If you’re entertaining at home this Thanksgiving, it’s important to provide your guests with as much personal space as possible. All of our apartments at 1st Lake Properties are spacious and modern, but we know how easy it is for your space to feel more stuffed than a turkey when hosting friends and family.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of tips for spatial optimization during the holidays. Read on to learn our favorite hosting hacks!
Thinking vertically is one of our best tips for Thanksgiving. Maximize space on the dinner table by using tiered plates to hold appetizers and desserts.
This trick even works for the turkey, too: carve it ahead of time and separate white meat, dark meat, and legs on a three-tier display.
If your dining table won’t accommodate all of your guests, use other flat surfaces as well. Consoles, sofa tables, and nightstands can all work as alternate eating spaces or food displays. This allows you to create intimate areas throughout your space instead of cramming your guests into one giant table.
Folding tables and chairs from a party rental store can also help you maximize space on a small budget. Whatever you choose, drape coordinating linens over mismatched tables to transform them into a cohesive unit.
We get so used to seeing our stuff in the same place, it’s easy to forget it’s not bolted down! Rearranging furniture is a fun, free, and instant way to transform your home at any time of year, but during the holidays it can be a space-saving trick.
Push couches against the wall or move them to a different room altogether during dinner. Other rooms in your apartment can serve as temporary storage units, leaving you maximum space for entertaining.
Your ironing board works great for extra counter space, and a spare side chair positioned near the front door is ideal for letting guests set down their purses and bags when they come in. These two tricks help free up space and make the most of precious square footage at the same time.
A nice, cool space with proper air circulation will ensure that your guests are comfortable, even if your apartment is a little bit crowded.
Smaller apartments can heat up quickly with the oven going and extra guests mingling about. Keep everyone happy by being mindful of the A/C — turn it down a few notches and adjust accordingly throughout the evening!
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So, it’s the day after Thanksgiving and you have a fridge full of leftovers: Don’t throw it out! Luckily, a lot of cooking magazines and lifestyle websites have taken action against pitching Thanksgiving’s tastiest dishes. They’ve come up with a multitude of clever and delicious recipes for your leftovers, so you can finish off your whole feast, pocket some spending money, and save from wasting perfectly good food this year.
Here are some of our favorite ways to reuse your Thanksgiving meal leftovers.
Shepherd’s Pie is a delicious, flavorful dish that will make use of your leftover turkey and potatoes. Check out Baked by Rachel’s recipe here.
Do you still have a lot of turkey left? Shred it and use it in Bon Appetit’s Turkey and Mushroom Risotto recipe. The dish’s gravy is filled with the delicious flavors of mushrooms, onions, parmesan cheese, and parsley. It’s a warming winner for a cold weather dinner.
It might even be worth cooking more sweet potatoes than needed if it means making this sweet single-serve dish after the big day is over. Country Living’s Sweet Potato Spoon Bread with Caramel-Pecan Topping is our favorite way to treat yourself after hosting the holiday at your 1st Lake home. You deserve to celebrate a successful Thanksgiving Day with the help of cinnamon, sugar, caramel, and pecans. Trust us.
On a simpler note than most of the recipe’s we’ve listed so far, sometimes you just want a quick but exciting meal made from your decadent leftovers. Delish’s Turkey & Rice soup is your answer.
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Fall is finally here. If you live in Louisiana, that means it’s safe to leave the comfort of your air-conditioned living room and head outside for some beautiful weather.
The schedule is jam-packed with lovely fall events. You shouldn’t miss any opportunity to spend some time in the crisp autumn air having fun with friends and loved ones.
We’ve put together a list of events to look out for this fall, so read on to start planning your 2018 autumn itinerary!
On November 9, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation will hold another Boudin, Bourbon & Beer Fest in Champions Square. The festival has quickly become one of New Orleans’ most popular outdoor food and music festivals.
The event features a special menu comprised of 70 chefs, both local and national. This year’s festival includes co-chairs Donald Link, Stephen Stryjewski and Guy Fieri. If you’re a foodie, this one-night event is the place for you.
The all-inclusive ticket price is $135, and the festival runs from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival is Sunday, November 11 in the Carrollton neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans. Oak Street transforms into a walkway full of great local music, drinks, and over 60 variations of the famous local sandwich.
This year’s festival will also feature the “Where Y’arts Market,” which will offer local arts and crafts. Check out the full schedule here.
This festival, held in Congo Square and Louis Armstrong Park on November 17 -18, is a local favorite. Even better, admission is free!
The festival features a wonderful variety of gumbos to choose from. You’ll find Creole gumbo, seafood gumbo, chicken & sausage gumbo, and much more. There’s also a great music lineup centered primarily around jazz.
If you think eating a delicious bowl of gumbo while listening to New Orleans jazz in the park sounds like a good time, you should definitely attend the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival.
Every weekend from September 29 – November 25, you can go to the Cajun Country Corn Maze, and it’s the perfect place to enjoy the fall. The maze is constructed from a 7.5 acre corn field, and takes 1 – 1.5 hours on average to walk through.
It’s located in the countryside just outside of Baton Rouge. Check out the maze’s official website for detailed directions.
On Friday, November 16 from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., the Mid City Art & Design Cultural District of Baton Rouge celebrates local art and music with White Light Night.
Head down to bustling Mid City, Baton Rouge’s cultural hub, and enjoy the local businesses along the oak-lined streets. The festival is free, and functions as a way to stimulate the Baton Rouge economy and showcase the city’s most exciting artists and small businesses.
We hope you take advantage of the beautiful weather and jam-packed events schedule this autumn in Louisiana. Contact us today to learn more about our private gated apartment communities!
Autumn in Louisiana is the perfect time of year for biking. But no matter what time of year it is, there are fantastic spots to bike near all of 1st Lake’s gated residential communities.
Read on for the best places to bike in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Northshore, and get ready to enjoy the beautiful natural environment of South Louisiana!
New Orleans is, for the most part, completely flat, making it ideal for cycling. There are lots of great places to go for a bike ride in the Crescent City.
The Lafitte Greenway is a 2.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail and green corridor connecting neighborhoods from Armstrong Park to City Park, extending from the intersection of N. Alexander and St. Louis streets in Mid-City to Basin Street and St. Louis Street in Tremé, blocks from the French Quarter.
According to the official website, “The Greenway includes a 12-foot asphalt path for cyclists and pedestrians, new recreation fields, basketball courts, outdoor fitness parks, green space, and landscaping improvements including approximately 500 shade trees, native plant meadows, and stormwater retention features. The path is fully lit with LED energy-efficient trail lighting and includes curb extensions, signalized high visibility crosswalks, a crushed stone walking path, and a bicycle and pedestrian roundabout.”
Historic St. Charles Avenue is a major attraction in the city due to the majestic oaks and beautiful homes that line the street. Tulane and Loyola University campuses are also located along St. Charles, as well as the famous Columns Hotel.
Biking down St. Charles is a great way to spend an afternoon. Plus, there are plenty of great restaurants and parks along the way, for those that would rather take their time and relax.
Lakeshore Drive is a popular place for biking because it provides a path with a view of beautiful Lake Pontchartrain. There are also plenty of places to eat or relax along the way.
If you live at one of our Baton Rouge properties, you’ll also have a chance to bike along the Mississippi River, as well as many other beautiful landscapes in the city.
Along the Mississippi River levee is a 4-mile bike path that extends from just north of the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge down past Skip Bertman Drive at LSU to Farr Park. The path accommodates walkers, joggers and bikers. Water fountains and benches can be found along the way.
Baton Rouge’s Downtown Greenway is a bicycling corridor that stretches through the inner city. It’s the perfect place to bike. Make sure you take advantage of the many parks, businesses and cultural attractions along the way.
The Northshore is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of New Orleans and slow things down. There is more open and unused space on the Northshore compared to New Orleans, and this lends itself to biking perfectly.
The Tammany Trace is a hiking and biking trail that makes its way through every city on the Northshore, spanning from Covington, through Abita Springs, Mandeville and Lacombe, and ending in Slidell. Incredibly, this biking trail is over 30 miles long.
The Mandeville Trailhead is a public waypoint along the trace, where you will find restrooms, pavilions, an amphitheater, and other well-maintained public facilities to use before you begin your journey. The Mandeville Trailhead also hosts a farmers market on Saturday mornings.
There is a trailhead located in every city that the trace runs through, and each of them holds unique events and activities. To learn more about the trace and its trailheads, check out the official Tammany Trace website.
1st Lake has properties located near all of the biking spots listed above! Contact us today to learn more about our private gated apartment communities.
Farmers markets have been part of the Louisiana way of life for centuries. All across the state, these markets feature a wide array of seasonal produce, flowers, local delicacies, and arts & crafts.
Autumn is a great time of year to check out the farmers markets in your area. The weather is lovely, and there is a strong sense of community surrounding these weekly or monthly gatherings.
Read on for some of our farmers market recommendations.
There are dozens of farmers markets in the New Orleans area, and each one features a variety of items including produce and local arts & crafts. The French Market Farmers Market and the Crescent City Farmers Market have regular hours and are well known throughout the city.
This is a historic market that features full-service eateries serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and a variety of fresh produce and seafood.
Two weekly fresh food farmers markets can be found here: The Wednesday Crescent City Farmers Market and the Artisan Saturday Market.
The Crescent City Farmers Market offers items from local farmers, fishers, and food producers, as well as cooking demonstrations and occasional live music performances.
The Artisan Saturday Market offers handmade arts & crafts including clothing, candles, and many other locally made and carefully selected items.
This marketplace boasts “produce, crafts, and culture.” Its mission is to help revitalize the local community by increasing access to “fresh, local, and affordable food, and enhance economic viability” for its vendors.
Metry Market at the Park offers family fun in Metairie’s Lafreniere Park, and offers a weekly community event for all ages. Its mission is to “provide a source of fresh fruit, vegetables and local goods to residents, highlight more of what Metairie, LA can offer to their residents and encourage residents to get in the habit of buying local goods.”
This market also features artisans from all across Louisiana selling handmade jewelry, crafts, and more.
Baton Rouge is also a great place to find locally sourced produce and other goods, and there are two major markets you should definitely check out.
Main Street Market is located in downtown Baton Rouge, and features locally owned restaurants and shops inside of a marketplace setting. It is open Monday through Saturday and serves breakfast and lunch, as well as coffee.
On Saturdays, Main Street combines with the Red Stick Farmers Market to create a community market that offers cooking demonstrations, as well as other standard farmers market fare.
Red Stick Farmers Market has been in operation for nearly a decade, and only offers produce that is locally grown. Depending on the time of year, Red Stick operates in up to 7 locations across Baton Rouge, and has over 50 farmers that regularly participate.
Red Stick offers a fantastic variety of “fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, seafood, artisan breads, homemade pies, honey, milk and cheese, native plants, herbs, and specialty food items.”
For those of you staying in one of our Northshore communities, don’t worry! Both Mandeville and Covington have great farmers markets that aren’t far from your apartment.
The Covington Farmers Market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday morning, and is a community gathering featuring fresh produce, prepared food and music. All produce offered at the market is grown locally, and what’s available will depend on the season.
You’ll also find “jam, jelly, bread, pastries, pies, and candy” as well as a “broad selection of live native, ornamental and culinary plants.”
Since 2002, the Mandeville Trailhead Farmers Market has brought the local community together to buy local goods and enjoy local entertainment and educational activities.
The market features over 50 vendors offering “food of all types, wood-crafted items, artwork, pottery, children’s toys and clothing, soaps & lotions, and more.”
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1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
