Blog Posts

Beat the Summer Heat-image

    There’s no doubt about it, summertime temperatures can soar to uncomfortable levels — and the respite from the heat your 501 on First apartment provides is most welcome. Unfortunately, we can’t hibernate in our apartments all summer, so in today’s blog post we’ve got some tips to stay cool when the heat gets hard to beat here in Rochester, MN.   Drink water. This is one of the simplest ways to keep your core temperature where it’s supposed to be. Drink enough water to avoid getting thirsty and stay hydrated. Use a refillable water bottle and keep it with you.   Dress for coolness. Choose loose-fitting, light-colored, lightweight clothing to assist your endeavor to stay cool. Natural fabrics that breathe let the heat out — think cotton and linen; stay away from synthetics.   Wear a hat. It’s amazing what a little shade can do. A hat or an umbrella is a good way to keep the sun’s rays away so there’s no need to get a sunburn. Speaking of sunburns, remember to wear sunscreen! This will protect you and your skin from hot, painful burns.   Siestas. Stay indoors during the mid-day if you are able. The sun is at its hottest between noon and about four in the afternoon, so plan indoor activities for this time of day. If you can, take a nap!   Limit vigorous activity. Limiting vigorous activity during the hottest part of the day will help you stay cooler. Choose to work out at earlier or later times of the day when the heat isn’t as much of a problem.   Eat right. Avoid heavy foods and opt for foods high in water content — fruits, salads, and cool soups are all good ideas.   Following these tips will help you keep your cool, even when it’s blazing hot outside. What other ways do you beat the summer heat? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading today’s post.

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Summer’s on Its Way Let’s Grill!-image

    Welcome back to the 501 on First Blog! Today, we’re moving into a month-long celebration appropriate for the start of summer: National Barbecue Month! May is the perfect time to bust out your grill and head to a park near our apartment community in Rochester, MN. Invite family and friends to join you for an afternoon or evening of barbecuing. Remember these essentials as you prepare for your next barbecue.   Grilling Tips   It’s easier to remove debris when the grill is hot, so after preheating, use a long-handled wire grill brush on your grill rack to clean off charred debris from prior meals. Scrape again immediately after use.   To gauge the temperature of a grill without a thermometer, place your open palm about 5 inches above the grill rack; the fire is high if you have to move your hand in 2 seconds, medium if you have to move your hand in 5 seconds and low if you have to move your hand in 10 seconds.   Keep the juices in your meat! Don’t pierce your meat with a fork or prongs — doing so will result in drier, less flavorful meat — use tongs or a spatula to turn your food.   Use a grill basket when you are cooking smaller cut vegetables like peppers, beans, asparagus, etc. For larger vegetable (corn on the cob, potatoes, whole carrots), coat in butter, season, wrap in foil and toss on the grill.   What’s on the menu?   Food will be on everyone’s mind on a warm summer day. Provide BBQ favorites like burgers, steak, and hot dogs, or vary it up a bit with some other options. We love the 25 creative main dishes for a crowd-pleasing BBQ from The Kitchn . We also love grilling skewers filled with goodness like these Grilled Steak, Potato, and Mushroom Kabobs . Whatever you’re grilling, spices can make all the difference. We like these spice blends from The Silk Road that are available to buy on Amazon; they’ll add an around-the-world flavor to your grilled meats and vegetables.   Include side dishes, like salads, fruits, vegetables, and chips, to round out the meal. If you’re going to have a big crowd coming to your BBQ, do a potluck for the sides and desserts to make things easier — just be sure to include drinks as well as meats.   What are your favorite foods to grill or activities to include during a summer barbecue? Share your ideas with the rest of us by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy your next barbecue.  

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Breakfast! It’s What’s for Dinner-image

    Here at the 501 on First Blog, we strive to bring members of our apartment community in Rochester tips that make a difference. Today we’ve got some ideas for cooking dinner to shake things up. Trying to figure out what to fix for dinner every night after work can be a frustrating exercise, but we’ve got a solution — breakfast! Chances are that on your way out in the morning you don’t take time to fix a big sit-down country breakfast, so switch it up and make breakfast for dinner. We’ve rounded up some recipes to try, plus some tips to make mealtime easier all around.   Breakfast for Dinner French toast is so simple, but it is also filling and relatively healthy. Check out the Cutestuff Cooks blog and try the Stuffed French Toast variation; it sounds decadent. Or make some German oven pancakes . Pinterest has a host of ideas! This dish is simple to make, and it’ll be delicious to eat.   Pancakes or waffles accompanied by bacon, sausage, and eggs cooked your favorite way create a hearty dinner that can be prepared quickly. We like this waffle recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog for it’s step-by-step directions, complete with pictures.   We found a lovely variety of egg bake and breakfast casserole recipes from Betty Crocker . The Bacon, Asparagus, and Smoked Gouda recipe sounds absolutely amazing.   If you are looking for simplicity, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, sausage or bacon, and toast make a filling meal. A simple meal at home can sometimes beat heading out to Rochester’s fast food arena.   Mealtime Tips Create flexible menus. Plan a week’s worth of meals and have the groceries on hand for all of them. During the week, decide which meal you feel like doing. This gives you meal planning and groceries on hand with flexibility built in.   Save gourmet cooking for the weekends, when you have more time to try new things or prepare time-consuming recipes. Stick to tried-and-true, easy-to-make meals for weeknight fare.   One last tip: Clean as you go! Cleaning as you cook makes the after-meal cleanup a breeze.   Please feel free to share your favorite easy dinner (or breakfast) recipe in the comments. Have an awesome month here in Minnesota! Thanks for reading our post today.  

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Pet Friendly at 501 on First-image

We welcome pets with responsible owners at 501 on First here in Rochester, MN. In fact, among the many features for members of our apartment community, our Pet Policy means our residents can bring their furry friends (cats and dogs) to live with them. Having a pet is a big decision, and if you have one already, you know it’s an important responsibility to care for a pet in an apartment home setting. If you are thinking of getting a dog, this article has some good information about what breeds do/do not do well in an apartment setting.   501 on First is a pet-friendly community, and management has discretion regarding property pet policy. All pets must be approved by management. Exotic pets and reptiles are prohibited. Qualified assistance animals are welcome.     Tips for Pet Owners   Establish a routine. Animals are smart and can adapt to apartment living. Having a routine makes it easier on your pet. Set times for potty breaks, chow time, walking, and playing. Routines make your pet feel comfortable and help prevent accidents.     Be sure to keep your pet current on vaccinations and parasite preventives. This is very important because our apartment community has shared outside grounds. Because others are using the common yard areas, your pet needs to be free of parasites and vaccinated in order to prevent parasitic and infectious diseases.   Be courteous to your neighbors. Be aware of the fact that many people will be sharing a small space, and things like a constantly barking dog, or a wandering cat will not be favorably received in an apartment setting. Take steps to curb problem behavior.   Tips for Cat Owners   Preventing your cat from destructive scratching   Why declawing isn't the answer for scratching problems   Preventing litter box problems   Solving litter box problems   Keeping your cat happy indoors   Tips for Dog Owners   How to get your dog to stop barking   Stop your dog's inappropriate chewing   Prevent your dog's separation anxiety   Stop your dog from jumping up on people   We hope these tips for having pets at 501 on First are helpful. Tell us about your pet in the comments! Thanks for reading today’s post.  

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Three Ways to Spread Love-image

Whether you’re in a romantic relationship or not, February is the month to celebrate love. Valentine’s Day is on the 14th, and there’s no better way to celebrate than to spread love to a family member, friend, or significant other. Keep reading for some ideas about spreading love from your 501 on First apartment in Rochester, MN!   1. Give someone a gift or note of thanks.   Gifts or cards don’t have to just be for your Valentine. Find someone around you — a friend, coworker, casual acquaintance, or family member — who could use a bit of cheer and a friendly reminder that they are valued. You never know who needs it, so be open to the names that pop into your head. Even if you haven’t talked to someone in a while, giving them a candy bar with a card can be an easy segway into telling them something you appreciate or love about them. Find something that they love, however small, and make your gift or note meaningful.   2. Visit someone.   This can be especially easy to do if you’ve noticed someone who is always alone near your apartment. Invite them to your place to bake some cookies or watch a movie with you. Or, you can stop by their home and visit them. This can be a great time to give them the note or gift you’ve prepared for them. But even if you don’t have anything physical to offer, your company and listening ear can mean a lot to someone.   3. Share a talent.   Take note of some of your biggest strengths this month and see how you can share it with others. That can mean baking and giving away a pie, writing and sending a heartfelt note of appreciation, painting a picture, offering advice to someone who needs it, making a craft, or fixing a valuable item for someone. If you don’t know who could use your services, ask! Even if people say they personally don’t need anything, your questioning will open up the conversation for ideas to flow and other people to serve.   What ways do you like to serve? Let us know by leaving a comment!  

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Achieve Your New Year’s Goal this Year!-image

It’s January, which means all across the country, including right here in Rochester, MN, people are making New Year’s resolutions. Sadly, statistically speaking, chances are the major percentage of those who make resolutions will fail — but take heart, for today the 501 on First Blog has some tips on how you can commit to achieve your goals. Now add a reminder on your phone to re-read this post in May, which is, after all, National Recommitment Month!   Have a friend with a common goal Sharing and achieving your goal with another person will keep you be accountable. Whether your goal is to eat right, or simply change your attitude about something, having a partner is important to maintain the motivation to achieve your more lofty goals. Make sure this person is someone that you can rely on, and will motivate you to achieve your goal, even on days when your conviction slackens.   Be honest with your goals Often we have unreasonable expectations of ourselves. That is why it’s important to make sure that goals are realistic and achievable. Don’t expect to run a marathon after a week of training. Large goals require time and dedication. While a marathon may seem intimidating, it becomes more manageable with a clear plan of how you will succeed. Set smaller goals for yourself that contribute to your overall goal. Focus on what you need to do in the moment, and you’ll eventually achieve your larger goal.   Be willing to commit It’s great to say, “I want to be more healthy,” or “I want to read more.” However, our desires are not always enough to motivate us into taking action. If such is the case with you, consider alternatives to motivating yourself. One way to motivate you to exercise or read more is a gym membership, or subscription to reading services like audible, which cost money. Money invested in a goal can psychologically be a reason for you to feel obligated to follow through on your goal. If monetary investment is a stronger motivator to you than personal commitment, maybe it’s time to finally get that membership you’ve been thinking about.   Don’t procrastinate your goals! It’s time to find a system that motivates you to achieve your personal desires so you can have the satisfaction of knowing you control that aspect of your life — and, it feels amazing to complete a goal! What goals do you have for the coming year? Share in the comments so members of our apartment community can cheer you on! Thanks for reading today’s post.  

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