Blog Posts

Can I Stay with You Hosting Overnight Guests

The phone rings and its your sisters husbands cousin calling to say hes going to be in town, and asking if you can put him up for a few days. Of course you are willing to have him stay, but you dont have a dedicated guest room, so what is the best way to make use of the space in your home? Weve gathered some tips for making guests comfortable whether they are just here overnight, or are staying for the week. Make sure they feel welcome. Something as simple as having fresh flowers out sends an Im happy to see you! Welcome to my home, sort of message. Other welcoming touches are to include a basket with mints, snacks, the wifi password, a charging bar (or a power strip), a magazine, a flashlight, a business card with your contact information, and schedules for public transit (if its likely to be used). Provide the most comfortable bed you are able to. A good rule of thumb (if you dont have a second bed available) is to offer your bed, with clean linen of course, to your guests if they are older than you. And you sleep on the air mattress or fold out bed. Other bed options include a camping cot, a foam pad, or sleeping on a futon, a sleeper sofa, or a daybed if you have room. Lay out extra blankets and a fan if its hot. Clear out some space for your guest, a shelf, a drawer, a cubby, or even a suitcase rack like they have in hotel rooms, also provide a few hangers and a place to hang clothes up. (An over the door hook makes a good place to hang a few items of clothing.) Mention house rules in passing, or include them in your welcome basket. Note such things as quiet time, breakfast time, no smoking in the house, bathroom schedule (indicate the time span the bathroom will be free and make sure the door can be locked) etc. having these things clarified up front prevents miscommunication and awkward conversations. Provide a variety of easy to fix breakfast and lunch foods. Bagels, muffins, and danishes are easy to grab and go. Instant oatmeal, cold cereal, toast, and yogurt all make easy choices. Create a make-it-yourself sandwich option for lunch. Relax and enjoy your houseguest. Being cozy for a few days is typically worth the slight inconvenience it may cause. Take a few minutes and share your favorite tips for having overnight guests in the comments.

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

Storage. No matter how much storage we have in our homes, we manage to fill it up. And then what? How about some tips for creating/maximizing your storage space. First, purge. Simply getting rid of extra things that you dont really need cuts down on the clutter. Consider donating your gently used clothing and household items to a womens shelter, a Goodwill, or a halfway house. Knowing that something that was just taking up space has found a new home and is being used, creates warm fuzzies inside. Do you actually need to keep every single paper that comes home from school? Or notebooks from college? Or ten-year old business reports? But what if you may actually need it, or what if you really love it? Take a picture that way you can keep the memory intact, without having to keep the stuff. After purging, look for furniture that can double as storage. For example,put your bed on risers, and then use the space underneath to store items that are rarely used, decorations come to mind. What about seating that doubles as a storage chest? Or use a loft bed, which leaves room underneath for a desk, toy box, or cubed storage. Go vertical. The back of the door is a great place to gain some storage. A shoe organizer can do duty as a holder for office supplies, or in the kitchen it can hold all of the random little things that currently clutter the drawers. Bookshelves and baskets are a pleasing combination that can keep game controllers out of the way, and off the floor, provide a place for random DVDs, and keep the books you are currently reading handy. If you have a balcony, outfit it with weatherproof boxes for additional storage. Or hang your kite collection on the wall there, adding a decorative touch. Is your closet overflowing? Rotate your clothes on a seasonal basis. Put the off season in totes (perhaps they can go under the bed) and keep what you are currently wearing on the shelves and hanging up. As you sort at the end of each season, cull old and worn out items before you put away them away in storage. At the end of the day (or week, or month) after you have created a place for everything, and everything is in its place, admiring your clutter free spaces will bring a smile of satisfaction to your lips. Please feel free to share your storage tips in the comments.

Adding Heirlooms to Your Apartment Decor

We all have them, boxes that we lug around from place to place, but never unpack. And perhaps, in one of those boxes, you have carefully packed family heirlooms treasured bits and pieces from yesterday, that are safely cocooned away. And while they may be safe, consider the pleasure they could bring if they were displayed in your apartment to be enjoyed by all. Heirlooms can bring a unique touch to your decorating theme. Who else do you know who has a 1930s era fishermans creel? Or what about those old-time family photographs? The black and white and sepia toned hues can be used to create a striking visual focus for one of your walls. Do you have your grandmothers cookie jar? Pull it out, clean it out, and fill it with cookies, and create fond memories for a new generation. Did your grandfather smoke a pipe? Or have a favorite coffee mug youve inherited. A small shelf would be the perfect place to display the items. Did your grandmother do handwork? Display a collection of small items together in a shadow box, using tatting or a crochet doily in the background. Do you have boxes of old photographs with interesting views, people, experiences, but nobody wrote on the back, so you dont really know who they are, but you cant quite bring yourself to throw them out? Scan them and create a picture book for your coffee table. Mixbook , Heritage Makers , and Snapfish all offer programs to create photo books. Do you have a collection of programs and ticket stubs? A mason jar or shadow box makes an interesting place to display them. Shadow boxes also make a great way to display scout or military insignia and awards. Display your great-grandmothers handmade quilt on the wall or fold it over a quilt stand. And each day they spend out of a dusty box, the closer you can become to the people whose lives paved the way for you to become the person you are today. Please feel free to share a picture of something you inherited in the comments.

Hosting a Dinner Party in Your Apartment

Dinner Party. Do the words bring up warm fuzzy feelings of the last time you got together with friends, or does it bring up memories of a frustrated frenzy as you were trying to get a meal out with everything hot that was supposed to be hot, and cold things cold? We have put together some tips to the planning and execution from frenzied to fabulous. Guests Determine how many people can comfortably fit into your space when it comes to seating. If you have enough room, 8 - 10 people make a nice mix for a party. Create a pleasant mix of people at your party. Be certain that everyone there knows at least one other person who will be there. (And this makes it easier on the host, too.) Find out in advance about food allergies or other dietary restrictions so you can take them into consideration as you plan your menu. Let your guests know where to park, and any other idiosyncrasies about visiting your apartment. Menu Keep it simple (keeping in mind dietary restrictions and preferences). Serve a starter food; breads and cheese, fruit and dip, olives, crackers, cold meats. (This staves off hunger while you take care of the finishing touches of your meal, or while waiting for everyone to arrive.) Serve foods that can be prepared ahead of time (so you have more time to mingle with your guests instead of cooking). Crock pot recipes are great for this purpose. Foods that can be eaten standing up give guests a chance to mingle while eating. Think finger foods here. Instead of expensive adult beverages, consider serving a signature punch (and provide a non-alcoholic alternative for your guests who do not drink). Never serve anything you havent made before. (If you want to try a new recipe, try it out BEFORE you serve it for a party.) Setup A white linen tablecloth and fabric-made napkins along with fresh cut flowers can be a simple but elegant way to decorate, or use a checked gingham cloth to create more of a picnic feel for your table. For flowers or other centerpieces, choose an arrangement that is low enough so your guests can see each other over the top of it. (Or if you have a lovely arrangement that is taller, put it on a buffet or another shelf or table to enjoy.) Add some music; create a playlist of light jazz, easy-listening music to use as background, and in this case, louder is not better. Your guests need to be able to easily hear each other without raising their voices to converse. Lighting can make a huge difference. Use the dimmer switch if you have one, if not, consider using white Christmas lights, candles, or lanterns to create a softer, intimate glow. Encourage conversation by sharing something fun (not embarrassing) about your guests as you introduce them to each other so they have a launchpad available to begin a conversation. Have an activity planned in case conversation lags. Card games, trivia games, or getting to know you games can move things along. Using these tips will help you create an amazing dinner party. Dont forget the dessert! Please feel free to share a favorite dinner party recipe in the comments.

A Brief History of Pool

In todays blog, we will take a look at the history of billiards, which comes with its own vocabulary and rules, and the popular American pool game, eight ball. Evolved from lawn games like croquet, billiards refers to a game played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls moving them around a cloth covered billiard table cushioned with rubber rails. Billiards refers to all games played on such a table with our without pockets. On the other hand, pool (also called pocket billiards in some places) is billiard game played on a table with six pockets (one in each corner and two in the center of the longer rail). The earliest documented record of a billiard table was made in 1470? The table, made of stone, with a cloth covering, and a hole in the center which balls could be driven into, was on an inventory of property owned by King Louis XI of France. Louis wasnt the only royal to enjoy a game of billiards. Mary, Queen of Scots was known to enjoy the game, and it was played in many royal courts. The stick, known as a cue short for the French queue, came along later. Pool was originally played with maces being used to strike at the balls, which was difficult when they were positioned close to the edge of the table. Thus the cue stick was an improvement. Wool is still the fabric choice for covering pool tables, being in use for over 400 years (though todays wool is a high-tech blend). Billiard balls were once made of ivory, Sorel cement (an imitation ivory), and a composite called nitrocellulose; today various plastics and resins are used. Billiards claim the honor of being the first sport to have a Worlds Champion, happening in 1873. Some notable pool players include Thomas Jefferson, (who had a pool room concealed in Monticello) W.C. Fields, and Tom Hanks. The most popular American pool game is 8 ball . In this game each player tries to claim a suit (usually stripes or solids), pocketing all of the balls in that suit, then legally pocket the 8-ball, at the same time denying ones opponent opportunities to do the same with their suit and without pocketing the cue ball. So the next time you head to the clubhouse for a game of pool, reflect for a moment on the history of the game. And feel free to share a story about pool in the comments.

Staying Cool Near Canyon Park

Were on the cusp of a warmer time of year, and a few rare, temperate days have begun to make an appearance. Weve missed them so much through the rainy day season outside of our apartments in Puyallup WA. If you have begun to crave some summery excursions, then you should check the weather forecast for the next sun-kissed day! When it heats up, its a great time to head over to your local Wild Waves theme park for some summer-style fun! When you plan your visit to WildWaves, you should try to take full advantage of all that that the park has to offer. Spend some time at Pirates Cove, where you will find Captain Hooks Lagoon, an array of water slides, cool and warm pools, and the Raging River ride! This area also offers several options for edible replenishment, as well as a beer garden. If youve chosen to visit on a particularly sunny day, then you can rent a cabana to retreat into shade whenever you like. Another section of this park is Waterslide Alley, where you will definitely not want to forget your swimming attire. Its a literal gamut of adult waterslides where you must be at least 42 to partake. Take a trip down Zooma Falls, the Riptide, or all of the Konga Slides. For a more relaxing jaunt, hop into the Konga Lazy River and just float for a while. When your energy begins to fail you, but you arent ready to head home, take advantage of Pizza Pier or the Snack Shack. Then hop back into the water-loving party! If youve had enough of the water attractions, then take a meandering walk through Celebration Square. Here you will find street games, fish feeding, the Soaring Eagle 100 zip line, and a literal smorgasbord of rides and entertainment. You can even enjoy the experience of winter tubing on the dry tube track! There is a live Pirate Diving Show where you can view showman divers on an 80 high-dive! Its a comedy show, and caters not just to entertaining the kiddies. If youve brought some littlies with you, then take them to the Sea lion show to meet Stella, Kitty, and Rose! These friendly and adorable sea lions will teach you all about how to recycle and dispose of garbage properly, while putting on a show with serious splash power. We all know that waste management, if handled improperly, can cause all manner of havoc for marine wildlife. Who wants to be a part of that?! Once youve all learned how to take care, haul the little ones over to Kiddie Land for some exhausting, nap-inducing rides. Im sure youll be ready to lie down and catch some Zs in no time! Before you head back to your Parkland WA apartments, dont miss stopping in to the Old West, and making a run in the bumper cars, or the Pirate Ship. Make sure to strap on your shoes, because most of these rides require them. Make your final pit stop into Northwest Territory for some final ride adventures, and then stumble your shaky legs on home. You can bet itll be a nap well deserved by then.