Apartment Blog

I remember as a child when I asked my mother for my friend to come over, she would always state “Sure, as long as the house is cleaned up.” That exact moment would produce a frenzy of activity around the house, me racing against time to pick up everything so my mother would say yes. Ahhhh…. Those were the days. Now that I’m an adult, I don’t to have to deal with that when my friends come over. I want my apartment to already be kept up, so when a friend calls and says he/she is coming by I don’t have to worry.

Here are five foolproof ways I make sure this is accomplished for my apartment:

1. Make your bed as soon as you get up. As soon as I get out of bed, I make the bed. I feel like my room is extremely messy if the bed is. After all, the bed is usually the focal point of the bedroom; people tend to notice if that’s neat versus your vanity being kept up.

2. Unload your clean dishes from the dishwasher in the morning and make it a rule that if somebody uses a dish they are to load it into the dishwasher. If you don’t let dishes pile up, you won’t have a mess after dinner. And when the dishwasher is full, you can run it.

3. Clean up all spills immediately. That means on counter tops, on the stove, and on the floor when you are cooking. This will eliminate the hard scrubbing from food deposits sticking to the surfaces.

4. Make it a habit to take your shoes off at the front door when you come home. I have a shoe rack by the door for myself and guests to put their shoes. Doing this will keep dirt from being tracked in onto your floors or carpet, which will help them look beautiful longer! Remember, you want that security deposit back! J

5. Another thing people will notice when they come to your house is clutter. Make sure you have a spot for everything. When mail comes into the apartment, go through it immediately and throw away unnecessary items. Then, place your bills or other ‘keep’ items in their spot to go through when needed.

While I miss the good ole’ days from my youth, I certainly do not miss the frenzy of activity before a friend comes over. After all, it looks kinda bad when he/she shows up and I’m all sweaty & out of breath! J Hopefully these tips will help you whenever you are in the situation of needing a clean house on the fly.

The Economy is still struggling to gain momentum. Cable news reminds you that we are still in a recession. Friends, Family, and Co-Workers add to the water cooler talk, which can really get you down if you listen long enough.  How do you escape from all the negativity??? One way is to organize and arrange your apartment bedroom into your personal sanctuary of positivity and motivation.  There are many ways to do that, but here are few ideas to get you started:

1. Pictures/Portraits

- What is the first thing you see when you wake up? A white ceiling? The ugly alarm clock? The bathroom? Instead of waking up to bland surroundings, spruce up your apartment bedroom with pictures/paintings/portraits that motivate you. It could be a picture of your grandparents or parents who went through so much just to afford you the opportunities you have. You can also have pictures of your dream car, island, or vacation to make sure that you wake up every day with the goal of moving one step forward towards those dreams. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. So wake up every morning to a thousand words and let the pictures encourage you to take on the day with zest and zeal.

2. Quotes

- Quotes can be just as inspiring as paintings or pictures. A combination of both is probably best. Find a quote that really resonates with you and look at it every morning before going to work. This quote should help you stay focused and remind you of whom you are. The quote should be posted somewhere in plain sight for you to see every morning, either in the bedroom or on taped to the bathroom mirror.

3. CD/Alarm Clock

- What do you wake up to every morning? Chickens? Traffic noises? The dreaded default alarm setting??? Why not get an aesthetically pleasing CD/Alarm player. This way you can wake up to your favorite song or motivational speaker. The negative energy associated with the default setting is sure to induce another 5 minutes of sleep, but your favorite song or speaker will get you excited about the challenges ahead.

 I just love hosting parties; it is absolutely my favorite thing to do. While most people squirm at the thought of the planning, preparing and cleaning, I relish in it.  To me, it’s fun! It is also a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family. But I do have to say that at times it can be frustrating in my small apartment. But I’ve done some creative thinking which has helped me in my times of hosting, so I thought I’d share my experience.

1. Stay Calm. A positive attitude is key for you and your guests to enjoy the time together. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a walk. Cool down and get fresh air. Guaranteed when you come back you’ll have a new perspective. Remember that this time with your family and friends should be memorable.

2. Do a little bit in advance. Okay, so you know you’re apartment can hold 10 people and that’s exactly how many you invited. To make sure things run smoothly and that your guests are comfortable, prepare in advance for their arrival. Make sure to have small snacks on hand should the crowd get hungry. If you have any overnight guests, make sure you prepare for their sleeping arrangements which may include linens and pillows. Any meals that can be started or done prior to the day of would also be helpful.

3. Delegate tasks. As a hostess I realize that usually (at least for me) you’d like to have control over things. Not that you don’t trust anyone else to finish up that Green Bean Casserole, but maybe you just have the better touch. Whatever others offer to do, make sure you allow them to take part. It will not only relieve stress on your end but also make them feel more a part of the event.

4. Rearrange to accommodate. Obviously with a small one bedroom apartment, I know that squeezing in 10 people can be quite difficult. But all it takes is a little imagination to make it work. For example, I have a table with a leaf that comes in and out. This allows for expansion when I have dinner parties. I also use my kitchen countertop to function as a buffet table excluding the condiments and bread, which is left for the table. If any additional seating is needed in the living room (after dinner), I typically put decorative pillows on the ground or bring in chairs from the dinning room. And true to form, the hostess never sits unless all of her guests have a place to.

5. Embrace the holiday. Your family is together, you are at your apartment and there is immense love in the air. Don’t forget to celebrate that by soaking as much of it in as you can. For one day your small one bedroom apartment will seem like a blessing instead of curse because of the closeness you’ll feel with one another.

Another tip to mention is if you really do like to entertain (as I do) then you may want to consider a move if your apartment just isn’t cutting it. One of the amenities I looked for while apartment searching is a nice large kitchen & great room-for entertaining purposes. If that is something you can’t live without, considering moving and foregoing the other unnecessary items-like a view or wood floors, etc. Be sure at check out apartments on ForRent.com.

I hope everyone has a terrific Thanksgiving wherever they’re sharing it!

If your bed is missing a little something, a headboard for instance; don’t fret! You don’t have to go to a fancy retailer and spend oodles of money to make your sleeping oasis complete.  Why, you can do it with as little as $25 dollars!  Just purchase curtain hooks, a curtain rod, and stylish curtains.

Step 1: Drill holes on the wall for your curtain hooks.

Step 2: Make sure the curtain rod is level.

Step 3: String coordinating fabric/pre-seam curtain on the rod and push the bed against the fabric.

A couple of additional tips would be to purchase other fabric that complements the existing fabric and place on the edges of the existing curtains. Then add tassels for dramatic appeal. Doing this creates a window effect which could add richness to your bedroom as well as give the appearance of a larger space. Or instead of purchasing additional fabric, you can do what the picture shows. Use the tassels to open up the window and hang something over the bed. Another way to frame your art piece!