Watching the Oscars This Sunday? Here's Some Fun Facts!

Get your popcorn and movie candy ready; the 86th Academy Awards will be on ABC this Sunday, March 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. This year’s host is Ellen DeGeneres. Here are some fun facts about the Oscars:

• The first Academy Awards were held on May 16, 1929 in Hollywood, CA. The winning movie that year was “Wings.”
• The oldest actor to win the academy award was Henry Fonda who was 76 when he won for “On Golden Pond.” 
• The youngest at 29 was Adrien Brody for “The Pianist."
• The oldest actress was Jessica Tandy, she was 80 when she got the Oscar for “Driving Miss Daisy,” and the youngest best actress was Marlee Maitlin who was just 21 when she won for “Children of a Lesser God."
• Meryl Streep is the most nominated actor; she has a total of 18 nominations!
• The 1997 film Titanic had 17 nominations and took home 14.
• The Oscar statue is made of tin, copper and antimony and covered in 24-carat gold.

Favorite Movie Treats

What’s your favorite movie candy or treat? We asked some of our staff; here’s what they had to say:

Julie - Likes it all! Extra butter and salt on my popcorn please!
Anthony - Popcorn
Janelle - Hot buttered popcorn.
Val - Anything chocolate!
Kendra - Reese’s Peanut Cups
Steve - Nachos
Matt - Milk Duds

Hosting a Viewing Party

Have you ever wanted a little more space to have more friends over to watch a special show, like the Academy Awards? Remember, you can rent the Salem Green Party Room, which has a large screen TV and it's got a great line up of cable channels. The party room has couches, tables and chairs, and space for serving snacks - everything you need to throw a fantastic party! So next time that big show or sporting event comes around contact the Leasing Office and reserve the party room for your fantastic party.

Four Tips For Getting Your Car Unstuck

With all the snow we have been getting it's a good idea to have some ideas about how to get your car out when it's stuck in the snow. We've pulled together our four best tips for getting unstuck! (But we hope you don't end up there in the first place!)

1. Don’t spin your tires. That will only dig your car in deeper and possibly damage the tires.
2. Put the car in the lowest possible gear and try to back up slowly. Stop. Then move forward, slowly. Ideally, that rocking will help the car gain traction.
3. If that fails, turn the steering wheel and again, try to back up slowly, and then move ahead slowly.
4. Still stuck? Get out of the car (make sure it’s in park with the safety brake on) and try to dig out any excess snow around the tires. If you have sand, kitty litter or even an old piece of cardboard, put it under your rear tires before you try to pull out again.

We hope you are one of the lucky ones who manages to avoid getting stuck in the snow, but if not, we hope these tips will help you get unstuck and on your way!

Salem Green Staff Reveal Their Favorite Winter Olympics Events

With the 2014 Winter Olympics headed into its final weekend, we asked some of the employees at Salem Green Apartments what their favorite winter Olympic events to watch have been. Here’s what they have been watching:

Julie: Figure Skating
Matt: Snowboarding Slope Style
Val: The Luge
Steve: Curling
Janelle: Couples Figure Skating
Jeremy: Hockey
Kendra: Speed Skating
Anthony: Snowboarding Half Pipe

Here's some interesting facts about the Olympics:

• The Olympics started in Ancient Greece and according to legend it was Hercules who built the first Olympic stadium as a tribute to Zeus and established the custom of holding the events every four years. 
• The modern Olympics we watch today are very different than they were in Ancient Greece. The ancient Olympics had such events as Chariot races, Equestrian races (horse races), boxing, and wrestling and there was of course no winter Olympics. 
• The first winter Olympics was held in 1924 and only had 6 events. This year’s Sochi Winter Olympics is hosting a total of 98 events in 15 different winter sport disciplines! 
• To date the US has won 8 Gold metals, 6 silver medals and 11 bronze metals. The United States holds the lead for the most Olympic medals ever won with a total of 2, 549!

Whether you’re into figure skating, hockey or one of the other many events we hope you are enjoying the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics!

The Survey Says... We Have an Awesome Staff!

We are very interested in knowing how we are doing, which is why we like to survey our former residents, as well as those that have just moved to Salem Green. Check out some of the great response we got from past and current residents. We're proud to provide a high level of service and care for our residents and go "Beyond the Expected." Caution: brazen back-patting ahead.

Former Resident Survey

Sometimes our residents need to move away from Salem Green for various factors in their lives. We're always sad to see them go and we are very interested in hearing from them how they viewed their experience at Salem Green Apartments.

Question: What did you like best about living at Salem Green?

Julie
“Clean buildings, Quite apartment, Great people in office”, Julie P

Ziara
“You guys are super clean! I love how the office always took care of whatever I needed and did it with a smiling face. Miss you guys!” Ziara

Charles and Gail
“Friendly staff, friendly community, convenient to everything.”

Kris
“Very pleasant going to the office. Always friendly and talkative. Almost made it a pleasure to pay rent.”

New Resident Survey

We also like to ask our new residents how their move-in experience went. We always want to make sure we're doing our best to serve our residents. Here's some responses to recent New Resident Move-In Surveys.

Question: What could we have done to make your transition easier?

Ben, Megan, and Sam
“You were fantastic at helping us find a place and meeting our needs”

Antoinette
“Everything went smooth with my move, I wouldn’t change a thing!”

Melissa and Ira
“Not much at all, the office personnel was outstanding! Very nice and helpful.”

Steven and Laura
“Nothing, we came to view an apartment and filled out the application the same day. It’s been a breeze!”

Plus, recently we received this nice note from someone who came to look at our property:

Janelle and team,
I wanted to thank you very much for the help, great tour and opportunity to live at Salem Green. You truly have a beautiful property and great amenities, but unfortunately there has been a change of plans in my life and living arrangements and won't be able to move to Salem Green. Thank you for all the help and kindness! You have a great staff!
Hannah

Three Days til Valentine's Day! Here's Our Staff's Recommendations.

Valentine’s Day is almost here, are you ready? The Salem Green staff compiled a helpful list of local businesses and restaurants where you can find some special Valentine's Day gifts or make dinner reservations. Check them out below. But first...

We asked our staff what was on their Valentine’s Day agenda:

Matt is going to watch movies and enjoy popcorn with his adorable kids, Parker and Kylee.
Steve and Jeremy will both be taking their significant others out to enjoy sushi.
Joel is going to take some time to do something special for his beautiful wife.
Val is going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her wonderful parents and brother by taking them to dinner.
Janelle is going to take her daughter out for Chinese food.
Julie and Shawn will be enjoying a quiet dinner at home, with their cutie Josie.
Kendra will be seeing a romantic movie with her hubby Joey.

Gifts and Flowers

Are you searching for that perfect gift to give your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? You can never go wrong with flowers and candy. Here's some great local businesses that can help you out.

Gertens

(651) 450-1501

Check out Gerten’s on Blaine Avenue in Inver Grove Heights for some beautiful floral arrangements and potted plants and flowers.

Hearts and Flowers 

(651) 453-2013

They have great options for your sweetie, and they deliver as well!

Regina's Fine Candy
Sweeten up the love of your life and visit Regina’s Fine Candy for some decadent chocolate.

1905 Robert St. South, West St. Paul.

Candy Land

If you are looking for some unique sweets check out Candy Land in downtown St. Paul.

435 Wabasha St N., St Paul.

Local Eateries

There are several restaurants in the area that are doing a special Valentine’s Dinner. There's something here for all price ranges.

• White Castle on Robert Trail (It's a thing - they have a special Valentine's Day event each year.)
• Outback Steak House on Upper 55th in Inver Grove Heights
• And Julie's personal favorite is the Cherokee Sirloin Room in Eagan
• Old World Pizza in Inver Grove Heights

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Salem Green staff!

Whew, It's Getting Hot in Here!

There's good news for our residents who enjoy using the sauna - Robert and Ryan have been rebuilding the men's Sauna and it should be reopened very soon. We appreciate your patience during this process - we needed to make some necessary repairs to get the sauna into working order. Please use caution when using the sauna, especially if you are new to using it.

Did you know that some doctors think that saunas have some positive health effects? Check out this article from the University of Wisconsin:
http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/sauna-induced-sweating-offers-many-health-benefits/30199

Here's a few photos we snapped of Ryan and Robert rebuilding the sauna.

Ryan doing some calculations.

Robert and Ryan did a great job rebuilding the men's sauna!

Robert checking his measurements twice - like a true craftsman!

Meet Your New Neighbors!

We have some wonderful new residents that moved to Salem Green at the start of February. Please be sure to welcome your new neighbors to our community! We're glad each of you decided to move to Salem Green Apartments!

Welcome to Salem Green, Kayla!

Colin is no stranger to Salem Green, he used to live here and loved it so much he moved back! Welcome back, Colin!

We're excited to welcome Bryant and Tenielle (not pictured) to Salem Green!

Broncos or Seahawks? Get in the Superbowl Gift Card Drawing!

It may be cold outside, but discussion of the upcoming Superbowl is heating things up around the Salem Green office. There is a bit of division over what team is going to be victorious this next Sunday. The Denver Broncos have the most supporters among the staff - seven, in fact; while five of our staff will be cheering for the Seattle Seahawks. Who are you cheering for? Tell us in the comments section on our Facebook post and we'll put your name into a drawing for a $25.00 gift card for Old World Pizza in Inver Grove Heights! From all the people who let us know where their loyalties lie, we'll pick one lucky winner this Friday, January 31; just in time for you to make some plans for your Superbowl Party!

Staff Poll

Denver Broncos

Julie
Matt
Val
Ronda
Jackie
Zak
Shaun

Seattle Seahawks

Janelle
Steve
Tony
Lucky
Joel

Tips for Staying Warm

With wind chills currently at 28 degrees below zero, it’s dangerously cold outside. If you have to head outside keep warm by dressing appropriately and avoid being outside for more than a few minutes. It's a good idea to keep a blanket and extra clothes in your car as well.

Here are a few simple tips to keep you just a little warmer!

Eat Well! 

Eating regular meals particular those that have good carbohydrates can help you stay warmer throughout your day. Hearty soups are a great, quick option sure to warm you up!

Get Moving! 

Staying active is a must when it’s this cold! Going to the gym may be the last thing you want to do but there are some great ways to exercise from home. Throw in a workout video or download a fitness app on your phone and get that blood pumping!

Cut the Caffeine! 

I hate to say it but the caffeine in coffee and black tea increases blood flow to the skin which actually causes your body lose heat! Try sticking to decaf coffee or herbal teas to keep your body warm!

Keep it Airtight!

Be sure to follow the Winter Notice instructions that we recently delivered to each apartment. Doing so will help keep your apartment warm. If you've misplaced the notice we sent out, here it is again:

Due to the extremely cold weather, we want to remind you not to open windows or patio doors at this time of year. The cold air sinks to the level of the heat pipes causing them to freeze and ultimately burst. You may be held responsible for any damages to your or your neighbor’s apartment should this occur. If the temperature in your home is uncomfortable, contact the office immediately and we will issue a maintenance order to repair and adjust your heating system. Please follow these heat tips as the rest of the winter season progresses. We appreciate your cooperation.

Introducing Kendra, Our Newest Leasing Consultant

Kendra

We are excited to announce a new member of our Salem Green Leasing Staff! Meet Kendra, who recently moved to Salem Green. Kendra and her family moved here simply as residents seeking a new home; however she fell in love with the property and the people and she realized that living at Salem Green was not enough - she wanted to work here as well! We think Kendra will make a great addition to our team; and we encourage you to stop by the office and meet her.

Kendra, Joey and Sofia

When Kendra isn't working in the Salem Green office, she is spending time with her sweet baby, Sofia, and her husband, Joey. Sofia is eight months old and her favorite thing to do is sing with her mama. Kendra and Joey also own and operate a business called MIFFEDMOM Records and Acoustic Panels. They offer music production services, music lessons, and acoustic sound absorption paneling.

Welcome to Salem Green, Kendra, Joey and Sofia. And welcome to the staff, Kendra!