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Windsong Wins

Ratings are important to us here at Windsong Place Apartments, but what is more important to us are the individual people who make up our apartment community. Thanks to you, we have qualified to receive the top recognition from ApartmentRatings.com, being recognized for our commitment to our residents. We are among the five percent who have reached the following criteria: 2016 Top Rated Award Criteria 10+ total reviews 5+ reviews in 2016 Overall recommended score of 70% or greater We appreciate all of the reviews and recommendations members of our apartment community have shared. Each has contributed to our apartment community receiving this award possible. We are pleased to have a team committed to providing the best amenities and service possible for our residents, whether the need is for 24/7 emergency maintenance or customer service, online rent payments, community activities, or just a listening ear. We are here for you. We want to share just a few of the kind things members of our community have said via reviews : “Lovely community of pets and people. You get what you pay for, everything is well kept. In the winter walkways are cleared and salted in a timely manner as well as parking areas. In the summer grass is cut and landscaping maintained. Staff is wonderful and you have a Windsong website to pay rent online and place a maintenance request as well as other info. My family and I really enjoy living here.” — Barbara V. “Great property. It's a great place to live and we have really been enjoying it. Super nice buildings and in a great location. Staff are all great and respond to issues super quick.” — Katharine Y. “Best place to live in buffalo. Staff is outstanding. Office staff works well with the renters. Polite, professional. maintenance is always been prompt and professional.” — Joyce M. We appreciate our residents, each with his or her own unique outlook on life, skills, abilities, and personalities. We love the synergy that is created here in this corner of Williamsville, NY at Windsong Place Apartments. Thanks for being a part of it!

Celebrating National Blueberry Month in Williamsville, NY

July, the month we celebrate our nation’s birthday, the month the heat turns up for the summer, and, this may be new to you, National Blueberry Month. In the spirit of celebration, we are sharing a blueberry based recipe as well as more information about blueberries with our apartment community. So head out to your favorite grocery store in Williamsville, Buffalo, or a western New York farmer’s market and pick up some berries soon. Try out a blueberry recipe this month. An amazing resource about blueberries, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council’s website is a wonderful place to find all kinds of information about the fruit including instructions on growing them, information for the foodservice industry, information about the health benefits blueberries provide, cooking tips, and of course recipes ! Typically, when we think of blueberries, we think of blueberry muffins, pancakes, and blueberry pie. But these tasty morsels can be added to salads, main dishes, smoothies, sauces, and drinks as well as baked goods and desserts. We think you’ll like this recipe for a banana/blueberry bread that is amazing. Light, moist, and bursting with flavor, you will want to make a double batch and share with your neighbors at Windsong Place Apartments! Blueberry Banana Bread Preheat oven to 350° F and coat three mini-loaf pans with non-stick spray (or grease and dust with flour). Set aside. Ing redients: 1 3/4 cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl, set aside. 1 cube butter (room temp.) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1 cup blueberries (toss in flour) 1/4 cup buttermilk Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Stir just enough to blend. Divide batter evenly between the three loaf pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before removing from pans. What is your favorite way to eat blueberries? Where is the best place to get fresh blueberries in the Williamsville area? Please share your tips and recipes in the comments.

Summer Grilling at Windsong Place Apartments

Summer has arrived in full force here in Williamsville, NY, and what better to do in the summertime than have a barbeque? We have picnic areas complete with charcoal grills here at Windsong Place Apartments, just one of the awesome amenities we provide to residents of our apartment community. This month we’ve got tips and tricks for grilling the best burgers, plus some general grilling tips. — After the grill is preheated is a good time to clean it, if necessary. Use a long-handled wire grill brush to clean off charred debris from prior cooking. Scrape again immediately after use. — To prevent foods from sticking, oil your hot grill rack with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. Hold it with tongs and rub it all over the rack. Never use cooking spray on a hot grill. — Use a grill basket for foods that might fall through the grill rack or that are too cumbersome to turn over one by one, like vegetables, fish, tofu, and fruits. — To avoid soaking bamboo skewers each time you need them for kabobs, soak a big batch once for an hour or so. Then drain and freeze them in a plastic freezer bag. When it’s time to grill, pull out as many skewers as you need. — Use stainless steel mixing bowls for preparation. They are easy to clean and dishwasher-safe, they don’t hold odors, and they will not react with acidic ingredients. (The last quality is important, as many barbecue sauces, brines, and marinades contain a lot of acids.) Now that you have the low-down on grilling, it’s time to give it go. One American mainstay is, of course, the humble hamburger. We found this great guide geared toward creating the perfect burger: Tips on How to Cook Perfect Hamburgers on the Grill . We hope you will plan on many picnics and barbeques this summer. What are your favorite foods to grill or take on a picnic? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading today’s post.

Playground Etiquette at Windsong Place Apartments

Having a playground in our apartment community here in Williamsville, NY means a place for families and friends to gather and socialize and for the kids to get in some exercise. Knowing how to be a good neighbor at the playground is important. So today the Windsong Place Apartments Blog is focusing on some basic playground etiquette tips. Be Courteous When Communicating When you are asking another parent or a child for cooperation, choose your words wisely so you don’t become part of a power match. For example, rather than informing another parent that it is time for her whiney child to stop his annoying behavior, you might gently suggest to the child an appropriate behavior. Saying something like, “My daughter would like to use the slide too, so let us know when you are about finished,” is more polite and effective than yelling, “Your kid has been using the slide long enough!” Keep the Germs at Home If your child is not feeling well, skip the trip to the playground. Your neighbors will thank you for not spreading germs around on the playground equipment. If you and your child are going stir crazy, perhaps a walk will do the trick without exposing others to unwanted germs. Be Prepared It’s a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected at the playground. Putting together a playground pack can save the day. Include tissues, wet-wipes, band-aids, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a plastic bag. Having these sorts of things can help you avoid the little emergencies that sometimes happen at the playground. Scraped knee? A quick wipe down, a bandaid, and a kiss will get a kid back to the slide in no time. And if you have sunscreen you won’t have to cut your visit short if the sun is in full force. Take water bottles too. Enjoy the playground! Bring your children or your grandchildren and keep these tips in mind to help everyone have an enjoyable outing. What is your favorite thing to do at the playground? Please share in the comments.

Summer Reading at Windsong Place Apartments

The Windsong Place Apartments Blog brings some summer reading book recommendations to members of our apartment community today, along with information about our local library. The Williamsville Branch of the Buffalo and Erie County Library system located in Williamsville offers a variety of programs to area residents including clubs for children and adults, local historical documents (materials about the history of the village), and the Amherst Bee (on microfilm) going back to 1879! Check out their website for more details and plan a visit soon. It’s the perfect place to while away a summer afternoon browsing among the books. Book Suggestions Historical Fiction: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer garnered a 4.1 (out of 5) stars on Goodreads reviews. It tells the story of the Island of Guernsey under occupation by the German Army during WWII and the aftermath. Written as a series of letters, it is by turns charming, humorous, and compelling. A quote from the book kind of sums it up: “Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.” And this is definitely one of the good books. Young Adult: Ready, Player One (soon to be a movie) by Ernest Cline is set in a futuristic dystopian society where real life is lived virtually, and loner teenager Wade Watts, a gamer and puzzle solver, only feels alive when he’s in the virtual utopia known as OASIS — but the game turns real, with players willing to kill to reach the prize. If Wade is to survive he has to win. It’s a page turner, with glimpses of teenage angst. Mystery: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers is the first in a three-book series about assassin nuns and fifteenth-century politics. Admittedly, it takes some doing to work your mind around the premise, but once accepted, the mystery takes over, and the story carries the reader through, leaving a thought-provoking path in its wake. Or if you don’t think too much, it can simply be a quirky mystery series. Biography: The Hidden Life of Otto Frank by Carol Ann Lee. Goodreads reviews claim, “In this definitive new biography, Carol Ann Lee provides the answer to one of the most heartbreaking questions of modern times: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family to the Nazis? Probing this startling act of treachery, Lee brings to light never-before-documented information about Otto Frank and the individual who would claim responsibility.” Sounds fascinating. Take time to visit the Williamsville, NY branch library soon, and feel free to share your favorite books in the comments so we can all add to our “to read” list.

Buff It Up - Tips for Cleaning Stainless Steel

One of the nice things about living at Windsong Place Apartments is having stainless steel appliances available in your apartment. Stainless steel adds a touch of elegance to the design. In today’s blog post, we will present some tips to keep your stainless steel looking like new. We have five ideas to get you started: First Tip: What NOT To Do Don’t use abrasives — scrubbers or cleaners — especially those containing chloride. Steel wool or steel brushes can ruin the finish on your appliances and cause scratches which can lead to rust. Second Tip: Get Rid of Fingerprints First clean with hot water and mild soap, rinsing and buffing with a clean cloth. Get into the practice of cleaning your appliances every time you do the dishes. Periodically buff your appliances with stainless steel polish, lemon oil, or a silicone based spray. Apply with a lint-free cloth and buff and dry with another clean cloth. Third Tip: Always Follow the Grain! When you are cleaning your stainless steel appliances, it is important to follow the grain. Following the grain brings out the beauty of your appliances. Fourth Tip: Use Hot Water and Mild Soap for Cleaning Your Stainless Steel Hot water and mild soap are your go to, to clean your stainless steel appliances. Be sure to use a non-abrasive scrubber (a nylon scrubbie works well) and rinse away the soap residue before buffing with a soft terry towel. Fifth Tip: Get Rid of Scratches with Cleaner The Today Show’s Lou Manfredini uses Siege Stainless Steel Scratch Remover to get rid of the marks that are a little deeper than fingerprints or smudges. Check it out. There you have it, five tips for keeping your stainless steel appliances in top-notch condition. Now sit back and look at them shine, and then head out to your favorite Williamsville, NY area restaurant for dinner, because who wants to mess up a perfectly clean kitchen? Thanks for reading today’s blog post.