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During this time of year, we spot peppermint at all sorts of places near our Oceanside, CA apartments. Some people put it in their lattes while others combine it with chocolate to make delicious desserts. There are dozens of ways to play with peppermint that you might not have even considered, so we've done a little digging and come up with some creative ways to enjoy this ingredient.
1. Peppermint Meltaways
Meltaway cookies are soft, shortbread-butter cookies that literally seem to melt right in your mouth. With this recipe, a bit of peppermint gets added to the mix, giving each bite a breath of freshness. These cookies are a great dessert to take with you if you're heading to someone else's house for a get-together. They also make excellent gifts when they're packaged in decorative tins.
2. Peppermint Bark
There's something kind of magical about the way peppermint and chocolate get along so well together. One pound of white chocolate and another pound of bittersweet chocolate serve as the foundation for a divine dessert that's worthy of second helpings.
3. Peppermint Whipped Cream
When homemade hot chocolate isn't enough to stand alone, put a frothy helping of peppermint whipped cream atop your coffee cup. Making this topping from scratch only requires a few ingredients, and the satisfaction you'll have from knowing you made it all by yourself will be worth the effort.
4. Peppermint Marshmallows
If whipped cream isn't really your thing, opt for peppermint marshmallows instead. These little treats offer a fun way to flex your baking muscles without actually baking anything. Every marshmallow will be as unique as you are, making this a fun treat to share with family and friends.
5. Peppermint Mocha
Skip the $10 cup of coffee and give this recipe a shot instead. Loose-leaf peppermint leaves are a great way to make your morning mochas in the comfort of your own kitchen. You can create this cup of joe using a French press or a coffee maker that uses paper filters.
Are you searching for an Oceanside apartment where you can get creative in the kitchen? Stop by our River Oaks community so we can show you why we were voted Top Resident Satisfaction in 2018!
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Do you love to cook? Then you understand the importance of having a kitchen towel at the ready. There are always messes to clean up as well as hands and dishes that need drying. But for some reason, kitchen towels always seem to be just out of reach. And that is why a kitchen boa is such a clever and useful item to own. The best thing about a kitchen boa? They're easy to create.
What Is a Kitchen Boa?
The kitchen boa combines a scarf-like material with two hand towels. It's called a boa because you can toss it around your neck like a feather boa. When you wear a kitchen boa, you will always have a hand towel within reach when you need one.
How to Make a Kitchen Boa
You will need:
- 1 piece of preshrunk cotton fabric, 9 x 21 inches
- 1 kitchen towel
- Coordinating thread
Directions for Sewing a Kitchen Boa:
- For the neckband, sew the 9 x 21-inch cotton fabric into a tube. It should be approximately four inches wide when you're done.
- Cut the kitchen towel in half.
- Hem the sides and the bottoms of the two towel halves.
- Gather the top of each towel half and insert it into the neckband.
- Fold under the raw edges of the neckband.
- Top-stitch the towels in place.
Voila, you now have a kitchen boa.
The Kitchen Boa as a Gift
Kitchen boas make excellent gifts for your friends or family members who love to cook. You can even tailor them for holiday gift-giving. For instance, you can use a bright red or green fabric for the scarf part and Christmas-themed towels to create holiday kitchen boas. You can also make a kitchen boa that doubles as potholders by adding heat-resistant padding to the hand towels.
Just like the kitchen boa, our apartments in Oceanside have both a fun and a practical side. Our beautiful community, for instance, features two pools and two spas, two playgrounds, a fitness center, and private garages. Please call to make an appointment to check out our available floor plans and to see all that River Oaks has to offer you.
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Summers in Oceanside California can get hot. Really hot. Sure, we think it’s worth it given all the other benefits of living here, but the heat is real. Here are four tips on how to beat the summer heat and stay cool, whether you’re indoors or outside.
Indoors: Reinforce Seals Around Doors and Windows
If your AC is having a hard time keeping up, give it a boost. Check the seals around any exterior doors and windows. If the seals aren’t efficient, you’ll absorb too much heat from outside. Seal reinforcing products are available at any hardware store.
Do be sure to check with your building manager to make sure that your desired sealing product is in compliance with apartment regulations before applying.
Outdoors: Stick to the Shade
No matter how hot it is out, shady areas are much cooler. OK, technically they only feel cooler: 100 degrees is 100 degrees whether you’re in the shade or not, according to recent news reports.
Still, the additional solar radiation you absorb when standing in the sun makes you feel hotter. It can make you sweat more, leading to quicker dehydration.
Your best bet then when outdoors is to stick to the shade. It may not technically be cooler, but you yourself will stay cooler since you’re avoiding solar radiation.
Indoors: Invest in Blackout Blinds
Sealing cracks and gaps around windows is a good first step, but you still have to contend with the bright sunlight. Install blackout blinds on all windows that receive direct sunlight. In the hottest parts of the day, keep these blackout blinds closed whenever possible. Certainly, when you’re not at home to enjoy that sunlight, you don’t need to pay for the extra AC needed to offset that sunlight.
Outdoors: Stay Cool With the Right Products
Sometimes you can’t stick to the shade, but the right products can go a long ways toward keeping you cool. People swear by these Chilly Pad cooling towels by Frogg Toggs, which keep you cool through evaporation. A good misting fan can also help.
Speaking of cool: Want to upgrade to cooler apartments in Oceanside, CA? Contact us today to see what’s available.
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A bathroom is a necessity in all Oceanside apartments, but if you’re concerned about the energy of your apartment and practice the principles of feng shui, you may be concerned about the bathroom. Bathrooms create a space where the positive Qi energy of your apartment will flush or drain away. Thankfully there are steps you can take to reduce this effect and keep that energy right where it needs to be. While the bathroom’s location has much to do with feng shui, that’s not something you can control. Here are some ways you can control the energy flow in and around your bathroom.
1. Shut the Door
When the bathroom is not in use, shut the door. This will prevent energy from escaping. Also, place a mirror on the door that will reflect the energy back into your apartment. This is simple, yet quite effective, and also allows you to hide an otherwise necessary, but not particularly beautiful, room in your apartment.
2. Close the Lid
When you are done using the commode, close the lid. This is the fastest place for energy to leave from your home, so keep the lid closed at all times.
3. Add Some Plants
Plants are likely not what you consider for bathroom decor, but they are a great option to keep positive energy in the space. Houseplants activate positive energy and purify the air, both of which are helpful in the bathroom. They also have a drying effect on the water element, which is quite heavy in the bathroom. Bamboo is particularly helpful in the bathroom space.
4. Keep Air Moving
Chances are an apartment bathroom will not have a window, but if it does, feel free to open it regularly. If it does not, use the ventilating fan to keep the air flowing through the space. This will prevent the buildup of stagnant energy.
Practicing feng shui throughout your apartment will make it more comfortable, with positive energy that supports your own wellness. Though the bathroom is challenging, it is possible to keep that positive energy, even in this space.
Are you looking for apartments in Oceanside, CA with beautiful, spacious bathrooms? Schedule a tour of River Oaks today!
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So, you’re on a diet. Naturally, this doesn’t mean you have to eat terrible foods in order to shed pounds. It does, however, mean that you should toss a few select foods that would only hold you back.
Get out the trash bag, open the fridge, and get ready to pitch — these are the foods you should always nix when you’re on a diet!
Top Foods to Say “Bye-Bye” to When You’re Dieting
#1 – Soda
If you've ever heard the phrase "empty calories," whoever was speaking was probably referring to soda. Soda contains tons of calories, but you'd never know it. It might fill you up a little bit, but not in any substantial way.
To the contrary, soda gives you an initial sugar rush, followed by a crash. It doesn't give you actual energy. Furthermore, it adds no nutritional value to your diet.
#2 – Alcohol
Speaking of empty calories, alcohol does you no good either. In fact, studies have shown that those who drink tend to eat more when they drink. You've probably noticed this when you've gone out for beers with friends, intending to only have a salad for dinner with your drink and ending up with a burger and fries.
And if you think you can get away with just a "glass of red wine" for your health, think again. One five-ounce glass of red wine has a whopping 125 to 150 calories.
#3 – Fancy coffees
People who love their fancy coffees love their fancy coffees. Unfortunately, a stylish mocha-hazelnut-frappe-whole-milk-latte with whipped cream can cost you about a third of your daily caloric limit when you’re on a diet.
If you must have a somewhat fancy coffee drink, opt for something like a low-fat flavored cappuccino or a whole milk latte with no flavoring.
#4 – Ice cream
It’s a sad day, isn’t it?
Yes, unfortunately, ice cream is a serious culprit if you love the stuff but also want to lose weight. Just a half of a cup of full-fat ice cream can have anywhere from 140 to 240 calories. If you’ve ever seen half of a cup … you know that’s not enough for a true ice cream-lover. Therefore, it’s essentially better to cross it off your list for now.
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Many people who live in apartments don't think much about their entryways. It may be a place to toss shoes or hang keys, but investing any time or money in some sort of organization is an infrequent thought for most.
In fact, your entryway can be extremely useful if you want it to be. Here are some helpful tips for making your entryway (no matter how small) more useful and well organized.
Invest in a shoe rack.
Even if you don't have an actual entryway room or so-called mudroom, you can still implement organizational tools that can designate an area for your entryway and help you stay organized.
Most apartment dwellers understand that it's important to take shoes off as soon as you walk in the door. But this habit can quickly turn into a huge pile of random shoes (usually covering a huge pile of dirt, leaves, and twigs from said shoes).
The habit itself isn't the problem. It's how you’re organizing the shoes. A simple shoe rack will only cost you around $10 or $15 and can help you keep your shoes more orderly and out of the way.
Have a place to hang your coats etc.
And remember: One single hook isn’t going to do the trick. Most people have multiple coats, scarves, hats, purses, book bags, backpacks, and other things that they need to put somewhere as soon as they walk in the door.
For this reason, it's best to have at least a line of three, four, or five hooks. Alternatively, you can invest in a freestanding coat rack.
Designate a place to put your keys, wallet, mail, etc.
Lastly, let's talk about the small things that your entryway houses — because, of course, it's not all about shoes, book bags, and coats.
When you walk in the door, you’ll have your keys in your hand, and you should put them somewhere reliable. A small dish, a hook, or a magnetic ring on the wall are all good options. Furthermore, designate a spot where you can put little things you may be carrying, such as your wallet, the mail, or your sunglasses.
Ready to start styling your very own, new apartment entryway? Oceanside, CA apartments are available! Call our office today to see what floor plans we have open.
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Award ribbons, competition t-shirts, and race bibs typically hold great sentimental value. Yet, they often end up in drawers and boxes, never to be seen again. This is very unfortunate. You worked hard for those competition awards, so don't they deserve to be properly displayed? If you answered yes to that question, check out the following four interesting ways to show off those hard-earned awards and shirts.
Tabletop Medal Holder
One of the most popular awards given to competitors is a medal affixed to a neck ribbon. These look great when hanging around your neck, but those ribbons can get all tangled when thrown into a drawer. One of the best ways to display this type of award is with a carousel style holder that has arms from which you can dangle your medals. The carousel feature allows you to spin this holder around so that all medals can be easily viewed.
T-shirt Quilt
Do you own a stack of event t-shirts and sweatshirts that you no longer wear, but just can't bear to part with? If so, why not have them converted into a memory quilt? This is an excellent way to make those old t-shirts useful again, while also freeing up room in your closet or drawers.
Shadow Box
Your most important awards deserve a place of honor. A shadow box allows you artfully showcase those medals, ribbons, and pins that mean the most to you.
Race Bib Album
One of the best ways to keep track of your progress as a runner is by organizing your race bibs in an album specifically designed for this purpose. These types of albums typically have a sleeve for you to place your bib in along with a writable surface so that you can record pertinent information, such as the date of the competition and your running time.
Are you into competitive fitness events and also searching for a new apartment? Then come check out our pet-friendly apartments in Oceanside, California. Our community boasts a fitness center and two pools where you can train and stay in shape. Plus, we're sure that you'll fall in love with our newly renovated apartments that boast beautiful canyon views.
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While living in an apartment, it can be a challenge to keep things clean. In this post, we’ll discuss three cleaning tips for keeping a clean apartment.
Jot Down Cleaning Reminders
With our hectic lives, it can be a challenge remembering to vacuum or do the dishes. One way to remind yourself to take care of these tasks is to write them down as a reminder. If you prefer pen and paper, write these tasks in a large font and place the note somewhere you’ll see it easily. If a digital platform is more your style, jot down these reminders and try to focus on remembering them.
Always Keep Enough Supplies
Remembering to clean is hard enough, but when you take the time to clean and you don’t have enough supplies, it will probably lead to you putting these chores on the back burner. A huge cleaning tip for your apartment involves having the right supplies and having enough of them. Inside your apartment, you’ll always want to keep disinfectant spray, toilet bowl cleaner, washcloths, sponges, and soap. By not having enough cleaning supplies, it can be hard to clean once you have the time. A good rule of thumb is to check these supplies every week and replace them if you don’t have a sufficient supply. If you always seem to use the same amount of supplies every month, you might even consider signing up with a company that sends you a recurring order of supplies.
Clean Smarter
A huge reason why people neglect cleaning their apartment is because of the driving costs of cleaning supplies. However, cleaning your apartment is as easy as finding ingredients that you already have. We recommend doing research to find the best ingredients to use for whatever you’re looking to clean. For example, if you’re searching for ways to clean up pet hair, throw on a pair of rubber gloves and rub your hand against the carpet or a couch. To clean up dirty blinds, a good solution is to add some vinegar to a sock and wipe them down. There are thousands of cleaning hacks out there that can turn your apartment into a tidy paradise.
By following these cleaning tips for apartment living, you can enjoy a relaxing apartment that looks and smells great. If you’re searching for new apartments in Oceanside, CA, then be sure to contact River Oaks today!
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