Blog Posts

Goals for Your New Year

Since it’s the new year, many people have taken to making resolutions to make some positive changes in their lives, but sometimes those resolutions end up falling by the wayside and forgotten. In this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few tips for you on setting realistic goals that you can actually achieve in this new year. Specific Setting a goal is difficult. The first thing you need to know about setting goals is that they need to be specific. Specificity in setting goals will direct your efforts and give you clear direction as to how to proceed. As you’re specific, you can come up with specific methods to reach those goals. Measurable A reason why resolutions aren’t achieved is due to the lack of accountability and measurability of the goal. A measurable goal gives you an objective to reach and helps you see your progress. If your goal objective is measurable and clear, you’ll have more motivation to meet the goal! Relevant Your goals need to be tied to what you wish to accomplish in the future. As you set these relevant goals, you’ll be able to get one step closer to where you wish to be. Don’t waste your time by making goals that don’t lend to your overall progress. Time-Bound Resolutions often don’t work because they’re usually slated to span over an entire year. If the time frame is too long, the likelihood of you accomplishing your goal decreases. Attach a date to your goal so you know when you should be accomplishing your goal. Do your best to gauge how long it should take for you to complete it, and then make it a little shorter so you push yourself to meet the goal. Goals can be difficult to reach, so we hope you enjoy these tips on setting goals! If you’ve got some ways that help you set goals, let our Arlington, VA apartment community know of them by leaving a comment.

Hot Chocolate Recipes

When you’re at home for a night in away from the cold nights of Arlington, VA, it’s the perfect time to settle into your couch and sip on some hot chocolate! To give you some diversity in your drink choices, we’ve decided to share with you some hot chocolate recipes in this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog. Nutella Hot Chocolate 4 cups low fat/skim milk 2 tablespoons Nutella 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons sugar Optional Toppings: Marshmallows Crushed hazelnuts Chocolate chips Extra Nutella Nutella lovers everywhere can rejoice as their sip a cup of decadent Nutella hot chocolate. A cup of hazelnut goodness awaits you as you try out this delicious hot chocolate recipe. So, if you love Nutella, we suggest giving this recipe a try! Peppermint Hot Chocolate 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1-quart milk 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (3 ounces) 7 peppermint sticks; 3 crushed (1/4 cup), 4 left whole pinch of salt Although the holidays are over, you can still indulge in the peppermint goodness of the season! Enjoy the fresh minty taste of this peppermint hot chocolate as you spend the night watching some movies in your apartment! S’mores Hot Chocolate 2 cups milk (any kind // dairy-free for vegan) 1 cup water (or sub more milk) ¼ cup cocoa powder 2 Tbsp light chocolate syrup 2 Tbsp sugar 1/4 tsp non-bitter stevia (or add 1-2 Tbsp more sugar to taste) 1 pinch salt Graham crackers (crushed // for lining rim - gluten-free for GF eaters) ½ cup marshmallows (ensure vegan-friendliness) Though the days of sitting around a fire in the mountains are over, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the delicious taste of a fireside treat! With this recipe, you can have s’mores year round and warm up to boot!

Watch some Holiday Movies

In our last blog, we shared some ways to get into the holiday spirit. Because one of those ways is watching movies, we’re going to share our suggestions for some classic holiday movies for you to watch during this holiday season. We hope you enjoy these suggestions! Break out the extra pillows and blankets for a lovely night in! The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town but doesn't quite understand the concept. Christmas and Halloween meet in this fun and exciting tale of confusion and chaos as Jack Skeleton attempts to bring Christmas to Halloween Town, where no one knows how to celebrate anything other than Halloween. Home Alone “When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.” The Polar Express “Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis reunite for The Polar Express, an inspiring adventure based on the beloved children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades.” The Holiday “Two women on opposite sides of the globe, Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) find themselves in a similar predicament. Desperate for a change of scenery, the two women meet on the internet and swap houses for the Christmas holiday discovering that a change of address really can change your life.” Do you have any movies you enjoy watching during the December holidays? Share them with our Arlington, VA apartment community by leaving a comment! We hope you enjoy these movie suggestions and hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Get into the Holiday Spirit

When you were a kid, it was a lot easier to get into the holiday spirit. Your parents were the ones that helped you do all the holiday activities and put on holiday movies for you. Now that you’re an adult and living in your own apartment, you’ve got to do it all yourself. It isn’t too difficult, but to help you out, in this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few ways you can get yourself into the holiday spirit, just like when you were a child! Gingerbread Houses Relive your childhood by making a gingerbread house! This is a great activity to do with friends and children in your family. Head to the store to pick up some ingredients for frosting, candies for decorating the gingerbread house, and maybe some graham crackers (if you aren’t keen on making gingerbread yourself). Spend an evening building marvelous creations! Hot Chocolate Because the weather has gotten colder, you’ll need a way to warm up. Hot chocolate is one of the best and most delicious ways to get warm! We are sharing a variety of hot cocoa recipes to try this month so you can diversify your hot chocolate consumption! Grab a mug of hot chocolate and enjoy a nice evening in from the cold. Movies If you need something to do when you’re drinking your hot chocolate, we suggest watching some movies! The holiday season has plenty of movies to choose from. Whether you’re looking to get into the spirit of the season by watching movies like Elf and Home Alone or watching more unconventional holiday movies like Die Hard or Gremlins, you’ll be able to have a great time! You’re not a kid anymore, so it’s time to take things into your own hands! Do you do anything, in particular, to get yourself in the holiday spirit? Let our Arlington, VA apartment community know about them by leaving a comment!

Black Friday Shopping Tips

Black Friday is a day that many people look forward to. The sales can be considered too good to pass up, and it’s a good departure from the sitting and eating that you usually do on Thanksgiving. If you’re okay with people and a scramble for the best deals, then Black Friday is the event for you! In this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog, we’ve got a set of tips for you on how you can survive the craziness of Black Friday here in Arlington, Virginia! Set a budget. It’s just as easy to overshop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday as it is to overeat on Thanksgiving. But giving yourself a limit to how much you spend will not only do your wallet good, but your mind and body good, too! Black Friday shopping can also be mentally and physically exhausting. Being able to say “this is enough” will let you stop without feeling guilty about it. Do Your Research Since there are going to be so many sales, doing your research can be beneficial in cutting down shopping time. The less time you’re doing your shopping, the less stress you’re going to expose yourself to. During your research, pick the stores you are likely to purchase items at and plan our route accordingly. Research can help you stay within budget and even help you save money! Don’t Go! Though the sales may be spectacular, sometimes missing out on them is the better option. Not only will you save yourself the stress of dealing with crowds and the madness of Black Friday shopping, you’ll also save money! So, if you’re willing to miss out on saving some money on items, then not going is your best bet. Besides, you’ll probably end up spending money on things you don’t really need anyway! Do you have any Black Friday tips? Let our Arlington, VA apartment community know by leaving us a comment!

Pumpkin Recipes that Aren't Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is at the end of this month and the stores are filled with fall treats. Grocery stores are filled with pumpkin pies, so pumpkin pie for dessert during your Thanksgiving meal can get bland and boring. In this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few dessert recipes using pumpkin that aren’t pumpkin pie. Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Sauce Ingredients: 3 large egg yolks 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream 1 cup canned pumpkin 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt Sauce ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1 cup heavy whipping cream 3 tablespoons butter, cubed 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon almond extract Pumpkin pie is a difficult thing to avoid during the Thanksgiving season. It’s delicious, but can get quite boring. Throw a wrench into the mix with this pumpkin pie ice cream with salted caramel sauce as a dessert after your meal! Pumpkin Bread with Nutella Swirl Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 large Nellie’s Free Range Eggs 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup Nutella, warmed Do you love pumpkin flavored desserts and Nutella? Combine these two loves by making this recipe for pumpkin bread with nutella. It’s not pumpkin pie, thankfully, but you can still get the delicious taste of pumpkin and hazelnut chocolate! Bread Machine Pumpkin Monkey Bread Ingredients: 1 cup warm 2% milk (70° to 80°) 3/4 cup canned pumpkin 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 4 to 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons active dry yeast Sauce ingredients: 1 cup butter, cubed 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup canned pumpkin 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves If you have a bread machine, you can use this recipe to make some monkey bread! Enjoy some pumpkin bread with some sticky sauce at the end of your meal! This recipe will have you licking your fingers, and it will satisfy your pumpkin desire. Try it this month! Do you have any pumpkin recipes you enjoy making for Thanksgiving? Let our Arlington, VA apartment community know by leaving a comment for us!