Bode Living Toolkit To Help You Every Step Of The Way.

Yes. Bode communities are exceptionally pet-friendly, and we call this a “people-friendly” policy because owning a pet is such a healthy choice for people and communities.  Anyone whose family includes a pet or two can vouch for the positive mental and physical impact they can have.  We know from experience that pets positively impact people, households, and they can help build connection within a community.

“[Pets create] higher survival rates, fewer heart attacks, less loneliness, better blood pressure, better psychological well-being, lower rates of depression and stress levels, fewer doctor visits, increased self-esteem, better sleep and more physical activity”

– Psychologist Harold Herzog, Western Carolina University.

Here are a few reasons why including pets in a home or community is so darned people-friendly.

1. They’re the ultimate mood-booster – And, there’s science to prove it. Owning a pet shows measurable increase in oxytocin levels in the brain, helping combat emotional highs and lows, remediate loneliness, and boost mood.  Our furry, or not so furry, family members also help us combat stress – by lowering levels of the “stress” hormone cortisol.
2. They help us get physical – Caring for a pet adds structure to your day and also can help you get up off the couch, or out of your desk chair and get moving. Studies have shown that dog owners are far more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements and get their steps in each day.  While we work to keep our pets healthy, we’re actually practicing self-care.
3. They teach us – Pet owners delight in teaching their pet to sit, stay, rollover, but research shows that our pets are likely teaching us new tricks as well.  The National Institute of Health has been studying the impact of animals, specifically dogs, in teaching children with diseases from diabetes to ADHD social behaviors, cooperation, and responsibility. The NIH also uses dogs to help children suffering from cancer learn mindfulness techniques in coping with stress and pain.
4. They’re the ultimate social-tonic – There’s nothing better than a dog park to break down barriers and build community.  Pets are a social lubricant that opens the door to conversation and connection, and research shows that our connection to our pets actually increases our openness to others and decreases social anxiety.

References:

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/dog-spies/pets-can-build-community/
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/dog-actually-great-social-life-mental-health/

In the age of hygge, Feng Sui and Marie Kondo-styled minimalism, we can’t help looking at our own homes with a very critical eye wishing it were a little less . . . messy.  The question is who has time to declutter? And, why does “simplifying” feel so complicated?  We polled the Bode team to see how our slightly more organize colleagues manage mess.

These were our four favorite clutter-cheats:

1. The “One Touch Rule” – This trick is simplicity itself. The idea is this: if you pick something up, or take something off, don’t put it down until it is put away. In its place. Touch it ONLY ONCE. We catch ourselves constantly in the act of moving mess from one surface, one room, one place to another in a long game of shuffling stuff around the house.  We all have our favorite “drop zone,” right? You enter the house, take off your bag or backpack drop it on the couch, and ultimately find it there later when you’re sitting down to watch TV, you move it to the floor, and then maybe before its lights out, you actually put it away.  This rule saves time, and it definitely will save your sanity by reducing clutter.
2. Compartmentalize – Not your feelings, your home.  Editing and elevating your entire home is OVERWHELMING.  Break it down into bite-sized pieces.  If you’re feeling engaged and ready to roll – by all means, tackle that kitchen or your bedroom closet, but we find that breaking it down into truly bite-sized pieces helps us feel better immediately and helps us feel motivated to do more.  What’s bite-sized?  Your bedside table.  The junk drawer lurking in the kitchen.  The kitchen countertop.  These bite-sized resets likely pack outsized impact, and they’ll help kick start new habits.
3. 5-Minutes to Freedom – Set aside 5 minutes a day to focus on and address the mess, identifying misplaced items and cluttered areas and clearing up, throwing away or putting away anything creating chaos.  Afraid you might get sucked into a cleaning vortex? Set a timer.
4. The Fork Rule – A fork always has its place.  If you see it lying around, you know it is out of place.  Give clutter the same attention you would a fork. Whether its a rubber band or a rubber boot, what is i’s place? Where does it belong? Now practice the one touch rule and put it away!

These micro-habits toward minimalism make us feel like we’re in control, not the clutter.  Give them a try and see if it doesn’t make you feel pretty satisfied with yourself, and your home.

Homestead FL is the home to two Bode communities, Grace and On Redland Shores.  With amazing access to Miami and the beauty of the Everglades and the Florida Keys, there are plenty of things to see and do from your Bode home.  Here are a few of our favorite things:

1. Robert is Here – Homestead and its surroundings were once upon a time the fruit basket of Southern Florida. Robert is Here has its roots back in 1959 when six-year-old Robert started his original roadside fruit stand in this same location.  It’s since grown into a well-loved local attraction known as well for its family fun as it is for it exotic fruits and vegetables.  Robert is Here is the first Florida entry in the National Culinary Heritage Register.
2. Knaus Berry Farm – another tribute to the local agricultural heritage, the Berry Farm was started in 1956 by brothers Ray and Russell Knaus.  Their farm became famous for fresh produce and for their home baked treats. Still family run, the farm offers freshly picked fruit and baked goods, along with U-Pick berries and tomatoes when in season.
3. Homestead-Miami Speedway – If fast cars are more your speed, you’ll enjoy the proximity to this NASCAR speedway, but you’ll also find a year-round schedule of other events on their roster.
4. Everglades National Park –  One of the most unique things about living in Homestead is access to city and nature.  Poised between the Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys, a short drive makes you feel like you’ve really gotten away from it all.  Everglades National Park with its 1.5-million-acre wetland preserve is an international treasure, a World Heritage Site and designated an International Biosphere Reserve.