Posted by McHenry Row on 10:25 AM
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| Image courtesy of Wikipedia |
Just because the weather is cooling off doesn’t mean you can’t get outside. The cold air is even more invigorating than the warm summer air. Today, November 17th, is annual Take a Hike Day. While the holiday could be about telling some rude person to get lost, we’re going to assume it’s probably about getting into the great outdoors for some fresh air and exercise.
Herring Run Park is only a 15 minute drive away from our home at McHenry Row. The 375 acres of woodlands have no shortage of beautiful scenery. The trails wind and wrap their way throughout the park. Get lost in the trees and foliage of the park. A trail extends from Halls Spring Area all the way to Sinclair Lane, allowing for walking, hiking and biking along the stream bed. The changing of the leaves makes for extra beautiful views as you huff and puff your way down the trails.
Patapsco Valley State Park stretches along 32 miles of the Patapsco River. The state park encompasses, altogether, 16,043 acres of land. You’ll never run out of trails to explore in Patapsco Valley State Park. Enjoy the acres and acres of forest. If you bring along a picnic basket, you’ll have plenty of places to stop and throw your blanket down. There are tons of great spots under trees and at picnic tables to plop down and enjoy an afternoon snack. Patapsco Valley State Park is only 10 minutes away from McHenry Row, so you don’t have to go far to get into the outdoors.
What better place to take a hike than a place where you can also enjoy the company of some exotic animals? The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is more than 135 acres of trail to explore. It’s certainly not your typical definition of a trail but you’ll tire yourself out moving through the zoo, trying to take in all the wildlife. Make sure you hike past the brand new exhibit to take in the 46 waddling African penguins. You might have to pay admission to hike along this ‘trail’, but it’s well worth it when you think of all the amazing animals you’ll get to see along the way. The zoo is only a 20 minute drive away from McHenry Row Apartments.
Pretty soon, the weather is going to be much too frigid to head to the outdoors and take a hike. We have to soak up the hiking time while we can! Do you have a favorite place to hike at?
Posted by McHenry Row on 11:26 AM
There are over 600,000 people living in Maryland with diabetes and almost 1.6 million with pre-diabetes who are at risk of developing diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has dedicated countless hours to raising awareness and funds for the care of those living with diabetes and funding research for a cure. They have designated the month of November as National Diabetes Month. There are so many ways for you to donate and make a difference. Here’s how we in Baltimore can help the cause.
Donations are crucial to the American Diabetes Association. All of the money received through donations goes right back into those suffering from diabetes. The ADA provides invaluable resources for those living with diabetes. The estimated total national cost of caring for those with diabetes is near $245 billion in the United States. By donating even just a little, you can help someone receive care that they might not get otherwise. Donate here.
The inaugural Greater Maryland Fabulous YOU luncheon takes place this month on the 12th at the Horseshoe Casino. Join hundreds of women from all walks of life in a celebration inspiring and empowering them all to be their most fabulous selves inside and out. The celebrations starts with a luncheon to fuel you up followed by interactive stations to explore. All of the stations will include health and beauty related activities to teach you to empower yourself and feel beautiful inside and out. Make sure to stay for the keynote speaker, Dr. Michelle A. Gourdine, who will inspire you to take charge of your own health. Check here to buy your tickets.
November 17th is National Healthy Lunch Day, encouraging you to make the right choices when it comes to the things you’re putting into your belly. The American Diabetes Association is inviting you and your business or organization to join them that day for the healthy eating challenge. Making healthy choices for your meals can help prevent type 2 diabetes and other obesity related illnesses. Register for the pledge and your organization will receive an e-toolkit to help you make better decisions when it comes to mealtimes. Head here to learn more and to register your organization.
Living with diabetes is a challenging task but it’s manageable with the right funding and tools. Together, we can find a cure. Until then, it’s up to us to help those living with it cope with it and make the right choices. Do you know someone living with diabetes?
Posted by McHenry Row on 9:15 AM
You’ve most likely known some form of stress your entire life. Whether it be tough tests in elementary school, relationships in high school, balancing school and a job in college or paying bills as an adult, stress comes in every shape and size and unfortunately, there’s enough to go around for everyone. Today, November 4th, is Stress Awareness Day, which aims to identify any stress in your life and find healthy outlets for it. There are so many outlets for you to get the stress out and relax.
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| Image courtesy of Wikipedia |
One of the best stress relievers that there is is yoga. Yoga focuses on breathing techniques and stretching to slow your heart rate and ease you into a calmer and more peaceful state of mind. Charm City Yoga has seven locations throughout Baltimore, with the closest being just 6 minutes away in Federal Hill. You can take group classes, individual sessions for a more personalized focus and workshops for specializations. Newbies to the exercise can join for just $30 a month. Bring a friend each month with your monthly guest passes, grab a towel and mat when you forget yours at home and get %10 off yoga wear in the shop. These and a ton of other benefits are just a small part of why you should pick up yoga. Start relieving your stress with a healthy mind and body.
Sometimes all it takes to clear your mind and relax is some good old fashioned fresh air. Luckily for us at McHenry Row, we’re in close proximity to some pretty fabulous parks to roam through, starting with Latrobe Park. Latrobe has some great outlets for releasing stress. The tennis and basketball courts will be there when you need to let your frustrations out and whack a few tennis balls around with all your might. If that’s not what you need then, you can walk to the dog park and just sit and watch the puppies frolic. There’s nothing better for relieving stress than a nice, fluffy dog. Get some extra fresh air and take a walk to the park. It’s only 11 minutes away on foot and the extra time outdoors will help relieve the stress even more.
Posted by McHenry Row on 10:53 AM
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| Image courtesy of Pixabay |
Living in apartments can be trying at times. Being in such close proximity to other people can cause a lot of problems for everyone involved. There’s loud noises, there’s interesting food smells, there’s mess in common areas. When you live so closely with other people they can begin to grate on your nerves a bit. Sometimes you just need to go the extra mile and go out of your way for your neighbors. It can really make a difference!
Start small! Being cognizant of yourself and the noise you’re putting out into the apartment, is a great place to start. When you turn your iPod on to rock out to some tunes while cooking dinner, think about how high the volume is. If you would be annoyed by someone playing loud music at that hour of the day, then you should turn it down a few notches. Be respectful of your neighbors and they’ll return the favor.
Are you a coffee drinker? When you’re standing in line at Dunkin Donuts in McHenry Row, isn’t it frustrating to look ahead of you and see a long line stretching to the counter when you’re late or in a rush? Now imagine being someone even farther behind you in line! The next time you look behind you and see one of your neighbors, grab them their coffee too. We guarantee you that they’ll pay you back for it in the future. The next time the positions will be reversed and you’ll be at the back of the line with only 15 minutes to take a 20 minute journey to work. You’ll be thankful you grabbed your neighbor their coffee then! Luckily for us we have a Dunkin Donuts located right in McHenry Row so it’s within arm’s reach!
Have you recently picked up a new hobby that you want to share with others? Convince your neighbor to join and they’ll thank you for sure! Bikram Yoga Baltimore has a studio right in McHenry Row so you don’t have to go far in the cold to get there. Yoga is a great way to not only stretch and exercise your body but to silently bond with your neighbor. You never know, a few yoga classes could end in a budding friendship!
Posted by McHenry Row on 9:23 AM
Next weekend for Halloween, you can gather together with some like minded folks and travel from bar to bar. The Halloween Baltimore Bar Crawl is taking place Halloween weekend starting Thursday the 29th.
Beginning in the Point in Fells Bar, the group will migrate from place to place. When you start the crawl, you’ll be given a map, a drinking cup and a wristband. The wristband gets you into all of the bars participating in the bar crawl free of charge. The wristband will also get you access to some great drink special in the participating bars.
The dress code for the crawl is casual but it is recommended that you sport your best Halloween costumes! If you want to feel festive you’ll need to be in character. Some bars might require you to be in costume for entrance so it’s recommended that you wear a costume!
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| image courtesy of Wikimedia |
Tickets are available for purchase online here. Tickets are available for individual days so you can go to just one night of the crawl. Or if you’re feeling up to it, you can buy the full three day pass so you can have fun all Halloween weekend.
You must print your ticket out and bring it to a registration location at the beginning of the crawl to receive your wristband, map and drinking cup.
Some of the bars offer drink and food specials to fill your complimentary drink cups and your bellies. You’ll have to check your map for a list of the specials being offered. Some of the bars will only offer the specials for certain blocks of time so you’ll need to check to make sure of the times.
If you’re looking for an event to take part in this Halloween, why not take part in three events over the course of Halloween weekend? The full list of the participating bars won’t be available until the day of the first bar crawl but seeing the list from previous years should be enough to get you excited about the crawl! Grab your drinking cups, don’t forget your wristband and get to crawling. For more information on the crawl head here. Luckily for McHenry Row residents, Fells Point, where the crawl is taking place, is only a 15 minute drive on the other side of the Patapsco.
Posted by McHenry Row on 10:50 AM
While most people are aware that breast cancer exists, many don’t know the steps of detecting it early on. The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the goal is to bring awareness to those who might not understand those steps. There are so many events happening this month in our area. That means plenty of opportunities to spread awareness and knowledge as well as to help fund the research dedicated to finding a cure! Here are all the ways you can help this month.
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| Image courtesy of Wikimedia |
This weekend, the 17th, make your way to BreastFest! From 2 until 8PM, you can enjoy the Tyanna Foundation’s signature event. Your ticket includes food, drink, games, a raffle and even a silent auction. Make sure to check out the live bands on the Power Plant Live’s main stage. The Power Plant Live is only 10 minutes away from our home at McHenry Row!
Take strides against cancer with Making Strides of Baltimore. This Sunday at 9 AM, join the more than 1 million people each year who are banding together to end breast cancer. Sign up and participate in either a 3-mile or 5-mile walk and fundraise for breast cancer research. Register and head to the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center YMCA to get your walk on!
Join the 8th annual Pink Power fundraiser, Saturday October 24. They will be offering 2 one-hour Zumba classes, 2 one-hour yoga classes and 3 forty-five-minute SPROING classes. Even if you are unable to participate in the classes, you can still donate to the cause! Head to their website to donate. From 8:30 AM until 1 PM at SynergyFx you can participate in these fun and challenging classes all while fundraising for breast cancer research.
Mark your calendars for the end of this month: October 26th is the 3rd annual Fashion Show Fundraiser for the American Breast Cancer Foundation. Taste samples from some delicious Baltimore restaurants and mingle with local celebrities. Then, take your seat as local news celebrities, professional models, Baltimore city police and firemen, and breast cancer survivors hit the runway to show off fall and winter’s latest fashions. Proceeds from the fashion show go to the American Breast Cancer Foundation and go towards saving lives. Taking place at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Posted by McHenry Row on 11:14 AM
This year marks the 9th annual Free Fall Baltimore. Free Fall Baltimore brings free cultural events to you all October long. This exciting program was created by The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts to give more access and to create more interest in the city’s cultural organizations. The BOPA is the city’s non-profit special event agency, arts council and film office, inspiring and nurturing young artists. This program is a great way to showcase our talented friends and neighbors and to learn more about the cultural side of Baltimore.
Since this is a month-long event, there are so many things going on. We want to outline a few of them to give you an idea of what you can be doing this month.
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| Image courtesy of Pixabay |
Tomorrow, October 6th, you can experience some local playwrights and actors in their zone, reading short plays. From 8 PM until 9:45 PM, enjoy the stripped down version of plays by very talented local actors and playwrights.
On the 166th anniversary of his death, October 7th, you can take a tour of Edgar Allan Poe’s home and gravesite. Choose from one of three tours throughout the day: a guided tour of the site of his grave, a guided tour through the Poe home or a self-guided tour through the Poe home.
On multiple dates throughout the month you can view 18 extraordinary color and black and white photographs from local collectors Tom and Nancy O’Neil. Their collection includes both contemporary and new talents and showcases the current landscape and environmental issues. See all the available dates here.
Saturday, October 10th, you’ll find yourself in a half-day event starting at 2 PM. The Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen and the Founding Director of Active Minds Alison Malmon will be sharing their experiences, perspectives and insights on mental illness in college and the importance of access to Naloxone to reverse otherwise fatal opiate overdoses. You can learn so much from these two ladies and you won’t regret attending the event!
October 14th begins the Baltimore Folk Music Society’s event. Learn contra dancing with or without a partner. Since it’s a community dance, it’s not a problem if you come sans partner! Be at the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts at 7:30.
Each and every one of these events takes place within our city of Baltimore meaning you won’t have very far to travel to experience the talented artists and culture of Baltimore. You have a whole month to attend these events so you don’t have to worry about missing out! To see a full calendar of all the events available head here.
