Maximize Bathroom Shelf Space

"finito!" by lily_nymph is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Finding an apartment with a spacious bathroom can be a tricky task, especially if you love your beauty products; but you shouldn’t have to compromise your beauty necessities for a lack of shelf or counter space. Apartment Therapy has these tips for getting the most out of the real estate in your bathroom. Try these tips and you’ll be on your way to a spacious bathroom oasis!

1. Throw out bulky packaging

Packaging is, almost always, way bulkier than it needs to be. Which is fine, if you've got all the space in the world. But when you're low on room, peel away the unneeded boxes, wrappers and other packaging products that do more harm than good.

2. Replace with uniform packaging

Consider going a step further and transferring your beauty products into new, more uniform containers. Containers of all one size or particular shape will condense more easily in compact storage spaces and might give you more room.

3. Add different shelf levels

Don't let that empty space above your stuff be wasted space. Add small free-standing shelves (or if you don't rent and want to DIY, add in fixed shelves). Adjust the heights based on your storage needs, but don't let big bulky items discourage this idea (look to tips #1 and #2 if that happens). Feeling particularly ambitious? Look to kitchen organization ideas for how to really maximize cabinet space; roll-out drawers and shelves can work wonders in a bathroom, too!

4. Incorporate hooks or magnets on the door

The inside of the doors are often unused real estate, but can be absolutely vital in catching the small random things that end up littered around a bathroom like ponytail holders and bobby pins. But also small, plastic containers on the insides of doors (perhaps attached with a magnet) can also be great for housing things you use on a daily basis, like cotton swabs, so they don't have to clutter your countertop (particularly nice if your bathroom is very small).

5. Know that tension rods work wonders

As we've seen before, a tension rod is a magic tool with quite a few uses around the home. How to use them to give yourself more room in your bathroom cabinets? Well, anyway that might work for you! From hanging cleaning supplies to jewelry, tension rods come in multiple sizes and could be put to work in your space.

6. Move it somewhere else

It's always a great idea to take an inventory of what you have in your bathroom and really think about which of those things need to be in there for daily use. Now if you've got a very small bathroom, you might have a small home and not have any additional space for bathroom things. But if you do have extra room in another closet somewhere, you might consider taking non-daily items out of the bathroom to clear up some space. Or, find another spot in the bathroom that's not in your cabinet to store it stylishly, too!

New Apartment, Same Roommate

"moving II" by Robert S. Donovan is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Apartment hunting is tricky when it’s just you involved; but when you move with your roommate to a new place, it has the potential to be even more complicated. Compromise is key if you value this person as a roommate. Consider these tips from Apartment Guide as you search for your next apartment.

Agreeing on a new place

When you’re looking for an apartment, the first thing to consider is always the same: Location, location, location. If you and your roommate attend the same school or work in the same area, it should be easy enough to decide on a general vicinity in which to start your apartment search.

If you work or attend school in different parts of town, though, things get a little trickier. Get out a map and decide on a good midpoint between your destinations. How far is too far to drive every day? If one person has to drive farther, who should it be, and is that person OK with it? Make those decisions before you even start looking at apartments.

Once the location is settled, decide what you want in an apartment. How manybedrooms and bathrooms do you want? What’s the limit to how much you’ll pay per month? Do you have pets to consider? Keep all this in mind to decide on the type of apartment that’ll work for both of you.

Know the difference between necessities and luxuries. If you’d like a third bedroom in your new place for a guest room or multipurpose room, great. But if you can’t find a three-bedroom place that meets all your other criteria, is it a dealbreaker? You might not find a place that’s perfect, but you do need to find one that meets your most basic criteria. Everything on top of that is negotiable.

Above all else, be sensitive to the needs and wants of your roommate as well as your own. Remember, he or she has to live there, too.

Splitting up moving costs

Once you and your roommate have agreed on a new place, it’s time for the awkward part: Talking about money.

The only fair way to do it is to split all the moving costs equally, right down the middle. If you and your roommate want to work out another system – maybe one of you makes more money than the other, and you think it’s better for that person to pay more – you can work that out, but make sure you’re both in agreement before anyone writes any checks.

Keep in mind the following costs:

Deposit on the new place

Any lingering costs at the old place

Moving supplies: boxes, bubble wrap, tape, etc.

Renting a truck

Hiring movers (or buying pizza for your friends if you decide to enlist their help)

Signing a lease

Whose name goes on the apartment lease? Well, that depends on how the lease is set up.

Some apartment communities allow two people to put their names on the lease; others require one person to step up. Having good credit and a reliable income will go a long way in ensuring you get the apartment you want.

If you’re the one who signs the lease, remember that you’ll be held responsible. It’ll be your responsibility to write the checks each month and drop them off at the office. And if any rent goes unpaid, the person on the hook for that money is you, not your roommate.

If you’re keeping your roommate when you move to a new apartment, hopefully you’ll have worked out all your money issues already, and you can keep your good system working in the new place.

What other tips would you offer to make the move with a roommate easier?

What Neighborhood is Right for You?

"my neighborhood" by Chris Dlugosz is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Before you need to think about signing a lease and packing your possessions, you need to determine where you want to live. Not just the city or the specific apartment, but what area best fits your needs. Even if you’re familiar with the layout the city you’re moving to, it’s important that you still do some homework first. Apartment Guide suggests you research the following factors:

1. Price Range

Pay attention to the price of rent in the neighborhoods you’re considering. You have to be able to afford to pay monthly rent and utilities! Monthly rent prices in a neighborhood are good indicators of the prices of services and amenities in the neighborhood. If you choose a home on the low end of prices for your neighborhood, but there are other rental homes that are much more expensive, there’s a good chance that prices at stores and restaurants in the neighborhood might be on the higher end of things. Ensure that you can not only afford your rental, but also the neighborhood’s available resources.

2. Amenities and Attractions

Another important thing to look for in a neighborhood are great amenities and attractions. You’ll likely be spending the most time at places around your home, so make sure it is surrounded by plenty of activities! Think about what kinds of places you like to spend the most time at. Do you like dining out? Are you a person that spends a lot of time outside in parks? Do you want to be located near top-notch schools or daycares? Make a list of important amenities to you, then look for neighborhoods that closely meet those specifications.

3. Commute

Your work commute is a huge factor when choosing the right neighborhood. Think about how long it will take you to get to and from work, and how you will physically do that. Consider living in a place that offers an acceptable commute time and an easy way to get to and from where you need to go, whether that’s by your own vehicle or public transportation. If you have friends or coworkers already living in some of the prospective neighborhoods, find out if carpooling is a reliable option.

4. Safety

Real estate brokers can’t legally tell you how safe a neighborhood is, but it’s an important thing to keep in mind for an area that you want to call home. You can find reports about crime by geographic area online, and you might want to research different areas to make sure you will feel safe in your new neighborhood. You should also take into account other safety considerations that apply to your life – for example, whether a neighborhood has sidewalks, bike lanes, or a fire department nearby. Pro tip: drive through a prospective neighborhood during the day and at night to get the feel of a local.

5. Home Size and Shape

Nearly every neighborhood has its own character and personality, and one of the important qualities that makes up its personality is the size and shape of the homes within it. Are you looking to live in a high-rise building? A community of townhouses? A small apartment complex? Each neighborhood has its own character, and the types of available rental homes will reflect that.

Are you wondering if The Lane on the Boulevard is the right home for you? Visit our website! We are happy to answer your questions and we hope you'll join us at The Lane!

Keeping Street Noise Outside the Apartment

"Blocks of Flats on Poleg Beachfront" by Jonathan Pincas is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

You’re laying in bed, ready to get a good night’s sleep and then it happens...that annoying couple from across the street is having another fight. We’ve all been there, whether it’s “that couple,” car doors slamming, sirens or traffic, noise from the street has either awakened us or kept us from falling asleep at one time or another. It’s not something you can really control, but there are ways to prevent it from coming into your apartment, as Apartment Therapy explains.

Use your exterior walls

Nothing absorbs noise like a fat wall of books. Consider moving your bookshelves to line your outside walls so the books will help absorb some of the street noise. Fabric is another good insulator, so a solution that moves your closets, clothing racks, or linen storage to the outer walls can help as well.

Get thick curtains

Heavy curtains can also help dampen sound. The thicker and heavier the curtains, the more effective they'll be. You can even buy special noise-absorbing curtains designed to help cancel out annoying sounds. While I would love to drape my entire apartment in velvet someday, for now I'm using IKEA's Werna blackout curtains. They're very thick and heavy, don't cost a fortune, and as a bonus they also block all the light that would otherwise be seeping in. If the noise makes you batty, you might even want to consider hanging two sets of curtains.

White noise

"Midtown New York traffic under the Gimbels Bridge"
 by joiseyshowaa is licensed CC BY 2.0.

I find that a fan or a white noise machine helps a lot.

Reinforce the windows

A lot of noise seeps in through windows. While you're probably not going to be able to convince your landlord to replace your standard rental apartment windows with better ones that keep out more noise, there are some DIY options you can consider. Covering the windows entirely would probably turn your apartment into a dark little box, but cutting some sheets of acoustic foam to fit the windows will give you an option you can put in place at night and then take down whenever you want your windows back.

Earplugs

I like to save the squishy little foam earplugs that airplanes give out on international flights. They're comfortable enough to fall asleep in and keep out almost any noise.

Trust time to fix it

In the end, time will probably take care of most of the problem for you. I grew up in a major city, so sirens and car horns don't even register as noise for me. When my husband first moved to a city, he couldn't sleep for weeks because of all the noise. He was convinced he would never sleep again. But after a short time he got used to it, and now he can sleep through anything. He even slept through the World Cup game last night, and that was so loud I thought the windows were going to fall out. Give it some time and you may find you don't need any noise-canceling solutions at all.

Do you have other noise-free apartment living solutions? Share them with us!

Tailgate Tips

"Grilled Apple Sausage" by H. Michael Karshis is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Fall is in the air, which means one thing...football season is back! Are you ready? There’s no better way to spend pre-game time than tailgating. Follow these tips, courtesy of Apartment Therapy, to ensure that you are properly prepared for the perfect tailgate.  

1. Research the tailgating site: Even before you get to the packing and prepping of food, make sure you know where you can park, what the facilities are like, and what the rules are. Are open flames allowed so that you can grill? Is there running water, bathroom facilities, or rules about alcohol? What time can get there, and how late can you stay?

Think about the weather and the time of day when planning — will it be hot or rainy and a tent would be useful? And make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get there and set up.

2. Pack in, pack out: Unless a tailgate site explicitly says so, assume that everything you bring in comes home with you, including trash. Make sure you have plenty of heavy-duty trash bags, figure out how you'll handle recycling and packaging leftover food, and think about how you'll pack and bring home a dirty grill.

3. Multiple coolers are a must: Two coolers are the minimum — one for food and one for drinks. If you have a third for the raw food that needs to be cooked, even better! Make sure foods are wrapped tightly to prevent leaking and cross-contamination, and pack the things you'll need immediately at the top.

Label your drink coolers and tie a bottle opener to the handle so it's convenient and never gets lost. Make sure you have enough ice for drinks and to keep everything cold until you get home.

4. Grill prep: Make sure your grill is clean and that you have the necessary grill tools, enough fuel to last through all the grilling, and a portable fire extinguisher just in case.

5. Food choices: Have ready-to-go finger foods and snacks that you can put out immediately to keep people happy while the grill gets fired up. Keep more substantial food items simple and easy-to-serve. Bonus points if you don't even need plates to eat them off of, like kabobs and quesadillas! If you plan on tailgating after the game too, pack some different snacks and foods to grill then so that you have some variety.

6. Food prep: Do as much as you can at home, including marinating, cutting up vegetables, threading things onto skewers, or forming burger patties. Mix up big batches of drinks or cocktails so all you have to do is pour.

7. Equipment: Pack a few folding or portable chairs and tables. A tablecloth looks nice and makes for easier cleanup, and a few big stackable plastic bins can serve as trash and recycling bins. Don't forget a cutting board, sharp knife, and serving platters. Foil can help scrape down a dirty grill, keep food warm, or wrap up leftovers.

8. Water, water, water: Freeze some water bottles to both keep the coolers cold and so you'll have something icy to drink if it's a hot day. Bring along a big water container with a dispenser for handwashing too.

What are your tailgating must-haves? Share them with us below!

Proper Place Settings

Pay attention, ladies and gentlemen, because this is some good knowledge to store away! Whether you're hosting a dinner party or are simply setting the table for dinner, it makes a good impression to set a proper table. After all, nobody will notice if you order take-out food to pass off as your own cooking, as long as you put it on the good dinnerware! Here's the breakdown, according to Apartment Therapy:

A Casual Setting

This is the everyday table setting and follows just a few rules that are built on for the fancier settings:

Photo courtesy Maxwell Ryan.

Plate - Right in the middle :)

Fork - To the left at 9:00

Knife & Spoon - To the right at 3:00 with the knife on the inside facing in (so the blade is safely towards the plate)

Glass - On the upper right at 1:00

Napkin - Underneath your forks, though you can technically play with your napkin and place it on plate or outside forks.

A Fancy Setting

Built off of the above, this roadmap allows for all the other utensils needed at a fancy meal and follows the guide that you start on the outside and move inwards towards the plate during the course of the meal.

Photo courtesy Maxwell Ryan.

Plates - In the middle with the smallest stacked on top, so that you have Charger under Entree Plate under Appetizer Plate. In this fashion each plate can be cleared and leave you with a new, clean one below. Bread plate goes to the top left at 10:00 with knife fork ON it.

Flatware - Forks go on the left at 9:00 with the smallest on the outside (dinner, salad and then fish fork). Knife goes on the right with spoons at 3:00 with the smallest spoons on the outside (soup and then fruit spoon)

Any flatware used for dessert goes at the top at 12:00 (dessert spoon and fork)

Glasses - Red or wine (or both) glasses are placed at the upper right at 1:00 with water and/or champagne above that to the left. I typically have only a water and wine glass, but you can provide lots of options here for your guests if you wish and then remove what they don't use.

Napkin - I always like to have the napkin under the forks to the left, but it is proper to have the napkin actually on the dinner plate. Either way, just don't stuff the napkin in the wine glass and try to make it look like a swan.

Plan a Labor Day Bike Picnic

"Ross Eurosport and a Batavus" by Jason McDowell is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Labor Day may be the unofficial end of summer, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make the most of the day off! Your apartment is located close to a lot of fantastic trails and outdoor areas, so why not plan your traditional Labor Day picnic in a scenic spot, and enjoy the exercise and weather on the way there? The Kitchn offers these useful tips for an enjoyable afternoon bike picnic:

Picnic Food Tips

1. Pick sturdy foods. The key to a good bike picnic is bringing packable foods that can survive a bumpy journey. For example, fragile lemon tarts aren't quite as bike-friendly as a dense chocolate cake.

2. Go with variety. As with any outdoor eating menu, I think smaller is better, and having an assortment of small dishes makes the food easier to pack as well as more entertaining to eat.

3. Think versatility. An assortment of good cheese and a loaf of bread will always go far. Throw in some fresh basil and an avocado and you've got yourself the fixings for a lovely picnic sandwich. I also love bring along easy-to-pack things like olive tapenade, as it works well as a spread or as a dip for vegetables.

4. Protect fragile purchases. For picnics that are based off of market foods - think a bunch of fresh fruit and vegetables - just be sure to take a few reusable containers with you to the market. That way, your purchases are easily transportable and won't get crushed and bruised during your journey.

Don't Forget Drinks

You can't have a good picnic without something fun to drink now can you? Beer and wine are easy, just make sure you have an opener with you. If you're in the mood for cocktails, the easiest is to prepare a mixer at home, which you can bring along in a bottle and finish making your drinks on site.

For colder weather rides and meals, invest in a good thermos. That way, you can fill it with whatever you like: coffee, hot chocolate, or maybe even apple cider with a little bourbon?

Essential Bike Picnic Tools

The first essential thing to remember about a picnic à vélo is that you want to be packing things that are unbreakable. That means investing in good utensils and dishes that are lightweight and reusable but won't get crushed when you pack them.

My personal cycle picnic pack includes:

• Swiss Army knife
• reusable cups
• reusable silverware
• something to eat out of
• tea towel for use as a small tablecloth
• lightweight wooden cheeseboard, perfect for serving and cutting on
• if room allows, a blanket or sheet is always a worthwhile item to bring along

Bicycle picnics are the perfect blend of exercise, fresh air, relaxation, and simple but good food. These tips will make planning and packing for your next picnic ride a snap!