Apartment Blog

 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.

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!

Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population.  Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston are the 7th and 9th largest United States metropolitan areas. With Texas’s large population, and abundance of natural resources, the state has a large and diverse economy. Oil is a big industry within the state, as is agriculture and mining. Understandably so considering Texas has the most farms and the highest acreage in the United States, according to Wikipedia.com.  And interestingly enough, according to the Energy Information Administration, Texans consume the most energy in the nation per capita and as a whole!

But like we’ve mentioned in our “Dallas-Shopaholics Delight” blog, Texas has a strong commercial sector consisting of retail, wholesale, banking, insurance and construction industries. With all of these marvelous reasons, who wouldn’t want to move to or live in Texas? And we’ve got just the thing to help you!

Here are some wonderful apartment communities spotlighted this week for you to look at. Take a look at the amenities they offer showcased in the video!

Chesterfield Apartments in Houston, TX
The Aberdeen Apartments in Houston, TX
Eagle Manor Apartments in Denton, TX
Treymore at Eastfield Apartments in Dallas, TX
The Woods Apartments in Dallas, TX
The Vintage at Legacy Apartments in Frisco, TX
Timmaron Ridge Apartments in Dallas, TX
The Park at Wintergreen Apartments in Desoto, TX
5225 Maple Apartments in Dallas, TX
Amesbury Parc Apartments in Dallas, TX
Montfort Crossing Apartments in Dallas, TX
Windridge Apartments in Grand Prairie, TX
Renaissance Parc Apartments in Dallas, TX
Spring Lake Apartments in Haltom City, TX
Astoria Apartments in Dallas, TX
Towne Centre Village Apartments in Mesquite, TX
Marina Del Rey Apartments in Grapevine, TX
Hulen Oaks Apartments in Fort Worth, TX

        
Information gathered from Wikipedia.com

California is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area after Alaska and Texas.  Key developments in the early 20th century included the emergence of Los Angeles as center of the American entertainment industry, and the growth of a large, state-wide tourism sector. California also has a prosperous agricultural industry, as well as thriving aerospace, petroleum, and information technology sectors.

The California Gold Rush brought dramatic changes to the state; the large influx of people created an economic boom. California’s name became indelibly connected with the Gold Rush, and as a result, was connected with what became known as the “California Dream.” California was perceived as a place of new beginnings, where hard work and good luck could reward great wealth. And the gold never wore off, hence the nickname ‘The Golden State’.

If you’d like to strike gold with your next apartment, visit these apartments for rent:

Woodbury Lane Apartments in Irvine, CA
Portola Place Apartments in Irvine, CA
The Villas at Villaggio Apartments in Modesto, CA
Mirasol Apartments in Irvine, CA
Palmeras Apartments in Irvine, CA
Shadow Oaks Apartments in Irvine, CA
Somerset Apartments in Irvine, CA
Villa Coronado Apartments in Irvine, CA

So who wouldn’t want to live in the great state of California? If anything, just to be run by a governor who pronounces the state “Cal-e-forn-ia.” Ha ha

Information gathered from Wikipedia.com

 The history of wine production in Oregon can be traced to before Prohibition; it became a significant industry beginning in the 1970s when out-of-state winemakers migrated to the state and started to organize it as an industry. In 2005, Oregon ranked third among U.S. states with 303 wineries. It’s no wonder that with that many wineries, a tourism industry has developed around wine tasting! And out of all US wine growing regions, Oregon ranked third in number of wineries and fourth in production. Talk about my kind of state!

In addition to the wine industry, timber production, logging and agriculture industries also contribute to the state’s economy. And the fact that large public corporations such as Nike, Inc. Precision Castparts Corp., Northwest Natural Gas and StanCorp Financial Group all have headquarters in Oregon may help as well.

So as you can see, there are plenty of reasons to call Oregon home. And if you’re in the market for an apartment there, why not check out a few of these….

Brightwaters at Redhawk Apartments in Tigard, OR
Sunstone Parc Apartments in Beaverton, OR
Reflections at Summer Creek Apartments in Beaverton, OR
Deveraux Glen Apartments in Portland, OR
Miraval at Villebois Apartments in Wilsonville, OR
Sterling Pointe Apartments in Beaverton, OR
Village at Sunrise Apartments in Clackamas, OR
Gardenbrook Apartments in Beaverton, OR
Breckenridge Apartments in Portland, OR
Arbor Heights Apartments in Tigard, OR
Tualatin Meadows Apartments in Tualatin, OR
Rivercrest Meadows Apartments in Tualatin, OR
Stoneridge at Cornell Apartments in Portland, OR

Information gathered from Wikipedia.com

I’ve only lived with family for a roommate, but I still have some interesting stories. There have been awkward situations, tense moments and belly aching times (from laughter). Me being such an organized person, I don’t even understand how someone can live without actually being able to see the floor (literally covered with clothes).  But that being said, there have been many fun nights coming back from girls’ nights; staying up snacking and watching movies.

However, not everyone’s roommate experience is pleasant. Here’s a story from a contributor.

My college experience was jam-packed with great memories.  Fun times.  And repulsive roommates.  Not everyone has had the “pleasure” of having that roommate from “you know where”.  But many need only to think back to the past to remember when you fought for shower time or when you came back to your dorm room after an evening workout only to be surprised by something you wouldn’t even want your worst enemy to see.

My freshman year of college was extremely exciting.  Like many kids entering their first year, going away to school was a huge jump from high school life - that experience of moving away from home, no parents, getting to experience life by setting your own schedule.

Move-in day was great.  One of my roommates happened to be a good friend from high school.  The other was a mild-mannered girl from instate.  Or so I thought.  Everything started out great.  The three of us shared a rather large dorm room, which was attached to a suite bathroom.  But living with someone in close quarters magnifies their imperfections.

I’m not even sure if “imperfections” accurately applies to this girl.  We took the bunk beds; I was on the bottom and she was on the top.  She would get up for an early morning class; climb down from her bunk to her desk, hop on IM for a few and roll out for class.  Mind you, there was no time taken to change clothes, brush hair, let alone brush teeth.  Disgustingly enough, this was her normal routine.

I remember a night when there was a group of us hanging out in our room and she was eating some popcorn and some fell on the floor.  I don’t care if a floor is freshly vacuumed…it’s still the floor.  Well this girl proceeds to pick the popcorn off the floor and eat it.  She puts the popcorn in her mouth and a huge piece of lint is hanging from the corner of her mouth.  Gross doesn’t even begin to describe that situation…

Staying on the topic of food, that girl loved Easy Mac.  She ate it pretty much every night.  The smell started to make me sick after awhile.  That’s probably the reason I’ve never tried it.  I even stopped eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  Too similar.

And she never cleaned.  Ever.  I don’t even think she knew how to work a vacuum.  We had come up with a schedule for cleaning the bathroom (which we shared with our suitemates, three other girls).  I’m not sure what her idea of cleaning was, but it was just that - an idea.  Someone else was always cleaning up behind her.  She was just filthy.

Unfortunately, my experience happens too often; I say often because once is too often.  But you live and you learn.  I wonder what she’s up to these days…well really I don’t.  Hopefully she’s somewhere taking a shower.

So I KNOW you guys have got some interesting roommate stories! So let’s hear them! Oh and they don’t even have to be funny just mildly entertaining because I am easily amused.  In fact, the contributor with the most unique story will get published on our blog! Happy writing.