Blog Posts

It's a Wrap Gift Wrapping Tips Made Simple

For many of us, December is when we do more gift wrapping than the rest of the year put together! We understand that wrapping can be a stressful thing, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve gathered tips to help you conquer the mountain of gifts you may face. So pick up extra tape and paper at your favorite Williamsville, NY discount store, clear the table in your Renaissance Place apartment, turn on the holiday tunes, and start wrapping! Get Organized Prepare for wrapping gifts by first gathering up everything you will need, including paper, tape, ribbon, bows, packaging, name tags, markers, and whatever else you can think of. Decide whether you will be using the same wrapping paper for an individual person, color coordinating family members, and if you have any unusual gifts that require more creative wrapping. Package Use boxes for your gifts. It’s more efficient and easy to wrap uniform sized boxes (random-sized bits and pieces won’t poke through a box). Cut the paper to fit the box; extra paper just gets in the way and looks clunky. Consider alternatives to paper for wrapping. For example, a pretty pillowcase makes a good gift wrap for larger, odd-shaped gifts (and it won’t rip open). Be creative. It can be fun to add your own unique touch to wrapping supplies. Use newsprint or a roll of brown paper, for instance, decorated with stencils, artwork, or messages to your recipient. Use a Bag As an alternative to wrapping paper, use a gift bag. Gift bags come in a wide variety of sizes, styles, and designs. They make it easy to package a gift. Using gift bags comes with a level of trust — as in, you trust the recipient to not peek! — but just in case, staple the bag closed. Don’t Wrap Some Gifts Sometimes your gift is intended to be used during the holiday season. If this is the case, add a pretty bow and gift tag, but don’t cover the item. Examples of this could be a home-canned jar of pie filling, a box of ornaments, and other types of food gifts. These types of gifts are often used for neighbors, teachers, and more casual acquaintances. Here is a list of 50 Neighbor Gift Ideas to get your imagination going. What tips and tricks do you have for getting it all wrapped up? Feel free to share in the comments. We want to wish all of the residents of our apartment community happy holidays! Thanks for reading today’s blog post.

Drinks for a Festive Holiday Season

Today the Renaissance Place Apartments Blog is bringing our readers a sampling of festive holiday drinks to try this month. These recipes are perfect for a simple night in your apartment, or for taking to a holiday party in Williamsville, NY. Enjoy! Eggnog Chef John’s Homemade Eggnog from AllRecipes This five-star rated recipe is made with eggs, sugar, whole milk, heavy cream, plus bourbon whiskey for a tasty holiday treat. See how Chef John makes it! Homemade Eggnog from Taste of Home “Once, I asked my mother how to make eggnog, and she showed me this recipe. After just one taste, folks will know this homemade holiday treat came from the kitchen, not from the store.” — Pat Waymire, Yellow Springs, Ohio Homemade Salted Caramel Eggnog from The Cookie Rookie “I never knew making eggnog was SO EASY to make at home! Made on the stove in under 15 minutes.” Winter Slush Luscious Slush Punch from AllRecipes This five-star slush recipe can be adapted to fit your tastes. Plus, it’s super easy to make. Because it’s frozen, it does have to be made ahead of time; but it’s perfect for a holiday party. Hot Chocolate Allrecipes.com comes through with dozens of varieties to try with these Hot Chocolate Recipes . Here are a few extras we can’t resist sharing: Nutella Hot Chocolate from Cafe Delites This is perfect for the holidays. If you’re a fan of the famous hazelnut chocolate spread, you’ll love this concoction. Make it with low-fat or skim milk to make it slightly healthier. Fill a tall glass to the brim with your drink and top with marshmallows and extra chocolate chips to complete the experience. Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Martha Stewart This festive holiday drink combines the flavors of chocolate and peppermint to leave you feeling warm and satisfied. To make, you will need unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, chocolate chips, peppermint sticks, and a pinch of salt. Hot Spiced Cider & Wassail Drinks Skinny Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider from The Cookie Rookie This sounds like the perfect thing to serve at your next holiday gathering. Bring on the flavor of the season with this delicious drink. If you’d rather have something light and citrusy instead of something rich and creamy, give this Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider a try. You’ll need cranberry juice, apple cider, orange peel, piece of ginger, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and whole cloves. Use honey or brown sugar for some additional sweetness, and use cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and fresh cranberries for a garnish. Grandma’s Wassail from AllRecipes The very name evokes homey thoughts. This concoction of citrus and spices is a time-honored holiday drink. The name indicates it is time-tested, too. Try one of these 10 warm drinks that won’t pack on the pounds or these 6 hot, healthy drinks if you’re worried about overindulging on all the sweets this season. What are your favorite or traditional drinks for the holidays? Share in the comments so we can try them! Thanks for reading along this year. Happy holidays! We’ll be back in 2018!

Black Friday Shopping

If getting up at 0 dark-thirty is something you would do to snag a deal, we’ve got some tips for you! Today, the Renaissance Place Apartments Blog has tips for Black Friday shopping here in the Williamsville, NY area. If you’re more of a stay-at-home and relax over the weekend sort of person, we’ve got ideas for that too! Black Friday Shopping When it comes to Black Friday shopping, advance preparation can really pay off. That’s probably one of the most valuable pieces of advice that we can give you. Prepare by sticking to a budget (taking only cash with you can help you on this front if you tend to get caught up in the shopping frenzy). You don’t want to end the weekend with buyer’s regret. Get organized with a list of who you are buying for, what your budgeted amount is for that person, sizes if you’re considering clothing or shoes, and a backup plan in case the items you’re planning on getting aren’t available. As you’re making a list, include yourself! Black Friday is a great time of year to make those big purchases, like a family room television or that new vacuum you’ve been eyeing. Study the ads and determine which stores you want to hit. Visit the stores that have your “must get” deals first, and then the ones that may have more than one of the items on your list. A route app may also be helpful for mapping out your shopping plan. Take a nap or go to bed early so you are well rested for your shopping marathon. Take bottled water with you and some high protein snacks to keep your energy up. Shop with a friend or family member to you can tag team and have someone to bounce decisions off of when you’re not sure about an item. Thanksgiving Weekend Activities DIY Projects DIY projects often get put on the back burner because you simply don’t have enough time to get to them. A long weekend is a perfect opportunity to start — and finish a project. Be sure you have everything you need before you start! Follow these steps 7 Things You Need to Know Before You DIY to ensure a successful project. Host a Thanksgiving Themed Movie Marathon A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving When Peppermint Patty ("C'mon, you can do it, Chuck!") and her friends finagle Charlie Brown into serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, it's up to Woodstock and Snoopy to make the day a success. Thanks to daring dishes like buttered toast and popcorn, and a memorable struggle with an uncooperative folding chair, Snoopy lends his own brand of wordless charm to the day's events. As the gang gathers around a ping-pong table for their unique meal, the true meaning of Thanksgiving shines through. Refer to these 10 Best Thanksgiving Movies for additional movies. Prepping for the Holidays Thanksgiving is traditionally the beginning of the holiday season, and it’s a good time to decorate — or at least take inventory of your decorations and repair or replace broken or worn items. This Holiday Decoration Checklist from Real Simple may be helpful. Make yourself a gift-wrapping kit, prepare the advent calendar, and plan your calendar for the next month. However you spend the weekend, shopping or relaxing, we want you to know how much we appreciate all of the members of our apartment community! Thanks for reading today’s post.

A Gratitude Scavenger Hunt for Thanksgiving

November, with its chancy weather, has arrived here in Williamsville, NY. Along with cooler temperatures, Thanksgiving brings a delicious turkey day dinner complete with all the trimmings, including pumpkin pie for dessert. Thanksgiving also turns our minds to the things we are grateful for, and today the Renaissance Place Apartments Blog brings our residents a fun Thanksgiving weekend activity: a Gratitude Scavenger hunt! The rules are simple: 1. You must find each item on the list. If you’d like to add or remove items, that works too. 2. Use a camera to “capture” the items that you find. This can be accomplished with an actual camera or with the camera on your smartphone. 3. Each item in the list must be represented by one photo each. And each photo must have a different object as the main focus. Find objects that represent the following: — Something that brings laughter — You can’t live without this — This has changed the world for the better — This represents our city — Something that helps a lot of people — This makes life easier — This complicates life — A memory from your past — Something that you love — You can relate this object to a happy or funny memory In a nutshell, that’s the game — finding and showing thanks. Spread the love, and invite a few friends or loved ones over to play. You can even create your own lists and then compare pictures at the end. Also, if you have friends out of state, email or message them the list and instructions so that they can play with you from their homes. Then, share your results online. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in our apartment community here at Renaissance Place Apartments! Next time we will have some tips for Black Friday shopping.

Hosting a Halloween Movie Marathon

The Renaissance Place Apartments Blog has everything you need to throw your own Halloween-themed movie marathon sometime this month. Movie marathoning takes a certain mindset — you need the right snacks, seating, and movies to keep yourself energized and relaxed during your marathon. Invite some friends over, pick your movies (we have suggestions), and hold a Halloween movie marathon at your apartment here in Williamsville, NY before the month is through! Snacks If you’re going to be spending a day watching movies, you’ll need snacks to help sustain you through hours of movie marathoning. Provide plenty of popcorn, drinks, and other snacks for your guests. We recommend having healthy snacks thrown in with your standard movie junk food. Apple slices, string cheese, granola bars, and a veggie tray are all great options. Be sure to include some Halloween treats as well. We like these ideas for Easy Halloween Treats from Everyday Food from Martha Stewart. Comfort You’ll be sitting for a long time. Provide comfy pillows and blankets for your guests to use while watching. Make sure you have plenty of space in your living room for your guests to stretch out during the movie. Once a movie is over, give your friends a ten- or twenty-minute break to stretch their legs, go to the bathroom, and talk. This will help everyone stay awake and alert through all the movies. Movie Suggestions Edward Scissorhands (1990) A gentle man, with scissors for hands, is brought into a new community after living in isolation. Hocus Pocus (1993) After three centuries, three witch sisters are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it is up to two teenagers, a young girl and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches' reign of terror once and for all. Sleepy Hollow (1999) Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of 3 people with the culprit being the legendary apparition, the Headless Horseman. Young Frankenstein (1974) An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that he is not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body. What are your favorite movies to watch in October? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading. Happy Halloween!

Maintenance Done Right

Today we’re taking time to recap September’s Maintenance Awareness Month, as celebrated by Renaissance Place Apartments. We’ll begin with a recent review from our website: “We would like to commend Roger and Matt for the quick and excellent response to our request for maintenance in our apartment. As always, they were not only efficient, but neat and courteous. Their service and friendship have helped to make our stay here very enjoyable over the past three years.” — Resident Review by Jack C. Along with Jack, we too would like to commend our maintenance team for their unwavering commitment to service for our apartment community here at Renaissance Place Apartments in Williamsville, NY. We celebrated the monthlong holiday by providing gifts and prizes, including time off and new swag, for our team! Of course, food was a part of the celebration too, with breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided for our team’s enjoyment. We have an amazing maintenance team. Here are a few things to note: — Going above and beyond for our residents is the norm for our team. — Our team is happy to accept same-day work orders. — Our community benefits from the dedication and hard-work of our rock-star maintenance team, and we wouldn’t be the same without them. — Our team provides convenient 24/7 emergency maintenance. Making Renaissance Place Apartments the absolute best place to live is one of our goals, and our maintenance team is a big piece of our commitment to service. Thanks for all you do! We appreciate your willingness to go the distance and do what it takes to make sure our resident’s needs are taken care of in a timely manner. We appreciate members of our apartment community and strive to offer amenities — such as online rent payment, on-site management, package acceptance, concierge service, and social events for residents — to save time and energy for everyone. Thanks for being a part of our community. In our next blog post we will be focusing on Halloween! Checkout our facebook page for photos of the celebrations !