Blog Posts

Tips for Summer Styles

The summer is hot here in Arlington, VA and unless there’s a drastic irregularity, there’s no way to avoid the heat. Don’t settle for sweating through your clothes and being uncomfortable throughout the day! Defeat the summer heat by dressing appropriately for the weather. This week in our Richmond Square Blog, we’ve got some tips for dressing comfortably during the summer. Accessorize Accessories can be a hindrance in the heat, making your attempt at style a trade off that you shouldn’t be making. Choosing the right accessories is crucial to maintaining a balance between style and comfort. Instead of bracelets, rings, and necklaces, opt for accessories that can make your summer life a little easier. Try donning a nice straw hat that will not only let the breeze through, but will also block the blazing sun. Sunglasses are also a good choice when you’re out and about, as they can make you look great as well as shield your eyes from the harmful UV rays. Choose the Right Fabrics Choosing the right fabrics can be the difference between having a comfortable day in the summer, and a miserable, hot, and sweaty day you’ll regret. Stay away from fabrics like wool or polyester that aren’t as light or breathable as other natural fiber constructed fabrics. The last thing you want is for your clothing to trap heat near your body. Instead, opt for natural fiber fabrics like linen and cotton, that are lightweight and allow for airflow. If you’re worried about style, remember that linen wrinkles easily, so factor that into options as you choose what to wear! Mind the Fit Fashion in this day and age can include a lot of form-fitting clothing, but because the weather is warm, you may want to consider a loose fitting linen shirt or trousers. The loose fit can facilitate more air flow, which allows your body to cool down at a more rapid rate. Imagine being hot and sweaty with tight clothes. Your clothes sticking to your body can be bothersome and uncomfortable, so avoid that by choosing an outfit designed to be more flowing and breathable. Play with patterns and styles! Flowing clothing cycles through the fashion cycle, so you might be ahead of the curve! These tips are for both men and women so try them out and let everyone in our apartment community know what you think!

Host a Great Barbecue

The summer brings about memories of swimming pools, barbecues, and outdoor activities with friends that will build memories and fun! In this week’s Richmond Square Blog, we’ll share with you some tips and suggestions to help you host a great barbecue and make use of our apartment community grilling stations . Food The star of the show, the food is the most important part of a barbecue. Plan a menu that will incorporate many different types of foods , though it’s okay to have the main focus of your barbecue be the meat. Steaks, chicken wings, hot dogs, and burgers are all good choices when picking food items. Although the main dishes are great, remember to include side dishes, like salads, fruits, vegetables, and chips, to round out the meal. Ease the burden from yourself for providing and paying for all the food and drink by asking some attendees to contribute, or by making the entire BBQ a potluck. Be Prepared Being prepared is always important. The best way to ensure you have everything is to create a checklist. List necessary items like plates, utensils, napkins, and trash bags. As you are planning and following through on those plans, remember to keep your guests updated. Consider creating a Facebook event or using other forms of social media to communicate your plans. Keeping everyone updated makes things run smoother. Add Entertainment Whether it’s entertainment before the food is cooked or after everyone has settled down and eaten, having something to do will add some extra excitement to your gathering. If you or one of your friends can play the guitar or ukulele, bring it to play some tunes for the rest of your guests to enjoy. Or bring a bluetooth speaker to set the tone. If you have children around, you could also bring a slip and slide for them to cool off with! Do you have any tips on running a successful barbecue? Let our Arlington, VA apartment community know of them by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading, and have a great barbecue!

Travel Tips for Your Summer Vacation

Have you planned out your summer travel plans yet? If not, be sure to continue reading this month’s Richmond Square Apartments Blog post. We’re sharing a list of travel tips to help you out. Enjoy your travel plans in or outside of Arlington, VA! Sort Out Your Finances As you’ve prepared for your trip, you probably have an idea of what you want to spend and how any currency exchanges will affect you. If you’re traveling out of the country, figure out if your bank will charge you for withdrawing money there, and notify them that you’ll be gone so they won’t put your card on hold. Take only the cards you plan to use on your trip, and have a variety of bills on hand for small and large purchases. Make a Checklist The last thing you want to do is leave behind something important when you’re going on a trip — especially documentation. Make a checklist a week before you go. Add and remove items as you remember things you need. Find a list online as a basis for your checklist. These will include items that you may not have thought about. Use Apps You can find many apps out there that will make your trip go much more smoothly. KOA has a few different app suggestions to use for your next trip: INRIX is a traffic app that will let you know of accidents, traffic jams, and other road alerts. It will then help you find the best way around the traffic. GasBuddy is perfect for finding the nearest and cheapest gas around. Roadtrippers is a great app to find the best local information. Find reviews about cool places and hidden gems in each city you visit. Play Road Trip Games If you’re planning to go on a road trip, be sure to plan out some games to play with your group. Try out 20 questions for starters. Here’s the instructions on how to play from Edmunds : “In 20 Questions, whomever goes first thinks of, well, anything. The first question is always, "Animal, vegetable or mineral?" After that, the players can ask pointed questions to try and guess — go around the car in a circle asking for clues such as, "Does it bark?" or "Can you peel it?" for example, although the answer to those questions can only be "yes" or "no." If you reach the 20th question without a winner, everyone has one last chance to figure it out before the "thing" is revealed and another person starts a fresh round.” Do you have any other travel tips that you want to share with us? If so, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Thanks for reading this month’s blog post!

Explore Arlington, VA

Explore our city of Arlington, VA this month. You can find all kinds of great places to visit including the Signature Theater, the Mount Vernon Trail, the Arlington National Cemetery, and more. In this month’s Richmond Square Blog post, we’ll be sharing more information about these places. We hope you get a chance to get out of your apartment and explore. Signature Theatre “Signature Theatre is a Tony Award®-winning, non-profit professional theater company with a mission to produce contemporary musicals and plays, reinvent classic musicals, develop new work, and reach its community through engaging educational and outreach opportunities.” Check out John or Girlfriend , both of which are playing the rest of the month. The Signature Theater is about a 20-minute drive from our apartment community. Mount Vernon Trail If you’re looking for a place to get outside this month, check out the Mount Vernon Trail. It’s a great place for a jog, a walk, or a bike ride. It’s also about a 13-minute drive from Richmond Square. “The Mount Vernon Trail winds alongside the Potomac River offering uninterrupted views of Washington, D.C.'s skyline. A run, walk, or cycle along the trail leads to all of the same sites that can be reached by car on the parallel section of the parkway.” Arlington National Cemetery Arlington has all kinds of monuments and memorials remembering those who have served, sacrificed, and lost their lives in the name of our country. The Arlington National Cemetery is one of these places to remember them. The Cemetery is about a 13-minute drive from our apartments. “Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families. Service to country is the common thread that binds all who are remembered and honored at Arlington.” Where’s your favorite place to go in Arlington? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and be sure to visit the blog again next month!

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Your Richmond Square Apartment

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. Celebrate this holiday, on March 17th, by checking out today’s Richmond Square Blog. We’ll be sharing some St. Patrick’s Day trivia as well as some recipes and home decor ideas to help you celebrate. We hope you enjoy your month here in Arlington, VA! Trivia* — Maewyn Succat is Saint Patrick’s real name. “After becoming a priest, Maewyn adopted the name ‘Patrick’ which means ‘well-born’ in Latin.” — For every 4-leaf clover there are 10,000 three-leaf clovers. — In Irish folklore, Leprechauns are actually fairies and shoe-makers, not just the typical little creatures searching for gold. — St. Patrick’s Day is a holy day in Ireland, similar to Christmas or Easter in the United States. — Although St. Patrick’s Day originates from Ireland, the Americans are the first ones to have a St. Patrick’s Day parade. It first took place in 1762 and still happens each year. Recipes Make some Irish food or a dessert shaped like a four-leaf clover for this holiday. Try making this Irish Soda Bread recipe from Food Network . Soda bread is a popular Irish side that you can eat with a variety of meals. Or try making this Slow-Cooker Corned Beef Hash recipe from Delish . To make the beef hash you’ll need corned beef, potatoes, an onion, extra-virgin olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried oregano, chopped parsley, and fried eggs Home Decor Decorate your apartment for this holiday by making something unique and fun for your space. Make a banner like this one from HGTV . It’s a very simple tutorial with printable letters to make it simple. If you’re feeling extra creative and want to make something from scratch, try out these Swinging Shamrocks from Better Homes & Gardens . They work great to hang in the corner of a room or over your kitchen table. Do you have any other recipes or home decor ideas that you would share with us? Let us know what they are in today’s blog post. Thanks for reading! * https://hellogiggles.com/reviews-coverage/10-fun-bits-st-patricks-day-trivia/ https://www.seeker.com/st-patricks-day-facts-trivia-to-share-over-a-pint-1771078686.html

Date Night Spots in Arlington, VA

In honor of Valentine’s Day, here on the Richmond Square Blog, we want to share a list of places near our apartment community to check out for a date night here in Arlington, VA. Invite your Valentine or a friend to join you at one of these events or dining spots for a great evening together. We hope you enjoy your month! Northside Social Coffee & Wine For a casual date night, check out Northside Coffee & Wine. It’s a great place to chat with a friend or significant other. It’s only a 5-minute drive from Richmond Square. Here’s a review from Emily: “Northside Social is hands down my favorite place for morning coffee, breakfast sandwiches, pastries and wine & cheese nights! Their scones are always incredible and they offer a variety of unique and ever-changing varieties.” The Melting Pot Another great place to go out with a date or a group is The Melting Pot which is just a 5-minute drive away. “Jazz up your dinner tonight and make some memories with your friends when you come to The Melting Pot in Arlington, Virginia… Savor every moment while sitting with your friends and enjoying all of your favorite dippers with our delicious fondue...” The Spirit of ‘76 For a great night out and a hearty dinner, check out The Spirit of ‘76. It’s about a 5-minute drive from our apartments. We know you’ll love it! “The Spirits of ’76, founded in 2016, is an intimate and cozy neighborhood restaurant and bar located in the heart of Clarendon. We are locally owned and operated by Patrick Doody & John Rodas. The Spirits of ‘76 is steeped in Americana and rustic patriotism, specializing in American Cuisine, Bourbon and Classic Cocktails.” The Magic Duel Check out The Magic Duel shows going on this month for a night of superior entertainment. They have a show this month at The Mayflower Hotel which is about a 25-minute drive from our apartment community. “Tired of dinner and a movie? Magic isn't for kids anymore. First rate snarkists Mark Phillips and Brian Curry battle for the title of Best Magician in The Magic Duel. This show is full of seriously funny magic that will fool you. Badly. It involves the audience from start to finish. At the end of the show, the audience votes for the winner. An amazing night out.” Signature Theater The Signature Theater is about a 15-minute drive from our apartment community. Check out what shows they have going on this month and enjoy! “Signature Theatre is a Tony Award®-winning, non-profit professional theater company with a mission to produce contemporary musicals and plays, reinvent classic musicals, develop new work, and reach its community through engaging educational and outreach opportunities.” Where’s your favorite date spot near our apartment community? Let us know in the comments below so we can check it out!