Blog Posts

Crucial Life Skills

Becoming an adult means learning a few things that you may not have known while growing up. There are crucial life skills that many people need to learn that aren’t necessarily taught, so we decided to share with you some crucial life skills that we think everyone should know in this week’s Dolley Madison Towers Blog. Cooking You’ll be surprised how many people go their whole life without needing to cook. Theirs is a cold reality when they move out of their parent’s house and need to fend for themselves. It is a lot easier to survive due to access to fast foods, but we recommend learning how to cook. You don’t have to become a chef by any means, but learning how to make simple meals will increase your quality of life. Not only will you be able to eat some delicious meals, but you’ll also save money from not needing to go out to a restaurant to eat. Changing a Flat Do you get worried that you’ll get a flat on a busy road? You’ll be a little less worried when you have the knowledge of how to change a flat! Save yourself some money from needing to tow your car away by getting your hands dirty. Learn how to change a flat by checking out Bridgestone’s comprehensive guide . Doing Taxes Since the dreaded tax season is near the beginning of the year, it would be a good time to bring attention to the fact that many people don’t know how to do their own taxes! This crucial life skill is usually delegated to tax preparation accountants and others who know how to do them, but knowing how to do them can save you money and help you feel more accomplished. Get someone who knows to teach you or check out the IRS’s resources on how to do your taxes . Did we miss any crucial life skills? Let our Arlington, VA apartment community know of them by leaving a comment! Thanks for reading!

Holiday Movies

Need something to do on a cold December night? After a long day at work or school here in Arlington, VA, the last thing you want to do is head out into the cold, so in this week’s Dolley Madison Towers Blog, we’ve got a few holiday movie suggestions for you to enjoy! Whether you’re looking to kill some time, or you’re wanting to get into the spirit of the season, we suggest you watch some of these movies! Classic Holiday Movies The Holiday “Two women on opposite sides of the globe, Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) find themselves in a similar predicament. Desperate for a change of scenery, the two women meet on the internet and swap houses for the Christmas holiday discovering that a change of address really can change your life.” Home Alone “When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.” The Polar Express “Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis reunite for The Polar Express, an inspiring adventure based on the beloved children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades.” Do you have any movies you enjoy watching during the December holidays? Share them with our apartment community by leaving a comment!

Black Friday Shopping Tips

When your Thanksgiving meal is over and the feeling of being full has passed, you can mentally prepare for your journey into the night for any Black Friday sales. The sales can get hectic, but preparing can help you endure it well. In this week’s Dolley Madison Towers Blog, we’ve got a few tips for you so you can have a better time shopping! Prepare your shopping list. It’s normal to want to buy as many items as possible, especially if the sale is too good to pass up. If this works with what you’re already planning on buying, this is a great course of action. However, if you’re not sure what you want, figure it out so you can avoid impulse buys you may regret later. Ask anyone you’re shopping for to provide you with a list of things they want for the upcoming holidays, and see which ones you think you can get them. Start planning your shopping list early so you aren’t scrambling to think of things on the day of. Set a budget. It’s just as easy to overshop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday as it is to overeat on Thanksgiving, but giving yourself a limit to how much you spend will not only do your wallet good, but your mind and body good, too! Black Friday shopping can also be mentally and physically exhausting. Self-control is an important part of avoiding the guilt that comes from spending too much. If you plan well and stick to your budget, you’ll be able to get what you want without breaking the bank. Stay home. Though the sales and discounts may seem tempting, our greatest tip is to avoid the shopping extravaganza altogether. Chances are, you’re not going to need half the things you’re wanting to purchase on Black Friday. Save some money and some headache by not participating in the shopping craziness. An alternative to leaving your apartment to go shopping is purchasing it on Cyber Monday, which falls on November the 26th this year! Do you have any Black Friday shopping tips? Let our Arlington, VA apartment community know by leaving a comment!

Suspenseful TV Shows in Preparation for Halloween

Although horror movies are the staple for Halloween, it might get a little stale watching too many movies before October 31st actually comes around. Instead of movies, we suggest watching some suspenseful TV shows that you can find on Netflix! In this week’s Dolley Madison Towers Blog, we’ll share with you some suspenseful TV shows that you can watch to get into the Halloween mood. The Walking Dead Have you ever wondered whether you’d be able to survive the zombie apocalypse? The Walking Dead explores the lives of a group of survivors in the Atlanta area and how they deal with the fallout from the fall of civilization. Follow Rick Grimes as he comes to consciousness in the wake of a catastrophic event that devastated most of organized society and left hordes of zombies in its place. Will Rick survive? Find out by watching The Walking Dead ! Supernatural When Sam and Dean Winchester’s mother was burned up in a mysterious way, their father, John, turns to hunting the supernatural in order to find out exactly what happened. Fast forward to a few years later and John has gone missing. Find out what happens when Sam and Dean head out on the road to find their father and to fight the supernatural on the way. Bates Motel As a prequel to the 1960s film Psycho and the book of the same name, Bates Motel is the story of Norman Bates and his mother Norma and the events that transpired before the events portrayed in the film. This television series explores Norman Bates and what drove him to become the killer he is. It’s time to sit back and relax in your Arlington, VA apartment while you watch these suspenseful shows on Netflix! If you’ve got a suggestion of a suspenseful show to watch in preparation for Halloween, leave us a comment!

Cycling

Do you commute regularly to work or school? If your destination is not too far from your Arlington, VA apartment, we recommend making a switch to a more economical and eco-friendly mode of transportation! In this week’s edition of the Dolley Madison Towers Blog, we’ve got a few tips on how you can successfully make a switch to commuting via bicycle. Things to Consider If you are interested in making the switch to biking to work, do your research before you actually make the change. Focus on these three things: Invest in a bicycle that will be able to handle the commute, leave at an appropriate time to ensure that you’re arriving at work on time, and understand that cycling is a strenuous activity that requires strength and endurance. Be sure to know the rules of the road as they pertain to bicycles. Also, make sure you have the appropriate safety and protective gear. Getting the Right Bike An important part of biking is to make sure that you’ve got 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. If you’re looking buy a bicycle, you can check out your local bike shop for some deals. These shops are a great resource if you’re looking to ride for the first time or if you want to check that your current bike is in good working order. Gear Up Once you buy the bicycle of your dreams, the next thing you need to do is make sure that you’re safe while out on the trail. Helmets, elbow pads, and knee pads are all viable options for keeping yourself safe. It’s also wise to invest in equipment like a bicycle pump, a spare tube for your tires, and a multi-tool set. Being prepared and having the right gear will save you not only time but also money along the way. Also, if you run into any trouble along the way, you’ll be prepared to face it head-on.

Shows to Watch on Hulu

Streaming services have taken over the globe, and as such, there are many options to choose from. Hulu is one of the largest streaming services in the United States of America and they provide a large variety of shows and movies that you can choose from for a night in at your Arlington, VA apartment. Because there are so many to choose from, we’ve compiled a short list of shows we think you should watch in this week’s Dolley Madison Towers Blog! How I Met Your Mother As far as sitcoms go, How I Met Your Mother is one of the better ones. The series follows Ted Mosby, a lovelorn architect as he recounts the tale of how he met the love of his life to his children! His friends Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney are part of the ensemble, as Ted tells his life story including many of the shenanigans that occurred. Through the nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother, you get to know these characters by viewing a variety of heartwarming, funny, and emotional episodes. Grey’s Anatomy Fourteen seasons and running, Grey’s Anatomy is a drama set around the lives of the people who save lives: doctors. Experience the ups and the downs of the healthcare professionals at Seattle Grace Hospital. Get immersed in medical jargon, relationships between doctors and interns and more when you watch this emotional rollercoaster of a TV series. The Handmaid’s Tale Creepy and fascinating all at once, The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, is set in Gilead, a dystopian society rising from the ashes of what used to be a part of the United States. In this new country, ruled by a set of fundamental extremists, women are considered property to be used as the new society leaders dictate — including being pawns to repopulate a devastated world. Fertile women are highly prized possessions whether they like or not. Follow Offred, a handmaid in this series, now in its second season. (Mature Audience Advisory).