Author: Emily Bell

One Oven, Too Many Side Dishes: A Smarter Apartment Friendsgiving

An apartment Friendsgiving can comfortably accommodate good food, your favorite people and several strong opinions about stuffing. What it may not accommodate is five dishes that all need the oven at different temperatures.

A little coordination makes the difference between sitting down together and eating in shifts while someone’s potatoes finish cooking.

1. Assign dishes by kitchen needs

Before anyone claims a recipe, ask three questions: Does it need the oven? At what temperature? For how long?

Build the menu around your actual equipment. If the main dish needs the oven, assign a stovetop side, a salad assembled on arrival and a dessert that’s ready to serve.

Every dish should arrive with a plan, including a serving utensil. “Just needs a little oven time” is how a casserole becomes your unexpected houseguest.

2. Write the final hour backward

Start with the time you want to eat, then work backward using your recipes.

Account for resting time, carving, transferring food to serving dishes and any final reheating. If your main dish rests before carving, that may create a useful oven window for a side – provided its recipe fits the available time and temperature.

Share the schedule with anyone bringing food that needs finishing. Your oven should have fewer surprises than the group chat.

3. Choose serving dishes before the food arrives

Set out empty platters and bowls with a note identifying what goes in each. This reveals whether you actually have room for everything before the kitchen is full.

Check that incoming casserole dishes fit your oven, too. Exterior handles have ruined more plans than anyone cares to discuss.

For a small table, serve from a separate counter and keep the dining surface for plates, glasses and conversation. Put drinks somewhere that don’t require guests to stand in front of the stove.

4. Give arrivals specific jobs

A helpful guest with no direction will usually ask what you need while you’re doing four things.

Assign small jobs in advance: filling water glasses, dressing the salad, setting out serving utensils or taking coats to a designated spot.

Keep one area clear for arriving dishes. A landing space is much more useful than one more decorative pumpkin.

5. Make leftovers part of the plan

Ask guests to bring food storage containers and make refrigerator space before the gathering.

Keep hot food at 140°F or above and cold food at 40°F or below when holding it for service. Refrigerate perishable leftovers within two hours – or one hour above 90°F – and discard food that exceeds that limit without temperature control. Divide large amounts into shallow containers for storage.

Friendsgiving doesn’t require a bigger kitchen. It requires a menu that understands the kitchen you have.

Looking for a home for everyday dinners and your annual gathering? Explore RPM Living communities – and start planning who’s bringing dessert.

RPM Living Earns Four Honors at the 2026 MUSE Creative Awards

The MUSE Creative Awards recognized our work with two Gold honors for our 2025 and 2026 Summer Sweepstakes videos, along with two Silver honors for property branding at The Benedict and The Maddux at Shadowood.

Each project brought a different creative challenge. For the Summer Sweepstakes videos, our video team paired clever concepts with relatable moments to build excitement around the opportunity to win free rent. From the initial idea through production and final edits, the work brought the campaign’s story to life.

For The Benedict and The Maddux at Shadowood, our designers translated each community’s personality into a distinct visual identity. Thoughtful choices in typography, color, and design helped give each brand its own recognizable presence.

Behind all four honors is a shared commitment to thoughtful, collaborative creative work. These recognitions celebrate the designers, video team, and partners who helped turn early concepts into finished experiences for our communities and audiences.

Congratulations to everyone who contributed their talent and care to these award-winning projects!

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A Night In, Minus the Screens: Fun Ways to Unplug at Home

A screen-free night at home sounds lovely until you put down your phone and immediately wonder what you’re supposed to do with your hands. The trick is having something ready that sounds more appealing than checking the same three apps again.

You don’t need a new personality, a cabinet full of craft supplies or a strict household phone policy. Just a few ideas that make staying in feel like an actual plan.

1. Match the activity to your energy

An elaborate project is a tough sell after a long day. Give yourself a few options instead.

For a quiet evening, try a crossword, a short story or a collage made from old magazines. If you want something more involved, mend a favorite sweater, learn a card game or work on a small embroidery project.

Choose something with an easy stopping point. Finishing one crossword or repairing one loose button feels satisfying without accidentally creating a second job.

2. Make a menu of things you already own

Before buying supplies, look through your apartment. That puzzle you started last winter? Still available. The cookbook with seven bookmarked recipes? Ready for its moment.

Write five activities on index cards and keep them with the supplies they require. Include specific prompts, such as “make the pasta on page 42” or “learn one new solitaire game.”

“Find a hobby” is a lot to ask of yourself at 7:30 p.m. “Open this box” is more manageable.

3. Give your hands something interesting to do

Try a project that changes something you already use.

Replace a missing button with a contrasting one. Make a bookmark from leftover cardstock. Write a recipe you love on a card for a friend, including the little adjustments that never made it into the original instructions.

The goal is a small, useful result, not a shopping cart full of supplies for your potential future interests.

4. Invite someone over for parallel hobbies

You don’t have to do the same activity to spend time together.

One person can knit while another sketches or sorts printed photos. Ask everyone to bring a project and a snack, then put on music before setting phones aside.

It’s a particularly good setup for the friend who always says, “We should catch up,” while both of you continue being mysteriously unavailable.

5. Make the next night easier to start

Keep your current project in a small basket with everything it needs. A puzzle mat can help reclaim the table between sessions, while a folder keeps paper projects from taking over the counter.

When the setup takes two minutes, you’re more likely to do it again.

Your evening doesn’t need to produce anything impressive. Sometimes a decent playlist, a completed crossword and a phone you forgot to check are plenty.

Find a place for your favorite ways to unwind at RPM Living communities – hobby basket included.

Goldie Bartlett Named a 2026 GlobeSt. Influencer in Multifamily

RPM Living’s East Division President, Goldie Bartlett, has been named one of GlobeSt.’s 2026 Influencers in Multifamily, recognizing her leadership, industry involvement, and commitment to moving multifamily forward.

Under Goldie’s leadership, RPM’s East Division grew 16% over the past year, with 14,242 new units awarded. That momentum included growth across Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, alongside expansion into Washington, D.C. and Huntsville. These milestones reflect her role in building teams and strengthening RPM’s presence across the region.

Goldie’s contributions also extend beyond portfolio growth. Through industry advocacy, advising on new technology, and continuing her own education in artificial intelligence, she brings curiosity and practical experience to conversations about multifamily’s future. Her willingness to keep learning helps inform how she approaches new opportunities and challenges.

This recognition celebrates both the results Goldie delivers and the leadership behind them. We’re proud to see her included among this year’s honorees and grateful for the direction and support she brings to our teams.

Explore the full 2026 GlobeSt. Influencers in Multifamily list

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5 Fall Weekend Activities to Try This Season

Fall weekend activities can be as simple as a neighborhood walk and something good in the oven.

You don’t need to fit a pumpkin patch, apple orchard, costume party and scenic drive into the same Saturday. You also don’t need to spend the entire weekend indoors wondering whether you should have made plans.

Try pairing one outing with one activity at home. Here are a few combinations worth putting on the calendar.

1. A farmers market morning and a seasonal dinner

Visit a local farmers market with one goal: find an ingredient you’ll use that evening.

Look for apples, squash or whatever is in season locally, then build a meal around your purchase. A sheet-pan dinner or a simple soup keeps the cooking manageable.

Check market hours before leaving and bring a bag. If you’re buying perishable foods and won’t head straight home, bring an insulated bag with ice packs, too.

2. A neighborhood photo walk and a printed memory

Choose a route you don’t usually take and look for small signs of the season – changing leaves, decorated porches, a local storefront or a familiar park in different light.

Give yourself a theme, such as textures or fall colors, to make the walk more interesting. Fall doesn’t look the same everywhere, and that’s part of it.

Back home, choose one favorite photo to print or add to a rotating frame. Your apartment gets a personal update, and your pictures get somewhere to live besides your camera roll.

3. A bookstore visit and a reading afternoon

Browse a bookstore or library, pick something you’re excited to read and head home for a quiet afternoon.

Set up a comfortable spot with a drink, a lamp and your phone out of reach. Try reading a chapter before checking it again.

If the weather cooperates, take your book to your balcony or an available outdoor seating area. A change of scenery doesn’t always require another trip in the car.

4. A fall event and an easy movie night

Look at your city’s event calendar, parks' department listings or your community’s announcements for a harvest festival, craft market or seasonal gathering.

Pick the part you actually want to attend rather than committing to the entire day.

For the evening, choose your movie before settling onto the couch and make a snack from what you already have. Otherwise, the feature presentation may be 45 minutes of scrolling.

5. A local walk and a small baking project

Take a morning walk somewhere nearby, then come home to bake apple crisp, pumpkin muffins or another recipe you’ve been meaning to try.

Check the recipe and your equipment first. A small batch may make more sense than a recipe that produces enough baked goods for a conference.

Freeze extras in individual portions if the recipe allows. Future you will appreciate the snack.

The best fall weekend leaves room to enjoy where you live, both inside your apartment and around your neighborhood. Browse RPM Living communities to find a home base for your everyday routines and weekend plans.

RPM Living’s Nashville Team Featured on GNAA Magazine Cover

RPM Living’s Nashville team is in the spotlight, appearing on the October cover of the Greater Nashville Apartment Association’s News & Events magazine, with The Everett in Nashville Yards providing the backdrop.

The feature marks a proud moment for a team that has helped build RPM’s local presence since we entered the Nashville market in 2023. Today, RPM serves more than 20 client partners and manages over 8,500 units across more than 30 properties in the market.

Behind those milestones are associates dedicated to supporting residents, building client relationships, and staying connected to Nashville’s multifamily community. The cover offers an opportunity to recognize the people whose daily work has helped support that growth.

Through our involvement with the Greater Nashville Apartment Association, our team continues to connect with peers and participate in the local industry.

Thank you to GNAA for the feature and to our Nashville associates for representing RPM with pride. We’re grateful for the work you do for our communities and clients every day.

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How to Host a Fall Soup Swap

A fall soup swap gives you a reason to get friends together and a few dinners to take home afterward.

The idea is simple: everyone makes one soup, portions it out and trades with the group. You cook once and leave with variety. An excellent arrangement for anyone already tired of deciding what’s for dinner.

Here’s how to make it work in an apartment.

1. Set the portion plan before anyone shops

Keep the first swap small – four people is an easy place to start.

Ask each person to bring four labeled, two-cup portions of one soup. Everyone takes home one portion of each recipe, including their own.

That means each person needs eight cups of soup. Share the plan in advance so nobody arrives with a single serving and an optimistic attitude.

2. Coordinate recipes and dietary needs

Have guests claim their soup in a group chat. A mix of tomato, lentil, chicken and vegetable recipes offers more variety than four versions of chicken noodle.

Ask about food allergies and dietary restrictions before recipes are chosen. Each container should include an ingredient list so guests can decide what works for them.

For meals people may freeze, consider sending pasta, crunchy toppings and fresh herbs separately so they can be added when served.

3. Make it a chilled swap

Ask everyone to bring refrigerated portions in insulated bags with ice packs. Clear refrigerator space before guests arrive and put the containers away promptly.

When preparing soup, divide it into shallow containers for quicker cooling and refrigerate within two hours of cooking – or one hour if temperatures are above 90°F. Properly refrigerated leftovers generally keep for three to four days from preparation, so label the cooking date and freeze portions you won’t eat in time.

4. Label more than the recipe name

Include the soup’s name, ingredients, preparation date and any helpful serving instructions.

“Add a splash of broth when reheating” or “top with the included croutons” gives your guests a better meal with very little extra effort.

Use containers intended for food storage, and leave the manufacturer’s recommended headspace if you plan to freeze them.

5. Keep the gathering easy

The exchange itself doesn’t need a full dinner party attached.

Put out bread, crackers or a simple snack while everyone catches up. Share recipes through a group message, then distribute the chilled portions when guests are ready to leave.

If you’d rather host in a community space, check reservation requirements and food guidelines with your onsite team first.

A soup swap is a small way to turn familiar faces into people you actually spend time with. Explore RPM Living communities to find your next home – and perhaps a few future soup-swapping neighbors.

Before You Pack Away Your Summer Clothes

Storing summer clothes is one of those tasks that feels simple until you’re sitting beside three piles, reconsidering every tank top you own.

Before everything disappears under the bed, a little preparation can make next spring’s unpacking much easier. And possibly less confusing.

1. Review what actually got worn
Start with the clothes that never left the hanger.

Were they waiting for a special occasion, missing something to pair them with or simply uncomfortable? Those answers matter more than whether you technically still like them.

Try on anything you’re unsure about before deciding to store it. If it needs a repair, put it in a separate pile with a plan to fix it. Otherwise, you’re just packing a future chore.

2. Clean first, even if it looks clean

Check care labels and clean clothing before putting it away for the season. Pay attention to sunscreen, perspiration and small spills that may be easy to overlook.

Make sure everything is completely dry before packing. The same goes for swimsuits and beach towels. “Mostly dry” is not the standard we’re aiming for here.

3. Store by when you’ll need it again

Instead of putting all summer clothing into one bin, separate everyday seasonal pieces from vacation items.

A small, accessible pouch with a swimsuit, cover-up and a few warm-weather outfits can save you from unpacking an entire storage system for one weekend trip.

Keep a few layering basics in your regular closet, too. October has been known to change its mind.

4. Let the storage space decide the container

Measure your under-bed clearance and shelf dimensions before buying bins. Include handles, lids and enough room to pull the container out.

For delicate or structured pieces, avoid packing so tightly that everything gets crushed. Follow garment care guidance, and save compression bags for items that can tolerate them.

A container that fits your apartment is more useful than a matching set that doesn’t.

5. Leave yourself a useful label

“Summer” is a start. “Summer tops, shorts and swimsuits” is better.

For mixed bins, take a quick photo of the contents before closing the lid. Keep the photo in a phone album labeled “Seasonal Storage” so you can find one item without conducting a full excavation.

A seasonal closet change should make daily life easier, not relocate the clutter. Browse RPM Living communities and explore floor plans that fit the way you live – wardrobe included.

Celebrating 10 Years of Chad Borchgardt at RPM Living

RPM Living recently celebrated Chief Operations Officer Chad Borchgardt’s 10-year anniversary with a surprise from the Austin team. Photos and videos looked back on the past decade, while an oversized card brought together messages from associates across the company.

One team member wrote, “You made me feel so welcomed on my first day… Thank you for everything you do to make this company feel like home.”

It’s a message that speaks to the kind of leader Chad has been throughout his time at RPM – steady, supportive and invested in the people around him. His leadership has helped shape the company, but it’s the way he makes people feel that so many associates chose to celebrate.

Thank you for 10 years, Chad. We’re grateful for all you’ve brought to RPM Living and the people who call it home.

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Christopher Cunningham and Jenny Juarez Named to HAA’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2026

Two RPM Living leaders are among the Houston apartment industry’s rising stars. Christopher Cunningham, Senior Vice President of Operations, and Jenny Juarez, Regional Vice President, have been named to the Houston Apartment Association’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2026.

Each year, the recognition celebrates 40 professionals under 40 who are helping shape the apartment industry. Christopher and Jenny were selected alongside fellow Houston leaders for a class that reflects the talent and dedication behind the industry’s future.

At RPM Living, both bring leadership, experience and a genuine commitment to the people around them. We’re proud to see their contributions recognized and grateful for the impact they make on our teams every day.
Congratulations, Christopher and Jenny – we’re excited to celebrate this well-deserved honor with you!

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