Blog Posts

Shows to Watch on Netflix

When you’re in your Arlington, VA apartment taking a break from the warm weather of the summer, you’re going to want something to do. Luckily, streaming services are available and you can find something to occupy your time! This week in Virginia Square Plaza Blog, we’ve gathered a few shows on Netflix we think you may enjoy. Quantico Imagine being the subject of an investigation of a bombing of Grand Central Station even though you know you didn’t do it! Find out what happens to Alex Parrish, a promising FBI agent who finds herself as a suspect in a terrorist attack on Grand Central Station where all evidence points to someone from her graduating recruit class. Watch as she recounts her time in Quantico to find out which members of her class were responsible for the attack. Will she clear her name and what will the cost be? Gossip Girl Dive into the lives of Manhattan’s most privileged teens. Gossip Girl follows the stories of Serena, Blair, Chuck, Nate, and Dan as they navigate through their high school drama. Relationships, scandal, and love are all a part of the complex ecosystem known as Manhattan’s Upper East Side. There are six seasons available on Netflix, so you’ve got plenty to watch! The Office Modeled after the UK version of The Office, the show is filmed in a documentary style following the employees at Dunder Mifflin. The Office gives life to seemingly dull office work in a comedic manner, highlighting pranks and off the wall situations that wouldn’t otherwise happen in real life. If you’re looking for a good laugh, enjoy the nine seasons of The Office on Netflix this month! Netflix has many shows to watch, and we’ve highlighted just a few. We know we may have missed your favorites, let us know what they are in the comments!

Organize and Clean your Apartment

In last month’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog, we discussed ways to clean your car. Going off that idea, today we’re going to share with you suggestions on how to organize and clean your Arlington, VA apartment to reflect your now-clean car. Purge More often than not, we collect and accumulate items that we used to need but that have fallen into disuse. Take time to go through your home and pinpoint unused clothes, pots and pans, or furniture. You can take a laundry basket or a trash bag around with you so you can put all the trash items or donatable items away. Not everything needs to be thrown away, of course. Many of the items you don’t use aren’t broken or unusable, but can be donated to thrift stores or homeless shelters to be used by those who need it. By donating, you’re not only purging your house of unwanted and unused items and clothes, but you’re allowing them a second life with someone who will need them. Clean After you’ve taken out the unwanted objects and clothes in your house, it’s time to clean. You’ll be surprised at how much cleaning you need to do. Clean the untouched corners of your home, sanitize your refrigerator, and vacuum or mop your floors. Getting down and cleaning gives you a different look at your apartment, makes your efforts of decluttering seem more effective, and gives you a greater appreciation for the work you’ve already done. Combining these two suggestions paves the way for you to maintain the organized nature and cleanliness of your apartment. Maintain The last thing you want to do is have all of your hard work and effort go to waste, so do your best to maintain the cleanliness of your home. Find ways to keep organized that work for you. Set rules for yourself to throw or put away loose-leaf papers you don’t need, put your shoes back on a shoe rack, or always wash your dishes immediately after you use them. Don’t neglect the little actions that you can do to prevent a dirty apartment. The feeling of coming home to a clean, spacious apartment is a great feeling, so get on it! Did we miss any crucial tips on organizing and cleaning your apartment? Let us know by leaving a comment below! Thanks for reading, and good luck cleaning!

Tips for Cleaning Your Car

As the weather is warming up, it’s a great time to get your car all ready for the summer and potential road trips. In this month’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog post we’ll be sharing a list of tips for how to clean out and organize your car this month here in Arlington, VA. We hope it helps! Throw away trash and vacuum. The first step when cleaning out your car is to throw away trash. Get rid of other items that shouldn’t be in there as well, including jackets, books, shoes, snacks, or other items that you haven’t taken inside your apartment yet. Take time to then vacuum off the seats and floors. Make sure to get into all the crevices of the vehicle, including between and under the seats and in other small compartments. Clean off headlights. You can purchase headlight cleaners to keep them shiny or you could try using toothpaste as an alternative cleaner. Toothpaste is a mild abrasive cleaner that works well to make your headlights shine again. Use a cloth to rub the toothpaste around, then wipe it clean. Use a toothbrush or small brush for dirt and spills. Armrests, cup holders, and seats can get very dirty. Wipe off all surfaces with a warm, soapy washcloth then use a toothbrush to scrub up extra dirty areas. Utilize a Magic Eraser. Magic Erasers are great tools to use when cleaning many things in your apartment or elsewhere. They work great to clean off surfaces in your car as well. Use them to get rid of grimy and dirty spots on the dashboard, armrests, handles, and the inside of car doors. Use compressed air for dusting. For the areas that you can’t reach that need to be dusted, use a can of compressed air. It will work great for vents and small crevices around buttons. Coffee filters also work great to wipe off large and dusty areas like your dashboard and car doors. What other tips do you have? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

Did you know that April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Day? Let’s celebrate! In this month’s Virginia Square Plaza blog post, we’ll be sharing a list of tasty grilled cheese sandwiches to make in your apartment here in Arlington, VA. Enjoy! Chipotle Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Gimme Delicious Food For this fancy and tasty grilled cheese sandwich you’ll need the following ingredients: cooked chicken, slices of Emmi Le Gruyere, an onion, butter, slices of bread, shredded chicken, medium boneless chicken cutlet, water, oil, salt and pepper, chipotle sauce, chipotle chile, mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, cilantro, cumin, and dried dill. Bacon, Brie, and Apricot Grilled Cheese from Yammie’s Noshery You can’t go wrong with bacon, brie, and apricot. This sandwich is perfect for a brunch with friends. You’ll need slices of bacon, sandwich bread, apricot preserves, brie cheese, butter, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil. Fried Egg Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Great Grub, Delicious Treats Here’s a tasty and filling sandwich this is great for breakfast or any time of the day. Gather up these ingredients and get started: eggs, slices of bread, slices of cheese, butter, and salt and pepper. Pair this with a fresh smoothie for the perfect start to your day. Shrimp and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Sprinkles & Sprouts If you want to impress your friends, make this shrimp and bacon grilled cheese! It’s so tasty and will satisfy anyone. You’ll need bacon, thick bread, mascarpone cheese, grated mozzarella, onion powder, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, provolone cheese, spinach, cooked shrimp, mayonnaise, and oil. Garlic Bread-Grilled Cheese from Bon Appetit This mix of garlic bread and grilled cheese is to die for. You’ll need these ingredients: garlic bread , salt, butter, olive oil, chopped flat-leaf parsley, Pullman bread, and cheddar cheese. Do you have a favorite grilled cheese sandwich recipe? Share it with us in the comments below!

Decorating Your Virginia Square Plaza Apartment

It’s easy to feel at home at your Virginia Square Plaza apartment in Arlington, VA. Make your apartment feel even more cozy and uniquely “you” by adding a couple of personal touches to your space. In today’s post we have decorating ideas to help you spruce up your space this month. We hope that you get the chance to add some personality to your apartment home soon. Curtains Curtains are an easy way to add some texture and color to your apartment home. Hang your curtains wider and higher than your window frame to open up the room and to make your windows seem larger than they actually are. Incorporate colors that express your personality. Layer, mix-and-match panels, and switch out your curtains seasonally (heavier fabrics in the winter, lighter fabrics in the summer) for a look perfect for each month of the year. Pictures Hang pictures of your last vacation, your favorite memories, and your best friends on your walls. Frame posters from your favorite movies, art pieces that you love, or a map. Mark the places you’ve been on a map and the places you’d like to go. Tapestries are another great way to express your personality. Rugs Add some warmth to the room by laying down a rug or two. Layer rugs on top of each other for a textured look. Choose fabrics and patterns that complement the rest of the room. We recommend switching out your rugs seasonally. Pick reds, faux furs, and thicker fabrics for the winter. In the summer, lay down rugs in blue, green, and white. Colorful Furniture Sometimes having a bright blue chair or bright yellow bookcase is the best way to decorate your home. Add a focal point by painting an important piece of furniture your favorite color. Head to your local thrift store for a desk, a side table, or a stool you can paint a bright color. Do you have any decorating tips for us? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading our post!

Celebrate Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 16th. In today’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog, we want to celebrate as well! So in today’s blog post, we’ll be sharing some history about the Chinese New Year as well as some ways that you can celebrate at your apartment here in Arlington, VA. We hope you enjoy this celebration. Brief History “Chinese New Year celebrations were born out of fear and myth. Legend spoke of the wild beast Nien (which also is the word for “year”) that appeared at the end of each year, attacking and killing villagers. Loud noises and bright lights were used to scare the beast away, and the Chinese New Year celebrations were born. Today, the 15-day New Year festivities are celebrated with a week of vacation in metropolitan areas of China. Much like the Western New Year (January 1st), the biggest celebration is on the eve of the holiday. At the turn of the new year, firework displays are put on throughout the city.” Make a Chinese New Year Lantern Lanterns are a traditional way to decorate for and celebrate the Chinese New Year. Make a lantern for your apartment using the following supplies: red and gold paper, a pencil, a ruler, scissors, glue, tape, and a stapler. This fun project comes from A China Family Adventure . Decorate With Paper Cuts Paper cuts are another way to decorate for the New Year. They are hung in windows and made of red paper. Many paper cuts are intricate, but you can make a simple paper cut for yourself. Try out this how-to guide from Instructables . You’ll need red paper, a ruler, a pencil, and scissors. Learn more about paper cuts here . Cook Wonton Soup Wonton soup is a great classic Chinese dish to enjoy on this holiday. Try out this tasty recipe from Delish. You’ll need the following ingredients: ground pork, soy sauce, chives, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, grated ginger, garlic cloves, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame oil, square wonton wrappers, water, chicken stock, peeled ginger, and sliced green onions as a garnish. Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? What are your traditions? Let us know in the comments below!