Blog Posts

Making Your Home Feel More Spacious

Here at Mesa Falls, we offer apartments with square footage ranging from 690 to 1100! We absolutely love having so much space, especially in our one bedroom apartment. However, if there is anything I’ve learned from apartment living over the past 5 years, it’s that the more you accumulate, the less space you have. Eventually, no matter how much space you start out with, you start to feel cramped. Here are 6 ways to make your home feel more spacious. Less is More! Less is more in many ways, but overall, Less things = more space. Start your journey by throwing some things out. There are a couple of methods for this. One is to hold each item and determine if it gives you joy. If not, toss it. Another is to throw out anything you haven’t used in the last 6 months (this one is especially helpful with clothing). Try the 20/20 method: if it is something you truly need that can be replaced (and needs to be) for $20 within 20 minutes of your home, go ahead and toss that as well. If you get stumped on ideas to declutter, there are plenty of ideas on Google! Store Up! Not out. There are a handful of items in the everyday household that can be stored upwards that aren't. Blankets, for example, we can commonly find are taking up too much space. A blanket ladder is a common and trendy solution to this problem. If you have too many blankets for just one blanket ladder, consider getting a bookshelf to store them. Maybe a hollow footrest is more your style. Pinterest some ideas for your style of storage, but always remember you can store a lot when doing so upwards! Simple decor Let’s talk about Decor. The minimalist lifestyle isn’t for everyone, especially not me. I like a view on every wall, however, sometimes that view ends up taking away from the space. Don’t be afraid to move around your decorations or furniture when you start to feel cramped. If you feel like you have one too many chairs or couches, don’t be afraid to get rid of them. After all, less is more! Use every space There are many floorplans at Mesa Falls that include a laundry room or pantry with a lot of space. Utilize these! Add a bookcase or shelves of some sort and fill the space with the things you don’t want in your main living areas. Specifically with the Private Falls, there is a nice space in the dining area, against the wall where a nice shelving unit would fit great! The Private Falls may not come with a pantry, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make one! There is also a great coat closet in the Private Falls, Bravura Falls, and Grand Falls. Just because it is called a coat closet doesn’t mean it can only be used for coats. Use that as a pantry or extra storage. Don’t forget that we also offer storage closets and garages. These are great spaces for large and seasonal items as well (think Holiday decorations, bikes, snowboards). If this peaks your interest, call the office! ORGANIZE If you have read some of my other blogs, you will know how much of an advocate I am of organization. Specifically giving everything a place. If everything has a spot to be returned to after use, the mess only accumulates a little and it’s easy to clean up. I am currently posting a series of organizing each room in your apartment. Check out this one for your bathroom , and keep an eye out for our next blog to see ideas on organizing your kitchen. Reset Daily Keeping a clean home can be difficult, especially when you are living with more people than just yourself. Remember that it’s okay for your home to look lived in, because it is lived in. Don’t hold yourself to an impossible standard of cleanliness. That being said, you can clean up each day by “resetting” the room. Change your mindset from “cleaning up after yourself” to “resetting for tomorrow”. This takes away any blame for a dirty area and changes it to acceptance that it is simply a used area. If it helps, number the tasks and do them in order. This takes away any overwhelming feelings. If you have any other tips or tricks to making your home feel more spacious, share it with us and we will share it in our next blog! Share to: [email protected] and address it to Maigan.

What to do in Rexburg: Indoor Winter Edition

It’s winter time! There are two types of people in the winter: those who want to be out in the snow all the time, and those who want to avoid the snow at all costs. I am the latter. Although it can be nice to watch the snow fall, I prefer to watch it from the comforts of my home with a nice warm blanket and hot chocolate in hand. Despite all of the things I can do at home during the winter, I still want to go out and do fun things. If you don’t do your research, you may think Rexburg is a very boring place full of apartment complexes and fast food restaurants. This may have some truth to it, but there are actually a lot of fun things to do! For my friends who would rather find something indoors to do, let’s go over some of the most fun indoor activities in town. Heber Hatchets Have you ever seen someone throw an ax and thought “Wow! I wanna do that!”? Then Heber Hatchets is the place for you! Out of their 253 Google reviews, they have 4.8 stars! You can receive throwing tips and instructions from the staff, or watch others and catch on to what they are doing. Round up your group and throw some axes. Don’t forget to snap a picture of every bullseye! You can book your spot and see their hours and varying prices on their website: Heber Hatchets Splatter Lab The Splatter Lab is exactly what it sounds like and more! You and your friends get brushes, big white jumpsuits, and 4 different paint colors. You go into a room, set up your canvases and paint! Whether you are painting your canvas or splattering your friends, you’ll have tons of fun. The Splatter Lab does require a reservation. They also offer art classes to anyone who is looking to practice a new skill! Check out their website for more information: Splatter Lab Ethereal Arcade Ethereal Arcade is something rather new to the Rexburg Area. This isn’t like a regular arcade. It’s very modern and full of games you wouldn’t typically find in any old arcade. At Ethereal, you get the opportunity to experience virtual reality games! You are able to sign up for individual or group games. They also have different gaming consoles available for guests to use while in the waiting area or after your reservation. Make your reservation here: Ethereal Arcade Fat Cats Fat Cats is more than just a movie theater. It’s also a bowling alley and arcade! There are no reservations necessary here. You’re welcome to walk in, bowl a round, watch a movie, then play mini golf, VR or play some arcade games! Website: Fat Cats Live performance One thing about the Rexburg community is that it is full of different kinds of people of all ages. If you like to watch live performances, whether that be a musical, a play, a dance recital, or even a ballet performance, you can! You can find these at the local high schools, the college, and at the Rexburg Romance Theater. High School Sports Winter is basketball season for high school sports. Visit the local high school websites for times and prices of attending a game: Sugar-Salem High Madison High Rigby High The Rock Gym The Rock Gym is a great place to work out! The cool thing about the Rock gym is that it’s not only a gym, they also offer yoga and rock climbing! No reservation is needed here. Show up and take your pick! You could even warm up in the gym, hit the cliffs, then stretch out in a yoga class. Website: The Rock Gym Gravity Factory Rexburg’s local trampoline park is more than fun! They have special socks that help with friction on the trampolines. That’s right! Trampoline s ! They also have a ninja course, a dodgeball arena, and a sumo stand off area. If you’re looking to test your skills for Survivor, this is a great place to start! Website: Gravity Factory These are only a few of the great indoor activities here in Rexburg. They are open year round, but these are my favorites for the winter. If you have more suggestions for indoor activities, send us an email at [email protected] and we will add it to our next blog!

What to do in Rexburg (Outside)

Don’t know what to do during the winter months? Now is the perfect time to go outside and enjoy the beauty. Below is a list of ideas to do during the winter. #1 Grand Targhee Ever been snowboarding or skiing? Grand Targhee Resort is a 1 hour drive from Rexburg. This resort is known for its snow and luxurious lodging. Click the link below to visit their website. Grand Targhee Website #2 Sledding at the Dunes Saint Anthony dunes is known for its summer-time fun, but can also be sledding mania during the winter! For more information about the dunes use the link below. Saint Anthony Dunes #3 Coca Lodge Eat, drink and stay warm this winter with hot chocolate from Cocoa Lodge! This local shop has multiple flavors of hot chocolate. For more flavors check their website. Coca Lodge #4 Ice Palace Want to enjoy the cold weather? The LaBelle Lake has their annual Ice Palace attraction that opens December 17th, 2022. Through their website you’re able to see the attractions they offer and the pricing. Enjoy the beauty of winter with Ice Palace. Ice Palace

12 Renter Friendly Apartment Upgrades

Renting is super convenient and cheaper than buying a house. However, with renting comes restrictions. Often, we feel we can’t decorate or add any of our own personality to our living space as it belongs to someone else and we are only borrowing it. Today, we are going to go over a few ideas on how you can temporarily upgrade your apartment to match your style without damaging anything so you can still get your security deposit back! If you have a TikTok account, go check out @beingthebloom. She has dedicated her own home to find the best renter friendly upgrades! She has a link in her bio to amazon finds so it’s super easy to get what she is showing off! I want to start off with a few reminders: Any holes larger than a hole punch will be charged $3. Don’t use wall stickers or anything that could leave serious damage on the walls or other surfaces. Do not paint your walls. Frame Wall Pick one wall and fill it from top to bottom with frames! If you aren’t sure what to frame, here are a few ideas: Print out the pictures of the sunset that are just waiting to be appreciated in the back of your camera roll. Hang pictures of friends and family. Find your favorite wallpaper and hang a piece of that. This way you get to show off your favorite wallpaper and get your security deposit back too! Closets At Mesa Falls, all of our closets are open. I have seen some people close them by fitting an extendable shower rod in the top of the archway and hanging curtains from there. Not only will this give your closet more privacy, but it will extend the height of your room. Floors RUGS I am a huge advocate for rugs, and they’re probably the easiest way to personalize your space. Not to mention, they’re so accessible. Order some on Amazon, buy one at Walmart, or go to your favorite department store. You can find so many styles, you’re bound to find something you like. The best find is getting a set of rugs. Put the largest in your living room, and the other two in your kitchen and laundry room. Tie your whole apartment together with three simple rugs. Room Separator A lot of people will use one room for multiple purposes. Whether it’s a dining area and an office, or a playroom and a library, there are many areas that can be split in two. Use a room separator to designate your spaces. This could be made with duct tape and cardboard if you like to DIY! Lamps Our Mesa Falls apartments have a lot of natural light, but alas, there are always going to be a few dark spots in every living area. Get some lamps to brighten up the dark spaces. Even better, get multiple lamps of different heights. Layering your light will add a lovely hue to the room rather than any harsh light from the fixture in the middle of the ceiling. Bathroom Add a fresh pop to your bathroom by changing up the decorations. Start with your shower curtain. If that doesn’t give new life to your bathroom, change up the color scheme. Again, get some rugs! Bathroom rugs and a toilet seat cover definitely add a level of high-style living to your apartment. Check out our blog about bathroom organization for more upgrade ideas! New Shower Head Some of us like a lot of water pressure and some of us like less. Unfortunately, shower heads in your rental are usually a “one pressure fits all’’ sort of thing. You can go to Walmart and get a new shower head for about $25! Untwist your current shower head and switch them out super easily. DON’T THROW AWAY THE ORIGINAL! Remember, you are borrowing the property, and that shower head is part of it. Don’t throw away anything that comes with the apartment. Plus, when you leave, you can switch them back out and take your new one with you. Plants Plants get their own section because they can go anywhere! Add plants to your walls, large shrubs to your floors, small succulents to your shelves or counters, and all kinds of plants to your patio. Make sure each of your plants has something underneath to catch any water that filters out the bottom. That way, you won’t be damaging your surfaces. If you love the way plants brighten up a space, but have a brown thumb like me, consider getting some fake plants or plants that don’t need to be watered a lot. Cacti, succulents, and bamboo plants among others only need to be watered occasionally. Consider researching a few different fake plants and find your style! All in all, there are so many ways to decorate your apartment while still managing to take your security deposit with you. Here at Mesa Falls, we want you to love your space and make it yours! Just remember that you are borrowing the property for the time that you’re here. If you take any of these suggestions or have others, let us know! Email us at [email protected] or message us on Instagram or Facebook. We love to see the creativity of our residents. --- I want to give a shout out to Breanna for winning our pumpkin painting contest! Look how cute her pumpkin is!

Maintenance Monday: Winter Heating

Winter is coming! If you’re new to Rexburg, you can expect the snow to start falling in late October or early November. As a local, I can’t recall a time I wasn’t celebrating Thanksgiving with a bit of snow on the ground. With the cold, there also comes holidays, and with holidays comes trips. When you’re paying for your gas bill for the majority of the year, it is very tempting to turn off your heat for the few days you’re out of town to save a few dollars. Let’s look at why this is a bad idea: Each apartment in Mesa Falls has a fire prevention system. The sprinklers in your ceiling have an intricate pipe system behind them. Your smoke alarm goes off whenever it detects smoke, and your sprinkler system goes off whenever there is an actual fire. There is 80 gallons of water per minute that comes out of each sprinkler. If those pipes freeze, they will burst causing the sprinklers to go off. Your apartment would flood, and if you’re in a second or third floor apartment, an entire waterfall would appear right on your balcony, and you would be coming home to thousands of dollars in damages. What can we do to avoid flooding our apartment? In the winter, the only thing keeping your pipes from freezing is the heating system. Keeping your thermostat above 65 degrees Fahrenheit will keep the pipes warm enough to avoid freezing. Of course, when it is -10 degrees outside, you’re not likely to keep your apartment any colder than 70, so if you do make plans to leave for a few days during the winter, make sure to set your thermostat at 65 or higher. Paying a few dollars to the gas company is a small fee compared to paying for the flooding damages. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the office at (208)359-0000. We are here to help you!

Maintenance Monday: Washing Machines

Mesa Falls has a great maintenance staff. With seven maintenance technicians and plenty of experience, they can fix just about anything. It amazes me every day that they are able to keep up with all of the maintenance requests from 408 apartments! A lot of the problems they fix are very avoidable. One of them being washing machines. Let’s look at a couple of do’s and don’ts to keep your washing machine in good shape. Don’t: Overload One thing many people do is over estimate how much their little washing machines can hold. These machines are doing their best, but we often give them too much to clean at once. There are a couple of problems caused from overloading your machine. Some of them are easily fixed and some of them completely damage your machine. Your machine will become unbalanced and make a lot of noise during each cycle. The drum will be damaged and decrease the efficiency of your washer. There isn’t enough space for your clothes to move as they should to soak and clean. This can cause you to wash your clothes a second time, which raises your gas and power bills. Running the load twice is a good indicator that it’s too big. In short, don’t overload your washing machine. There are so many ways to avoid some serious damage to these great machines. Washers are supposed to last for many years as long as you treat them right, so do your part to help them last. Do: Separate Your Laundry If there is one thing I really dislike about laundry, it’s having to sit in a pile of dirty clothes and separate the lights, darks, and bulky items. To solve that, I got a laundry bin that has separate bags so I can toss it in the right bag and already have it separated. It sure makes doing laundry a whole lot easier. Separate your laundry to keep your loads smaller and your clothes nicer. Have you ever noticed that your favorite t-shirt or blouse doesn't last as long as your heavy duty work jeans? That’s probably because you’re washing them together. It’s like continuously rubbing chalk on the sidewalk. Of course the chalk is not going to last very long. We all wear clothes, so it’s important to know at least a little bit about fabrics. I’ll give you a quick crash course on fabrics: A few heavy fabrics would be jeans, towels, and hoodies. Anything that is thick would be considered a heavy fabric. A few light fabrics would be polyester, blouses, t-shirts, and tank tops. Anything that is thin is considered a light fabric. All of your whites are on a different plane of consideration. It’s very important to wash your whites together and not with any other color. This will help keep the vibrancy of the white and keep any possibility of colors bleeding and ruining your clothes. The best way to separate your clothes is by color. For starters, always separate your jeans from the rest of your laundry. Anything with a jean fabric should be washed together to avoid damaging other clothes. In order to separate by colors, you should have 3 different loads (besides your jeans): whites, lights, and darks. Each of these loads should be washed at different temperatures. Your darks and jeans should be washed in cold water. All lightly colored clothes ought to be washed in warm water. To keep your whites the brightest, they need to be washed in hot water. By separating your laundry by fabric and color, your clothes will last much longer. DO: More TLC In order to keep your washing machine in good condition, it needs a little tender love and care. Now that we have covered using smaller loads, let's talk about keeping your machine clean. It’s odd to think that you have to clean something that cleans something. It’s very similar to your shower. You get washed, but the shower gets dirty and needs its own cleaning. Your first step in keeping your washing machine clean is keeping the lid open in between cycles. This allows the humidity in the machine to disperse and air out. Do this to avoid any musty scents and odor build up. Occasionally, you will open the lid right after a load finishes and find that the clothes have a scent you did not add with the soap. This happens because some suds from the soap dry on the sidewalls. When the water fills the machine, the old soap will get on your clothes. You simply need to clean the machine with a cleaning solution from the store. If you would rather go the DIY route, you can mix ¾ cup of bleach with 1 TBSP of powder detergent and run the washer while it’s empty. Make sure to use the least amount of water in the load since it is empty. It’s best to clean the machine at least once a month. Don’t: High Water Levels A common mistake is using too much water in your loads. This is a big one you want to avoid as it can cause a flood in your apartment, and you certainly don’t want that! There are options for load size on your machine and this determines how much water will be used to soak the clothes. If you were to put your washer on a “Super Load” when there is a small load, the clothes wouldn’t be able to soak up enough water and the machine would shake the excess water onto your floor. Make sure to keep your water levels appropriate to your load sizes. In the End In the end, keeping your washers in good condition is really important and quite simple. If you have other tips on keeping your washers clean or separating your clothes, email them to us at [email protected] and we can add it in our next Maintenance blog!