Posts about pa

Maximizing Space

Living in a space less than 1,200 square feet would be unfathomable to some people, but to you it means that you've chosen to reside in one of the greatest cities in the country. The Overlook is a modern and upscale apartment community centralized in the dynamic area of Camp Hill and Harrisburg, where everything you could possibly need or want is right outside your door. But the law of supply & demand dictates this location comes at a cost of vast living quarters. Luckily, we've listed tips on ways to maximize the space you do have and continue to enjoy living in your apartment. 1. Storage is the key to happiness As much as possible, keep items concealed and out of view for an uncluttered look.Closet storage is best. To maximize it, be careful of closet organizers. These can actually take up more space if not planned properly. Regular shoeboxes, meanwhile, take up a minimal amount in a closet and can be stacked tighter for better use of space. Consolidate all of your travel items into your suitcase and store in there - this makes packing faster and easier when you are ready for a quick getaway (see Tip 10). Use tote bags, which hold tons of stuff and can be monogrammed or labeled for easy identification. These are also easy to move for cleaning, and since they're made of fabric, they give more flexibility in tighter space. This is a great way to store magazines or books. When you don't cook, use your stove as a storage area - it has adjustable shelves and can provide much-needed space (just remember to take your stuff out again before preheating!). 2. Adopt a chic, clean & stylish design Be sure that your apartment has an aesthetic. Play with color and accessories; don't be afraid to use them. Design elements aren't just for mansions. If you're lacking closets or cabinets, create a storage/display making your space both decorative and functional. So many couture items such as vintage handbags, shoes, ties, and scarves are actually pieces of usable art. A smaller space can be a more opulent space. 3. Buy multifunctional furniture Use a bed that has storage drawers underneath. Some have found that the drawers on the bottom actually had more space than a dresser, and free up a ton of floor space. Ottomans and stools can convert from storage cubes to tables to additional seating. 4. Forget about room dividers, go for artwork instead Use art to section off areas of the room instead of room dividers. These dividers often make the room look much more cramped and disrupt the flow of good energy through the apartment. Using art to differentiate spaces makes your apartment feel bigger and more open. 5. Be obsessively organized When closets and cabinets are overflowing, it's time to clean and reorganize. In a small apartment, you often find that you don't have that catchall space that you do with a larger apartment. Mail must be sorted each day and laundry must be done on a regular basis. Once a routine is established, you'll find that - just like your space - your time becomes more efficient. 6. Buy only what you love and purge often After living for a few years with less space, you tend to buy only what you really need or really love, eliminating trends or donating them when the trend is over. Buying quality instead of quantity makes your dollar stretch further in the long run. And being on your fashion game in one of the most stylish cities in the world is a bonus. Owning one pair of great shoes is better than owning twelve pairs of mediocre ones. 7. Use every square inch It's not the amount of space, but how the space functions that matters. Make use of every square inch. Many people have a guest room and they use it once a year when that friend comes to town. In fact, most people actually use only 20% of their house. But not you. You're utilizing every last bit. Live simpler. 8. Do cost comparisons When you start to get apartment envy and consider moving to a larger space, talk to your friends with bigger apartments and you'll quickly realize their rent and utility bills are much higher than yours. Living in a smaller space, the costs are lower. 9. Travel as often as your schedule and budget permits Go out of town at least five times per year, or as often as your schedule permits. This is a nice break and change of scenery. Friends will love to visit you, because you're in one of the best cities on Earth. People in other parts of the country have 2-3 guest rooms, and no one ever goes to visit. It's a good reminder that your piece of heaven is a sanctuary no matter the size. Union Flats

Best Dog Breeds for Your Apartment

Thinking about adopting a dog? If you didn't already know, we are a pet friendly community; in fact, we LOVE our furry residents. We have a few restricted breeds, however, so be sure to check with us before bringing home Fido. While almost any dog can potentially make a great apartment dog, we've narrowed down the breeds that, based on generalized demeanor, will be the best fit for your apartment. Dachshunds These adorable little "hot dogs" are expert snugglers who love burrowing beneath blankets and cuddling up to their loved ones. The smallest of the hound breeds, they do enjoy a good run - but the bonus here is that with legs just a few inches long, you can give them all the toy-fetching exercise they need right in the house! Bichon Frise Fluffy, French and altogether fashionable in appearance, Bichons shed very little, though they will need regular grooming to stay kempt. Energetic, loving and bright, the Bichon makes a wonderful companion. While they do enjoy a walk, they're happy to be little movie-watching couch potatoes, as well. Chinese Crested These interesting-looking little love dogs come in a powderpuff and hairless variety. The hairless are very easy to maintain, as you might imagine - though they can get cold and should own a few sweaters! Weighing up to 12 pounds, they of course need regular walks but don't require a large amount of exercise and do very well in apartments. Miniature Pinscher These dogs are like giant Dobermans that have been hit with a shrink ray! Miniature Pinschers (or Min-Pins, as they are often called) have a similar appearance to the Doberman, but are actually a distinct and older breed. Standing roughly 10"-12" tall at the shoulder, these tiny titans average out to about 11 pounds, and make wonderful watchdogs, as they're alert and suspicious. Also adorable. Shiba Inu Are you an experienced dog owner who loves taking your dog out for exercise? If so, the foxy-looking Shiba, which hails from Japan, often makes one of the best apartment dogs! Shibas have lots of energy, so if running - either in tandem or turning your pup loose at the dog park - on a daily basis sounds like you, this is definitely a breed to consider. Greyhound We know. You're probably thinking, "How can these dogs - with their racing backgrounds - be one of the best dog breeds for apartments?!" But they are! Long, lanky and content to be lazy, the only thing greyhounds may demand of you is more couch space. They actually need very little exercise or grooming, and they're wonderfully easygoing and quickly trained. What's more, greyhounds are plentiful in rescues nationwide, and thus affordable to obatin. Bulldog Want a true couch potato? These wrinkly little lovers may not look like lap dogs, but as far as they're concerned, they definitely are. Quiet, friendly and loving, bulldogs enjoy a good romp, but they're fairly low-energy and very content loafing about with their loved ones . . . and a cozy apartment would suit just fine. Union Flats

Best Apps for Roommates

[caption id="attachment_27" align="alignnone" width="300"] Living with a roommate can be a great experience, but sometimes troubles arise when it's time to pay the bills. Luckily, there are apps that help make your living situation a little easier. Check out the following apps that will help you and your roommate stay on track for groceries, rent, debt owed, and more: Splitwise Splitwise helps to ensure everyone gets paid back and is completely free to use on your computer, iPhone, or Android. It tallies up all your IOUs so you can reimburse in one big payment. This is great when you're having to pay for rent that isn't all inclusive. You can also set up reminders to help you keep up with payments by uploading expenses and sharing with your roomies. Venmo Venmo is probably the most popular among the money-sending app variety. You can easily add a bank account or debit card and transfer money between roommates at no extra charge. You can also keep money in your Venmo account to use towards your bills. Venmo is totally free and easy as long as both parties involved have the app. It's also a great way to send birthday money or split dinner! IOU IOU is your personal debt manager! You can upload expenses, share them among your housemates and even send each other email reminders about payments. You can add recurring IOUs for monthly bills and create payment plans for bigger purchases. It's really easy to keep track of everything with a record of your debt history. Avoid confusion and fights about who paid who back, when you can refer back to the app. Splitrr Splitrr is extremely easy and convenient to use because there is no login required, it works completely offline and supports all currencies. It will help tell you who is next to pay and who owes whom money. You can generate a PDF to email to your roomies to keep up to date. This app also works wonders for planning weekend trips and vacations! OurGroceries So what if you and your roomies share groceries? There's an app for that! With OurGroceries you can easily make and change grocery lists, crossing off items as you purchase them. That way you don't end up with double duty on shareable items like eggs, milk, and (of course) wine. Union Flats

Protect Your Apartment s Wifi

With identity thieving at an all-time high, securing your personal information is more important than ever before, and it can start with something as simple as ensuring that your apartment's wifi password security, as well as your other passwords, are strong enough. But how do you create a secure password? The Three Essential Rules to Creating a Secure Password Though passwords may seem like a hassle to remember, they're a hugely necessary inconvenience. According to cybersecurity company IdentityHawk.com, they're essential in the fight against someone stealing your data or even your identity. In order to ensure your password security, start by keeping these three rules in mind: 1.Passwords should be complex and long While this may make your password more difficult to remember, it also makes it more difficult for a hacker to guess. Aim for a password that's at least 8 characters long, includes both upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters such as %, # or &. Passwords should not be easy to guess 2.It's always tempting to use something simple like "password1" or even "123456," but that's one of the worst things you can do. Sequential numbers are actually the worst for hacks, according to SplashData, who collect information on data breaches. In fact, in 2015, "123456" was the most commonly used password found in hacks for the 5th year running. 3.Use a different password for every account Using the same password for all of your accounts is just asking for trouble. Oftentimes during major data breaches, hackers will try using acquired passwords on other accounts just to see if they'll work, meaning they could possibly gain access to your important financial information. If your memory just isn't built for that kind of thing, try using one of the "top password managers" to ensure your password security. How Do I Know If I Have a Bad Password? Here is SplashData's top 25 list of most commonly used--bad--passwords. If you are using any of these, change it. Now. 123456 password 12345 12345678 football qwerty 1234567890 1234567 princess 1234 login welcome solo abc123 admin 121212 flower password dragon sunshine master hottie loveme zaq1zaq1 password 1 Instead, use these 3 simple tips for a better password: Use passwords or passphrases of twelve characters or more with mixed types of characters Avoid using the same password over and over again on different websites Use a password manager such as TeamsID to oranize and protect passwords, generate random ones, and automatically log into websites So what's the best way to choose a secure password? Choose a phrase with at least 8 words: This is my favorite sandwich in the world Take the first letter of each word: timfsitw Switch one (or two) to an uppercase: TimFsitw Switch one to a number: T1mFsitw Switch one to a special character: T1mF$itw Add something unique from each site (i.e. add a "b" for banking, and "f" for Facebook, etc.) Union Flats

You re Doing Thanksgiving Wrong

If there's one meal at which family drama is on full display, it's Thanksgiving. Expectations and emotions run high, and there are a lot of moving parts to cause friction. Even Anthony Bourdain, who is seemingly immune to the criticism of others, feels the pressure to pull off the most anticipated meal of the year. If you're hosting (and taking seriously) The Big Meal this year, you'll need to read this before tackling anything related to it. There's a lot you're just plain doing wrong. Below, a list of exactly what you're doing wrong, according to Anthony Bourdain: 1. You start cooking on Thanksgiving Day. Preparing your whole meal in one day - even two - is a recipe for system failure. Order your fancy farmer-raised turkey now. Or, if you are going to buy a more plebeian bird from a regular market, get your hands on it no later than the Monday before Thanksgiving. 2. You're not planning well enough. Plan for three days - that's right, three days - of full-on Thanksgiving prep. Make a list of everything that needs to get done and follow it. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, you should be organizing your supplies and tools, making sure you have enough roasting pans, mixing bowls, and storage containers ,and banging out advance vegetable prep. 3. You're not giving yourself enough time to thaw everything out. Do not wait until Thanksgiving to lay out your non-perishables and frozen items. The vast majority of holiday turkeys are sold frozen, and it takes about six hours per pound to defrost in the refrigerator. No amount of prayer, salting, or hastily applied hairdryers can speed up this process if you've waited until Wednesday to thaw a 12-pound bird. Your microwave isn't big enough. You can jolly it along a bit with a cold water bath, which thaws the meat at approximately 30 minutes per pound, but do not float your turkey in your bathtub. 4. You're not saving the stock when it's all over. It's liquid gold for cold weather. Stock is the underrated superhero of the Thanksgiving meal, the product that comes out of nowhere to save almost everything except your pie. You should make stock out of your Thanksgiving turkey carcass, but the use of a good, dark, gelatinous-when-refrigerated stock that you have on hand before the meal is what's going to upgrade your stuffing and gravy. Buy about five to seven pounds of turkey wings and necks as the base for a deeply-roasted stock, or invest in a couple of quarts of the best-quality turkey stock you can find a few days (or weeks) before the holidays. Use the stock made from your Thanksgiving birds for winter soups and stews. 5. You only make one turkey? That's cute. Prepare a stunt turkey and a business turkey. To impress guests, roast and artfully arrange a small turkey, using any and all manner of garnishes and props, including (but not limited to): chop frills, rainbow pinwheels of skewered citrus fruit slices, maraschino cherries, curly kale, lit sparklers, and crisp, new $100 bills and/or gold leaf. While guests admire your artistry (and drink your Burgundy), carve the larger, roasted business turkey in the kitchen. The stunt turkey should be edible, of course. Use it to supplement the meal as needed, or lean on it entirely for care packages and day-after leftovers. 6. You're throwing away the fat. Do not discard the copious amounts of grease your bird has generously provided you with; use it to boost flavor. Butter is good, but turkey fat is better for delivering quintessential flavor. Save the grease that runs off the roasted birds and use it for the gravy and as a moistening agent for your stuffing. 7. Don't try anything crazy. This is not the time for wild experimentation. Stick with tradition on Thanksgiving. You have 364 days of the year to experiment with the cuisines of the world, your dehydrator, and your sous vide machine. Give the people what they want on Thanksgiving: the likes of buttery mashed potatoes, savory stuffing with mushrooms or chestnuts or oysters, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, cranberry relish, bacon-enhanced Brussels sprouts, creamed onions, pumpkin or apple pie with real whipped cream, and above all, a straight-ahead bronzed turkey, roasted in the oven. 8. You're giving it all away at the end of the meal. A good turkey sandwich, enhanced with a layer of stuffing and gravy, eaten in peace after your guests have gone, is the whole point of hosting Thanksgiving in the first place. By all means, send your friends and family home with care packages, but first, make sure you've tucked away enough additional stuff for yourself. Union Flats

Halloween Treat Alternatives

Traditional Halloween treats include all oour 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 Union Flats