Thursday 26 September 2013

Ways to Make Your Kitchen Eco-Friendly


Kitchen has always been the heart of a home, and it’s also one of the most important areas in your apartment to make eco-friendly. From the amount of water wasted while doing dishes, to the harsh chemical cleaners, the kitchen is the first place to start is you want to be living green in your new apartment. Follow these simple suggestions to reduce your carbon foot print, and live an eco-friendly lifestyle.
 
   
Recycle…
 
This sounds like the obvious step towards green living, and most of you probably do recycle but are you sure you’re recycling correctly??  Make sure you’re aware of what can and cannot go in the blue bin; the City of Toronto has great posters that will list the acceptable items for you. For example, plastic bags may seem like an obvious thing to recycle, but wrong these must go in the trash! However, some stores like your local drugstore or supermarket will have a plastic bag recycling bin where you can rid of your grocery bags.

Feel free to toss things like corrugated cardboard, office paper, magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes, phone books and dairy/juice cartons in the recycling bin without the lids and straws. Wax paper, takeout containers with black bottoms or tops (such as for roast chicken) and plastic over-wrap on pop/water cartons, toilet paper, paper towels need to go in the trash can.



Reduce Waste

Cutting down on the amount of garbage you create depends on the food you consume. Avoid items with extra packaging like fruits on Styrofoam trays wrapped in plastic and if you need to purchase packaged items check to see if the packaging can be recycled. When you’re cooking, try to not make an overabundance of food, or you’ll be tossing the leftovers in the trash. Cook enough for one meal, and some extra if you take leftovers for lunch.
  

Reusable Containers

Keep a good stock of reusable containers, whether it’s for storing food, or taking lunch buy containers that are durable, glass containers are great as they’ll never change colour. Remember if you’re taking lunch from home buy reusable food containers, and avoid plastic and paper bags.  Try to ditch the take out, as most of the containers can’t be recycled; if you’re a coffee lover buy a thermos to take to your local coffee shop instead of using those carton cups.
 

 
Go Local

Purchase fruits and vegetables from farmers markets and local stores that don’t put their goods in plastic containers. Make sure to bring along a reusable bag to the market so you aren’t picking up a bunch of plastic bags for your purchases.

 

Ditch the Chemical Cleaners

Harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia aren’t good for your body or your home. Once you spill the rest of your cleaner down the drain, it can go into local rivers, lakes and oceans. Your indoor air quality is compromised when you are trying to get your apartment spic and span! There are plenty of green kitchen cleaning products on the market that you can choose from, but it’s also incredibly simple to make your own. If you have baking soda, white vinegar, lemons, olive oil and aromatic plant oils like lavender or eucalyptus, you can make your own all-purpose cleaning scrub and floor disinfectant.

 
So it doesn’t matter whether your renting a fancy apartment with energy efficient appliance or an older apartment you can still make your kitchen more eco-friendly by keeping these simple suggestions in mind while you shop. Remember when you’re searching for your next Toronto apartment visit www.flagshipcorp.ca

Monday 9 September 2013

Home Gym Ideas for a Cozy Apartment

Remember back to January 1st, when you made a resolution to eat healthier and visit the gym to get into shape. Well, that didn’t last long, did it? After a few weeks at the gym, several failed attempts to those starvation diets you give up. Well, September is here and the last crunch to get into shape starts now. With going back to school and work, having a fit schedule means fitting in a workout into you routine is easier.

Gyms are expensive, intimidating and sometimes smelly (who needs them!?). Don’t go out and spend hundreds of dollars on a gym membership or heavy equipment you will never use. Instead, you can use a home gym to stay fit and healthy in the comfort of your own apartment. Invest in some inexpensive gym equipment that can be stored easily in your apartment to create the perfect home gym. Don’t have a lot of space? Don’t worry; we have some great advice to help you reach your goals. Working out at home can be simple and doesn’t have to take up a lot of room.
 
Work out videos

There are many video options available, whether you purchase one from those infomercials or search for free videos on YouTube, there is a video out there catered to you. Avoid those videos that are over an hour in length, as you’ll easily get tired of your new routine. Try to keep workouts to around 30 or 45 minutes, this will be easier for you to commit. Keep in mind, the great thing about owning your own work out videos, many of the come with a workout schedule that will help coordinate your work out. Plus, you can play the DVDs on your TV in the living room or on your laptop. This is the simplest home gym option available, as you don’t need too many gadgets, it’s easy to store, and takes up virtually no space in your apartment.

Outdoors

September is still a relatively warm month, so workingout in the outdoors is easy. Go out for a jog around your neighbourhood, do some yoga in the park or do some streches in your living room. Your apartment may be small, if you keep in mind those trails that are just around your building, your workout space is endless. So, just because you live in a city apartment doesn't mean you can't make use of the outdoors. With many "green gym" options around, sign up for an outdoor gym class and make the most of the warm weather.

 Get the Equipment


Your apartment may not have the space to set up that fancy treadmill or elliptical you saw in the store, its ok- all you need is some small inexpensive workout accessories. Purchase some weights, a yoga mat, an exercise ball, a foam roller, some resistance bands and a jump rope. Most of these items can be easily stored at the bottom of your closet or under your bed for easy clean up. Keep in mind, it’s easy to come up with excuses to not workout when you don’t have the necessary equipment, so don’t even give yourself the opportunity to have these thoughts. Consider buying items that are versatile and can be used for various exercises.
Storage Solutions
If you have a spare bedroom or den that doubles as an office, you can also turn this into a small home gym and break a sweat without being interrupted by your roomies. Creating a home gym may seem impossible if you don’t have a spare room–especially if you live in a small apartment. Now that you’ve made the commitment, invest in some versatile storage pieces that do double duty in your living space. Whether it’s a storage ottoman where you can toss in your accessories after a workout or a few bins, it helps to have storage options. Try not completely hiding your gear; keep something in sight to serve as a reminder to workout!
Remember, that when your searching for your new place visit www.flagshipcorp.ca with 11 buildings in Toronto we have your checklist covered. We also have floor plans online, so designing that versitile spare room into a guestroom and gym can be easier.