Summer is a time for celebration in America, especially in July for Independence Day. Louisiana takes holidays seriously and throws a party, festival or parade for just about anything. So for 4th of July, we go all out with the festivities. Start making plans for 4th of July at locations near 1st Lake’s apartment communities in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mandeville and Slidell.
Essence Fest – Fourth of July kicks off Essence Fest in New Orleans through July 7, the biggest music festival in Louisiana this summer. See headliners like Beyonce, Maxwell, New Edition, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Brandy and many others. There will also be many great inspirational speakers, plus cooking demos, block parties, family friendly activities and much more.
Go Fourth on the River – Head to New Orleans for the premier Fourth of July celebration, Go Fourth on the River. There will be the signature Dueling Barges fireworks show, steamboat cruises on the Mississippi River, a celebration in Jackson Square and more.
Baton Rouge – If you are a resident of the 1st Lake apartments in Baton Rouge, you will be close to a fantastic Fourth of July celebration downtown. Along the riverfront, there will be activities and events all day long, like food vendors, tons of live music, a staged air raid performance, and fireworks over the Mississippi River.
Slidell Heritage Festival – The Slidell Heritage Festival on July 4 doubles as an Independence Day and local culture festival. Starting at 3:30 p.m. there will be fun live local band performances and fireworks at 9:00 p.m. followed by more live music. There will also be a children’s area with giant inflatable toys, a climbing wall and a video game trailer. There will be something for everyone!
Have a fun and safe 4th of July celebration, no matter which one choose!
Many people assume that you can’t make a decent, healthy meal in 10 minutes, but it can be done! Often times, after coming home from a grueling day’s work, the last thing that’s on your mind is preparing a home cooked meal. However, with the right ingredients, you can whip up something tasty and good for you in a matter of minutes. Here are three quick and easy ideas for meals to make during the week.
1. Quesadilla – Quesadillas are delicious and are surprisingly easy to make. You will just need flour or wheat tortillas, cheese and your choice of veggies, beans, chicken, steak or seafood. To prepare the meat, cook it on a skillet for the appropriate length of time with some Mexican spices like chili powder and cumin. In a different pan, heat some oil on medium heat and place your tortilla flat down. Add your cheese and other fillings on top of the tortilla. Using a spatula, fold the tortilla in half and cook on both sides until the cheese is melted and outside of the tortilla is golden.
2. Loaded Omelets – Who says you can’t have breakfast for dinner? Breakfast food can be dressed up enough to eat for dinner, just like a loaded omelet. Add a combination or a selection of grilled veggies, meat, beans and cheese to your omelet. To make it even healthier for just a couple minutes of more work, make it an egg white omelet. Serve with a simple side salad or some fruit and you’ve got one great dinner in minutes!
3. Orzo with veggies and meat – Orzo is a great small pasta that is perfect for light pasta dishes or pasta salad. Boil some orzo in salted water until al dente, and add your choice of sauteed veggies plus a meat option if you wish, like chicken. Drain the pasta and combine the hot pasta and cooked meat and veggies in a mixing bowl with parmesan, lemon juice, a little butter and salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together and voila! A delicious dinner in record time.
Check out the New Orleans area apartments for rent from 1st Lake Properties equipped with modern, spacious kitchens to make preparing home cooked meals a delight
The team members at 1st Lake Properties are gathering their resources to help the victims of the tragic tornadoes that recently tore through Oklahoma.
It all started with an idea from the grounds maintenance technician at the Sugar Mill West apartment community in Kenner, Tony Vezinat. Tony wanted to provide some help to the Oklahoma tornado victims, stating “I just wanted to give something to these people who have been through such a tragedy. I feel blessed to have survived Hurricane Katrina and can understand their loss and suffering at this time.”
Bringing his desire to help out the people of Oklahoma to the attention of the Sugar Mill West manager, they formed a company team member challenge to aid the victims. 1st Lake Properties has challenged its team members to donate to the fund that Tony started and in return, they will be able to participate in a “Wear Your Jeans To Work Day,” and of course enjoy the satisfaction of knowing their contribution goes to a very important cause. To cap it off, Tommy Cvitanovich of Drago’s Restaurant donated four gift certificates to add to a drawing for the team members who donate to the fund.
Michele Shane L’Hoste, President of 1st Lake Properties, is impressed by her generous team members. “We have been involved in several community projects, and I am always amazed at our 1st Lake team members’ willingness to give.”
The team member challenge began on June 1 and will run through June 14. If you would like to be a part of a philanthropic community like the ones at 1st Lake Properties who look out for those in need, check out the available apartments in the New Orleans area and contact 1st Lake Properties today!
It’s small, it’s simple, and it’s invincible – it’s velcro. This everyday material may not seem like that big of a deal, but it can actually be used for more than you would think. As an added bonus, it is very affordable and can be easily found at hardware or arts and craft stores. There are spinoff velcro products that offer even more DIY home improvement possibilities by adding a peel off adhesive to the other side, so velcro can be easily stuck and removed to affix or fasten items.
Organize – If you are having cord control issues, velcro can be the best way to easily organize loose and messy cords and cables. In addition to bundling cords, velcro can be an effective way to hold together sporting equipment like golf clubs and fishing poles.
Hanging – Velcro has powerful attachment capabilities and can be used to hang tools or household items like keys to the wall using a velcro board. It’s also a great option for hanging pictures or art securely to the walls so they stay in place.
Place holder – If you are someone who constantly misplaces household items, velcro can solve that problem in just a few seconds. Stick a piece of velcro to the end table to secure the television remote control when it’s not in use, or to the bathroom wall to place hair brushes or hair dryers.
In addition, if you have a gate without a lock that easily swings open, velcro can be a quick fix to keep it closed. As you can see, velcro can be used for many home improvement projects, so when in doubt, remember velcro!
Browse the desirable selection of apartments for rent in Metairie from 1st Lake Properties to find the perfect new apartment to move in to!
If you like sifting through a collection of various odds and ends to find one of a kind pieces for your apartment, flea markets in New Orleans are a great place to discover buried treasure and put your thriftiness to good use. If you aren’t as seasoned as dedicated flea market enthusiasts, there are some helpful tips to keep in mind before you hit the tables. Remember these pointers when heading out to the flea market in New Orleans this summer for unique, bargain shopping.
This goes for anywhere you’re shopping for furniture – bring a tape measure to confirm that the pieces you’re interested in buying will fit in the dimensions of your apartment. Make sure to bring a list of measurements from different rooms in your apartment to cross check with the size of the furniture.
Quality control is one of the biggest areas of contention when it comes to flea market finds. At first glance, certain antiques might look nearly flawless, but upon further inspection, you might find wear and tear from past usage. This goes not only for visible damage, but odors, too. If the damage isn’t too severe, you may be able to negotiate a lower price, which can be half the fun of flea markets for some people
While you should be mindful of the condition of certain items, even pieces that might need some work still have great potential. Think of ways you can repurpose old pieces by reupholstering them or updating them to work with your living space.
Finally, get out there early before the early bird shoppers have rummaged through the best of the day’s bounty.
There are many great flea markets close to 1st Lake’s Southeast Louisiana area apartments:
River Road Flea Market
3908 River Rd
New Orleans, LA 70121
(504) 831-3532
Open 10am – 5pm, Thursday through Monday
Offers more than 4,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles, with 20 different shops inside.
Freret Market
Freret St. & Napoleon Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 638-2589
Open 12pm – 4pm, the first Saturday of the month, except June, July and August
Monthly neighborhood market featuring local food, arts & crafts and flea market vendors.
No Fleas Market
4228 Magazine St
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 324-4727
Open 10am – 6pm, Monday through Saturday and 12pm – 5pm, Sunday
Resale shop that supports animal welfare. Portion of all proceeds are donated to local animal shelters and rescue groups.
Algiers Mini Mart Flea Market
2105 Behrman Hwy
New Orleans, LA 70114
(504) 361-1637
Open 7:30am – 5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday
Located on the Westbank, this sprawling flea market is more than 40 years old and features many Central American food vendors.
The Flea Market of Louisiana
15545 Airline Hwy
Prairieville, LA 70769
(225) 673-2682
Open 9am – 5pm, Saturday and Sunday
Located just outside of Baton Rouge, this flea market offers a family atmosphere and plenty of shopping.
Flea Market & RV Park at Menge
8095 Menge Ave
Pass Christian, MS 39571
(228) 452-0590
Open 8am – 5pm, Saturday and Sunday
The largest outdoor flea market on the MS Gulf Coast, offering hundreds of vendors each weekend.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
