Touchdown! The Perfect Preseason Party

(Image courtesy of Janet)

With the start of school one thing is certain - football season is just around the corner! We know it's just preseason right now, but it's never to early to start practicing the wave and dusting off your favorite jersey. 

Watching your favorite team pass and run their way to victory just isn't the same if your friends aren't there cheering with you. That's why renters.apartments.com put together this list of the essential items for your football get together. Keep reading to learn more. 

#1 - TV:
You won’t want to cut your grass without a lawnmower and you can’t watch a football game without a TV. The larger the screen the better, and the more people you invite just means the television screen size has to be that much larger to be able to support all of the eyes fixed to the screen.

#2 - Plenty of Seating:
Even if you don’t have the biggest space, coziness makes for a great atmosphere while watching football. Think of the student section at a college game, they are crammed into their seats and have a great time! In addition to the comfy couch, put some extra chairs and stools around your apartment with a visible view of the television. Also keep in mind, when it comes to football, people won’t mind standing, especially if there is good food and drinks in the kitchen area!

#3 - Cornhole:
What’s a party without cornhole? Having a store bought cornhole will surly bring out the fun in the party. Even better yet, a homemade cornhole will allow you to customize and create your own sides. This game will allow for some friendly competition and an activity fun for all ages. Most apartment communities have plenty of space in the parking lot or pool area, which will provide the perfect set-up for some good old-fashioned bag tossing!

#4 - Good Food:
Once you have the party all set-up and people start arriving, you will want to have food ready for people to eat at the time you have scheduled. A good idea is to have everyone bring a snack, fruits or veggies, drinks, or another side dish. This will provide a great supplement to your cookout. The most popular food during a sports game is cooked on the grill; hamburgers, hotdogs, bratwursts, and grilled corn are usually the fan favorites. To wash it all down, you will also want some nice refreshments.

#5 – Fun Games Associated With Scores:
Another friendly fun way of keeping the football game interesting is to introduce a prize component. With a group of 20 people, if everyone throws in a friendly bet of $5 into the pot, you then can separate the prize amounts with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, or just have one grand prize for the winner. The object of the betting is to guess the score and spread score of each quarter, the first and second half as well as the final score. Points are determined at the end of each round (1st Qtr, 2nd Qtr, 3rd Qtr, 1st Half, 2ndHalf, and Final).

Bust out your favorite teams schedule, circle a big game and make sure to invite your friends to a football themed party at your apartment! If you follow the 5-tips for the perfect football party, people won’t forget the afternoon at your place. Hopefully your favorite team pulls off the win as this will just add icing to the cake!

Read more »

Recipe: Spiced Yellow Dal with Rice (Kitchari)

We've got a recipe for you tonight, so check it out and add some spice to your next dish with "Recipe: Spiced Yellow Dal with Rice (Kitchari)"

Kitchari

Serves 4 to 6

3/4 cup split yellow mung beans
2/3 cup basmati rice
1 teaspoon coconut oil or ghee
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon ground turmeric 
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
2 bay leaves
2 quarts (8 cups) water
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Bragg's Liquid Aminos or sea salt

Rinse the mung beans and rice together under running water until the water runs clear.

In a 3-quart or larger heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the mustard and fenugreek seeds and toast until the mustard seeds pop. Add the asafoetida, ginger, tumeric, and cumin and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the beans and rice and stir until they are coated with the spice mixture.

Add the water and bay leaves to the rice and bean mixture and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the beans and rice are soft, but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with chopped cilantro and either Bragg's Liquid Aminos or sea salt, as needed.

(Image credits: Sara Kate Gillingham)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-kitchari-recipes-from-the-kitchn-202005

Read more »

Double Chocolate Banana Waffles & Pastrami and Olive Muffaletta

Tasty meals for any time of the day! We're eyeing up those waffles ourselves. Check out "Double Chocolate Banana Waffles & Pastrami and Olive Muffaletta" and find a delicious dish for dinner today!

Smoked sausage sweet potato skillet "pasta"; grapefruit beer mimosa cocktail; and double chocolate banana waffles in today's Delicious Links.

• Smoked Sausage Sweet Potato Skillet “Pasta” - Snixy Chicken

• Double Chocolate Banana Waffles - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

• Grapefruit Beer Mimosa Cocktail - Aida Mollenkamp

• Pastrami and Olive Muffaletta - Chef Uy

(Image credits: see links for credits )



Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/double-chocolate-banana-waffles-pastrami-and-olive-muffaletta-delicious-links-199807

Read more »

Home Sweet Home

Loving your apartment isn't just about the things that you put into it. To transform your new abode from a simple apartment to a home you enjoy spending time in you only need to add a few things. These tips courtesy of Apartment Therapy will help you learn to love your space even more than you already do!

Letting Go: It's possible to focus so much on decor, design, and picking the perfect furniture to reflect your personality and interests that can turn your house into a place of stress. How about taking a quick breather and switching gears for a sec and not allowing that stress to enter your home? Trust it will all eventually come together and just let it all happen when it does. Try cherishing your home in all its different quirky stages. Your mind and wallet will thank you for it in the end.

Make It a Refuge: Do you have a place you go to in your mind that's a no-stress zone? A place that you sneak away to that just calms you down and clears your mind? For me it's when I step into a yoga studio — the outside world just seems to melt away. Now wouldn't it be incredible if that place was your home? How can you make that happen for you? Maybe try taking a few deep breaths before you open the door, or leaving all the negativity outside on the front steps. What can you do to eliminate stress and worry from your house and make it a peaceful, happy place?

Spend Time There: This seems like a no-brainer, right? But it's not all that easy. How much time do you just spend in your home enjoying it? Do you hang out there and get to know it better? Or do you run out every chance you get? The more time you actually spend in your house, the more you may grow to love it. Even if it's not your ideal space, you can start to appreciate it and make it work for you.

Share It: Do you share your home with others you love? Do you have friends over often for dinner or a movie? Or do you very rarely invite guests over because your house isn't perfect? The more happiness and laughter that enters your house, the more it is going to feel like a home.

Make Memories: This is a direct result of the previous tip. If you fill your home with people and laughter, you will be making memories all along the way. Filling your house with memories will quickly turn it from a mere dwelling into a home. You may not look back and remember this house for its amazing picture windows, or french doors, or balcony to the pool, but you will remember the birthday party where your best friend baked their first three layer cake and then the dog promptly knocked it off the table resulting in impromptu ice cream cookie sandwiches with candles stuck in them.

Read more »

Put Down the Paintbrush: 10 Ways to Add Color Without Painting

When painting is not an option, there's still ways to add some color to your living space. Check out "Put Down the Paintbrush: 10 Ways to Add Color Without Painting"'

1. Go for big, colorful art. An oversized piece (like the one in the bedroom above, from Okologi, or the living room pictured up top, from Sköna Hem, via Design Milk) instantly brightens a room.

2. Hang a colorful tapestry on the wall. 
Like this one from Beatrice & Ramsey's Cultured Echo Park Casa.

3. Use colorful pillows and throws. 
As seen in Christina's Comfortable, Collected Austin Abode.

4. Eschew neutrals and go for curtains in a crazy color.
Or two crazy colors, like these from vintage Domino via the Paris Apartment.

Or shades in a crazy color, like these malachite ones in a Belgian home spotted on Elle Decor.

5. Invest in a colorful couch. 
The red couch in Katie's Hillside Bungalow makes the room.

6. Or a colorful rug. 
Like the Turkish kilim in Natalie and Kevin's Perfect Parkdale Perch.

→ Real Room Inspiration: Adding Color With Rugs

7. Upholster a set of dining chairs in a vibrant rainbow of colors. 
Image from Nuevo Estilo, via Apartment Therapy.

Or just paint them, as in this interior by Ilse Crawford (via Lauren's Style Library).

→ Painted Furniture for When You Just Can't Paint Your Walls

8. Fill your home with plants. 
Like Adam and Ashley did. Green is a color.

9. Cover the back of your bookcases with colorful paper.
Sure, this isn't a traditional bookcase (it's a stack of IKEA boxes), but you get the idea. Photo from Marie Mersier.

10. Combine any of the above strategies for maximum color. 
Bonus points go to Alex and Alina for pairing a colorful rug and colorful art in different shades of blue.

Bonus points also go to the creators of this interior (photoraphed by Logan Photography for Period Living), who have combined colorful textiles and pillows and accessories and furniture into a room that, despite being white, is bursting with color.

(Image credits: Sköna Hem; Okologi; Pablo Enriquez; Adrienne Breaux; Domino; Elle Decor; Katie's Hillside Bungalow; Abby Cook; Nuevo Estilo; Ilse Crawford; Jaclyn Campanaro; Marie Mersier; Nicole Crowder; Period Living)

Read more »

How To Clean a Kitchen Trash Can

Taking the trash out doesn't always mean the end of the trash day chores. Making sure that your kitchen trash can doesn't become more gross than the contents of the bag inside it is a must for a clean feeling. Check out "How To Clean a Kitchen Trash Can" for the best steps to avoid mess and smell.

Cleaning the kitchen trash can is a household to-do that's easily overlooked, but things get gross in there fast. Even I was surprised how many cracker bits and unknown liquids had made their way past the inner liner of our trash can (toddlers, anyone?). A lingering smell is an obvious sign that it's time to clean the trash can, so grab your gloves and get to work!

A few easy steps are all that's required for a clean, fresh-smelling can.

For deep-clean lovers (guilty) and over-achievers, it is an oddly satisfying thing to know that something meant to be dirty can actually be clean. After you've followed these steps and given your trash can a thorough cleaning, maintain your hard work by wiping down the inside and outside of the can with a disinfectant spray each time you empty the trash can. Beware: If you don't live alone, this request could invite an eye roll from your roommate or spouse.

Now, let's get to cleaning!

How To Clean the Kitchen Trash Can

What You Need

Rubber gloves
A hose (if you have outdoor space) or a bathtub

A clean toilet brush or other long-handled, nylon bristle scrub brush

A disinfectant spray of your choice

Paper towels or old towel

Instructions

1. Don your rubber gloves: Cleaning the trash can can be a nasty business, so pull on some rubber gloves!
2. Empty trash can and remove any lingering food particles: After you've emptied your trash can, remove any large pieces of food or particles you see in the bottom of the can. Your goal here is just to get rid of any major gunk you can see outright.
3. Wash out the can: If you have access to a hose, take your trash can outside and hose it down. If you don't have outdoor space, you can also do this in your bathtub. Pat dry with a paper towel.
4. Spray the can with a disinfectant: Using a disinfectant cleaner of your choice, liberally spray down the inside and outside of the trash can. Don't forget the top and bottom of the can.
5. Scrub the can: Take a clean toilet brush or other long-handled nylon bristle brush and scrub the can thoroughly. After scrubbing, let the cleaner sit for 5 minutes.
6. Rinse and dry: Rinse the can thoroughly with your hose or in the bathtub. Dry with a towel, or let air dry in the sun.

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-the-kitchen-trash-can-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-204780

Read more »

Remove that Stain!

We have all had the stain in our clothing items that refuse to come out.  There may be a solution that you do not know about though.  Did you spill red wine on your dress at a party, or did someone spill it on your carpet? Don't let your favorite Emory University shirt get ruined by a stain.  You can learn more cleaning tricks at Apartment Therapy.

STAIN REMOVAL STAPLES

I find the best way to deal with stains is to be prepared. I keep my cupboard stocked with enzyme detergent (best for removing protein-based stains such as food or sweat), rubbing alcohol, baking soda, Borax, and clean absorbent rags.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

I also follow these general guidelines: 1. Never apply heat (iron or dryer) to a stained piece of clothing until the stain is completely removed; and 2. Read the clothing label for washing instructions before cleaning. If the stain is on upholstery or carpet, the goal is to dissolve the stain with a solvent (often water or club soda) and pull it out with something more absorbent than the upholstery/carpet, like a sponge or rag. If using a harsher cleaning agent, make sure to test for colorfastness before accidentally bleaching the dye out of the fabric.

Some of the most common and most annoying stains are from red wine, ballpoint pen ink, and vegetable oil. Here are some techniques for cleaning them up.

RED WINE ON CLOTHING

1. When discovered, immediately saturate the stain with club soda, cold water, or white wine.
2. Blot with an absorbent cloth.
3. Sprinkle with salt and let stand 1-2 minutes, then rinse in cold water and rub stain out.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until it stops fading.
5. Rub liquid enzyme detergent into the stain and let stand 3-4 minutes, then rinse in cold water. Do not use natural bar soap or stain could set.
6. If stain is still visible, apply a spot stain remover.
7. Launder with liquid enzyme detergent.

WINE ON CARPET

1. Blot up as much wine as possible.
2. Soak the stain in club soda or cold water. Blot, and if necessary, repeat.
3. Make a paste out of water and either Borax or baking soda. Rub it into the stain and let dry.
4. Vacuum, and if necessary, repeat.

PEN INK

1. Place stained fabric on top of an absorbent cloth. Blot with water or rubbing alcohol (whichever removes more ink) until no more ink comes off stain.
2. Launder in hottest water safe for fabric.
3. If stain remains, lay it out in the sun to bleach the rest of the stain.

OIL

1. Apply a laundry presoak or clear (undyed) dish soap.
2. Wash in the hottest water safe for fabric.

If you have any useful stain-fighting tips, please let us know in the comments!

Read more »