Blog Posts

Relaxation Tips for a Better Day

You deserve some time to relax this month. In this week’s Wildwood Park Blog we’ll be sharing some relaxation tips and ideas for a stress-free month. Try out one or more these suggestions here in Arlington, VA. Make a stress ball. A stress ball can be a great way to take you out of stress-mode and into the present moment. Try out this DIY stress ball project from WikiHow . Practice meditation. Meditation is a great way to let go of stress and worries. Spend a few minutes breathing and noticing your thoughts. Use Headspace if you’ve never practiced meditation before. Use essential oils. Some essential oils are great for relaxation. Use lavender to calm your mind. Orange can also help you to feel better overall and energize you. Do something creative. Creativity can help you to let go of worries and daily concerns. A daily practice of being creative will reap great benefits . Lie down. Simply lying your head down on a pillow can help you to relax your mind as well as your neck and scalp muscles that can get tense when you’re stressed. Practice progressive relaxation to also help you relax those muscles. Prioritize tasks. Are there any things that you’re worrying about today that are on tomorrow’s to-do list or aren’t realistic to worry about today? Focus on what you can do today and prioritize those tasks. Ask yourself what you can accomplish in this present moment with the time you have taking into account your emotional state. Do yoga. Yoga has been shown to relieve stress . Penetrating Postures tells us, “Yoga helps dampen the body’s stress response by reducing levels of the hormone cortisol, which...can wreak havoc on the body when one is chronically stressed. So reducing the body’s cortisol level is generally considered a good thing.” Practice yoga to decrease stress as well as to increase feel-good hormones our body releases during a practice. How do you relieve stress in and out of your apartment space? Share your ideas with us in the comments. Thanks for reading and be sure to visit again soon!

Spring Decor Ideas for Your Apartment

It’s a great time to decorate your Wildwood Park apartment for springtime! Check out the decorating tips that we’re sharing in this week’s blog post. We hope you have a great month here in Arlington, VA. DIY Spring Floral Table Runner from Homey Oh My A table runner is a great way to decorate for springtime. Use it for a brunch with friends or dinner party. They use ranunculus in orange, pink, and red. Line them up in small glass cups to create this pretty runner. Lattice Frames from Martha Stewart These lattice frames will bring in a garden and springtime look that’s perfect for April. Be creative with how you paint them and what you put inside the frames. These will work great to keep for years to come. You’ll need lath, a saw to cut the lath, and wood glue or a hot glue gun. Paint or stain the wood for the look you want. DIY Spring Wreath from Lil’ Luna A spring wreath is the most classic way to decorate your apartment for springtime. To make this wreath you’ll need a foam wreath form, fabric, floral pins, floral sprigs, tulips, scissors or wire cutters, a cutting mat, a rotary cutter, wide grosgrain ribbon, a chipboard “hello”, yellow paint, a paint brush, and hot glue. Spring Wall Art from Town and Country Living This spring home tour shows some great details that you can add to your apartment. We especially like the bird and egg wall art. Buy some bird posters or make your own bird or flower artwork to hang on your walls. DIY Hello Sunshine Sign from Snap Creativity This “Hello Sunshine” sign is a great piece to use all spring and summer long. To make it you’ll need a wood-slatted sign, DecoArt Americana multi-surface paints, foam brushes, and a vinyl stencil.

April is National Garlic Month

Here on the Wildwood Park Blog we want to celebrate National Garlic Month! Today, we’re sharing a list of delicious garlic recipes for you to cook and enjoy in your apartment. Have a great month here in Arlington, VA. Easy Garlic Alfredo Tortellini from Damn Delicious This simple recipe is the perfect dinner dish to whip together. You’ll need the following ingredients: refrigerated three cheese tortellini, unsalted butter, cloves garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, all-purpose flour, milk, half and half, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and fresh parsley leaves. Garlic Tomato Bruschetta from Taste of Home A great dinner side is this Garlic Tomato Bruschetta that will pair great with a pasta or just about any other dinner meal you have planned. It would also work great as an appetizer if you’re planning any parties this month. You’ll need olive oil, chopped fresh basil, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and French bread. Foil-Baked Lemon Garlic Fish and Asparagus from Pink Parsley For a fresh dinner option, try this lemon garlic fish. It’s sure to be delicious! You’ll need white fish fillets, unsalted butter, a lemon, dried herbes de provence, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, asparagus, lemon slices, and dry white wine. Creamy Roasted Garlic Potato Soup from How Sweet Eats This creamy garlic soup is so delicious and the perfect recipe to make for National Garlic Month. You’ll need the following ingredients: olive oil, unsalted butter, a sweet onion, russet potatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, roasted garlic , cream, salt, pepper, chili oil , vegetable oil, and Brussel sprouts. Garlic-Braised Chicken with Olives and Mushrooms from Martha Stewart For a filling meal, make this garlic-braised chicken for your family and friends. They’re sure to love it! You’ll need chicken, olive oil, cremini mushrooms, green olives, salt and pepper, garlic, white wine, and chicken stock. What’s your favorite garlic recipe? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Apartment Cleaning Tips

The Wildwood Park Apartments Blog has several tips to help you out with your apartment cleaning this month in honor of the spring season coming up soon. We are featuring tips to help you clean your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. We hope that you have a clutter-free month here in Arlington, VA! Bedroom Clean out the clutter in your bedroom for your spring cleaning. Get rid of any old books, magazines, movies, and clothes that might be clogging up your closets. Donate your old or unused things to your local thrift store or donation center. Once you’ve cleaned out your room, wipe down the furniture. Vacuum and clean the floors, wash your sheets, dust off your window sills, and make your bed. Your room will feel fresh, clean, and ready for spring! Bathroom It’s important to disinfect your bathroom regularly. Scrub the sink, shower, and toilet. Get rid of anything that is old, unused, or expired. Use glass cleaner to get rid of any streaks on your mirrors and scrub away any dirt that may have collected on the floors. Get Rid of Hard Water Stains Getting rid of hard water stains can be tough. Maid Brigade® has some advice on cleaning your tub this month. You can use water, vinegar, and baking soda to get rid of hard water stains . Lemon juice is also an effective agent when getting rid of hard water stains. Kitchen Clean Your Dishwasher Your dishwasher deserves to be cleaned, too. Apartment Therapy has an awesome step-by-step guide to cleaning your dishwasher. Run your dishwasher through and then clean it out with baking soda, white vinegar, and lemon juice. Clean Your Sink Disinfect your sink this month. Use sea salt, dishwashing soap, white vinegar, baking soda, lemon, and ice to get your sink sparkling! Apartment Therapy can let you know just how to get your sink cleaning started. Clean Your Fridge Clean out your fridge this month. Get rid of expired food and organize any food left in your fridge. Wipe down and disinfect the shelves and drawers. Dust off the top of the fridge and organize any paper or clutter hanging on the fridge with magnets. Do you have any spring cleaning tips for us? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading our post!

Games to Play at Your Apartment

Your Wildwood Park Apartment is a great place to host a game night with family and friends. In today’s blog post, we’ll be sharing a list of games to play with a group. We hope you enjoy your month here in Arlington, VA! Never Have I Ever This is a great way to break the ice between people who don’t know each other. There are a few ways you could play this. For the most relaxed version, you all sit in a circle and hold up ten fingers. Each person then takes turns completing the sentence “never have I ever”, with something they haven’t done. Whoever has done that thing must put down a finger. Whoever is the last person to have a fingers up at the end wins! Celebrity ID Game In this game, someone will write out different celebrities or characters on slips of paper. Each player will then draw a slip of paper and someone else will help them tape it to their back (without letting the player see what name is being taped to them). Once everyone has a piece of paper on their back, the group will mingle and ask yes or no questions to determine who is their character/celebrity is. Likes and Dislikes This is a good get-to-know-you game. For Likes and Dislikes, each player will get an index card and a pen. You’ll then write down five things you like and five things you don’t like on the card. The reader will then read what is written on the index cards. Everyone then guesses who wrote it. If you know the other players in the group very well, try only doing two or maybe three “likes and dislikes” to make it more challenging. What other group games do you enjoy? Share them with us in the comments below. Thanks for reading the blog. Visit again soon!

Celebrate March Holidays

This month has all kinds of great and unique holidays and events that we want to highlight in today’s Wildwood Park Blog. Check them out and give yourself a reason to celebrate! We hope you have a great month celebrating at your apartment here in Arlington, VA! International Women’s Day - March 8th Women’s Day is celebrated this month to honor women who have made a difference and accomplished great things. “The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on 28 February [1909]. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honour of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions.” Celebrate by remembering the women in your life and those throughout history who have shaped our world. Daylight Saving Time - March 11th Although this day may not be a holiday to celebrate, it has an interesting history. Learn about some of the interesting facts from 8 Things You May Not Know About Daylight Saving Time written by History . This may dispel some of the things you thought to be true about Daylight Saving Time. Did you know that it wasn’t until 1966 that the Uniform Time Act standardized Daylight Saving Time in the United States? Some states though, still do not practice Daylight Saving Time including Hawaii and Arizona. National Pi Day - March 14th Pi Day or what we like to call Pie Day , is this month. Celebrate this holiday by making a pie at your apartment. We especially like this Almond Joy Pie from Life, Love and Sugar . This recipe has an Oreo crust with a creamy coconut filling. To make the filling you’ll need cornstarch, milk, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, flaked coconut, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. St. Patrick’s Day - March 17th St. Patrick’s Day may be the most celebrated holiday in March. It’s a great time for kids to celebrate at school and enjoy all kinds of fun Irish-themed crafts. Celebrate by making an Irish dinner meal for family and friends. We love this Slow-Cooker Corned Beef Hash from Delish . To make it you’ll need corned beef, potatoes, an onion, extra-virgin olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried oregano, chopped parsley, and fried eggs. Learn more about St. Patrick’s Day by clicking on the link above! What else is going on in March? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and visit the Wildwood Park Apartments Blog again soon!