#LifeHacks: Best Meal Delivery Services

If you could use a fresh approach to getting dinner on the table on time with no fuss, we’ve compiled a short list of some of the best meal delivery services to try. Meal delivery services can be a convenient option for feeding yourself or your family healthy food when you have little time or energy for food prep. Here are 7 different meal delivery services that can save the day at home:

The Best Meal Delivery Services Where You Do the Cooking:

1. Hello Fresh. HelloFresh is known for its ample portions and fresh ingredients. It offers vegetarian, family-friendly, and low-calorie options. You can choose from new chef-designed recipes each week. There’s no commitment so you can cancel anytime or skip weeks.

2. Green Chef. If you want USDA-certified organic foods, Green Chef may be a good option for you. You can choose from paleo, keto, vegan, gluten-free, and other options, and all the meals are delivered in eco-friendly packaging. Meals can be prepared in about 30 minutes.

3. EveryPlate. If you like the idea of getting your meals delivered, but want a more affordable option, Every Plate may be a good fit. Meals average around $5 each, with a discounted rate for students. They feature simple, fresh ingredients and take about 30 minutes to prepare.  When choosing your meals, you can opt for two- or four-person portions.

4. Blue Apron. Blue Apron is a great option if you want to know where the ingredients in your meals originate, because the company is totally transparent about this. Blue Apron was one of the first meal delivery services and it focuses on using foods that are sustainable. For example, it gets its meat from family-run farms that focus on animal welfare. Blue Apron is also known for its easy-to-follow directions, although prep time for meals may be a little longer than with some of the other meal delivery options.

3 of the Best Meal Delivery Services Where You Simply Heat and Eat:

5. Freshly. Freshly delivers chef-cooked meals to your doorstep fresh and cold, but not frozen. You can heat them up in just two-three minutes in the microwave. You can also heat them in the oven, but you must transfer the food to an oven-safe pan or dish first, and then it takes about 25-35 minutes until it’s ready. Choose from over 30 menu items weekly, with gluten-free and sugar-free options.

6. Diet-to-Go. Diet-to-Go is a good choice if you’re looking for delicious meals that can help you achieve your weight loss goals. You can choose from low-carb, low-fat and low-fat vegetarian options, plus choose from two calorie options. You get access to health coaches and nutritionists when you use this service, and the food tastes great too. Epicurious, an upscale food magazine, named Diet-to-Go the best-tasting diet meal delivery service.

7. Blue Apron. If you’re looking for healthy, fully prepared meals that you can just heat and serve the entire family, Good Kitchen may be the best bet. According to reviewers, the meals do an excellent job of pleasing the palates of both adults and children. It’s easy to customize your meal plan by removing ingredients that some in your family might not like, such as onions, or to accommodate food allergies by eliminating foods like nuts, for instance.

There are so many other services to choose from as well. We hope you find the perfect one to make preparing meals at your homes a little less stressful and time-consuming!

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks was created in 2018 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

#ApartmentHacks: Keeping Your Home Cool Without Air Condition!

Its that season where we gravitate to finding ways to cool off quick! Air conditioning might be the first idea that pops up in your brain, but what if there were alternative ideas from turning on your air conditioning when you want to cool down? Here are five ways on how to keep cool at home during the summer time without racking up on your electric bill:

1. Keep your blinds closed.  This tip might seem very simple but over 25 percent of unwanted heated comes straight through your windows, and installing shades can save you up to 7 percent on bulls and dramatically lower your indoor temperatures by up to 20 degrees.

2. Install black-out curtains.  Black-out curtains block out sunlight while naturally insulating the rooms where they are installed. These neutral-colored curtains with white plastic backings can reduce heating gain by upwards to 30 percent.

3. Closing off unused doors.  Air can circulate through an entire room so being smart about your doors is very important. Closing doors will prevent cool air from permeating these areas during the hottest part of the day. You want to capitalize on thee cooler night hours too, by letting air glow naturally through your home.

4. Buy a fan. Utilizing a fan during those warmer months can help cool you down faster. Fans circulate in a particular area of the room and can be controlled by you at any second. Using fan is cheaper in the long run and you can use it year round if need be.

5. Swap your sheets. Not only does switching out your bedding seasonally put a nice twist to your room, but it is also a wonderful way to keep cool. While textiles such as flannel sheets and fleece blankets are perfect for insulation, cotton is a smarter move for the warmer months as it breathes easier and stays cooler.

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks was created in 2018 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

Apartment Cleaning Hacks You Need to Know

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks compiled a list of apartment cleaning hacks and house cleaning hacks that will help you keep your home immaculate, without forcing you to waste any elbow grease. Just make sure that you check with the leasing office if you have any questions regarding proper cleaning techniques for specific items in your apartment home.

Buff away water spots with used dryer sheets

There’s something about the texture of a used dryer sheet that makes it perfect for buffing away water spots and rings. Keep your used dryer sheets handy and use them whenever you want to give your smooth surfaces a nice shine.

Use spare jar lids to keep jars from leaking onto refrigerator shelves

Dirty refrigerators have a way of lessening the appeal of any food contained therein. So, when jars start to leak their contents onto refrigerator shelves (or even in cupboards or cabinets), use clean spare lids from previously discarded jars, and place the leaking jars on top of the bottom-side-up lids. This will give the jars a nice, contained area in which to leak, thus saving your surfaces from unnecessary gunk.

Use bleach and cotton balls to clean between bathroom tiles

Mildew and mold hate bleach, which makes it the perfect substance for cleaning bathroom tile. So, get some cotton balls, soak them in bleach, and place them liberally on difficult-to-clean bathroom areas (such as between tiles and on grout). Let them sit for about 24 hours, and then remove the cotton balls, and wash the area with soapy water. Make sure to wear gloves when handling bleach, and don’t let it come into contact with your skin or clothes; after all, cleaning bathroom grout isn’t worth risking your health.

Clean shower heads with vinegar and a plastic bag

Cleaning shower heads not only makes your bathroom look nicer but may also help unclog the shower head of mineral deposits, thus allowing the water to flow more smoothly. To get your shower heads looking like new, just pour distilled white vinegar into a plastic bag, and then fit the bag around your shower head. Secure it with a rubber band, so that the shower head is submerged in the vinegar. Leave the showerhead to soak for an hour, and then remove the bag. Wipe the shower head with a damp cloth.

Maintenance #LifeHack: What to Do if The Garbage Disposal is Not Operating in an Apartment

Three Easy Steps for Apartment Residents

Beginning meal prep?  Getting rid of leftovers?  Cooking dinner?  The garbage disposal, sometimes known as a waste disposal unit, is a tool used to shred food particles so that food can pass through plumbing.  

Garbage disposals can occasionally need maintenance like any other kitchen appliance.  Apartment residents should follow three simple steps if the garbage disposal is not operating.

1) Turn the Garbage Disposal Off: This may seem like common sense, but the worst thing for a garage disposal that is not operating is for more food items to be placed in the disposal.  Is the garbage disposal making a strange sound or, simply, not operating?  Turn the system off to investigate the problem.  There may be a piece of plastic or a utensil trapped inside the unit.

2) Try the Reset Button: Is the garbage disposal simply not operating?  The reset button of the garbage disposal may have popped.  That being said, it is easy to reset a garbage disposal.  The garbage disposal reset button is typically a small red button located on the bottom of the disposal.  Turn the disposal off, locate the button, and press it to reset the garbage disposal.

3) Contact your Apartment Community Maintenance Team: Cannot locate the problem or reset the garbage disposal?  Contact the maintenance team!  One benefit of living in an apartment community is that a dedicated community maintenance team is available to help.  Call the leasing office and/ or submit a service request to report the problem.

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks was created in 2018 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

DIY Hack: Three Tips for a More Organized Closet

Making the Most of Apartment Closet Space

Closets are not just a place to store clothes: closets can become a place to organize accessories, hang bags and backpacks, and keep housekeeping items such as vacuums, dusters, and cleaning products.  When living in an apartment, it is best to make the most of closet space to keep all belongings neat and organized and to create more space in apartment living areas for furniture and decor.  Below are three closet organization hacks specifically for apartment residents:

1) Create specific containers and sections with labels: The first step to organize a closet is to create specific sections so that it is possible to easily arrange closet space to contain, in addition to clothes, cleaning supplies, seasonal accessories, pet food and carriers, and/ or luggage.  To do this, try out color coded bins and/ or dividers so that everything has a specific section.  For example: the blue section contains batteries, tools, and light bulbs, the red section contains wrapping paper, gift bags, and leftover holiday decorations, etc.  In addition to creating sections, try labeling the different areas of the closet so roommates and guests can easily determine where specific items are stored.  This process can be completed for any apartment closet space: bedroom closets, hallways closets, and linen closets.  By doing this, clutter in apartments will become practically non-existent.