Fall is so much more than pumpkin spice and falling leaves.

It has its own energy and gives off the idea of change, transition, and rebirth. You can take this idea into your apartment home, and redecorate accordingly, giving you your own feeling of transformation. It’s good to have change present in our lives, and extending that to our living space is an invigorating feeling. Give your home a fall makeover with these 9 wonderful tips to decorate for autumn.

Orange Accents

Fall-inspired colors give you that feeling of transitioning into fall. A different color rug or painting a wall can create an autumn feel. A throw blanket, orange glasses, or anything else is an easy way to introduce your home to fall.

Blooms of Fall

You can mix black and white elements, casual and sophisticated colors, and hard then soft materials Colorful blooms against a white wall are a wonderful way, preferably orange and yellow. 

Accent Wall Colors

Greens and browns bring that earthy feel to a room, with deeper colors contrasting orange and light yellow hues. Make it feel like a fall cocoon!

Thick Panels

Homey patterns in the sleeping space can help you cozy up to longer nights. Bed skirts, drapes, and thick plaid can make any room feel more like fall. 

Get out the Sheepskin

Drape sheepskin over a chair or a bed rather than the floor, and it can transform an entire room. This is an easy way to make a room more comfortable.

Big Pieces, Statement Art

Any pieces that make a bold statement – make sure they have the right tones and fall energy. A piece of art can change a whole room, so warm fall tones can really bring out the autumn energy in a painting or vase.

New Slip Covers

Anything that takes a slipcover is easy to swap with fall colors of plums, oranges, and deep blues. Autumnal hues on furniture can invite people to “fall” into your chairs and couches. 

The post Our Best Tips to Decorate Your Home this Fall appeared first on Willow Crossing Blog.

No need to worry about seasons or climate, if you are an indoor gardener! Whether you are craving fresh harvests during the winter or live in an area without gardening space, you can grow edibles in your home. Follow these tips to grow vegetables indoors.

Winter always seems to sneak up on me. It’s not until the first snowfall that I consider the growing season over. Up until then, I am still clipping hearty herbs and fall greens. Once the snow falls, I am reminded that soon the ground will be frozen, and the garden covered with a heavy winter blanket.

I start to miss freshly harvested greens quickly. Most years, I have a good supply of fall greens such as lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, pak choi, and other leafy greens to fill the refrigerator before the hard freeze. Some years, I lose my fall greens to the hungry deer as they prepare for winter too.

Since I don’t garden outside during winter, I began experimenting with indoor vegetable gardening. I started with herbs, and then progressed to salad greens and more.

Growing edibles indoors can be a rewarding. It is not difficult to grow a small number of vegetables in an indoor environment of your home, but there are some important things to consider before you get started.

Tips for Indoor Gardening

An indoor vegetable garden provides a weed free, controlled environment that will allow you to grow a variety of edibles. With a little planning and creativity, you’ll have a wide range of veggies at your fingertips this winter. Here are tips to help you create the ideal environment for growing vegetables indoors:
 

Use Grow Lights

All plants need light for photosynthesis to convert light, oxygen, and water into energy. You’ll want to provide at least 12 hours of supplemental light for your plants each day. While some plants may do ok in natural light from a south-facing window, using artificial lights will help you grow a thriving indoor vegetable garden.

Gather Planting Containers

Choose food safe pots and containers that are large enough to support growth of the plant. You can start seeds in seedling flats, but eventually the plants will need to be repotted into larger containers.

Pots that are 4-inches deep work well for most greens while carrots, and other root vegetables need at least 6 inches. Consider using window boxes, or recycled bakery or produce containers. Poke drainage holes in the bottom to let extra water drain, and use plastic trays beneath containers to catch the water and prevent it from dripping.

Use the Right Potting Mix

Select an organic, all-purpose potting mix for your indoor garden. Start with a fresh potting mix. Don’t use soil from your outdoor garden because it is too compact for containers and may contain pests and disease. A good quality growing medium for container plants is light, fluffy, and drains well.

Look for an all-purpose soilless potting mix that contains peat moss (or coconut coir), vermiculite, and perlite. You can mix your own basic soilless potting mix with this simple formula: 4 parts sphagnum peat moss or coconut coir, 1 part finished compost, 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite.
 

Set Up a Fertilizing Schedule

Indoor plants need supplemental fertilizer in order to grow healthy. Whether you purchase potting soil, or mix your own, eventually, you will need to feed the soil to keep your plants nourished.

If your potting mix contains fertilizer, you won’t have to worry about supplementing nutrients for a little while. However, the fertilizer will diminish over time as the plants use it to grow, and some will wash out of the soil from regular watering.

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No need to worry about seasons or climate, if you are an indoor gardener! Whether you are craving fresh harvests during the winter or live in an area without gardening space, you can grow edibles in your home. Follow these tips to grow vegetables indoors.

Winter always seems to sneak up on me. It’s not until the first snowfall that I consider the growing season over. Up until then, I am still clipping hearty herbs and fall greens. Once the snow falls, I am reminded that soon the ground will be frozen, and the garden covered with a heavy winter blanket.

I start to miss freshly harvested greens quickly. Most years, I have a good supply of fall greens such as lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, pak choi, and other leafy greens to fill the refrigerator before the hard freeze. Some years, I lose my fall greens to the hungry deer as they prepare for winter too.

Since I don’t garden outside during winter, I began experimenting with indoor vegetable gardening. I started with herbs, and then progressed to salad greens and more.

Growing edibles indoors can be a rewarding. It is not difficult to grow a small number of vegetables in an indoor environment of your home, but there are some important things to consider before you get started.

Tips for Indoor Gardening

An indoor vegetable garden provides a weed free, controlled environment that will allow you to grow a variety of edibles. With a little planning and creativity, you’ll have a wide range of veggies at your fingertips this winter. Here are tips to help you create the ideal environment for growing vegetables indoors:

Use Grow Lights

All plants need light for photosynthesis to convert light, oxygen, and water into energy. You’ll want to provide at least 12 hours of supplemental light for your plants each day. While some plants may do ok in natural light from a south-facing window, using artificial lights will help you grow a thriving indoor vegetable garden.

The article below explains how to set up a simple grow light unit, and choose the right lamps for your indoor garden:

• Using Grow Lights for Indoor Gardens

Gather Planting Containers

Choose food safe pots and containers that are large enough to support growth of the plant. You can start seeds in seedling flats, but eventually the plants will need to be repotted into larger containers.

Pots that are 4-inches deep work well for most greens while carrots, and other root vegetables need at least 6 inches. Consider using window boxes, or recycled bakery or produce containers. Poke drainage holes in the bottom to let extra water drain, and use plastic trays beneath containers to catch the water and prevent it from dripping.

Use the Right Potting Mix

Select an organic, all-purpose potting mix for your indoor garden. Start with a fresh potting mix. Don’t use soil from your outdoor garden because it is too compact for containers and may contain pests and disease. A good quality growing medium for container plants is light, fluffy, and drains well.

Look for an all-purpose soilless potting mix that contains peat moss (or coconut coir), vermiculite, and perlite. You can mix your own basic soilless potting mix with this simple formula: 4 parts sphagnum peat moss or coconut coir, 1 part finished compost, 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite.

Set Up a Fertilizing Schedule

Indoor plants need supplemental fertilizer in order to grow healthy. Whether you purchase potting soil or mix your own, eventually, you will need to feed the soil to keep your plants nourished.

If your potting mix contains fertilizer, you won’t have to worry about supplementing nutrients for a little while. However, the fertilizer will diminish over time as the plants use it to grow, and some will wash out of the soil from regular watering.

If you make your own potting mix, consider including a slow-release organic granular fertilizer, such as Epsoma Garden-tone to help feed your plants for an extended period of time.

Follow the instructions on the packaging for the proper amounts, and follow up with regular feedings according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. For example, Garden-tone recommends mixing 2 cup of fertilizer with 1 cubic foot of potting soil, and then feed established plants 1 1/2 teaspoon each month.

If you prefer using a liquid fertilizer, you can also fertilize plants with a weak solution of fish emulsion or seaweed fertilizer every two weeks, or when leaves show signs of stress.

The post How to Plant and Grow Indoor Vegetable Garden appeared first on Willow Crossing Blog.

We understand that finding a new apartment can be a long and laborious process, involving weeks or even months. The search can be difficult with so many apartment homes in the area and prices that are continuously fluctuating. It's difficult to know where to begin, so we've put together a few pointers to assist you in finding the appropriate home for you.

1. Make a financial plan

Price is one of the most essential considerations while looking for a new home. With housing costs rising, finding a property within your budget might be difficult. Location and season might have an impact on pricing, so conduct some research on the location you want to reside in. What are the current market prices in various areas? Find out what other people are paying by asking around. External elements should be factored into your budget because newer places may have a lot more included amenities for the price.

2. Think about your commute and where you want to live.

Consider the commute if you already have a job and are familiar with your workplace. What is the current state of the traffic in the area? Is there a good network of buses, trains, and other local transportation options? Are you looking for a location that is close to specific amenities?
These are all questions to think about when deciding where to live, as the length of your commute can make or break your day. Some suburbs and neighborhoods have very distinct cultures than others, so if you have the opportunity, go exploring to see where you believe you'd be happiest.

3. Make a list of all of the things you can't live without.

Do you require a workspace?
How many bathrooms are you looking for?
Are there any animals in the picture?
Is it necessary to have a gym on-site?
These things may or may not be important to you, but figure out what does and write it down. This will help you focus your search on viable possibilities.

4. If you can, be patient and take tours!

It takes time to find your dream home, so don't rush into a scenario where you'll be unhappy. If you can't wait any longer, consider hiring a real estate agent or broker to assist you with your search. Because they may have access to information that you do not, the finder's fee may be worthwhile. They can also arrange tours for you, allowing you to visit more sites than you could on your own.

5. Make a list of all the questions you want to ask.

Property managers have a reason for being in their jobs. Make the most of them by asking questions about the flats you're interested in before you go on a tour.

• Is there a parking fee at the property? Pets?

• What other options do you have if you don't want to pay them for parking?

• What services and amenities are included?

• Is the price of the property inclusive of utilities? Hundreds of dollars could be saved!

• Is it necessary to have renter's insurance?

• Is it trash or recycling? Maintenance? Landscaping?

These are all crucial factors to consider. Any inquiries you may have about our properties can be directed to Marquette Management.

If you have any concerns concerning our properties, please contact us or call us at 630-320-0550.

The post 5 Tips to Finding the Best Apartment Homes: Where to Live and How to Find It appeared first on Willow Crossing Blog.

We love the idea of giving back this holiday season while still having fun, and we are holding several events here at the apartment to help out as well as welcome people to the community.

We are a local Toys for Tots donation center, and toys can be donated for kids at our front office. We are collecting new unwrapped toys for the TOYS FOR TOTS FOUNDATION.  The Toys for Tots runs from November 9th with December 9th being the last day of collecting a donation. Drop off a toy and Make a Child's Christmas Come True. 

Look for the signs! 

All November long, you can donate to our food drive right here at Willow Crossing. Non-perishables can be brought directly to the leasing office, even if you are not a resident! These donations will go directly to helping families in need this holiday season, so stop by and give back this month.
 

Since November is the month of giving, we are also hosting a 50/50 raffle benefiting the less fortunate while also giving back to our own community. Please stop by the leasing office for more information and to buy your raffle tickets and help the cause. This partnership is with Institute for Community, a non-profit organization building communities and solving problems within them.

Finally, we will be hosting a New Resident Welcome Brunch on November 28th, 2021 from 12 pm – 1 pm at our updated resident lounge. Join us for a light brunch, gifts for new residents, and meeting members of the community. 

All residents are welcome to attend!

RSVP by emailing [email protected]

We hope to see you there!

The post Give Back this Thanksgiving at Willow Crossing Apartments Food Drive and Raffle appeared first on Willow Crossing Blog.

Holiday Sampler Craft and Vendor Show

Come check out Bella Rayne Design at the Elk Grove High School Holiday Sampler Craft Show.  

The Holiday Sampler is back this year with over 250 crafters and vendors. Get a jump on your holiday shopping, birthday gifts and more. 

Admission $3. 

Raffle, Bake Sale and Concessions available.  

It's sure to be a great show.

Elk Grove Holiday Sampler Craft and Vendor Show will be held on November 7th, 2021. This event will include a wide variety of handmade crafts, direct sale home vendors, food concessions, raffle, and bake sale. Hours: 10am-4pm

Job Fair

Elk Grove Village is proudly hosting a Job Fair open to Elk Grove businesses and job seekers. Recruit your new team today!

About this Event

Date and time

Fri, November 5, 2021

8:30 AM – 3:00 PM CDT

Add to calendar

Location

Elk Grove Park District – Jack A. Claes Pavilion

1000 Wellington Ave. 

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Elk Grove is here to support your growth and acceleration. That’s why, in an effort to help you find the right employees during these challenging hiring times, we’re hosting a free job fair. 

Exclusively for businesses based in Elk Grove Village, register for a table to recruit the people you need most. Open to all industries, the fair will be advertised across Chicagoland—so you have more opportunities to connect with the right candidates. 

We’ll also be hosting a free networking breakfast with keynote address for Employer Exhibitors before the event opens to the public. 

8:30 am – Exhibitor Breakfast and Networking

9:00 am – 10:00 am – "Attracting Top Talent at Job Fairs and Beyond" Keynote from Kathleen Canfield, Director, Job Placement Resource Center, Harper College

10:00 am – 11:00 am – Exhibitor Setup

11:30 am to 1:30 pm – Catered Lunch for All Attendees

11:00 am – 3:00 pm – Job Fair

Join us in our efforts to ensure that Elk Grove Village remains a great place to live, work, and play. 

Booth space is limited. Reserve your table + 2 chairs now! 

*REGISTRATION LIMITED TO ELK GROVE VILLAGE-BASED BUSINESSES ONLY, PLEASE.*

The post Local Events: Holiday Sampler Craft and Vendor Show and Job Fair appeared first on Willow Crossing Blog.

Appetizers are an essential part of any party or gathering. These small dishes stimulate our taste buds and fill our bellies while we wait for the main course. Whether you’re attending a Halloween party, are throwing one yourself, or are looking to treat your friends to delicious snacks, be sure to try these recipes!

And be sure to check out the trick or treating info at the end of the post!

1. Ham And Cheese Crescent Mummy

Share a spooky crescent mummy with your family and watch it get eaten up quickly! This simple recipe combines a tube of crescent roll dough with sliced cheddar cheese and deli ham to create a festive bite!

This recipe provides thorough step-by-step instructions so that you too can create the fun mummy shape. The finishing touches are what bring this appetizer to life and to do that, all you will need are two sliced olives!

PHOTO AND RECIPE HERE: PILLSBURY

2. Strawberry Ghosts

There are so many great appetizers you can enjoy but not all of them have to be savory. This spooky-fun sweet appetizer will capture everyone’s attention, and they’ll surely be back for seconds.

To create strawberry ghosts all you’ll need are fresh strawberries, white chocolate or candy melts, and mini chocoalte chips. These come together quickly but keep in mind they do need time to harden in the fridge which means this is a great recipe to make ahead of your Halloween festivities!

PHOTO AND RECIPE HERE: CANDIQUIK

3. Cheesy Bones

Breadsticks are delicious and would make a great appetizer but this recipe puts a fun Halloween twist on a simple recipe which will certainly leave a lasting impression on your guests! These cheesy bones are incredibly easy to make since you’ll be working with store-bought breadstick dough. Stretch and tie the dough into bone shapes and then bake them in the oven!

Be sure to coat the breadsticks in parmesan cheese before baking. Finally, prepare the delicious sauce that is made from just 2 ingredients and is perfect for dipping.

PHOTO AND RECIPE HERE: MY FOOD AND FAMILY

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4. Frankenguac

Guacamole and chips are a crowd favorite and that is why you should make this fun appetizer! This recipe takes simple ingredients and transforms them into the perfect Halloween treat.

To create this fun Frankenguac all you’ll need is store-bought guacamole (or your favorite homemade recipe), blue tortilla chips, sour cream, and sliced olives. This delicious appetizer comes together in 20 minutes or less!

PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: DINE AND DISH

5. Pumpkin-Shaped Cheeseball

Pumpkins are an essential part of Halloween. Whether you like to display them as they are or carve them into Jack-O-Lanterns, they are great decorations for fall. With that in mind, sharing a pumpkin-shaped cheese ball would be an excellent Halloween appetizer.

While this recipe technically has 6 ingredients, we still believe it’s worth noting. All of these ingredients are store-bought and this cheeseball comes together as quickly as mixing the ingredients together and then forming the shape with plastic wrap and rubber bands. It’s so easy!

PHOTO AND RECIPE HERE: FORKLY

Be sure to also check out these awesome Halloween Events happening right here at Willow Crossing!

Trick or Treat

Join us for trick or treating right here at our property community. We will go from building to building, starting with the office, and give trick or treaters access to the buildings to knock on doors that are welcoming trick or treaters. Makes are required and children under 13 need adult supervision. RSVP today at the office and we will email you with location and times on October 30th.

Rent Credit

Recieve $500 in rent credit when someone you refer signs a 12 month lease or longer! See the office for details on this promotion happening in October.

The post Halloween Recipes and Events Here at Willow Crossing – 5 Halloween Recipes You Could Die for This Holiday appeared first on Willow Crossing Blog.

There is a ton to explore here, making it a destination you will want to continue walking, running, biking, and paddling. Nature lovers will truly enjoy this wonderful place.

With fall fast approaching, this is a fantastic place to see fall colors in Illinois. The woods are changing, the grasses turn red and orange, and the wildlife is abundant. You could easily spend 3-4 hours exploring the vast amount that Busse Woods has to offer. One of the richest and most diverse areas, the Busse Nature preserve, is part of it, along with one of the best places for water activities, Busse lake.

Busse Woods is located between Elk Grove and Schaumburg. There are multiple parking areas, so visit the website or check out directions online. Cook County Forest Preserves manages the land. Restrooms are onsite. Enjoy the outdoor activities!

The Water

The lake was created in 1978 by dammed natural waterways. The lake covers about 460 acres and is open to the public. A great place to paddle, you’ll often see people out on the water. There are herons, coves, inlets, cattails, and cormorant birds, so keep an eye out. Rentals are available hourly. 

Trails

There is an extensive, mixed-use trail system with 7.3 main trail as the highlight. It winds through most of the preserve and is used frequently to hike, bike, run, and walk. Stay alert and stay safe! A trail map can be found at the forest preserve website above. There are elk inhabiting the area in an enclosed pasture on the east side. 

You can also fish the are in sections designated and stocked by the state. For a longer hike you can connect to Salt Creek.

Whatever your adventure in Busse Woods, be sure to wear protection from the sun and spend multiple days exploring the area. It will soon become a favorite spot for nature lovers!

Do you have any favorite experiences in Busse? Let us know in the comments!

The post Nature’s Way: Busse Woods Is One of the Best Local Ways to Experience Nature appeared first on Willow Crossing Blog.