Blog Posts

Dress for Colder Weather

As the fall come into full bloom, the weather is turning colder. Gone are the warm days of summer, but the colder weather allows for more diversity when it comes to fashion and style! In this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few tips for you on how you can dress for the colder weather here in Arlington, VA. The last thing you want is to misjudge the weather and end up being cold for the rest of the day! Layers Unlike the summer, layering can be a good way to not only be stylish, but also to keep warm. If you don’t have any layerable clothes, we suggest investing in some sweaters and additional lighter weight clothes that you can layer. Remember that often times with layering, you can get warm, so make sure that your outermost, warmest layer can be easily taken off. Accessories Finding the right type of accessories can make the difference between a good outfit and a great one. Often overlooked, accessories add another level of detail and style. We suggest investing in some quality accessories like scarves, watches, sunglasses or even pocket squares. These accessories can keep you warm, tell you time, protect your eyes from the sun, or make you look dapper. Multifunctional Clothing Finding clothing that is multifunctional can make your fall and future winter experience a little easier. As tempting as it is to wear those high heels or a thin stylish overcoat, you may want to put those aside in favor of a nice pair of warm and stylish boots and an insulated overcoat. With the colder weather comes the chance of snow, so keep that in mind when picking out your outfit! Do you have any tips for when you dress for the colder weather? If so, you can leave a comment for our apartment community! Thanks for reading!

Throw a Halloween Party

Halloween is coming up, and we encourage you to get into the mood of the holiday. There are many ways you can immerse yourself in the Halloween spirit, but we suggest throwing a party in honor of All Hallows’ Eve. In this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few suggestions on ways you can spruce up your Arlington, VA apartment for your party! Decorate Your Door Since you don’t have a lawn to decorate, the door to your apartment is the first thing your guests will see. So decorate it with a Halloween theme! You can choose to mummify your door, make it spider infested with fake webs and plastic spiders, or make it look like abandoned or boarded up! Regardless of what you choose to do to your door, keep in mind that people will still need to enter and leave through it, so don’t decorate so much that it hinders the function of the door. Halloween Treats A surefire way to get people into the spirit of Halloween is putting out some foods that are themed for the holiday. Whether you’re putting out white chocolate mummy pretzels, devilish eggs, or spider cookies , giving your guests something themed to munch on will help them feel more at home and will help them enjoy their experience more! Entertainment When you throw a party, you’re going to want your guests to be engaged and entertained. Depending on the type of party you’re throwing, there are different options to choose from. These options can range from dancing to watching scary movies. We suggest choosing some horror movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre , Scream , or I Know What You Did Last Summer . Do you have any tips on making a Halloween party even greater? Let our apartment community know by leaving us a comment! Thanks for reading!

Laundry Day Tips

The most dreaded day of the week can be laundry day, especially if you’re the type of person to go through a lot of clothes during the week. We understand that laundry day can be an unwelcome chore on a weekend when you want to relax, but we’ve come up with a few tips in this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog to help make it a little easier! Set a Timer You might do this already! By setting a timer while doing laundry, you’ll be able to step away from the machine and do something productive while you wait. Also, you’ll have the added benefit of an alert that will let you know when your laundry is done. When the alarm sounds, grab your laundry immediately to avoid any chance of getting lost in whatever activity you’re doing at the time. Don’t Stuff the Machine As tempting as it might sound to fit one more item into the washer, we caution against it. Stuffing the washing machine with too many items is like you’re making a dirt trap with your clothes; basically, this means that each item in the washer is less-likely to get washed thoroughly. Instead of overstuffing, split up your loads with multiple washes during the week. As difficult or tedious as doing laundry over multiple days may seem, your clothes will be cleaner and each laundry day will seem shorter because of the smaller load size. Sort Your Clothes Unless you literally only wear one color of clothes, you’re going to have a variety of colors and shades of clothing. Sort your clothes into homogenous color piles to avoid any color bleeding through and ruining other articles of clothing. Doing so will keep the whites whiter, darks darker, and your colored clothing bright and vibrant. Do you do anything special during laundry day? If so, let our Arlington, VA apartment community know by leaving us a comment.

Clean Your Apartment

Do you ever return to your home after a long day at work only to be greeted by a messy apartment? If this rings true to you, then keep reading. In this week’s post on the Quincy Plaza Blog, we’re sharing ideas of how you can more effectively clean your Arlington, VA apartment. Declutter Everyone has items they need to throw away. However, many people dislike the idea of throwing things away because they have a fear that they’ll end up needing those items after they’ve tossed them. Don’t get caught in that mindset! Take time to go through your house and evaluate the items you haven’t used in a while, without making excuses to keep them. Put the unused items aside to donate or throw away; If you feel like these items still have life in them, donate them to your local thrift stores or homeless shelters. Take Your Time Cleaning is a big job, but don’t let the thought of how much you need to clean alarm or discourage you. Take your time and pinpoint the areas that need the most cleaning, schedule out time for each task, and get to work. Taking your time also allows you to not get burnt out with cleaning, which means you’re more likely to actually get it done. It’s okay if you don’t get everything done in one setting. Make cleaning a routine and you’ll be done in no time. Maintain the Cleanliness It can be hard to maintain a new cleaning schedule. For many of us, it’s almost too easy to fall back into old habits and let things slide or accumulate into a large mess. Find a system of organization that works for you and make it a positive habit in your life. Here are a few ideas: Try washing your dishes right after you eat instead of leaving it in the sink. Use the last 10 minutes before going to bed to tidy up your living room. Before you leave a room, find one thing that you can tidy up. Thanks for reading our blog! Please share your favorite tips for apartment cleaning by leaving a comment below.

Bike Tips

Cycling is a great form of cardiovascular exercise! The warm weather is a perfect time to get on a bike and enjoy a nice ride around the neighborhood or even commute to work or school. In this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few great tips to help you get into biking and to make sure you’re safe while doing it! If you’re looking for a place to store a bike or if you’re looking to purchase one, we have bike storage and lockers available for residents here at our Arlington, VA apartments! Getting the Right Bike An important part of biking is to make sure that you’ve got a bike that can handle the type of cycling you want to do, whether it’s commuting, riding trails, or a nice ride in the park. If you’re looking to rent or buy a bicycle, you can check out your local bike shop for some deals! These shops are a great resource if you’re looking to ride for the first time or if you’re just looking to tune your current ride. Working Up To The Task Your first ride on your bike might take the wind out of you if you’re not used to the extra exercise. But don’t give up! It’s going to take a little while to get used to the learning curve, so feel free to take your time. Leave early enough so you don’t have to rush, and start out by riding a few days a week until you feel comfortable with the ride and can commit to more. Biking may seem easy, even on your first day of riding, but if your journey is long, you’re going to have some tired legs the next day. Enjoy the Scenery Since driving is so much quicker and easier than other modes of transportation, commuters generally leave later and arrive quicker to their destinations, leaving no time for them to appreciate the scenery around them. Cycling provides riders with the unique opportunity to appreciate the natural beauty found here in Arlington!

Have a Barbecue!

If you’re looking for something to do for dinner, try to have a barbecue with some of your closest friends! The weather is nice here in Arlington, VA and it’s the perfect opportunity to use our apartment community grilling stations. In this week’s Quincy Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few tips for you on hosting your own barbecue this summer! Make it a Potluck If you’re worried about feeding everyone on the budget you’ve set aside for your barbecue, try making your party a potluck. Since it’s your party to plan, be in charge of the main dishes, but feel free to assign your guests to bring some side dishes or drinks. If you have a theme, you can assign those dishes or create a signup sheet with some dishes that fit your theme. As with everything, communicate these things with your guests so that they know what to bring. Communicate Your Plans Skip the ambiguity that often comes with parties and communicate clearly with everyone involved what to expect. Communication is key in throwing a successful barbecue. Consider creating a Facebook event or using Google Sheets to get organized and inform your guests of any dishes they can bring or any changes that will be made to the schedule. Clean up. Be courteous to the other people likely to use our facilities after you. Like any community area, things can be kept in quality condition when those who use it take care to leave it better than they found it. Don’t forget to use napkins, plates, and silverware for dining. Always promptly clean up messes to prevent stains from setting or messes from worsening and bring extra trash bags for your disposable items! Everyone will appreciate it!