Celebrating the holidays in LB has never been this bright!  All across the city people are celebrating the most wonderful season of all with spectacular light displays!

Here is a list of holiday light displays sure to make your holiday a bit brighter.

Christmas Tree Lane, Long Beach
Daisy Avenue between Willow Street & Pacific Coast Highway
The parade is on the 10th at 5pm, but the lights will be twinkling all season!  Come out and enjoy lighted and decorated trees, music and more jolly fun in the 63rd year of this Long Beach tradition.
Website

Canals of Naples, Long Beach

Bundle up and take a gondola ride through Long Beach’s canal system.  View brightly decorated homes along the waterfont and view the Queen Mary in all its holiday splendor.

Website

Venice Canals – Marina del Rey

We know you have your own canals near your Long Beach apartment, but the spectacle in Venice is worth the drive!  In typically eccentric Venice Beach style, the homes along the canal are sure to wow you this Christmas season.

Website

 

You hosted Thanksgiving at your Long Beach apartment and despite careful planning and next day turkey sandwiches, you still have heaps left over.  Rather than throw it out try these innovative and easy turkey leftover recipes.

Turkey Salad

Dice the turkey and chop sage, rosemary, thyme, and mayonnaise, add dried cranberries!

Stuffing Muffins

If you have left over stuffing and gravy,  add a bit of gravy to the bottom of a muffin tin and then scoop in some stuffing!  These delicious muffins absorb the gravy and are delicious as a side or snack!

Turkey Tom Kha Gai

This spicy Thai coconut soup recipe is delicious and a great way to use leftovers

Recipe

If you are looking for ways to improve your overall health without joining a gym, try taking the stairs.

Here are a few reasons why taking the stairs instead of an elevator can make a big difference in your health and fitness.

Climbing the stairs burns more calories per minute than jogging.

Stair climbing helps build muscle tone.

Exercise in general has been known to help boost the immune system, climbing the stairs rather than riding in a crowded elevator puts you at less risk of catching a cold or the flu!

Taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator gives you a bit more time to relax and slow down in another wise hectic day.

If you don’t have stairs at work use the stair master at the fitness center at your Long Beach apartment.

 

Now that you have had a few days to recover from Halloween near your Long Beach apartment, we thought we would tell you about some more fun events in November!

Shipwrecked – the Comedy

You still have a few days to catch Shipwrecked – the Comedy, a hilarious play a real-life autobiography of Louis de Rougemont, an explorer who was, well shipwrecked!  This play has been getting rave reviews and is playing at the Beverly O’Neill Theater through Sunday!

Website and ticket information.

Long Beach Festival of Flight

From boats to planes, the Long Beach Festival of Flight is a fun way to spend a Saturday!  The Long Beach airport will be hosting this festival on Saturday, November 5th from 10am to 4pm.  Enjoy food trucks, static aircraft, automobiles, a beer garden and entertainment.

Jazz Singer Mandy Harvey

On Wednesday, November 10th and Thursday, November 11th the soulful sounds of jazz singer Mandy Harvey will be filling the halls at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.  Don’t miss this area favorite.

More information and tickets!

Halloween is just around the corner and there is so many events going on that you might not know which one to attend.  Figuring out your Halloween plans means that you can pick the perfect costume and celebration. There are several bars and nightclubs near your LA apartment that offer all kinds of ghoulish treats from costume parties, to bar crawls, dancing and more.  Below, is a list of some of the hottest parties in town where you can have a fantastically wicked time celebrating Halloween.

Halloween in Long Beach is one of the most popular holidays and the fun starts long before the 31^st.

Don’t miss the Long Beach Historical Society’s Cemetery Tour this year!  Stroll through the cemetery where former residents of Long Beach will greet you from the dead.  This theatrical wonder is a spooktacular event and takes place on Saturday, October 29th.  Find out more details or buy tickets here.

Don’t miss out on the 3rd Annual Kiddie Trick or Treat on the Promenade on Monday, October 31st from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.  Area businesses treat kids to candy and fun at this fun Long Beach tradition.   Check out their Facebook page for more details.

Truly one of Long Beach’s spookiest and best Halloween tradition is The Bixby Park Halloween Carnival.  The carnival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29th and includes carnival games, arts and crafts, costume contest, spooky arts and crafts, and a live performances and the “Thriller” dance!  .Bixby Park is at Cherry Avenue and Broadway.  Find out more details on their Facebook page.

It is Halloween, time to get in to the “spirit” and decorate your Long Beach apartment!  Before you get spooked out over the cost of decorating, try these easy and affordable Halloween decorating ideas.

Pumpkins make great candle holders!  Purchase small pumpkins and carve out a small area just  big enough to put a votive candle in for an inexpensive Halloween decorating idea.

Decorate your door this year for Halloween with white gauze bandages, some eyes that you can pick up at a craft store and you have an instant “mummy door”.  You can use the same idea to create mummy pumpkins.

Add some glitter to pumpkins and arrange them on a table or shelf.

Put a pillar candle in clear glass hurricanes and then fill 1/2 way with candy corn!  When lit the sweet smell of the candy will greet guest to your apartment in Long Beach.

 

 

 

 

 

Scary clowns, creepy dolls, bloody zombies, all things we love this time of year!  If you are like the millions who love the adrenaline rush of being frightened then this list of Haunted Houses and Haunted Happenings near your Long Beach apartment is just for you!

The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor

1126 Queens Highwy, Long Beach, CA 90802

Website

The Final Square – Venue by Three Petals

18582 Beach Boulevard, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Sat, Oct 29, 2016, 9:00 PM – Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 2:00 AM

Buy Tickets Here.

Pier Pressure Halloween Cruise – Long Beach Black Pearl

Catalina King Yacht – 1046 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802

Sat, Oct 29, 2016, 9:00 PM – Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 1:00 AM

Buy Tickets Here.

 

Carving pumpkins may be fun, but it can be messy and the carving means that the pumpkins will only last a few weeks, why not try these three no carve pumpkin ideas instead.

Bedazzle your pumpkins by gluing “jewels” or by using glitter glue!

Dress up your pumpkins with masks and crowns for an easy and fun way to decorate a pumpkin without the need to carve.

Use thumbtacks to create designs on your pumpkin.  Purchase flat gold or silver tacks at your local office supply or craft store and simply press the tacks in to your pumpkin. You can do it freestyle or draw the design before using the tacks.

These fun and easy no carve pumpkin decorating ideas are a perfect way to decorate your Long Beach apartment for fall and Thanksgiving.

 

30 percent of American adults walk for exercise. Walking doesn’t require special equipment or athletic skills, yet it offers a host of health benefits, such as losing weight and improving your mood, controlling diabetes and lowering your blood pressure!  Just 150 minutes of walking each week can increase your lifespan by 3 to 4 years.  Add to it the wonderful feeling of getting out in the fresh air for a walk with friends, family, and neighbors.

Now that you know all the benefits of walking, check out these great parks and paths near your Long Beach apartment and let’s get walking!

El Dorado Nature Center

7550 E Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815

Website

Shoreline Pedestrian Bike Path

Alamitos Avenue and Ocean Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90802

DeForest Park

255 DeForest Avenue

Long Beach, CA 90899

Always consult with a doctor before starting an exercise regime, walk with a buddy and check online reviews when deciding which park near your Long Beach apartment to walk at!