Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day. Thank you to everyone who has or is currently serving in our military!

Happy Halloween!

Have a safe and spooky Halloween weekend everyone! Happy Halloween!

See the Social Network Tonight!

Emory University will be hosting a viewing of The Social Network tonight! More than a story of Harvard geeks, this movie chronicles the founding of the social-networking site, Facebook. The film won three Oscars and was nominated for five more. The discussant is Dr. Andrew Furman, who is on the faculty of Emory's Department of Psychiatry and the Psychoanalytic Institute. Presented by the psychoanalytic community in Atlanta and The Atlanta Foundation for Psychoanalysis.

Family Weekend at Emory University!

We want to welcome all family that is visiting for Emory University's Family Weekend! Here are some events the university has planned for the weekend!

Safety Seminar with Pizza!

We will be hosting a Safety Seminar this Thursday night 6:30-7:30 pm. Pizza will be served!

Help us Support the Atlanta Food Bank

We are asking for your help. We are collecting money and canned goods for the Atlanta Food Bank, and we are raffling off a gift basket. Those who donate are entered in the raffle. Please take the time to try to help the less fortunate.

July 4th Fireworks Rescheduled

Because the July 4 Decatur fireworks were rained out, the makeup date is Saturday, September 24 immediately after the last Concert on the Square at dark. The free concert starts at 7:30, so get to the Community Bandstand early, enjoy the music and stay for the fireworks display that will start some time between 9:15 and 9:30. Mark your calendar! We will put out a reminder closer to the date.

Have a Safe and Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Everyone here at Clairmont Reserve would like to wish you a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Pool Party on Saturday from 1pm - 3pm!

We are having our end of summer pool party this Saturday at the pool/clubhouse. Food, drinks and music will be provided. Bring any friends who may be looking for a new apartment home. Our staff will be on hand to show them around. See you Saturday!!!

Tell your Neighbors to "Like" us on Facebook!

With lots of new residents, we hope you share our Facebook page with your new neighbors. Our page is a great way to find out about news, events, and communicate with management. Tell your new neighbors to come "Like" us on Facebook.

Emory University a Leader in Sustainability

Emory University has received a “Gold” rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) for its leadership and innovation in university sustainability.

STARS is a self-reporting sustainability evaluation tool developed by the Association for the Advancement Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), with broad participation from the higher education community.

Emory’s evaluation by STARS was based on a comprehensive list of credits in three major areas: Education and Research, Operations, and Planning, Administration and Engagement. Based on the percentage of credits earned in these categories, universities are ranked Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze.

Of the nearly 170 schools that registered to participate in STARS, 69 have been ranked to date. Emory is one of just 14 to be rated STARS Gold, which is the highest rating achieved so far.

BBQ Blues & Bluegrass Festival!

Mark your calendar for August 20, 2011, and don’t miss the 11th Annual Dekalb Medical Decatur Barbeque, Blues, & Bluegrass Festival, at Harmony Park in Decatur. The gates open at 4:00pm and there will be live music until 10:00pm. Kids 10 and under admitted free!

We Want to Hear From You!

We here at Clairmont Reserve love to hear from our tenants! Your feedback helps us make Clairmont Reserve the best it can be. Write on our Facebook Wall or visit our Comment section on our website to give us any comments or suggestions you may have!

Thinking about Clairmont Reserve?

Are you looking into Clairmont Reserve? Our residences and complex have many features to consider. Our community is not just the people you live near, we truly are a community!

Our residences feature gourmet kitchens and appliances, private patios or balconies, and some even have fireplaces. Our community has many features that our residences share, allowing you to interact with your neighbors. Our state of the art fitness center and beautiful swimming pool are a great way to stay in shape with your fellow residents. Our pet friendly community also has a courtyard with grills and picnic tables!

For more information on the features of Clairmont Reserve check out our website or contact our office at 404-315-8101!

Rihanna at the Chastain Park Amphitheater

 

 

There is still time to buy tickets for Rihanna who will be coming to Atlanta on July 12th.  The concert starts at 7:30pm  at the Chastain Park Amphitheater.  But act soon.  She will be performing with Cee Lo Green, so tickets are expected to sell fast!  For more info and to purchase tickets, check out the Chastain Concert Series website. 

Don’t Forget Dad!

 

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th.   What was the best advice you ever received from your Father?  Share it with us!  We’d love to hear it.

 

Or just enjoy some of these pithy quotes about our favorite dads:

 

"A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station." -- Bill Cosby

"A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again." -- Enid Bagnold

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be." – Unknown

"My father always told me, 'Find a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life.' " -- Jim Fox

"A father is a banker provided by nature." -- French Proverb

"My father said, 'Politics asks the question: Is it expedient? Vanity asks: Is it popular? But conscience asks: Is it right?'" -- Dexter Scott King

"When I was a kid, I said to my father one afternoon, 'Daddy, will you take me to the zoo?' He answered, 'If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.'" -- Jerry Lewis

"Small boy's definition of Father's Day: It's just like Mother's Day only you don't spend so much." – Unknown

"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." -- Charles Wadsworth

 

Check out more quotations here.  And here’s an anecdote from America’s favorite dad:

Emory Explores the Realities of X-Men

 

Have you seen the latest X-Men movie?  If you have, or if you’re a fan, you should check out this article from Emory University.  Ethics professor Paul Wolpe argues that given today’s advancement in biotechnology, creating X-Men-like human being is entirely plausible.  What holds us back from using these technologies are the ethical questions and pragmatic concerns behind them.  What do you think?

The debut of the movie “X-Men: First Class” this summer is one more chapter in America’s ongoing fascination not only with science fiction, but with the ethical issues that result from humankind’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, says Paul Wolpe, director of Emory’s Center for Ethics and an expert on bioethical issues.

“’X-Men’ is the story of a reviled minority,” says Wolpe, in this case, a minority with genetic mutations that give them extraordinary powers. Of course, genetically, X-Men make no sense, he adds. There’s no way that even dramatic genetic mutation would result in a normal human being giving birth to a human being with wings.

“On the other hand, X-Men are completely plausible as biotechnological developments, and we’re already developing some of the kinds of powers that the X-Men illustrate,” Wolpe says. “There are genetic engineering possibilities for human beings that would increase things like memory, perhaps attention, and maybe even strength, not to super-human levels, but perhaps to mimic the best achievements of the species.”

And although “we still don’t know how to create muscles that exceed the muscles of the strongest creatures on earth,” says Wolpe, “it’s when you combine natural ability with technology that you can talk about truly extraordinary types of powers.”

Check out the whole article here, or just watch the interview:

Have a Safe Memorial Day!

How are you planning to celebrate/ honor Memorial Day weekend?  Is the occasion a chance to barbeque and hang with friends, or is it a more solemn occasion as you remember a loved one?  Share with us!

But no matter how you choose to spend your weekend, we want you to stay safe.  Here are some tips for grill safety this weekend:

 

• Keep food covered or refrigerated until ready to be cooked.  Cook meat to 170 degrees Farenheit as a minimum. 
• Cooking meat (particularly red meat and chicken) until surface charring occurs can cause cancer causing substances (Heterocyclic Amines (HCA)) to form.   To avoid this, use marinades and turn the meat frequently.
• Inspect your grill before you ignite to ensure everything is in working order.
• Don't use a grill indoors including garages, overhangs and canopies.
• When using a grill, you should use a 10-foot perimeter from anything combustible, including your house.
• Do not allow children and pets to play near a grill.
• Only use approved ignition fluids – don't use gasoline to ignite a grill.
• Keep a fire extinguisher, garden hose or bucket of sand nearby to douse a grill fire.

Read more here.

Decatur Arts Festival

If you have missed some of the opening acts of the Decatur Arts Festival, don’t worry.  The Festival kicks into high gear next week!  On Friday, May 27th, local shops, retailers and restaurants host Decatur’s Art Walk with city-wide art show openings and receptions that are free and open to the public.    The Performing Arts stage will host a variety of musical acts beginning at 11am.  Be sure to visit the Silent Auction adjacent to the stage beginning at 10am.  Walk through the  Artists Market Saturday, May 28th and Sunday, May 29th featuring more than 160 artists selected through a competitive jury process. The market is known for its high quality of artwork and attracts artists from all over the southeast and beyond. 

And these are just some of the highlights of the event!  For a complete program, check out the Decatur Arts Festival website.

Don’t Forget Mother’s Day

 

 

 

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 8th!  Haven’t gotten her a present yet?  Here are a couple of last minute ideas to help you out:

 

1) Take her on a picnic.

2) Make a basket filled with her favorite things.

3) Write a journal to give to her that includes “My Favorite Times with Mom.”

4) Make a scrapbook for Mom that includes “My Favorite Pictures of Mom.”

5) Cook her favorite dinner instead of just taking her out.

6) Give Mom a coupon book with special chores or favors you will do for her. Mom can redeem her coupons whenever she needs your help.

7) Plant her a garden. 

8) Spend the day with her and take lots of pictures so she can have those memories forever.

9) Wash her car.

10) When in doubt, CHOCOLATE!

 

Here are some interesting facts on Mother’s Day and moms!

Go to Zoo and Help a Child

It’s all happening at the zoo this weekend!  This Sunday, May 1st, The 20th Anniversary Big-To-Do at Zoo Atlanta, benefiting Visiting Nurse/Hospice Atlanta’s Children’s Program and CampSTARS. This afternoon of family fun includes a delicious barbeque dinner, an African band, interactive zoo exhibits, orangutan feeding, cotton candy, snow cones, face painting, crafts, rides on the zoo train and carousel, and climbing wall.  The fun starts at 4pm and lasts until 9 at night. 

Happy Easter!

Hoping everyone has a peaceful and candy-filled Easter/Passover weekend.  Here are some fun facts about the season: 

• When taking a bite into a chocolate bunny, 76% of Americans prefer to bite off the ears first. 5% eat the feet first and 4% eat the tail first.
• During the Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Peeps - making Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.
• Ham came to be the traditional favorite for Easter dinner because in pre-refrigeration days, hogs were slaughtered in the fall and cured for six to seven months. Just in time for Easter dinner.
• Each day throughout the year, 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.
• 16 billion jelly beans are made specifically for Easter which is enough to fill a plastic egg the size of a 9-story building.
• Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Spring equinox.
• The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.
• 57% of kids get up super early on Easter to see what the Easter bunny has brought them.
• 80% of parents carry on the tradition of the Easter bunny by preparing a surprise Easter basket filled with goodies for their children and 90% of adults hope for their own Easter treat.
• The first chocolate eggs were made in Germany in the 19th century and remain one of the most popular Easter candies today.
• In the old days pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer.
• The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance from Egypt.
• The Easter egg roll on the White House lawn has been a tradition since 1878.
• After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday.

 

You can read more Easter Fun Facts here and here.

Monsters on Campus!

Looking for a little magic in you day?  Check out the new exhibit at the Carlos Museum.  Now until June 19th you can wander amongst the monsters of ancient civilization on view now as part of the Carlos' Monsters, Demons, and Winged-Beasts exhibition.  See the Cyclops, peer at a Pegasus, or gander at a Gryphon.  And don't worry; these ancient artifacts probably don't bite!      

Here Comes Peter Cottontail!

The Decatur Business Association is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt next Saturday, April 16th on the square in downtown Decatur.  The Easter Bunny will arrive by firetruck at 10:30am and the Hunt begins at 11am... sharp!  This FREE event is a perfect activity for children ages 0 to 10yrs.  So get your basket ready!   Check out the Decatur Business Association webpage for more details. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Check out these fun facts and may the luck of the Irish smile upon ya!

Fun Facts about St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The actual color of St. Patrick is blue. Green became associated with St. Patrick's Day during the 19th century. Green, in Irish legends, was worn by fairies and immortals, and also by people to encourage their crops to grow.

St. Patrick did not actually drive snakes out of Ireland; the snakes represent the pagans that he converted to Christianity.

The very first St. Patrick's Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737.

In Chicago, on St. Patrick's Day, the rivers are dyed green.

In Seattle, there is a ceremony where a green stripe is painted down the roads.

Most Catholics attend mass in the morning and then attend the St. Patrick's Day parade.

Shamrocks are worn on the lapel on this day.

In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair

Many young people dye their hair green for the special day.

Many people wear green on this holiday to avoid being pinched.

The phrase, "Drowning The Shamrock" is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year.

Many bars in the United States, and abroad, serve green beer to celebrate St. Patty's Day.

Fun Facts about the Irish

34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.

Nine of the people who signed our Declaration Of Independence were of Irish origin, and nineteen Presidents of the United States proudly claim Irish heritage -- including our first President, George Washington.

Some American towns have “Irish” names. You could visit: Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia; Shamrock Lakes, Indiana; Shamrock, Oklahoma; Shamrock, Texas; Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio.

The harp is the symbol of Ireland. The color green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as “the Emerald Isle.”

The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.

The name “leprechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means “shoemaker.”

Fun Facts about Clovers

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14.

One estimate suggests that there are about 10,000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.

Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

Read more: http://www.whsv.com/seasonal/misc/40129602.html

Top 5 Things to Consider BEFORE Renting an Apartment

 

Here are some pointers to help you find the best apartment for you.  We think you will find the best combination of all 5 right here at Clairmont Reserve!

Finding an apartment can be overwhelming. Not only must you choose a new place from the seemingly endless options available, you often have to sign a long-term lease that holds you to your decision for an entire year.
To make the process more manageable, you should gain an understanding of exactly what it is that you are looking for prior to beginning the search. Here are the 5 most important things to consider when looking for a new place:

Top 5 Things to Consider BEFORE Renting an Apartment

Daylight Savings Time Begins on March 13

 

Daylight savings time is coming up this weekend.  Don’t forget to set your clocks forward!

Every year, daylight savings time seems to take people by surprise. In the United States, daylight savings time begins on March 13 at 2 a.m. local time except in parts of Arizona and Hawaii. As the popular saying goes, clocks need to "spring forward" to observe the change. In other words, clocks need to be set ahead by one hour when the clock strikes 2 a.m.

Daylight Savings Time Begins on March 13 in the U.S. - Yahoo! News

Happy President’s Day!

We want to wish everyone a Happy President’s Day.  Enjoy the day off for those of you lucky enough to get it.  Also, be sure to check out some interesting facts you may not already know about President’s Day at the link below:

The third Monday of February celebrates the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and George Washington (Feb. 22). Most Americans refer to this day as President's Day.

Here are some interesting facts about the day and the two presidents it honors.

Presidents Day Fun Facts - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Refer a friend and receive $400!

Need to earn a few bucks after the holidays?  All you have to do is tell your friends about 21 Apartments!  Refer a friend and you'll have an extra $400 in your pocket.  Contact the leasing office for more details.