Blog Posts

Halloween Themed Treats

Halloween is just around the corner and that means parties, costumes, and lots of tasty treats! Whether you are planning on throwing a Halloween party at your apartment or just want to make some tasty treats to show off on your Instagram account, the Randolph Towers Blog is here to share a few ideas with residents of our Arlington, VA apartment community. Banana Mummies from Woman’s Day These banana mummies on a stick will be the hit of any Halloween party. With some peeled bananas, white chocolate, milk chocolate, lollipop sticks or skewers, and some mini M&M’s you can turn your favorite fruit into a tasty mummy. Cobweb Brownies from Delish These brownies are topped with a melted marshmallow icing that creates the illusion of cobwebs. Get your chocolate fix with these festive brownies. Dracula’s Dentures from The Girl Who Ate Everything This fun treat is made with chocolate chip cookies split in half, red colored frosting, mini marshmallows, and almond slivers. They look like a pair of dentures with vampire fangs, but taste like a delicious frosted cookie. Strawberry Ghosts from Taste of Home Fresh, juicy strawberries dipped in white chocolate with spooky faces drawn on with melted milk chocolate look like little ghosts. Kids will absolutely love them, and the adults too. Ingredients needed: fresh strawberries, white baking chocolate, shortening, almond extract, and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Peanut Butter Spider Cookies from Mommy Musings Chocolate and peanut butter come together in this cookie that is perfect for any Halloween party. Cute and creepy, these peanut butter cookies are topped with mini Reese’s peanut butter cups to form the body of the spider and chocolate frosting for the legs. Candy eyes complete the look. Halloween Candy Bark from I Heart Naptime This candy bark is super easy to make and is the perfect combination of salty and sweet. To make it you will need these ingredients: vanilla or chocolate almond bark, M&M’s, candy corn, crushed Oreos, sprinkles, nuts, crushed pretzels, candy eyeballs, and any other Halloween candy you want to throw in the mix. What is your favorite Halloween themed treat? Share the recipe with us in the comments. We hope you have a safe and fun Halloween!

Horror Novels to Read

Halloween brings with it spooky tales of ghouls, goblins, monsters, and ghosts. In today’s post, the Randolph Towers Blog invites you to prepare for Halloween by reading a horror novel. We’ve included three suggestions in today’s post. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson “First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House.” The Shining by Stephen King “Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.” Frankenstein by Mary Shelley “At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.” Do you have a favorite horror novel? Share the title with the rest of our apartment community by leaving a comment on this post. Have a great month here in Arlington, VA.

New Hobbies to Try

It’s always a good time to try something new. Start a new hobby this month in honor of it being Self-Improvement Month, in or out of your apartment in Arlington, VA, by trying one of the suggestions in today’s Randolph Towers blog. Listening to podcasts. If you’ve never been a regular podcast listener, try it out. Find one that interests you and listen to it during your commute, as you get ready in the morning, or while making dinner. Find them on your smartphone’s podcast app or on Spotify. Doing yoga. Yoga is a great way to get in shape and feel better, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Yoga has proven health benefits, and it reduces your stress levels. Give it a try and notice how much better your body feels! Restoring furniture. A hobby that can spruce up your apartment or make you some extra cash, furniture restoration is a great hobby to start. Find fulfillment in transforming something old and weathered back to its prime. Make sure to take before and after pictures! Learning a new language. A new language will always be worth the time and effort, especially if you know others who speak that language and you want to bond with them by speaking in their language. Listen to a podcast or find an app that can help you start learning today. Reading. If you’ve never been a reader, give it another go. Find something that interests you. Maybe you were forced to read books that weren’t interesting to you and you haven’t picked up a book since. Read a variety of genres and find something new! Baking or cooking. Warm up your kitchen this month by making a meal or a treat you’re really excited to work on, share, or enjoy yourself. Not only can you enjoy the fruits of your success, but you can have fun doing so, learning skills that will help you for the rest of your life. What is a new hobby that you’d like to try? Let us know in the comments. Don’t wait to try something new, just go for it!

Desserts Sweetened with Honey

Did you know that September is National Honey Month? To help you celebrate this holiday we’ve gathered a few dessert recipes that use honey as their main sweetener to share in today’s Randolph Towers Blog post. Try making one of these desserts at your Arlington, VA apartment this month! Honey Apple Cake Good to the last crumb, this super-moist Bundt cake tumbles out of the pan perfectly fluted and party-ready. Bake it ahead or serve warm from the oven topped with ice cream and homemade honey sauce. Honey Ricotta Cheesecake This mouth-watering cheesecake is made with whole milk, ricotta and clover honey. Top with fresh, juicy fruit for a delicious treat. The recipe comes from The Food Network Canada . Chocolate Chip Honey Cake Recipe This sweet and rich dessert is great for a get together with friends. The bonus with this recipe is that it has no added sugar so you can feel good about eating it. The recipe comes from A Treats Affair . Sea Salt & Honey No-Churn Ice Cream This ice cream is so delicious, and it’s the perfect treat to share with friends and family. The recipe comes from Kitchen Treaty . To make this you’ll need the following ingredients: heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, honey, and sea salt. Honey Buns These honey buns have a soft, pillow-y pastry dough, a spiral of cinnamon filling, and a sweet honey glaze. They are perfect as an afternoon snack, or an easy on-the-go breakfast. Honey Cinnamon Bars Incredibly easy to make, these cookie-like bars contain cinnamon, walnuts, and the sweetness of honey. Serve them with honey or tea for a tasty treat that your guests will love. Share your own honey dessert recipes with the rest of our apartment community in the comments. Thanks for reading. Happy National Honey Month!

Beautify Your Balcony

Balcony space is probably one of the most underutilized spaces of most apartments. Make your balcony a fun and lively hangout place to relax, and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors from the comfort of your Arlington, VA apartment. This Randolph Towers Blog is featuring some great ideas to bring your balcony to life and make it a fun place to hang out. Start a Garden Your patio or balcony is a great place for you to start a mini garden if you want to extend the beauty of the outdoors into your living space, or if you simply want to grow some produce for your cooking. Try these heat-loving container-garden plants for something fit for the outdoors and a variety of weather and sun conditions. Add Furniture Your patio or balcony is there for you to enjoy, so as you’re decorating it, make seating a priority. It doesn’t have to be full of furniture if you don’t think you’ll use it, of course. But stock it with a cozy chair or two — or a bench — so you can enjoy the beauty of Virginia without feeling crowded with furniture or other decorations. Even a bold statement piece can do a lot to create a friendly space you’ll love relaxing in. Hang Wall Decor The blank space of your patio wall could be a great space to display items you wouldn’t necessarily hang inside, like a kite collection to add a splash of color, your favorite fishing rod and net, a string of lights, or colorful tapestries. The way you incorporate these and other items into your balcony can really make it feel like a home (just steps) away from home, so jot down your ideas and see what you can do! How do you use your balcony space? Share your ideas with us in the comments. Thanks for reading our post. We hope you get a chance to enjoy your balcony space this month!

Thrift Shopping Tips

Welcome back to the Randolph Towers Blog! Today we are focusing on thrift shopping since August 17th is National Thrift Shop Day. Read our post for a few thrifting tips and then head to your favorite thrift shop here in Arlington, VA. Set a Budget Before you head out, have an idea for how much you want to spend. Bring 15 to 30 dollars in cash to the thrift store. If you’re looking for a bigger item (a table or a dresser, for example), bring up to 50 dollars with you. It can be easy to go overboard at a thrift store and justify your purchases with that age-old excuse, “but it was on sale!” Prevent clutter from collecting in your apartment by bringing cash and sticking to your budget, even when it’s tough. Explore the Store Search every rack at your local thrift store — and we mean every rack. Look around the store to find the perfect item. Sort through the racks to find your perfect blazer, look through all of the shoes, and check out the home goods section. Browse the books, look for music, and check the bikes. You never know where (or when) you’ll strike gold. Bring Someone Along Bring a friend to bounce ideas off of, ask for a second opinion, and have fun with while you shop! Your friend will have some fun ideas for that classic t-shirt or blazer you found on the racks. You’ll also be able to try on wacky, crazy things you never would in “real life.” Bring a friend thrift shopping sometime this month! Examine Items Thoroughly Before buying, check clothes for stains, loose threading, missing buttons, and other potential problems or damage. Turn items inside out, too, for a full assessment. If you’re considering an electronic purchase, plug it in to be sure it still works. Even books should be scanned for missing or damaged pages. Any and all damage should be noted before making a purchase. Consider if it is worth the cost and if any repairs may be needed. These are just a few tips to ensure your thrift shopping experience is enjoyable and that you are happy with your purchases. What other tips would you add? Share them in the comments below. Thanks for reading our post. Good luck in your thrifting endeavors!