Best Places in the Finger Lakes for a Picnic

In the romantic setting of the Finger Lakes, a picnic can be just what is needed during a day of wine tasting or site seeing.  A picnic is a nice way to break up the day and get in touch with the region's beauty!

She-qua-ga Falls – It is a delightful surprise to drive down Main Street in the village of Montour Falls and have the She-qua-ga Falls come into view. The falls are 165 feet high and are illuminated at night. There is a tiny park with a table or two at the base of the falls, allowing for a picnic almost within arm's reach of the thundering water. Montour Falls is located South of Seneca Lake.

Montezuma Wetlands Complex - If you enjoy nature and birds, Montezuma Wetlands Complex is a great place for a picnic. The tables are near the edge of the big pond on a lawn under beautiful trees, with the observation platform and rest rooms close by. There are only 2 or 3 tables so it's private and a great place to enjoy the outdoors only 5 miles East of Seneca Falls off Rt. 5&20.

Watkins Glen State Park –You will find a wonderful site for a family or group picnic at Watkins Glen State Park. The site has a beautiful, large enclosed pavilion, much nicer than your typical picnic shelter, located in a lovely clearing in the woods. To get there, you take route 329 out of Watkins Glen to the intersection of Meads Hill Road, bear to your right, down the hill, and cross the landmark Stone Bridge. The entrance to the pavilion will be a left turn after crossing the Stone Bridge. Just as all picnic facilities in the state park, one would have to reserve the pavilion by contacting the New York State park authorities.

Lodi Point State Park - When the weather is right, it is hard to beat a picnic by the lake. Lodi Point State Park is a little park that most people aren't aware of, right on the East side of Seneca Lake. The park has plenty of picnic tables and the point has a nice beach. The location on the point means there is water to be seen. It's a cute little park, just off the wine trail so it's a nice spot to stop for a picnic (then get back to the wine!).

To see a full list of great places to picnic, visit the Fingerlakes Innkeepers website here! 

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Tips for Using Vinegar at Home

Did you know that vinegar has uses that extend beyond food? Vinegar is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly cleaning product. You can visit online for a complete list of ideas and tips for using vinegar around the house. The following are just a few of our favorite tips and ideas from that website that we would like to pass along.

Gardens

• Preserve fresh cut flowers by adding a tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar to a quart of vase water.

• Sanitize outdoor furniture by wiping the furniture down with a vinegar soaked cloth.

• Wash fresh vegetables with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar in 1½ quarts of water.

Cleaning 

• To make your drinking glasses and silverware spot free, add a ½ cup of white vinegar into the dishwasher before you start the wash.

• To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar. 

• Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then 1 cup of  hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, and then run hot water down the drain. 

• Deodorize and clean the garbage disposal with white distilled vinegar ice cubes. Make them by freezing full-strength white distilled vinegar in an ice cube tray. Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.

• Clean the microwave by mixing ½ cup white distilled vinegar and ½ cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.

• Remove soap buildup and odors from the dishwasher by pouring a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the empty machine and running it through a whole cycle. Do monthly. 

•  Get rid of fruit flies by setting out a small dish of undiluted white distilled vinegar.  

•  To clean and disinfect baby toys add a good-sized splash of white distilled vinegar to soapy water. 

Laundry

• Prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the wash cycle.

• To remove soap residue that makes black clothes look dull use white distilled vinegar in your final rinse.

• Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.    

• Eliminate manufacturing chemicals from new clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water. 

• Bring out bright colors by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle

We hope you make great use of these tips!  Visit WoodsEdge Luxury Apartment Homes on Facebook for more tips and information!

March Events in Corning/Elmira

In the Corning / Elmira area, March is jam-packed with things to do. Here are some of our suggestions for must see places and events!

The Corning Museum of Glass

• 2300°: Blues - 03/15/12 starting at 5:30 p.m. Chase away the winter with blues music by Howling Waters and hot glassmaking by Philadelphia-based artist Christopher Lydon. Free admission; some additional cost for food and drink. Registration is not required. Call (607) 438-5500 for more information.

• Families Explore: Ireland -03/18/12 starting at 12:00 p.m. Explore the symbols, legends and music of Ireland through hands-on activities. Learn about the cultures and stories surrounding objects in the collection of The Corning Museum of Glass. Included in Museum admission. Registration not required. Drop-in activities throughout the day.

For more information visit the Corning Museum of Glass website at www.cmog.org

Clemens Center

• Comedy Club 5 - 3/26/2012 starting at 8:00 p.m. The best in stand-up comedy! A trio of hot comics entertain adult audience members in an intimate theater/night-club setting with both table and tiered seating. Don’t miss your chance to laugh yourself silly in the area’s most popular and longest-running Comedy Club.
  

• Moscow Festival Ballet in "Cinderella" - 3/28/2012 starting at 7:00 p.m. This timeless fairy tale ballet comes to the Clemens Center this season to delight the young and not so young alike. Its exquisite costumes, lush scenery, comical evil stepsisters and, of course, Prokofiev’s exuberant score make this one of the most beloved ballets of all time.

• Common Time Spring Concert - 3/31/2012 starting at 7:30 p.m. "Remembering 9/11" - this concert will feature all patriotic music and will be given in memory of those who died on 9/11.

For more information visit the Clemens Center website at www.clemenscenter.com

Tanglewood Nature Center

• Bluebird Hike and Build a Birdbox at Tanglewood Nature Center - 3/17/2012 starting at 2:00 p.m. With the help of Tanglewood you will construct a wooden nesting box and discuss the best strategies for success. Cost: $10 members, $15 non-members. Register by March 12. Rain or shine.

For more information visit their website at www.tanglewoodnaturecenter.com

Rockwell Museum

• Funday Sunday - 03/18/12 starting at 9:00 a.m. Family Fun: Kids Rock at the Rockwell! All activities are available at no charge. Children are to be accompanied by an adult. Gallery Art Hunts –9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All Ages. ArtPack Art Trail – Ages 5 and up. My Travel Journal – Ages 5 and up. Percussion Circle in the Education Center -1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – All Ages

• Music in the Galleries: The Tumbleweeds - 03/30/12 starting at 5:30 p.m. Cowboy songs and ballads with the Lanahan family. 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Refreshments. 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Concert. Reservations required • 607.974.2333. Members FREE/Not-yet-members $10

For more information visit their website at www.rockwellmuseum.org

WoodsEdge Welcomes Fall!

It is sad to realize summer is coming to an end. Pools and beaches are closing. Folks are storing away camping gear. No more family picnics, music festivals and barbecues among other summer family activities. However, with the closing of summer comes the excitement of Fall. Our hometown shines this time of year. Not only do we have the anticipation of neighborhood trees turning from green to red, orange and gold, we have some fantastic area events lined up for the month of September. Here are some events that your entire family will enjoy:

1. Glass Harvest at Corning Museum of Glass– Starting September 6th the Corning Museum of Glass will be celebrating fall with their Glass Harvest. See the world’s largest glass pumpkin. Create a colorful glass pumpkin during a 40-minute Make Your Own Glass experience. Appropriate for all ages. Go on a Harvest Hunt to find fall foliage, pumpkins and more in the Museum’s collection. For hours and information visit cmog.org.

2. Crystal City Ferrari Show - On September 2nd Corning will be hosting its 10th annual Crystal City Ferrari Show. This event will feature Ferraris of many models and years, from across the Empire State Region of the Ferrari Club of America. Local residents are encouraged to attend the street show held from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm on Friday. Visitors will be able to look at several Ferraris and rare sports cars as they are displayed along Historic Market Street. Guests are encouraged to cast their votes for their favorite Ferrari. Guests will also have a chance to win Ferrari merchandise gift certificates to Gaffer District businesses and more. For additional questions, check out www.gafferdistrict.com.

3. Crystal City Jazz & Harvest Festival - On September 23rd and 24th Corning’s Gaffer District will be hosting the Crystal City Jazz & Harvest Festival. Friday night, enjoy live jazz and blues performances throughout Corning's Gaffer District, wine and beer tasting and complimentary limousine shuttles. Bring the family on Saturday for children's activities, hayrides, eating contests, a scarecrow competition and Corning Farmers Market. For more information visit their website at www.gafferdistrict.com

4. Vintage Grand Prix Festival in Watkins Glen, NY - On September 9th visit the Vintage Grand Prix Festival. This Festival is a tribute to the original Grand Prix races using the original 6.6 mile road course. Parked along the main streets of the village you will find over 600 classic sports cars of all ages for your enjoyment. In addition to live music, wine tasting, food courts, and assorted family activities, a variety of vendors will be selling racing related merchandise. Be sure to stay for the fantastic fireworks at dusk. For more information call (607) 535-3003.

5. Fun with Nature: Letterboxing at Tanglewood Nature Center in Elmira, NY- Held September 17th from 2:30 pm-3:30 pm, this fun and addicting hobby is sweeping the area. Do you like hiking, exploring, and going out with a mission in mind? If so then this is a great opportunity for you to learn something new. Letterboxing refers to using a book of clues to collect inked stamps in a booklet. For details visit their website at www.tanglewoodnaturecenter.com or call 607.732.6060.

Lets hope for a long and enjoyable Fall season!

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Share your love for where you live and WIN!

Put your writing skills into action and tell us why you love living at WoodsEdge! There are some pretty great prizes being raffled so be sure to submit your entry. For more information, visit us on Facebook!

Decorating Your Apartment: Part One

Decorating doesn’t have to be as scary as you think. Begin by selecting the style that best suites you and work your way from there. Use this guide to help you with all of your decorating endeavors. We've listed Part One here and will be sharing Part Two with you shortly ... stay tuned!

Contemporary

Contemporary is really a fancy name for a combination of many popular decorating styles. Most contemporary looks consist of clean, sleek lines, simple accents, and neutral colors with a few bold accents. Most apartments that feature this style have an open, spacious layout so that it is easier to blend each area of the home together. You may choose to use ultra dark wood or very light wood depending on the feel you are going for. You want your home to feel clean, airy, and simple yet sophisticated when you are finished with your design. Try finding furniture with a neutral color scheme and accessorize with accents of color. This way you can change your design as often as you wish without breaking the bank. Always take the “less is more” approach with contemporary design.

Cottage

If feeling cozy, comfortable and relaxed in your home then cottage design may be for you. This design style allows you to really express your personality and allows your guests to feel warm and welcomed in your home. You may want to consider drawing inspiration from the beach, country fields, or other parts of the natural landscape that surrounds you. Cottage design is often inspired by nature due to the fact that nature has many calming, relaxing sceneries to offer. Colors that are often used in cottage style design include soft blues, greens, yellows and whites. If you want your home to be cohesive yet stylish while still having a “lived in” look then cottage design should suite you well.

Traditional

While trends come and go, traditional design always remains the most popular style for homes across America. Traditional design is influenced by English and French design and usually exudes elegance, warmth and classical elements. Homes in the 18^th and 19^th century began using this style to help determine social classes within the household. Don’t let that fool you though, traditional design may look expensive, but can be pulled off for a lot less than you would think.

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Some tips for creating a beautiful – and low-maintenance – garden!

This is the perfect time of year to add some color to your flower garden. We have some good suggestions for a beautiful and easy to maintain garden.

Start simple. Annual flowers are a good place to start. Choose flowers that are easy to grow and do not require a lot of fuss. We recommend annuals such as marigolds, dusty miller and salvia as a good starter plants. Marigolds have a sunny bloom that ranges from dark orange to light yellow. Marigolds produce blooms throughout the spring and summer and they really show off in late summer and early fall. Dusty Miller is a tough plant that has velvety silver-white foliage. The leaves have a lacy look when mature. Dusty Miller makes a good filler plant and will last late into the season. Salvia comes in a variety of colors. Locally the most popular colors are bright red and dark purple. These flowers have tall blooms that add a punch of color. All of the above-recommended plants are hardy and drought resistant.

Work some perennials into your garden. Perennials are plants that come back year after year. We recommend trying Sedum, Coneflowers or Coreopsis. Sedums grow in a nice tight, round shape. They have light green to silvery foliage, and come in a variety of colors. Our favorite is “Autumn Joy”, which produces big, beautiful coppery flowers in early fall. Coneflowers will add height to your garden. They have tall stems with large daisy shaped blooms and a cone shaped center. Traditional coneflowers come in light pink, yellow and white. However, you can also find them in flashy colors such as raspberry, marmalade and hot papaya. Coreopsis is an easy perennial to grow. They are short, dense and come in a variety of colors such as yellow, orange, white and pink. These plants begin to bloom in late spring and continue into late summer. One plant produces a mass of small colorful blooms. With most perennials you will want to prune back the plants in late fall.

Try some bulbs in your garden. One of our favorite signs that spring has arrived is seeing the early bulb flowers that sprout up. We recommend Alliums, Daffodils and Narcissus. Alliums come in pink, pink-purple, white and yellow. They have plentiful, tiny blooms that work great as borders and around larger late blooming bulbs. Daffodils are a favorite of many. These pretty blooms come in a range of shapes and colors. You may want to plant bulbs in large groups for a beautiful focal point in your flower garden. Daffodils can also be clipped and brought into your house for a cheerful addition to your dining room table. Narcissus’ remind us a lot of daffodils but the flowers are slightly smaller and fragrant. These plants thrive in a sunny location and last quite awhile. Narcissus can be found in cream, yellow, white and peach.

All of the above suggested plants are, for the most part, deer resistant. Be sure to add mulch to your flower garden as it helps maintain moisture during dry times. Check your flowerbeds regularly for weeds. They are easier to pull before roots have a chance to get established. If you do not have room for a large flower garden, pick up some flowerpots and fill them with your favorite flowers. They can liven up your patio. Take time to enjoy your garden. Gardening can help reduce stress and is a good way to get some exercise and fresh air.