The post Tips For Preparing Your Apartment for Date Night appeared first on Taluswood Apartments Blog.
]]>
Preparing your Mountlake Terrace, WA apartment for a romantic date night may have you frazzled. You are not only anxious for the meeting but also want to create the right atmosphere and leave your best impression. With a few small tips and tricks, you can help prepare your home for a date night neither of you will soon forget.
Start by Rearranging Your Place
Date nights are about romance and whimsy so you should give a quick scan of your space and check for anything that might be considered distracting. Items like medication, financial statements and bills, dirty laundry, and left-out food or dishes can ruin the mood. Remember if it catches your eye when you scan the room, make sure it is in a good way.
Create the Perfect Lighting Scheme
If your overhead lighting is bright, bring in some lamps so you can create some mood lighting. Remember you want enough light to be able to see each other during conversation, but the lighting should be softer and dimmer. If you are a fan of 100W bulbs, pull them out and use 60W or 40W.
Freshen Up the Air
While your date may love the fact that you hit the gym every day, they don't want to be reminded of the smell. Find some lightly scented candles, or if you really want to score some extra points, bake some fresh cookies right before they arrive. Nothing smells better than baking. Just make sure they don't burn.
Be Prepped for Dinner and Drinks
You don't want to spend your evening fumbling around in the kitchen. If you plan on serving some red wine, already have it open and breathing. Have some glasses chilling in the freezer for white wine and beer, and have all of the pieces you need for your meal sorted out on the counter.
Put on Some Background Music
Sometimes date nights may include some awkward silences, but having music in the background can make these moments less awkward. Pick something soothing and relaxing, or something by your date's favorite artist.
Looking for a new place to make some more magical date nights? Stop by Taluswood apartments today to find the perfect floor plan for you.
The post Tips For Preparing Your Apartment for Date Night appeared first on Taluswood Apartments Blog.
]]>The post Making the Most of a Staycation appeared first on Taluswood Apartments Blog.
]]>
Employers are touting the benefits of workers that take their allotted vacation time, instead of choosing to work or cash in those hours. But not every vacation has to cost a bundle, and not every vacation has to entail traveling. Staycations are a great way to use vacation days (or even a long holiday weekend) and at the same time become acquainted with parks, museums, theaters, waterways, and entertainment venues that are right within the Pacific Northwest.
A staycation is when you take a vacation but you stay near or at your own home. Staycations generally include a string of fun day trips to places in your state — places you've always wanted to explore, but haven't been able to because the everyday hustle and bustle of life always seems to interfere. Some of the most common staycation activities include:
- Going on an all-day hike
- Walking tours of notable neighborhoods
- A cultural weekend of museums and theater
- Attending a weekend-long concert series
- Restaurant-hopping at culinary establishments
- Enjoying water parks and amusement parks in the state
Getting The Most From A Staycation
Even though you may not be traveling far from home, you should still treat your staycation like a real vacation — that means creating an itinerary and pre-purchasing event tickets or making reservations. Circle the dates in red on your calendar and feel the same energizing excitement that vacations normally bring about.
The real fun in a staycation is staying local but going completely off the grid. No phone calls for work or checking on emails are allowed. You may only be 45 minutes from home, but you should still tell your friends, neighbors, and family that you are on vacation.
Staying local for your vacation means saving money on hotels and travel. But, to increase the feeling of taking the time to enjoy life, treat your home as if it is a hotel. Have all your housework, shopping, and errands completed before your staycation date. If you're off work for a number of days, why not use the money you saved to have a day maid tidy up for you? Now that's a real staycation!
If you're searching for your next apartment home in Mountlake Terrace, WA, visit us at Taluswood Apartments to unwind and escape as you plan your next staycation. Our apartments feature your choice of modern, traditional, or classic finish package options, so you can enjoy decor that suits your lifestyle.
The post Making the Most of a Staycation appeared first on Taluswood Apartments Blog.
]]>The post St. Patrick’s Day Desserts appeared first on Taluswood Apartments Blog.
]]>
Everyone is a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. That’s why it’s important to set the mood with a few themed desserts for the occasion. Here are some fun St. Patrick’s Day recipe ideas we hope our Taluswood community members in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, will enjoy.
Erin Go Pretzels
Yes, St. Paddy’s Day is a time to get a little silly and turn unusual food and beverages green. Green-coated pretzels are sure to add to the fun and flavor.
Gather up a green candy substance for dipping. Green gummies work well. It just needs to be sweet and green and able to melt. Place the candy in a bowl and microwave at 30-second intervals, stir in between until gooey. Cover a baking sheet with wax paper, dunk the pretzels into the mix and lay on the paper. If they need a second coating, wait until dry and repeat. Once hard, place in an air-tight container and serve with a beverage of choice.
Lucky Shamrock Barks
This versatile treat can be made in a range of colors for special occasions. This incarnation will be all about St. Paddy’s green.
Gather 1 bag of green candy melts (Wilton brand works well), 8 ounces of white chocolate, and 1 cup of green M&Ms. Follow the candy melt and white chocolate melting directions. Do this in separate bowls.
Pour the green melts on wax paper and spread out to 1/8-inch in thickness. Gently spoon the white chocolate over the top and gently swirl together to raise the green coloring. A toothpick or knife works well. Sprinkle the green M&Ms over the top while the base is still gooey. Let stand until it hardens, then break apart and refrigerate in a sealed container. The trick to this treat is that you can also go with red for Valentine’s Day or orange for Halloween.
Leprechaun Cake
This delightful mint chocolate dessert requires zero baking and can be just the sweet you need for St. Paddy’s Day. Gather together 1 package of mint Oreos, 8 ounces of cream cheese, a half-stick of butter, ¼-cup of sugar, 8 ounces of Cool Whip, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and one 3.9-ounce package of instant pudding (chocolate), 2 cups of whole milk, 1 teaspoon of mint extract, 1 bag of mini chocolate chips and green food coloring.
Follow the chocolate pudding box directions and prepare with the milk. Crush or food process Oreos until crumbs. Melt butter in a medium bowl and blend in Oreo crumbs. Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with a non-stick product. Firmly layer the bottom with Oreo mixture and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, and heavy cream in a bowl. Add Cool Whip, mint extract and 3 drops of green food coloring. Mix thoroughly and then spread over the Oreo layer. Now, layer pudding and top and sprinkle with mini chips as desired. Refrigerate and serve cold.
We hope our Taluswood community members enjoy these St. Patrick’s Day recipe suggestions. If you or a friend would like more information about our Mountlake Terrace apartments, call us today.
The post St. Patrick’s Day Desserts appeared first on Taluswood Apartments Blog.
]]>The post Homemade Valentine’s Day Candy Ideas appeared first on Taluswood Apartments Blog.
]]>
It’s the season of love, and luckily, that also means the season of candy (because who doesn’t love candy?). If you’re looking for a special way to thank your spouse, significant other, kiddos, coworkers or even dear old Dad, here are five cozy candy-making projects you can whip out in an evening right here at home.
1. Chocolate Heart
Take chocolate bark to a whole new level with a homemade chocolate heart. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in the microwave, then stir in pretzels, peanuts, marshmallows, shredded coconut, maraschino cherries, potato chips and M&Ms. Yes, it really is that delicious. Yes, you should probably make at least two … one for you and one for that special someone.
2. Creamy Mints
Everyone loves a melty mint, and these creamy pastel mints are the perfect go-to for V-Day. Made of just four ingredients, they hold up well in storage and melt away on the tongue … even days later! They’re also very customizable, so once you get the recipe down, you’ll make it again and again.
3. Peanut Butter Cups
Skip stopping by the store to pick up Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Now you can rock candy season with your own homemade peanut butter cups, complete with red sprinkles. The secret ingredient? Butter. Because that’s always the secret ingredient.
4. Tricolor Fudge
Fudge has to be chocolate, right? Wrong. If you’ve never had vanilla or strawberry fudge, you’re in for a treat. This Neapolitan fudge recipe is sure to win you some new fans, both at home or in the workplace. Bonus: It’s the prettiest thing you ever did see.
5. Jelly Candies
Everyone loves sparkly jelly candles all covered with sugar. Update this kid-centric treat for the grown-up crowd by making it yourself with grape juice. (Side note: This recipe is Passover-safe, so your kosher loved ones are good to go!)
Whether you already live here with us at our apartments in Mountlake Terrace or are hoping to become a new resident, we would love to do our part in making our community your new home. Please get in touch with us if you’d like to learn more–we look forward to seeing you soon!
The post Homemade Valentine’s Day Candy Ideas appeared first on Taluswood Apartments Blog.
]]>