Blog Posts

Movies to Start Your Year the Right Way

Hello again from Cavalier Court Blog! In our opinion, there’s no better way to find motivation to start off your new year than watching a motivational film. Whether you’re looking for an evening at the cinema or a cozy viewing experience on the couch, there are plenty of movies that will help you renew your sense of belief in yourself. Watch one of these films in or near your Fairfax, VA apartment this week! Queen of Katwe (2016) Witness the power that chess brings to the life of Phiona, a 10-year-old girl living in the slums of Uganda. Upon her initial fascination with the game, she trains to become one of the top players in local tournaments, and the doors it opens for her future give her a chance to rise up. This enjoyable movie will empower youth and adults alike, and especially women! The Chorus (2004) When was the last time you watched a foreign film? Les Choristes (The Chorus) is an awarding-winning French film that will quickly find its way into your heart. When a new teacher arrives at a boarding school for troubled boys, he is inspired to use the power of music to change the students’ lives for good. On the Basis of Sex (2018) For those looking for a trip to the cinema this month, don’t miss this moving story of young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Since the beginning of her career, RBG has fought long and hard for equal rights, and has been met with adversity and opposition all along the way. Follow her story as she and her husband undertake a monumental case that would change forever the way the legal system viewed discrimination “on the basis of sex.” Find showtimes today to see this film at a theater near you! October Sky (1999) If you haven’t seen this inspiring film based on the true story of a small town boy with big dreams, then it’s the perfect time to do so. Jake Gyllenhaal takes his first lead role is Homer Hickam, the son of a coal miner who is fascinated by rocket science. Thanks to the encouragement of a compassionate teacher, Homer and his friends start building rockets of their own, despite opposition from parents and the community. Do you have a favorite film that inspires you to live excellently? Let our apartment community know in the comments below! Thanks for reading our post today.

Tips for Your Financial Health

Because it’s the beginning of a new year, we suspect that many members of our apartment community have their minds turned toward renewed resolutions. If you’re hoping to gain a better hold of your financial health this year, then this post is for you. Today, Cavalier Court Blog is sharing some basic financial tips with you that you can start practicing right away. While there are plenty of steps you can take beyond these, we’re giving you the first three tips toward a financially abundant future from SmartDollar . Start practicing them in your Fairfax, VA apartment today! Start Budgeting The first step toward financial stability is getting on a budget if you haven’t yet! There is enough material to write hundreds of blog posts on this topic alone, but that’s not our what our goal is today. Simply put, budgeting requires that you know how much of your income is spendable each month, that you track how you typically spend that income, that you have goals in terms of where your money will go each month ranked from most important need to simplest want, and that you are ready to make adjust when necessary. For more specific budgeting tips, a simple google search will provide you with plenty of options and methods to choose from. Build an Emergency Savings You might be deliberately saving money every month for a new car or an upcoming expense that you’re anticipating, but it’s vital to build an emergency savings for unexpected expenses as well. SmartDollar suggests that your base emergency savings fund should be $1,000 so that any unanticipated trip to the doctor or car repair won’t send you deep into debt. Even if it will take you a few months to accumulate $1,000, you’ll be glad that you did it next time you truly need that money. Remember to refill your fund whenever you use some of it! Pay Off Your Debt It’s likely that, between car payments, student loans, and credit cards, you have multiple sources of consumer debt. After getting on a budget and building a base emergency savings, the next big step is to pay all of that debt off. SmartDollar proposes writing down of your debts from most to least expensive, and then paying the minimum payment each month on each of those debts. If you have money leftover that you’d like to use to reduce debt, then put it towards paying off your smallest debt first. Using this debt snowball calculator will help you see how it works. This process may feel counterintuitive, but it works! Paying off any debt you have in full will make your load that much lighter, no matter how small. Repeat this process until all of your debts are completely gone! Thanks for reading! May your 2019 be a year of success and financial stability.

Last-minute Stocking Stuffers

The holidays will be here before you know it! We image that you already have most of your main gifts purchased, though it’s possible that you might still be searching for a stocking stuffer or two. This week on the Cavalier Court Blog, we’re sharing a few of our favorite stocking stuffer ideas. Whether you’re looking for something practical, something funny, or both, keep reading for some great ideas! Mini Smart Plug Turn anything that plugs into the wall into a smart item with this mini smart plug! This sleek adapter will connect to your devices through Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant. By plugging anything into this device (a strand of lights, a lamp, or a fan), you can now voice activate those items! This product is small enough to fit into a stocking, and it’s a gift that everyone is sure to love. Muffin Tops Baking Cups Does someone in your life love to bake? Make them laugh by stuffing these muffin top baking cups into their stocking. They look like the top half of a pair of jeans, so anything you bake in them will look like what people often call a muffin top. Beard Cleanser For people who pride themselves on their beards, this American Crew Beard Foam Cleanser will surely be well-received. This easy-to-use leave-in beard cleanser will help someone maintain their beard without adding tons of extra time to their routine. Bonus: It fits nicely inside a stocking this holiday season. Guitar Pick Punch Turn old library and credit cards into guitar picks with this handy guitar pick punch! Any guitar players in your life will understand the struggle of constantly losing What are you stuffing your stockings with? Let our Fairfax, VA apartment community know by leaving a comment below! Happy Holidays!

Impaired Driving Prevention Month

Welcome back to the Cavalier Court Blog! In today’s post, our goal is to help you stay safe on the road by inviting everyone in our apartment community to observe National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. We’re encouraging you to recommit yourself to practicing a few simple things this month and throughout the year. When you’re out attending holiday parties that serve alcohol, these tips will keep yourself safe on the roads in Fairfax, VA, or wherever you might be. Select an Alternate Form of Transportation Even though driving your own vehicle may seem like a much more convenient way to get to and holiday celebrations, there are other ways to get you where you need to go. If you find yourself in a larger city, check to see if there are any public transportation routes near where you’re going. If there isn’t, call a ride service like Uber or Lyft to take you to and from your party. While it may cost you a little bit of extra money and time to find another form of transportation other than your car, you surely won’t regret it when you return home safely after the party. Choose a Designated Driver If it just isn’t possible to take another form of transportation, be responsible by deciding on a designated driver before you leave your home. While it may seem inconvenient and you might have to set up a carpool, designating a driver who has opted not to drink alcohol on a given night is the responsible thing to do, and it will keep you and other drivers out of harm’s way. Trust us, you’ll be thankful you chose one! Learn to Spot Drunk Drivers At the end of the day, it is unfortunately impossible for you to ensure that every driver will be sober on the road this month. For that reason, it’s crucial to be able to spot drunk drivers when you’re driving. If you notice a driver this month who is making overly-wide turns, unnecessarily braking, driving with their lights off at night, taking far too long at a stop light, or getting dangerously and scarily close to other cars or to stationary objects, then there’s a pretty good chance that they are driving under the influence. In the event that you notice someone driving like this, get out of their way, pull over, and report them to the police. It would be so simple to just change your route and avoid the situation altogether, but by calling 9-1-1, you might just save a life. Hopefully, these suggestions will help you do your part in preventing impaired driving this season. Thank you for reading our post today, and may your holidays be safe!

Ideas For the Long Holiday Weekend

While the focus of your holiday weekend will undoubtedly be your Thanksgiving feast, chances are you may be looking for some other activities you can do with your family or friends throughout the rest of the weekend. Thanksgiving dinner takes a lot of effort to plan and prepare, so we here at Cavalier Court Blog are bringing you a few simple ideas for activities you can do that require little to no planning. Read Up on the History of Thanksgiving A simple activity you might enjoy this year is taking a few minutes to read about the history of Thanksgiving to remind yourself of how it came to be. Think about the difficult times the pilgrims and the Native Americans faced and their desire to still count their blessings and acknowledge successes. Share what you learn with your family and friends. Volunteer A meaningful tradition practiced by some is to volunteer at a local shelter or charity to get into the spirit of Thanksgiving. Find out if any of the charities in our area serve a Thanksgiving meal, and volunteer an hour or two of your time to help out if they do. We suggest starting with local charities like Britepaths or Food for Others . Remember how rewarding it feels to give back to your community. Do a Puzzle If you haven’t completed a puzzle in a while, this might seem like a silly activity, but it’s actually a great way to interact with others. It doesn’t take too much effort or attention to do, but it serves as a good excuse to get together to socialize around something simple and non-controversial. You might have a favorite puzzle of your own, if not, ask a guest to bring one. Compile a Family Cookbook Put together a cookbook with the family favorite Thanksgiving recipes! Make sure everyone has a copy so that when someone in the family can’t make it home for the holiday, they can still enjoy their favorite tastes from home. Watch a Thanksgiving-Themed Movie Enjoy your holiday weekend by watching traditional Thanksgiving-themed movies. Some families have a tradition of going to a new release movie during the long Thanksgiving weekend every year. If that’s your style, check out what is coming soon to theaters and buy tickets ahead of time to avoid any sold-out movies on this busy weekend. If you’d rather stay at home, choose a favorite movie to watch with with the whole gang. We suggest A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, You’ve Got Mail, Rocky, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles to fill the bill. However you spend your holiday weekend, whether you host festivities at your Fairfax, PA apartment or you travel to visit relatives, we hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Tips For a Better Night's Sleep from Cavalier Court

This November, Cavalier Court Blog is wishing you a happy National Sleep Comfort Month! Because we figured there are probably some member of our Fairfax, VA apartment community who just can’t seem to sleep well, we decided to share some suggestions on how to improve the quality of your sleep not only this month, but all year long. Regulate Light and Noise The levels of light and noise you are exposed to while sleeping have a huge effect on how well you sleep. When it comes to light, the darker the better. Make sure to close the blinds or shutters, and if doing that doesn’t block all the light, pick up an inexpensive sleep mask at a local convenience store. As far as noise goes, some people need silence to sleep, while others prefer the whir of a fan or the sound of white noise. Whatever you prefer, just make sure that it’s a consistent sound throughout the night. Power Down It isn’t uncommon for people to unwind by checking social media on their smartphones, or streaming a show on their tablets, and to do these things in bed. However, the blue light your screen hinders your ability to enter into deep sleep at a normal speed. Make sure to put away your screens at least an hour before bed for better-quality sleep. Consider a New Mattress When was the last time you bought yourself a new mattress? On average, they last 7-10 years, so you may be due for a new one. It isn’t just the age that matters, though; the firmness and comfort of your mattress are important as well. Soft mattresses, while they may feel comfortable at first, don’t provide the support your back needs. Extra firm ones may have support covered, but if they aren’t comfortable to you, they might keep you up at night. When choosing a new mattress, go for something in between! Reset Your Body Clock This month, take a few days to allow your body to reset its internal clock. Go to bed at a reasonable hour, and without setting an alarm clock, let your body wake itself up at the time it naturally wants to do so. In order to find out how much sleep your body needs, make sure to do this for a couple of days and take note of any patterns in how long you sleep and when you wake up. After that, revisit how long you used to sleep before and make any needed adjustments to honor your body clock. Implement a Pre-bedtime Ritual Maybe you already have a morning ritual, but now it’s time to do the same for bedtime. Developing a pre-bedtime ritual that you do every night before you go to sleep, be it reading by lamplight or meditating or brewing a cup of herbal tea, sends a message to your body that it’s time for bed and helps it to start winding down. Thanks for reading our post! We hope you sleep well tonight.