Spring is creeping to a close, but that means summer is right around the corner and in Louisiana, that means more festivals and fun. There is a different type of festival to suit any mood or interest – and the best part? For residents of 1st Lake’s apartments in the New Orleans area, they’re all within close and convenient distance.
Food: The Cajun and Creole food indigenous to Louisiana is so special and robust that it warrants festivals just to celebrate and enjoy certain types of fare. There are three festivals coming up in New Orleans centered around a genre or specific food. Greek Fest will be held on Bayou St. John in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood from May 24-26 featuring authentic Greek food, music, dancers and other fun attractions. Oyster Fest on June 1 and 2 and Creole Tomato Fest on the weekend of June 8-9 showcasing these two Louisiana specialties. Jambalaya Festival from May 23-26 is one of the largest festivals in Louisiana, hosted in Baton Rouge featuring a jambalaya cookoff, music and carnival activities.
Drink: It’s no secret that drinking is a celebrated part of Louisiana culture and the craft cocktail scene in New Orleans has really taken off. Tales of the Cocktail, from July 17 – 21 in New Orleans will bring some of the country’s most prominent and cutting edge bartenders and mixologists to show off their skills. There will be tastings, seminars, “spirited” lunch and dinners, and many more fun events.
Music: Sharing the weekend of June 8-9 with the Creole Tomato Festival, the Louisiana Cajun Zydeco Festival will be held on two stages at the Old U.S. Mint in the New Orleans French Quarter, presenting the authentic and unique music of Louisiana’s Cajun Country. Essence Fest in New Orleans will be from July 4-7 featuring great R&B music and powerful speakers. Bayou Country Superfest is on May 25 and 26 at the LSU Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, presenting national country stars like Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert and the Zac Brown Band.
All three: The Slidell Heritage Festival will hold its 16th annual festival on Independence Day, July 4 from 3:00 to 11:00 p.m. in Slidell Heritage Park with four awesome bands, talented craft vendors and a wide range of local food.
Whether you’re a resident of 1st Lake’s New Orleans apartments, 1st Lake’s Baton Rouge apartment rentals or 1st Lake’s Slidell apartments for rent, you’ll have plenty of options for fun in the sun this summer!
Spring is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Luckily for residents of 1st Lake’s New Orleans area apartments, there are tons of ways to have fun and exercise outdoors. Use some of our ideas for great outdoor activities and take advantage of this temperate time. All are fun for adults while being great outdoor activities for kids as well.
Jog on Lake Pontchartrain – If you are a resident of 1st Lake’s apartments in Kenner, you have the added bonus of Lake Pontchartrain right outside your door. Lake Pontchartrain provides beautiful scenery and a natural resource for fishing, boating or jogging or strolling along the banks.
Picnic at the Park – Picnics are the perfect spring activity and a way to have fun while being outside. There are great parks near our apartments in Metairie including Lafreniere Park, which the Lafreniere Apartments are located right next to. Since 1st Lake Properties is pet friendly, residents will love bringing their dog to the Bonnabel Boat Launch Dog Park and Lafreniere Bark located inside Lafreneire park.
Fishing – Because Louisiana is part of the Gulf Coast, it offers many beautiful waterways that provide many opportunities for outdoor spring activities. There are a number of places to go fishing near 1st Lake Apartments, including the fishing community of Covington where the modern Brewster Commons apartments are located, as well as at the St. Tammany Parish fishing pier near the Audubon Gates apartments in Slidell.
Go Swimming – Many, if not most, of 1st Lake’s apartments come with beautiful and luxurious swimming pools for residents to enjoy. In addition, the Brewster Commons apartments in Covington are near the resort style Stone Creek Club and Spa, complete with fitness classes and equipment, tennis courts, spa, children’s programs and of course a large, immaculate swimming pool.
Some of 1st Lake Properties’ Kenner apartment residents are up to doing good deeds again. The Lakes of Chateau Estates South apartments in Kenner recently participated in a fashion fundraiser and residents there are currently participating in a cell phone drive benefit through the middle of April.
The residents of The Lakes of Chateau Estates South in Kenner are active altruists, doing their part for others again after making donations to the Coats for Kids Foundation back in December and January. Residents of this Kenner apartment rental community recently participated in the “Paint the Mall Red” fashion show for Heart Health Awareness. Lakes of Chateau Estates South partnered with Sugar Mill apartments in Kenner for the event where speakers and vendors from various businesses were in attendance for the cause. The Lakes of Chateau Estates community offered a Mardi Gras igloo packed with parade essentials for a giveaway at their table.
Currently, the Lakes of Chateau South residents are running a cell phone drive to benefit the Metropolitan Shelter for Women and Children. They are asking for cell phones in any condition to donate to the shelter. The residents have already made generous donations to the shelter which will use the funds raised in the areas that need it most.
The Lakes of Chateau Estates South apartments in Kenner offer a serene, resort style environment with a beautiful private lake bordering the property. While the community is within a short distance from New Orleans, these Kenner apartments offer seclusion from the big city. The interiors are filled with modern appliances and floor plans including bay windows, washer/dryers, fireplaces, storage and more.
1st Lake Properties is currently running a special at the Lakes of Chateau Estates for a free vacation if you rent one of their Kenner apartments today. Call now for details on this special offer!
Many apartment rentals come with white walls. Instead of wishing you had more wall colors to choose from, use the white walls in your apartment as inspiration for decorating ideas. Think of white walls as creating a gallery space in your apartment for featuring great apartment decorating ideas. Try out some of them with these decorating tips.
White walls allow you to showcase special pieces of furniture, colorful art or decorative rugs. Both colorful or white candles, to create a clean white on white look are also attractive decor additions. Place flameless candles, like Febreze Flameless Luminaries – battery operated scented candles – or Candle Warmers for a real candle look on mantles against white walls. Ladders are great interior design elements that make for rustic hangers for colorful quilts to lean against white walls.
Windows built into white walls can really open up and brighten a room with outside views and sunlight. To further complement that outdoor feel, place easily maintainable house plants near the windows by your white walls for an extra pop of color.
It’s really more about thinking creatively about how to let the white walls in your apartment highlight the other aspects of each room. Think about the other colors of your furniture and appliances. Bright kitchen and bathroom appliances stand out against white walls. White furniture gives a very clean and ethereal effect whereas black furniture with white walls gives a chic, mod style.
See what excellent New Orleans area apartments there are currently available at 1st Lake Properties, and find the next living space to decorate and call your own!
You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to create homemade materials and craft projects to spruce up your apartment. Often times, you can use items you already have, which makes D.I.Y. projects fun and affordable! Here is one cost effective and handmade product you can make right at home on your very own.
Citrus Cleaner – Instead of buying overpriced cleaning spray full of chemicals, you can make your very own, environmentally friendly batch that will last a long time using items you probably already have at your house. This recipe from Apartment Therapy will make a powerful natural cleaner in no time! In addition to keeping your apartment clean, this D.I.Y. project will have your house smelling of fresh citrus as a bonus!
Materials
Citrus Peels
Distilled White Vinegar
Water (optional)
Airtight Glass Container
Spray Bottle
Tools
Measuring Cup
Strainer
1. Collect citrus peels and store them in an airtight glass container.
Note: citrus fruits contain d-limonene, a natural solvent that chemically reacts with oil to break it down.
2. Once your container is full, cover the peels with white vinegar.
3. Date your jar, and let it sit for about 2 weeks.
Note: when ready, the vinegar should have a strong citrus odor and be yellowish in color.
4. Strain the peels.
5. Dilute with water if you so desire.
The concentration depends on your intended use and preference. I used a 1:1 ratio.
6. Pour into a spray bottle and use.
While I have been using it mostly in my kitchen to clean up stove top grease, this makes for a great, all purpose cleaner.
After your citrus solution is ready, pat yourself on the back for completing this craft project and enjoy your homemade cleaner at one of 1st Lake’s New Orleans apartment rentals in Metairie, Kenner or River Ridge or on the Northshore at 1st Lake’s apartments in Mandeville and Covington!
If you’d like to make your cleaner even more fragrant, try adding rosemary, like Steve Parente does in the instructional video below! He walks you through every step of the instructions above. Enjoy your new craft project
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
