Blog Posts

Making the Most of Public Transportation

Perhaps you use public transit every day, perhaps you used it years ago, or perhaps it is a foreign term to you entirely. By definition, public transportation, or transit, is a shared passenger experience which is available for use by the public. City buses, trolleybuses, trams, light rail, passenger trains, rapid transit (metro/subways/undergrounds) and ferries are all types of public transportation. Public transportation is a safe and affordable way to commute. It helps reduce traffic congestion, it saves energy, decreases automobile pollution, can provide exercise (like biking from the train to the office), contributes to a sense of community A bus/train pass is often less expensive than buying gas, even if you are only commuting part of the way. And most public transit offices offer monthly passes that cost less than the per day use. Cars create about 50 percent of pollution nationwide*; so the more people who use public transit, the less pollution is expelled into the air we breathe. And less pollution is a win for everyone. Traffic conditions nationwide are often in a state of congestion. If it wasnt for public transportation, it would be worse. A single, large city subway can carry about 30,000 passengers in one hour. If those riders drove instead, ten additional highway lanes would be needed to accommodate the additional traffic. And, think about this, if every American who currently uses some form of public transit were to stop, and drove to work, one person per car instead, they would fill the equivalent of a nine-lane freeway stretching from Boston to Los Angeles. Additionally, while others are feeling road rage at being stuck in traffic, you can get caught up on your reading, homework, scan your email, or cruise through FaceBook. Saving energy is another benefit or using public transportation. Public transit is twice as fuel efficient as automobiles, and that kind of efficiency adds up, and saves more than 45 million barrels of oil a year. The energy saved is enough to cool, heat, and operate about a quarter of all American homes each year. An added benefit, is that public transportation is, statistically speaking, safer than driving. The National Safety Council estimates that riding the bus is over 170 times safer than traveling by car. Thats a pretty striking number. Add exercise to the formula, walking or biking to and from your destinations, and its a win/win situation. The benefits of public transport are evident. So start commuting, or take a day trip using public transport, and send us a comment about your experience. *Stats for this article were taken from Wikipedia and PACommutes .

Making the Most of Your Storage Space

Getting our apartment organized is a common goal many of us have. The question is not whether to do it, but how to do it. There is wisdom in having a place for everything, and keeping everything in its place, figuring out where that place is though can be a challenge. Today we will be sharing some tips for getting a handle on getting organized. Tip #1 First things first. Make a checklist of your closets, drawers, and other storage containers. Use it to go through them one at a time. Figure out what exactly you have, and where it currently is stored. Does the storage place make sense? Is it with like items? Could it be placed in a kit? Does it require any sort of special storage? The answers to these questions will help you determine the best place to keep any given item. Tip #2 As you are working to organize a closet or a set of drawers, pull everything out and sort through it all. Create three piles: Throw Away, Donate, Keep. Once the items are segregated into these three categories, go through the Keep Items and ask yourself these questions: Do I really love it? Do I really need it? And for clothing, How often do I wear it? Your answers will help you determine whether to keep it or to put it in the donate pile for someone else to enjoy. Tip #3 If you have sentimental items that you cant justify keeping, but you are loath to get rid of, contemplate taking a picture first, and then getting rid of the original. Tip #4 Decide on an organizational strategy. Do you need additional totes to organize all of the toys or your hat collection? Use some sort of system to identify contents (a certain color or label), Think outside the box, or borrow creative solutions from others. Pinterest has a multitude of ideas for organizing your home. Tip #5 Remember you dont have to do the whole house in the next two days. Take your time to go through all of the stuff. It will be worth it when you can find anything at a moments notice. Now sit back and enjoy your newly organized home. Perhaps ended up with a lot of To Donate items, maybe you can host a mini swap meet at your clubhouse. Directions for how to do it can be found here . Please feel free to post your favorite organizing tips in the comments.

Set Up Your Gaming Sanctuary in Your Puyallup Apartment

Setting up a video game haven can be an enjoyable use of time in your apartment in Puyallup. By setting things up perfectly you will be able to create an enjoyable entertainment area, as well as an amazing room to use for video games. The ideal gamer room is a mix between comfort and technology. This way you can feel comfortable in long video game sessions, as well as a few fun casual games. Now that technology continues to improve, you can set up a room completely based around the technology that you choose to use. The first thing you will need is an adjustable and configurable TV stand. These stands generally come with storage cabinets that will allow you to store games and gaming systems. The configurable TV stand will allow you to move the height of the TV depending on how you set up the room. It will also allow you to easily move the TV at a later time, if you need to change the angle in order to accommodate more guests. The second item that you must have is a cable organizer box. Cables are easily tangled in any entertainment room; this is especially true when you add in a few video game systems. A cable box will help you keep all of the cables organized, and will keep them from getting tangled. The third item that you will want to decide on is what you would like to use to sit on. Many gamers find that they prefer a nice comfortable couch, while others would prefer a bean bag. You will also want to decide how many people you will be inviting over to enjoy gaming sessions with you. If you are inviting several people you may want to consider buying a few banana chairs or couches. In conclusion the key to building a video game haven is customizing it to your own appeal. You need to decide exactly what kind of features you would like to have in your Puyallup, WA apartment so that you can experience the exact kind of gaming life you like.

Starting a Fish Tank in Your Puyallup Apartment

Fish can be a great addition to your Willow Hill, Puyallup apartments. Taking care of fish is relatively simple, and a well-kept tank can make a great conversation starter. If youre looking at buying some fish to add to your apartment you may be wondering what the best way to take care of them is. The most common question generally is whether or not you should use a freshwater aquarium or a saltwater aquarium. There are many differences between a saltwater and freshwater aquarium. People generally argue that freshwater aquariums are better for beginners, while saltwater aquariums are better for fish experts. This is a common misconception, taking care of a saltwater aquarium is not necessarily harder than a freshwater container, in fact, some freshwater aquariums can be harder to maintain than their saltwater counterparts. One of the big differences between these two aquariums is the lighting that is required. For saltwater aquariums you will need stronger lighting, generally from a source such as metal halide bulbs. This lighting however is not always required. Power compact lighting often works for saltwater tanks as well. In Freshwater tanks, you can get away with compact fluorescent lighting, which gives you more freedom over your lighting choices. It also gives the tank a brighter color which draws attention. Another advantage to saltwater tanks is the variety of fish that you may keep in them. Saltwater tanks allow you to add things such as corals that really liven up the environment and keep things interesting. Freshwater does not give you as many options, however, you still have a few unique additions that you can place in freshwater such as snails or dwarf frogs. Overall it doesnt matter what kind of tank you choose. Take a look at the fish that you can have in freshwater, and the fish that you can have in sea water. Choose what kind of environment you would like to create in your apartment in Puyallup, then deciding on the fish tank will be easier.

Quality Cutlery For Your Kitchen

When you first get into cooking, cutlery is the last thing on your mind. Between all the different types of pots and pans, and the increasing variety of kitchen appliances, little thought if any is given to the knives you use in your South Hill, WA apartment. But now that youve got the basics covered, you can turn your attention to a quality knife set. If you are so inclined, you can spend a downright ridiculous amount of money on culinary knives. When spending this much money on anything, it is only natural to do whatever you can to take care of it. Quality cutlery is no different. There are a few things to keep in mind when caring for high end kitchen knives, but all it takes is a little know-how and you will get the most out of them. For starters, always wash your knives by hand. Chemicals in dishwasher detergent, and high temperatures while inside the machine, can wear down the knife and increase the rate of corrosion. Now you need to get a good cutting board; for most chefs, this means wood. End-grain boards are the easiest on your knife because the cutting edge can move in line with the grain of the wood, allowing it to sink ever so slightly into the board. This puts less stress on the blade. Even if you use an end-grain cutting board, your blades will lose their edge over time. If you knife isnt as sharp as it used to be, consider honing the blade. You may have seen chefs on TV or at restaurants sliding a knifes edge along what appears to be a metal dowel with a handle? That is a honing rod, and they are an easy tool you can use to bring back some of the sharpness you lost. If it gets too bad, however, you will need to use more aggressive techniques, or simply have it professionally sharpened. While it is certainly possible to survive in todays world without ever cooking in your apartment in Puyallup, WA, chances are the culinary arts will take up a significant amount of your time. When you spend that much of your time doing something it only makes sense to want to have quality tools for the job. Some might be appalled by how much you spent on that paring knife but youll get the last laugh when youre still using it 30 years from now.

Set Up The Perfect Home Theater In Your Puyallup Apartment

If youre looking for a great way to add some luxury to your life in your Willow Hill, Puyallup apartments, you should consider installing a home theater system. Home theater systems are a great way to relax, they let you escape the world a little bit and truly enjoy yourself. They also save you the time of driving to a theater to see a movie. Putting together a home theater system isnt too difficult all you really need are a few of the essentials; here are a few things you may want to consider including in your set up: The first thing you are going to want to get for your home theater is a projector. There are any different types of projects, some are meant to be mounted on the ceiling while others are meant to be placed on a desk. Map out how you would like to set up your home theater room before you choose a projector, this way you will know exactly what type of projector you need to install. The second thing you will need to create a true theater experience is a surround sound system. You have two options here, you can either buy a wireless system, or you can install a system with exposed wires into your complex. A wired system is less aesthetically pleasing and a wireless system is less expensive to install. The last thing you will need is some comfy chairs or couches. Neither choice is considered better; it is up to your own personal preference on whether you prefer one over the other. Either way the key is to have something comfortable that you would enjoy watching movies on. There you go, thats all you need! Setting up a home theater system in your JBLM housing isnt too difficult; all it takes is a little bit of ingenuity. Feel free to get creative and add on finishing touches such as a microwave or a refrigerator, the sky really is the limit.