Happiness is a state of being. Many of us, when busy or upset, can start to feel down and frustrated with our surroundings. Instead of just deciding you don’t like your place, you can rejuvenate the space and bring more happy into your home life with a few simple tweaks. A little care and effort can change your perspective on things inside the home and out. Try some of these tips to start feeling happier at home right away. 
1. Bring in a Plant – Caring for a living being brings a sense of vitality and commitment into a home, and a plant is a simple way to experience those feelings, while also bringing pleasing, and even soothing, color into your décor.
2. Decorate with Personal Touches – Sometimes making a space feel more like home and more like yours can be as easy as decorating with one or a few sentimental items. Displaying things like family heirlooms or precious souvenirs from some of your favorite trips can remind you that you and your experiences are what really make a home special.
3. Focus on One Thing You Love – Gratitude changes everything; you can choose to focus on the negative, which can be found in anything, or you can choose to pick at least one thing a week to focus on that you love about your home. Every time you pass it, you will smile with appreciation, which breeds more appreciation for other things, and brings about inspiration and pride in your space.
4. Find Time to Relax – Our lives can be so busy; making time to relax in your space can make it feel more like home and your sanctuary, rather than just a place to store your things. Take time for reading a book in a cozy nook, squeezing in a weekend nap in perfect afternoon light, or put some music on and cook yourself a lovely meal. You deserve it.
5. Treat Yourself – Every once in a while you need to invest in yourself and your space. Buy yourself a treat that you’ve been wanting to get for the home and let it be something that makes you smile and brightens the room. If you do this every so often, you will begin to see the home you’ve always wanted.
During August, 1st Lake Properties has some smokin’ hot deals on their beautiful apartments loaded with enticing amenities. Take a look at these discounts on rent, move-in costs and more at apartment communities all around the Greater New Orleans area and beyond.
Brewster Commons – During August, you can get $500 off your first month of rent on select two bedroom apartments, in addition to special move in deals at this Covington apartment community. All units include full-size washer and dryers, self-cleaning ovens, microwaves and refrigerators with ice makers.
Boardwalk Apartments – Boardwalk Apartments in Metairie is a small, gated community that features washers and dryers, a refreshing pool, large walk-in closets, plus additional sunroom/office space in select apartments. Call to find out how you can save up to $275 on spacious two-bedroom apartments or unique studios.
Crossroads Apartments – This Metairie apartment community features newly renovated apartments with washer and dryers in every apartment, plus sunrooms, two pools and gated access. Lease a studio or one bedroom by August 18 for special savings.
Sawmill Creek – This month, you can spend as little as $99 on move in costs at Sawmill Creek in River Ridge. There are also reduced rates on some apartment floor plans that include washer and dryers, nice sized patios/balconies, enormous closets, wood-burning fireplaces and more.
Hickory Creek – August brings you two weeks of free rent plus half off deposits on select units including spacious one and two-bedrooms with full size washer and dryers, Roman soaking tubs, over-sized closets and more. Call to learn more about this River Ridge apartment community.
Willowood Apartments – Take advantage of this August back-to-school deal on three-bedroom apartments at Willowood in Metairie. The lush apartments in this gated community set among trees and greenery feature fully equipped kitchens with plenty of counter and cabinet space, frost-free refrigerators, large closets, skylights, and vaulted ceilings, as well as private patios/balconies.
Bella Ridge Apartments – This month is the perfect time to score some pre-opening deals on apartments in this River Ridge apartment community set to open this fall. Get the jump on upscale apartments with amenities like stainless steel or black kitchen appliances including frost-free refrigerators, multi-cycle dishwashers, and double stainless steel sinks, granite counter-tops, recessed lighting, paneled doors, plantation-style wood blinds, nine-foot ceilings with crown moldings and decorative woodwork.
Arbor Gate Apartments – At this Picayune, MS apartment community, August discounts include reduced rental rates and half off deposits, along with new deals on move-in costs. This gated community features an extra large swimming pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center and abundant greenery.
Call today to learn how to take advantage of these generous deals on beautiful, updated apartments.
This month, a team of hundreds of staff and volunteers of 1st Lake Properties, Inc. and members of The Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans joined forces to organize donations and give back-to-school supplies and household and sanitary items for women and families of domestic abuse. The items were gathered and organized for two weeks in order to be given to the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children for proper distribution. 1st Lake Properties is thrilled to have seen such generosity and success with the donation drive.
1st Lake Properties chose to work with the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children because of their dedicated, tireless work for families that suffer from domestic violence. Darlene Santana, the Executive Director for the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children, said, “Our mission statement is to ‘Break the cycle of violence and aid survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking through advocacy, empowerment, transformation, and intervention.’ We sincerely appreciate the donations and support of 1st Lake Properties and The Apartment Association in preparing our children for school. Through the generosity of the community, we are able to accomplish our mission.”
In advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, 1st Lake Properties was proud to partner with the Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans to assist in such a worth-while cause. 1st Lake Properties staff and volunteers echo the sentiments of Favrot & Shane Co. Senior Vice President, Stacey Shane Schott, when she said, “We have recognized the importance of making our community aware of the needs of victims and survivors in abusive situations. We partnered with The Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans in our request for donations to help support and bring awareness to these families.”
1st Lake Properties is proud and inspired by the generosity it saw from its community members and is eager to find more ways to contribute to invaluable organizations like the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children. Other additional resources include The Recovery Village.
Summer is the perfect time for grilling, and 1st Lake residents can do it right at home with grilling stations provided at many apartment communities. Fish is a lighter, healthier alternative to steak or chicken and taste delicious grilled over an open flame, however you have to be careful when choosing what type of fish to grill. Some more delicate, flaky fish like tilapia and flounder won’t work on the grill. Opt for the firmer, eatier fish to put on the grill. Here are the best fish for grilling.
Swordfish is perfect for grilling. They are sold as steak fillets, so you can throw them on the grill whole after seasoning, or cut them up into skewers for delicious fish kabobs.
Salmon is delicious grilled, and can hold up to the heat of a grill without falling apart. Season with spices, lemon juice and dill for great flavor.
Tuna is one of the sturdiest fish and cooks well on the grill. Get a nice sear on a tuna steak for that smoky flavor that’s perfect for summer cookouts.
Snapper is one of those fish that tastes great any way you cook it, and the mild white fish will hold up well on the grill.
This firm, mild white fish is a crowd pleaser that will taste great from the grill flavor, seasoned with spices and lime juice.
1st Lake Properties apartments in Louisiana and Mississippi are fortunately located in the Gulf Coast area which has direct access to some of the best seafood in the country, which means you’ll have a high quality selection at the market or grocery store for your summer grillout.
Eating fresh and healthy food on a regular basis requires keeping fresh produce in your kitchen. For those of us new to cooking or who often find our produce has quickly deteriorated shortly after purchasing it, there are a few basic rules of thumb when it comes to storing fruits and vegetables. Follow these kitchen guidelines for maintaining your produce’s freshness for as long as possible.
Don’t store fruits and vegetables together – Fruits give off ethylene which is a ripening agent and can cause vegetables to start rotting prematurely, so keep your fruits and vegetables separate from each other in the refrigerator.
Storing vegetables – Vegetables from the grocery store or market should have their ties or rubber bands removed before putting in the refrigerator. For leafy vegetables like celery, trim the ends with a little left on to keep them from drying out. Place the vegetables loosely in the refrigerator with enough space so they’re not right on top of each other, which can cause them to decompose quicker. Leafy greens can be washed ahead of time but other vegetables like mushrooms as well as delicate herbs should not be washed until they are ready to be prepared to eat.
Storing fruits – The way fruit should be stored depends on how quickly you want them to ripen if they are not already. Fruits like avocado, tomato, melons, apples and pears will ripen if stored on the countertop, but can also be stored in the refrigerator if they aren’t meant to be consumed immediately. Fruits like bananas, grapes, bell peppers, citrus and berries will all ripen quickly and should be stored in the refrigerator unless they are intended to be eaten on the day of purchase.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
