Blog Posts

Tips and Resources for Pet Owners at Renaissance Place Apartments

One of the perks of living at Renaissance Place Apartments is that we are a pet-friendly apartment community. With that in mind, we would like to share some tips for apartment living for dogs and their owners in today’s blog post. Tips for Pet Owners Establish a routine. Animals are smart and can adapt to apartment living. Having a routine makes it easier on your pet. Set times for potty breaks, chow time, walking, and playing can all be included. Routines make your pet feel comfortable and help prevent accidents. Be a considerate neighbor, and clean up promptly after your pet. Be sure to dispose of pet refuse appropriately. Bring the outside indoors. If your pet is particularly fond of plants, give them their very own to play with. Cats are notorious for eating plants, but some can be toxic. Check out this list of non-toxic plants , and definitely become familiar with this list of common houseplants that are toxic to pets . Neighbors don’t appreciate constant barking, which is one thing dog owners often come up against. If you have a dog who tends to bark all the time, try these ideas from the Humane Society to solve the problem. View our complete Pet Policy by clicking on the Paw Icon found on the left side of the amenities page. Resources for Pet Owners Here at Renaissance Place Apartments, we do provide an on-site dog park, but when you want to venture further afield check out this information on dog parks in the Williamsville, NY area from Yelp. This is a good place to start looking at options for dog trainers if you have been thinking about doing a training class with your dog. Also, check out Bark Box for your pet. It’s a subscription service that provides a variety of high-quality dog products delivered to you each month. Check out the Bark Box Facebook page to get an idea of what you can expect. Where are your favorite places to take your pet to socialize? Please share in the comments so we can all benefit. Thanks for reading the Renaissance Place Apartments blog post today. We hope you enjoy time with your pet this month.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in March

It’s time to plan how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day which is coming up on March 17th. In today’s Renaissance Place Apartments Blog, we’ll be sharing some St. Patrick’s Day trivia, recipes to make, and home decoration pieces to create in today’s post. We hope you enjoy this holiday here in Williamsville, NY! St. Patrick’s Day Trivia The Origin St. Patrick’s Day was actually started by persecuted Irish Immigrants in 18th century American cities who were trying to confirm and hold onto their heritage. Irish Ancestry There are actually more people with Irish ancestry in the United States (34 million) than in Ireland (4.2 million). This is most likely a result of the high numbers of Irish immigrants who fled to the U.S. during the Potato Famine and times of economic crisis in Ireland. The First Parade The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin did not happen until 1931. In fact, St. Patrick’s Day didn’t become a national holiday in Ireland until 1903. Irish Recipes Bake Goodies Make fun treats to serve at a St. Patrick’s Day party or at a low-key time in your apartment with a friend. Try making these Mint Brownie Ice Cream Push-Up Pops or these Mint Oreo Truffles that you won’t be able to quit eating. Visit Julie’s Eats and Treats for even more ideas! Eat Irish Food When we say Irish food, we don’t mean anything with green food coloring in it — that’s not Irish. We mean some hearty, traditional Irish dishes that will fill you up and leave you satisfied, like bangers and mash , corned beef and cabbage , or shepherd’s pie . If you want more ideas, check out Genius Kitchen’s 66 Favorite Irish Dishes . Decorate with Shamrocks Shamrock Bouquet from Sweet and Lovely Crafts This bouquet is so simple to make, but a great item to set on your table for some festivity. This is a great craft to do with kids because it’s very simple and just requires cutting and taping. You just need a few items to make it: green patterned paper, a Mason Jar, tape, and skewers. Swinging Shamrocks from Better Homes & Gardens These swinging shamrocks are a fun item to hang from a doorway, over the kitchen table, or in the corner of a room. They’re fairly simple to make. You’ll need the following supplies to make them: cardboard tubes, a hot glue gun, green paint, scissors, and fishing line or string. How do you plan on celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading our post!

Short Reads for a Short Month: Book Recommendations for Renaissance Place Apartments

February is the shortest month of the entire year, which means it is the perfect month to read short books and escape (at least in your mind) from winter in western New York. Reading has many benefits, and one does not have to be a formal student or teacher to get them. Self-education is as close as the internet, your local bookstore, or library, within the pages of a book. Charles W. Eliot, Harvard's president in 1869, transformed what was a provincial college into the preeminent American research university we know today. He said this about books, “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” We agree. Grab a book and settle down in a cozy corner of your Renaissance Place Apartment and get lost in a different time and place. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of quick-to-read books (complete with reviews from Goodreads ) to check out this month. The Martian by Andy Weir “A mission to Mars. A freak accident. One man's struggle to survive. Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.” The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway “It is the story of an old Cuban fisherman and his supreme ordeal: a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Using the simple, powerful language of a fable, Hemingway takes the timeless themes of courage in the face of defeat and personal triumph won from loss and transforms them into a magnificent twentieth-century classic.” Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury “The terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literate future. Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicoptor.” Wings by Aprilynne Pike “Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words. Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.” “In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.” We hope you enjoy a short read during this short month! What is your favorite book? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for being a part of our apartment community here in Williamsville!

Movies for Valentine's Day

It’s February and that means Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us. Are you ready? Do you have plans? (Or are you ignoring the day?) Whatever situation you find yourself in, with something planned or no, we have some movie suggestions (romantic comedies, feel-good family films, or action/adventure) to get you through the day, complete with descriptions from IMDb . So grab some popcorn and that box of chocolates, and settle down for a movie tonight, or should you prefer head out to your favorite Williamsville, NY theater and check out what is new on the big screen. Romantic Comedies 500 Days of Summer An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her. Midnight in Paris While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight. Return to Me A man who falls in love with the woman who received his wife's heart must decide which woman it is who holds his heart. Feel Good Family Films Enchanted A princess, who is prepared to be wed, is sent away to New York by an evil queen, where she falls in love with a lawyer. Finding Neverland The heart-warming story of J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan. Inkheart A young girl discovers her father has an amazing talent to bring characters out of their books and must try to stop a freed villain from destroying them all, with the help of her father, her aunt, and a storybook hero. Action/Adventure Mad Max Fury Road A woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in post-apocalyptic Australia in search for her homeland with the help of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max. Casino Royale Armed with a license to kill, Secret Agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007 and must defeat a weapons dealer in a high stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, but things are not what they seem. Apollo 13 NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy. And of course, if you want to watch a movie that fits in all of these categories, we suggest you opt for The Princess Bride — it has romance, adventure, a sword fight atop the Cliffs of Insanity, and who doesn’t love Andre the Giant? Please feel free to share your favorite Valentine’s Day movie in the comment section of the Renaissance Place Apartments blog.

Four Pie Recipes to Celebrate National Pie Day

With Thanksgiving in November and Pi Day in March, there are plenty of great excuses to eat pie throughout the year. If you want another, we’re about to give you one more: National Pie Day is on January 23rd! To prepare you for this holiday and any other occasion you want to eat this delicious confection, this week’s Renaissance Place Apartments blog is dedicated to pies. Read on for four recipes to try any time this month, or stop by your favorite Williamsville, NY bakery to pick up a pie for a tasty dessert. 4 Pie Recipes to Try from Renaissance Place Apartments Triple berry pie The blogger of this recipe says this pie is perfect for any time you crave a fruity pie, whether it’s a holiday dedicated to pie or not! It has less sugar than most berry pies, she says, so it’s not overly sweet. If you love the sweet, tart taste of berries in a flaky, buttery crust, you’re in for a treat once you make this pie! Caramel banana cream pie If you like bananas, caramel, graham cracker crusts, and custardy delight, this recipe is for you. The graham cracker crust is easy to make, and so is the rest of the pie. The finished product, infused with caramel and layered with soft, thick bananas, will have everyone you share this with asking for more. If you want another banana cream pie-inspired recipe, scroll to the end of the post to check out the banana cream pie yogurt parfait one. Cranberry cheesecake pie This layered cheesecake pie is a great way to get a taste of cranberry, whether you like it with your Thanksgiving turkey or ham or not. The crumble topping it is a beautiful and deliciously sweet contrast to the cranberry and lemony flavors in the filling. Peanut butter cup pie You get the best of every sweet world with this peanut butter cup pie. The vanilla wafer crust is a new way to experience a homemade crust. The ganache and peanut butter cup layers are just the tip of the iceberg to this scrumptious pie. Once you dip your fork or spoon into the finished product and the melted chocolate and peanut butter cups ooze out, you’ll be smitten! What are your favorite pie recipes? Leave a comment so we can try them out! Thanks for reading. Happy pie baking, and more importantly, eating in your WNY apartment!

It's a Clean Sweep: Caring for Floors at Your Williamsville Apartment

With tips from the Renaissance Place Apartments Blog, caring for floors in your apartment just got easier. We have some tips to help you keep them looking great. Whether you’re vacuuming a rug or sweeping a floor, we appreciate the time you take to care for the floor. Routine Care Daily and weekly care of floors will result in an apartment that looks good all the time. Sweep with a broom or dust mop, or vacuum your floor regularly. If you vacuum a hard-surface floor, use a soft-bristled attachment for your vacuum to avoid damage that can be caused by using a beater bar or power rotary brush head. High-traffic areas need to be cleaned often. Doing so will prevent gritty dirt or other particles building up, which can scratch the surface of the floor. To prevent damage to your floor from excessive direct sunlight, use UV-blocking window coverings. Wood floors gradually age when not covered, so periodically rearrange the furniture and rugs to aid in even aging. Preventative Care If you have a pet, keep its nails trimmed and paws clean. Pets tend to track in substances that may cause stains to floors. Take humidity into account, maintain an even temperature year-round to prevent wood shrinkage; aim for humidity between 35% and 55%. Immediately wipe up spills so that foods, liquids, and other substances are not left standing on the floor. If substances like wax or chewing gum end up stuck to the floor, use ice to harden, then use a plastic scraper (a credit card will work) to gently scrape away the residue. Be careful not to scratch the surface in the process. Once the residue is removed, wipe the area with a clean, soft, slightly damp cloth. Extra Care For heavy furniture invest in high-quality protective pads to protect your floor and to easily move the furniture. Place floor mats at entrances and exits and in high traffic area such as in front of sinks, vanities, etc. Floor mats will help reduce the number of corrosive bits that will be tracked onto your floors — particularly during the winter months. Mats also reduce wear on the floor — we love the variety of kitchen floor mats that Wayfair offers. We appreciate the care you take to make sure your floors are clean and looking good! Thanks for reading today’s post, and enjoy the rest of January here in Williamsville, NY.