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Staying mindfully present has become increasingly difficult. That’s why we hope our Belden-Stratford community members in Chicago, Illinois, find these mindfulness audiobooks helpful.
1. The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace
Created by Don Miguel Ruiz and Janet Mills, this audiobook encourages listeners to adopt a single truth that is the pathway to reducing our daily suffering. We must look deep inside ourselves and recognize that we believe the lies, mostly about ourselves, and we must stop thinking them. This groundbreaking work culls from ancient Toltec wisdom and blends that with ordinary common sense. “We are born in truth, but we grow up believing in lies. One of the biggest lies in the story of humanity is the lie of our imperfection,” Ruiz says.
2. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
This cleverly titled work by Jon Kabat-Zinn blends Eastern and Western meditation practices for Americans. Published in 1994, this classic mindful meditation work has resurfaced to influence another generation with an audio version. Yes, our culture reads less and listens to more online resources. The work provides pragmatic information about basic breathing techniques, enhancing your focus, and allowing stress to wash through your mind and body rather than consume you. The title is also loosely quoted by Peter Weller in the off-beat movie, "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension."
3. The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance
This 2015 publication turned audiobook may be the perfect mindfulness selection for the workout warrior. In this audiobook, created by George Mumford, top athletes such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and others pay homage to his philosophy. The audiobook shares personal stories and techniques that were used to help elevate athletes into champions. It’s pure inspiration.
4. Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection
Created by Sharon Salzberg in 2017, this audiobook connects with the many people who harbor feelings that they are not worthy of being loved. The narrative helps shift the mind away from negatives and develop a deepening love for yourself. That can be parlayed into a more fruitful connection with intimate partners and loved ones. Salzberg is widely considered an expert in lovingkindness meditation. This form of meditation focuses on purging seemingly negative habits and thoughts. "Real Love" is like a toolbox for fixing our less than mindfully loving habits.
We hope our Belden-Stratford residents find these audiobooks useful. If you or a friend would like more information about our Chicago apartments, call us today.
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If you're like most busy residents of apartments in Chicago, you may have not yet had time to add festive holiday accents to your home. If you're hosting a dinner party or other holiday gathering in your home, you may be scrambling for ideas for creating a holiday atmosphere if you don't have time to thoroughly deck the halls or trim a tree. Fortunately, there are strategies designed to help you create a holiday mood in a hurry. The following are five ways that you can create a celebratory holiday mood in less than half an hour.
String Some Lights
It should only take about five minutes at the most to string some festive lights around your doorway to welcome guests with a holiday glow. You could even string the lights around a window indoors if you don't want to put them outside.
Simmer Some Potpourri
Creating a holiday mood isn't only about visual elements. Many people associate certain aromas with the season, and it only takes a minute to add a handful of potpourri to some water in a saucepan on the stove and turn the dial to the simmer setting. If you don't have any holiday potpourri on hand, simmer a mixture of cloves and cinnamon instead.
Put on Some Christmas Music
Nothing sets the mood like a little music. If you don't have any Christmas music on hand, you can make a playlist online using a variety of services — even YouTube works for this in a pinch.
Pick Up a Miniature Christmas Tree
Miniature Christmas trees make great entryway decor and centerpieces. They can be purchased from a variety of retailers from your local nursery to a nearby supermarket. As an added bonus, you can plant them in outdoor planters after the holiday season is over.
Place a Holiday Bouquet on the Table
If you've got time for a quick stop at the florist, pick up a holiday bouquet to use as a centerpiece on your table. For an added festive mood, buy another one to place on the coffee table in your living room.
Our apartment community features views of the waterfront, easy access to downtown Chicago and floor plans from studios through two-bedrooms. Contact us today for more information.
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Each year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions that fall short. That’s why we hope our Belden-Stratford community members in Chicago, Illinois, find these strategies helpful.
Start Your New Year’s With a KISS
One of the common pitfalls of making a resolution you are unable to successfully fulfill is making it too complicated. Consider the adage Keep It Simple, Silly by selecting something manageable. The idea that you will drop 50 pounds or complete a master’s thesis in under three months can just become overwhelming. It’s not that you cannot accomplish these or other goals, it’s just they might be too big for a resolution.
Set Incremental Resolution Goals
In terms of achieving your goals this year, it’s essential to lay out reasonable objectives. A common strategy among athletes is to set monthly goals that are not difficult to attain. That might sound less challenging than you might like. But the value in making seamless monthly goals is that by the end of 2020, you can multiply them by 12. Making 12 small goals can tally up to a big win.
Enlist the Support of Friends & Loved Ones
During the 365 days that you will be carrying this resolution, it’s bound to get heavy. That often results in significant setbacks such as binge eating when striving for weight loss or twisting an ankle while training for a 5K. Whatever the goal may be, there are ways it can get derailed. People that include friends and loved ones to share their resolutions can help each other at crucial moments. Not only will your success be more likely, but so will that of your inner circle.
Take Copious Notes
Keeping track of your incremental accomplishments provides a physical record. This is important because you can look at a journal or notes on your smartphone and review the gains you have made. It also delivers motivation by highlighting that your resolution is that much closer to achievement.
Practice Self Care
Making a New Year’s resolution doesn’t mean you joined the ranks of Spartan warriors. Going hard for 52 straight weeks is bound to get boring and, perhaps, discouraging. That’s why it may be worthwhile to have some planned indulgences. Taking two steps backward after taking 10 forwards is still a net gain of eight. Enjoy life a little.
We hope our Belden-Stratford residents find these tips useful. If you or a friend would like more information about our Chicago apartments, call us today.
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Safer, Healthier Ways to Clean Your Chicago Apartment
Apartment cleaning isn't always about scheduling top-to-bottom professional makeovers. Sometimes you just need to deal with a sudden spill, dusty environment, ugly stain or a bit of baked-on food. At the same time, however, you hate the idea of using caustic, toxic or potentially damaging cleaning methods. Here are a couple of tips for keeping your apartment looking fabulous the natural, non-toxic way.
Non-Toxic Cleaners for Sparkling Surfaces
Nobody likes the thought of adding caustic or poisonous cleaning agents to countertops, carafes, cutting boards, and other objects meant to hold food. Fortunately, you can achieve your cleaning goals with a non-toxic mix of distilled white vinegar and water. Simply spray this mixture onto the surface and then wipe it away. For stubborn soap scum or calcium deposits, apply undiluted white vinegar and let it sit until the deposits come off easily. Do you want to disinfect a surface without covering it with chemicals? Add some lemon juice to your spray mixture, spray your surface, and wipe clean. Do you need to remove a spot on your carpet? Drop a teaspoon of shampoos into your vinegar-water solution. Spray the spot, let this minimal amount of solution work its magic for a couple of minutes, and then dab the carpet dry.
Dust-Busting Filters for Cleaner Air
Regular dusting and vacuuming is an important part of keeping any apartment clean and maintaining the quality of the air. This task becomes especially critical if you suffer from allergies to dust, dander, or mold. To ensure that your air vacuum cleaner, air purifier, or HVAC system is intercepting even tiny particles, invest in HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters. These filters use a combination of glass fibers, activated carbon, and/or electrostatic charges to remove particles as small as 0.3 microns from your air. That means less airborne dust entering your lungs — not to mention cleaner carpets, floors, upholstery, and other apartment surfaces.
If you're just plain ready for a change, no matter how spotless you keep your current apartment, then maybe it's time to step up to the Belden-Stratford. Contact us today to ask about our stylish, comfortable apartments in Chicago!
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According to the American Pet Products Association, 40 percent of the pet owners surveyed in 2018 said that they took their dogs on vacation with them. Are you thinking of joining their ranks and bringing your beloved fur baby on your next trip? Then, make sure to pack these four items in your car before you hit the road.
Bring Water and a Bowl
Don't assume that water will be easily available when you're on the road. There are some lonely stretches of road where you might drive for many miles before you'll find a place to get water for your pet. You will also need a travel bowl. Traditional bowls are likely to spill or get stepped in by your pet while you're driving. Travel bowls, on the other hand, are designed to be spill-proof.
A Tie-Out Is Important
There may be a time or two during your road trip where you'll need to tie your pup up. For example, let's say you're staying in a cabin in the woods. You'll want to keep your dog tied up safely while you're bringing suitcases and your supplies in or out of your cabin.
Make Sure Your Dog Has ID
It's scary to think about your pet getting lost in strange surroundings, but, unfortunately, it can happen to even the most careful of pet owners. That's why it's important that your dog is microchipped and is also wearing a tag with your up-to-date information on it.
Use a Pet Safety Belt
For your pup's safety and that of the other occupants in the car, it's always a good idea to keep your pet under control while driving. A safety harness protects your pup from flying forward if you have to stop suddenly, and it also prevents a dog from interfering with the driver.
When you're not on the road with your beloved fur baby, your pet deserves to live in a wonderful apartment. So, if your current home is subpar, please come and check out our beautiful, pet-friendly apartments in Chicago, Illinois, located in the heart of Lincoln Park. In addition to being dog-friendly, our community also features on-site restaurants.
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While many Instagram photos show succulents growing happily indoors, they tend to do better in outdoor conditions over the summer. When Chicago's winter temperatures roll in, even the hardiest varieties tend to shrivel up and disappear under the snow. Just bringing your succulents indoors can keep them alive, but a little extra care will help them thrive until spring returns again.
Invest in a Quality Light
Don't expect even the most south- and east-facing windows to provide enough light for strong and healthy succulent growth. Most succulents commonly kept as houseplants require a lot of sunlight each day, and they rapidly lose leaves and their unique coloration in dimmer environments. You don't need an expensive or specific plant light for good results. One or two daylight LED bulbs offering at least the equivalent of 100 watts each in clamp lights provide plenty of light for a collection of succulents. For larger collections or more stylish lighting options, look for LED and fluorescent fixtures offering a few hundred equivalent watts of output.
Grab a Watering Tray or Use Your Bathtub
When you're overwintering succulents indoors, they only need a fraction of the water required for outdoor summer growth. Still, when it's time for a good watering, you'll need to soak each pot until water runs heavily through the drainage holes to ensure the roots are evenly supplied. This is easiest when you can move the plants to a high-sided storage container, watering tray or even your bathtub, so the pots can soak and drain over the course of 15 minutes or so.
Reduce Watering Significantly
Succulents only need the occasional watering when overwintered indoors, even in very dry and warm environments. Try to feel the weight of a freshly-watered pot and then wait until the plant is significantly lighter as you lift it — a sign that the soil is dry and ready for water. Keeping your succulents in thinner plastic pots over the winter makes this easier. Other signs a succulent is ready for water include slightly drooping leaves or wrinkling.
Ready to fill one of our many Chicago, Illinois, apartments with succulents? Get in touch with us today to see what floor plans we have available.
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For many Windy City lovers shopping for apartments in Chicago IL, the garbage disposal is a must-have for the kitchen. They make life easier by ensuring that your sink doesn’t get backed up, and you never need to worry about food accidentally going down the drain. Sometimes things don’t go completely down, sometimes they get backed up, and sometimes they don’t smell so sweet, though. Here’s how to keep your garbage disposal happy and your kitchen smelling fresh and clean.
Clean Your Sink
If your garbage disposal is smelling funny, sometimes all that’s needed is to make sure the area around your disposal is clean. Clean your sink regularly, paying attention to the top of the disposal entrance and outer rim. Then periodically take a toothbrush and clean the interior feeding tube with baking soda, making sure there’s no risk the disposal will turn on while doing so.
Add a Splash of Citrus
While citrus fruits and peels won’t actually clean your disposal, they will ensure that it smells fresh. Feed all your peels into the disposal. After you clean your disposal, cut an orange, lemon, or lime into quarters and feed the slices one at a time into the disposal while running hot water. Allow the disposal to keep grinding for a few seconds after the fruit has been passed through.
Clean With Salt and Ice
While older disposal models had blades that could be dulled by ice, newer models use a grinding mechanism to pulverize food. The best salt for disposal cleaning is coarse kosher salt or rock salt. Pour ice into the drain, filling it up completely. Turn the disposal on and slowly pour a half cup of salt into the drain. Turn on the hot water afterward to rinse the drain.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
For deep-cleaning and smelly odors, the fizzy chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar can help remove the lingering residue of greasy ingredients. Pour a cup of baking soda into the disposal and then add a cup of vinegar. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Then pour boiling water into the drain to clear it. Tip: Do not use chlorine bleach to clean your garbage disposal.
If you’re shopping for Chicago, IL apartments, you want a well-appointed kitchen. For more information about the kitchen amenities available at the Belden Stratford community, come by today and check out our available floor plans!
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This delicious dessert uses a few different seasonal fruits. To make it, preheat your oven to 375 F. Combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, orange juice, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg in a bowl, then add sliced apples, sliced pears, and dried cranberries. Mix these ingredients together, then pour them into a baking dish. In another bowl, combine brown rice flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, melted butter, salt and vanilla extract. Add the flour mix to the fruit mix, then bake for about 45 minutes.
Poached Pears with Cranberries
This dessert is a great option when you want something lighter than cake, bread or pie this fall. Start by bringing cranberry juice to a simmer in a saucepan, then adding halved pears, ground pepper, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla extract. Cover the saucepan, and cook these ingredients for about 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add fresh cranberries. Set aside for an hour, and mix honey and Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Pour the juice and fruit mix into dessert dishes, then top with the honey and yogurt mixture before serving.
Apple Pumpkin Muffins
For this tasty dessert, preheat your oven to 375 F. Stir whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, canned pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, cooking oil and brown sugar. Combine the apple and pumpkin mix with the flour mix to form batter for your muffins. Pour the batter evenly into muffin cups, then bake for about 25 minutes per batch. Cool the muffins for about 5 minutes before serving.
When you don’t feel like baking or cooking at home, our community in Chicago, Illinois, has a couple of restaurants on site. Please contact us to learn more about other community and apartment amenities at our apartments in Chicago.
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Whether you use Siri, Cortana, Alexa, or Google Assistant, you probably know the basics of using a smart assistant. But, when shopping for apartments in Chicago, IL, you may not realize all the ways you can integrate your smart assistants into everyday apartment living. Here are some ways to set up your new apartment to maximize their usefulness and improve your life.
Keep Up to Date
With your smart assistants, you don’t need to commit to reading the news every morning, or even read your own text messages and emails! You can ask your smart assistant to read the news to you, update you on the weather, or keep you updated on your messaging.
Set Important Alarms and Reminders
As long as you are near your smart assistant you can set an alarm or reminder whenever you need one. Making plans with your mom on the phone? No need to fumble awkwardly with your speakerphone — just tell your smart assistant to set a 20-minute timer for your vegan blueberry muffins. Need to set a wakeup alarm but don’t want to get out of bed? Just tell your smart assistant to wake you up at nine.
Control Your Entertainment
Your Alexa or Google Home allows you to manage your radio streaming and music playlists anywhere in your Chicago, IL apartment. You can even stream shows and rent movies directly to your TV with a voice command. No need to search for that remote!
Keep Your Apartment Safe
One of the best things about smart assistants is that they allow you to keep an eye on everything. You can connect your smart assistant to your artificial intelligence or facial recognition technology system and allow you to check-in, or send you alerts of suspicious activity no matter where you are.
Connectivity in Any Room
The main attraction of having a smart assistant is the ability to stay connected no matter what room you are in. You can play music through your whole apartment, answer your phone even while taking a bath, or set important reminders while making dinner. Many apartments have open floor plans, so you’ll only need two or three smart assistants instead of four or five.
To ensure your new Chicago apartment is fully optimized for your smart assistants, come check out the floor plans at The Belden Stratford today!
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Whether you need a spot to pay bills and organize family schedules, or you are living the laptop lifestyle and working remotely from your apartment, you may need a home workspace. Try these tips for setting up a home office that is both stylish and functional.
Create Multifunctional Spaces
Establishing a place to work does not mean you need to dedicate an entire room to an office. Take a look at your floor plan and find a room that can do double duty. Consider placing a desk in a seldom-used guestroom, in the dining area or even in a spare closet. Whatever room you choose, consider the placement of windows and electrical outlets when placing your desk.
Visually Divide The Space
While you could use a room divider to separate work from living spaces, you can also use color to establish zones. One option is the stick to a neutral color palette throughout the room and accessorizes the work and living spaces in different, yet coordinating, shades. Another option is to use temporary wallpaper in the area around the desk to establish the work zone.
Find The Right Desk
Making the most of your multifunctional space may mean thinking outside the box when it comes to your desk. Happily, there are many options with little or no footprint. Look for wall-mounted desks that fold away when not in use. If you need to keep office supplies or files, consider desk options with built-in storage that eliminate the need for additional furniture or filing cabinets.
Think Vertically
For additional storage, make use of vertical wall space. Floating shelves are stylish and provide loads of storage without visual clutter. Use coordinating baskets and bins to organize paperwork or other small items out of sight.
Get Comfortable
No one is productive when they are uncomfortable, so invest in the right chair. Ergonomic desk chairs will provide support through long work hours. For a workspace tucked into a dining area, try adding an extra cushion to one of the dining chairs. Or, for a bedroom workspace, try a cushioned armchair that does double duty at the desk and as a comfortable seat in the room.
At The Belden Stratford, there are many floor plans which are ideal for creating a home workspace. If you are looking for apartments in Chicago, IL with flexible floor plans, give us a call today.
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