How to Machine Wash Your Pillows

Did you know that your pillows should be washed almost as often as your bed sheets?  Makes sense if you think about it.  But they can be tricky to wash too…especially the fluffy ones.  Check out this vid for tips on how to wash yours.  And if you have some good cleaning tips of your own, please share!

Learn how to keep your dog safe in the car

You wouldn’t drive off without strapping your toddler or young child into a seatbelt, would you?  That wouldn’t be safe, right?  So why would you drive off without strapping in your dog?

Dog restraints are a safety feature that many people overlook.  I think we just naturally take it for granted (I know that I have).  No one ever brings up a pet that was injured in a car accident, but I’m sure it happens.

“A loose dog in the front passenger seat may be killed by the airbag. An injured or frightened dog who’s loose may interfere with emergency personnel, or even bite them. A scared, disoriented dog may survive the crash only to be hit by a passing car.”

If this sounds like an issue you need to catch up on, check out this article, Dogs and Car Safety, from one of my favorite websites – QuickAndDirtyTips.com!

Fill Mom’s Gas Tank

I love my mother (and wife) dearly but I’m terrible at shopping for gifts.  Especially on Mother’s Day because I always want to find that special, unique gift idea that outdoes what I did last year.  But still, I always wait until the last minute and I never know exactly what to get.  But this year I did some “web surf research” and f0und some pretty cool, unique and inexpensive ideas.  Here’s one…

Take your mother’s car and fill it up with gas.  Simple, yet effective.  This is by far not the cheapest Mother’s Day gift these days, but if you show up at Mom’s on Mother’s Day, no gift and without a clue, remember that this can save you in a pinch.

You can even take it one step further and run her car through the car wash.

If you want to check out a few more ideas, check out the Mother’s Day Central website.

Crazy contract clauses

I just came across the most interesting article on CNN.com titled Weird baseball contract clauses. In it, CNN details a pretty funny story about a clause that Avron Fogelman (former Kansas City Royals owner and founder of Fogelman Management Group – our parent company) implemented for former Kansas City Royals HOF slugger George Brett. Small world, isn’t it!

George Brett becomes a landlord

The contract extension George Brett signed with the Kansas City Royals in 1984 must have been one of the stranger deals in MLB history. The club agreed to give Brett the bat he used in the infamous 1983 “Pine Tar Game” as part of the pact, but that wasn’t the only odd perk. The contract also gave him part ownership of an apartment complex in Memphis.

At the time, Avron Fogelman co-owned the Royals. Fogelman had made his fortune as a lawyer and real estate baron in Memphis, so when the team needed a little extra incentive to get Brett to sign, they offered the third baseman a piece of one of Fogelman’s developments.

To read more, follow the link to Weird baseball contract clauses on CNN.com

Check your receipts, folks!

Because so many consumers have instant access to their account information, merchants aren’t allowed to place an “authorization” for an estimated tip. For example, if you go to dinner and the bill is $100 and you pay with a credit card, the restaurant might be tempted to “authorize” your card for $120-a 20% tip. If you choose to leave a 15% tip and then check your balance – it will appear that you have been overcharged. This apparently results in lots of angry customers, so the practice has been forbidden in VISA’s merchant agreement.

Did you find this advice helpful? If so, check out more little-known credit card tips in this article titled 10 Things You Might Not Know About Your Credit Card. If you have any credit card advice or tips that you’d like to share with the community, be sure to leave a comment!

Proper maintenance reduces waste!

 A Green Tip, courtesy of the EPA…

While major appliances are provided by your apartment community, smaller appliances, such as toasters, flat-screen televisions and microwaves, can use up lots of electricity as well.  Keep your appliances in good working order and follow the manufacturer’s suggestions for operation and maintenance. Shop for products with high consumer satisfaction and fewer breakdowns. If kept in good working order, your appliances should last a long time and not end up as waste before their time.

Check out the U.S. Environmental Protection agency website for more Green Tips!  Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day!

Final Fogelman Four (or Five)

Hey Fogelman folks…the 2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament is wrapping up this weekend and if you’ve been following, you know that it has been ripe with upsets. As for the Fogelman Bracket Challenge, it’s still too close to call. There are numerous scenarios that can play out, each one resulting in a different winner.

Here is what we know…

• If Duke wins, Richard Call from Stewarts Ferry in Nashville, TN will be your 2010 Champion. Way to go, Richard! But don’t count your cookies yet…
• If West Virginia wins, then Jon Hawks will take the crown. I’m a Big East Conference fan, so I must admit that I’m in Jon’s corner. Jon, we’re not sure which apartment community you’re representing so if you’re reading this, make sure you drop us a note.
• If Michigan State wins the tournament, then Amanda Hill will be our official champion. However, because she is not officially a Fogelman property resident, she is disqualified from collecting any prize. Any prize would go to the first runner-up that is actually a resident. Sorry, Amanda. Maybe you should consider moving to a Fogelman community J
• And if Butler wins, well, here’s where it gets a little tricky. Because no one gave them a fighting chance at the beginning of the tournament, there is no clear cut winner at this point. It all depends on who they play in the Championship. If Butler defeats West Virginia in the title game, then Janelle Crandall from Metro 67 in Memphis, TN will walk away with the prize. If Butler defeats Duke, the title goes to Dani Soto from Hampton Woods in Shawnee, KS.

Good luck to each of the finalists! Don’t forget to tune into CBS to watch the tournament semifinals tonight starting at 6pm, and then the Championship game on Monday, April 5 at 8pm.

Need Help Finding Your Next Pet?

For the past year or so, my daughter (who just turned five) has been BEGGING me to get her a puppy. Really, she’d be happy with any pet but apparently she’s developed a special fondness for dogs and dinosaurs and a T-Rex in my apartment living room is just not going to work. Now I myself have never owned a dog, but I’m thinking that maybe a puppy or another affectionate little creature might be fun for her. She can also learn some responsibility by helping to take care of it.

In any case, I just found out about the Kansas City Pet Expo that’s coming to the American Royal Center in a couple weeks (April 17-18).

“The goal of the Kansas City Pet Expo is to provide the public with an opportunity to learn about both common and not-so-common animals that are found as pets, and the products and services that are available to provide optimal care for these animals.” – KC Convention & Visitors Association

Sounds like a cool way to check out what’s new and good in the world of pet ownership. What do you think? Anyone ever been to one of these before?

Fogelman 2010 NCAA Bracket Challenge Leader Board: Are you on it?

The first weekend of the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is in the books and the leader board for the Fogelman 2010 NCAA Bracket Challenge is set. With 50+ bracket submissions, this is sure to be a tight race.

A few interesting statistics developed among the Fogelman residents that participated. Among them…

• 31% of the participants picked Kansas to win it all.
• 14% picked Kentucky
• 12% picked Duke
• 7% picked Syracuse

Here is the leader board after the first two rounds of the tournament along with their pick to win the whole thing…

1. Kim Martin (Kansas), 46 pts.

2. Garrett James (Kansas), 44 pts.

2. Kate Asselin (Kansas), 44 pts.

4. Amanda Hill (Michigan State), 43 pts.

4. Heather Towe (Kansas), 43 pts.

6. Zach Hightower (N/A), 42 pts.

6. Chris Gholston (Syracuse), 42 pts.

6. Janelle Crandall (Kansas), 42 pts.

6. Dani Soto (Kansas), 42 pts.

10. Melissa Rosenthal (Kansas), 40 pts.

The tournament itself is proving to be one of the best in years, with major upsets and Cinderella stories playing out as the field battled to join the ranks of the “Sweet 16”. Northern Iowa’s upset over Kansas in the second round will definitely shake up the Fogelman Bracket Challenge leader board in the coming weeks.

If one of your neighbors has made it on the leader board, be sure to drop them a note of congratulations on your community’s Facebook page and cheer them on. And make sure you stay tuned to all of the drama in both the NCAA tournament and the Fogelman Bracket Challenge. I’ll post a new update next week.

The Regional Semifinals play out today and tomorrow (Thursday and Friday, March 26-27), with the Regional Finals being played on Saturday and Sunday, March 27-28. Check your local CBS affiliate for game times.

Friendly Quotes

A friend is the only person you will let into the house when you are Turning Out Drawers.  ~Pam Brown

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