Football Party Beer & Cheddar Dip

Image courtesy Nealey Dozier, The Kitchn

When you think of football, food also probably comes to mind. From pizza to wings to beer, the unhealthier the food, the better it tastes on game day! Whether you're hosting a party or attending someone else's on Sunday, this beer & cheddar dip (courtesy of The Kitchn) is sure to please! After all, it's the best of both football food worlds--beer and melted cheese!

Beer & Cheddar Dip

Serves 4-6

1 cup (8 ounces) evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

10 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup amber beer

2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bacon crumbles and green onions, for garnish (optional)

Pretzels, pretzel bread, or crudités, for serving

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together evaporated milk, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and half of the shredded cheese. Once the cheese sauce begins to warm, add the beer and cornstarch-water mixture (aka the slurry). Whisking frequently, gradually add the remaining cheese and cook until the sauce reaches desired thickness, about 10 - 12 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Keep warm over lowest heat setting, stirring frequently, until ready to serve. Garnish with bacon crumbles and green onions and serve with pretzels, pretzel bread, or crudités.

What are your favorite Super Bowl snacks and recipes?

Non-Destructive Wall Decor

"Great wall" by Sal Taylor Kydd is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Do you have a vision for how your apartment should look, but can’t achieve that vision because of restrictions by your landlord or property manager? Where there is a will, there is a way! You don’t have to worry about destroying the walls in your apartment with these ideas, courtesy of Apartment Guide, because they don’t require nails and won’t damage the surfaces you attach them to! Let these ideas inspire you and make your vision a reality!

Frameless Wall Gallery

Not all pictures require a classic, ornate frame to provide an impressive appearance. You can take all of your favorite artistic landscapes, and even your cherished selfies, and hang a montage or collage of images that tell a story about who you are and what you love, all without chipping the paint.

No nails are required for this wall gallery–simply print out your images on reusable, adhesive-backed paper and decorate to your heart’s content. Websites likeWeMontage can provide this service for you or you can order the specialty paper and DIY. Another, even more affordable option is using poster putty or painter’s tape.

Washi Tape Design Series

One of the most popular ways to add color and pattern to just about anything–including walls, notebooks and furniture–is with washi tape, which is a pretty, lightweight masking tape that originated in Japan. This adhesive tape comes in a stunning assortment of colors, prints, patterns and sayings from the basic to the bold. Think leopard prints, polka dots and mini mustaches.

Washi tape is available at craft stores and online, and is inexpensive. Scoop up the styles that appeal to you, and use the tape to make a faux frame around a picture, “draw” a shape on the wall or add colorful edging to bookshelves. The best part about washi tape is that it’s washable and removes easily–perfect for that no-nails stipulation in your apartment lease.

Vinyl Decals

Vinyl decals are a relatively new way to add elegance to walls without painting or using framed artwork, and they’re available in every shape and style imaginable. Vinyl decals, sometimes called cut outs, are removable adhesive images that can be stuck and replaced as many times as desired with no harm done to the wall, furniture or other item on which they are applied.

These decals come in a variety of designs, including trees, woodland creatures, monograms, heart-warming sayings, chandeliers, or just about anything else that you can conceive. Vinyl decals can be a bit pricier than some other options, but they are long lasting, don’t require nails and won’t violate your apartment lease terms.

Temporary Wallpaper

Though paint may not be an option for most renters and removable wallpaper can be pricey, adding color to the walls is still possible if you get a little creative with fabric. By using a simple combination of starch and water, you can quickly and easily “glue” your favorite bolt of fabric to the walls for an instant wallpaper or paint-type effect.

Best yet, you’re only limited by the selection of prints and patterns of available cloth. Make sure you measure your wall carefully to get the right amount of fabric. You’ll also want to get a bit more than you think, as the starch can cause some shrinkage. When moving day arrives, simply pull the fabric away from the wall and wash off the starch with a sponge and warm water.

Repurposed Decor

Not all decor ideas have to involve attaching anything to the actual walls. Some renters can bypass strict lease restrictions by repurposing unexpected items in fun, playful ways.

For instance, an old, beat-up ladder may not be safe for climbing, but it can lean against the wall and provide a shabby chic accent that also holds blankets, magazines, small potted plants and other trinkets. You can even paint the ladder a bright color for a statement piece.

Another example is old shutters, which can be turned into letter holders, or you can add hooks to the slats and hang a variety of items, from cooking utensils to accessories such as jewelry or purses.

Tiny Decor Updates

"MINT GREEN COLORBLOCK CHEVRON Throw Pillow by nataliesales | Society6" by Wicker Paradise
is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

After the holidays can be a very “blah” time of the year. Chances are you’re itching to be outdoors more, you’re working full work weeks again and, overall, you’re bored. Take this time to make some decor updates to your apartment! No matter what your expendable income is, you can update each room in your apartment for less than $50. Apartment Guide offers these suggestions for each room:

The Living Room

Dress up your windows: Bright curtains can liven up a space in no time, and they don’t have to cost a lot of money either. Look online or at discount department stores for some pretty patterned curtains that will jazz up the windows and add some color to the white walls.

Switch out your throw pillows: A couple of throw pillows won’t break the bank, and your plain couch will look super spiffy. Make the room look even more put together by matching the colors in your pillows to those in your curtains.

Prettify your coffee table: Use a pretty tray to keep your coffee table organized and stylish. Place some magazines or a coffee table book on the tray next to a small vase or scented candle.

The Bedroom

Change your lamp shades: New lamp shades can completely alter the look of a room in an instant. Not only will they add a new style to your bedside tables, but they can also change the quality of light in the room – use them to make the bright light in your bedroom a little softer.

Stack some baskets: Tackle clutter and add some decor at the same time by picking up a couple of stackable baskets to keep in one corner of the room. Throw in some blankets or clothes you don’t wear often, or anything cluttering up your shelves.

Make your own headboard: A quick search on Pinterest will show you just how many DIY headboard ideas there are out there, and some of them can be created pretty cheaply. Even simply hanging a curtain on the wall at the head of your bed can pull the room together.

The Kitchen

Change the hardware: As long as your landlord gives the OK, a great way to change the look of a small apartment kitchen is to switch out the cabinet hardware. For apartments that don’t have very many cabinets and drawers, this can be a super cheap and easy project.

Add a rug: Replace your old rug by the sink with something new, colorful and fun. Over time kitchen rugs can become dirty and discolored. You can feel free to clean it thoroughly, but splurging on a new one shouldn’t break the bank either.

The Bathroom

Add a coat rack: If you have some extra wall space, hang up a decorative coat rack for your robes and extra towels. The colorful array of towels will add some brightness to your walls.

Frame some photos: Almost anything looks great in a beautiful frame, so you don’t have to be a professional photographer to make some hangable artwork. Spend an afternoon walking around a park or neighborhood and take some colorful pictures. Print them out at a drugstore, frame them, and hang them on your bathroom wall.

Choose a fun shower curtain: The most obvious big change you can make in a bathroom for $50 or less is replacing the shower curtain. Something new and colorful will update the room’s overall style immediately.

Create Happy at-Home Habits

"Wine" by Emiliano DeLaurentiis is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The new year is a great time for a fresh start and creating new habits. While many people are focused on losing weight or working out more, think about focusing your energy on creating daily, positive moments at home in your apartment! Yes, there’s almost always some chore that needs to be done, but balance it out with doing something enjoyable for YOU! Apartment Therapy offers these tips for creating those happy moments:

1. Have one daily ritual that is just for you. For me, a mom to two young kids, I like to drink my coffee in peace in the morning. Even if it means getting up earlier, that quiet time before the family routine kicks in helps me ease into the day and do something for myself before I start doing things for everyone else. Your ritual could be anything that brings you pleasure or peace, even if just for a few minutes. My mom, for instance, took a hot bath almost every night of my childhood.

2. Set aside time in the week to listen to music. For some people, music is always playing at home. I envy these people. I live in a small apartment with three others and more often than not, the sounds filtering through our home come from the tv, iPad games and noisy toys. On Sunday mornings I like to very intentionally put on music that we can all enjoy and keep other sounds to a minimum. Set aside time in your home when music is all that you can hear. If you live with others, perhaps rotate playlists.

3. Use what you have. Go ahead - use the "nice" soap, light those spendy candles, break out the fabric napkins. Treat yourself well at home. Too often we squirrel away little luxuries at home and only bring them out for company. Let your home provide you with small pleasures; you deserve them.

4. Cook or prepare something, for pleasure, for yourself once a week.Cooking, even for people who love to do it, can be a grind when it's a daily obligation and particularly when it's on you to feed your family. If you can, make something for yourself as often as you can that is not completely utilitarian, even something simple like salted avocado spread on toast. It may help you reconnect with the parts of cooking you do like and, of course, the eating of it will bring you enjoyment in the short term.

5. Choose one weekend day when you don't do any housework.Wouldn't it be great if you did a little bit of housework each weekday so you could just relax and enjoy your home on the weekends? Yeah, that doesn't really happen. Try to condense your household chores to one part of the weekend and have one day, Saturday or Sunday, that is reserved for being home, not cleaning home.

Illuminate Your Space

"test" by jinkazamah is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A new year signals a new, fresh perspective on things - like your apartment style! If you’re not in the mood to complete big projects like moving around furniture or painting, there’s something simple you can do that will make all the difference in your apartment’s atmosphere - let the light in! Your apartment will feel bigger and happier by brightening it up with these tips from Apartment Guide:

Keep Shades Light

Since you probably want to avoid drilling into the ceiling of your rental, much of your lighting is bound to be in the form of floor lamps or end table lamps. The good news is that lamp shades offer an opportunity to really show off your style, so you can handle the whole daylight savings time issue with grandeur.

To keep your apartment as bright as possible, stick to light-colored lamps shades. Think white, cream, light gray, or similar hues when selecting a lamp shade. Darker lamp shades will filter out a considerable amount of light and may leave you sitting in the dark.

String Additional Lighting

If you still need more light once you have lamps set up, consider buying string lights, also known as fairy lights. While you may associate this type of lighting with the twinkle lights around a Christmas tree, there are other options available.

Designers now offer string lights with large bulbs, black or silver string, and a sleek modern look. Buy a decorative wooden ladder and string lights around it; set up your pyramid shelves in the corner and adorn the piece with string lights; or simply string them around a window.

Accessorize with Wireless Lights

Some rentals have a limited number of electrical outlets, and rewiring your home is not an option as a renter. Turn to wireless lighting that operates on battery power and is extremely mobile. Wireless LED candles, for instance, offer ambiance and go on with the flip of a switch.

Best of all, faux candles don’t pose the same fire hazard as an actual candle. Tap lights are also wireless and a good way to illuminate shelves or other small spaces. These lights are typically small and round, activated when you apply a small amount of pressure to the top of the light.

Use Mirrors to Maximize Lighting

Add a few mirrors to your rental space if you don’t have a lot of room or money for new lighting. Mirrors propped up against your walls won’t damage the drywall, and can reflect light from your lamps and other home lighting.

Mirrors create the illusion of more lighting sources, and doubles the amount of light that bounces around your apartment. Place larger mirrors next to a floor lamp and small wall mirrors adjacent to end tables with a lighting fixture.

Space Out Your Lighting

Now that your space is outfitted with several floor lamps, a few strands of string lights, and a handful of large mirrors–take a moment to consider the placement of each piece. Don’t put all the lighting in your living room, for instance, while neglecting to consider your dining nook.

Instead, space out your lighting fixtures. Put at least one light source near each corner of larger rooms. Place your mirrors within a few feet of a lighting fixture; this allows them to better reflect the light out into the rest of your space.

Lighting your new apartment should be at the top of your daylight savings to-do list. If you neglect to properly light your apartment, you will soon realize that it’s not possible to enjoy all of your lovely decor in the dark.