Here at 1st Lake, we work hard to make every day feel like Earth Day. Check out some of the steps we are taking to be environmentally friendly!
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When creating our well-thought-out landscaping plans, we have the earth in mind!
We have over 10,000 trees across all properties.
Trees improve air quality, help with conservation, and more!
At 1st Lake Properties, we use LED lights which are 80% more efficient than traditional lighting & use less energy.
Less energy usage = a more positive effect on the environment!
Stormwater management reduces the runoff of rainwater in streets & lawns by regulating the collection, storage & movement of stormwater.
We have taken measures to recycle stormwater in our sprinkler systems and lawn care maintenance.
We use Energy Efficient Appliances across our apartments.
They use technology that is less energy intensive & reduces the amount of electricity used per product.
We are actively trying to reduce our paper consumption by providing more paperless options including; online housing & employment applications, work orders, rent payments & more.
We also print on recycled paper!
Looking for ways you can reduce your carbon footprint? Take a look at our tips below!
Unplug your devices.
Bring your own reusable bag when you shop.
Start a compost.
Take shorter showers.
Drink from a reusable water bottle or coffee mug.
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Like what you see? Move to a 1st Lake apartment today and together we can make the world a better place, one change at a time!
Arranging Your Apartment According to Feng Shui Principles
What is Feng Shui? You’ve probably heard about the practice in movies, books, or television shows. Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that invites positive energy, or “chi” inside your home. Improving the flow of energy inside your apartment can boost your mental and physical health.
Chi has been described as the glue that binds your life together with the elements. The elements include wood, metal, water, fire, and earth. Each element can be represented in different pieces of furniture or decor.
Be Organized
A disorganized home can lead to chaos. Dirty dishes, unfolded clothes, and cluttered cabinets and countertops can create a stressful environment. If you have a beautiful natural stone counter in your kitchen like marble or granite, the last thing you want is to cover it up with clutter. If you are beginning to practice Feng Shui, you’ll need to organize your apartment before moving forward.
It can feel overwhelming to begin this process. Start with a small closet or bedroom. Filter out clothing that you don’t wear anymore or items that are just collecting dust. Donate them to a local nonprofit. Then, organize what’s left into a new system. Get rid of items that you do not need.
Don’t think of this process as decluttering. You are creating new space inside your apartment. While it’s not the end of the world if you replace this open area with new items, just make sure the area stays organized over time.
Remove Obstacles
We’re not getting philosophical here. I literally want you to think about the path inside your home. Are you moving around furniture to walk through your apartment? If so, it’s time to adjust the placement of your furniture.
You might be overlooking these physical obstacles in your life. It’s a nuisance that impacting your mental health more than you would think. Take the time to properly move furniture around your apartment. Figure out what floor plan works best for you and the chi inside your apartment.
Separate Your Work and Rest Space
This is another major rule in Feng Shui. When creating a floor plan inside your apartment, you will need to separate work and rest space. It’s tempting to place a desk and computer inside your bedroom. But this practice will restrict the flow of positive energy inside your apartment. You will not be fully relaxed if you walk into your bedroom and relive your work day. Set up a workstation in a high-energy area like the kitchen, a small office, or a spare bedroom.
You will want to create a calming environment inside your bedroom. This is where you unwind after a long day. Place the head of your bed against a wall, so the piece of furniture is facing a door. This will allow you to properly recharge as you sleep. You will also want to avoid having too many electronics inside your bedroom. A blaring TV or radio will distract you from meditation and reflection each day.
Understand Your Colors
It’s important to understand how the color inside your apartment can influence your mental health. Strategically adding different color palettes inside your home can eliminate stress, boost your mood, and rejuvenate your soul.
Blue and green are calming colors that should be used in bedrooms. Red is a passionate color that can bring life to a room. Neutral colors can also be used in communal living spaces.
Brighten Your Entryway
Energy enters and leaves your apartment through the front door. It is important to create a positive and welcoming environment through your main entryway. Like other rooms inside your apartment, you’ll want to properly declutter this area. Do not have shoes, jackets, or purses blocking the entryway.
You can make more space or compliment the doorway with decor, flowers, or a special door mat. You can really personalize this area and make it your own. You can also add more lightning inside or outside the entryway. By doing this, you are creating an inviting and spacious area. It invites positive energy into your apartment. And if you are properly practicing Feng Shui, that positive energy will stay.
Buy More Plants
There are plenty of benefits to adding fresh plants inside your home. From a Feng Shui perspective, plants bring life energy inside your apartment. Greenery can bring vibrant energies and moods inside your home. Plants represent health, vitality, and relaxation.
Guest blog by: marble.com
March Madness is here! If you’re hosting viewing parties in your 1st Lake home and feel overwhelmed with what to cook for your guests, start here! We’ve rounded up our favorite appetizer and snack recipes from New Orleans’ most celebrated chefs so you can add a little Louisiana to your football-watching party this weekend.
Now that crawfish are back in season, we can’t think of a better way to incorporate them into your game day offerings than in a melty, cheesy, and oh so spicy quesadilla. This recipe from Chef John Folse will certainly score you some big flavor points.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. You may wish to substitute shrimp, crab, or even chicken if crawfish is unavailable in your area. In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add green onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until mushrooms are wilted. Add crawfish, thyme, cilantro, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Continue to sauté until juices are rendered and liquids have almost completely evaporated approximately 10 minutes. Season to taste using Creole seasoning, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Place the tortilla shells on a large cookie sheet and sprinkle with a small amount of Monterey Jack cheese. Top with a portion of the crawfish stuffing and more of the Monterey Jack cheese. Fold each tortilla in half and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are slightly crisp but not over-browned.
The Queen of Creole Cooking, Leah Chase, shared her world-famous gumbo recipe with The Food Network so you can make your guests feel like they’re dining at Dooky Chase in your 1st Lake living room! The weather will be a little chilly this Sunday, and a big pot of gumbo is a great way to warm up the football crowd.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a skillet over low heat and add the flour to make a roux, browning until golden about 3 minutes. Add the onions and cook over low heat until the onions wilt about 4 minutes.
Put the shrimp, sausages, stew meat, and ham in a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Pour the onion mixture over the ingredients and add 3 quarts water, the chicken wings, file powder, paprika, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes or until broth reaches desired thickness.
Add the oysters, parsley, garlic, and thyme. Lower the heat and cook until the shrimp is pink, about 10 minutes more, before serving.
Bacon is always a crowd-pleaser in our book! Chef Emeril Lagasse’s Bacon Wrapped Dates are a tasty and perfectly-portioned appetizer to serve before the game begins. These individually served treats are the perfect blend of salty and sweet, and they’ll complement those commercial breaks nicely.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the dates lengthwise, on one side only, and remove the pit. Place an almond inside each date. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of goat cheese into the other side of the date and press both sides together to close.
Cut each slice of bacon in half. Wrap each date with a slice of bacon and secure it with a toothpick.
Transfer the dates to the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, take out the toothpick, and turn the dates over. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the bacon is crisp on both sides.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
View a full list of our communities and find the right one for you today!
It’s officially 🎶 “CARNIVAL T-I-I-I-ME!” 🎶
With Carnival season comes purple, green, and gold galore, delicious king cakes, and the most fun of all – dazzling parades! To help prepare you for the season, we’ve curated a list of all the Northshore and Southshore parades. Keep reading for more and get your bead bags ready!
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| Photo by @mardigrasworld via Instagram |
Krewe of Excalibur • Friday, February 2nd • 6:30 PM
Magical Krewe of Mad Hatters • Saturday, February 3rd • 5:00 PM
Krewe of Athena • Sunday, February 4th • 5:00 PM
Krewe of Atlas follows
Krewe of Symphony • Thursday, February 8th • 6:30 PM
Krewe of Athena • Sunday, February 11th • 5:30 PM
Krewe of Centurions • Monday, February 12th | LUNDI GRAS • 6:30 PM
Krewe of Argus • Tuesday, February 13thst | MARDI GRAS • 10:00 AM
Krewe of Elks Jeffersonians follows
Krewe of Chewbacchus • Saturday, January 20th • 7:00 PM
Krewe Bohème • Friday, January 26th • 7:00 PM
Krewe du Vieux • Saturday, January 27th • 6:30 PM
Krewe of Nefertiti • Sunday, January 28th • 1:00 PM
‘tit Rəx • Sunday, January 28th • 4:30 PM
krewedelusion • Sunday, January 28th • 7:00 PM
Krewe of Cork • Friday, February 2nd • 3:00 PM
Krewe of Oshun • Friday, February 2nd • 6:00 PM
Krewe of Cleopatra follows
Krewe of Alla follows
Krewe of Pontchartrain • Saturday, February 3rd • 11:30 AM
Legion of Mars follows
Krewe of Choctaw follows
Krewe of Freret follows
Knights of Sparta • Saturday, February 3rd • 5:30 PM
Krewe of Pygmalion follows
Knights of Nemesis • Saturday, February 3rd • 1:00 PM
Krewe of Barkus • Sunday, February 4th • 2:00 PM
The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale • Sunday, February 4th • 11:00 AM
Krewe of Carrollton follows
Krewe of King Arthur follows
Krewe of Druids • Wednesday, February 7th • 6:15 PM
Krewe of Nyx • Wednesday, February 7th • 6:45 PM
Knights of Babylon • Thursday, February 8th • 5:30 PM
Knights of Chaos follows
Krewe of Muses follows
Krewe of Bosom Buddies • Friday, February 9th • 11:30 AM
Krewe of Hermes • Friday, February 9th • 5:30 PM
Krewe d’Etat • Friday, February 9th • 6:30 PM
Krewe of Morpheus • Friday, February 9th • 7:00 PM
Krewe of Iris • Saturday, February 10th • 11:00 AM
Krewe of Tucks • Saturday, February 10th • 12:00 PM
Krewe of Endymion • Saturday, February 10th • 4:00 PM
Krewe of Okeanos • Sunday, February 11th • 11:00 AM
Krewe of Mid-City follows
Krewe of Thoth • Sunday, February 11th • 12:00 PM
Krewe of Bacchus • Sunday, February 11th • 5:15 PM
Krewe of Proteus • Monday, February 12th | LUNDI GRAS • 5:15 PM
Krewe of Orpheus • Monday, February 12th | LUNDI GRAS • 6:00 PM
Krewe of Zulu • Tuesday, February 13th | MARDI GRAS • 8:00 AM
Krewe of Rex • Tuesday, February 13th | MARDI GRAS • 10:30 AM
Krewe of Elks Orleans follows
Krewe of Crescent City follows
Krewe of Isis • Saturday, February 10th • 6:00 PM
Krewe of Rosethorne • Saturday, February 10th • 12:00 PM
The Mystic Krewe of Music • Monday, February 5th • 6:00 PM
The Culinary Queens of New Orleans (TCQNO) • Tuesday, February 6th • 6:00 PM
The Krewe of Nandi • Wednesday, February 7th • 6:00 PM
Krewe of NOMTOC • Saturday, February 10th • 10:45 AM
Des Allemands • Sunday, February 11th • 1:00 PM
Krewe of Push Mow • Saturday, February 3rd • 12:00 PM
Krewe of Bush • Saturday, February 10th • 9:00 AM
Krewe of Olympia • Saturday, February 3rd • 6:00 PM
Carnival in Covington • Tuesday, February 13th | MARDI GRAS • 10:00 AM
Krewe of Bogue Falaya • Tuesday, February 13th | MARDI GRAS • 10:15 AM
Krewe of Mardi PAWS • Sunday, February 18th • 2:00 PM
Krewe of Folsom • Tuesday, February 13th | MARDI GRAS • 2:00 PM
Omega • Friday, February 2nd • 6:30 PM
Krewe of Tchefuncte • Saturday, February 3rd • 1:00 PM
Krewe of Eve • Friday, February 2nd • 7:00 PM
Krewe du Pooch • Saturday, February 17th • 12:00 PM
Krewe of Pearl River Lions Club • Sunday, January 28th • 1:00 PM
Mystic Krewe of Titans • Friday, January 26th • 6:30 PM
Krewe of Bilge • Saturday, January 27th • 12:00 PM
Krewe of Poseidon • Saturday, January 27th • 6:00 PM
Krewe of Antheia • Sunday, January 28th • 1:00 PM
Krewe de Paws of Olde Towne • Saturday, February 3rd • 10:00 AM
Krewe of Dionysus • Sunday, February 4th • 1:00 PM
Krewe of Selene • Friday, February 9th • 6:30 PM
From the Northshore to the Southshore, there are not only plenty of parades to experience but also plenty of properties for you to move into! See a list of our Northshore and Southshore properties and find the one that meets your needs today!
A typical Charcuterie board usually consists of a variety of meats and cheeses and is a staple for holiday parties. This year, they have become more popular and people are making their boards with a variety of different items!
We tried our hand at it with a couple of our own twists and tricks! See how we assembled two, modern charcuterie boards just in time for the holiday season, using items you will love!
First up, we created a charcuterie board that pairs perfectly with a glass of wine! Our board included three main ingredients: cheese, grapes, and crackers. All of which were purchased from Rouses! This year, our holiday decor at Artesia Apartments featured a lot of snowflakes, and we decided to bring those elements to the board.
We placed tinsel in the shape of a tree and alternated between grapes and cheese. Add some snowflakes on top and you have a cheesy winter wonderland scene. Not only did this one come out tasty, but it also added a festive flair to our countertop!
For our second board, we decided to go down a sweeter path to make the dessert board of our dreams! We gathered all of our favorite holiday treats and found the perfect spot to share, at our new apartment community, Bella Ridge South.
We suggest making yourself a delicious cup of hot chocolate or egg nog to enjoy this one. From staples like Little Debbie Treats, red and green gumdrops to peppermint marshmallows and even Oreo cookies, this board had everything! Adding popcorn and pretzels is a great way to add a splash of salty snacks into the mix. The final product is perfect to leave in the kitchen for midnight snacking or even to make as your table’s centerpiece!
With oversized kitchens and huge floorplans, our apartment homes are a perfect place to come home to for the holidays!
For more ideas on holiday decorating, check out our blog on how to create a Show-Stopping Table Setting!
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
