Apartment Blog

During the holiday season it is always great to find family fun activities. The celebrated city of Los Angeles has many holiday events for you and your family to enjoy. Just take a look at these five attractions….Grinchmas is sure to be a treat for your family! It begins in December at Universal Studios Hollywood and visitors will enjoy wintertime family activities in real snow, meet the Grinch and see Whoville come to life on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood during “Grinchmas.” Areas of the Theme Park and the Studio Tour are transformed to bring to life the settings, the music and, most importantly, many of the wonderful characters created by the beloved Dr. Seuss! This would surely be a must see for my family.

Who wants to join in reindeer games?? From Thanksgiving weekend through the New Year, live reindeer will be paying a visit to the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens at the Reindeer Romp. A flurry of festivities and holiday entertainment will accompany this popular annual event where children can make their own reindeer antlers and join the herd. On weekends, Santa and friends will be available for a photo opportunity!

Los Angeles has a NEW ice skating rink in town! From December 3-31^st  grab your skates and head down to Nokia Plaza at L.A. LIVE for the grand opening of “LA Kings Holiday Ice at L.A. LIVE.” Catch the annual holiday tree lighting celebration the same night. The new skating rink is the first of its kind at L.A. LIVE and will be open for winter fun! For more information on hours, visit Holiday Ice.

Play in the SNOW! Big Bear Mountain Resorts have unmatched snowmaking systems providing quality snow for thousands of skiers and snowboarders in Southern California each season. Big Bear already started snowmaking at Snow Summit with Bear Mountain, Chair 5 and Central Park Run already accessible for downhill fun!

And finally, what good are all of these activities if you don’t have a fabulous apartment to go home to afterwards? ForRent.com has many Los Angeles apartments for you to search based on your selection criteria. They can be close to Universal Studios Hollywood for your family to enjoy Grinchmas each holiday season or next to the Nokia Plaza for amazing ice skating each winter. Whatever your criteria may be, we have apartments to meet your needs! Just check out the newest apartments on ForRent.com with Community Theater, an online video that highlights all the features and benefits of the community.

Renaissance Apartments, Sunset Barrington Gardens, Rancho Los Feliz, Villa Vicente, Broadcast Center-AIMCO and Villas at Park La Brea Apartments.

Hashtags, re-tweets, DMs? What does it all mean? For Rent Media Solutions^TM, a leading apartment resource for searching apartments nationwide, and a division of Dominion Enterprises, will answer these questions as they host the industry’s first Tweet Spot during this year’s Brainstorming Sessions^TM held at the Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas from November 18-20.

Twitter “newbies” and power users alike in the multi-housing industry are in for the ultimate Twitter experience during this year’s Multifamily Pro Brainstorming Sessions. At the Tweet Spot, attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about leveraging the power of Twitter. Topics discussed include:

• How to create a Twitter profile
• How to perform basic functions within the site
• Twitter terminology
• Tools to enhance user experience
• Why Twitter is beneficial for businesses
• How to cross-link with other social media sites

During the show, attendees can participate in “Tweetups,” meetings organized through Twitter and hosted by For Rent Media Solutions, to network and meet other attendees. These Tweetups help attendees turn their online network into reality, allow them to see who’s “following” who and maximize their social networking by meeting and mingling with the industry’s social media savvy. Take a look at our schedule below for the two “Tweetups” scheduled for Tuesday, November 17^th at 5:30 pm and Thursday, November 19^th at 6:00 pm.

Throughout my childhood I can remember my father in the kitchen (yes, my dad did a majority of the cooking in our household) making a fantastic Thanksgiving feast. He always hated anyone being in the kitchen because they would be ‘in his way.’ So a new tradition that I have started the last few Thanksgivings is to create some type of dish at my apartment and bring it over for Thanksgiving dinner.  That way I am still contributing to the amazing meal and helping without ‘being in the way!’

I found this fantastic recipe in a Taste of Home Thanksgiving magazine last year and decided that it needs to be a reoccurring dish from now on. It’s absolutely, positively delicious! Not to mention super easy. That’s my kind of side dish!

Corn ‘n’ Bean Bake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 ounces) of frozen cut green beans
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) of whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (can also substitute for cream of broccoli or cream of chicken)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) of shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• ½ cup of crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 12 crackers-can also be substituted for variety crackers depending on the complement flavoring you desire)

Directions:

• 1. Preheat oven to350 degrees.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, soup and ½ cup of cheese. Spoon into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Top with remainder of cheese and crushed crackers.
• 3. Bake for 35 minutes or until heated through.

Hopefully you’ll find this dish to be as easy and delicious as I did. Who knows? Maybe you’ll start a new tradition in your family! Happy Thanksgiving!

Viva La Vie Boheme in Your Apartment and win tickets to RENT: The Broadway Tour!

THE BOHEMIAN LIFE - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? Whether it’s you and your friends hanging out in your apartment, playing air guitar, cooking a gourmet meal, hosting a wine party or poetry slam, you know you live “La Vie Boheme” in your apartment. Send us a photo of your bohemian lifestyle and you could win a trip to see RENT.

It’s easy to enter! Just take a photo showing us your most “bohemian” moment in your apartment and follow the instructions below.

ForRent.com and RENT: The Broadway Tour will fly the winner and a friend to Sacramento to attend the final performance of RENT: The Broadway Tour in February. This will be your LAST chance to see Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp in the roles they made famous.

So take a minute, take a photo and show us your Vie Boheme! And if you don’t have the perfect apartment for living La Vie Boheme, you can find one at ForRent.com-check it out today.

First, go to the ForRent.com Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aptsforrent and become a fan.

Second, on the left side of the ForRent.com Facebook page is the option to add photos to the Fan Photos section.

Third, after clicking on the link, add your living “La Vie Boheme” photo from your photo albums to the ForRent.com Facebook Fan Photos section. Be sure to include a title and tags!

Fourth, send a confirmation email to contest@forrent.com alerting us to the submission.

Fifth, tell all your friends and family to ‘vote’ for you by liking your photo-the five photos with the most ‘likes’ will be submitted to the cast of RENT, who will pick the winner!

See below for the complete contest rules….

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE ODDS OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

CONTEST DATES. ForRent.com’s and RENT-The Broadway Tour’s ‘La Vie Boheme’ Photo Contest (the “Promotion”) begins at 12:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time (”ET”) on November 9, 2009 and ends at 11:59:59 a.m. Eastern Time (”ET”) on December 15  (the “Promotion Period). The Promotion Period consists of three (3) phases as set forth in the chart below.
Phase Starts at 12:00 p.m. ET Ends at 11:59 a.m. ET
Submission Only Phase I November 9, 2009- December 15, 2009
Voting Only Phase II- December 16, 2009-January 4, 2010
Judging Phase III- January 5, 2010-January 8, 2010

For the purpose of this Promotion, each phase will begin at 12:00:00p.m. Eastern Time (”ET”) and will end at 11:59:59 a.m. Eastern Time (”ET”).

PROMOTION ELIGIBILITY. The ForRent.com’s and RENT-The Broadway Tour’s ‘La Vie Boheme’ Photo Contest  (the “Promotion”) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are age eighteen (18) or older as of November 9, 2009. A person who complies with all the eligibility rules shall be referred to as “Entrant.” Employees and their immediate family (parent, child, sibling and spouse of each) and individuals residing in the same household (whether or not related) of ForRent.com (”Sponsor”), For Rent Media Solutions^TM, United Advertising Publications, Inc., or Dominion Enterprises, RENT-The Broadway Tour and any of their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and all other entities or individuals associated with the development, administration, or fulfillment of the Promotion (collectively, the “Entities”) are not eligible to participate in this Promotion. All applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. The Promotion consists of a contest of skill (the “Contest”).

AGREEMENT TO OFFICIAL RULES. By participating in the Promotion, Entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to and accepts these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and/or Administrator, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. The award of a prize is contingent upon Entrant complying with all conditions and fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

HOW TO ENTER:

THE CONTEST OF SKILL. A substantial degree of skill is required to win. During the Contest Period phase visit the website, www.facebook.com/aptsforrent (the “Website”) and follow the instructions to submit an original photo which creatively shows ForRent.com how you are living “La Boheme”. The photo must comply with the following requirements to be eligible:

• 1) Go to the ForRent.com Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aptsforrent and become a fan
• 2) On the left hand side of the ForRent.com Facebook page there is the option to add photos to the Fan Photos section
• 3) After clicking on the link add your living “La Boheme” photo from your photo albums to the ForRent.com Facebook Fan Photos sections. Be sure to include a title and tags! And don’t forget to tell your family & friends to come vote for you!
• 4) Send a confirmation email to contest@forrent.com alerting us to the submission in order to be considered eligible
• 5) The photo must be the original work of the Entrant
• 6) In accordance with the website’s supported images, the photo must be submitted in one of the following formats: JPEG, GIF, JPG, PNG, PSD, TIFF, JP2, IFF, WBMP, XBM
• 7) The file size must be no larger than 604 pixels
• The photo may not have won previous awards
• 9) The photo may not have been published previously
• 10) The photo must not infringe upon the rights of any third-party, including, without limitation, copyright, trademark, and rights of publicity and/or privacy
• 11) The photo must be suitable for publication and may not be violent, immoral, offensive, illegal, pornographic, obscene, indecent or similarly inappropriate as deemed solely by Sponsor
• 12) The photo may not contain any content that is or may be perceived to be defamatory or that represents the Entities in a negative way or in any manner not consistent with Entities’ brand and/or reputation as deemed solely by Sponsor
• 13) The photo may not contain any mention, discussion, logo, trademark, service mark, storefront, trade dress, mascot, photograph, or other image of any business or company, other than ForRent.com and/or For Rent Magazine and RENT: The Broadway Tour. The photo may not have property names or physically identify a property by filming their front sign or some other unique feature or distinguishable architecture
• 14) The photo may not include the likenesses of any identifiable persons other than the Entrant, unless written permission is obtained by the Entrant
• 15) The photo cannot be dangerous or unsafe to make or produce, or include activities that are dangerous, unsafe, or present unreasonable risk of harm to person or property, or suggest or imply to any person to undertake any dangerous, unsafe or unduly risky activity as deemed solely by Sponsor
• 16) The photo may not in any other way violate applicable laws and regulations. Any photo in violation of any of the above requirements and restrictions will be deemed void. By submitting a photo in the Contest, each Entrant represents and warrants that these requirements have been met. Failure to satisfy these requirements, as determined in Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion, may result in ineligibility with respect to all photos submitted by or on behalf of that Entrant.

ENTRANT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING PERMISSION TO USE THE PICTURE, IMAGE, AND/OR LIKENESS OF ANY THIRD PARTIES SHOWN IN THE VIDEO. Sponsor may request that any such third parties sign a waiver and release prior to the posting of the photo on the Website or the granting of any prize.

USE OF FORRENT.COM TRADEMARKS AND SLOGANS. For the sole purpose of participation and entry in this Promotion, Sponsor hereby grants each Entrant a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the trademarks and copyrights owned by Sponsor in the creation of the Entrant’s video, subject to the entry restrictions and guidelines contained in these Official Rules. This license extends only to videos submitted to Sponsor in accordance with these Official Rules. This license does not extend to videos created in connection with the Promotion, but not submitted to Sponsor in accordance with these Official Rules. Use of trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property owned by Sponsor in videos or in any other form or media not submitted to Sponsor in connection with this Promotion and in accordance with these Official Rules constitutes an unauthorized use and infringement of the intellectual property rights of Sponsor. Sponsor hereby reserves all rights and remedies available to Sponsor at law or in equity to enforce these Official Rules, including, but not limited to, the enforcement of any trademark, copyright, and other intellectual property rights owned by Sponsor. 

SELECTION OF FINALISTS AND WINNERS. At the conclusion of the Promotion Period, Sponsor will post the finalists and grand prize winner in compliance with the Official Rules on Facebook on or around January 9, 2010. All photos will be reviewed for content before being posted on the ForRent.com Facebook Fan Page. Photos submitted may or may not be posted on the site, in the sole and absolute discretion of Sponsor. Sponsor shall have absolutely no obligation to give feedback or reasoning for why any photo is not posted on the site. Sponsor shall have the sole right to reject or remove a photo from the site at any time.

From 12:00:00 p.m. ET on December 16 2009 to 12:00 am January 4, 2010, the public may vote on those photos posted on the site by visiting the ForRent.com Facebook Fan Page and following the voting instructions. On or about January 8,. 2010 Sponsor’s internal review panel will choose one (1) Grand Prize Winner and three (3) Finalists.

CONTEST: Contest winners will be selected according to the following judging criteria:

• 25% Creativity and originality
• 15% Overall quality and appearance of photo
• 25% Relevance to contest theme of how you live the life of ‘La Vie Boheme’ in your apartment
• 14% Promotion of ForRent.comand RENT- The Broadway Tourand the usage ofphoto captions and tags
• 21% The total number of user generated Facebook “like’s” received

In the unlikely event of a tie, the photo with the earliest upload date will be deemed the winner.

PRIZES.
a) Contest Prizes: ONE (1) GRAND PRIZE: One winner will receive two tickets to the last RENT- The Broadway Tour final performance in Sacramento, CA on February 7, 2010, two back stage passes to the final performance, two person airfare to and from Sacramento and a one night hotel accommodations for two in Sacramento. Approximate Retail Value (”ARV”): Hotel $150/night; tickets $75.00 each; backstage tour has no retail value and airfare $1,400.

THREE (3) FINALISTS: Three finalists will each receive RENT- The Broadway Tour memorabilia. Approximate Retail Value (”ARV”): $100 each

Total ARV for all Contest Prizes $1,800: Limit: One (1) Contest Prize per person.

For All Prizes:
All federal and state taxes on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winners. No transfer, assignment, cash redemption, or substitution of a prize is permitted except that Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to substitute a prize (or portion of a prize) with a prize of comparable or greater value or cash value. In the event that a prize cannot be awarded for any reason or a winner is not capable of redeeming a prize for any reason, Sponsor shall not be obligated to award any prize. If, for any reason, more than the stated number of prizes are available and/or claimed, Sponsor reserves the right to award the prizes in such category by random drawing from among eligible prize claimants in such prize category or in a manner to be determined by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion.

RIGHTS IN THE PHOTOS. All photos (including all material embodied therein) submitted to Sponsor shall automatically become the sole and exclusive property of Sponsor immediately upon submission. Once a photo has been submitted pursuant to the Promotion, the Entrant may not distribute, disseminate, sell, use, license, or post the photo or any copies thereof in any medium (including other Internet sites) without the prior express written consent of Sponsor. Each Entrant, as a condition of participation in the Promotion, hereby grants Sponsor the exclusive, perpetual, worldwide right to edit, adapt, modify, reproduce, publish, distribute, and otherwise use (unless prohibited by applicable law) the photo (including all material embodied therein) in any way or in any media now or hereafter known for trade, advertising, promotional, or other purposes as Sponsor determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, without further notice or compensation to the Entrant or any other third parties. Nothing herein shall be construed to require Sponsor to publish, distribute or in any way use the photo (or any of the material embodied therein) should Sponsor in its sole discretion decline to do so.

Detroit has been the epicenter of soul music for decades.  Motown got its start in Detroit and signed artists such as s Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Four Tops, and The Jackson 5.  This made Detroit  a place for new sounds and big opportunities. According to VisitDetroit, “Detroit’s public school system, in the early 19th century, also made music accessible to all, hiring some of the best music education professors to cultivate young, artistic minds.” It is no wonder that Detroit is still the same way today.  Many genres find a safe home in Detroit and a place where they can experiment before going mainstream.

Known as the city of rhythm, Detroit keeps on moving along even during the tough time of the recession.  The music coming out of the city is reflective of the adversity they have had to overcome over the years.    You will not have a hard time finding some kind of music that you enjoy and living in Detroit may make your music selection more eclectic.  Detroit has great apartments that give you access to all the music you want.  A few are included here:

River Oaks West Apartments

Briar Cove Apartments

Independence Green Apartments

Get more information and search tips on Detroit Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Detroity, MI.

Sources:

http://www.visitdetroit.com/index.php/music

During this holiday season it is important to factor in the safety of all of your family members; even the little furry ones! You’d be surprised what dangers are lurking for your family pet during this festive season. So to help out all of our pet-friendly readers, we have compiled a list of items to watch out for this year. A trip to the veterinarian hospital would not be a pleasant thing!

Ingesting items:
Everyone knows chocolate is bad for dogs. But did you know that onion, grapes and raisins are horrible for them too? Fatty foods like turkey skin or gravy is not good for their stomach and alcohol is toxic! And be aware of things they can get into and eat such as plastic wrap, toothpicks, napkins, disposable plates or flatware. Items likes these can definitely do some damage to their internal organs.  If you are traveling with your animal or having friends staying at your home, make sure all medications are put in a place where curious animals cannot find them.

Safety for your pet:
This is not only about the safety of your animal, but also safety for humans around your animal. A pet that lies down in the middle of the kitchen is an accident waiting to happen. Make sure all of the left-overs are properly sealed and stored away where counter surfers cannot reach.  If serving turkey, make sure the carcass is in a plastic bag and taken out of the apartment. You don’t want to leave it around where any animal can take interest. And be sure to tell your family/friends visiting that feeding your pet is not good for him/her.

And finally, make sure you keep your animals’ routine as normal as possible. If your cats are terrified of people, let them have one room (perhaps a bedroom) to themselves. Or if your dog doesn’t like to be pent up in the house for too long, take him/her out for long brisk walks (for small dogs make sure they are dressed accordingly). Since there will be people coming in and out of your apartment, make sure that your animal wears proper ID tags should they escape in the confusion.

Wishing you and your family, all of them, a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!