How often to clean your dishwasher and how to do it.

That glorious machine in your kitchen that cleans dishes does in fact need to be cleaned itself.

Over time grease, soap scum and food debris build up in dishwashers. Not only does this provide a breeding ground for germs, it also reduces the efficiency of the appliance.

According to a house maintenance expert, you should clean your dishwasher once a month.

Fortunately, his three-step process is easy to do and doesn't require any special tools.

Step 1: Clear the drain
Remove the bottom dish rack. Inspect the dishwasher drain, removing any gunk or food caught there. This will improve drainage, increase cleaning efficiency and prevent damage to the dishwasher.

Step 2: Vinegar wash
Start with an empty dishwasher. Place a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container on the upper rack of the machine. Run the dishwasher through a hot-water cycle. This will wash away grease and grime and remove musty odors, too.

Step 3: Baking soda rinse
Sprinkle one cup of baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher. Run a short hot-water cycle. The dishwasher will be fresh-smelling and have a brightened, stain-free interior.

Traveling on Christmas Day!!

Flying on December 25 can become with discounts and other perks, but it can also mean longer transit times and fewer dining options. Here's what to know before traveling on Christmas.


Holiday travel is often crazy and hectic, but there is one way to beat the crowds: by traveling on Christmas Day. Christmas Day usually means less crowded airports and cheaper flights. However, it can also mean many airport amenities are closed or out of service. Here's what you need to know before traveling on December 25.


1. Pack your own food.
Although airports and train stations will be open on Christmas Day, not all of their shops and restaurants will be. Most of these places are run by outside vendors who can make their own decisions about being open independently of the airport. Be sure to pack your own snacks just in case you get hangry.


2. Plan extra travel time to airports and train stations.
We have actually seen some flights depart early on Christmas Day, but the same can't be said for public transportation to and from the airport, which is almost always running on some kind of modified schedule. Make sure you look up travel advisories ahead of time if you're taking the subway or bus to the airport. If you opt for a taxi or car service, some charge higher fees on holidays, so do your research.


3. Have extra reading material on hand.
While some airports amenities are still available on Christmas Day - those vending machines aren't going to shut down- others won't be. In case the Hudson News is closed, make sure your e-reader is fully stocked or you have a new book in tow. The relative quiet of the airport lends itself nicely to reading.


4. Festive attire is welcome, but not required.
Although many of the people working on Christmas Day are people who don't celebrate the holiday, many others are missing out on quality time with their loved ones. It's not unusual to see flight attendants or gate agents sporting holiday-themed accessories, so if you want to break out the Santa tie or jingle bell earrings, now's your chance.


5. Keep emergency info closed at hand.
Although December 25 is often an easy day for travelers thanks to the lack of crowds, it's still in the winter; therefore, increment weather can be an issue. In case airports are understaffed and you have trouble finding someone at the information desk, make sure all of your emergency contact info is handy. Print out any confirmation numbers you might need, in case they're saved on your phone and you can't get good reception, along with phone numbers for hotels and car rental companies, etc.


6. Be nice and own might just score an upgrade.
Half-empty flights, trains, and hotels mean that you have tons of chances to trade up for first class or better room. Often, all you need to do is ask - and if you've been friendly and polite to the receptionist or gate agent, they may even offer. Happy holidays, indeed.

Resident Referral Program $$$

Learn about our Resident Referral Program

Refer us to family & friends & get rewarded!

Call us today to learn more:

 

(866) 693-3850

 

 

5 Steps to Organizing Your Closet

 No matter what kind of closet you're planning, take the time to think ahead and really consider what you need to store and where you want to store it. Taking a hard look at what you have will help you understand the kind of storage you need.

Step One

Designate a staging area and empty your closet out. You can use your bed or a cleared-out corner of the room. This important first step requires you to remove everything: clothes, hangers, boxes, folded blankets or piles of old magazines.

Use a collapsible clothing rack to hang clothes so you can clearly see and sort exactly what you have. The rack is a nice addition for your laundry room once the closet project is over. Take your time with this process, maybe play some of your favorite music and ask a friend or family member to help if heavy items need to be moved.

Step Two

Organize items into specific categories and take inventory. You can place like items in cardboard boxes, plastic containers or in piles, and use labels to help keep track of each group of items. Some organizers suggest starting with "keep," "toss" and "donate" piles, while others prefer their clients to start with broad categories (clothes, shoes and linens) and then divide everything into smaller subcategories (sweaters, winter boots and sheets).

During this stage, take the time to group small items like batteries or toy soldiers together in bags or jars, so they don't end up "lost" among the boxes or piles of larger items.

Step Three

Eliminate items that don't belong in that particular closet. One of the big causes of clutter and disorganization in the home is items that belong in the kitchen or bedroom, are found hiding in closets all over the house. Over time, the temptation to stuff something like a box of appetizer plates in a bedroom closet or extra towels for the bathroom in the entry closet can cause you to make some bad storage decisions. This is the time to return out-of-place items to their rightful home. But try to stay focused on planning one closet at a time. You can turn your attention to other closets at a later date.

Step Four

Remove unwanted items. This might be the most difficult part of the closet planning process. It helps to establish some basic rules up front, like anything with holes or pairs of shoes or socks missing their partner must go. Ask yourself some questions:

• Have I worn this shirt or skirt in the last year?
• Does this jacket still fit?
• Do I really need 12 baskets that look exactly the same?

The answer to many of the questions will likely be "no" and then you can decide if you want to donate items to charity, try selling items online, hold a garage sale or take unwanted items to a local consignment store.

If you don't want to sell your used goods, hold a swap meet with friends and neighbors who want to eliminate clutter from their home. Many times a beautiful sweater that looks snug on your daughter can be a perfect fit for the child down the street. Just avoid the tragic storage mistake of leaving the swap meet with items you don't need. Remember; Keep your eye on the prize!

Step Five

Clean the closet itself. While you might think an empty closet is "clean", now is the time to wipe down the closet walls and vacuum or mop the closet floor. Once items are removed, you will probably find stray clothing tags, store receipts or dust bunnies. If the walls need painting, choose a paint that is specifically formulated to be mold and mildew-resistant. If you find your closet walls have mildew or mold after you remove items, have a professional examine your walls and properly clean and paint them.

How gated community living evolved over time?

Although the word gated community sounds like luxury living in developed nations, the very idea of gated community living came from the ordinary community-based living which existed in developing nations.

The researchers have found that the concept of living in a gated community existed in China during Sui Dynasty about a Millennium back. Gated community living came into existence with a motive of bringing differentiation in the hierarchical order of feudal etiquette. The enclosed residential area of ordinary people was called as li fang which was separate from those of the king’s family and their close ones. Each residence was separated by a compound wall for privacy and people lived as a closely knit social unit. With the evolution of Yang Dynasty, this concept of Li-fang disintegrated giving rise to other forms of urban construction such as apartments, streets, independent homes etc. In Tang period, more than a millennium ago, it was found that more than one million residents lived closed neighborhood separated by walls. Gates closed off at night, and guards made sure people stayed within the compound walls and off the streets.

1. A Peaceful and Safe environment
With noise and chaos filling modern lifestyle, people long for calmness after coming home from a long day at work. This is available in gated communities as most of the homes are located in a peaceful serene environment away from main roads or crowd filled streets etc. Most of the gated communities are designed with a lot of open space filled with trees, gardens or parks.

2. Comfort and Luxury
Gated communities offer a wide range of amenities like Gym, park, Swimming pool, Yoga, Super Market etc. There are also cafes and badminton courts in few communities and some of them offer even golf carts for the older people to move around the campus. With the busy modern day life, one can avail all these facilities within the gated community.

3. Sense of security
There is a sense of security too for the people living with highly secured infrastructure like CCTV monitoring, IP-based entry & exit and other amenities.

4. Better utilities and no maintenance headaches
With gated communities come back up power, treated water facilities, solar-powered heating systems, and many other essential amenities which are very important to live life comfortably. There are also concierge personnel hired to maintain these facilities which is a big relief for the home buyers.

5. Opportunities for social interaction
Gated communities present a lot of interaction opportunities like social gatherings during festival times, children of various families playing together, opportunities for similar age groups to attend yoga, gym together or go for morning jogs together etc. This, in turn, inculcates a sense of togetherness and gives them happy moments to cherish.

Pets & a Clean House House: Can They Coexist?

The biggest cleanliness challenge for many pet owners: hair. While there are no breeds that don’t shed at all, some -- like Labradoodles, Bichon Frises, and Schnauzers -- shed very little. Others shed considerably more. “Double-coated” breeds of dog, such as Akitas and Siberian Huskies, shed their soft undercoats twice a year, in a process that can leave furballs the size of tumbleweeds on your floor.

When keeping a house clean with pets, everyone has their own preferences for scooping up hair: Swiffers, hand-held vacuums, dustpans. But you can minimize how much cleaning up you have to do if you start with proper grooming.

“Brushing your dog or cat regularly will decrease the amount of hair in the air and on the floor,” says Nancy Katz, DVM, a veterinarian in Montclair, N.J. “Ideally, you should brush your pet a few times a week, just a quick brushing to get the coat out. If you collect it on the brush, it’s not on the floor.”

Brushing a cat regularly can also decrease their health problems related to hair, such as constipation and hairballs -- something that will also keep your house significantly cleaner.

Brush your pet outside, if possible, so there’s no need to sweep up after your grooming, and select the right tools for the breed you have. Katz swears by a brand known as the “Furminator,” but advises checking with your own groomer or vet to see what best suits your pet.

What about bathing? Cats will clean themselves, unless they are ill or elderly. Most dogs should not be bathed more than once a month, unless they’ve been rolling in dirt, because too-frequent bathing can dry out the natural oils in their skin.

Particularly if you have pets that shed frequently, such as double-coated dogs or long-hair cats like Persians, it’s important to check your air filters. How often? It depends on how many pets you have and how much they shed.

“At my office, we obviously need to change our filters more often because we have a lot of animals coming through, and we do grooming,” says Katz. “Check your filters every two to four weeks and determine how much stress you’re putting on them; that should let you know how often they need to be changed. If you keep them clean, the less work your heating and cooling system has to do, so you can save money as well.”

How can we save energy?

Saving energy means decreasing the amount of energy used while achieving a similar outcome of end use. Using less energy has lots of benefits – you can save money and help the environment. Generating energy requires precious natural resources, for instance coal, oil or gas. Therefore, using less energy helps us to preserve these resources and make them last longer in the future.

Why is it important to save energy?
If people use less energy, there is less pressure to increase the available supply of energy, for example by constructing new power plants, or by importing energy from a different country.

What does “life-cycle” mean? What does it have to do with energy use?
Nearly all everyday products have an impact in terms of energy, especially when you consider their energy requirements across the whole life-cycle: production, use and end-of-life. In many cases the use phase is dominating. Plastics, for example, are one of the most resource-efficient materials available. In their use phase, plastics products help to save more energy than is needed to produce them: For example, when you choose a bottle of water packaged in a light weight material such as plastic, remember that lighter packaging requires less energy for transport. Thus, less fuel was used to power the truck that delivered those plastic bottles.

What can I do to save energy?
There are many sources on the web that give you ideas of what you can do to save energy. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Change your travel behavior, think more in terms of public transportation, if possible, walk or ride your bicycle instead of taking the car
• Reduce your house heat by 1C, keep the windows closed while heating, dress warmly
• Choose products that come with lightweight packaging
• Turn off lights and appliances when you are not using them, use energy-saving light bulbs
• Reuse plastic bags for shopping and storage
• Use a microwave instead of a stove to reheat food
• Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries

What effect do materials have on the environment?
In our daily life, we rely on many materials. Wood, metal, glass and plastics all have environmental consequences. Think about the impact of every product you use. For example, the lighter an object, the less fuel is required to transport it. A heavy suitcase in the boot of a car will require the car to consume more fuel during its journey. The same goes for all product packaging. Therefore, buying food wrapped in lightweight materials thus helps the environment.

7 Ways to Beautify Your Bedroom

1. Sleeping Beauties: "Hit the hay. Lights out. Catch some z's." Your most important action of the day deserves a serene spot. Here, ways to tell a better bedtime story.
2. Mix & Match: Add interest by mixing prints, like the stripe, coral & chinoiserie patterns in the bedroom.
3. Go Bold: Bedding is the perfect place to be daring, not only because its easy to change out, but also because the options are endless. Don't be afraid to mix & match, as long as the sheets and duvet share a common color theme.
4. Add a Pop of Color: Spice up a traditional four-poster bed with a striped upholstered headboard and sunny nightstands.
5. Maximize Storage: A pretty nightstand with enough storage space for all the necessities can be hard to find. This one conquers clutter with three roomy drawers and a pullout shelf. Plus, its clean white finish, classic molding, and square, tapered feet make it a nice fit with any style of decor.
6. Paint it Blue: The color blue has proven to reduce stress and decrease blood pressure-both key factors on the path to a good night's sleep - so it's a popular choice in bedrooms. Choose a favorite shade of paint & pair it with a coordinating patterned wallpaper to adorn an accent wall behind the bed.

Sea the Light: Decorating with ocean-inspired accents is a surefire way to create a calming effect in a bedroom. This beside lamp base boasts a faux coral motif finished with white lacquer and topped with a silk shade for a sleek, simple look.

How to Remove All Carpet Stains?

Oops! Whether it be grape juice, a little present from Fido, or finger-paint artwork from your 3-year-old, it seems whatever is not supposed to get on the carpet always does. Here are a few tips from carpet manufacturer Shaw and rug maker and importer Nourison on how to clean your carpets using products you can find around your house.

What You Should Know Before You Start
To remove a stain, simply blot the spot and dry working from the outside in, rinse thoroughly with clean water, then blot again. Never scrub the carpet, or you risk ruining the carpet fibers or letting the spill soak through to the carpet pad.

For more specific advice, find your type of stain below. In addition to these methods, there are several spot removers on the market; before you try one, test it out in an inconspicuous spot to make sure it doesn't discolor your carpet.

Water-Soluble Stains

• alcoholic beverages
• berries
• colas
• excrement
• food dyes
• gravy
• ice cream
• jelly
• milk
• mud
• washable ink
• wet or latex paint

Use a simple cleaning solution made up of 1/4 teaspoon of non-bleach detergent (or white vinegar) mixed with 32 ounces of water.

Special Water-Soluble Stains

• blood
• chocolate
• coffee
• mustard
• tea
• vomit
• wine

Try 1 tablespoon of ammonia mixed with 1 cup of water (but not on wool or wool-blend carpet; instead use mild detergent and water). If that doesn't work, you can try one part chlorine bleach to five parts water, but only on solution-dyed carpets, such as polypropylene. Bleach will harm other types of carpets; check with the manufacturer if you are unsure what type of carpet you have.

Fat, Oil, and Wax
Place a paper towel over the carpet and iron on warm setting. The wax, fat, or oil should come up off the carpet and stick to the paper towel.

Cigarette Burns
These can be removed by gently rubbing the pile with the edge of a hard and flat surface, such as a dull knife.

Glue
Moisten a cotton ball or soft cloth with rubbing alcohol and press it on the affected area. Once the glue residue is thoroughly moistened, gently wipe it off and repeat until the carpet is clean.

Wax and Gum
Use ice to freeze the wax or gum, then shatter it with a blunt object, such as a spoon. Vacuum before the pieces soften, and blot the carpet with a white towel.

Nail Polish
Blot the area with a rag dipped in nail polish remover.

Urine
Absorb as much as possible with white towels, then blot with a damp, cool cloth. Next, spray or blot with a solution of one part white vinegar to one part water. Finally, apply a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of clear, mild, non-bleach detergent mixed with 32 ounces of water, rinse, and blot dry. If the urine was the result of a dog's accident, you may also want to try a housebreaking aid such as No-Go.

Ongoing Maintenance
Even if you don't have any mishaps, you should always have your carpet thoroughly cleaned every 12 to 18 months. There are many professional carpet cleaning services, or you can rent a steam carpet cleaner. They are usually available at your supermarket.

If you decide to do it yourself rather than hire a pro, you need to keep a few things in mind.

• Make sure the cleaning equipment you choose has enough vacuum power to allow the carpet to dry in 6 to 12 hours or you may risk damage from getting it too wet.

• Use fans or a dehumidifier to expedite drying time after cleaning. Be aware that if your carpet is wet for more than 24 hours, you risk mildew and bacteria growth.

• Choose a cleaning solution that has a pH of 10 or less, and make sure you remove all detergent after cleaning.

• Double-check your warranty. Carpets with stain resistance must be cleaned with products formulated for them or you risk impairing their effectiveness and voiding your warranty.

Why is Exercise Important?

If you don't exercise, your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!
 
Helps Prevent Diseases
Our bodies were meant to move -- they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.
 
Improves Stamina
When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.
 
Strengthens and Tones
Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!
 
Enhances Flexibility
Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help "loosen" those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.
 
Controls Weight
Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It's as simple as that.
 
Improves Quality of Life
Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.
 
How Often Should I Exercise?
The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it's disrupted too frequently. A "stop-start" routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.

People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.
 
Cardio
If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.
 
Lifting Weights
Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.

Stretching
Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don't have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.

11 Things People With Spotless Houses Do Every Day

Let's face it: No one wants to — or has time to — make a second job out of cleaning their home. And that's okay. We polled home bloggers and other busy folks to find out what little things they do daily to keep their places presentable. Good news: Each of these tasks takes a few minutes at most.

1. THEY TAKE THEIR SHOES OFF.

Shoes are not allowed past the front door in Danielle Lackey's Carrollton, VA, home. "I have three children who frequently play on the floor. Our shoes carry germs and dirt!" Her family knows the rule by now, and a cute wooden sign in the entryway alerts guests, so she doesn't have to.

2. THEY MAKE THE BED.

Before she even thinks about leaving the house for the day, Amy Bell, makes the bed. "Even if the rest of the room isn't picture-perfect, a neat bed instantly makes the whole space look pulled together," the Cary, NC, mom says.

3. THEY WIPE DOWN THE SHOWER.

"We squeegee the shower door after every shower to prevent water spots and grime," says Deanne Goodman, 33, from Oceanside, CA. "It only takes about 20 seconds, and it keeps the glass looking clear and bright." Her go-to tool? This All-Purpose Squeegee> ($7, oxo.com).

4. THEY CLEAN THE BATHROOM SINK.

Keeping a container of wipes (baby wipes work just fine) under the sink. "Just pull out a wipe and give the sink a quick cleaning." Try it and you'll never have to look at toothpaste dribbles again!

5. THEY WIPE DOWN THE KITCHEN COUNTERS.

"I wipe down our kitchen counters nightly with a homemade solution — one part vinegar, three parts water and a squirt of almond oil dish soap — that I store in a spray bottle,"  "The vinegar cuts through grease and also does a great job clearing up the smudges on our stainless appliances."

6. THEY CLEAN AS THEY GO.

Never go to bed with a dirty kitchen. The trick is cleaning up while she cooks. "If I have something in the oven, I wipe down counter tops and wash dishes while I wait for it to finish," she says. "I try to have almost everything cleaned up by the time dinner is ready, so that all we have to do after dinner is stick our dirty dishes in the dishwasher."

7. THEY SWIFFER BEFORE BED.

Spending seven minutes (give or take) every night Swiffering her way through the downstairs rooms. A quick pass prevents dust bunnies from taking over the house.

8. THEY DO A END-OF-DAY CLEAN SWEEP.

Before bed, Fabbri gets everyone to pitch in for a quick tidying up session. The family of four picks up the dog toys, puts away the mail, hangs up jackets and puts items back in their place. "With everyone helping, it usually takes less than five minutes, and I feel so much better when I come downstairs in the morning and the house is organized."

9. THEY PUT THEIR CLOTHES AWAY.

Almost every master bedroom has one chair that starts off empty on Monday and is covered with clothes by Friday. Unless you follow this daily tip from Debra Johnson, a home cleaning expert from Merry Maids: "Before you go to bed, put dirty clothes in the hamper or re-hang clean ones in the closet. And in the morning, fold your pajamas and store them in their proper place."

10. THEY OPEN A DOOR OR TWO.

"I throw open the front and the back door to air out the house every day, even just for a few minutes if it's cold outside," says Sherry Petersik, who, along with her husband, wrote the upcoming book Lovable Livable Home. "It helps to fight off stale air — or any random lingering odors from dinner — and it makes the house feel fresh and breezy."

11. THEY CLOSE A DOOR OR TWO.

Another easy one! Knowing that the entire house will never be clean and organized at the same time — especially three kids' rooms. "I've come to accept that and I just shut their doors." "If the main floor is tidy and I can just close off the mess, I'm likely to invite people over more."

How to Keep Our House Clean & Dust Free

1. They put away their clothes every night.
When you're changing into your pajamas, it might be tempting to just toss your clothes on a chair or even on the floor, but don't fall prey to that lazy trap. It takes a couple of seconds to put them in your laundry hamper or return them to your closet. You'll be thankful that you won't have to spend extra time rounding up stray socks all over your room when it's laundry day. Same could be said when you're trying on an outfit or when you've just finished doing your laundry.

2. They don't own extras.
What are you going to do with a dozen sets of sheets or five cheese graters? If you don't need it: Edit, edit, edit. You'll be saving much more space.

3. They keep a paper trail to a minimum.
It's easy to leave stacks of junk mail, delivery menus, and old newspapers on every surface of your house. Create a good filing system to save the important documents and toss the rest.

4. They wipe down every surface after use.
Let's be real, the less grime build-up, the easier it is to clean. Mildew, grease, and food stains are not a good look for your house.

5. They don't have beds piled up with too much stuff.
Sure, it's nice to have some decorative pillows and throw blankets to maintain a perfectly styled bed, but let's keep it to a minimum. The fewer steps it takes to make your bed every morning, the more likely you'll actually do it.

6. They put their shoes and coats away.
It's common for an entryway to have a shoe pile-up or for coats to be haphazardly placed on the entry bench, but it sure doesn't look tidy. Put your shoes in your closet or place a shoe rack near the door. Make sure to hang your coat as soon as you take it off.

7. They never let dishes pile up.
This one's pretty much a no-brainer, but taking a few minutes to do three or five dishes is way better than doing 15 at the end of the week.

8. They put things back where they came from.
If you do this, you won't have a precarious stack of DVDs, magazines, books, and toys on your coffee table. This habit makes the panic-filled, 5-minute clean-up before guests arrive a little better.

9. They dust and vacuum on the regular.
A few minutes of dusting or vacuuming at least 2-3 times a week will save you from doing a deep clean on the weekend when you could be relaxing.

Family Indoor Fun Games

 

Tippy Tower
It's hard to say what kids will love more about this game: building the giant block tower or watching it come crashing down.
Set up: Collect 15 to 20 empty boxes from your recycling bin (our boxes held cereal, oats, crackers, and other dry goods). Tape the tops shut and, if you like, wrap the boxes with paper.
Play: The first player selects a box and sets it in place. The next stacks a box on top of it. Play continues with each person adding to the tower. The player who topples the tower is out, and a new round begins. Play until only the winner remains.


Pom-Pom Curling
This tabletop tournament is loosely based on curling, the granite-stone-sliding, broom- brushing game played on ice.
Set up: You'll need two sets of three pom-poms and several drinking straws. Print out our target template, below, and tape it to the end of a rectangular table. Mark a boundary line a few inches away with painter's tape, as shown.
Play: Divide into two teams of three (if you have fewer than six players, you can rotate positions so that each person gets a turn as the bowler). The first team picks two players to hold drinking straws and sit on either side of the table, and one bowler, who stands at the end opposite the target. The bowler rolls a pom-pom toward the target, and the straw- holders blow through their straws to direct the pom-pom's path. Once the pom-pom crosses the tape line, the straw-holders must stop blowing and let it roll to a stop. The second team's bowler then rolls her pom-pom, steered by her team's straw-holders. (You're allowed to knock the other team?s pom-pom with yours.) Teams alternate turns until all six pom-poms have been bowled. The first team to a predetermined number of points wins.

Whee Ball
Inspired by the arcade classic Skee-Ball, this game doesn't dispense prize tickets, but it's just as much fun to play--and no tokens required!
Set up: Find a square box (ours is 14 inches on a side) and cut the top at an angle, as shown. Tape a cardboard ramp to the front edge. Paint the box, if you like. Set the bottom of an egg carton in the rear of the box.
Play: From a spot several feet away from the box, players take turns rolling 12 Ping-Pong or golf balls up the ramp, trying to land them in the egg carton. After their roll, they count up their score and gather the balls for the next player. Highest score wins the round.

5 Steps to Organizing Your Closet

No matter what kind of closet you're planning, take the time to think ahead and really consider what you need to store and where you want to store it. Taking a hard look at what you have will help you understand the kind of storage you need.

Step One
Designate a staging area and empty your closet out. You can use your bed or a cleared-out corner of the room. This important first step requires you to remove everything: clothes, hangers, boxes, folded blankets or piles of old magazines.

Use a collapsible clothing rack to hang clothes so you can clearly see and sort exactly what you have. The rack is a nice addition for your laundry room once the closet project is over. Take your time with this process, maybe play some of your favorite music and ask a friend or family member to help if heavy items need to be moved.

Step Two
Organize items into specific categories and take inventory. You can place like items in cardboard boxes, plastic containers or in piles, and use labels to help keep track of each group of items. Some organizers suggest starting with "keep," "toss" and "donate" piles, while others prefer their clients to start with broad categories (clothes, shoes and linens) and then divide everything into smaller subcategories (sweaters, winter boots and sheets).

During this stage, take the time to group small items like batteries or toy soldiers together in bags or jars, so they don't end up "lost" among the boxes or piles of larger items.

Step Three
Eliminate items that don't belong in that particular closet. One of the big causes of clutter and disorganization in the home is items that belong in the kitchen or bedroom, are found hiding in closets all over the house. Over time, the temptation to stuff something like a box of appetizer plates in a bedroom closet or extra towels for the bathroom in the entry closet can cause you to make some bad storage decisions. This is the time to return out-of-place items to their rightful home. But try to stay focused on planning one closet at a time. You can turn your attention to other closets at a later date.

Step Four
Remove unwanted items. This might be the most difficult part of the closet planning process. It helps to establish some basic rules up front, like anything with holes or pairs of shoes or socks missing their partner must go. Ask yourself some questions:

• Have I worn this shirt or skirt in the last year?
• Does this jacket still fit?
• Do I really need 12 baskets that look exactly the same?

The answer to many of the questions will likely be "no" and then you can decide if you want to donate items to charity, try selling items online, hold a garage sale or take unwanted items to a local consignment store.

If you don't want to sell your used goods, hold a swap meet with friends and neighbors who want to eliminate clutter from their home. Many times a beautiful sweater that looks snug on your daughter can be a perfect fit for the child down the street. Just avoid the tragic storage mistake of leaving the swap meet with items you don't need. Remember; Keep your eye on the prize!

Step Five
Clean the closet itself. While you might think an empty closet is "clean", now is the time to wipe down the closet walls and vacuum or mop the closet floor. Once items are removed, you will probably find stray clothing tags, store receipts or dust bunnies. If the walls need painting, choose a paint that is specifically formulated to be mold and mildew-resistant. If you find your closet walls have mildew or mold after you remove items, have a professional examine your walls and properly clean and paint them.

Moving and Packing Tips

Looking for moving and packing advice from the experts? You’re in luck! We’ve spent more than thirty years collecting tips and tricks to save you money and improve your moving experience!

Moving tips

• Make your reservations for movers two to four weeks before your move day.
• For large appliances be sure to check your owner’s manuals to see if there are special instructions for moving.
• Don’t try to get rid of your children’s favorite things before the move – even if it makes it easier. Kids sometimes have a hard time dealing with the change of the move itself.
• By law, a moving company can’t transport hazardous materials such as gasoline, bottled gases and other flammables, ammunition and explosives.
• Pack a box of essential items that you will need immediately after the move and make sure it’s the last thing added to the truck.
• Clean out closets, the attic, and the basement as soon as you decide it’s time to move.
• Make a “survival closet” of things for the last cleanup before you move out – broom, dust cloth, dust pan, mop.
• Remember to get snacks for move day.
• Schedule disconnect times for about a week before your move day -- you don’t want to have to pay for cable, phone and utilities when you aren’t even there!
• Cancel newspapers, cable, pest control, cleaning help, lawn services about a week before the move.
• Mail in your change of address forms about week before your move date.
• Clean your stove before you move out.
• The day before your move, defrost the fridge.
• Make sure to get enough cash to get you through move day.
• Take time to say goodbye to friends and neighbors before your busy move day.
• If you are depending on friends and family to help you move, have a back-up plan if they don’t show.

Packing tips

• Avoid mixing items from different rooms in the same box.
• Use wardrobe boxes to make closets easier to pack. Clothes in drawers can be placed in suitcases.
• Use only small boxes for books. They get very heavy, very fast.
• Never use printed newsprint to wrap fine china.
• Always stack dishes upwards when packing.
• Pack important and sentimental documents separately to be easily accessible including: children’s health records, passports, family records, insurance information and photo albums.
• Remember: the heavier the item, the smaller the box.
• Don’t pack with food or supermarket boxes. You never know what little critter is hiding – or if the box will be strong enough to support your possessions.
• Don’t use used boxes. You don't know if the box will be strong enough to support your possessions.
• Never use duct tape – use packing tape.
• Clearly label all boxes on top and side.
• As you take apart furniture and other items make sure to tape all parts to the main base.
• Try to pack all electronic equipment, like stereos in their original boxes. Otherwise use bubble wrap when packing these items.
• Start packing items you will not need ahead of time.
• Always pack and unpack breakables over a padded surface.
• Always tape boxes. Don’t interlock the tops.
• Don’t use boxes without tops. No tops make it impossible to stack properly in the truck.
• Use custom-designed boxes when packing fine china and clothing.

Regal Towers: Pets Welcome

Regal Towers understand the importance of a family to feel at home!!

So its Community is Pet-Friendly, because we believe every member of the family deserves to enjoy living at Regal Towers.

 

 

Should you have any questions about our pet policy, we are happy to assist you!

 

 

On-site Convenience Store-How Convenient!

This for sure has happened to you before...

Your buying  at the store, and even though you have a grocery list, you forget the item/s you were going for... the only thing is you are reminded of this; only till you get home!

With an On-Site Convenience Store at Regal Towers, you won't run into any more trips to the store, which can be a mile or two away!!

Regal Towers- "City within a City"

http://www.regaltowersapt.com/

Labor Day is right around the corner!

With a BBQ Area & Outdoor Pool space at Regal Towers

Labor Day party location is set!!

Because Family is the greatest blessing!!

At Regal Towers we have specialized our communities amenities

so the entire family feels at Home!!

Click here for more details!

Why is Exercise Important?

 

Helps Prevent Diseases

Our bodies were meant to move -- they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.

Improves Stamina

When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.

Strengthens and Tones

Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!
Enhances Flexibility

Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help "loosen" those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.

Controls Weight

Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It's as simple as that.

Improves Quality of Life

Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.

How Often Should I Exercise?

The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it's disrupted too frequently. A "stop-start" routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.

People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.

Cardio

If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.

Lifting Weights

Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.

Stretching

Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don't have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.

That's why at Regal Towers we want to make sure our tenants stay healthy. So we've provided a Community Fitness Center, which is open for all tenants!

On-site Day Care

With On-site Day Care!!! Regal Towers apartment homes has the perfect amenities!! #daycare #RegalTowers #MI #Southfield #Apartments #Homes

 

Regal Towers the perfect family home!!