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Five Great CDs for Children

December 27, 2012 By balfour

Gone are the days of unlistenable songs! Modern children's musicians are set on creating music that parents can also enjoy. Here are five kids' albums that every parent should add to their family's music library.

Dan Zanes – House Party
Zanes is one of today's most popular names in children’s music and has several albums all geared for kids. His House Party album is one of the most accessible. Its up-tempo songs are sure to get your kids moving.

Laura Veirs – Tumble Bee
Tumble Bee is this Canadian singer-songwriter's first kids album. Laura is best known for her "grown-up" work, but ventured into children's music with this CD that she produced with husband Tucker Martine. On this album, they take classics from the Smithsonian Folkways collection and give them new life.

Gustafer Yellowgold – Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World
This fun album draws inspiration from 70s rock. It tells a fantastical tale of a bizarre creature who fell to Earth from outer space.

The Deedle Deedle Dees – Strange Dees Indeed
This Brooklyn-based rock band crafts catchy tunes about some of the most important historical figures. Their addictive lyrics and melodies are both educational and entertaining.

Jim Copp & Ed Brown – Agnes Mouthwash And Friends
This one is an oldie-but-a-goodie. The totally unique records created by Copp and Brown in the 1960s still hold up today. Their songs are full of strange, funny characters and memorable melodies. Kids of all ages love them.

By U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tiffany Addair [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Filed Under: Better Living Tagged With: Dan Zanes, Kids, Laura Veirs, Music

Georgetown Waterfront Park: Relax in a Natural Setting

December 20, 2012 By balfour

Georgetown Waterfront Park is part of the National Park Service, but is also a popular place for locals to hang out and work out. Come in and enjoy the view of the Potomac River as you stroll along the car-free pathway. It’s a great way to get your exercise and to relax! The pathway is also a great place for cyclists and skaters. Enjoy the view – and what a view! With Georgetown to the north, Foggy Bottom south and Roosevelt Island across the river, you’re bound to see something beautiful. If you like water sports, there are places to rent kayaks and canoes. The shores of the park are also home to boathouses for many competitive rowing teams. Or just bring a picnic lunch, relax and watch the boats roll by!

Georgetown Waterfront Park
3000 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 944-4545
http://www.yelp.com/biz/georgetown-waterfront-park-washington

By Aboutmovies at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Filed Under: Around Town Tagged With: Georgetown Waterfront Park, Parks, Things to Do in Washington, Washington Attractions

Holiday Office Hours

December 19, 2012 By balfour

The Leasing Office and NC will be closing at 3:00 pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Happy Holidays!

Filed Under: Resident Messages Tagged With: Holiday, Hours, Office Hours, Residents

Memorable Drivers in Formula 1 Racing

December 13, 2012 By balfour

As anyone can tell you, Formula 1 racing is thrilling and fast-paced, and drivers sit behind the wheel of some of the fastest cars ever known to man. It takes a special and skilled individual to maneuver these machines. To become a true F1 legend you need talent, stamina, and top-notch reflexes. Here are a few drivers who made their way to the top:

Alain Prost
In 1980 at the age of 25, Prost, the French born, four-time Formula One driver’s champion, joined the McLaren F1 team. He then continued on to also drive for Renault and Ferrari. He is well-known for his rivalry throughout the 80s with Aryton Senna. Prost is called “The Professor” by fans, referring to his cool style behind the wheel. Today, he competes in yearly ice racing league.

Stirling Moss
The cool thing about Formula 1 is that is has an incredible history of almost a century of racing. One of the best drivers from the sport’s mid-century period was British racer Stirling Moss. Widely regarded as the greatest driver to never take home a championship, Moss drove from 1948 to 1962, piloting a diverse selection of cars in as many as 62 races in a single year.

Michael Schumacher
Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion, and is one of the winningest Formula 1 drivers of all time. He holds a panoply of records that few could ever hope to challenge. His claims to fame include the most wins in a single season (an amazing 14), and being the only F1 driver ever to finish in the top 3 for every single race in his 2002 season. Today, Schumacher is the standard by which all other drivers are measured.

Ayrton Senna
Senna is oft regarded as one of the most talented individuals to ever sit behind the wheel of a race car. The Brazilian made his Formula 1 debut back in 1984, and enjoyed 10 years of outstanding performances before dying in a terrible crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Senna’s single lap performance was one of the best in the biz, and he also holds 6 Monaco Grand Prix wins — a record to this day.

By Christopher.foster (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Filed Under: Better Living Tagged With: F1 Racing, Motor Sports, Trivia

Community Blog Updates

December 11, 2012 By balfour

With 2013 right around the corner, we would like to share with you a few Communications updates for Balfour Beatty Communities. Over the next couple of months we will be unveiling new, redesigned websites for all Installations. With the launch, we will introduce a new blog and other communications features as part of the websites, giving you one online location for all news, messages and other information from Balfour Beatty Communities.

Things to look forward to:

An enhanced Resident Messages & Events page
A Better Living Blog hosted by Balfour Beatty Communities with categories such as Conservation Corner, Safety Zone, and the popular Recipe Box!
An alert system on the home page for important community updates.
And much more!

Detailed information regarding the new websites will be provided post-launch. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Resident Messages

The Pretzel Bakery: Tasty Twists

December 6, 2012 By balfour

How good can a pretzel be, really? That’s a question you’ll never ask yourself again after your first visit to The Pretzel Bakery. Producing hand-rolled, small batch Philly-style soft pretzels out of a small door in a tiny storefront, this local favorite has grown into a Washington, D.C. destination spot for hearty snackers. So what’s the big draw? Plain and simple, these are some of the best pretzels you’ve ever eaten. Soft and fluffy on the inside with the perfect amount of crust and salt on the outside, all you need to pair them with is a little mustard (which you dispense yourself) and you’ve got the snack of a century. You can also opt for fancier toppings like Nutella and caramel mustard for a buck. Considering pretzels are just $2 apiece (and cheaper if you buy in bulk), that’s quite a deal. The Pretzel Bakery also lets you quench your thirst with a variety of Pennsylvania regional soda pops.

The Pretzel Bakery
340 15th Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 251-0953
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-pretzel-bakery-washington

By Alpha [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.

Filed Under: Around Town Tagged With: Bakeries, Restaurants in Washington, The Pretzel Bakery, Washington Dining

Unique iPhone Cases

November 29, 2012 By balfour

If you’ve invested your hard-earned cash in a brand new iPhone, you'll want to keep it safe and stylish with a case. Today, there is a wide array of iPhone cases and accessories on the market, but these are some of the most unique. While some just look cool, others have unique functionality, and they’ll all change your iPhone experience.

PhotoJojo manufactures an awesome iPhone case that doubles as an SLR lens mount. You can now affix any professional SLR camera lens to your iPhone’s built in camera for exceptional shooting. This is a fabulous gift for shutterbugs.

If you’re looking to make your iPhone useful at bars and barbecues, the Opena iPhone case is a great buy. Made of sturdy plastic, it houses a slide-out bottle opener for convenient beverage opening! It’s sturdy enough to open just about any kind of beer or soda.

There are many cool designs available for iPhone cases, but one of the most popular is designed to look like an old-time audio cassette, complete with retro label. Since the iPhone and iPod have basically replaced the Walkman as the portable music player of choice, this is a fun way to pay tribute to times gone by.

Urban Outfitters makes a hilariously charming cell phone case designed to mimic the form factor of 80s cell phones. These gigantic, blocky devices were often carried around in a briefcase, but these cases are significantly lighter, and much more entertaining.

If you’re the gaming type, one popular iPhone case is modeled after the classic gray Nintendo Game Boy. This staple of many 90s childhoods will have people complimenting your geek cred when you show it off at parties — it's a great conversation starter.

By Yutaka Tsutano, screen removed by Kyro (iPhone 4 32GB Black) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Filed Under: Better Living Tagged With: Cases, iPhone, Technology

Awesome Spices That Can Add a Unique Flair To Standard Meals

November 21, 2012 By balfour

If you’re tired of your dinner go-tos, why not explore the world of spices to add a little pizzazz? These flavors may seem a bit unusual if you’ve never sampled them, but they’re easy to use and can radically change the flavor of your ingredients into something new and different. Here are some favorites that will spice up at meal made at home at Glen Haven Homes.

Asafoetida is used in Indian cuisine as either a digestive aid or a condiment. It’s made from the dried sap from the root of a plant, and when raw, it smells kind of funky, but when cooked it adds a strong, subtle flavor kind of like leeks.

Lemon basil is common in Indonesian and Thai cuisines. Use the leaves like you would use ordinary European basil, but enjoy the added citrus bite that it brings to your dishes. It also has a wonderful aroma that makes it great for a garnish.

Galangal is used often in Thai cooking, and is somewhat similar to ginger root. Galangal packs a powerful, spicy punch. You can slice it and simmer it or grind it into a paste for curries. It also has powerful antioxidant properties.

Perilla, also known as shiso, is a popular herb in traditional Japanese cooking. The spiny leaves somewhat resemble stinging nettles, but they have a strong flavor that resembles fennel mixed with mint. Perilla also makes a great addition to salads!

By John Herschell [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Filed Under: Better Living Tagged With: Cooking, Diet, Food, Health, Nutritition

Improve Your Baking Skills

November 15, 2012 By balfour

The precision and timing required to make delectable baked goods is something that confounds even the most adept cooks. Yet homemade cookies and fresh breads offer some of life's greatest culinary pleasures. If you’re interested in teaching yourself how to bake, here are some tips to get started:

1. Get a recipe and follow it precisely. Baking is chemistry – meaning it's very difficult to improvise within, so following a simple, understandable recipe to the letter is vital in getting your basic skills where they need to be. It can often be instructive to try to make the same recipe multiple times to polish your results.

2. Prepare your ingredients ahead of time. When baking, unless noted, all ingredients should be at room temperature. Adding hot or cold liquids to dough and batters can make them set differently. Pre-measure everything in advance before you start mixing anything – since baking is very time-sensitive, rummaging around for ingredients can throw you off.

3. Before you start, make sure sure you have the proper pans and baking sheets. Different sizes and materials can greatly change the consistency of your end product when it comes out of the oven, as they require different baking times. Do not substitute baking pans unless you’re ready to deal with the problems it might create.

4. Don’t open the oven door often! Though it's tempting to continually check-in on your creation, keeping a consistent temperature inside the oven is vital in ensuring that all items through and rise properly.

5. Let your final product cool completely before tasting or cutting it. In many recipes, the last stage of baking happens after the cake is removed from the oven, giving it time to bind together. Cutting too early can result in flimsy, crumbly baked goods.