A new year is, of course, the perfect time to take a look back on the past year and reflect. 2022 may have looked a little different, and your New Year’s Resolutions may look different this year too. As these past few years have taught everyone a lot about health, wellness, and proper lifestyle choices. 

Perhaps you want to try smaller goals, instead of one overarching goal for the year. Or find a word that inspires your choices this year. Just make sure you set a goal that works for you! Here are some ideas to get you started. 

There are the usual ideas of getting healthier or eating better, and those are always great! Find ways to stay active during the day, even in simple ways. You could purchase a standing desk so you’re not hunched over all day. Or you could buy a healthy eating subscription service and have less junk food in the house.

Some other non-typical resolution ideas include being more polite, meeting new people, learning a new skill, becoming more romantic, and so many other things!

No matter your New Year’s Resolution, stay dedicated, create realistic goals, and walk into this new year with your head held high!

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As fall nights get colder reminding us that winter is just around the corner, “cozy” becomes an important word.

At Arcadia Run, our apartments give you lots of space to live, work, and be happy.

And each of these luxurious spaces can be made cozy with the right touches.

Because we know you’re now wondering “how to make my apartment cozy,” we have put together a list to help.

This winter, cozy up your Arcadia Run apartment with these nine tips:

1. Big, fluffy blankets

The bigger and fluffier, the better. A shag or sherpa blanket is just the thing to cuddle up in and instantly feel cozy. Just imagine sitting near the extended windows of your Arcadia Run apartment and watching the snow fall as you’re wrapped in the embrace of the plush wonderland that is your blanket. You could even find a good weighted blanket for a bit of extra comfort.

2. Plush or fake fur rugs

The vinyl “hardwood” flooring that runs throughout your Arcadia Run apartment is durable, stylish, and beautiful (we wanted you to only have the best). But one thing that can help your space feel more cozy is a plush or fake fur rug. Such a rug gives you something soft to wiggle your toes in—toe wiggling being a very cozy activity.

3. Slippers

And if you don’t want to interrupt the elegant flooring of your apartment with a rug, then get yourself a nice pair of slippers. Slippers are like portable plush rugs for your feet! They wrap your tootsies in cozy warmth and remind you with every step that comfort is always underfoot. Slippers are also a great tag team with a blanket or rugs in making your Arcadia Run apartment feel extra luxurious.

4. Decor with warm wood colors

Just like the aforementioned floors in your Arcadia Run apartment, warm wood colors help evoke a feeling of coziness. These shades conjure images of ski lodges and wooden cabins in the snow—two very cozy locations. So, use this to your advantage and add some decor and furniture in warm wood colors. This can be as simple as adding some photos in chunky natural wood picture frames on your coffee table to as elaborate as upgrading to a beautiful stained wood TV stand. Build the vision of cabins and lodges around you while you nestle into your fluffy blanket.

5. Flowers and greenery

Especially as they begin to disappear as the seasons change, flowers and greenery become very important decorative items. They complement the warm wood colors, ornamenting your apartment with reminders of spring and summer, and bringing the natural world outside into your apartment. They can be real or fake (depending on how green your thumb is), but their mood and cozy-enhancing properties will still be effective. Try clustering some succulents on your kitchen counter, or adding a hanging ivy (very easy to keep alive!) in a corner of your living room.

6. LED string lights

Quite simply, LED string lights bring the stars into your apartment. And nothing is cozier that snuggling up under the stars—especially when you can do it in the comfort of your Arcadia Run residence! We recommend decorating with LED string lights with warmer color temperatures (3,000K or less), as most decorators agree warmer color temperatures increase a room’s cozy appeal. There are also LED string lights that twinkle, pulse, or subtly change color, which can create the feeling of holiday lights—definitely a cozy touch.

7. LED candles

LED candles take LED string lights to the next level of realism. They look like real candles and often feel like real candles with a wax coating, but you’ll rest easy knowing you can’t be burned. Some LED candles come with a remote control and an automatic timer, meaning you can have them turn on and off at the same time each day. If you put several LED candles of various heights on a mirrored tray, the flickering light will bounce all around your apartment. Cozy magic!

8. Cozy scents

Never forget how important scents are. Not to get too sciency, but the location of your nose fast-tracks information straight to the parts of your brain that control emotion and memory. So, having cozy scents, like pine or cinnamon, from candles or other air fresheners can make your Arcadia Run apartment constantly conjure feelings of coziness from days gone by. And those are some of the best kinds of cozy.

9. Warm beverages

Warm beverages have two cozy benefits. First is their tantalizing scents (and you already know about those) which can float from your decadent kitchen throughout your Arcadia Run residence. And second, is the warmth they produce inside you as you drink them. Be it tea, coffee, mulled wine, hot cocoa, or an adult spiced cider, drink a little coziness.

Those are nine ways to turn your spacious Arcadia Run apartment into a cozy retreat this fall and winter season. They are simple, little touches that surround you with warmth and softness and flickering lights, making a smile curl across your relaxed and reminiscing face and your eyelids droop in cozy and contented bliss.

The walls of your apartment surround you and keep in all your stuff.

They are also blank canvasses waiting to be adorned, personalized, and made fabulous.

Apartment living precludes putting holes in your walls, but there are so many other ways to transform your apartment’s walls.

While a few of these suggestions have also appeared in our previous blog[CM1]  about apartment decorating, they are important enough to re-mention here and expand on.

Here are ten of the best wall ideas for your apartment to make it feel even more like you… like home.

1. Art and photographs

Art and photographs are naturals for decorating your walls, but you have to take care not to harm your walls in the process. Good thing that science has caught up with decorating! There are many name-brand and generic non-permanent, wall-safe hanging solutions available, from simple poster hanging tape to hooks that can support art up to 16 lbs. Try clustering inexpensive art prints in matching frames or black and white photos in colorful or ornate frames for a gallery wall. You can even create your own art (even if you’re not an artist – really, you’re allowed!) using low cost art materials found in ubiquitous craft stores or online. Whether it’s one piece or a collection, art will instantly add personality to your walls.

2. Temporary wallpaper & vinyl decals

Wallpaper is another way to add uniqueness, color, and texture to your walls. But it’s not the wallpaper of old—this wallpaper is removable. Like a giant sticker, temporary wallpaper goes on easy and comes off even easier, leaving no trace it was ever up. If you just want a little decor on your walls, there are many removable vinyl images you can find—of famous quotes, famous video game characters, famous views, and so much more. Peel-and-stick (and-remove) wall decor at its finest.

3. Mirrors

Mirrors add instant depth to a room, but they don’t have to be heavy affairs. A search at any “everything” store will find lightweight mirrors that can easily be hung the same non-harmful way as art and photographs. Checking thrift stores will often yield really fancy-looking mirrors that are actually in painted plastic frames (meaning they aren’t heavy and can easily hang via a removeable hook). Try hanging a group of mirrors of different sizes, or creating a pattern out of many small mirrors (this works best in mirrors without frames). To brighten your apartment, try hanging a mirror where it will reflect the light from a window or sliding glass door into the room.

4. Tapestries

Tapestries have adorned walls for generations. Once needed as a pretty form of insulation, they are now fully decorative pieces of textile art. They come in a variety of sizes, colors, patterns, and weights—meaning there’s a tapestry out there that will add more “you” to your space without needing industrial hardware to hang. Try layering tapestries to bring more dimension and depth to a smaller room.

5. Draperies

Changing up your drapes—your curtains—is one of the easiest ways to add a splash of pizzazz to your apartment. Changing the length of your curtains can also create a different feeling of space in the room, anywhere from taller to cozier. Curtains can also be added anywhere there are walls in close proximity with the use of tension rods, which can be a great way to divide a room (for example, to create a WFH space).

6. Maps

Some people like accent walls, but why stop there? Maps can create destination walls! Maps are not only colorful, but can also be full of memories. You can find scratch off maps that allow you to mark places that you’ve visited, or corkboard maps that come with push pins to mark off your trips. They are a great backdrop to ornament with details, photos, and mementos of places you’ve been. Or, they can be a platform on which to plan future memories and adventures.

7. Sticky notes

Sticky notes have one job: to stick without harming surfaces. So, use them to your advantage. They don’t have to just be for shopping lists, birthdays, or other messages you want to remember. They can also be arranged to make art, paper pixel by paper pixel. Doodle on them. Write poetry on them. Use them for a wall of ideas. The best thing about them is that they are completely portable, so your “art” can move all around your apartment walls—wherever you need a bright spot of inspiration or color.

8. Cork board or whiteboard (or chalkboard)

And while we’re on the subject of ideas, you could always hang or stick up a cork board or whiteboard (or chalkboard) to use as your idea or art factory. There are so many colors of markers for whiteboards and chalkboards you really can create actual works of art on them now—art that you can change in an instant! Or, just like our maps suggestion, use them as a base from which to build a collection of memories, photos, and mementos. Swap out inspirational sayings, seasonal holiday decoration, or any other bits of happiness your fancy desires. These are great for kids too (just remember to hang them at kid level for easy access), and you’ll be inspiring your little artist(s) to create masterpieces.

9. Color-change lighting

Okay, now we’re getting a little more high tech, but high tech doesn’t have to mean difficult. Accent lighting can be as simple as a smart, color-change bulb or as complex as bias lighting for your TV with color sync technology (that changes color and brightness based on what’s on your screen). No matter which type of lighting you use, being able to quickly change the color of your walls is a great way to make a space feel exciting, or intimate, or professional, or…well, you can create nearly any atmosphere with the right lighting.

10. Fake windows

Fake windows can add vistas to your apartment otherwise not possible: another country, another planet, another time. They can be as simple as adding dark tape to a photo (or photos) to simulate the window frame and grilles, or as complex as building a fake window complete with hidden lighting and speakers to simulate outdoor conditions. Regardless of the complexity, fake windows can be portals to your imagination and create something new for your wall space.

The walls of your apartment are all around you. They are functional, but they are also large blank canvases where you can add more personal touches to your Arcadia Run residence. When you feel like adding some style to your home, try some of our best wall ideas for apartments—and let your decorating inspiration flow!

There is nothing like live music.

The energy of actually being there and feeling the sound waves as they are produced is magical.

It’s a uniting experience, a transformational experience, and an experience that’s just a lot of fun.

And Manassas is a haven for live music.

Here are 6 of our favorite live music venues in Manassas, VA—and they’re all right around the corner from Arcadia Run!

1. Philadelphia Tavern

Philadelphia Tavern has been a mainstay in Manassas for 30 years. Featuring upscale pub dining with a Philly flair, Philadelphia Tavern has the feel of an authentic Philly tavern (probably because the original owners brought the recipes and traditions of a 100-year-old bar from Philadelphia). Enjoy brews from local distilleries and breweries as you snack on elevated pub fare, including the best Philly cheesesteak in town (if they don’t say so themselves). And all this deliciousness pairs perfectly with Philadelphia Tavern’s live music.

2. Monza

Monza is a noteworthy casual bar and restaurant in Old Town Manassas. As you tap your toes to live music (most weekends), you’ll be enjoying some delicious food and drink. With home-made pasta, subs, burgers, salads, and sandwiches, there’s something for everyone. Especially if you love authentic, brick oven pizza (it’s one of their specialties). Plus, sip from a drink list that’s one of the (if not the) largest in town—including made-to-order sangria.  

3. Okra’s

Okra’s is a flavor not to be missed, serving Cajun and Creole dishes to Manassas residents for over 22 years. Where else can you snack on alligator bites, sink your teeth into voodoo chicken, and chow down on some of the best gumbo you’ll ever taste? And where can you do this while enjoying live music? Only at Okra’s, of course. Okra’s also offers a straight-from-the-chef delivery service to make sure you can enjoy their mouth-watering food in the comfort of your own home.

4. Battle Street Live Concert Series

The Battle Street Live Concert Series is a joyous celebration of coming together. When Public House Kitchen & Brewery first opened, they were envious of the live music offered at Okra’s and Monza. So, they decided to team up together and create The Battle Street Live Concert Series. Running from the first weekend in May through the first weekend in October, you can enjoy alfresco dining and live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night. These concerts are a great way to really unwind on the weekends.

5. Farm Brew LIVE

Farm Brew LIVE calls themselves “a destination brewery campus.” 8 acres of beautiful Virginia countryside (on the site of the historic Thomasson Barn) full of food and craft brew venues accompanied by live music. Right now, Farm Brew LIVE features 2 Silos Brewing, Co. and tasting room, The Pit BBQ and beer garden, La Gringa Food Truck, and The YARD outdoor live music venue. But Farm Brew LIVE is also growing, meaning there will be more food and fun coming soon. It’s no wonder Farm Brew Live was the winner of Virginia Restaurant Lodging Travel Association’s 2018 Travel Attraction of the Year—and still going strong!

6. Harris Pavilion

Not only does the Harris Pavilion host a weekly farmer’s market, but it’s also home to an annual free summer concert series right in the heart of Old Town Manassas. Take some time off from shopping in Old Town and hear both visiting artists and local bands perform almost every genre of music imaginable: country, jazz, rock, R&B, and everything in between.

While some of the live music performances at these venues have been impacted by the pandemic, more and more are returning. If it isn’t clear on their website (or you just want to double check), contact the establishment to see the current state of their music—and then let the good times and tunes roll at these amazing Manassas VA live music venues!

Our favorite thing to eat is food.

And there is nothing like the gastronomic excitement of getting that food from food trucks.

Be they at a special event, office park, or anywhere else, food trucks have a magic and mystique that makes us feel young again. Plus, they have really delicious food.

But eating at food trucks near Arcadia Run apartments is good for more than just your stomach. Here are five reasons you should eat at food trucks in Manassas:

1. Taste the creations of masterful chefs.

Though we already mentioned eating delicious food, one reason to try food trucks is the skill of the chefs inside. The Frenchman Food Truck’s chef, as a great Manassas-serving example, has a resumé of working with top chefs and at highly accredited establishments in the area—and that’s after finishing his culinary studies at Johnson & Wales University.

You’re not just getting food from someone who decided to run a food truck. More often than not, you’re eating the creations of highly trained chefs and/or recipes and cooking skills that have been passed down through generations of cooking professionals. And you get to be the beneficiary of all that love and training when you eat at local food trucks.

2. Explore new cuisines.

Food trucks create and offer a variety of international dishes. Normally centering on one theme or cuisine, each food truck brings you another slice of the world in an easy-to-eat and authentic package.

They can also be culinary experimentation labs, fusing street food, fine dining, and comfort food from various parts of the world into one delectable foodstuff. And sometimes, food trucks park in packs, meaning you can combine your own food adventure by getting things for a few different food trucks. Either way, you’ll be expanding your palate and food horizons, which is a great way to begin learning about other cultures.

3. Learn the community.

Food trucks provide not only great food, but a great reason to explore your community. Food trucks often congregate in specific locations: office parks, neighborhoods, community festivals, and breweries. Finding where food trucks can help you learn the area better and discover new places to explore.

A great example of this is Ornery Beer Company Taproom. Just five minutes away from Arcadia Run, Ornery Beer Company Taproom hosts weekly (and rotating) food trucks. Visit these food trucks and you might see bits of Manassas you didn’t know about before. 

4. Meet neighbors.

And food isn’t the only thing you’ll find at food trucks: you’ll also find your neighbors! Eating together is a great way to really get to know someone. You’ll share opinions on the food, thoughts about the weather, condiment recommendations, and so much more.

Food trucks provide a great community service of giving neighbors a place to meet with a purpose (even if that purpose is just filling your face with yummy things). If you find food trucks in Manassas, you’re bound to meet neighbors from Arcadia Run, Manassas, and probably even other places in Fairfax. Your pool of friends will expand, all thanks to food trucks.

5. Support small, local businesses.

Most food trucks are local to the locations they serve. By eating their tasty creations, you’re directly helping the economy of your community. An oldie-but-goodie study from Civic Economics found that 68% of money spent with locally owned businesses stays in the community, compared to only 43% of non-locally owned businesses. Eating at food trucks in Manassas helps all of Manassas, as well as your hungry tummy.

As Salesforce’s 2020 Small & Medium Business Trends Report (signup required) shows, 51% of small & medium businesses (SMB) are worried about reduced customer demand due to the pandemic. This is especially true for food trucks, as their business relies on bringing people together, and that’s just not possible right now. But, the spirit of SMB is always that of adaptation: to achieve without the resources of bigger companies. Food trucks always publish their schedules in advance (so you can find them), but many are also turning to online ordering in an effort to make your experience safer.

Food trucks are delicious enterprises, helping communities come together, fostering support for local businesses, and giving your tastebuds something to savor. Remember, when you are hungry, find a food truck in Manassas. Here’s a link to just some of the many flavors driving around Arcadia Run: Food Truck Search.