Apartment Blog

Children and Adults will enjoy doing the crafts this holiday. It’s a good way to add holiday spirit with fun activities that’ll instantly give your home a festive look! Just put your creative minds together and take a stab at one of these crafty ideas:

Pot of Gold Party Favor:
For this simple activity all you need is a few household items to create it. You can use a paper plate, a toilet paper or paper towel roll (or yogurt cup), glue and paint. Cut the toilet paper or paper towel roll in half and paint it black. Then take the arc of the paper plate and cut it (make sure the arc can fit into the hole in the painted toilet paper/paper towel roll). Then paint it the colors of the rainbow. After both the rainbow and black pot dry, glue them together! You can make them for all your guests or just for little decor all over the apartment.

Shamrocks and Flower Wreaths:
The materials for this wreath are really up to you. You can use the traditional shamrock theme or go for flowers which will be reusable for your doorway all of spring. Regardless, you’ll need about a small to medium sized plain wreath. Ribbon color/design is your choice, obviously depending on the style you want. If you’re going for a shamrock themed wreath, then you’ll need a green or white ribbon preferably with shamrocks on it. Thickness would depend on the actual wreath you have. For little decorations you can get shamrock confetti, green silk leaves/clovers, green pipe cleaners and maybe even a few white satin roses to add some color. Arrange the materials in an order you like and glue all into place! You’ll have a decor element for years to come!

Shamrock Mobile:
With three different hues/shades of green construction paper, scissors, trace of a shamrock, glue and yarn you can create this lovely idea! Perfect for decorating your home for St. Patrick’s Day parties! Cut out various shamrocks in the different color card stock. Save the leftover paper (with the shamrock cut out) and cut around the rim (leaving a couple centimeters). See picture. Then punch a hole at the top of each of the pieces and assemble together using ribbon, yarn or string. Viola! You’ve got yourself a handmade mobile!

And finally, this next idea is most appropriate if you have children. Making a Hand print Rainbow is best using multiple colors of green. (You are forewarned that this is a messy craft!) Use a large piece of poster board and have your child’s hand dipped in paint. Each child can be a different shade of green (or you can vary outside the traditional colors for St. Patrick’s Day and use the colors of the rainbow). Use a blow dryer to dry the paint in between colors so the colors won’t blend together and look messy! Have each child (member of the family) sign his/her name too! To keep this memento, have it laminated for future holidays!

Hope you enjoy all the crafty ideas. If you have any of your own, please feel free to add them!!

Source: amazingmoms.com, kinderart.com, 123greetings.com

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

In the United States there are many festivities to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. It goes back to the first celebration in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737 where the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade took place on March 17th.

From the major cities like Boston or New York to your home town. Here is a brief list of some major festivals, parades and events happening in the U.S. Feel free to add your city’s celebrations to our list!

Savannah, Georgia
Savannah’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade usually takes place on March 17th, regardless if it’s during the work week. However for 2008, the parade will take place on Friday, March 14th to honor Holy week in the Catholic faith. The parade route changes each year but usually travels through Savannah’s Historic Park District and Bay Street. In additional to the parade, Savannah’s Waterfront Association has an annual celebration on Historic River Street which mimics Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street.

New York City, New York
According to Wikipedia, the New York parade has become the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world with more than 150,000 marchers and close to 2 million spectators on the street! The parade marches up 5th Avenue in Manhattan and ends by the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment.

Seattle, Washington
A unique fact I did not know is that Seattle and Galway, Ireland are sister cities given that Seattle has many Irish residents! The annual Irish Week Festival is enormous and includes activities such as Irish step dancing, food, historical and modern exhibitions and Gaelic lessons. It starts on March 14th and goes through the 17th.

Chicago, Illinois
The dyeing of the Chicago River has been a tradition for over 40 years. While many cities have tried to mimic it, none can get as true of a St. Patrick’s color as Chicago’s river can. This year the dyeing is to take place on March 15th. Chicago also has a St. Patrick’s Day parade that takes place on the same day.

San Francisco, California
On March 15th, San Francisco will have the 156th anniversary of its Saint Patrick’s Day parade. At the end of the race there will be a family festival with games, music and various other ‘green’ activities!

If you enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, there are many options to choose from! Regardless of where you are, cheers to you having a great time!

Source: Wikipedia.com

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching the theme of merchandise available in stores will be shamrocks. And when you see one this holiday season, you’re going to know why it’s the symbol for this holiday and what it means to the Irish people.

The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland and is also a registered trademark of the Republic of Ireland. Its shape is a three-leaf old white clover which is frequently used as a name and symbol for Irish pubs throughout the world. Many (especially those of non-Irish origin) confuse the four leaf clover with the Shamrock.  While the four leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three leaf shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a much greater significance.  The Holly Trinity is taught by Christians to represent the “three persons in one God”, the Father, Son and the Holly Spirit.  Traditionally the shamrock was used for it’s medical properties as well as being a popular motif in Victorian times, but today it is commonly associated to represent St. Patrick’s Day in decorations, face paintings, signs, etc.

When you’re thinking of images to decorate your Saint Patrick’s Day party this year, definitely use the shamrock. Not only for good luck but also for it’s meaning & representation to the Irish.

Source: wikipedia.com

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!

Don’t let the excitement of the holiday season make you vulnerable to theft this holiday season. Here are some tips to help you avoid identity theft and protecting your home.

Deter thieves by safeguarding your personal information

○ Make sure you shred any financial documents and paperwork before you throw them out.

○ Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through email or mail unless you know who it is you are working with

○ Don’t carry around your Social Security card or write it on your checks.

○ Keep copies of your receipts when purchasing gifts.

○ Never tell anyone your PIN for the ATM and don’t write it down on your card!

○ To be extra cautious you can always sign up for a credit monitoring service so you can view changes that occur on your credit report.

Protect your home from potential criminals

○ Be cautious about locking the doors and windows to your house. Also don’t forget to lock your garages and sheds.

○ If leaving for an extended period of time, make sure your neighbors have a key to your place and pick up your mail (if you don’t already have it held at the Post Office)

○ Have lights set up to be on automatic timers.

○ Don’t hide spare keys near your door (i.e. under the rug, above the door, under a rock, etc.) Burglars know this trick!

○ And don’t leave descriptive telephone answering machine messages. (Like they did in Home Alone) It just lets whomever (even telemarketers) know that you will not be home for a certain period of time.

Make sure you are safe this holiday season by protecting against identity theft and other holiday crime.

Source: Federal Trade Commission

When you live with another person, it’s never easy. Whether it’s a new roommate you met off ForRent.com or your significant other, there is always difficulty. But being prepared for some problems before they happen can help to eliminate any unnecessary arguments.

Some of the top problems roommates seem to argue the most about are rent, chores, and personal space (or property).

On time payment of the rent and any other bills associated with your apartment living (i.e., utilities, cable, etc.) is a MUST. Whether you know the person or not, talking about these situations is tough and may be tougher if you and your roommate have a relationship already established. Regardless, a proactive solution for this discussion is having a roommate agreement. This agreement could simply be a written document that you and your roommate sign and have a copy of for the future reference.* Regardless of whether you have an agreement or not, remember whomever’s name is on the lease is legally responsible (even if the other roommate(s) can’t or won’t pay)!

Another dispute between roommates, or in general all people living together-including families, is how to handle the chores. I myself do the dishes almost immediately after dinner. However, my boyfriend isn’t like that at all. He’d prefer to do them a couple hours later, if not the next morning! Whether you do your chores immediately, or prefer to wait awhile, having both combinations in one house is bound to create tension. Be sure to talk to your roommate if his/her constant dishes in the sink aggravates you. And remember you need to respect that he/she does things differently, just as long as it doesn’t interfere with how you are living.

Sharing your personal items can cause problems, whether it is your curling iron or your computer; nothing feels more uncomfortable than knowing that your roommate is using your things without permission. Establish boundaries early on as far as what items of yours can and can’t be used. It’s fair to assume that your roommate can use a utensil or appliance in the kitchen, as most roommates buy items when they move in together with the intention of sharing. But if you have a problem with other items, such as your computer or clothes, boundaries need to be specified.

In all of these instances the best way to avoid a problem is to talk to each other openly about it before it happens or before it festers up. If you are searching for a roommate, check out ForRent.com’s Find a Roommate section.

Do you have any good roommate stories to share?

* THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS BLOG IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE, AND THE AUTHOR AND FOR RENT MEDIA SOLUTIONS STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSULT WITH YOUR OWN COUNSEL AS TO ANY QUSTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REAGARDING ROOMATE AGREEMENTS.

On September 7, the For Rent Media Solutions office in downtown Norfolk was a little more quite than usual. Many of our employees participated in the United Way’s Day of Caring, an uplifting day of volunteerism in the Hampton Roads of Virginia. On this day, FRMS employees spent the day working side-by-side with co-workers outside of the office landscaping, painting, cleaning and working on whatever needed to be done at multiple project sites selected by United Way.

Employees made their rounds, assisting everywhere from local residential homes to shelters and museums. Erin Zarate, Marketing Manager, volunteered at a local residence, for a woman who dedicates the majority of her time caring for her child who is severely mentally retarded and physically and medically fragile. As a volunteer, Erin did yard work and helped paint the woman’s garage. Account Executive, Linda Perryman, volunteered at the Hermitage Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. While there, she showed off her green thumb, gardening and cleaning museum signs and preparing the flowers for show. Other volunteer locations included the Dwelling Place and the King House, local family shelters; as well as Meals on Wheels.

At For Rent Media Solutions, helping other is how we do business. Our company’s effort to give aid has extended beyond the traditional business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships. How do you help in your community?

You love your apartment community so why not help keep it safe? There are some things that all of us can do to help make where we live just a little safer! For example, you could start a neighborhood watch program, or if your apartment community already has one, become more involved.

Any motivated individual or a collective group can organize a neighborhood watch program, doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, single or married. All you need to do is send a flier around the neighborhood stating your wish to organize a neighborhood watch program or visit your neighbors to communicate your efforts. Set up a meeting at your apartment or the clubhouse so that you and your neighbors can discuss any issues that are occurring. As a group, you should create a list of topics that you find concerning and that need to be addressed. The committee can organize a schedule for who will be patrolling areas and when. Other items you may need are mentioned below:

A time and place to meet regularly, a map of the community with spaces for names, addresses and phone numbers, brochures or other material on topic of interest (i.e. crime rate, neighborhood facts, etc.) as well as Neighborhood Watch Signs that need to be posted around the community (You can purchased these at the National Neighborhood Watch Institute website)

Once you’ve got the basic set up taken care of, you may want to have a police officer come in and sit with the committee to give some ideas of how to spot a potential crime or unusual behavior, how to handle a crime, and how to report one.

Hopefully with all the steps mentioned above and of course visiting the USAOnWatch.org site, you’ll be able to accomplish your goals in making your apartment community a safer one for you and other residents alike.

If you’re planning on decorating your apartment using color, check out the descriptions below as to what each color means!?

RED

Red is associated with energy, danger, power, determination, passion and love. It has very high visibility which is why stop signs, stoplights and fire equipment are usually red. Using a little bit of red goes a long way, so use small doses of red and it will be just as a larger surface.

ORANGE
Orange is a combination of red and yellow so it combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with sunshine, the tropics and fall. It represents enthusiasm and creativity. It is highly accepted among young people and is a great attention grabber. You can highlight the most important elements of your design by using orange.

YELLOW

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It produces a warming effect and is linked with happiness, joy and energy. Bright, pure yellow is a great attention getter but is used best as a companion color instead of a stand alone color.

GREEN

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony and freshness. For an outdoorsy, sporty feel, use combinations with green and yellow with black or white.

BLUE

Blue is the color the sky and water. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, confidence, truth and heaven. It is considered to be beneficial to the mind and body and has a calming effect when used for decorating. When used with warm colors, like yellow or red, blue will create visually stimulating vibrant designs. When mixed with green, it’ll make for a natural palette.

PURPLE

Purple is associated with royalty. It signifies power, nobility and ambition. It is coupled with independence, creativity and magic. A purple room can boost a child’s imagination or an artists creativity. A light purple is a good choice for a feminine design.

WHITE

White is associated with goodness, purity and innocence. It is considered to be the color of perfection. Like the color Black, white compliments all other colors.

BLACK

Associated with power, formality, death and mystery, black usually had a negative connotation. Although it is considered to be a formal, elegant and prestigious color, it is also the symbol of grief. It does, however contrast well with bright colors.