7 Citrus Hills Themed New Year's Resolutions for 2019

Whether you’re ready for it or not, 2019 has arrived, and we are all planning for it to be the best year ever here at the Villages of Citrus Hills.  

And if you have not yet committed to picking a resolution for the new year, we have put together a few Citrus Hills themed suggestions that will help you get more out of your fabulous life here along Florida's Nature Coast.  

Attend More Social Events 

Spending more time with friends and neighbors is one of the most popular New Year's Resolutions here at the Villages of Citrus Hills, but we suggest taking that idea one step farther and committing to attending more of our regular social events throughout the year.  

There are dozens of fun and exciting events happening every month around the community and making a point to attend as many of them as possible is a great way to fill up your social calendar while spending quality time with friends and neighbors.

Dinners with Friends 

In addition to attending the many social events happening around our community throughout the month, you can also spend more time with friends and neighbors by planning a regular dinner at Skyview Restaurant, The Grille, or the Tiki Bar.  

This can be an extra special resolution if you can get a group of friends to all commit to meeting for dinner on a specific day each month.  

Join a Class at PrimoVita 

Another popular resolution is to work on getting yourself into better shape, and there are tons of fun options to help you out with that in the form of exercise classes at the PrimoVita Fitness Center.  

Whether you are looking for beginner Pilates or advanced yoga, there is a class that is perfect for everybody who is looking to improve their fitness in 2019.  

Hit the Range More Often 

If improving your golf game is high on your list for the coming year, a great New Year's resolution that you can make is to put a priority on getting yourself to the Skyview Driving Range more frequently.  

Like most resolutions, this one will be more powerful if you attach real numbers to it, so pick a specific number of times you want to hit the range each week or month and hold yourself to it.

 Read Good Books at the Pool 

Reading more books is also a popular resolution, and the pools throughout the Villages of Citrus Hills are perfect places to kick back with a good one.  

The Coffee Shop is another popular spot to catch up with your reading or a friend. 

Pick Up a New Hobby 

If you would like to bring a new hobby into your life this year, there are quite a few excellent clubs to choose from that meet regularly all over the Villages of Citrus Hills.  

We have everything from Bocce to Wood Carving, and all you have to do is call up the club leader for more information. 

Plan a Trip 

For members who are looking to add a little more excitement to their lives in 2019, we recommend checking out some of the exciting trips that the Citrus Hills Vacationers Club has planned for the coming year.  

And if you can't find anything there that excites you, there are dozens of day and weekend trips that we have profiled on the blog over the years.  

You can't put it off any longer. 2019 has arrived, and just like 2018 it will fly by before you know it. Make sure you get the most out of the new year by making a resolution to take advantage of all that there is to see and do here at the Villages of Citrus Hills!

Spring Fitness: 7 BellaVita Classes You Should Try This Spring

Spring has officially arrived here at the Villages of Citrus Hills, and that means it’s the perfect time of year to be thinking about fitness and exercise. If you are looking to ramp up your workout schedule in the coming months, the BellaVita Spa & Fitness Center has a class schedule that can fit just about anyone’s exercise style and schedule.

All of the classes at BellaVita are absolutely free for members to attend, but are restricted to members only. They are usually about an hour long, and most don’t require you to bring anything other than a pair of shoes and a positive attitude…and there are even some where you won’t need the shoes!

If you would like to expand your exercise horizons this spring, we have picked out seven interesting classes that you might want to consider!

Aquacise

If joint pain has prevented you from doing any type of aerobic exercise in the past, you absolutely have to try aquacise. This is a shallow water exercise class that takes place in the pool to limit the impact and stress on your joints. All fitness levels are welcome for this one, and all you need to bring is a bathing suit.

Group Circuit Training

For some people, the social aspect of exercising is just as important as the physical aspect. If you happen to be one of those people, you will fit right in at the Group Circuit Training class. Members participating in this class enjoy the upbeat music pulsing in the background as they make their way through a series of strength training and cardiovascular machines that are designed to provide a full body workout.

Line Dancing

Not all exercise has to feel like exercise. One of the exciting classes you will find at BellaVita are the line dancing sessions, which are available for beginners, intermediate, and advanced dancers. It doesn’t matter if you have two left feet or have been dancing for years, instructor Pam Hall will be sure to get the absolute best out of you once you are out on her dance floor!

Spinning

Riding a stationary bike was never very much fun back in the day. Most of us had one in our basement that just sat around collecting dust. But since the concept of spinning has injected new life into those bikes, everyone loves participating in this great cardio workout. Make sure you bring a towel for this one, because you are definitely going to work up a sweat!

Tai Chi

This ancient Chinese practice uses rhythmic exercises to tone and strengthen muscles. As a tremendous side benefit, Tai Chi does an amazing job at reducing stress. It is also known for increasing flexibility, energy, and relaxation, so what’s not to like, right?

Yoga

Speaking of stretching and relaxation, there are multiple types of yoga classes happening at BellaVita throughout the week. Members can participate in Gentle & Healing Yoga, Restorative Yoga, or Classic Yoga for beginners. No matter what stage you are at in your practice, there are plenty of ways to enjoy yoga at BellaVita.

Zumba

If you are looking for a more upbeat form of aerobic exercise, it doesn’t get any better than Zumba. These high-energy classes feature motivating music and unique dance moves that let you get a workout in while having a blast. This is also a fun way to get to know some of your neighbors in a positive environment.

BellaVita Spa & Fitness Center offers an astounding number of different exercise classes that take place throughout the week. For the most updated schedule of classes, check out their page on the Club Happenings website, or just swing by BellaVita in person and pick up a copy. Have fun!

6 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Spare Bedrooms

Whether you are downsizing, upsizing, or just looking to head south and avoid the cold winters, there is a good chance that you are going to find yourself with a little bit of extra space in your new home at the Villages of Citrus Hills.  

Every floor plan we offer contains at least one spare bedroom, and with many offering more than one extra bedroom and some even adding a study, many of our residents find themselves overwhelmed with space that they aren’t quite sure what to do with! 

In order to make sure that you are getting the most out of your spare bedrooms in terms of both storage and functionality, we put together a list of six great ideas that can quickly turn any extra bedroom into your new favorite room in the entire house! 

The Ultimate Home Office

The most common use for a spare bedroom these days is for a home office space. Just about everyone today has a desk and a computer, and the spare bedroom is usually the most reasonable place to set up shop. But if you want to make your home office really special, spend some time and effort tweaking all of the details to get it to function just the way you like.

Depending on how you plan on utilizing the space, this could mean anything from a larger desk and big filing cabinets to extra shelving for all of your favorite finance books and paper clip holders.  

A Space for Hobbies and Crafts

One popular twist on the home office is to create a room that is dedicated to all of the tools and supplies you need for your favorite hobbies and crafting projects. This could be as simple as an extra table set up with a few plastic bins of supplies, or it could be as elaborate as an all-out workshop.  

Whatever hobby or craft sparks your interest, having a designated place to pursue that passion is a wonderful luxury that will help you devote even more time and effort to perfecting your craft.  

Yoga and Meditation Room

Mental activities like yoga and mediation have been rapidly growing in popularity over the past few years, and having a dedicated space to work on your practice is one of the best ways to commit to that type of inner development.

While these practices don’t require much more than a simple mat on the floor, you can certainly improve the zen aspects of your spare room with some plants or a small fountain.  

Dressing Room

If you are anything like most people today, even a large walk-in closet just isn’t enough space for all of your clothing and accessories. That’s why using one of your spare bedrooms as a dressing room makes so much sense! Even if your clothing does fit in the large walk-in closet, having a room dedicated to accessories, make-up, and full-length mirrors can be a wonderful oasis when getting ready.  

Your Own Personal Library

Every serious reader has a collection of old books that can fill a few boxes. If you happen to be one of those people that has more than a few books, get those boxes out of the garage and up onto some shelves in your spare bedroom. Add in a comfortable armchair, and you’ve just created your very own library that can double as a quiet space to think! 

A Room for Guests

With all of these exciting ideas for getting the most out of your spare bedrooms, it can be easy to overlook the most obvious options like simply making the room into a place to accommodate guests. If you are going to be hosting friends and family from time to time, you want to be able to offer them comfortable accommodations, so keep that in mind when deciding on what to do with your extra bedrooms.  

Each of these six ideas can be a wonderful way to utilize the space in a spare bedroom on their own, but you are likely going to find that you want to utilize the space for more than one function. If this is the case, keep in mind that you don’t want one function to take away from the other, and make sure everyone in the house is on the same page with respect to what the room is supposed to be.  

After that, let your imagination run wild in all of that open space!