Apartment Blog

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The key to organization for a great holiday is planning ahead.  Whether you plan on inviting people over for an event or traveling to see others, getting a head start is the key. Holidays are usually filled with chaos and disarray on the highway and in the airports, but yours doesn’t have to be. Following these 3 simple steps will help you organize your holiday:

1. Plan months ahead-Somehow the holidays seem to creep up on us, even though they are the same time every year. Funny, isn’t it? However, if you plan months ahead of a holiday you can account for most of the things that may come up to thwart your efforts. One rule of thumb is to start planning for the next holiday the day after the most recent holiday. Most likely you will be looking forward to the next holiday, so it will be easier to plan during that excitement.

2. Designate - Everyone has a person in their family who is good at organizing things and/or a friend that is a super organizer or designer. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance with the party. If they love organizing and designing they will be more than happy to help you and excited that you noticed their skills.

3. Think outside of the box- It may be visiting a place you have never heard of or eating a non-traditional meal, but doing something most people are not doing can help with organization. It may be more difficult initially to visualize what you want to do, but doing something non-traditional will excite invitees and cause the organizers to focus more on the details.

Organization is a process. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t get everything right the first time.  Keep working at it until you get into a groove!

                                  Pic by opiummuseum

Do you ever wonder why we celebrate the holidays we celebrate? Do you ever look beyond the festivities, gifts, and laughter to understand the roots of the occasion.  Maybe you have and maybe you haven’t, but Halloween has a unique history.  History.com says that when Europeans came to America they brought their varied Halloween traditions with them.  It wasn’t as prevalent in the rigid protestant north as it was in southern colonies like Maryland.  Different European ethnic groups and American Indian traditions meshed to form the American version of Halloween.

The first festivities included “Play Parties” that celebrated harvest and people came together to dance, sing, tell stories about the dead, and tell each other’s fortunes.  Telling Ghost stories was common as well. History.com also notes that in the second half of the 19^th century America was flood with immigrants especially from Ireland, whom helped popularize Halloween nationally.

The Trick or Treat Tradition came from English and Irish Traditions, and Americans began to go from house to house asking for money or food. In the late 1800s though, there was a movement to take the witchcraft out of Halloween and make the holiday more about community get-togethers and games.  Halloween eventually lost its religious and superstitious overtones. Trick or Treating evolved over time to be an inexpensive way for the community to share the celebration. Also, in theory giving kids treats prevented them from being the victim of tricks.

Halloween is now the second biggest commercial Holiday, where Americans an estimated spend 6.9 billion dollars.  Knowing the history may just be of trivial consequence, but it will help you understand the dynamics behind such a popular holiday!

Football is fast becoming the most popular sport in America.  Some people are purely Pro-Football fans and others purely College Football junkies.  However, one tradition that transcends both levels is tailgating. Because Football Saturday is one of the main attractions of a football city/town, people from all over come for tailgating and watching games. It doesn’t matter if you even like football or understand the rules. Tailgating is a wholesome and fun event that the whole family can get involved in. It is also a source of pride and bragging rights for a community to have a competitive football team. 

For those that aren’t familiar with tailgating in the football world, it’s not “driving dangerously close to behind another vehicle.”  It is a social event that is held around the tailgate of a vehicle that usually involves beverages and grilling.  Fans dress in their team jerseys and talk about the upcoming game and get excited for the festivities.  It used to be an “underground” activity but has gained mainstream popularity with ESPN’s College game day reporting from the tailgating scene of the most exciting games of the day.

South Bend is one of those cities where tailgating is commonplace.  It is is also the current home to the College Football Hall of Fame. In a sense, every college football players dream is to make it to South Bend.  Although the Hall of Fame is scheduled to move to Atlanta soon, the pride of housing the Hall of Fame will never leave.  South Bend is a small city with a very dedicated and hardworking people.  Their allegiance is to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  Notre Dame has one of the most storied football teams in history; some of that history even being documented in the popular movie Rudy. Notre Dame is at the center of this tradition and it is something you will enjoy during the fall months in South Bend.  Who knows, maybe you can make connections that will last through all the seasons!

Get more information and search tips on South Bend Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in South Bend, IN.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bend,_Indiana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailgate_party

Being a “Charlottean” means appreciating the mix of southern hospitality and robust work ethic that make up the city of Charlotte.   This growing business Mecca has been named “#8 of the 100 “Best Places to Live and Launch” by CNNMoney.com- cities picked for their vibrant lifestyles and opportunities for new businesses.”

Contributing to the vibrant lifestyle, It is not uncommon to find a church on every corner in the “City of Churches”. There are reportedly 700 congregations that serve a population of just over 700,000.

The churches not only add to the spiritual growth of the cities inhabitants, but also add to the scenery.   Contemporary churches are known for their state of the art engineering, but the majestic beauty of  old churches still  graces more than a few street corners.

Get more information and search tips on Charlotte Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Charlotte, NC.

Sources:

http://www.helium.com/items/1413517-why-is-charlotte-called-the-city-of-churches

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte,_North_Carolina

Going along with our ‘Homemade Valentine’s Day Cards’ blog, we thought we’d give you some ideas to make your Valentine’s Day gifts this year.  Even if this isn’t your main gift, doing something creative and from the heart means everything to your loved one!

Here are a few craft ideas from About.com:

Conversation Heart Frame

Materials needed:

• Cardboard
• Paint
• Glue
• Candy Conversation Hearts
• photo
• Tape

Instructions:
Cut a rectangle shape out of the cardboard. The size you make the rectangle will depend on the size of the photo you are using. Cut a hole in the center of the rectangle where you will display the photo. Paint it red (or whatever color you desire). Set aside to dry.

Once the paint is dry, glue the candy conversation hearts all over the frame. Set it aside to dry again.

Once the glue is dry, tape the picture in the opening you cut in the center of the heart frame. Cut a small triangle out of the cardboard and attach behind the picture to make a stand, or you can even add a strip of magnet to the back!

Valentine’s Heart Jar

Materials Needed:

• Mason Jar
• Spray Paint
• Acrylic Paint
• Old Paint Brush
• Ribbon or Raffia
• Stencil Cut-Out of a Heart

Instructions:
Wash jar clean with vinegar, let it dry. Place newspaper under project to prevent making spills with paint.

Make a heart-shaped ’stencil’ and tape it onto the front of the jar. Spray jar with the spray paint and let dry. Spray a second coat and let dry. Once dry, take another type of paint and old toothbrush, and splatter paint around your heart design. Let dry.

Pull stencil off gently, tie ribbon or raffia around the top of the jar and secure with bow. Place a candle in the jar or fill it with candy, and it makes a real cute gift!!!

Another way to do this is have multiple stencil hearts for each color paints. Place that stencil around the jar and gently blot it with the old toothbrush and paint. Let dry and repeat process with another color paint-overlapping when possible.

Valentine’s Day Dinner:

And of course there is always that saying ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,’ so why not find a yummy recipe to cook for dinner that night! It would be especially nice if you set the mood with music and candles. And made place setting cards out of construction paper! Finish it off with a delicious dessert too.

Change it up:

Does your significant other have a favorite cartoon? You can take whatever cartoon he/she likes and take out the verbiage from the cartoon (by putting white out over the words), then insert your words or a conversation that means something to the both of you (i.e your first kiss or the first time you said ‘I love you’).  Copy the cartoon on a copier machine (so the words you inserted look like it’s in the actual cartoon-instead of just being written over white out). Feel free to color it and/or matte it or frame it for your loved one!

Or, how about you take a poem from his/her favorite author? Or a childhood author? I’m actually doing this for my boyfriend’s Valentine’s Day gift, taking a poem from Dr. Seuss and changing the words (keeping the tempo the same) to make it applicable to him. It’s something very memorable and can showcase all the time and effort you put into it. To make it more decorative, you can use construction paper to add a punch of color or give it the ‘lovey-dovey’ feeling. I also plan on framing it for him as a one of a kind piece of art!

We all love when Valentine’s Day rolls around. If the pressures from the Christmas spending weren’t enough, let’s add another purchasing holiday a month and a half later! We understand the crunch you’re feeling, especially in these economic times; let us share a way to skip an added expense….. Valentine’s Day cards!

Now, I’m all for the modern, eco-friendly, economical approach (hello E-Cards), however, sometimes those aren’t appropriate for your loved ones who live close by.  So take a look below at two perfect homemade Valentine’s Day cards from AllFreeCrafts.com:

Here are the materials you might need:

• Pink and red hearts cut from construction paper (various sizes)
• Cream/white colored paper (computer paper) & red construction paper
• Scotch tape
• Elmer’s glue
• Blank cards (or use left over poster board for a one-sided card)
• Computer to type phrases or Alphabet stickers

Directions:

Card #1:

This Valentine’s Day card is quick and easy. Cut a piece of dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card (or poster board piece) and glue it in place. Type “Happy Valentine’s Day” on your computer and print it on the cream/white colored paper. Glue the cut-out phrase first on a dark red piece of paper, and then give that piece on another piece of cream colored cardstock to create a layered look. This card will open horizontally (or not at all), so turn it horizontally and glue the Valentine’s sentiment to the top third of the card. For the bottom portion of the card cut three small freehand hearts from the dark red paper. Glue these hearts to three torn scraps (in the shape of squares) to cream colored paper. Space these pieces across the bottom of the card and glue in place.

Card #2:

This card is made from a dark red piece of paper and a cream colored piece of paper. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card (or scrap poster board piece) and glue it in place. Cut a large square from the cream colored paper and glue it just above the center of the card. Glue the piece of paper in place. Tear a large heart from the dark red paper and glue it in the center of the cream colored square. Type “Happy Valentine’s Day” on your computer. Print on cream colored paper and glue in the center of the heart.

These two methods are quite perfect whether you’re crafty or not! So use what you have lying around the house (scotch tape, glue and your computer) and if you don’t have the other materials, you can pick them up at your local dollar store. Trust me, for the price you’re paying you’ll get more bang for your buck! Plus, we’ll be posting a ‘Homemade Valentine’s Day Gifts’ blog where you’ll also be able to use these materials! Cha-ching!