Traditional Halloween treats include all our obvious favorites: Snickers, Reese's, Twix, Skittles, and the (yummy) list goes on and on. But this year you should stray from tradition and pick up some not-so-typical treats for the youngsters in your building. Trust us, they'll get plenty of the tooth-rotting goodness, but they'll welcome the alternative Halloween treats we gathered here. Many of these items can be purchased in bulk for an affordable price at your local dollar store: Bubbles Play Doh Bouncing balls Glow sticks Cookie cutters Keychains Slap bracelets Temporary tattoos Notepads Crayons Stencils Stickers Slinky's Halloween rings Book marks Ink stamps 500 Park Avenue
Living in an apartment can mean limited decor options. Painting your walls in your favorite shade of green or blue may not always be ideal. In fact, it may go against your lease. And even if you did have the option of painting your walls, losing your deposit is something you would risk. So, how do you add color to your space without going against your lease agreement? With a quick visit to your local crafts store and a little DIY, you can add color and personality to your apartment in no time with very little impact on your walls - and your wallet. If you're not sure what color is best suited for your space, check out these tips on using the color wheel for inspiration. Large Painting If you have a large empty wall in your living room, consider creating your own piece of art. Have fun and mix and match the colors to go with your space. Next, measure the width of your wall to determine how big your piece of art should be. Then, head out to your local art store and purchase a canvas that will best fit the space, painters tape (you can determine how wide the lines should be), acrylic paint and a foam brush. Create a geometric design on the canvas using the painters tape. This is where you can have fun - it doesn't have to be perfect. Next, cover it with the paint. You can use different colors. Let it dry. Once the paint is dry, carefully remove the tape, and voila - your very own art piece. Fabric Wrapped Canvas Similar to the large painting, you can easily use an artist's canvas to add color to your wall. Head out to your local crafts store and purchase a yard of a fabric that you love. Consider using a fabric that will add that pop of color, as well as one that will add texture to your space, like a textured silk. Wrap the fabric around the canvas, like a present, and use a staple gun to secure the fabric in place. This is great because all you need is one hole, which betters your chance of getting your deposit back in the end. 500 Park Avenue
The beautiful weather in the summer makes you want to be outside all day and all night, but your enjoyment of the outdoors can easily be ruined by the appearance of mosquitoes. These bloodsucking flying pests seek out human hosts to feed on, but you have a few options to help keep your cookouts and pool days bug-free. [caption id="attachment_503" align="alignnone" width="300"] https://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_swystun/[/caption] The easiest way to get rid of mosquitoes is to eliminate the places they can breed. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in and around standing water, the bugs need only a small pool or puddle (around 6 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch deep at a minimum). Look for and drain any flower pots, decorative buckets or dishes, and even tarps that might cover your grill or yard items; if the tarp is loose, water can pool in the folds. [caption id="attachment_506" align="alignnone" width="300"] https://www.flickr.com/photos/teo/16560278/[/caption] If there are troublesome spots that seem to fill with water no matter what you do, look for mosquito dunks, or mosquito bits. These come in a small ring or handful of pellets that you drop right into the water, and they kill off the mosquito larva. They contain a biologic pesticide, mostly a bacteria that feeds on the larva, and are safe for children, pets and other wildlife. If you are already in the midst of an infestation, there are a couple of ways to keep the bugs at bay. Using essential oils, or burning a candle loaded with essential oils, is a time-tested method to keep insects away. Look for citronella or lemon eucalyptus oils, available as an oil, a spray or in candle form. However, there might be an easier solution that could help keep flying bugs from pestering you. An electric fan could be the key to keeping your cookout bug-free. Mosquitoes and flies are not the strongest flyers, so a simple oscillating fan can help push them away from people and food. Additionally, mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide that we exhale, as well as other scents released when we sweat. A fan might help disperse these fumes, so you will be less of a target for the biting insects. [caption id="attachment_502" align="alignnone" width="300"] https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/[/caption] If all else fails, it's time to reach for the bug spray, which can give you a few hours respite from the bloodsuckers. Look for sprays that contain DEET or picaridin, two formulations that are reported as highly effective scientific studies and customer reviews. Picaridin is recommended especially if you find that a spray with DEET irritates your skin. Look for products that contain 15 to 30 percent DEET or 20 percent picaridin. Follow the safety instructions on any bug spray you buy and apply.
Maybe you waited a little too long for spring cleaning, or maybe the warm weather and outdoor activities set back all your progress. Either way, use these tips to try to conquer the clutter and survive the summer. Clean out your fridge [caption id="attachment_57" align="alignnone" width="225"] https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacopast/[/caption] When you are piling up the meats, plates and condiments for a backyard barbecue, take stock of what you are bringing outside, and what you are leaving. Can't remember how old that bottle of mustard is, and whether it is from this summer or the one before? Ditch it and pick up a fresh bottle, you and your guests' taste buds will thank you. Did you buy that jar of relish for a family member who was in town, but no one in your house will touch the stuff? Ditch it. Check the fridge and freezer for items that have seen better days, odds are that you'll never use that frozen chicken breast from 2014. Make sure your tools are up for the job. At the end of last summer, maybe you left out your barbecuing tools, or just a stray spatula or pair of tongs. Depending on where you live, the fall and winter might have left your tools warped, rusted or broken. Now it's time to treat yourself to some new tools. This also applies to any other gear that may have spent the winter outside and has been rendered unusable. If your grill has succumbed to rust, it might be time to get a new one. [caption id="attachment_61" align="alignnone" width="150"] https://www.flickr.com/photos/gspiccies/[/caption] In the same vein, look around your kitchen and house for things that may have seen better days. Is there Tupperware or other food storage containers in your fridge or cabinet that might have taken on some funky odors? Are your other containers a jumbled mess of missing lids and mismatched pieces? A simple refresh of your food storage containers can help you become more efficient and safer when it comes to your leftovers and packed lunches Prepare for mosquitoes and flying pests While not technically summer cleaning, everyone knows the warm weather brings an increase in flying pests. Whether they are out for your food or your blood, use these tips to try and keep them away. The easiest way to get rid of mosquitoes is to eliminate the places they can breed. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in and around standing water, the bugs need only a small pool or puddle (around 6 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch deep at a minimum). Look for and drain any flower pots, decorative buckets or dishes, and even tarps that might cover your grill or yard items; if the tarp is loose, water can pool in the folds. Using essential oils, or burning a candle loaded with essential oils, is a time-tested method to keep insects away. Look for citronella or lemon eucalyptus oils, available as an oil, a spray or in candle form. If you find that mosquitoes and flies are becoming an unbearable nuisance, a lot of experts are offering up a simple solution: an electric fan. Mosquitoes and flies are not particularly strong fliers, so a ceiling fan or rotating fan should be able to disrupt them on their path to you or your food. The fans also help dissipate your human odors and the carbon dioxide that you breathe out, two ways mosquitoes know where you are. Finally, that fan will provide a welcome breeze to get you through even the hottest days.
Flickr/Diselfliege Congrats on your new home! Now you just have to figure out how you're going to pack and move everything without breaking the bank, your fragile lamp, or your back. Good thing we put together this list of 10 easy moving and packing tips that will make your move dead simple. How do we know these tips will make your move dead simple? We asked expert movers, packers, and professional organizers to share their best tips. So sit back, grab a snack, and dive in! 1. Get rid of everything. Okay, maybe not everything, but the more unused and unnecessary items you eliminate from your home, the less stuff you'll have to pack up, haul across town, unload, and organize. Be ruthless with your stuff. That coat you think is cute but haven't worn in four months? Donate it. The very first coffee maker you ever bought that flavors your morning brew with little pieces of rust? Trash it. Doing a massive preliminary purge will have the single biggest impact on the efficiency and ease of your entire packing process. 2. Sort things by category. Instead of spending a day cleaning out your entire bedroom, spend an afternoon sorting through every article of clothing you own. Scour every coat closet, dirty clothes hamper, and laundry room until you've got all your clothes in one place. Then sort. Do the same thing for books, shoes, important papers, and the like. 3. Schedule a free donation pickup. Save yourself a trip to your local Goodwill and schedule a free MakeSpace pickup. In addition to picking up and storing practically anything (including furniture), we'll also pick up your donation and drop it off to Goodwill - at no extra charge. Pro Tip: If you'd like to donate to a different charity, use donationtown.org to schedule a free pickup at your home. All you have to do is put your giveaway items in boxes and leave them on your doorstep. The good men and women of Donation Town will then pick up your stuff and deliver it to a local charity of your choice. 4. Set aside stuff to sell. You probably have a few items you no longer want, but would love to get a little money for. If that's the case, set these items aside and determine where you can sell them. If it's furniture, Craigslist or AptDeco might be your best bet. If it's brand name clothing, you could try Poshmark or a local consignment store. For specialty items like a gently used Coach purse or your collection of 90's Beanie Babies, get on eBay. Once you have everything sorted, set a date on your calendar to visit the nearest Buffalo Exchange or craft descriptions of the items you plan to sell online. 5. Research professional moving companies. Research is never fun. Yelp and Google will overwhelm you with the sheer volume of choices for moving companies to hire, but don't give in to the pressure and pick the first four-star rating you see. A moving company can often make or break your entire moving experience, so it's important to get it right. The more effort you put into finding a reputable company with excellent customer service ahead of time, the less hassle you'll have on moving day. Make sure to read the company's list of services, fine print, and refund or damage policies, too. For example, some companies don't lift items that aren't in boxes (so your stuffed-to-the-brim duffel bags won't make the cut), while others ask for full payment several weeks early. Find out the specifics so there are no unwelcome surprises come moving day. 6. Pick the right moving day. Hire your movers at least a month out so you can plan accordingly. If you have a flexible schedule, play around with potential moving dates and try to find the cheapest time of month to make an appointment. Moving companies are busiest on weekends, so if you can skip the Saturday chaos and schedule your move for a Tuesday, you might get a significant discount. 7. Map out the best way to get to your new home. Whether you're moving to NYC, across the country, across state lines, or just to a neighboring town, you're going to need an efficient travel route so you don't waste your move-in day sitting in gridlock traffic or pulling over three different times to type an address into your GPS. Figure out the easiest, most efficient way to get where you're going. Look up potential highway construction schedules ahead of time. And take traffic, detours, and necessary stops into account when you're making your plan. 8. Create a master moving to-do list When you move homes, you inevitably end up having 600 different things to do and remember. Don't let all these tasks and important reminders, no matter how seemingly obvious, slip your mind. Write them down somewhere. Put them in the Notes app on your phone, in the to-do list app Wunderlist that professional organizer Anna Bauer recommends, or go old-school with a giant yellow legal pad. No detail is too insignificant. You just remembered the name of the little bookstore in town that will accept your used novels? Write it down. Not sure which novels to donate? Here's how to decide what books to keep or get rid of. You stuck that extra screw from the broken drawer next to the sink? Take note. You have to return your cable box to your provider at least one day before you leave? Jot it down. 9. Put moving tasks on your calendar. Take your organization a step further and spend an evening mapping out everything you have to do. Get an oversized calendar and mark the empty white boxes with important daily tasks to prepare for your move. Tuesday: Call moving company. Wednesday: Sort through toiletries. Thursday: Buy new sheets. An added bonus to using the calendar method is that breaking up your tasks by day makes them seem more manageable. Also, don't forget to add "celebrate with wine" somewhere in there to give you something to look forward to. 10. Get moving boxes from your local liquor store. Pay a visit to your local liquor store (that's where you can buy the aforementioned wine) to see if they recycle their used boxes. If so, ask if you can grab a handful so you're saving a little paper in your moving journey. Just make sure the boxes are very gently worn and that you only use them to hold lightweight items like linens and towels. You don't want to deal with ripped boxes and broken valuables on the big day. 500 Park
Restaurant reservations are filling up, but it's not too late to book a table for Valentine's Day dinner. Here are the restaurants in and around Baltimore that have Valentine's Day specials--some are offering specials that run before and even after the holiday. AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar in Columbia will will serve a six-course sparkling wine dinner and chef's demonstration for $85 per person from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, and a four-course prix-fixe menu Feb. 13 and 14 for $65 per person. (6741 Columbia Gateway Drive; 410-953-0500; aidabistro.com) Arturo's Trattoria in Glen Burnie will serve a four-course menu for $80 per person. (1660 Crain Highway South; 410-761-1500; arturostrattoria.com) B&O American Brasserie at the Hotel Monaco will offer a three-course prix-fixe meal for $70 per person. The menu includes offerings such as lobster carrot bisque, wagyu carpaccio, rice-crusted tuna and chocolate hazelnut cake. (2 N. Charles St.; 443-692-6172; bandorestaurant.com) Chef's Expressions will host a Valentine's Day wine supper at Gramercy Mansion. Tickets are $99.95, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Children's Scholarship Fund Baltimore. (Gramercy Mansion, 1400 Greenspring Valley Road; 410-561-2433; chefsexpressions.com) Cinnamon Tree Restaurant at the Hunt Valley Inn will offer a three-course, prix-fixe menu with champagne from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The meal is $119 per couple, including tax and gratuity. (245 Shawan Road; 410-785-7000; huntvalleywyndhamgrand.com/dining) The Corner Pantry in Lake Falls Village will offer a six-course tasting menu for $96 per person. Courses will be shared by the table, and the dinner is BYOB. (6080 Falls Road; 667-308-2331; corner-pantry.com) at the Mill No. 1 complex in Hampden will offer a four-course dinner for $100. (3000 Falls Road; 443-708-7352; cosimamill1.com) Donna's at Cross Keys will offer a three-course menu for $55. Menu choices include crab arancini, Thai duck breast and crispy noodle salad, beef carpaccio, pink peppercorn crusted filet mignon and grilled tuna Nicoise. (5100 Falls Road, 410-532-7611, donnas.com/cross-keys) The Elephant in Mount Vernon will offer a four-course tasting menu with four choices per course for $85, or $115 with wine pairings. (924 N. Charles St.; 443-447-7878; theelephantbaltimore.com) On Feb. 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Elkridge Furnace Inn in Elkridge will serve a Valentine's Prelude special with three courses for $65. On Feb. 14 the restaurant will serve two prix-fixe menu options - three courses for $75 or four courses for $85. (5745 Furnace Ave.; 410-379-9336; elkridgefurnaceinn.com) Explorer's Lounge at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Hotel will serve a three-course, prix-fixe menu for $55 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Feb. 14. The restaurant will offer dishes such as shrimp and crab quinoa, chateaubriand steak for two and red velvet cake, as well as a complimentary glass of champagne. (550 Light St.; 410-234-0550; sonesta.com/us/maryland/baltimore/royal-sonesta-harbor-court-baltimore) Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Harbor East will offer a three-course menu starting at $79.95 per person Feb. 10-19. The menu includes a choice of salad, filet mignon, salmon or lobster tail and raspberry white chocolate bread pudding. (720 Aliceanna St.; 410-332-1666; flemingssteakhouse.com/locations/md/baltimore) The French Kitchen at the Lord Baltimore Hotel will offer a three-course menu for $75 per person. (20 W. Baltimore St.; 410-539-8400; lordbaltimorehotel.com/dining-en.html) Germano's Piattini in Little Italy will offer a five-course, prix-fixe dinner for $49, plus a cabaret performance by Steve Ross at 6 p.m. ($20). (300 S. High St.; 410-752-4515; germanospiattini.com) Gertrude's at the Baltimore Museum of Art will serve a three-course Valentine's Aphrodisiac menu for $54 Feb. 10-14. (10 Art Museum Drive; 410-889-3399; gertrudesbaltimore.com) Gunther & Co. in Canton will offer a four-course tasting menu ($75), with the option to add wine pairings ($25), an oyster course ($10 for four oysters) and/or a shellfish course ($22). (3650 Toone St.; 443-869-6874; eatatgunther.com) Joe Squared in Station North will offer a seven-course Valentine's Day dinner for $60, with optional beer and cocktail pairings for $30 extra. The prix-fixe menu, offered from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., includes cider pork belly, winter vegetables, golden tile fish, duck confit with mole sauce and ricotta cheesecake. (33 W. North Ave.; 410-454-0444; joesquared.com) La Cuchara in Woodberry will offer a four-course dinner for $79, with wine pairings available for an extra $29. The menu includes options such as tuna crudo, foie gras, lamb shoulder and coffee-caramel creme brulee. (3600 Clipper Mill Road; 443-708-3838; lacucharabaltimore.com) La Folie Wine Bar & Steak Frites in Canton will serve a $45 prix-fixe menu for two, plus complimentary champagne. (2903 O'Donnell St.; 667-212-2122; bistrolafolie.com) Le Garage in Hampden will serve a four-course menu for $59 per person featuring new dishes and house favorites. (911 W. 36th St.; 410-243-6300; legaragebaltimore.com) From Feb 10-14, Morton's the Steakhouse at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel will offer a steak and lobster tail for $56. (300 S. Charles St.; 410-547-8255; mortons.com/baltimore) The Rowhouse Grill in Federal Hill will offer a three-course menu for $45, or $60 with drink pairings, Feb. 10-14. (1400 Light St.; 443-438-7287; therowhousegrille.com) Sullivan's Steakhouse in the Inner Harbor will offer a three-course "Wine, Dine & Be Mine" dinner from Feb. 10-14. The menu, which includes a seafood tasting, filet mignon and chocolate mousse, is $69 before 5 p.m. and $79 per person after 5 p.m. (1 E. Pratt St.; 410-962-5503; sullivanssteakhouse.com/baltimore) Sweet Caroline's in Locust Point will serve a three-course meal for $35 per person from Feb. 11-14. (1401 Clement St.; 410-244-1401; sweetcarolineslocustpoint.com) The Turn House in Columbia will serve a six-course dinner for $95 per person, with selections including scallop crudo, celery root ravioli and New York strip steak. (11130 Willow Bottom Drive; 410-740-2096; theturnhouse.com) Wit & Wisdom at the Four Seasons Baltimore will offer a three-course tasting menu for $95 per person, with wine pairings for an extra $59. The menu includes Maine lobster bisque, heirloom beets, seared diver scallops, butter-poached prime beef filet, maple pastries and more. (200 International Drive; 410-576-5800; witandwisdombaltimore.com) Woodberry Kitchen in Woodberry will offer special touches at its tables Feb. 10-14 for guests with reservations, including boxes of chocolates, Linzer heart cookies, prosecco, cocktails for two and a photobooth. (2010 Clipper Park Road; 410-464-8000; woodberrykitchen.com)
