’s largest commercial fishing fleets, shops, art galleries, chowder houses, restaurants, fish processing plants, historic buildings, and two amazing lighthouses! The Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Yaquina Bay Bridge are also must-see places when visiting Newport. Each of these places are unique in their own way and that’s why we encourage you to make a point to at least take a day trip to each one. While visiting each of these beautiful places along the Oregon Coast, be sure to snap a picture and tag us on Instagram and Facebook so we can see all of the fun!

Exploring the Washington and Oregon Coasts: The Washington Coast

Source: @ visitlongbeachwa on Instagram One of the many great things about living in Vancouver at Acero Jensen Park is the fact that you are within a few hours of the mountains, the lakes and rivers, the beach, and so much more. A great way to escape the summer heat is by visiting the Washington and Oregon coasts! If you can, try to hit each spot at one point or another because each place is unique. Since there are so many great places to visit along both coasts, we are starting off with the Washington Coast! All of these great spots are just 3 hours away or less from our community. Long Beach, WA Long Beach is just a little over two hours away from our community and great for any beachgoer. It is called Long Beach for a reason, there are miles and miles of sandy shoreline. When visiting Long Beach you can even dig your very own Razor Clams or fish in the surrounding ocean waters and then cook it all up for dinner that same night. Ocean Shores, WA Ocean Shores is very similar to Long Beach when it comes to it’s sandy shoreline. The beach is great from swimming, sunbathing, and kite-flying. When you decide to get off the beach, you will find music festivals, go-kart tracks, arcades, hikes, and bicycles to rent. Westport, WA Are you looking to shred the waves on the Washington coast? Westport is the perfect place for surfing! The waves are calling so bring your own surfboard or rent one and take surfing lessons. There is a variety of waterfront scenery and sites to explore as well in Westport, like the Grays Harbor Lighthouse. Make a ‘Coastal Bucketlist’ and be sure to visit each location, even if it’s just a day trip. That is another plus about all of these locations being 3 hours away or less! You can always fit in a day trip if you don’t have an entire weekend to spare. When you visit any of these location and are enjoying your toes in the sand, be sure to snap a picture and tag us on Instagram and Facebook so we can see all of the fun!

Golf Your Way Through Vancouver WA

Get out on the golf course this summer and put your swing to work! If you are ever looking for something to do, golfing is always a great option and Vancouver has its fair share of courses for you to visit. Now, if you don’t know how to play golf, make it your new hobby and take some golf lessons at one of these courses. Pine Crest Golf Course Pine Crest is a great long par 3 that will challenge an experienced golfer but is perfect for a beginner in the learning stages. Pine Crest has been family-owned for 50 years and they take a lot of pride in providing Clark County residents affordable golf. Hartwood Golf Course Hartwood is a 9-hole, par 29 executive course that opened up in 1996 and is one of the most popular courses in Clark County. One great thing that Hartwood offers is Ladies’ Day, catering to all the ladies that enjoy playing golf! Tri-Mountain Golf Course Tri-Mountain is surrounded by stunning views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood. While you golf at Tri Mountain’s 18 hole course, you will encounter 11 lakes, 64 sand bunkers, and award-winning greens. Fairway Village Golf Course Fairway Village is a public course owned and managed by the Fairway Village Homeowners Association, created in 1983. This 9-hole course is a top-quality par 34 with five par 4s, three par 3s, and a par 5. This golf course typically takes about 2+ hours to complete, perfect for any time! Get out and enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest while working on your golf game at the same time! Next time you’re out golfing, be sure to tag us on Instagram and Facebook so we can see you in action.