Category: Apartment Living
3 Delicious Holiday Cookie Recipes
Whether you like to decorate sugar cookies or prefer gingerbread men we have the perfect recipes to get you started! The snow is going to fall this weekend so head to the market, pick up some supplies and start baking!
1 – Gingerbread Men Recipe Courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction
These smell delicious while baking and are even more fun to decorate! Add some hair, bow ties or buttons…whatever your gingerbread heart desires!
2 – The Perfect Snickerdoodles Courtesy of Cookies & Cups
If you like your snickerdoodles soft and chewy then you’ve come to the right place! These cookies are easy to make and full of flavor.
3 – Soft Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies Courtesy of Live Well Bake Often
Fun to decorate and perfect for the holiday season! These sugar cookies have an icing recipe that is also easy to make and tasty to eat.
5 Festive Halloween Treats to Make This Weekend
Halloween is a week away and you can get into the spirit now by cooking up something both festive and sweet! Pull out your baking supplies and get cooking!
1 – Jack-O-Lantern Rice Kreepies
Tips for Trying Tie Dye at Home
Tie dye has come back in a BIG way in 2020! If you’ve looked online or shopped at stores recently you’ve probably seen lots of tie dye merchandise to buy. Instead of buying it pre-made, why not get crafty and create your own tie-dye at home? Read below for some tips for creating awesome and unique tie dyed garments!
1 – Think about what you want to tie dye. Is it a t shirt or a pair of shorts? Either way make sure that the material is cotton so the dye will adhere to the fibers of your garment as best as possible. Also, choose a white garment so your colors will stand out.
2 – Purchase your fabric dyes individually or purchase a kit. Stores like Michaels, Target and Amazon are selling kits that come with everything you need. If you don’t use a kit, you’ll also need some squeeze bottles, plastic sheets, plastic wrap, plastic gloves and rubber bands.
3 – Bullseye? Sunburst? Polka Dots? Decide which tie dye pattern you want to try. Click here for a great list of patterns with detailed instructions on how to achieve each look. Fold or roll your garment and place your rubber bands accordingly.
4 – Set up your work station outdoors to limit the mess. Lay out your plastic sheet and get your fabric dyes in the squeeze bottles. Make sure to wear your plastic gloves so you don’t tie dye your hands! (if you do get dye on your hands you can mix baking soda and water together to create a paste. Scrub it on your skin and wash away with soap and water.)
5 – Have fun and unleash your creativity! Choose fun color patterns and don’t be afraid to be bold. You won’t know how the garments will look until they’ve dried and been washed.
6 – When your garments are done wrap them in plastic wrap and let them dry overnight. When they’re ready to be unwrapped, wash them outdoors with a hose or in a laundry sink to remove the excess dye. After you’ve washed them throw them into the washing machine (without any other clothes) for a quick rinse and then dry.
7 – Enjoy your new tie dyed creations! Make sure to wash them separately for the first few washes to be sure the dye doesn’t bleed onto other clothes.
Princeton Westford – Your New Home Without the Hassle
Princeton Westford in Westford, MA offers so many amenities for everyone in your family to enjoy throughout the year! Sitting on a very tranquil and spacious 90 acres, this community has plenty to keep you busy while spending time outdoors. Numerous areas to get out and walk or bike, play with the pup in our dog park, swing, slide and play in the onsite playground or take a dip in the swimming pool. All these outdoor amenities are available to enjoy during the warmer months. Or year round if that’s your thing. Spend your evenings sitting on your balcony or patio while overlooking the expansive grass courtyard below. Imagine….a beautiful lawn without the mowing! We’ll take care of all landscaping. Do you have a green thumb? Pick out a plot in our community garden and plant your own vegetables to grow. Come enjoy Home without the Hassle.
One and two bedroom floor plans are available are we’re ready to help you choose which option is right for you! Call us to schedule an in-person or virtual tour of Princeton Westford today.
Additional information, photos and floor plans can be viewed at princetonwestford.com.
5 Must-Haves for Summer 2020
Summer is only a few weeks away! Whether you plan to spend your summer relaxing, reading or cooking great BBQ food, there is a cool gadget on this list that you’ll want to try…
1 – PadHat Sunshade for iPad or Tablet – If you’re planning to read or scroll your social media feeds at the beach or on your balcony you’ll need one of these! They protect your tablet from the sun and heat so it’s easy to see.
2 – Grill Light & Fan – Need to grill at night? No problem! This grill light and fan has LED lights to help you see your food and a built in fan to blow smoke away from your face.
3 – Bear Paws Shredder Claws– If you prefer smoking to grilling, shred your meat quickly and easily with these shredder claws!
4 – Beach Towel Clips – Claim your chair and keep your towel in place with these bright and colorful beach towel clips!
5 – Popsicle Molds – No visit from the ice cream man? No problem! Make your own popsicles at home by freezing your favorite fresh fruits, yogurts and juices.
Creating Pots With Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers
Adding colorful annuals to your porch or balcony area is good for the soul! Creating a beautiful outdoor space will give you both a fun project and also a pretty place to relax at the end of a long day. Not sure where to start? All you need to remember are three words….thriller, filler and spiller! In order to create a beautiful potted arrangement you’ll need one of each.
1 – Thrillers are the showpiece of your arrangement. A palm tree, a tall tropical flower or a really colorful plant are all thrillers. They’re usually taller than the other plants and give your pots a real “pop” of excitement.
2 – Fillers are flowers or plants that are of medium height. They have more rounded, mounding habits and spread to fill in the gap between your thrillers and your spillers.
3 – Spillers are flowers or plants that will move and drape over the sides of your pots as they grow. They usually add great foliage and color to your pots as well.
Have you created your outdoor pots this year? Post them on Facebook or Instagram and tag us so we can see! Happy spring!
5 Ways to Celebrate Mom – At Home With Princeton
If you’re at home with Mom this Mother’s Day there are many ways you can celebrate her. If you’re separated from her while social distancing there are still plenty of ways you can treat Mom this year! Take a look at these ideas for celebrating Mom while staying safe.
1 – Buy her a gift card to a local restaurant. She can use this to purchase herself some takeout now or save it to use later when restaurants are back open for business. Many restaurants are allowing gift card purchases online or over the phone to limit social contact. Does she prefer to be pampered? Check with her hairdresser or stylist to see if you can purchase a gift card to use at a future date.
2 – Have a special meal delivered to her. Call her favorite restaurant and have lunch or dinner delivered for her. She won’t have to cook and she’ll love the surprise….a win, win!
3 – Many local florists are taking orders now for Mother’s Day flower deliveries. Call today to get your order in an surprise mom with a beautiful bouquet.
4 – If mom prefers planting her own flowers, get her some annuals or perennials from your local garden store! You can call and place an order then pull up and have the order brought right out to your car. Drop off at Mom’s doorstep with a special note from you.
5 – Homemade cards are always appreciated by moms but this year more than ever she’ll love the sentiment. Write a list of your favorite things about her and why you are thankful for her, decorate and drop it off in her mailbox.
How to Celebrate Earth Day at Home
It may be cold out and we may be advised to stay at home, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate our Earth! Here are 5 ways you can safely celebrate Earth Day while social distancing and staying safe.
1 – Plant something. Remember our post last week about starting an indoor garden? If you haven’t already, today would be a great day to do so.
2 – Setup a recycling system in your home. You probably already have recycling bins but now is a great time to teach your kids about the importance of recycling and have them help you setup a system for recycling plastic and paper in your home.
3 – Receive a lot of catalogs in the mail? You’ve probably thought about cancelling those subscribtions but never had the time. Do it today! 100 million trees are cut down each year to produce catalogs and the majority are tossed in the trash.
4 – Teach your kids about Earth Day and do a fun Earth Day project with them. Have them draw a picture of what Earth Day means to them. You can frame their art work and hang it in your home (maybe above your new recycling center).
5 – Get outside (safely) and enjoy. It is cold today so bundle up! Whether you sit quietly on your porch/balcony or go for a quick walk it’s a great day to get some fresh air and appreciate our Earth.
Starting an Indoor Vegetable Garden – At Home With Princeton
The warm weather will (hopefully) be here before we know it! Now is a great time to get a head start on your summer garden while staying indoors at home. Have kids? They’ll love helping you create the garden and take care of it until it’s time to plant outside.
1 – Choose what kind of vegetables you want to grow (make sure they are ones that you’ll have space to replant outdoors once summer arrives). You can order seeds online and have them delivered. You can also call your local garden/home improvement stores and request a curbside pickup for some items.
2 – Pot your seeds with seed-starting mix. You can also order this online or pick it up from the local store. You can plant your seeds in small containers or cups to start with.
3 – Label your plants. You can use Popsicle sticks and write what vegetables you’ve planted. Stick the Popsicle sticks in the edge of the soil. Don’t have sticks? Write the names directly on the cups you’ve planted in.
4 – Find a proper location for your seed cups. Sun isn’t necessary quite yet. Find a table that you can setup inside to store your garden. Put a tray down first to make sure your surface stays dry.
5 – Water and start watching for plant sprouts. Once you see sprouts it’s time to move your plants to a sunny location like a windowsill or a table near the window. Keep watering daily and when summer arrives you can move your plants to bigger pots outdoors or plant directly in the ground if you have garden space.
Organizing the Linen Closet – At Home With Princeton
Spring cleaning has never been easier! With more time at home we can tackle one organization project a week and our homes will feel cleaner in no time. Today we’re going to help you tackle the linen closet (hall closet, bathroom closet are other names that may be used for this specific spot). Let’s get started!
1 – The easiest part of this project is step one. Pull everything out! It’s easiest to see what you’ve been hoarding when it’s all laid out in front of you.
2 – Wipe down all of your surfaces inside, vacuum the floor and give it a quick wash. Now you have a clean slate for storage.
3 – Check out the quality of your bath towels. If some are faded, thin, have holes, etc. it’s time to part ways. Recycle some as cleaning rags and get rid of the rest. The ones that are making the cut can be folded or rolled and stored back on an empty shelf.
4 – Check out your toiletries. If you have a stash of shampoos, soaps, etc organize them on shelving. Put the items in order so you can pull new ones from the front as you need them and continue storing. Have items that are old or expired? Now is the time to toss.
5 – Get fancy with your storage. If you’re one of the lucky ones that has a surplus of toilet paper these days, find a fun way to store your extras. A decorative basket can be put on the floor of the closet and filled with rolls. Items like soaps, tissues, sprays etc can also be stored in baskets.
6 – See what items are left. If they were meant to be in the linen closet they can stay and continue getting organized. Use small baskets, boxes etc for storage so you don’t have too many items just thrown on shelves. If they need to be stored somewhere else now is the time to find their new home.