Warning: Super Cute New Baby Photos!

We're so excited here at Eagle Ridge - Two of our young families have newborns to celebrate! We have just loved seeing and meeting the new babies.

Lindsey and Richard welcomed their newborn daughter Astrid into the world recently. Lindsey was very creative in her Halloween costume while she was pregnant. Below you'll see a "before and after" set of photos. Astrid was 8lbs 4 oz and 19” long. Her brother Theodore loves her so much he is speechless (or else just a little too shy to say so).

The "Before". We love how Lindsey dressed as Winnie the Pooh when she was pregnant!

And "After".  Lindsey, Richard, Theodore, and  Astrid.

Another wonderful couple, Ben and Sarah welcomed their baby boy Mark Leroy into the world on November 7 of this year. Ben lived for a while at Eagle Ridge and then moved out for a year. He couldn't stay away, he liked Eagle Ridge so much! And we're super glad he came back to Eagle Ridge, especially because we got to meet Mark Leroy!

Sarah and Ben with their bundle of joy, Mark Leroy!

Please join us in congratulating these two wonderful families on the birth of their children!

Thanks, Janelle!

The staff at Eagle Ridge would like to say a big “Thank You” to Janelle for helping us out in the Rental Office recently. Janelle is the Assistant Manager at Salem Green Apartments in Inver Grove Heights. She has helped out at all of the other Condor locations in the Twin Cities. Janelle has been with Condor Corporation since 1998. She is married and has two teenagers. Before coming to work for Condor, Janelle actually worked with Ginny at a different apartment community. We’re glad they’re now both with Condor!

No Other Month Knows How To Party Like December

December is a month packed with holidays and commemorations. Check out some of the major celebrations and observances that take place during this month.

December - 7: Pearl Harbor Day:
December 7, 1941 the US Naval base in Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. On that day this year government flags will be flown at half staff as we remember those who lost their lives during this attack. The day after this attack the US declared war on Japan.

December 8 - 16: Hanukkah

This Jewish holiday commemorates historical events that took place in 168 B.C.
According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s central texts, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews who took part in the re-dedication of the Second Temple witnessed a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply. This wondrous event inspired the Jewish leaders to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival.

Interesting Facts about Hanukkah

• Traditional Hanukkah food is cooked during the festival with oil as the key ingredient. Jelly donuts, fried potatoes, pancakes and deep fried puffs are the most common foods served during the festival.
• Gift giving is another popular Hanukkah tradition. The Jewish children receive small gifts from their elder family members on Hanukkah.

December 25: Christmas
Christmas is an annual Christian holiday celebrated on December 25th that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus would come to be called the son of God. Jesus’ story is detailed in the Bible recounting many miracles he preformed from healing people with diseases, feeding 5,000 people with only 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread and even raising the dead.

One cannot talk about the history of Christmas without mentioning Santa Claus. Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna, who lived in the 4th century A.D. in what is known today as Turkey, was a very wealthy and generous man who especially loved children. He was known to throw gifts into the houses of poor children in order to brighten their spirits. He was later titled Saint Nicholas, and became the patron saint of children and seafarers. His story evolved into the legend of Santa Claus – the jolly man who brings gifts to children all over the world on Christmas Eve.

Fun Facts about Christmas:

• Most of Santa’s reindeer have male-sounding names, such as Blitzer, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeer shed their antlers around Christmas, so the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh are likely not male, but female.
• Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850, the trees are usually grown for about 15 years before they are sold.
• Mistletoe (Viscum album) is from the Anglo-Saxon word misteltan, which means “little dung twig” because the plant spreads though bird droppings.

December 26: Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a fairly new holiday that was first celebrated in December 1966. Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. The name for Kwanzaa comes from a Swahili phrase meaning first fruits. The first-fruits celebrations are recorded in African history as far back as ancient Egypt and Nubia. Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: in gathering; reverence; commemoration; re-commitment; and celebration.

There are seven values that are emphasized during Kwanzaa, they are: Unity, Self-determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith. Kwanzaa culminates in a big feast on the last evening of the holiday, on December 31 called Karamu; it is celebrated with festive songs, dance, toasts, prayers, and a feast of foods.

Interesting facts about Kwanzaa

• The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green as noted above and can be utilized in decorations for Kwanzaa. Also decorations should include traditional African items, i.e., African baskets, cloth patterns, art objects, harvest symbols, etc.
• Kwanzaa can be celebrated by anyone. Kwanzaa is the holiday to remember African-American cultures.
• Gifts are given mainly to children, but must always include a book and a heritage symbol.

December 31: New Years Eve

The last day of the year is celebrated by many people in many different ways. Some people stay up until midnight and party at home or with friends, or a lot of people will go out to different restaurants, bars or even some cities have outdoor events. The most popular outdoor event in the US is the Times Square Ball Drop in New York City, NY. There are many New Year’s Eve traditions throughout the world.

Decking The Deck And The Halls!

It is great to see that some of our residents are already getting into the spirit of the holidays by putting up lights and decorations on their patios! Decorating inside your apartment and out is encouraged, so feel free to put up your lights, colored garland, artificial wreaths, etc. Please be careful not to damage the exterior of the building by hammering in nails or drilling holes. A Holiday Balcony Decorating Contest will be judged later in December and a cash prize will be awarded to the best display.

Please remember that due to their fire hazard live and real trees and wreaths are prohibited in your apartment, on your patio or balcony, and on the doors in the hallways. We appreciate your help in keeping our community both festive and safe this holiday season!

Cyber Monday And Package Delivery

For the deal-savvy shopper who didn't get their fill yesterday during Black Friday, or for those who would rather do their shopping online, Cyber Monday is a great opportunity. In just two days retailers will offer special deals for their online customers.

Cyber Monday shopping is a very different experience than Black Friday. There's no lines and you can do your shopping in your pajamas sipping hot cocoa. Heck, you can shop and get your laundry done at the same time! With a few simple clicks you can place your order and have it delivered to your home.

There are some websites that gather the deals from many retailers to make your shopping online even easier. Check out http://www.cybermonday2012.com/ or http://www.cybermonday.com/.

As the holiday season ramps up we see an increase of packages coming in for our residents. Everyone also gets much busier. The office staff is happy to help out by delivering packages to your apartment. If you receive a notice that a package has been dropped off at the office and you would like it delivered to your apartment simply give us a call, email, or use the Ask The Office form on our website to request that your package be delivered to your apartment.

Giving Thanks

We hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! On this Friday, as we recuperate from overdosing on turkey, we would like to share with you the things that the staff at Eagle Ridge gave thanks for this Thanksgiving. Plus, check out the recipe below for an idea about how to use your Thanksgiving leftovers!

The staff at Eagle Ridge was asked what they are most thankful for this year and this is what they had to say:
Ginny: Family, friends, good health and great people to live and work with.
Coty: Reality TV.
Gary: His golf cart - to get maintenance requests done a lot faster.
Bob: Gary - he has been teaching me a lot!
Samantha: Christopher and all of my loving family.
Christopher: Being able to share my life with Samantha.
George: Another day - count each one as a blessing.
Scott: Continued good health.
Cindy: Family.
David: His awesome mom.
Ashley: My whole Family and the great relationships we have.
Jessie: Great family.
Danielle: My wonderful boyfriend Tim.
Tim: My beautiful girlfriend Danielle.

If you're wondering what to do with all of those Thanksgiving leftovers in your fridge, there's a lot of recipe suggestions at allrecipes.com. One that we liked was a recipe for Turkey Pot Pie.

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Original recipe makes 2 9-inch pot pies

2 cups frozen peas and carrots
2 cups frozen green beans
1 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/3 cups milk
4 cups cubed cooked turkey meat - light and dark meat mixed
4 (9 inch)unbaked pie crusts

Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. Place the peas and carrots, green beans, and celery into a saucepan; cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium-low heat until the celery is tender, about 8 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander set in the sink, and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup of flour, salt, black pepper, celery seed, onion powder, and Italian seasoning; slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove from heat; stir the cooked vegetables and turkey meat into the filling until well combined.

4. Fit 2 pie crusts into the bottom of 2 9-inch pie dishes. Spoon half the filling into each pie crust, then top each pie with another crust. Pinch and roll the top and bottom crusts together at the edge of each pie to seal, and cut several small slits into the top of the pies with a sharp knife to release steam.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until the crusts are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. If the crusts are browning too quickly, cover the pies with aluminum foil after about 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
PREP 30 mins.

Be Dazzled By The Holidazzle

Once again it’s time to bundle up and head to the free Target Holidazzle parade! The parade starts Friday, November 23, and can be viewed every Thursday through Sunday night until Sunday, December 23, all at 6:30PM.

Take in the bright lights of illuminated floats, enjoy music, see celebrity Grand Marshals and Santa in his sleigh. The parade first began in 1992. Every year since then the parade has marched down Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis during the holiday season, drawing over 300,000 spectators. Check out more information on the Holidazzle Parade at their website.