These days, it’s practically normal for most people in New Orleans to get fewer than 8 hours of sleep. With people working longer hours and leading busier lives, the old standard of 8 hours is getting harder and harder to many to get consistently. Whether or not you’re able to squeeze in the proper amount of hours into your sleep schedule, getting restful sleep can be just as important as the length of time you sleep.
Here are a few ways to ensure that you get a more restful sleep, no matter how many hours you get in, to help you feel refreshed when morning comes!
Many people depend on some sort of background noise to get to sleep, whether it be the TV, stereo, or a fan. However, this noise, while it may be soothing and help you get to sleep, can cause disturbances while you’re asleep. The brain will continue to process what it’s hearing, and you may find yourself not as well rested in the morning. Beyond disrupting your sleep, distractions such as the stereo or TV can keep you up longer than you need to be if you find yourself paying attention to them.
Drinking caffeine too close to bedtime can keep you awake and alert longer than you may like. While many of us depend on caffeine throughout the day, whether it be coffee or soda, it can remain in your body for up to 14 hours! If it’s at all possible, try to avoid drinking caffeinated beverages anywhere from 4-6 hours before bed, depending on your reaction and tolerance to it.
Many people try to use alcohol to get to sleep as well. While it may seem like a quick and easy way to relax before bed, alcohol can actually cause you to toss and turn in your sleep, which will leave you feeling more exhausted in the morning.
Try not to go to bed hungry, but don’t eat anything too filling or heavy right before bed. Generally, a good rule of thumb to use is to avoid eating anything from 1-2 hours before going to bed. If you need a snack before bed, try eggs, or peaches. The old trick of drinking milk before bed to help go to sleep is actually true as well. Milk contains tryptophan (much like your Thanksgiving turkey), which helps to promote sleep.
While worries and stresses may tend to pop up in your head when you’re trying to rest, your bed should remain a stress-free zone. Allow yourself to keep your mind clear, and deal with stresses tomorrow. Reading, taking a warm bath, or meditating to get your mind off of the day’s events can help you get in a more relaxed state of mind before bed-time.
While cuddling with your dog or cat may be a great stress relief at the end of a long day, when they move around at night it can cause disturbances in your sleep that leave you feeling tired in the morning. If you want to have some time with your furry friend, do so before you turn in, and then allow yourself the privacy and comfort of an animal free bed!
Shop local! Bedding Plus is a family-owned subsidiary of Doerr Furniture, one of the oldest and most respected furniture stores in New Orleans. They have mattress stores throughout southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, convenient to all of our apartment communities.
We all have one – that little, or maybe big, spot in our apartment used for miscellaneous items, otherwise known as junk. Whether it’s a drawer, a closet, or even a room, it doesn’t have to be junky. It may be the designated place for things that don’t belong anywhere else, but it can still be organized.
This space allotted for random household items, if left unkempt for too long, can quickly become a big mess. If that’s the case, step one is to completely empty the contents and start fresh. Throw out anything that is trash, broken, or that you simply don’t have a need for anymore.
Once you’re left with what you want to keep, it’s time to start organizing. Most things end up in a junk drawer because they don’t make sense anywhere else in the apartment. Take those things and sort them according to function. Are they tools? Office supplies? Personal items like matches, magnets, chalk, pens, etc? Insert or install dividers into the drawer or closet and place the groups of items into the individual sections. That way you’ll be able to find what you need quicker instead of searching through a bunch of clutter for that one little piece.
Take these steps to turn your junk drawer into a tidy one for all those knickknacks that you might start using more once they’re organized, clearly visible and easier to find!
1st Lake’s apartments communities in Mandeville, River Ridge and Slidell Louisiana have plenty of cabinets and large closets that make organizing extraneous gadgets that much easier.
So your lease will be renewing soon on your apartment – what should you do? 1st Lake Properties has an automatic renewal of your current lease term which makes staying much easier, no need to take time out of your schedule to sign the same paperwork!
Contact your leasing office if you wish to terminate your lease upon expiration to fill out a written notice. Notice to move out of your apartment must be done timely and in writing. Good communication with the rental office will ensure you a better apartment experience. Before making the decision to move, consider all the possible consequences of moving out.
First of all, apartment hunting can be a long, difficult process, so if you are in an apartment you like, that’s affordable, and in a desirable location, there’s no reason not to stay! Remember location is the key to great apartment living. Consider the costs that it takes to move, time it takes to pack and logistics of paperwork, new policies and a new landlord – staying in your current apartment can avoid a big headache.
Make sure when you sign your lease agreement, that the renewal process is understood.
At 1st Lake Properties, we’re committed to providing the best living experience possible for our residents and are confident that with all the great New Orleans area locations, special offers, amenities and resident services, you’ll always want to renew your lease with 1st Lake!
So you need to eat fast? Not everyone has the time or energy every weeknight to make a full course meal for themselves or their family, and eating out can get expensive. Fortunately, there are plenty of quick and easy 10 minute meals that taste great and are good for you at the same time. These meals aren’t only fast and easy, but work well for cooking in smaller kitchens. Keep these recipes in mind next time you go to the grocery store for a week of no-fuss dinners!
You don’t need handmade dough to make a pizza – just some pita bread and a few fresh ingredients! To make this dish even healthier, use wheat pita. With these pita pizzas, you can make several different varieties with different toppings to share with friends and family, or just enjoy yourself!
Click here for the Pizza Pronto recipe! Recipe courtesy of Red Book
Yes, 10 minute meals can be sophisticated! Fish Piccata is light and delicious and with a quick, delicate sauce of just three ingredients. Serve with a side salad and you’ve got one really nice and easy dinner!
Click here for the Fish Piccata recipe! Recipe courtesy of Food Network
Contrary to common thought, chili doesn’t have to take hours to make. It can be just as delicious using canned beans that are already cooked and just need heatin, with fresh veggies and seasonings added. Top with cheese, sour cream and cilantro, and you’ve got yourself one mean bowl of chili, perfect for fall and winter.
Click here for the Firehouse Chili recipe! Recipe courtesy of sheknows.com
1st Lake Properties offers many great communities with modern, energy efficient kitchens to whip up these delicious 10 minute meals, like at Brewster Commons in Covington. Browse the available apartments and find the one that you’ll love to cook in!
Decking the halls and walls of your apartment with photos, paintings and artwork is a great way to express your personal taste and style in your home. But how do you get around leaving your mark on the walls – in a bad way – with holes left from the hammer and nail? There are several solutions that eliminate damage to the walls and the extra work it takes to hammer, not to mention a possible deduction from your security deposit!
Command Strips are home improvement miracles in the form of little stickers. These hammer and nail-less strips affix right to your wall and can hold up to 24 x 36 inch picture frames. When it’s time to retire those pictures, they’re easily removed without taking any of the wall with them. Command Strips are very affordable and can be found at any home supply store.
Poster putty is great for hanging light-weight picture frames, artwork, prints – and yes, posters – to the walls that are also easily removable. They’re very easy to use and to find.
Once you have these picture hanging fixes in your possession, you may put up as many photos of your friends and family that your heart desires and spare you apartment walls from unsightly holes.
Looking for some new walls to hang your pictures and art? How about one of the great 1st Lake apartments for rent in Mandeville, River Ridge apartments for rent or Slidell apartments for rent in the Greater New Orleans area?
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
