Blog Posts

Holiday Movies

Relax this December from all the stress of family and friends coming over by watching some holiday movies! As things get stressful, it’s easy to forget the joy and happiness that comes from the December holidays, which is why we recommend watching some holiday flicks! In this week’s The Townhomes at Highcrest, we’ve got a few movie suggestions that will surely get you in the holiday spirit! 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.” Miracle on 34th Street (1947) “In this Christmas classic, an old man going by the name of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle proves to be such a hit that he is soon appearing regularly at the chain's main store in midtown Manhattan. When Kringle surprises customers and employees alike by claiming that he really is Santa Claus, it leads to a court case to determine his mental health and, more importantly, his authenticity.” The Santa Clause “Divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) has custody of his son (Eric Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. After he accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, they are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa's place before the next Christmas arrives. Scott thinks he's dreaming, but over the next several months he gains weight and grows an inexplicably white beard. Maybe that night at the North Pole wasn't a dream after all -- and maybe Scott has a lot of work to do.” Enjoy our suggestions! If you’ve got some additional movies you watch during December, leave a comment for our Woodridge, IL apartment community.

Hot Chocolate Recipes

Let’s be honest, it gets pretty cold here in Woodridge, IL during the wintertime. You’re going to be looking for any way to stay warm this December, which is why we wanted to share some of our favorite hot chocolate recipes in this week’s The Townhomes at Highcrest Blog. Nutella Hot Chocolate 4 cups low fat/skim milk 2 tablespoons Nutella 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons sugar If you’re a Nutella lover, you’re not going to want to miss this recipe. It’s a simple enough recipe to make, so try it out to keep yourself warm on a cold night or when you’re with kids! Gingerbread Hot Cocoa 4 cups milk 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon sea salt whipped cream for topping Gingerbread is a holiday staple, so instead of making a gingerbread house, you could make it into a mug of hot chocolate! This recipe is full of delicious spices and is the perfect sweet treat on a cold December night. Peppermint Hot Chocolate 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3 drops peppermint oil Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish Chocolate shavings, for garnish Peppermint is yet another wonderful staple of the holiday, so why not incorporate it into your hot chocolate? If you love the taste of peppermint and hot chocolate, we highly recommend you try this recipe today! Do you have any recipes you like to make during the December holidays? Share them with our Woodridge, IL apartment community by leaving a comment so we can give them a try! Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving Entrees

Have you ever thought about having something else besides turkey on Thanksgiving? Break away from the ordinary by changing up the entree that you serve for your meals! In this week’s The Townhomes at Highcrest Blog, we’ve got a couple recipes you could try instead of the traditional turkey feast! Prime Rib 5 pounds beef prime rib (or larger* if larger, double the spices/seasonings) Sea salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 8 cloves garlic , minced 1/4 cup olive oil horseradish, for serving (optional) If you’re the type of person who doesn’t particularly like turkey for Thanksgiving, branch out and try some prime rib! The best part about this recipe? You can just substitute the prime rib for the turkey and have the same side dishes and it would still work. Lobster 1 1/3 cups dry white wine, divided 3/4 cup finely chopped shallots, divided 2 thyme sprigs 3 tablespoons butter, divided 8 (4-ounce) cooked Maine lobster tails in shells (from 8 [2 1/2 to 3-pound] lobsters) 2 tablespoons canola oil 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage 3 ounces whole-grain bread, pulsed in a food processor to coarse crumbs Lobster may not necessarily be what you think of when you think about Thanksgiving, but you’ll have to trust us that this is a great option! Though lobster is a little more expensive and you would need a lot more preparation, it’s a delicious substitute. Before you commit to making this entree, make sure that your guests aren’t allergic to shellfish to avoid any unfortunate accidents. Do you have any recipes for Thanksgiving entrees you’d like to share with our Woodridge, IL apartment community? Leave us a comment so that we can try it out and diversify our meals!

Stay Warm this November

It gets cold here in Woodridge, IL, there’s no two ways around that fact. To keep yourself healthy and comfortable through the colder months of the year, we recommend you keep as warm as possible. In this week’s The Townhomes at Highcrest Blog, we’ve got a short list of tips that will help you fight off the cold and keep you warm and comfortable through November and the months after. Warm Drinks A good way to stay warm is by having a warm or hot drink. Examples of these types of drinks can include but aren’t limited to: Tea Coffee Hot chocolate Cider These hot drinks are a great choice for when you’ve spent time walking in the cold outdoors and need a little help warming up your core temperature. If you wish, you can invest in a mug that keeps your drinks hot so you aren’t restricted to finishing your hot beverage quickly. Bundle Up It may seem like a no-brainer, but wearing an appropriate amount of warm clothing is one of the most effective ways of staying warm. Whether you choose to layer thinner clothing or choose one big warm coat to wear, you’ll be able to keep the warmth close to your body and not let it escape. Remember that a large portion of your body heat escapes through your head and feet, so make sure you’re wearing a beanie and warm socks! Stay In The very best way to keep warm is by not leaving your apartment at all! Sometimes, when the weather gets too cold, it’s better for you to just stay in and find something productive to do! Reading a book, taking a bath, or cleaning your home are all good choices for activities. Try not to watch too much television or spend too much time on the internet!

Happy Halloween

Autumn has arrived here in Woodridge, IL, and that means it’s time to start thinking about and preparing for Halloween! Today the Townhomes at Highcrest has ideas and tips for getting ready to celebrate the holiday — from party ideas to DIY costumes to carving pumpkins to decorating. So whether you want to throw a Harry Potter-themed party at your apartment, or take the most amazing jack-o’lantern to a party, we’ve got you covered. Halloween Party Ideas Doing a quick online search will garner a plethora of ideas for Halloween parties, so we’ll leave that to you, but to get your imagination going, how about some of these ideas. Have a Harry Potter-themed party, or start earlier in the day and have a brunch featuring some of these dishes straight from Hogwarts via the Kitchn blog . Host a DC/Marvel party, invite guests to come as their favorite character and decorate with a cityscape theme. Go old fashioned with a harvest themed party complete with bobbing for apples and guessing how much candy corn is in the jar; add a “spook alley” just for fun. Pumpkin Carving & Decorating For your carving pumpkins, Modern Farmer advises that you choose pumpkins that are far from decay. The sturdiness of stems and the gourd will tell you just how “fresh” your pumpkin is. Modern Farmer also gives this invaluable tip: buy separate pumpkins for your pies and for carving. You could eat a carving pumpkin; it just wouldn’t taste very good. As far as pumpkin decorating goes, there’s a whole world of possibilities. Decorate your pumpkin like your favorite cartoon character, paint a design on it, or add flowers to it to form a fun centerpiece. You can find dozens of decorating ideas on Pinterest. For more inspiration, Country Living has 77 Cool Pumpkin Decorations , check out these beauties. Thanks for reading today’s post, and Happy Halloween to everyone in our apartment community. We hope you have a great month here at the Townhomes at Highcrest!

Pets in Apartments

One of the perks of living at The Townhomes at Highcrest is that we are a pet-friendly community. With that in mind, we would like to share some tips for apartment living for dogs and their owners in today’s blog post. Tips for Pet Owners Establish a routine. Animals are smart and can adapt to apartment living. Having a routine makes it easier on your pet. Set times for potty breaks, chow time, walking, and playing can all be included. Routines make your pet feel comfortable and help prevent accidents. Be a considerate neighbor, and clean up promptly after your pet. Dispose of pet refuse appropriately. Bring the outside indoors. If your pet is particularly fond of plants, give them their very own to play with. Cats are notorious for eating plants, and some plants are toxic. Check out this list of non-toxic plants , and definitely become familiar with this list of common houseplants that are toxic to pets . Neighbors don’t appreciate constant barking, which is one thing dog owners often come up against. If you have a dog who tends to bark all the time, try these ideas from the Humane Society to solve the problem. View our complete Pet Policy by clicking on the Paw Icon found on the right side of the amenities page. Resources for Pet Owners For a change of pace from our bark park, here is info on dog parks in the Woodridge, IL area, we turned to Yelp, and these are the results . This is a good place to start looking at options for dog trainers , if you have been thinking about doing a training class with your dog. Check out Bark Box for your pet. It’s a subscription service that provides a variety of high-quality dog products delivered to you each month. Check out the Bark Box Facebook page to get an idea of what you can expect. Where are your favorite places to take your pet to socialize? Please share in the comments so we can all benefit. Thanks for reading the Townhomes at Highcrest Blog post today.