Apartment Blog

Green doesn’t just have to be the color for your party, make it the theme!! Green living can extend to how you entertain! Making it green is easy on the environment and easy for you to do! Mimicking the tips we’ve already given you for St. Patrick’s Day Party Ideas, we’ve matched some eco-friendly ones. Check out these tips:

Tip 1: Invitations
As I always suggest, send out electronic invitations. Besides giving your party a more casual tone, you also save on paper that is just going to be thrown out later.  Or if you’re party is going to be formal and dictates having an invite, try to use recycled paper invitations.

Tip 2: Decorations
Just for the sheer expense, I always try to recommend fun crafty ideas for holiday decorations. Take a look at our St. Patrick’s Day Party ideas. But it turns out, not only will these save you money; they are also more environmentally friendly! Making your decorations would be a creative and a fun thing for you and your friends or kids to do.  And as much as it hurts, my favorite party staple that I always recommend–balloons–is actually pretty bad for the environment! They often end up in the ocean where they are consumed by sea life, which eventually die from balloons blocking their digestive system. So looks like all my ballooning days are over! 

Tip 3: Food & Drinks
A cute and easy idea to avoid waste is serving finger food. By serving finger food, you alleviate the need to have utensils or plates.  Your guest can just have their little sandwiches, cheese & crackers, cookies, chips on napkins.  And if you want to save on purchasing cups, offer your guests canned or bottled beverages. You can recycle them when they are done!  Wow, this tip allows you to save on a little bit of money as well! Cha-ching!

Tip 4: Entertainment
If you’ve read our blog about St. Patrick’s Day  Party ideas then you know we suggest doing contests, having music or a movie playing in the background.  These ideas don’t require too many materials. But another idea I’d like to add is doing Karaoke! You don’t necessarily have to have a machine (although it helps), but just grab a bunch of your already ‘tipsy’ friends for some movin and groovin and perhaps a little singing!  This should make for a lot of entertainment!! 

While we are making suggestions about how to make your St. Patrick’s Day party more eco-friendly, please remember these tips can certainly be used for your other parties.  If you’re having a Birthday celebration soon, think about using some of these ideas. Not only are you helping the environment but you also may be saving some money in the process!! Bonus!!

Source: Progressivekid.com

As everyone knows, Lent is in progress. This is a time when many people choose to give up something in their life for 40 days. The standard is to sacrifice something in your diet, such as chocolate, candy, etc. Many health conscious individuals give up something diet related, enabling them to adhere to their program. But what some fail to realize is that the true purpose of Lent is for your sacrifice to help you recognize the blessings that are taken for granted most of the time.

According to AmericanCatholic.org, “Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more completely over to Christ and his way of life. That always involves giving up sin in some form. The goal is not just to abstain from sin for the duration of lent, but to root sin out of our lives forever.”

Now I am just as guilty as the other health conscious individuals because I gave up chocolate this year for Lent. While I could make the argument that chocolate is considered a sin to my diet, I have no plan to give up chocolate for life. So I am not really taking the true meaning into my lifestyle. But that hasn’t always been the case for me; one year I gave up swearing and had a jar to collect money from myself should I ‘slip’ up. That period of time has impacted my vocabulary ever since.

So whether you gave up sugary treats, smoking, swearing or whatever-my question to you is…how are you doing? Have you been able to maintain some resistance towards the something you gave up? In my opinion, if you follow through on a goal you set for yourself (no matter what that goal may be, e.g. giving up chocolate for 40 days) then you have made an improvement in your life and maybe one day you’ll be ready to take on something bigger!

I hope everyone is doing well with their goals! Good Luck!

Source: AmericanCatholic.org

According to a new research study by Clarity and The EAR Foundation, one of the biggest fears for senior citizens is the loss of independence. This fear even outweighs the fear of death for most!

This study produced some key statistics for seniors. For example, “the vast majority of seniors (89%) want to age in place or grow older without having to move from their homes.” 1 And because they are so determined to maintain that independence, half of them are open to using new technologies to help them do so.

Clarity president, Carsten Trads says “….Independent living is a key determinant of quality of life for seniors….” Therefore this shows that not only do older American’s value their ability to live independently, but they will also try any means to enable them, i.e. technology.¹

This study also showed that almost half of seniors are comfortable using personal computers, Internet and email. “Seniors are clearly more open to technology than many people believe,” commented Trads. ¹

So in essence seniors are willing and able to be independent, and are open to using technology to help them attain that independence.

Here at For Rent Media Solutions, we are committed to providing resources that make apartment hunting for seniors uncomplicated. After 55 Housing and Resource Guide, a For Rent Media Solutions publication, worked in collaboration with the AARP Foundation to create Exploring Life After 55, an annual supplemental publication geared towards adults age 55 and beyond. This new publication serves as an education resource, addressing subject matter important to baby boomers that are planning their retirement, and aging adults and adult children who are researching housing options for their parents. The first issue covers a variety of topics including: an assisted living and health check list, a description of housing and care options, estate planning basics, how to guard against identity theft and so much more! Exploring Life After 55 will be published once a year and distributed to AARP Foundation offices nationwide as well as to local industry events and senior centers.

In addition to Exploring Life After55 and After 55 Housing and Resource Guide, For Rent Media Solutions offers online resources at SeniorOutlook.com. Resources include: moving services, storage, Medicare and Medicaid information and more. SeniorOutlook.com also helps our consumers navigate through the website by providing ‘How to Use SeniorOutlook.com’ instructions to help make the process easier.

We at For Rent Media Solutions strive to improve the process of apartment hunting for all apartment seekers, After 55 or not. Your independence and peace of mind is important to us. Please let us know if you have any suggestions as to how we can improve our services.

Source: Research Brief: Seniors Want to “Age in Place,” and Want Technology to Help; Thursday, November 8^th, 2007.

Recognized by their easy to use insurance resources, ForRent.com makes shopping for all your insurance needs a breeze. A great deal of apartment hunters will need to find renters insurance before they can sign a lease. I know that while I’m shopping for apartments there are many communities that informed me I needed renters insurance-some even offered me a few business cards to find quotes!

But visiting ForRent.com is truly a one stop shop. Now, you’ve heard me talk about all the wonderful resources our Relocation Center offers, but one thing I haven’t spoken about is our FREE Insurance Quotes. Follow these easy steps and you’ll find the right insurance to meet your needs:

1. Visit ForRent.com’s website
2. Click on Relocation Center on the top menu bar
3. Under the Finance Center (middle of the screen) click on FREE Insurance Quotes
4. Start comparing and finding quotes for your area TODAY!!
5. Or of course you can be brought to the Insurance Quotes page by simply clicking on the links provided within this blog!! J

And if you are not in the market for renter’s insurance, ForRent.com also offers quotes on health, auto and life insurance too!

Hope this helps all of you!

A New Year’s Resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year’s Day and remain until the set goal has been achieved[1].

We at ForRent.com strive to be the leading internet listing service for apartment seekers. We want to give you an opportunity to choose your next loft, townhouse, condo, efficiency, house, duplex or apartment for rent by searching through over 50,000 apartment listings nationwide on our website. We also wish to be apartment hunters’ guide when searching for tips and advice in their daily life as well as during the apartment search. So that is our resolution, to be all those things for you!

So what are your resolutions this year?? If it’s to find a great new place to call home, go to ForRent.com! We can help you make your resolution a reality!

[1] Wikipedia.org

ForRent.com is dedicated to helping the consumer long after the apartment hunting process is over. We strive to be a resource for apartment renters, when searching for tips and advice during the apartment search as well as in their daily life. Complementing our pre-existing efforts and in honor of the holiday season, ForRent.com launched a holiday blog campaign called “25 blogs ‘til Christmas’”, which took place throughout the month of December. We hope our recipes, tips/advice and movie reviews helped you during this season, but even more we hope that you recognize us as your ultimate apartment listing service.

Thank you for being our friend, visiting our profile and searching for apartment on our website. We hope you and your family have a wonderful and safe Christmas! See you after the holidays!

Sincerely,

ForRent.com

Okay, so I was searching on the web and I found this cool article on MSN.com. (I copy and pasted the text for you below.) As you all know, my boyfriend and mine’s favorite Christmas movie is the Grinch. Read what the article says about Grinch lovers like us and figure out what your favorite Christmas movie says about you!!

Article:

By Margot Carmichael Lester

Your new guy says he can’t get through the holidays without watching A Christmas Story at least three times (he even has the leg lamp). Or it’s your new lady friend who sings all the tunes from Santa Claus Is Coming to Town in the shower. We asked pop culture mavens Alexis Bondoc, columnist for IntrepidMedia.com, and Ian Williams, an author/director/filmmaker, how a person’s all-time fave Christmas show reveals his or her dating M.O. Read on for some intriguing insights!

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Alexis: The fella who never misses this show is probably a classic guy who already knows how to dress and laugh. Slip him a CD by Vince Guaraldi (who did the jazzy numbers on the show) as a gift.
Ian: If your girl loves this show, deep down, she may want to don a black turtleneck and get existential—this show has a message. But she always has time to dance (who can resist that music!) and maybe she can make clouds of dirt like Pigpen.

A Christmas Story
Alexis: Aww… He’s got a wistful, nostalgic sense of humor and can probably remember every Christmas morning growing up. But, more importantly, there’s more than a slight chance that he didn’t get that one certain gift that every other kid on his block got — the Radio Flyer wagon or the super-cool robot set — and can still remember that deprivation NOW. Will you be the one to indulge him now?
Ian: Your romantic partner is something of a happy medium: corny, yet cool. Not cool in a desperately hip way, but subversive enough to keep things interesting. She hasn’t forgotten what the wonders of childhood were like—and doesn’t want to.

Bad Santa
Alexis: If this is your guy’s favorite seasonal show, then hold your horses. This guy is the Anti-Santa who would probably be happy to make a bunch of gift deliveries with a bottle of Jack Daniels. His ideal vision of Christmas probably involves telling little kids they don’t need Barbies or that Mickey isn’t a real Mouse and that he lives next to a 7-Eleven instead of the North Pole. Run, run, run. Unless you’re happy spending your time with the embodiment of Life’s Little Destruction Book…
Ian: Most likely, your lady was waiting for a movie like this long before it came out. Finally, someone told a Christmas story without much of a moral… and with lots of cringing along the way. Not one for nostalgia, your girl probably wants to order Chinese food rather than prepare a feast. If you are equally dark in your outlook, well, merry, merry!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Alexis: You don’t have to worry about this guy at all. He’s offbeat, sure, but he’s got a good heart. He probably loves celebrating Christmas with a delightfully creative and witty sense of humor instead of tradition. He’ll probably surprise you with completely novel ways of marking the holiday season.
Ian: The girl who loves this one is a sucker for ritual, and why not? We all know what happens to the Grinch, but the magic is in the retelling. The Whoville song is treacly and boring, but the Grinch’s theme, with jazz glissandos and rich baritone, make it a yearly must-see. But you must ask this woman: Does she identify with the Grinch… or the Grinch’s poor dog? That will give you some important clues!

It’s A Wonderful Life
Alexis: If your guy likes Frank Capra’s all-time classic, you can put good money on the fact that he’s as classically appealing as Jimmy Stewart—and probably as thoughtful, too. Thoughts count a lot with this kind of guy; make sure yours are up to snuff.
Ian: Like Crowded House sang, “Wherever there is comfort, there is pain,” and don’t your baby know it! She gets It’s a Wonderful Life as it was meant to be: not a sing-songy holiday card, but a deeply sad reflection on dreams deferred. She’s a deep-thinker… and probably a keeper.

Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Alexis: Any guy who picks this stop-animation classic is probably as unique as little Rudolph is. He probably celebrates Christmas — and lives his life — with a playful and creative streak. I mean, this is a guy who lives for the island of misfit toys and the Bumble! He’s probably quite a character.
Ian: Yikes. Easily the most anesthetized and goofy of the Xmas specials, Rudolph has the subtlety of a “Hang in There!” cat poster. Repetitious and cloying, it goes down like a bowl of red frosting. Your girl might be cute, but she’ll put antlers on your dog and giggle like she was the first to think of it. Consider yourself warned!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Alexis: The guy who loves this one is manly enough to really get down with Christmas and the classics, especially if he’s a Fred Astaire fan. This guy truly loves the holiday. You will celebrate every possible tree-lighting, sidewalk chorus group, eggnog-pouring moment, and you will do it with a smile on your face.
Ian: If your baby’s favorite is this one, she’s probably a Goth chick. No other Santa origin myth is quite so dark. Sure, Fred Astaire narrates, but St. Nick as an unwanted orphan? Hunted like a criminal? We knew Santa’s psyche was complicated, but we didn’t know he needed therapy.

Now, we’re not saying you should take any of these interpretations as the gospel truth. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. But you should learn a little about yourself. What’s more, adding these insights to other information could help you figure out if you and your sweetie have a future full of holly-jolly Christmases together—or if your holiday honey will leave you feeling like your heart got run over by a reindeer. Ho ho ho!

Margot Carmichael Lester’s work also appears in Go magazine.

On Wednesday night, ABC’s Family Channel showed “I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”. Being my first time seeing this movie, I thought I’d give you my opinion of it.

Of course if you have heard the song you know the story line. A little boy sees his mother kissing Santa Claus. What the boy doesn’t know is the Santa Claus he saw was really his father dressed up in a Santa suit. So Justin, the little boy, decides he must stop Santa from stealing his mom! With a little encouragement from his best friend he figures that in order to stop Santa from coming to his house, he must behave really badly! The resulting pranks include throwing snowballs at a street Santa, a whirl-wind mall fiasco and a ‘Home Alone’ styled booby-trap outside his house.

If you want to relive your innocent child-like view of Christmas, then you should see this movie! Justin, played by twin actors Cole and Dylan Sprouse (‘Suite Life of Zach & Cody and ‘Big Daddy’), was especially cute and his over-the-top ‘naughtiness’ will make you chuckle. While it’s not one of my favorite Christmas movies, I’d watch it again for the wholesome family value.

Hope you enjoy it!

ForRent.com would like to acknowledge all the celebrations that happen during the holiday season. Today at sun down starts Hanukkah!

Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25^th day of Kislev, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. This festival celebrates the re-kindling of the Temple Menorah and is observed in Jewish homes by illuminating candles on each night of the holiday.

The number eight has special significance in Jewish theology. Seven is known as the number of days of creation. Eight, being one step after seven, would represent infinity. The number eight for Hanukkah symbolizes when the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple after it was destroyed. As they rebuilt the temple they searched for pure oil to relight the ner tamid, the “light that always burned.” They found only one jar of oil, enough to burn for one day. They used this oil to light the ner tamid, but rather than burning for just one day the ner tamid stayed lit for 8 days, enough time to obtain more oil.

On the twenty-fifth day of the Hebrew month of Kislev in 164 to 175 B.C.E., the temple was rededicated to God. The Jews celebrated for 8 days and Judah declared that an 8 day holiday called Hanukkah, or “dedication,” would be celebrated each year beginning on this day. This is considered the holiday’s miracle.

Hanukkah is celebrated by a series of rituals that take place every day during the eight day holiday. Among these rituals are additional daily prayer services and blessings after meals. The primary custom is to light a candle each night for eight nights, with the number of candles lit increase with each passing night. An extra light called shamash, meaning guard or servant is also lit each night. The significance of the Hanukkah lights is not for the ‘lighting of the house within’ but rather the ‘illumination of the house without’ so that passers-by should see it and be reminded of the holiday’s miracle.

The candles should be lit for at least a half an hour after it gets dark, although some backgrounds differ. On Friday night, however, the candles must burn longer, as they also acknowledge the start of Shabbat, which is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. There are typically three blessings that are recited during Hanukkah. On the first night, Jews recite all three blessings, on the following nights only the first two are recited.

The first blessing roughly translates to “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.” The second blessing “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors, in those days, at this moment.” And the third blessing, only to be recited on the first night, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, sustained us, and brought us to this moment.”

After the lighting of the candles a prayer is recited, which translates into: “We light these lights for the miracles and the wonders, for the redemption and the battles that you made for our forefathers, in those days at this season, through your holy priests. During all eight days of Hanukkah these lights are sacred and we are not permitted to make them serve except for to look at them in order to express thanks and praise to Your great Name and for your miracles, Your wonders and Your salvations.” In North America, it is a common practice to exchange gifts or give children presents at this time.

Source: Wikipedia

Did you know that Life is good^® has a Pumpkin festival?  Did you know that they hold a Guinness World Record of over 30,000 pumpkins being carved in Boston?? That’s amazing!!

It’s true, though.  Since 2003 over 225,000 people have attended a Life is good Pumpkin Festival for pumpkin carvings, games and live music. The event has raised over one million dollars for various children’s charities.

In 2007, Life is good Pumpkin Festival will be held in 8 different states, including: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Texas and Virginia. The beneficiary of the proceeds from these events is HomeAid; a leading provider of housing for today’s temporarily homeless.

According to Life is good, thousands of pumpkins were carved and lit, and thousand of children’s lives will be touched as a result of the money raised and donated to kids in need.

For more information about the festivals in your area, visit www.lifeisgood.com

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!

From your friends,

ForRent.com

Source: www.lifeisgood.com