Posts about 520 Park Apartments in Mount Vernon

3 Natural Odor Eliminators

Got a stinky gym bag? Living room need some refreshing? Already have some essential oils lying around? Perfect! Below are 3 recipes for all natural, green, odor busters that are sure to freshen up any fabric or air space. Even if you don't already have these ingredients in your cabinet, we highly recommend purchasing them, as they can be used for multiple purposes. Essential oils have also been found to benefit the mind and body; i.e. relieving headaches, helping you fall asleep, sinus relief, curbing appetite, etc.). But first: get that 520 apartment smelling FRESH! LEMON + CLOVE AIR FRESHENER SPRAY Perfect for any time a room needs a little freshening up. The lemon and clove is great warm scent for fall, but you can use your favorite essential oils too - get creative! 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup vodka (or rubbing alcohol) vodka is odorless and evaporates quicker 5 drops lemon essential oil 5 drops clove essential oil spray bottle Add ingredients to a spray bottle and shake to combine. Spray 2-3 sprays in any room that needs a little freshening. LEMON + PEPPERMINT GARBAGE CAN FRESHENING TABLETS This concoction works great in the bottom of garbage cans and diaper pails. Place one or two anywhere a little odor absorption is necessary. Toss when odors aren't being absorbed any longer. 1/2cup baking soda 1/3 cup Epsom salt About 1/4 cup water 10 drops of your favorite essential oils Ice cube trays Combine the ingredients and make a dry paste and spoon a tablespoon at a time in each compartment. Don't fill to the top because the mixture will expand a bit. Allow to dry out completely overnight and/or in the sun. Once the tablets have hardened, carefully turn the tray over onto a clean surface. Place 1-2 in a garbage can - it should last at least 2 weeks. Store tablets in an airtight container for 3 months CITRUS + TEA TREE FABRIC SANITIZER SPRAY If you need to sanitize/freshen a pillow or a pair of shoes, this spray will become a new favorite. 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol 2 drops citrus essential oil 4 drops tea trea (melaleuca) oil Add ingredients to a spray bottle and shake to combine. Spray on shoes and fabric to freshen - let dry completely before using. If you are concerned about water on fabric, test in an inconspicuous area first.

Steve Smith for Hall of Fame

If you're asking who's the toughest wide receiver pound for pound in NFL history, the slam-dunk winner is Steve Smith . If you're naming the top trash talker, few would rank higher than Smith. If you're asking whether he's a Hall of Fame wide receiver, that's up for a compelling debate. Smith, who announced Monday that he's retiring at the end of the 2015 season , is certainly in the conversation based on his impressive numbers and longevity. Others might argue that Smith is a notch below the likes of other great receivers of his time like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Marvin Harrison. There will be plenty of time to put Smith's career in perspective. He won't be eligible until the Class of 2021. But why should we wait? Let's make the case for Steve Smith's Hall of Fame candidacy right now: -Smith needs 638 yards in his final season to crack the NFL's top 10 in all-time receiving yards. Four of the six eligible players in the top 10 are in the Hall of Fame. The two snubs have been Harrison and Isaac Bruce, and it might be a matter of time before they get in. -Since his rookie season in 2001, Smith has the third-most receiving yards in the NFL (13,262), according to ESPN Stats & Information. -He has produced eight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. In comparison, here are the 1,000-yard seasons for the last three receivers to reach the Hall of Fame: Cris Carter (eight), Andre Reed (four) and Tim Brown (nine). It should be noted that eight different quarterbacks threw passes to Smith in those eight 1,000-yard seasons. -Smith and Brown are the only players in NFL history to eclipse 13,000 receiving yards and 4,000 return yards, according to the Ravens public relations department. They are also the only players to post 900 catches and score a rushing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return touchdowns. -Smith was the last receiver to win the receiver Triple Crown, leading the league in catches, yards and touchdowns in a single season. He accomplished this in 2005, when he caught 103 passes for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns. Only two other receivers have done this -- Sterling Sharpe in 1992 and Jerry Rice in 1990. Of course, Sharpe caught passes from Brett Favre and Rice had Joe Montana. Smith hauled in throws from Jake Delhomme. -Smith's team finished in the top half of the NFL in pass attempts in just one of his eight 1,000-yard seasons. In 2007, he made 87 receptions for 1,002 yards receiving while catching passes from a 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde and 23-year-old Matt Moore . In 2008, Smith finished third in the NFL with 1,421 yards receiving despite the Panthers throwing the fewest amount of passes in the league that season. Does this mean Smith has a good shot at making the Hall of Fame? It really depends on whether there is another logjam at wide receiver when Smith becomes eligible. Harrison has failed to make it the last two years, and Bruce didn't make the list of finalists in his first try. The receiver group gets more crowded over the next couple years, when Owens (2016), Hines Ward (2017) and Moss (2018) are eligible. If Smith reaches the Hall, it probably won't happen immediately. Smith's numbers are comparable to Brown, who waited six years before getting the necessary votes to get inducted. Still, it would be a mistake to count out Smith. Few believed a 5-foot-9, third-round pick would become one of the top receivers of his era.

Me Time

There's no denying that we live in a busy world, especially here at 520 Park surrounded by booming Baltimore City. We're constantly on the move, whether it's for work, our family, or some other obligation. Because we're always on the go, we rarely take any time for ourselves. Unfortunately, by putting our own well-being on the back burner, we're doing a disservice to ourselves in the long run. Psychologists say we need to get some "me" time in throughout our busy lives in order to maintain our physical, mental, and emotional health. When we spend time doing what we want to do, we rest our brains and bodies, and help prepare them for the following day. Approaching a day of work being well-rested allows for increased focus and productivity. In turn, we don't end up burning ourselves out by 2:00 every day of our lives. We need to take time for ourselves, even if it means getting away from our families and friends once in a while to recharge. Of course, we want to spend our free time with our loved ones, but we should also set aside a little "me" time. Being as busy as we usually are, when we do get some free time we sometimes just want to veg out in front of the TV. This is definitely a waste of our precious time. Even if it takes a bit of effort, we should find ways to engage ourselves in a hobby or other productive activity that will ultimately benefit us in the long run. You'll find that doing something you enjoy is actually just as restful as sitting and staring into space for a while.

Artscape 2015

If you're looking for some fun this weekend near 520 Park , you can find America's largest free arts festival just up the road. Yes, Artscape is upon us again, an event attracting 400,000+ attendees over three days. The massive event will include 150+ fine artists, fashion designers and craftspeople; visual art exhibits on and off-site, including exhibitions, outdoor sculpture, art cars, photography and the Janet & Walter Sondheim Prize; incredible live concerts on outdoor stages; a full schedule of performing arts including dance, opera, theater, film, experimental music and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; family events such as hands-on projects, demonstrations, competitions, children's entertainers and street theater; and a delicious, international menu of food and beverages that is available throughout the festival site. Artscape will run from July 17 th to July 19 th , 11am-9pm on Friday and Saturday, 11am-8pm on Sunday. Spread over a rather large section of town, attractions can be found in the areas bound by Mount Royal Avenue & Cathedral Street, Charles Street, Bolton Hill, and Station North Arts & Entertainment District neighborhoods. Admission is free and open to the public. Artscape is held outdoors in tents, and inside the neighborhood's premier exhibition spaces and performing arts venues. To make navigation easier, there is even a free Artscape app! Users will be able to read about events, create a custom schedule and set reminders for specific programs, or simply find the next upcoming event. To find out more about the many events and attractions, planning your visit, and to download the app, be sure to check out the Artscape website . Let's hope for good weather and we'll see you there!

History of Billiards

As you're already aware, 520 offers an array of entertainment right below you on the first level. You've probably even wondered over to the Pool Table and attempted a couple bank shots. But have you ever stopped and thought about how Billiards came to be? Every sport has its history. Today you'll find the infamous green table and pool sticks in bars, clubrooms or arcades, but the History of billiards is very long and rich, dating back to the 1500's. Most of our information about early billiards comes from accounts of playing by royalty and other nobles in Europe. But in 1600, the game was familiar enough to the public that Shakespeare mentioned it in Antony and Cleopatra. It evolved from a lawn game similar to the croquet played outdoors, but in the late 1500's play moved indoors to a wooden table with green cloth to simulate grass and a simple border was placed around the edges. The balls were shoved, rather than struck, with wooden sticks called "maces". Tables originally had flat walls for rails and their only function was to keep the balls from falling off. They resembled river banks, and even used to be called "banks". Players discovered that balls could bounce off the rails and began deliberately aiming at them. Thus a "bank shot" is one in which a ball is made to rebound from a cushion as part of the shot. Billiard equipment improved rapidly in England after 1800. Chalk was used to increase friction between the ball and the cue stick even before cues had tips. By 1850, the billiard table had essentially evolved into its current form. Eventually the game made it's way across the Pacific to New England in the late 1800's. The dominant American billiard game was American Four-Ball Billiards. With many balls, there were many different ways of scoring and it was possible to make up to 13 points on a single shot. American Four-Ball produced two offspring, both of which surpassed it in popularity by the 1870's. One, simple plays with three balls on a pocketless table, is something known as "Straight rail".The other popular game was American Fifteen-Ball Pool, the predecessor of modern pocket billiards. The word "pool" means a collective bet, or ante. Many non-billiard games, such as poker, involve a pool, but it was pocket billiards that the name became attached to. The term "poolroom" now means a place where pool is played, but in the 19th century, a poolroom was a betting parlor for horse racing. Pool tables were installed so patrons could pass time between races. The two became connected in the public mind, but the unsavory connotation of "poolroom" came from the betting that took place there, not from billiards. In the 1920's, the poolroom was an environment in which men gathered to loiter, smoke, fight, bet, and play. And by many standards, some could say not much has changed. Billiards saw a popular uproar with two specific events: the first was the release of the film "The Hustler" in 1961 starring Paul Newman in the title role. Poolrooms threw open their doors across America for the remainder of the 60's, but they fell short again as social concern for outdoor coeducational activities launched. In 1986, "The Color of Money" was released as a sequel to "The Hustler" starring Paul Newman once again and the revival was stirred, still long lasting among today's youth. Now that you know the history of Billiards, learn how to play the game like a pro and impress everyone with your skills and whit.

20 Money Saving Tips

These days, in our world of instant gratification, it's more important than ever to be able to stay focused on saving money any way you can. So to help you monitor your spending habits and cut expenses, here are 20 easy ways you can save every day, starting right now. How's that for instant gratification? 1. Make a weekly "money date." Commit to sitting down with your money once a week for a money date. Then update your budget, review your accounts and track your progress against your financial goals. Like any relationship, if you want your financial life to improve, you must spend time with your money. 2. Plan out your meals for the week. Taking a few hours every weekend to grocery shop and meal plan for the week will definitely save you money, as dining out is the No. 1 expense for most households. By eating at home, you save money that would otherwise be spent on tax and tip, and you usually save calories, too. 3. Cut out cable. Gasp! Cut out TV?! Never! But with services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime, you can now watch your favorite TV shows and movies for a fraction of the cost of cable TV. 4. Switch to an exercise pass program. If you love working out, an exercise pass program such as Class Pass is the way to go. By paying a membership fee of $99 per month, you are welcome at many of the best studios in your area. And classes like cycling, yoga, Pilates, barre, strength training, boot camp, dance and more are unlimited. This beats having to pay for each studio's monthly membership or individual class fee, which can add up to hundreds of dollars a month. 5. Host a potluck. The more friends you have, the more money you spend on lunch dates, birthday parties and gifts. Switch it up and, instead of meeting over a fancy dinner, host a potluck and have everyone bring his or her favorite dish. 6. Leverage lodging rental websites. Finding a place to stay while traveling is so convenient when you use a lodging rental website such as Airbnb, Travelmob or Housetrip. You can often find a place that has a kitchen (so you can cook meals at home to save money) at a rate that's comparable to hotels. You can even rent out your own place on sites such as Airbnb while you travel to make some extra cash to pay for your own travel expenses. It's a win-win scenario. 7. Make coffee at home. This one's not my favorite, as I absolutely love going to coffee shops and drinking delicious organic coffee. However, spending $4 to $5 on coffee every day definitely adds up. So try my approach and allow yourself a few days a week to buy coffee at cafes, and make it at home the rest of the time. 8. Work more. When you're working a lot, there's not much time left to shop and spend money. So stay busy and pursue a career you love. 9. Wait 48 hours before you click "buy." Since we can have anything we want these days with just the click of a button (there's that instant gratification again), you need to find a system to help buffer your impulse purchases. By waiting, you'll usually find that the item in question is more of a "want" than a "need." 10. Use blogs and Pinterest to learn DIY beauty treatments. Self-care is important, but going to spas and getting pedicures, massages, etc., can really add up. Allow yourself a certain amount to spend on these things; then use blogs and apps like Pinterest to find at-home beauty treatments to help you save money. Often you can find a DIY organic option using common household or kitchen products. 11. Outsource online. Time is a commodity, and your time is precious and valuable. And these days, there are so many tasks you can outsource that will save you time and money. But how do you figure out if outsourcing something is worth the expense? A great thing to do is to actually calculate the cost of your time, which will help you figure out if you can pay someone to do something for less than your hourly rate. Here's an example: A monthly net income of $3,000 divided by a total of 160 hours worked equals an hourly rate of $16.75. Now that you know the value of your time, you can strategically outsource it using a service like Fiverr or Task Rabbit for a fraction of your own hourly rate. 12. Get creative with gifts. Find creative ways to express your love to friends and family members with free, lower-cost or handmade birthday and holiday gifts. After all, a handwritten note explaining why you love someone can be more sentimental than some expensive gift he or she may never even use. Most people will appreciate the thought behind your gifts more than anything, so don't be afraid to save money and find free ways to celebrate birthdays and holidays. 13. Choose quality over quantity. This can apply to food, clothes, electronics and much more. Although it's tempting to choose the more budget-friendly version of an item, sometimes choosing quality over quantity will save you more in the long run. Save up your money and get the best-quality product you can afford, and leverage the cost-per-wear philosophy with more expensive clothing and shoes. 14. Deal with your emotions. Excessive spending is often a way to avoid feeling certain emotions. If you check in with yourself before you go on a major spending spree, you may be able to identify if you're feeling bored, lonely or stressed and are therefore spending money as a means to avoid the underlying emotion. Check in with yourself before you buy, and be mindful with your spending. 15. Stop trying to keep up with the Kardashians. It's hard to keep your blinders on and not compare your financial life to that of others, especially celebrities. However, it is really important to be clear about what matters most to you and make sure you build a financial plan that supports that vision. This will keep you moving toward your financial goals and stop you from spending money on things you don't need, to impress people you don't like. 16. Read a personal finance book. When you learn about personal finance, you'll learn even more strategies to help you save money for your goals in life. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more you can save. 17. Balance your "FOMO/YOLO" mind-set. With social media controlling our lives like never before, people often fall victim to the "fear of missing out" phenomenon and instead go overboard with a "you only live once" mentality. While it is important to live in the present and soak up each precious moment of life, make sure you balance that out by saving for your financial future, too. Without checks and balances in place, you can find yourself saying yes to everything and spending more money than you have, all due to the fear of missing out. 18. Map out your financial goals. Be very specific with your financial goals. For example, saying, "I want to save for a home down payment" is not enough. You need to map out how much you need, by when and what you need to save every month in order to reach the goal. When you know what your targets are, you're more likely to stay the course and continue saving for them for the long term. 19. Keep your eye on the prize. Staying focused on your goals takes discipline and determination. Saving can be easy and exciting at first, but after a while you may lose that initial motivation and start to find other things you can spend that money on. To avoid veering off course, check in with your goals regularly and keep your eye on the prize. 20. Track your progress. Americans save only 5.5 percent of their money compared to the 20 percent that personal finance indicates you should put away. But instead of feeling ashamed about your lack of savings, just start by saving something. Even 1 percent is better than nothing. Track your progress and continue to increase the number year after year. Step by step, day by day, you can get to that 20 percent savings level. The truth is, there are many ways to save money. Find the ways that work for you, and slowly start incorporating the strategies into your life.