Stumped for ideas? We’ve got five to get you started!

1. Pick a project, any project  

If you find yourself with time on your hands during long winter nights, don’t fall into the easy habit of binge-watching TV shows or streaming endless media. Instead, choose a project you’ve always wanted to try, and dedicate time to it every night. Whether it’s knitting your first scarf, dabbling in a craft, scrapbooking, or building something, start small and spend just a few minutes a day on it. If you discover a project you truly enjoy, time will shoot by in a flash.  

2. Do something different

Stepping out of your comfort zone is a sure antidote to the winter blues. Consider trying a climbing gym, going on bundled-up walks in different parts of the city, or joining a book club at your local library. Alternatively, you could volunteer at a local animal shelter or nursing home, take up a new fitness regimen, or sign up for a class. The key is to do something new and different, to shake up your routine. Let this be the winter you become what you’ve always wanted to be!

3. Connect with friends

Easier said than done if you’re in a new city, but one of the best ways to create long-term positive change is to find or build a community. You could try the local library, gym, or rec center—or check out churches or community centers in your area—to find your new tribe, or use online apps like MeetUp.com. Your people are out there! You just need to find them.

4. Exercise!

Whether indoor, outdoor, at your apartment or at a local gym, exercise is one of the fastest methods to improve your mood and change your state. You don’t even need to exercise for the purpose of losing weight. Just go at it with the idea that you’re getting your heart pumping and body moving, and you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel (as long as you don’t overdo it). Shoot for 30 minutes a day for optimal benefit, but everything counts!

5. Lighten up!

It’s difficult to stay positive when it’s dark outside, so you’ll need to work doubly hard to make sure you have enough light in your life. Getting outside even on cloudy days will help more than you think, but another option to consider is investing in a happy light or energy lamp. These lamps emit light that mimics the natural effect of sunlight, and can be incredibly useful to help you fight fatigue, regain focus, reduce eyestrain and improve your mood. If you are stuck inside for long periods during the winter or if you live in a particularly grey and gloomy part of the country, happy lights may be the perfect solution for you!

Winter may seem like it’ll last forever, but little by little, the days will get longer and the sun will shine more brightly. Until then, show the season who’s boss with these fun tips!

The post Surviving the gloomy days of winter! appeared first on BRG Apartments Blog.

1. Batwing Peanut Butter Cups

For these fun and festive treats, assemble chocolate sandwich cookies, frosting, edible candy eyes and miniature peanut butter cups. First, remove any existing frosting from the backs of the sandwich cookies, then break each cookie side into two pieces, to create half-circle “bat wings.” Add a tiny bit of frosting to the cookies and affix the cookies to the unwrapped miniature peanut butter cups, rounded side up. Then just add two edible candy eyes and you’ve got a miniature bat party!

2. Monster Face Fruit Cups

Nothing could be easier than this! First, assemble a bowl full of grapes, several clear plastic juice cups, large marshmallows, and clear plastic wrap—and a black permanent marker. Then fill the bottom of each cup with a layer of grapes. Follow with two large marshmallows, placed on their side—these will be your monster’s “eyes”—and top with a final layer of grapes. Cover each plastic cup with plastic wrap, ideally the self-adhesive kind! Then it’s time to get creative. Draw funny faces on the side of the cup, making the marshmallows into googly-eyes and adding a goofy smile beneath.

3. Eye Popping Pudding Cups

Don’t put those plastic cups and markers away quite yet! Instead whip up several packets of colored pudding—ghostly white, ghoulish green, boo-tiful blue and pumpkin orange. Fill the clear plastic cups with the pudding, then use the markers to make spooky or funny faces on the sides of the plastic cups. For added interest, top the pudding cups in interesting ways—like using candy corn for ears or crushed chocolate cookies for a thick mop of hair. Have fun with it!

4. Wicked Witch’s Hats

At Halloween, you can never have too much chocolate. So gather the following for this indulgent treat: miniature unwrapped chocolate kisses, chocolate sandwich cookies (THIN Oreos® work best!), colored frosting (say, orange or green) and candy sprinkles. Assembly couldn’t easier: pipe a thin layer of frosting onto the cookie, press a chocolate kiss into the frosting, and dust with a layer of candy sprinkles! Hats off to you!

5. Spicy Sweet (c)Hex Mix

Okay, this one is for those of you who are truly looking for a last-minute save for your Halloween party—(c)Hex Mix for the win! Just purchase a bag of pre-made party mix (like Chex Mix®) and then add some Halloween delight: candy corn, unwrapped chocolate miniature candies or M&Ms, popcorn, nuts, whatever says Halloween to you! Bring this mix in a Halloween-themed bowl and some small plastic cups for serving and you’ll have your Halloween treat challenge solved.

This Halloween, don’t let a lack of time or cooking skills keep you from the neighborhood party—or better yet, throw a party yourself to meet the neighbors! Here’s wishing you a spooky good time.

The post Last-Minute Halloween Party? Scare up some quick and easy treats! appeared first on BRG Apartments Blog.

Make it a priority—and start right away!

It’s easy to get into the habit of heading straight up to your apartment when you get home after work—or dashing to your car when you’re ready to leave, even if there are other people around. But if you set a goal to meet one new person a day, you’ll find you’ll have more opportunities than you expect! However, make it a priority to reach out the first time you come into contact with someone, vs. letting a few weeks go by without saying a word to them. If you’ve already been in your community for awhile, no problem! The next tip is tailor made for you.

Take advantage of pre-planned social events

Many communities have weekly or monthly social events that take place in their clubhouses, specifically created to help residents get to know each other. Even better, you know that, like you, anyone else attending actually such an event wants to make new connections. This way, you don’t have to worry about seeming too forward when you introduce yourself. In addition to events arranged by apartment management, communities also sometimes have a general bulletin board or Facebook page where residents can post information about upcoming parties, or athletic/social events. Make it a point to check with your community’s office staff to see what options your community provides!  

Make the most of your community’s amenities

Does your community have a pool, fitness facility, walking path, or sports courts? If so, you’ve got another avenue to meet like-minded residents. Hit the gym or the walking path and introduce yourself with residents who appear to be interested in the same sports you do. If you’re just getting started with a particular sport, such as tennis, ask if they know of any “beginner-level” players who might want to meet for a game…or, if you’re more advanced, see if they might want to drill or play a quick pickup game sometime. In addition, some communities have organized leagues in various sports. If so, you’ll definitely want to check those out! 

Start your own group

Interested in books? Love painting watercolors or doing crafts? Know everything it takes to create a killer fantasy football league? Don’t wait to find your people, get them to come to you! If your community has opportunities for meet-ups that residents organize (you can find out by contacting your office staff), follow their guidelines and start a community book club or crafting circle, or recruit for a fantasy football league. Don’t despair if it takes awhile to get started—good friendships are worth taking some time to cultivate.

Above all, congratulations on following up on your interest in getting out and meeting new people! Making connections with people your neighbors can help you become part of a robust and vital apartment community.

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