Apartment Blog

You know that iconic phrase “Houston, we have a problem” from the Apollo 13 movie? Here at For Rent Media Solutions, we prefer to think we have the solutions. We have the resources and the answers to your apartment searching needs.  Not only do we provide you with a moving center and a getting settled center on our Relocation Page, we also provide you with decorating and entertaining tips and apartment living ideas on our Apartment Blog.

So if you’re looking for apartments in and around the Houston area, we are your one stop shop! Check out our newest apartment community videos for Houston apartments:

Hartford Park Apartments

Canfield Lakes Apartments

Briar Park Apartments

Lantern Village Apartments

Steepleway Downs Apartments

Huntington at Stonefield Apartments

The Steeples Apartments

Meadow Ridge Apartments

and Bristol Apartments

 I recently moved into a condo, which I’m renting from the owner.  This condo is located in a building considered an apartment building, if you will.  Upon moving in, I knew I wanted to make this space my own.  Small upgrades can go a long way and I sure didn’t want to feel limited in decorating and “sprucing up” the place just because I don’t own my condo.  I knew that there were plenty of ways to brighten up my area and make it my home.

Move-in day was exciting, but I found a lot of little “issues.”  Meaning, there were a few things that I wanted to do to upgrade the space to fit my style.  Starting point, my bathroom. 

One thing I knew I wanted to change was my toilet seat.  This was a quick-fix that not many would think of, but it’s an easy upgrade and quite inexpensive, I might add.  Check out Lowe’s® hardware store in the bathroom fixtures section and you will find a plethora of toilet seats.  They’ve got round as well as oblong seats in a variety of different colors.  I rolled to Lowe’s and found exactly what I needed.  The directions are super simple and you don’t even need a screwdriver for installation.

When choosing my toilet seat, I chose a beige color to match the color of my toilet.  One thing to remember, make sure you identify whether your toilet seat is round or oblong because it would be a shame to get caught in a rut with an oblong toilet seat and your toilet is actually round.

That change was quick and easy.  Next - new showerhead.  I was a little less than pleased with water spatting to and fro from the existing showerhead.  Your bathroom, more specifically, your shower is supposed to be your sanctuary and that’s what I was looking to transform it into.  Lowe’s came through for me again.  I chose an awesome showerhead with three settings (jet stream, mist and massage - my fav!) for ridiculously cheap and now I can actually enjoy my showers.  Again, installation is easy - all you really need is an adjustable wrench and maybe some WD-40 to ease off the old showerhead.

And there you have it.  Two super simple upgrades that won’t even come close to breaking the bank.  New showerhead - $6.99, new toilet seat - $13.99, upgrading your sanctuary - priceless.  Do-it-yourself projects made easy.  Stay tuned for more easy and fun ways to upgrade your apartment.

For some people Halloween means as much to them as Christmas would to another person. As such, this occasion would be deemed gift giving. I have actually received a card and flowers from a friend on Halloween because it is her favorite holiday. Regardless if you are the gift giver or receiver, here are some great Halloween gift ideas.

Get Creative! Potion labels are a cool way to personalize a bottle of your friend’s favorite drink or bottle of wine. Just add a themed label appropriate for Halloween and you’re set!  Or creating a collage scrapbook already decorated, just waiting for the photos of this year’s party to frame or bind.

Homemade goods are a unique way to show your friends, or guests at a party, that you appreciate them. Everyone loves a good homemade treat. For this holiday, why not do a candied apple or pumpkin spice bread or ghost shaped cookies. 

Tickets to a fun Halloween themed event. There are bound to be places in your city that will celebrate this spooky holiday. Why not help the Halloween enthusiast in your life celebrate by buying them a ticket. It could be a hayride, haunted house, roller coaster theme park or maybe even a special movie premier.

Provide some type of entertainment by purchasing a Halloween book or movie. If your friend is into the whole scary experience, there are plenty of Halloween movies guaranteed to spoke him or her. Check out our list of 10 Awesome Halloween Movies.

If there are other Halloween gifts you have given or received, let us know! It would be nice to see all the imaginative ideas for this holiday.

Today we celebrated two birthdays in one event; a Ms. Kimetha Hill and a Ms. Amanda Hall have birthdays on September 30^th and October 3^rd respectively. Within the marketing department at For Rent Media Solutions we have a little tradition. We decorate the birthday individual’s cubical and bring in baked goodies. Who doesn’t love a yummy baked goodie?

Typically we do cupcakes. Although there has been a delicious strawberry pound cake brought in before,  today it was lemon frosting on lemon cake. And instead of regular cupcakes, there was a GYNORMOUS cupcake!

Maybe you’ve seen these types of pans in stores near you; I purchased mine from Williams and Sonoma. However, I’ve heard they are also located in Michaels. Using just one box of cake mix (you can use two for a larger cupcake) you will bake a top and a bottom simultaneously. After it has baked for about 40 or so minutes (depending on your oven) you can place the top on the bottom to give it shape. Add frosting and other decorations (here sprinkles were used) and away you go! I will have to warn you though, for travel purposes it’s easier to have the top and bottom separated until you get to your location.

Here’s one of the birthday girls taking a bite out of her cake now…

There are several people I know that have recently moved into a new apartment. Just about every day they are asked, ‘How are you enjoying your new place?’ as well as other types of questions like ‘what’s the floor plan?’ or ‘how do you have it decorated?’, etc.  Most of the initial questions you get asked when you’ve recently moved can be answered by a simple event, a housewarming party!

Inviting your friends, family and co-workers to a housewarming party where they can see your lovely abode will ensure you the opportunity to show off your style.  And what better way to gloat about your new space with all the cool swag on display?!

We’ve taken the liberty of highlighting a few basics to guarantee you a rockin’ housewarming party!

• Invites are a must. I would really recommend using websites such as Evite.com to send out virtual invitations. Saves on cost and they’re eco-friendly! If there are people who you do not know their email address (i.e. your new neighbors), small notes are totally acceptable.
• What should you serve? That’s easy…whatever you want! Most housewarming parties are basic drinks and hors d’oeuvres, but there’s nothing saying you can’t stray. If your apartment has a great deck or patio, a barbeque might be nice (provided that it’s okay with your apartment association first)!
• Do I need to provide entertainment? Absolutely! The point of your housewarming party is to show off your new home, so be sure to include tours of your new apartment for all those coming. That will answer all those pesky questions they ask. But in addition to the tours, you should provide music and other entertainment. At a housewarming party I attended, they had group video games for everyone to interact and meet one another. Music is also a popular form of entertainment.
• And finally, always show your appreciation. All of your guests have taken time out of their schedule to spend a few hours with you and share the joy of your new apartment. Thank them for stopping by and especially thank them should they have brought a gift; especially, since housewarming gifts are optional!

To everyone who has just recently moved into their new, or first, apartment-CONGRATS! Here’s hoping you have a terrific housewarming party!

 Continuing our weekly trend, here are some amazing tips on how to refresh your home using the happy color yellow. As the color of sunshine and daisies, yellow brightens up dark rooms and breathes warmth into cold spaces. And remember, these tips will accommodate most limitations given for apartment renters!

For an elegant feel, add black and white furniture with strong silhouettes to a room in addition to the color yellow. In the photo example, a simple color scheme of white, soft yellow, and black creates a timeless look to this room.

Pale yellow walls set a soothing tone. Pairing cheerful colors, such as soft greens and yellows are also very welcoming.

A beautiful combination is blue with yellow. It adds a classic French country feeling to any space, especially with patterns that include the fleur de lis, the swan motif, stripes, small floral prints and checkerboards.

Curtains, appliances and kitchen towels in a mustard yellow coordinate with rustic cupboards (common in many apartment communities) can give a kitchen a Mediterranean ambiance.  Pair a few mosaic plates with red, blue and orange on the wall to really get the feeling going!

A floral-inspired bedspread, curtains and chandelier bring a romantic feeling to a bedroom.

A bold beam of sunny yellow can be brought in with an accent rug or a piece of art work.

For a multifunctional room or a child bedroom, use yellow with other primary colors (red and blue).  Children of most ages like the bright colors, plus this palette can be used for many years.

Yellow backing on bookshelves will make the books stand out on a custom-built shelf.

Combine warm shades of yellow, gold, and tangerine give to a room a sophisticated and elegant look. The walls, floor, and drapery are kept neutral in shades of white and cream (as most apartments are). Yellow upholstery, pillows, and artwork add a bit of color but keep it rich and elegant (see photo on left).

One of the best qualities of the color yellow is that it goes great with nearly every other color — white, orange, green, pink, blue and brown. So if you’re looking to punch up a space, why not consider this pleasing color! What’s next on the palate? The color PINK!

Source: Country Living and Better Homes & Gardens