Posts about apartments in mount vernon

5 Of The Best Houseplants for Apartment Dwellers-image

Plants make people happy and are a great addition to any home , but savvy apartment dwellers know that not just any houseplant can thrive in their pad. Apartment plants must be hardy enough to survive low light yet need a bold look for a small space where every addition matters. Here are five of the best houseplants for brightening up your space, purifying your air, and inspiring your décor! Rex Begonia Instagram/plantsnpolyps Rex Begonias are admired for their fabulous foliage, which often features pink swirls mingle with moody purples and smoky greens and sometimes even metallic shades of silver! Rex Begonias like moderation in all things : light, water, and fertilizer. Easy on the eyes and easy to care for, these beauties are a great houseplant for your apartment. However, Rex Begonias are toxic to cats and dogs if ingested , so if you have a fur baby, maybe skip this one. Moth Orchid Instagram/mimi_benben Don’t be intimidated by their exotic appearance; moth orchids are great at thriving inside! You are more likely to kill an orchid by overwatering than underwatering, making them a great low-maintenance option. Moth orchids are also especially well-suited for cold days when you're spending a lot of time indoors. The biggest difference between caring for orchids and other houseplants is that orchids do not grow in soil, but instead require a chunky orchid mix that helps get air to the roots. A tray filled with gravel and water will help with humidity, and a south or east window will keep your moth orchid perky. What’s more, moth orchids are non-toxic to dogs and cats , so they’re a great option for pet-lovers. Philodendron Instagram/rifanaplantshop The philodendron is perfect for the busy apartment dwellers and inexperienced plant parents. The plants adapt readily to conditions inside the home and will tell you exactly what it needs! A weekly watering and  indirect light  is all you need for years of lush growth.  Large, heart-shaped green leaves tumble freely over the edge of a hanging basket, or, you may choose to train them up a totem pole for a vertical accent. Philodendrons, are toxic to both cats and dogs . Spider Plant Instagram/waterthatnode   The spider plant is considered one of the most adaptable of houseplants and the easiest to grow. These tough plants tolerate lots of abuse, making them excellent candidates for newbie gardeners or those without a green thumb. Spider plants do not need much water, and they adapt to a range of light conditions (including artificial light). Spider plants are non-toxic to dogs and cats ! Jade Plant Instagram/miss__vlad Caring for a jade plant is easy and simply . Many people enjoy growing jade plants in their homes and offices, and they are considered to be symbols of good luck . With a little practice, you can even propagate them for super cute gifts. Jade plants are toxic to both cats and dogs . Plants can help lower your stress, boost your productivity and purify the air your breath! There are many reasons to bring them into your home. Even in the tightest of corners and the dimly-lit spaces, you can find a houseplants that’s perfect for you and your apartment home . Are you a plant-lover who has learned how to help your plants thrive in an apartment? Let us know what tips and tricks you have in the comments!

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Tips for Preventing Holiday Stress-image

Even under normal circumstances, the holiday season and all its demands - cooking a grand homemade holiday dinner, shopping for the perfect gifts for everyone on your list, baking Pinterest-worthy cookies from scratch, etc. - brings a lot of stress. Add to that the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and you’ve got one doozy of a 2020 holiday season. Not only are the holidays during the pandemic especially stressful, many the ways with which we would normally cope – meeting friends for a drink, spending time with family, traveling for a getaway – are not options this year. With some practical tips, you can minimize or even prevent the stress that accompanies the holidays and hopefully end up enjoying the season more than you might’ve thought you would. Tips to prevent holiday stress: 1. Acknowledge your feelings. We have this unrealistic expectation that the holiday season is supposed to be this magical time when everyone is holly and jolly and the world is a better place. If it’s hard to get in the holiday spirit this year, know that it’s ok to feel that way! You can't force yourself to be happy just because the holidays are here. Acknowledge that it’s ok to feel sad or anxious during the holiday season. 2. Create new traditions.   Traditions are important, and not being able to uphold some of those traditions this year can be incredibly difficult. Choose a few to hold on to and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children or other relatives can't come to your home, find new ways to celebrate together, such meeting virtually on a video call . Host a game of online bingo, have a virtual scavenger hunt, or even take your ugly sweater party online this year. Apps like WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger and more make it easy to connect groups, even when you can’t be together physically. Even though your holiday plans may look different this year, you can still find ways to celebrate. 3. Take the Stress Out of Gift-Giving. ​ Let go of the idea that you need to give the perfect gift or that you need to go into debt to show people how much you care. Here are some tips to take the stress out of gift-giving this year: Before you do your gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend, then stick to your budget! Use an app to help you keep track of everyone on your list, your budget for those people, and the gifts you purchase. Give homemade gifts in place of store-bought gifts. They’re more meaningful, anyway! Gift the chef in your family their very own handmade recipe box . Give the friend who could use some pampering a snowball bath bomb . Give someone whose nostalgic for the 90s a koosh ball pillow !  If you usually buy for everyone in your family or friends group, suggest implementing a Secret Santa gift exchange to make it easier for everyone. Donate to a charity in a friend or family member’s name. One with a cause that you know is important to them. 4. Plan ahead.   Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, connecting with friends and other activities. Consider whether you can shop online for any of your items. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list, which will help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients. 5. Learn to say no.   Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can't participate in every project or activity. If it's not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time. Just make sure to make at least a little time for connecting with friends and your community. 6. Don't abandon healthy habits.   Don't let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Try these suggestions: Have a healthy snack before holiday meals so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks. Get plenty of sleep . Include regular physical activity in your daily routine. Try deep-breathing exercises, meditation or yoga. Avoid excessive tobacco, alcohol and drug use. Be aware of how the information culture can produce undue stress and adjust the time you spend reading news and social media as you see fit. 7.  Find Ways to Give Back . Volunteering your time or doing something to help others also is a good way to lift your spirits and broaden your friendships. Give blood, participate in a food drive, or just drop off dinner to a friend or family member one night. 8.  Seek professional help if you need it.   Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are serious concerns. If you are seriously worried about your mental health, contact a health care professional immediately.  Take control of the holidays Don't let the holidays become something you dread. Instead, take steps to prevent the stress they can bring. Learn to recognize your holiday triggers, such as financial pressures or too many demands on your time, so you can combat them and can find peace and joy during the holidays.

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Holiday Decorating on a Budget-image

Never before have we been in such need for some holiday cheer! With more time spent at home this year, everyone seems more eager than ever to deck the halls in an attempt to imbue some holiday spirit and give us a well-needed distraction from the year we’ve had. However, with the economic crisis created by the pandemic, many of us are also looking for ways to cut costs and stretch our dollars. If you’re looking to trim the tree to its finest this year while also saving a few bucks, read on for some great tips on decorating for the holidays on a budget!   Use Decorative Ribbon   Buy a few rolls of decorative craft ribbon to get things started this holiday season. Tie the ribbon around chairs at your dining room table, hang them from doorknobs, tie them to wreaths, etc. Colorful, sparkly, or patterned ribbons will add some budget-friendly pizzazz to your holiday décor. Plus, it’s an easy way to create a themed holiday look throughout your apartment!   Make Your Own Wreaths   Store-bought Christmas wreaths can be expensive ! Instead, follow a tutorial like this one to make your own wreath out of inexpensive supplies. As an added bonus, the wreath you create will be uniquely your own and you can even use some of the decorative ribbon you picked up to keep your unified theme going.   Ornaments Aren’t Just For the Tree   Use any spare ornaments that didn’t go on the tree in other locations around your apartment ! Create a centerpiece bowl, layer them in a glass cake dish, use them to adorn wreaths, etc. Speaking of ornaments, you can DIY some of your very own using items you may already have one hand.   Use Candy Canes   An inexpensive box of candy canes can go a long way! Turn them into a vase , use them as a candlestick holder , or simply hang them from the tree! Candy canes aren’t the only candy you can easily turn into décor. Rock candy, ribbon candy, sugar plums and many others can also double as festive décor.   Display Your Cards Display the greeting cards that you’ve been sent (this year and in years past), in a unique and festive way for another inexpensive piece of décor. Borrow Décor from Others   Ask your friends and family who live nearby if they have any spare decorations of which they’re ready to let go or just not using this year. You might get lucky and score some totally free holiday decorations while also giving some secondhand donations a new life! Do you have any tips of your own for saving on holiday décor? Let us know in the comments.

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Tips for Cooking Your First Thanksgiving Dinner-image

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are choosing to stay home this holiday season. If you’re used to being a guest instead of a host on Thanksgiving day, this might be your very first time tackling a Thanksgiving dinner all on your own! Cooking this great American meal is a big milestone for a cook, but it can also be very nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing. If cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the very first time seems daunting, you’re not alone! To help try to ease your nerves and set you up for success, we’ve compiled a list of seven great tips for taking the stress out of Thanksgiving, so you can stay organized and calm and make this a special and memorable Thanksgiving. Don’t try out new recipes. Thanksgiving is all about the classics, so stick with the tried-and-true as much as possible. You’ll want to be able to devote as much of your brainpower as possible to your first-ever turkey! Plus, this is the biggest, most important meal of the year for most people, so why risk ruining it with a disastrous recipe that doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped? Plan out your menu. Keeping #1 in mind, plan out your menu from drinks to desserts. From that list, create a grocery list and organize that list by aisle/store location so you can get in and out quickly and efficiently without risking having to go back for anything you’ve forgotten. Clean out your refrigerator. November 15 th is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day , and for good reason. You’ll want to make room for all those extra ingredients and eventual leftovers. Plus, you can use this opportunity to check the expiration dates and take a proper inventory of everything you do have so you know exactly what you’ll need from the store. Make as much ahead as possible. When you’re planning your menu, look for dishes that can be made ahead and get those crossed off as early as possible. Outside of the turkey itself, try to minimize the amount of actual cooking you need to do on Thanksgiving morning. Give the turkey an extra day to thaw. The rule of thumb is that it takes about 24 hours of thawing time for every 4 pounds of turkey. So, if you have a 15-pound turkey, you need at least 4 days of fridge time. But, do yourself a favor and allow yourself at least one extra day of thawing time. If it thaws completely a day or two before you need to cook it, that’s fine! Make a schedule of when everything will happen. Even if you’ve most of the cooking ahead, you still need to have a plan for when everything gets cooked, re-heated, or finished off . Write it all down with pen and paper or set alarms and reminders on your phone for when things need to go into the oven or come out. To make it easy, work backwards from the time you want to eat dinner, keeping in mind that the turkey should come out of the oven an hour before dinner starts. What will you need to pop in the oven to re-heat or bake during this hour? Give yourself grace. If the day doesn’t go exactly as planned, the rolls get a little burnt or the turkey is a little dry, be gentle with yourself. Relax, enjoy the experience, and remember the spirit of the holiday by trying to find moments of gratitude. Are you preparing Thanksgiving dinner on your own for the first time this year? If you’re a seasoned turkey day chef, do you have any other tips and tricks for first-timers? Let us know in the comments!

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Using the 50/30/20 Rule to Create a Budget-image

A budget is a visual outline of your financial situation that will give you clarity on where your money is going. Seeing it “on paper” will assist you in coming up with a plan to help you achieve your short-term and long-term financial goals. If you’re someone who doesn’t have the patience for tracking your expenses in detailed categories (ex: housing, transportation, recreation and activities), the 50/30/20 budget might be for you! What is a 50/30/20 Budget? The 50/30/30 rule was popularized by the book All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan by Senator Elizabeth Warren. The 50/30/20 rule budget only requires you to track and divide your expenses into three main categories: needs, wants, and savings or debt. To create a 50/30/20 budget, you start with your net income, which is your take-home pay, the amount after taxes and deductions. Using your net income as your baseline, you divide your expenses into three categories: needs, wants, and savings. Here’s an example of how a 50/30/20 budget might look:   If your monthly income is $4,000, then $2,000 (50 percent) would be set aside for needs. Another $1,200 would go toward wants, and the final $800 would go into savings.     50 / Needs Your needs bucket is largest at 50 percent of your net income. This bucket covers necessities such as rent, utilities, renter’s insurance, groceries, health care expenses; at least the minimum payments on your debts; and the bare minimum of basic clothing and supplies for living. 30 / Wants Your wants bucket is the second largest chunk at 30 percent of your net income. This bucket covers things like hobbies, entertainment, gifts, luxuries, etc. Expenses for things you don’t absolutely need but might be inconvenienced by being without (ex: your Netflix subscription), fall into your wants bucket. 20 / Savings The remaining 20 percent will go into savings. Whether you are trying to pay off debt more quickly than required, saving for a new house, or just setting aside emergency funds, 20% of your net income should go into this bucket. Is the 50/30/20 rule budget good for you? Overall, the 50/30/20 rule can be a sound budgeting method for some people. But whether the system is right for you depends on your specific circumstances. Having just three categories to track might help you focus on fine-tuning your finances instead of getting bogged down in the process of categorizing each individual expense. For others, the lack of structure could make it harder to find ways to improve their spending habits. Ultimately, you need to decide whether a budgeting system that’s less detailed or more highly detailed will be best for you, but if you are just starting with a formal budget, the 50/30/20 rule can be a great place to start.

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The man in black, the goat man, the lady in blue and more! There’s no shortage of spooky legends and old haunted buildings in Maryland. Here are 10 of the most terrifying Maryland tales that will keep you awake at night. Read on if you dare…   Hager House, Hagerstown Jonathan Hager House Museum / Facebook This house built in 1739 is said to be haunted by two families . Dare to take a ghost tour of this historic home to experience the dark eerie quiet surrounding the home for yourself! The Hager House has legendary secrets that are only shared at night during this spooky time of year. Maybe you’ll even spot the man in black , who is known to roam the grounds of City Park.   Jericho Covered Bridge, Kingsville Sean Praglowski / Facebook Constructed in 1865 and one of Maryland’s last remaining covered bridges, this bridge is surrounded by tales of hauntings. People driving across Jericho Covered Bridge have claimed that their car mysterious stopped working , only to look up and see feet dangling above them! One local legend claims a young couple was told they couldn't be together, so they hung themselves from the bridge’s rafters.   Antietam Battlefield, Sharpsburg Antietam National Battlefield / Facebook Antietam Battlefield was where the bloodiest Civil War battle took place . Just over 23,000 men were wounded, missing, or killed. Visitors have reported smelling gunpowder, hearing gunfire, and even spotting soldiers in confederate uniforms . Take a ghost tour of Sharpsburg and you might even encounter the woman in black .   Fletchertown Road, Bowie Washingtonian An urban legend tells the tale of a mad scientist whose experiments on goats backfired when he was mutated into an evil half-man, half-goat. Said to be six feet tall, hairy and walking upright on its hind legs, the goat man has been reported to be seen attacking cars along Fletchertown Road with an ax, and has even been blamed by one local family for the decapitation of their family pet.   Fort McHenry, Baltimore Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine / Facebook Fort McHenry was used as a prison for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, and as a hospital for wounded soldiers during World War I. Visitors often report spectral sightings, like the woman who reportedly saw feet hovering off the ground at a site where there had once been gallows. Some even claim that you can feel a warm spot if you run your hand along  the wall of the fort’s old jail. The visitor center, Star Fort and restroom are currently closed due to COVID-19, but the grounds are open 9am-5pm.   Spook Hill, Burkittsville fauxto_digit / Flickr Also known as Gravity Hill, cars in neutral on this hill appear to roll backwards uphill . There’s another reason to visit the spooky town of Burkittsville – it’s also the setting of The Blair Witch Project !   Maryland State House, Annapolis Rebecca McGilvray / Facebook The Maryland State House is said to be filled with spirits. The most notable is the ghost of a man who fell from the building’s dome while trying to make repairs. He is reported to flash the lights on and off, open and close doors and more .   Union Hotel Restaurant, Port Deposit Union Hotel Restaurant / Facebook Built in the 1700s, there is a tale here of a ghostly lady in blue who has been spotted by customers and employees. Antiques appear to move on their own, broken clocks are heard chiming, and phantom footsteps can be heard throughout.   Point Lookout Lighthouse, Scotland Point Lookout Lighthouse Preservation Society (PLLPS), Inc. / Facebook What used to be a hospital for wounded Union soldiers then became a prison for the Confederates. 24 different voices have been recorded in the building. From spectral soldiers captured on film, to a woman in a blue dress, there have been many spooky eyewitness ghost sightings at Point Lookout State Park and Lighthouse. Be sure to check them out here for a scare!   Hampton House, Towson Hampton National Historic Site / Facebook This mansion, completed in 1790, was once home to the wealthy Ridgely family and their large staff of indentured servants. Several ghosts are said to haunt the house, including that of Priscilla Ridgely , one of the original owners. Chains beating off the walls, doors opening on their own at midnight, and other strange phenomena have all been reported at this haunted mansion. Whether you believe the legends or not, these stories of supposedly haunted spots in Maryland are sure to give you a chill! Have you been to any of these ghoulish locations? Are there any spooky Maryland spots we left off the list? Let us know in the comments!

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