Psst! Hey... over here! 

I've got an interesting idea, that costs about $6 and keeps even the crankiest of residents cool on a hot summer day.  (Kudos to Kim Lee of Community Northwest for passing along this great trick!  If you don't know what her organization does, you should totally check them out!)

You know that fridge in your cabana?  That one where everyone shoves their lunches and the leftover food from last week's Taco Tuesday?  What's in your freezer?  If you're like about 60% of the properties I've been to, the answer is NOTHING or a half of a carton of freezer burned ice cream. This  2.4 cubic feet is some very valuable resident retention real estate thanks to this little guy right here :
 
                                                                                     

Okay, so maybe not HIM, but his namesake, the Otter Pop, has been a summer staple since the 1970s.  There are great advantages to using Otter Pops on your property.  First of all, most people like them, or at least one or two flavors of them (I'm a blue and red girl, myself).  Many of your older residents grew up with them, so they bring back great memories and allow you to connect with a part of your resident you might have never known.  An extra great bonus is that they turn your tongue colors, so you get to watch the flurry of fun when kids run around showing off their crazy purple tongues to each other.  Best of all though, a package of 200 otter pops costs roughly $6-$10 dollars!  That's a cost that almost anyone's budget can take, no matter how tight the purse strings are!



If you've got a little more to spend, you could try something different for the summer.  I was watching FoodTV tonight and I'm a big fan of Unwrapped.  Tonight's segment featured a product called Bob's Pickle Pops.  I swear, I am not making this up.  They are created from pressing all the juice out of, that's right, pickles.  Initially, I was skeptical, but I have liked dill pickles since I was a very young child and I have to tell you, the idea appeals to me.  Not only do they sound good, but they're healthier than traditional Popsicles, and best of all, they're DIFFERENT!  New and novel creates buzz, and pickle pops would definitely get people talking!




Whether you go with otter pops, frozen lemonade cubes on toothpicks, or pickle pops, make great use of your freezer this summer.  Use cold treats to keep your apartments red hot!  Remember, when we connect, we retain!