Blog Posts

Movies for the Fall

If you’re looking for something to do during the evenings, we suggest watching a movie that takes place in the fall! Settle into your couch in your Arlington, VA apartment and enjoy some old classics! In this week’s Wildwood Park Apartments Blog, we’ve got a short list of wonderful fall movies you can choose from. Hocus Pocus “After moving to Salem, Mass., teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches' book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.” Dead Poets Society “A new English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), is introduced to an all-boys preparatory school that is known for its ancient traditions and high standards. He uses unorthodox methods to reach out to his students, who face enormous pressures from their parents and the school. With Keating's help, students Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) and others learn to break out of their shells, pursue their dreams and seize the day.” October Sky “John Hickam (Chris Cooper) is a West Virginia coal miner who loves his job and expects his sons, Jim (Scott Miles) and Homer (Jake Gyllenhaal), to follow in his footsteps. But Jim gets a football scholarship, and Homer becomes interested in rocket science after seeing Sputnik 1 crossing the sky. John disapproves of his son's new mania, but Homer begins building rockets with the help of friends and a sympathetic teacher (Laura Dern). Rocketry, he hopes, will prove his ticket to a better life.”

Halloween Decorating Ideas

Since the spooky day of Halloween is coming up this month, it’s time to decorate your Arlington, VA apartment with some themed decorations to get you in the holiday mood. It can be difficult to think of ways to decorate an apartment, so we’ve decided to share with you some tips on making the most of the space you have in this week’s Wildwood Park Apartments Blog. Decorate the Door Since you don’t have a lawn to decorate, the first thing guests and friends will see when they visit is your door, making it the perfect thing to decorate. There are many different ways that you can incorporate the Halloween theme, like mummifying it or slinging decorative webs across it to give it a creepy spider-infested feel. Spruce Up the Balcony The balcony is your space, so feel free to personalize it. Your balcony can be likened to the lawn you don’t have, so add any scary decorations you desire! You can choose to deck it out with skeletons, your carved pumpkins, spider webs and more. If you aren’t very fond of scary decorations, you can opt for a more autumn-themed decor. Make a Spooky Interior Some people may not enjoy having creepy or scary decorations in their apartment, but these can really add to the Halloween atmosphere. There are multiple ways to decorate, from scary picked heads to swapped out family photos (Photoshopped to be scary), the possibilities are endless. We suggest going for bloody handprint window clings so you could place them on flat surfaces. It gives any room that creepy vibe perfect for this month! Although Halloween is just a day in the month of October, it warrants a beautifully decorated spooky home! If you have any tips on decorating your apartment for Halloween, let us know by leaving a comment! Thanks for reading.

Have a Bonfire

The summer is ending and it’s taking the warm summer nights with it. Don’t let the end of summer pass by without getting some friends together for a bonfire! In this week’s Wildwood Park Apartments Blog, we’ve got a few tips to help you make the most of a night around a cozy fire here in Arlington, VA. Prepare yourself to have a good time and don’t forget the firewood! Snacks Without something to eat, you’re inviting your friends to sit around and stare into a fire. Invite your guests to bring their favorite fireside snacks — don’t forget to bring some too! Some popular choices of bonfire food are hot dogs and s’mores. To mix things up, you can also try some of Spoon University’s 10 Decadent Campfire Treats that aren’t S’mores . Don’t forget to bring some pokers so you aren’t sticking your hand in the fire. Entertainment Consider bringing a Bluetooth speaker or a guitar to have some musical entertainment. Play songs that everyone is familiar with so that you and your guests can sing along and have a good time. Avoid playing any games that involve roughhousing near the fire — fire safety is number one, so take it seriously! The most important part of spending an evening around a bonfire is to make sure you’re having fun. If you still aren’t sure what to do for entertainment, ask your friends what they would like to do while enjoying the evening outside. Clean Up When the night is done, work with your group to clean up the mess you’ve made. We recommend bringing extra trash bags to help facilitate a speedier cleanup. If you have enough people, break down the site into zones — each person can be in charge of a specific area, and everybody gets done in a reasonable amount of time. Remember to leave the place cleaner than you found it. Also, remember to put out any remaining embers before leaving to prevent forest fires. Do you have any tips for hosting a great bonfire? Let our apartment community know by leaving us a comment below. Thanks for reading!

Exercise Before Summer Ends

The weather here in Arlington, VA is still nice and warm, which means it’s perfect for exercising outside! In this week’s Wildwood Park Apartments blog, we’ve featured a few ways that you can get some exercise. A healthy lifestyle consists of eating well and consistent exercise. Doing these two things can help your body to function the best it possibly can. If exercise isn’t a regular occurrence in your weekly routine, we encourage you to make it one. Playing Sports Participating in sports is a great activity to fool yourself into getting more exercise. Dreading going for a 5-mile run? Not to worry. When you play a sport like soccer, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in competitive running. Instead of running for a specific distance, you’re running to score or stop a goal. If you have trouble committing to a daily or weekly run or jog, join a local casual sports group to engage yourself in new ways. Swimming If you’re interested in a full-body exercise, swimming is the exercise for you. Not only do you get to cool down, you also get a workout. Remember to rest and hydrate as you’re swimming to avoid any cramps and potential for drowning. If at all possible, swim with a friend for motivation and safety. Going for a Walk Not all exercise needs to be intense. If you’re just starting out with a new exercise routine, skip heading to the gym and lifting weights. Attempting to do too much can actually hinder a healthy routine. Put blankly: exercise cannot be forced. Start out small with a walk instead of going to the gym. Whatever exercise you choose, keep in mind that results occur after consistent effort. Forming positive habits will lead to a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle, so begin today. Thanks for reading!

Clean your Car

Have you ever been embarrassed to give someone a ride because your vehicle was too messy? If you have, don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of tips that you can try to get your car as clean as possible in this week’s Wildwood Park Apartments Blog. Choose the Right Products Avoid using household cleaners like hand soap, dishwashing detergent, or glass cleaner on the paint of your vehicle, as these aren’t made for the paint and may strip off the protective wax. Find a good cleaner made for your car’s paint and follow the directions for using it so you can wait for the appropriate amount of time before rinsing. Use microfiber towels to wipe the suds, and make sure you get a separate one for the tires! Remove the Clutter No one likes a dirty car, especially one that’s dirty and cluttered on the inside. Take an afternoon to go through your car and get rid of any trash that may be laying around on the seats, in seat pockets, and on the floor. You’ll be surprised how big of a difference removing the clutter from your car makes. Instead of trying to ignore the miscellaneous things laying around, you can be proud of the car you get into. Once you remove all of it, you won’t be scared to offer rides to your friends! Remember to take a vacuum or a cloth to the dusty, dirty areas of the car for that added clean effect. Check, Change, and Refill Fluids. Whether you do this on your own or at a shop, this is vital to the health of your car. Things to check include your car’s oil, windshield wiper fluid, radiator fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and air conditioning coolant. Check out these tips for checking these 7 fluids for details about how to do so. If you have no idea how to do any of these things, you can look it up on YouTube or take your vehicle to a mechanic! We hope these tips help you out! If you’ve got some tips for our Arlington, VA apartment community, let us know about them by leaving a comment below!

Movies to Watch on Netflix

After a long day, it’s nice to sit down in your Arlington, VA apartment to watch a nice show without worrying about doing other things. In this week’s Wildwood Park Apartments Blog, we’re going to be sharing with you a list of movies that you can watch on your night in if you have Netflix! Lion Dev Patel is amazing in this biographical drama about an Indian man named Saroo and the story of how he was adopted by an Australian couple. Follow him in his journey to find his birth mother and reconnect with his roots. Experience the adoptee experience and the longing to know where you came from that some feel while growing up. If you’re looking for a movie that is sure to make you cry, Lion is it. Lion is tense, dramatic, and heartfelt all in one great movie. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Are you a fan of Star Wars? Check out Rogue One on Netflix today to discover the story of the brave individuals who attempt to take down the Empire by stealing schematics crucial to the destruction of the Death Star. Join Jyn, Cassian, and many others as they attempt to do the impossible. Rogue One is a look into the Star Wars universe and the events that led up to the very first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, released in 1977! Sing Enjoy something a little lighter and more upbeat with Sing. When there’s a singing competition with a large prize on the line in an anthropomorphic world, talent comes out of the woodwork. Sing follows the participants in this competition and how their lives are changed forever when they pursuing singing! If you enjoy music and animals in a feel-good movie, Sing is the one you should be watching!