Modern ways to Exercise

So, I know I wrote a post last month about how to take advantage of your apartment’s gym, but this past Monday night I came to realize that using your Wii or XBox Kinect can provide a better, and sometimes more fun, workout in a small space.

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Wii Fit [Wee-Fit]

The game uses a unique platform peripheral called the Wii Balance Board, on which the player stands during exercise. The game features yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games. Matsunaga described the game as a “way to help get families exercising together”. Wii Fit has been used for physiotherapy rehabilitation and has been adopted by various health clubs around the world. Additionally, the game has been used in nursing homes to improve posture in the elderly.

Xbox Kinect [Ex- box] [Kin- ekt]

The Kinect is a “controller-free gaming and entertainment experience” by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game platform…  Based around a webcam-style add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, it enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller, through a natural user interface using gestures and spoken commands.  The project is aimed at broadening the Xbox 360’s audience beyond its typical gamer base.

The Wii has been out for quite sometime and I have had many experiences playing games on it.  The Wii Fit is meant for exercising, but there are other Wii games that can give you quite a workout if you chose to put more effort into it.  For example the Michael Jackson the Experience game is ridiculously fun.  Who hasn’t always wanted to learn the dance to “Thriler” or “Smooth Criminal?”   While there are some flaws to the actual game… if you put some work into following the dancers on screen you can work up quite a sweat.  Plus next time you go out to a club and “Billie Jean” comes on, you will be able to bust a move and impressive whoever is around you.  Check out the trailer to see what the game is like.

While the Michael Jackson game is really fun it doesn’t even begin to compare to Dance Central on the Kinect.  Instead of the game just reading your once controller on the Wii the Kinect recognizes your whole body.  I played this game for the first time last Monday and let me tell you right now it was fun!  The dance routines go right along with the songs and the best part you feel like you are really dancing.  I played for about an hour and danced to 3 different songs.  By the end I was huffing and puffing.  It was clearly a great work out.  Plus the harder the dancers are the better work out you are getting.  This game actually has a workout mode that keeps track of the calories that you have burnt during your time playing.  As I write this I can’t wait to get home so I can learn how to dance to Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face.”

Anther great workout game on the Kinect is The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout.  This is a tad less fun than Dance Central but you can definitely feel the burn, as they say, as soon as you start playing exercising.  The cool thing about this game as compared to one of the franchise’s workout DVD’s; is that the Kinetic sensors your body while you are working out and can “see” if you are doing something right or wrong.  For example if you need to lift your leg higher, the screen will show your leg in red… meaning your aren’t doing something right.  Also, the person leading your workout, Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper will say, “Try to lift that leg higher!”  Honestly, I don’t wanna know how this works… it just does and it is cool!  You can mix up your routines from day to day; which is something better than a regular old workout DVD.  It also has 50 healthy recipes and calorie tracking assistance to keep you on track.   Let me tell you, personal trainers are not going to like this game.  People pay thousands of dollars a year for personal trainers to teach them stuff like this.  This game is only $50.

Finally, no treadmill, weightbench or ab roller can beat how compact these new, modern exercise tools are.  You literally need next to no space around your TV to dance and workout.  Exercising is suppose to be fun otherwise you won’t do it.  With great music and these awesome games to guide you, you won’t even realize you are working out… our should I say “working it.”

BTW… the whole time I was playing the Kinetic I couldn’t stop thinking about this scene from Back to the Future 2.  This part is definitely coming true. Young kids in about 4 years will probably react the same way to old video games like “Wild Gunman.”

Remember moveforfree apartment locators when searching for your new home.

FAQ numero uno

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, “Now how exactly can I move for free.” I would have… ummm…. well… I would have a lot a money.

It is actually simpler than you might think.

All you have to do is…

1. Find an apartment on moveforfree.com
2. Visit the properties you found on the website and list moveforFREE.com as the referring source
3. Once your lease is signed, schedule your FREE move

Now, you say well that’s all well and good, but I want to know how I can move without paying anything?

In simple terms….

The apartment properties pay us a commission for referring you, the renter, to their property. That commission covers the cost of the move. Thus in turn you get this really wickedly awesome deal where you will move for free!

It really is that easy! Now… what are you waiting for??? Move your mouse on over to moveforFREE.com! We also have a great FAQ page. Check it out if you have any other questions. And as always don’t hesitate to post a question or comment on our Facebook or Twitter. I will get back to ASAP!

(See how happy I was to be using Moveforfree when I moved last year!)

Normal vs Awesome Amenities

When you are looking to move into a new apartment community one thing you may look for are what kind of amenities that property has.  An amenity in this sense can be described as “any feature that provides comfort, convenience, or pleasure.”  Some properties use this definition in the simplest of ways.

Common Apartment Amenities

• dishwasher
• microwave
• normal sized pool
• garbage disposal
• ceiling fan
• storage
• patio/ balcony
  

Then there are those communities that provide not so normal awesome amenities that can really draw in the interests of potential residents.

Awesome/ No so normal amenities

• maid service
• coffee bar
• movie theater room
• sauna
• racquetball court
• garden tub
• self- cleaning ovens
• putting green
• car washing station (with vacuums
• dog park

Another awesome thing is… that you can find apartments with these type of amenities on moveforfree.com.

Jefferson 1001 Ross- Dallas

La Maison River Oaks- Houston

Mansions at Canyon Springs- San Antonio

Alexan Swenson Farms- Austin

Packing tips for the Procrastinators and the unorganized

If you are anything like me then you always wait to the last minute to pack when you move.  Then you are left with scrambling to get everything organized and end up accidentally packing the cat.

Here are my top 10 packing tips for the lazy procrastinator and the unorganized.

10) Gather all of your packing material before you start packing.  That way you won’t have to stop in the middle of your packing party to run out and get more supplies.  Unless of course it is supplies of the refreshing nature.

9) Before you start packing sort out all the stuff you either want to keep, throw away, give away or sell if you are going to have a garage sale.

8 ) Make sure all of your boxes weigh less than 75 pounds.  If they are over 75 pounds they will be considered two man boxes.

7) Pack your heavier items on the bottom of your boxes.  That means don’t pack your box like this: light bulbs, bread, a carton of eggs then your brick collection.

6) On that note, I pack all of my books in many small boxes.  That way they aren’t too heavy for the movers to carry.

5) Stuff your crevices with soft materials such as: gloves, hats, scarves, sheets and hand towels.  That will save you some money on packing material.

4) If a box has breakable items it, be sure to label it FRAGILE. (Must be Italian) Also, label your boxes with what room you wish the movers to set them in.

3) Keep a screwdriver and/ or a hammer handy.  There is always things you need to set up on your first night.  You don’t want to go crazy looking for your tools when you’re trying to put together your furniture.

2) If you are going to use bags for your linens make sure they are the ones that streeeeeeetch!

1) For the convenience of the movers and the protection of your belongings; make sure you tape all of your boxes flat.  This makes then easier to pack in the truck and protects the precious belongings inside the boxes.

There you go!  My top 10 packing tips for the procrastinators and the unorganized.  No you can go back to watching videos of cats.

Saving money on boxes and packing material.

So we all know by now that moving is super stressful. With so much to do, you don’t even want to think about where you are going to find boxes or buying packing material.

Here are a couple of tips to make your box, packing material- finding adventures less stressful.  Now all you have to worry about is what kind of white you want to paint your new bedroom; eggshell or pearl?

• Liquor stores have great boxes.  Not only are they super sturdy, they are great to hold glassware because they have the nifty divider in it.  Plus, the shopkeepers are usually eager to give them away for free.
• Grocery stores are also great places to find boxes.  Go in when they are stocking the shelves and they will gladly give you their boxes.
• Try a recycling site like freecylce.org, which provides a list of stuff people are giving away for free in your area.  People are always trying to get rid of their boxes.  Also, when your move is over you can find someone else on there that may need them.
• Packing material is easier to come by then you think.  You know all those unused plastic grocery bags crowding your closet?  Those make a perfect scratch and break resistant material.
• Instead of buying a ton of newspapers pick up a bunch of the free papers at your local post office, grocery store or wherever they give those papers away.  (Just be sure to leave some for the people that actually do read them.)
• One thing you don’t really want to skimp on though is packing tape.  Good tape can really make or “break” your precious belongings.  (hahaha like my pun?)

Now since you of course used moveforfree.com to find your new apartment and move your stuff for free, you just saved yourself A TON of money!  Three cheers for saving money!

Tip of the Week: Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and good food. It’s a time to gather together with the ones you care about and give thanks. It’s such a wonderful time to sit around a big table with everyone.

But what if you don’t have a big table or a table at all.  No need to fear.  Hosting a Thanksgiving dinner in your small space is easier than you might think.

Watch the video for some tips on hosting a fabulous dinner.

On behalf of everyone at Moveforfree; have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Which floor is best?

One question that an apartment leasing agent usually asks you when apply to lease with their property is “What floor do you prefer to live on.”  If you have rented an apartment in the past you probably know what you like and for what reason.  If you have never rented you may feel like singing “eeny meeny minnie moe.”  Before you catch a tiger by its toe you may want to consider a few factors first.

Safety

Living on the ground floor of an apartment building could potential be a security risk.  If a thief wanted to get into an apartment it could possibly be easier for them since they would not have to climb stories.  But in the same respect I’ve heard of robberies happening on second and third floors apartments as well.  If you do choose to live on the ground floor there are security measures that would be wise to take into consideration.  If you have a sliding glass door to your patio, you should make sure you can lock it as well put the safety bar down.  It’s also important to close your blinds and shades when you aren’t home or asleep.  If thieves can look inside your apartment and see what you have they are more likely to take your flat screen TV or laptop.  In my personal opinion the same should go for any floor.  Thieves no matter how low life they may be, are smart and could figure out a way to get inside your home.  In any event, be smart no matter which floor you choose to live on.

Moving

When choosing which floor you are going to live on you might want to consider the moving process.  Of course moving in to any story but the first floor might mean a lot more work.  Adding in stories makes the stressful process all the more… stressful.  BUT there are ways around this.  With companies like us, Moveforfree.com, you leave the moving process up to us.  We don’t care if you are moving from a third floor apartment to another third floor apartment.  We will move you for free!  If you don’t live in Texas you can check your local areas to see if they have apartment locators that have a free move offer.  If not, you can always hire movers, which may be worth it for you or bribe your friends with beer and pizza.

View/ Money

If you choose to live in a high rise building the view from the top may be an option for you.  Imagine going to bed at night to a gorgeous view like this…

You might want to be aware though as the apartments get higher up the rent may go up.  Consider a view an additional amenity.

Noise

I believe noise will always be an issue in an apartment building.  You may want to decide what you would prefer; noise above you or below you.  Personally, I would prefer noise below me.  There is nothing worse then heavy footsteps above you.  Just in case you might want to start polishing up the old broom handle.  There are precautions, however, you can take even before you move in.  Ask your leasing agent if they have the apartment above/ below the model apartment vacant.  Since no one ever lives in the models you will have nothing to worry about.  If that isn’t an option you can ask your leasing agent about the neighbors around the vacant apartments.  Usually single people or couples without kids are the quietest.  Just do some research beforehand and I think your choice will be just fine.

Reference: http://apartments.about.com/od/apartmenthunting/a/whichapartmentfloor.htm

Moveforfree.com through the years

Since it is history week here at moveforfree I thought it would be fun to see what moveforfree.com has looked like through the years.  Thanks to a really cool site called the Way Back When Machine, it’s possible to see what websites have looked like over the years.  It’s a huge archive of websites from 1996 to just a few months ago.

Here is what Moveforfree.com looked like just a few months after the site went live in October of 2000.

And here is what moveforfree.com looked like in November of 2001.  Click on the picture to see the full size version.

Now, of course, you know what our site looks like.

New things are always happening here at moveforfree.  You never know what’s going to happen next!

Roommates and Politics

In lieu of the recent midterm elections held yesterday, I thought it appropriate that we talk today about roommates and politics.  Not necessarily roommates and their political beliefs, but that of roommates and how to make your household a place of social equality.  Not a place where you are constantly fighting about the temperature of the thermostat or who’s turn it is to take out the trash or even shutting yourself up in your room because you just don’t feel comfortable in your own home.  That is not a place where anyone wants to live.  But, there is hope!  With just a little bit of pre planning and ground rules set you can make your roommate experience something you will never forget… for the good.

Here are a few suggestions on how to make your living situation work

• Agree on equal chore responsibilities

Chores are one of the most argued about issues amongst roommates.  Different people can have different perceptions of cleanliness or what their definition of messy is.  What has worked best for me is to agree that the main, common areas of the apartment should stay clean and are both person’s responsibility to keep clean.  Decide the very first day or even before you move in who is responsible for each chore.  If one person is responsible for vacuuming then the other person should mop the kitchen floor.  Also, come up with a time frame to get the chores done.  Some people think 10 minutes is too long to leave dirty dishes in the sink while others could leave them there for days without noticing.  Come up with a compromise, somewhere in the middle.  I would write all of this down in some sort of contract and have each roommate sign it.  This will avoid any confusion later.  If any argument arises all you have to do is point to the signed contract.  You can find a pretty good contract template here.  Lastly, I highly recommend that you get separate bathrooms.  I’m only saying from personal experience.  This will save a lot of headaches.

• Money issues

Money is always a struggle in any relationship.  Friends, marriages, friendships and roommates all feel the strain that money issues can bring.  When you split household bills with another person it is VERY important to set up a system before your first month’s bills are due.  I’ve seen different things when it comes to paying bills with a roommate.  I’ve seen friends who were responsible for one utility while the other was responsible for the cable bill.  I’ve also seen people who split every single bill down the middle.  The important thing to remember is that you decide right away and agree to something.  Who’s name is the bill going to be in?  How will the other person pay, if it’s in the other person’s name?  Nowadays with bill payment online it makes this method quite easy.  Check to see when each bill is due each month and write it on a communal calendar that you both can see.  Choose two days a month where both of you can sit down at the computer and pay bills.  Write these days down on the calendar as well.  Some apartment properties even allow you to pay rent online.  This is a wonderful tool at your disposal and allows you to pay with your credit or debit card instead of writing a check or getting a money order.  As with the chores it is also very important to sign some sort of contract to make sure that the bills are paid on time, especially the rent.

• Confront issues before the lease is signed

Whether you are best friends or a potential roommate you met on roommates.com, it is critical that you sit down and talk about any issues that may arise while living together; things besides money and chores.  Things like: what noise level is appropriate for music/ TV, how late are guests allowed over, how long are guests allowed to stay, what temperature is reasonable for the thermostat to be set, what is the mutual food that can be eaten by either roommate and are pets allowed in the apartment?  While you might disagree on some issues; it is important to work and compromise on them before your lease is signed and not when the problem arises.

Moving Horror Stories!

Moving stories are sometimes like “scar” stories.  Telling the story of a stressful and painful move can be just as unpleasant as recalling how you got a certain scar on your body.  Moving is considered one of the top five most stressful situations a person go through in their life; right next to getting married and death.  Since Halloween is coming up this weekend I thought it would be a good time to share some moving horror stories from real people, who quite honestly wish they would have used moveforfree or had the option of moveforfree during their move.

We moved into our first purchased house on my 29th birthday, deep into July, in Houston. Hot. The moving van we rented had six foot high doors. I’m 6′ 1″. I ducked just right most of the time… but late in the day, I missed it, hit the… top of my head, and for a moment, the heavens opened and I saw Grandma again, beckoning for me to come into the light…

~ Pete B.

“Well everything I own for some reason weighs a ton so when I started packing all the boxes and everything felt like it was filled with lead….I actually had a box of rocks….yup rocks, since I collect raw gem formations ……when I moved in I had to move all that stuff on my own which wasn’t too bad since I was 5 years younger and in good shape…..but now when I moved out I was older and waaaay out of shape……but thank God I had another older waaaay out of shape friend come help with most of it LOL…..2 old guys huffin and sweatin up and down stairs scaring the new tenants……had to take a break after every haul so we didn’t die of heat exhaustion, dehydration or just from utter and completely failure to be healthy……finished with only about a 10% breakage… Woot?”

~Bradley B.

“I had been kicked out of dorms, but my apartment wasn’t ready when they said it would be. So I stayed with my aunt, but I basically had to live out of my car.  I was driving with every single thing I owned in my car.  I couldn’t see out the back window… It’s funny now. Lol.”

~Ana F.

“I had movers that promised to show at 2 and didn’t actually come until 10 PM! I didn’t get moved until after midnight.  The movers “used to be” professionals, but “forgot to take themselves out of the phone book.  I guess they only moved office furniture, but did moving as a side kinda thing.  They were REALLY cheap. I guess you what you pay for.  I also tipped them in beer. It’s a very long story.”

~Julie F.

“Army movers!  They come, pack all your stuff for you and ship it for you. This includes your underwear drawer, which having a very big large man packing your undergarments is horrific.”

~Sarrah H.

We all make mistakes in our lives.  But you know what they say… “live and learn.”  Next time you know what to do… use Moveforfree.com.  No need to haul those heavy rocks by yourself or wait until 10 PM to move!!  We want to take moving out of the top five stressful events.  And oh yeah, have a

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!