Blog Posts

National Hot Dog Month

Hot dogs have become an American staple, being sold at various locations around the nation. Hot dogs can be found sold at concession stands at baseball games, restaurants at the mall food court, and sold at grocery stores to be had at your backyard barbecue. In this week’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few recipes to help you spruce up your hot dogs and make the most of National Hot Dog Month! Cheesy Fried Hot Dogs 8 slices american cheese, sliced 8 hot dogs 8 wooden skewers 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 ½ cups milk 2 eggs This recipe takes the traditional idea of a corn dog and adds a twist to it! You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you take a bite into these corn dogs and experience a burst of cheesy flavor! Make them for your children or as a main dish at your backyard barbecue. Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno Popper Dogs ½ cup cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon ground pepper 4 large jalapeñoes ¼ cup brown sugar 4 beef hot dogs 8 strips bacon 4 hot dog buns What’s better than a hot dog wrapped in a jalapeno, then subsequently wrapped in bacon? Not very much, which is why this recipe is so awesome! If you’re looking for a gourmet recipe, then look no further than this recipe. Bust this recipe out for your annual summer get-together or make it for yourself for dinner, either way, you’re sure to love it. Pretzel Dogs Flour 12 oz pizza dough 4 hot dogs 5 cups water ¼ cup baking soda 1 egg yolk, beaten Coarse sea salt, to taste Shredded cheddar cheese Jalapeño, sliced into rings and seeds taken out 2 tablespoons butter, melted 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped Shredded mozzarella cheese Pepperoni In this recipe, pretzels and hot dogs combine to make a delicious treat! Though there might be a sizeable list of ingredients, it’s relatively easy to make! Celebrate National Hot Dog Month in your Arlington, VA apartment by inviting some friends over to try out some of these recipes!

Photography Tips for Camera Day

Are you a fan of photography? If you’ve got a camera and a love for photography, you have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Camera Day this June 29th! Don’t worry if you’re got little to no experience with cameras, because in this week’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few tips for you on how you can take better photos! Remember that photography is a skill that needs practice, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to get where you want to go. Lighting How light interacts with the subject of your photograph can impact the finished product. If you’re brand new to the hobby, we suggest shooting during the golden hour, which is shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset where the light is lower in the sky. The light during the golden hour can create strong highlights and dark shadows, accentuating your subject! Play around with the light, and review the outcomes! Composition What makes a great photo? When you look at photographs that you like, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes it so appealing to you. Part of what makes a photo so appealing is how your subject is framed. Depending on the type of photography you’re wanting to do, how you frame your subject will differ, so keep that in mind. If you’re unsure how to frame a photograph, you can always refer to the Rule of Thirds to give you a little help. It’s an easy way to understand placement in the frame can affect how visually appealing your photo ends up being. Practice Practice makes perfect. It is relatively easy to know things through reading, but true development of a skill takes place when you practice. We’ve offered a couple tips for you, so get out there and practice! Don’t worry if you don’t have a fancy camera. If you have a smartphone, you’ll probably have a camera good enough to take decent photos. Good luck! Do you have any photography tips? Share them with our Arlington, VA apartment community! Thanks for reading!

Stay Safe During National Bike Month

May is National Bike Month. Bikes are an alternative mode of transportation that can be better for the environment! Whether you’re going on a nice leisurely bike ride, or riding to work or school on your commute, there are a few things you need to consider when it comes to safety. In this week’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog, we’ve got a few tips for you on how you can stay safe while riding your bike during National Bike Month! Getting the Right Bike An important part of biking is to make sure that you invest in a bike that can handle the type of cycling you want to do, whether it’s commuting, riding trails, or a nice ride in the park. We suggest going to your local bike shop to find the bike you’re looking for. These shops are a great resource for any questions you have or if you need information on the type of bike that would be perfect for your needs. Gear Up Once you’ve gotten the bicycle of your dreams, the next thing you need to do is make sure you’re safe while out on your ride. Invest in some protective gear like helmets, elbow pads, and knee pads to keep yourself safe from nasty scrapes and unexpected crashes. It’s also wise to invest in equipment like a bicycle pump, a spare tube for your tires, and a multi-tool set in case you run into unexpected maintenance issues. When you’ve geared up appropriately, you’re ready for anything Mother Nature has to throw at you! Maintenance After you’ve purchased your bicycle and have taken it for a spin, you’re going to want to take care of it to ensure longevity and safety. Bike maintenance is an involved process, but bicycling.com has a list of 101 maintenance tips that everyone should know . If you’re ever unsure about what to do, take your bike in to the closest bike shop and have an expert take a look at it. Keep your bike well-maintained to ensure you’re safe on the roads and trails you choose to ride. Do you have any bike tips? Share them with our Arlington, VA apartment community!

Host a Game Night

Invite some friends over to your Arlington, VA apartment for a game night! Game nights are a good way to spend time with your friends and spend an evening having some fun. The hardest part about a game night is organizing it. In order to host a proper game night, we’ve decided to share with you some tips that’ll help you make your game night awesome! We hope you enjoy this week’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog! Comfortable Seating When you’re inviting friends over, you want to make sure that they are as comfortable as possible. To ensure their comfort, we suggest bringing out additional blankets, pillows, and chairs. If need be, you could move your furniture around to give yourself some additional space for playing games. Snacks and Drinks What are game nights without snacks and drinks? We recommend giving your guests something to munch on or drink while they wait for their turn. Snacks like chips and cookies are good options, but keep in mind that some snacks may leave a residue on fingers. Keep napkins close by so you and your guests can wipe their fingers before moving any board game pieces. If the financial burden of providing snacks and drinks for everyone is too much, you could ask your guests to bring their favorite snacks! Games It wouldn’t be much of a game night if there weren’t any games, so put out as many as you have! Team games are the best when you have a large group of people, as it gets everyone involved and leaves no one out. If your group is smaller, you can choose games like Settlers of Catan , Quirkle , or Codenames . To increase the pool of games to choose from, invite your friends to bring their favorite board games! Remember to pick games that get everyone involved and are easy to play.

International Women's Day

Did you know that International Women’s Day is March 8th? As a day to celebrate women, their accomplishments, and their impact on the world, International Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to give thanks to the women who have changed your life for the better. There are plenty of ways to express your gratitude, but we’ve decided to share with you some of our favorites in this week’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog. Thank a Woman This may seem like a no-brainer, but the women in your life probably have done many things that should have garnered your thanks but didn’t. It can be easy to overlook the small things people have done for you, so thank someone the next opportunity you get! A small “thanks” or a gift in some form can make their day and help them feel appreciated. They deserve it! Educate Yourself Women have been changing and building the world for centuries, but how much do you know of what they’ve done? A great way to spend your International Women’s Day is by learning more about the amazing women who have changed the course of history! Learn about the experiences of Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and other women whose names you haven’t even heard of before. As you learn more, you’ll begin to see how courage, resilience, and determination was able to change the world for millions of women and people everywhere. Foster Relationships As normal and necessary as it is to focus on ourselves and where we want to go in life, fostering relationships with others can greatly increase the quality of our lives and those of others. Building the existing relationships you have with the women in your life will show them that you care and appreciate their presence in your life. Don’t let them fall into the background. Spend quality time with them and learn from their experiences. International Women’s Day is a wonderful day to celebrate and appreciate women. In our opinion, women should be appreciated every single day, so we hope you use these tips on other days, as well, making it a way of life for how you view people of all genders and orientations. What are some ways you celebrate women? Share your thoughts with our Arlington, VA apartment community!

Dungeons & Dragons Basics

Have you ever wondered how Dungeons & Dragons was played? Maybe you’ve watched Stranger Things or have stumbled upon some live-play podcasts and have wondered how it all worked. In this week’s Virginia Square Plaza Blog, we’ll share with you some of the Dungeons & Dragons basics to get you informed just in case you want to start playing the tabletop roleplaying game! Dice Since D&D is a game, there are some mechanics to help regulate the game. This is done by using dice. In a traditional set of dice, there are 7 different dice with varying sides. The smallest of these die is 4 sided, then 6 sides, 8 sides, two with 10 sides (one with numbers from 1 to 10, and the other for percentages), 12 sides, and finally, a 20-sided die. Depending on what you’re doing, you’ll use a different die. The smaller numbers are generally used for damage rolls (the dice dictate how much damage you do when your attack hits the target), and your most used die will be your 20-sided one. The dice dictate a lot, so hope luck is on your side! Character Sheets Your character sheet is your lifeblood, besides the dice. On this sheet, you’ll have a range of information that will be beneficial for your success in the game. You’ll have your character attributes, weapon damage, language proficiencies, and more! The character sheet is reference frequently, so keeping it updated will help your game experience flow better. Role Playing Although D&D is a game, there’s an element that works its way through the gameplay. That element is roleplaying. Although derived from traditional wargaming, D&D allows players to create a character that they control instead of an army. This presents players with the unique opportunity to embody their character, putting themselves into the character’s shoes and making decisions they would make. A lot of the fun of tabletop roleplaying games comes from letting your guard down and being vulnerable with your friends, so try it out! Dungeons & Dragons has been around for since the 70s, with many editions having been released since it’s genesis. Invite some of your friends over to your Arlington, VA apartment and try playing today!