Meet the Alegado Family – Ten Trails’ 500^th Family 

Meet the Alegado family, new residents in Ten Trails and our 500^th family to move into the community! Gideon and Katrina Alegado and their two teenage children move to Ten Trails in June from nearby Maple Valley and are loving their new Oakridge Homes home and the lifestyle offered in the community.

Home Shopping Remotely During the Pandemic 

Like many families, it became obvious to the Alegados during pandemic stay-at-home orders that they needed more room for their family. With their kids now teenagers and Gideon and Katrina working from home, they quickly realized their 1,660 square-foot home in Maple Valley, while cozy, just was not well-suited for the family any longer. The Alegados started their search for a new home online during the pandemic and they first toured their current home virtually while vacationing at a friend’s home in Hawaii.

“We were looking at photos of the house literally from the beach and then we made an offer the next day, sight unseen,” said Katrina. “A few days later we were signing paperwork on our friend’s patio overlooking the ocean.”

 

More Space to Spread Out in a Growing Community

As they get settled in a big and beautiful 2,800-square-foot home, the Alegados joke that they sometimes cannot find one another.

  “I’m sure it will fill up, but right now it feels massive,” said Gideon.

  The family is eager to explore all the amenities Ten Trails offers, like the many parks and green spaces, sports courts, and community pea patches.

  “We’ve been out on the trails many times,” said Katrina who enjoys walking the family’s dog, Echo, on the miles of nature trails.

    The Alegados are also looking forward to meeting more of their neighbors at upcoming community events, like the Sunset Markets.    

“We are so excited and honored to be recognized in this way and looking forward to settling in,” said Gideon.  

Welcome to the neighborhood, Alegados! We are so happy you chose Ten Trails as your new hometown. www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043

Tips for Working From Home 

Many American workers have switched from daily commutes to the office to working from home some or part of the time. With predictions that many businesses may adopt a part-time work-from-home policy even after the pandemic, it is more important than ever to follow some key guidelines to work from home productively.

Start the Day Right 

You will have a better experience all day at work if you start the day off on the right foot by doing a few simple things. First, make your bed to immediately set the tone for the day. Next, get dressed in clothes you would normally wear to work in your office, rather than lounge wear. Being dressed for the task at hand can help to promote a sense that you are engaged in work, rather than leisure. Finally, sit down and write a task list of what you need and want to accomplish for that day. That list will keep you focused throughout the day on the most immediate priorities.

Enjoy One-Gig Speed Internet to Work from Your Ten Trails Home 

At Ten Trails, workers who can work from home can take advantage of the community’s one-gig speed internet to smoothly navigate video calls and work online. Provided by Wave, the community’s internet is some of the fastest available in the Seattle area with downloads and uploads at up to 1,000 Mbps.

Set Aside Space in Your Home Just for Work 

If you have space in your home, set aside an area that is solely dedicated to workspace—even if that is just during the daytime hours. Having a dedicated workspace will keep your work items organized and help you shift your focus to work tasks at hand, rather than being distracted from the larger home around you. www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043

2021 Home Design Trends to Try in Your New Ten Trails Home

While many of us are hoping for a much different looking 2021 than 2020, a few home design trends that emerged during the pandemic may continue to stick around. If you are moving into a new home this year or simply need a change in your current one, why not try one of these popular design trends?

An Abundance of Indoor Plants

Indoor plants have always been popular, but they became a huge rage during the pandemic. With many people unable to leave their homes during stay-home orders, and some with limited outdoor space, bringing the outside in through indoor greenery became extremely popular. For newbies to indoor plant care, check with a local nursery to see which plants will do best in your home. Some varieties that are hardy and thrive during winter’s low light in our northern climate include Parlor Palms, Snake Plants and certain varieties of ivy.

Edible Gardens

Edible gardens became a big trend in 2020 with many people reluctant to venture out of their homes as often to get fresh produce, and many farmers’ markets shut down due to the pandemic. Keep the trend going through 2021 with an indoor herb or lettuce garden to carry you through the winter months. You can also begin sprouting spring vegetable seeds indoors in February or March for planting outside once the risk of frost has passed for the season. At Ten Trails, our residents can rent out space for an edible garden in our community pea patches.

Home offices

The home office is not going anywhere in 2021. With many workers continuing to work from home at least part of the time, home office space is here to stay. At Ten Trails, many of our builders have home office space built into their home design so there is no need to convert your space if you are planning to continue to work from home in the new year.

Multi-purpose rooms

In 2020, we saw many of our home’s rooms transformed into multi-purpose areas. Guest rooms become home offices, Basements turned into gyms and loft areas became makeshift school rooms for virtual learning. We believe multi-purpose spaces will continue to be a trend in the coming year and beyond. Get creative and figure out what hidden potential a seldom-used room of your home may have! www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043