How To Make The Best Cocktail Party Playlist

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Music has an instrumental impact on our moods and the music that we play at parties can have a major effect on the atmosphere of the room. Rather than just setting your ipod to shuffle and letting an app choose the music that you’re playing, take a little time before-hand and choose some songs that you know your guests will enjoy. Creating the right playlist will make your event seem more polished and you’ll avoid all the guilty pleasure music that’s hiding in your iTunes (Spice Girls, anyone?).

Picking the right music for your party can help your guests get started on their way to having a fun evening. This article from apartmenttherapy.com has a few great tips to get you started to creating mood music for your next cocktail party. Keep reading to learn more!

A few things to keep in mind for a cocktail party are to keep the music up-tempo, mix instrumental pieces with some classics or fan favorites that will help guests relax (doesn't everyone love to hear a favorite song playing on someone else's speakers?), and keep the tunes moving. Think about the type of music you would like to hear at a party: what songs make you feel good, feel like dancing, feel energized? If you put a playlist together from that angle, it's much more exciting than pressing "shuffle" and hoping for the best, or using some generic "lounge" mix that has no personal meaning to you or your friends. Have fun digging through your real and virtual stacks to mix up your own perfect playlist that will keep the mood bright and encourage spontaneous dancing.

Here's a mix I put together. You can access the full playlist on Spotify or check out links to individual songs below:

1. Koop - Come to Me

2. Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 - Day Tripper (Beatles cover)

3. Prince - Raspberry Beret

4. Javelin - Vibrationz

5. The Beach Boys - Heroes and Villains

6. J Dilla - Two Can Win

7. Jacqueline Taieb - Le Coeur au bout des doigts

8. Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love

9. Pulp - Disco 2000

10. Pretty Purdie - Soul Bossa Nova

11. Marlena Shaw - California Soul

12. The Jacksons - Blame it on the Boogie

13. Cal Tjader - Soul Sauce

14. Calexico - Alone Again Or (Love cover)

15. Nicola Conte - La Coda del Diavolo

16. Nina Simone - Real Real

17. Bibio - Jealous of Roses

18. Serge Gainsbourg - Couleur Cafe

19. Van Morrison - Spanish Rose

20. Jorge Ben - O Telefone Tocou Novamente

21. Bonobo - Kong

22. Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim - I Concentrate on You

How To Roast Your Own Pumpkin Seeds

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Don’t throw away your pumpkin seeds after you’ve carved your pumpkins this year, turn them into tasty treats to snack on at a Halloween party. Though it may be tempting to just dispose of all the goo that came out of your pumpkin, roasted seeds are an easy to make snack to enjoy during this time of year.

Create your own flavor combinations to create a unique twist on this classic fall snack. This blog from thekitchn.com walks you step-by-step through how to make your own roasted pumpkin seeds. Keep reading to learn how.

Pumpkin and squash seeds are good for you, too: they're high in protein, zinc, copper and iron. They're a good source of Vitamin E and K. (Here's a good pageshowing their complete nutritional breakdown.) Some people believe that soaking them overnight in salted water, or boiling them for 10 minutes in salted water, helps to make their nutrition more available and to make them crunchier when roasted. I cannot vouch for the nutritional claims but I did try boiling half my seeds in salted water before roasting them. In comparing the boiled and the unboiled, I really couldn't find any difference.

I like the simple approach and just toss my seeds in a little oil and salt before roasting. There is also a wide variety of additional toppings you can add, both savory and sweet, to jazz things up. See recipe notes for some suggestions.

It's not necessary to remove every last scrap of pumpkin/squash flesh from the seeds. Some people hardly bother removing any of the strings and extras from the seeds, stating that it tastes great roasted and adds additional flavor to the seeds. Others remove every last shred, which admittedly is a chore. I come in somewhere in the middle. I get most of the flesh and strings off, but I don't get too obsessive about it. If I did, I doubt that I would roast seeds ever again because it can be quite nitpicky!

How to Roast Pumpkin and Squash Seeds

What You Need

• A large winter squash such as a pumpkin
  
• Neutral oil such as canola, rice bran, or coconut
  
• Salt

• Colander
  
• Baking sheet
  
• Spoon or spatula
  
• Airtight container

Instructions

Scoop and clean the seeds: Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut the squash according to how you are going to use it. Scoop the seeds from the cavity and place in a colander. Pinch away all the large chunks of squash flesh and strings. Place the colander under cool running water and remove any additional squash flesh. Shake colander to remove water.

Dry the seeds: Dump the seeds out onto a towel and pat to dry. The seeds might stick to the towel a bit.

Oil and salt the seeds: Place the seeds on a baking tray and drizzle with a small amount of oil, approximately 1 teaspoon for 3/4 cup of seeds. Add a pinch or two of salt.

Toss and bake the seeds: Toss the seeds until they are evenly coated with oil and salt. Spread out so they are in a single layer, though some overlapping is fine. Place the baking sheet into the oven. Roast until the seeds are just starting to brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. If your oven has uneven spots, you may want to stir after 10 minutes.

Remove and cool: Remove the seeds from the oven and let the seeds cool on the tray. Enjoy right away or keep for a few days in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Sweet Pumpkin Seeds: Omit or reduce the salt and roast the seeds on parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool, then toss with brown sugar or a little maple syrup. Not too much, just enough to lightly coat the seeds. You can also add cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg or other 'sweet' spices. Toss well to coat evenly. Return the tray to the oven and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes or so.

Sweet-Hot Pumpkin Seeds: Toss the seeds with a little honey and sriracha or chili flakes. A little cumin might be nice, or curry powder. Roast as with sweet seeds.

Savory Pumpkin Seeds: Add herbs such as chopped rosemary, dried oregano and/or spices such as smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin to the seeds before roasting. Check carefully to be sure the herbs and spices aren't browning too quickly. If so, roast at a sightly lower heat.

A Clean Kitchen Is A Happy Kitchen

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It goes without saying that a clean kitchen is more enjoyable than a messy one. It is easier, and more comfortable, to cook in a kitchen with no crumbs on the counter and no dirty dishes piled up in the sink. Just because you like to keep your cooking space clean and sanitary doesn't mean that you have to spend hours a day scrubbing, though. There are ways to cut down the effort you put into keeping your kitchen palatable, while still ensuring that all the major cleaning projects get done.

Sometimes cleaning your kitchen can be more of a chore than you anticipated, but with a little planning, you’ll have your countertops sparkling in no time. This article from thekitchen.com has a few simple, and quick, tips to keep your kitchen looking its best at all times, whether you cook frequently or enjoy take-out from your favorite local restaurants most nights. Keep reading to see what they have to say:

1. Start with an empty dishwasher and an empty sink. This is such a simple, but smart suggestion. Make sure your dishwasher and your sink are empty before you start cooking; that way, you can rinse and load messy tools and dishes right away instead of leaving them to sit out for a few hours (or overnight, or days!).

2. Clean as you go. With an empty dishwasher and sink at the start of your meal prep, cleaning as you go suddenly gets a lot easier!

3. Clean your sink after washing the dishes. Faith washes her kitchen sink with Mrs. Meyer's basil soap and warm water after every dishwashing session. As she says, "It's a rather soothing, satisfying little ritual, and it keeps the sink clean and smelling good. It's a cleaning habit that's good for the kitchen, and it makes me feel good too." Plus, dishes don't get extra-greasy or gunky as they sit in the sink, saving you time when you catch up on the washing-up. Win-win!

4. Do some maintenance work once a month on your cookware and knives. Need to clean burnt-on stains and remove rust spots from your stainless steel pots and pans? Or just remove stains and polish? Maybe your knives have gotten a little rusty or spotty, and you want to get them shiny and new again, or they need to be honed. Once a month it's a good idea to take stock of these items and address any issues before they get out of control and take a whole afternoon to address.

5. Oil your cutting boards once a month. On the same note, all it takes is 5 minutes a month to maintain your wooden cutting boards. You can also do this for your wooden spoons! This saves time and money; you'll replace these items much less often if they are cared for.

6. Get the right cleaning tools, and keep them close by. There's nothing more frustrating than getting ready to do a little cleaning or maintenance work only to be thwarted because you either a) you don't have the right tool or, b) you have to run around your house finding it. On the other hand, you probably don't need 10 different kitchen cleaners clogging up your under-sink space. Pare down to the essentialsand then store them neatly under the sink, either in a pull-out drawer, some some baskets and buckets, or in an over-the-cabinet door rack.

7. Keep your countertops clear, and then clean them properly. Messy countertops — heck, even countertops that have pretty things, but just too many of them! — can make a kitchen feel untidy and claustrophobic, whereas mostly clear countertops are invigorating and inspiring. They also invite you to cook, instead of feeling like your kitchen is unready for you. Try clearing a few things off your countertop, and you'll see what I mean!

8. Make sure your trash and recycling containers are big enough. Do you have an overflow area for your recycling? My current trash can is one of those trash-and-recycling duos, but the recycling part is way too small, and I frequently find myself putting a paper bag (or two) next to my trash can for all my recyclables. This is not an ideal solution, since it makes the kitchen look cluttered and I constantly have to maneuver my way around the bags!

9. Develop good cooking habits, especially these 8 things. With all cooking there comes cleaning, but how much and for how long you clean depends on your cooking habits. These 8 tips have the power to transform your cooking (and thus, cleaning!) life.

10. Love what you love. This is really less a cleaning tip than an overall life-in-the-kitchen tip. Enjoying your kitchen means really paying attention to the things that make you happy, and the things that frustrate you so you can fix them. It means really taking care of that stock pot even if it only cost you $10. It means hanging that painting you found at a thrift store right over your stove even if your friends think it looks wonky. It means not feeling bad if you decide to splurge on a really nice piece of equipment or some really expensive ingredients. It means being open to new ideas, tips, and techniques, but it also means not apologizing for the way you cook, clean, shop, and feed yourself or your family, if it works for you.

We're all different, we can all learn from each other, and in the process have a better, cleaner, happier kitchen and cooking life all-year round.

What are your tips for keeping your kitchen clean every day, and enjoying it?

Meet The Neighbors: A Few Quick Tips

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Whether you’ve just moved into your new place, or you’ve been there for awhile and are looking to branch out, meeting your neighbors can be a great way to form friendships and make your stay in your apartment more comfortable. Being friendly with the people around you can make your move from one apartment to another more comfortable and it can also make you feel more at home!

Being comfortable with your neighbors will help you fill up your free hours in the afternoon, and can also be a big help when problems arise in your apartment complex. This article from renters.apartments.com offers some really great advice on how to get started meeting the people that live around you. Keep reading to find out the best ways to make friends in a new place!

Don’t Delay

For starters, you need to just go right up and introduce yourself to the people that you see around your complex. If you are taking out your garbage and pass a neighbor, say hi and let them know you just moved in. When you go to check you mail, share a friendly banter with the other person checking his mail. However, it is important to do this the first time you come into contact with someone. If you let a few weeks go by, it may be awkward introducing yourself after you have seen them several times already. Use the fact that you just moved in as your opening line and go from there. You may be surprised how quickly bonds can form.

Get Social

Many apartment complexes have weekly or monthly social events in their clubhouses. You will definitely want to go to them. Not only are they a great way to meet people, they usually offer free food as well. Plus, the people attending these events are people that actually want to meet you too. You don’t have to worry about coming across as too pushy if you meet people at social gatherings. To find out about what events your apartment offers, you can check directly with the office staff or read the community newsletter that gets delivered to you once a month (in most apartments).

Be Active

Finally, you just want to get out there and explore everything your apartment has to offer. The list of amenities that drew you to the apartment in the first place is a great way to meet the people that live in your complex. For example, when you go to the gym at the apartment clubhouse, leave your earbuds at home. Instead, strike up a conversation with the person on the treadmill next to you. Do you enjoy swimming? Get out there and swim alongside your neighbors. The hot tub is an especially great place to meet others since you are all just sitting there looking at each other anyway.

If you want to meet people at your new apartment, you just have to take action and do it. Do not be embarrassed. The friendlier you are, the quicker you will make friendships that may even last a lifetime.

DIY Skills Every Renter Needs

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One of the best parts about renting is that you don’t need to worry about many of the major maintenance issues that befall a home- a water heater leaking, a toilet overflowing and frozen pipes are all issues that you can call in someone else for. However, sometimes, smaller issues can fall to the wayside when waiting for a maintenance person to stop out between major emergencies.

To make your home experience more comfortable, it is important to be able to troubleshoot small issues in your apartment to save yourself alot of time and hassle. This article from apartmentguide.com highlights some very important skills for perspective renters. Keep reading to find out which skills are the most important:

1. Unclog a sink/toilet

If your sink is slow to drain, you’ve got a clog. The good news is, it’s probably an easy fix. Just remove the stopper and check out what you’re dealing with. If you’d rather not touch whatever’s causing the clog (because: gross) you can take a metal coat hanger, bend the end into a hook, then reach the hook into the drain and pull out the clog. After you’ve removed it, pour about half a cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by half a cup of vinegar. Let it bubble away for about half an hour, which will give it time to eliminate smells and break down any extra grime down there. Then flush the drain with boiling water and replace the stopper.

If you’ve got a clogged toilet, your DIY fix is still easy. Take your plunger and place it over the hole in the toilet bowl, making sure the water in the bowl comes at least halfway up the rubber cup. If there’s not enough water in the bowl, pour some in. Push the plunger up and down a few times without breaking the seal. Then pull the plunger up sharply to release the suction. This should dislodge the clog, allowing water to fill up the bowl again. If this doesn’t work the first time, try a few more times. If you still have no luck, it’s time to bring out the big guns with a toilet snake – or, better yet, place an emergency call to your apartment community’s maintenance crew.

2. Remove a stripped screw

It happens to the best of us – sometimes, repeated attempts to remove a screw will strip the head, which means there’s little left for your screwdriver to bite. There are quite a few ways to remove a stripped screw, but here’s an easy way: All you need is a screwdriver and a wide rubber band.

Place the rubber band on top of the screw. Press down with your screwdriver, applying slow, hard force as you turn counterclockwise (remember: rightie tightie, leftie loosie.) The rubber band should provide enough grip for the screwdriver to bite the screw, and the turning motion should pull it out.

3. Locate a stud

(Easier said than done – am I right, ladies?)

No, I’m referring to wall studs, which you need to locate if you’re hanging shelving or heavy decorative itemson your walls. You can buy a stud finder at any home improvement store for as little as $10. Use it to find the best place to anchor things to your wall, causing minimal damage to your drywall.

A few stud facts:

• There’s always a stud in every corner of a room.
• Studs usually are placed 16 to 24 inches apart.
• Electrical outlets generally are located right next to a stud.
• There are studs on either side of a window.

4. Use a fire extinguisher

If you’ve got a fire on your hands, you definitely don’t want to make a phone call to a maintenance crew – you want to put that fire out immediately. If your apartment contains nothing else, it should contain a working fire extinguisher. Your apartment community should check to make sure all units have one, but you need to check, too.

So what do you do when flames arise? First, don’t panic. Then, remember the acronym PASS:

Pull the pin at the top of the fire extinguisher.

Aim the hose at the base of the fire, not the flames.

Squeeze the lever slowly, releasing the foam in the extinguisher.

Sweep the extinguisher from side to side until the fire is completely out.

5. Find/change a light bulb

Buying light bulbs is more complicated than it used to be. CFL or LED? Warm light or soft light? The choices can be daunting, but a little online research should make the choice easier. Energy Star has a handy guide to help you make the right choice.

Now that light bulbs have become so efficient, you likely won’t have to change them very often. But when you do, the process is the same as it’s always been – turn off the lights, carefully unscrew the old bulb, screw the new one in, then turn the lights back on. Remember to drop off your old bulb for recycling at your local home improvement store.

What DIY skills do you think everyone needs to have? Share in the comments below.

Stay Fit This Fall

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With fall and colder weather just around the corner keeping up with your daily workout routine can be a challenge. When it’s cold outside, snuggling up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book always sounds better than braving the weather to go to the gym.

Luckily, for those days when it’s just too much to get out of your pajamas and into a pair of gym shoes your apartment is stocked with a myriad of workout equipment. With all these tools at your disposal it’ll be hard to say no to a quick calorie burning routine. Follow some of the tips from this article from renters.apartments.com for a quick work out session that you don’t even have to leave your apartment to get done!

Hand towels: Head to your linen closet and you’ll find one of the most versatile exercise accessories. Hold it tight with one hand on each end and keep it taut while you do crunches, squats and oblique twists. Then, place it on the floor and jump over it from side to side for a heart-pumping plyometric workout.

Plastic bottles: Buying your own set of hand weights can be a costly purchase. Instead, save those one- and two-liter bottles of soda and refill them with water or sand. You can use the smaller bottles to work smaller muscles like biceps and triceps, and the larger ones to add weight to your squats, lunges and chest presses.

Chairs: Usually used to relax, a chair can also be used to make you sweat. Put your palms on the edge and extend your legs in front of you for some intense tricep dips. Or, put your hands on the floor and your toes on the chair for incline pushups. You can also use the back for balance during yoga postures and leg lifts.

Stairs: One of the best workouts you can get in your apartment is on the stairs. Run up and down them 10 times and you’ll be breathing as hard as you would after a mile on the treadmill. If you don’t have stairs in your unit but live in a high rise, don’t be shy – chances are everyone else is taking the elevator.

Your cat/baby: Really! Videos and websites like the Happy Baby Workout and Cat Workout show you how you can involve your littlest companions in your workout routine. Use them like a weight for squats, chest presses and upright rows. Sit your baby on your stomach during crunches and give him a high five with each one, or lay him underneath you during push-ups and give him a kiss.

What are your favorite ways to workout in your apartment?

How To Prepare Your Apartment For Fall

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The official start of fall is just around the corner! Everyone knows that fun apple and pumpkin themed drinks and treats and a brand new wardrobe more appropriate for the cooler weather are here to stay when the leaves start to fall. By this point, most of us are ready to stash our tank tops and shorts in favor of sweaters and jeans.

Before you get started enjoying all the fun that this season has to offer, take a look around your apartment. A change in the weather means a change in the items you need to have at hand and this article from apartmentguide.com reminds you of the quick adjustments you need to make in your home to prepare for the chilly days ahead. Keep reading to learn some of their quick and essential tips to make sure your apartment is updated for the season.

1. Bring out the warmer bedding. Comforters and quilts will make those chilly nights more pleasant. Get washing and dry cleaning out of the way now so that they’re fresh and ready to grab when those goosebumps arise at night.

2. Replace bulbs and batteries. Think fast! Replace light bulbs around your apartment now to avoid being stuck in the dark later. ENERGY STAR offers a great online resource for helping you choose the right energy saving bulbs. This is also an ideal time to swap out batteries in your smoke detectors and flashlights. Tip: Be sure to keep flashlights easily accessible for when the power goes out.

3. Go with a fall-inspired color palette. Fall is a favorite season because of the extraordinary changes we see outside. As leaves turn red, orange and yellow, your apartment can take on the same seasonal look. Small accessories like pillows and tableware are easy and affordable ways to update your apartment’s color scheme for the season.

4. Stash some meds. If you’re a coupon clipper, you’ll love this seasonal tip. Scour the Sunday paper and online sites like Coupons.com to find savings on your preferred cold and flu medications. Flu season officially starts in October, so stock up now!

5. Reorganize the front entry. Take a good look at what’s located near your front door. Now is a good time to make sure there’s ample space for fall outdoor essentials: jackets, hats, umbrellas, boots and the like. Having a dedicated nook will keep those wet and muddy belongings from wrecking your apartment’s orderly feng shui theme.

6. Keep floors warm with a trendy rug or two. Tile and hardwood floors can be uncomfortably cold once the temperature plummets. If you forget or refuse to wear socks, place a few rugs throughout your apartment to keep your soles from shivering.

7. Prepare to be lazy on cold days. Trust us, there will be days this fall when doing absolutely nothing will feel like the best idea in the history of ideas. So do it! Get ready now by organizing your favorite DVD’s alphabetically or by genre. You can do the same digitally if you subscribe to Netflix or a similar streaming service. Now is a good time to organize your board games, too. Also, make sure you have a stash of snacks like popcorn and candy. No veg out session will be complete without the right calorie-loaded eats.