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 evelynishere

Potlucks have been around forever, but they are still an effective way to feed a large number of people on a budget.  You can be the host and offer your house as the gathering place, but ultimately you want to delegate responsibilities to the attendees.  The potluck theme can extend beyond food, if you plan on entertaining people in different ways.  You can have each guest bring their favorite CD or movie along with an assigned dish.  The CD or movie can pertain to a broader theme for the party.  You can make the gathering fun by creating an entertainment theme around the most relevant time period to the prospective guests. For example:  ”Thankful for the 80’s”  can be a theme that allows guest to reminisce on those times and think about how they got from that time period to today.

The idea behind the potluck is to allow all attendees to participate in making the event a success.  If everyone contributes, they will feel like it is their party and won’t feel guilty for not helping in some way, shape, or form.  This is an ideal situation, especially during a holiday where the focus is being thankful for what you have and not focusing on what you don’t have. The potluck puts everyone on the same level for that evening, even if some guests are otherwise struggling financially.  It is important, especially with the recession still in place, to work together and build each other up.  Who knows, your gathering could be just what someone needs and propel them into 2010 with a new attitude about life!

Throughout my childhood I can remember my father in the kitchen (yes, my dad did a majority of the cooking in our household) making a fantastic Thanksgiving feast. He always hated anyone being in the kitchen because they would be ‘in his way.’ So a new tradition that I have started the last few Thanksgivings is to create some type of dish at my apartment and bring it over for Thanksgiving dinner.  That way I am still contributing to the amazing meal and helping without ‘being in the way!’

I found this fantastic recipe in a Taste of Home Thanksgiving magazine last year and decided that it needs to be a reoccurring dish from now on. It’s absolutely, positively delicious! Not to mention super easy. That’s my kind of side dish!

Corn ‘n’ Bean Bake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 ounces) of frozen cut green beans
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) of whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (can also substitute for cream of broccoli or cream of chicken)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) of shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• ½ cup of crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 12 crackers-can also be substituted for variety crackers depending on the complement flavoring you desire)

Directions:

• 1. Preheat oven to350 degrees.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, soup and ½ cup of cheese. Spoon into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Top with remainder of cheese and crushed crackers.
• 3. Bake for 35 minutes or until heated through.

Hopefully you’ll find this dish to be as easy and delicious as I did. Who knows? Maybe you’ll start a new tradition in your family! Happy Thanksgiving!

It is publicized all over the nation that unemployment rates are rising, homes are still going into foreclosures and prices are increasing on necessary goods. During these times it really seems hard to find something to be thankful for. Our minds tend to remember the bad things much more easily than the good, but there are many blessings in everyone’s life.

I took a quick poll of a few friends, just to see what others will be giving thanks for this year. The most important thing I can say I am grateful for is family and friends. And I’m not alone. The overall consensus of what to be thankful for this year wasn’t about money. It was about good health for you and your family, pets, friends, community outreach programs as well as giving back to the community.

So while times are tough, it’s important to remember what you are thankful for, especially this year. Take a moment to really think about all the little blessings in your life. It can be something as simple as a child’s smile or a green light when you’re running late. Whatever it is, I hope you take the time to really appreciate it. On behalf of For Rent Media Solutions, I wish you a very happy and appreciative Thanksgiving!

During this holiday season it is important to factor in the safety of all of your family members; even the little furry ones! You’d be surprised what dangers are lurking for your family pet during this festive season. So to help out all of our pet-friendly readers, we have compiled a list of items to watch out for this year. A trip to the veterinarian hospital would not be a pleasant thing!

Ingesting items:
Everyone knows chocolate is bad for dogs. But did you know that onion, grapes and raisins are horrible for them too? Fatty foods like turkey skin or gravy is not good for their stomach and alcohol is toxic! And be aware of things they can get into and eat such as plastic wrap, toothpicks, napkins, disposable plates or flatware. Items likes these can definitely do some damage to their internal organs.  If you are traveling with your animal or having friends staying at your home, make sure all medications are put in a place where curious animals cannot find them.

Safety for your pet:
This is not only about the safety of your animal, but also safety for humans around your animal. A pet that lies down in the middle of the kitchen is an accident waiting to happen. Make sure all of the left-overs are properly sealed and stored away where counter surfers cannot reach.  If serving turkey, make sure the carcass is in a plastic bag and taken out of the apartment. You don’t want to leave it around where any animal can take interest. And be sure to tell your family/friends visiting that feeding your pet is not good for him/her.

And finally, make sure you keep your animals’ routine as normal as possible. If your cats are terrified of people, let them have one room (perhaps a bedroom) to themselves. Or if your dog doesn’t like to be pent up in the house for too long, take him/her out for long brisk walks (for small dogs make sure they are dressed accordingly). Since there will be people coming in and out of your apartment, make sure that your animal wears proper ID tags should they escape in the confusion.

Wishing you and your family, all of them, a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!

It’s a tradition with my family year after year. We always pile up in our car and drive around to look at Christmas lights. There is one house in particular we always stop and see. We call it the ‘NOEL House’ as it has the ‘NOEL’ saying prominently displayed on its rooftop. We also make it a point to go to see the Holiday lights at Virginia Beach Oceanfront. There is something grand about looking at the holiday light displays across our city. I look in amazement at the creativity and the excitement that I feel. I feel like a child again, anxiously waiting for the big day!

Accumulated by americasbestonline.net, here is a list of the best holiday light displays in cities across the nation. Look who turned up number 11! J If you are near one of the areas, make sure you go out and look at the wonderful lights displayed.

1. Silver Dollar City- Branson, MO
Millions of Christmas lights cover the whole park. Plus, the entire city is transformed into a holiday wonderland each evening at 5:30 p.m. as guests join together on the Square for the lighting of the dazzling, five-story Special Effects Christmas Tree. Adorned with over 250,000 lights coordinated to blaze to the musical movements of Christmas songs, this unique Special Effects Christmas Tree presents classics such as “Carol of the Bells” and Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in a spectacular light and sound show.
  
2. Oglebay Festival of Lights- Wheeling, WV
In 1985 a holiday tradition began at Oglebay and spread throughout the city of Wheeling. That tradition is the Winter Festival of Lights celebration. The first year, displays and landscape lighting covered about 125 acres over a three-mile drive throughout the resort. Since then, the show has grown into one of the nation’s largest Christmas light shows, covering more than three hundred acres over a six-mile drive throughout the resort. 
 

3. Fantasy of Lights- Pine Mountain, GA
A 5 mile drive by car or trolley takes visitors past 13 holiday scenes with more than 8 million  Christmas lights.  Since 1992, this outdoor light and sound show has glittered with holiday magic for millions of people. Families from across the Southeast have added Fantasy In Lights to their list of memorable holiday traditions. This year, experience the 15th annual Fantasy In Lights with its eight million lights creating more than a dozen beautiful scenes, and you’ll see why this is the brightest holiday light show in the South! 
 

4. Smoky Mountain Winterfest- Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN. 
Smoky Mountain Winterfest is a magical celebration that begins in late fall.  Ride the Trolley Tour of Lights around Pigeon Forge and claim a spot on the sidewalk  for Gatlinburg’s “Fantasy of Lights” Christmas Parade, featuring lighted floats, marching bands and giant helium balloons.  This event combines 3 Tennessee cities: Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. These neighboring Smoky Mountain towns are ablaze with 5 million lights thru February. 
 

5. Trail of Lights - Austin, TX
The  Trail of Lights is a mile long display of 42 lighted scenes, US Post Office, Santa’s House, the Yule Log, and an entertainment stage. The festival begins with the lighting of the Zilker Tree, a 155 feet tall, 180 feet diameter lighted tree consisting of 3,309 bulbs on 39 streamers strung from Austin’s historical Moonlight Tower. Since 1987 the honor of lighting the tree has been bestowed upon the winner of the city-wide children’s tree coloring contest. The tree lighting ceremony takes place on the first Sunday of December. 

6. Magical Nights of Lights - Lake Lanier, GA
Rekindle an old tradition or create a new one at Lake Lanier Islands Resort’s 16th annual Magical Nights of Lights holiday celebration. Known as the world’s largest animated light extravaganza, the fun kicks off November 22 through December 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm. nightly! Bring the whole family a drive through tour of over six miles of twinkling, holiday light displays and a live nativity scene complete with live actors and animals!

7. Holiday Festival of Lights, Charleston, S.C.
Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission created the Holiday Festival of Lights to bring families and friends together and to raise support for the Charleston county park system. With over 600 individual displays located throughout the park in 132 power locations, the Holiday Festival of Lights is a magical sight to see! 
  
8. Enchanted Garden of Lights, Chattanooga, TN
See Rock City! The gardens’ natural beauty is complemented by more than 25 holiday scenes as half a million lights illuminate rock formations along the Enchanted Trail. 

 9. Southern Lights - Lexington, Ky.
The annual Southern Lights event is the largest fundraiser held for The Kentucky Horse Park. Over 25,927 vehicles passed through the electrical wonderland in 2006 alone! Everything from petting zoos, model railways, arts, crafts, and Santa Claus fill the Indoor Attractions section free of charge to guests.

 10. Mission Inn - Riverside, CA
This magnificent hotel and grounds have over two million Christmas lights!  Enjoy the sounds of the holiday season as our Dickens’ Carolers stroll throughout the hotel every Thursday through Sunday, beginning November 25, 2005, or enjoy a romantic carriage ride around the grounds - to take in the lights of the holiday season.
 
11. 100 Miles of Lights - Virginia Beach, VA
Come share the glow of the season and experience millions of lights and hundreds of events from Virginia’s capital city to the Atlantic Ocean. The region will glitter and glow, sparkle and shine with lights, lights and more lights. 100 Miles of Lights features holiday events and activities in Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach.

Drive-through and walk-through light shows will dazzle and shine with more than two million lights, providing a colorful backdrop to the wide range of events and activities for the young and young-at-heart. Lighted boat parades, city illuminations, festivals, parades, living history re-enactments, caroling, dining events, music and dance are among the many activities occurring throughout the region from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.
12. Bright Nights at Forest Park - Springfield, MA
New England’s most popular holiday destination and largest drive-through lighting display. Two and a half miles of Forest Park are illuminated with more than 500,000 twinkling lights, bringing the magic of the holiday season to life for people of all ages, in dozens of dramatic scenes such as “Poinsettia Fantasy,” “Seuss Land,” “Toy Land,” and “Victorian Village.” Plans are in place this year for bright new displays, and special celebrations to commemorate the holiday traditions of the many cultures that make up the region.

Source:
http://www.americasbestonline.net/christmas.htm