High End Living and a Low Cost!

Tanger opening to draw out the stars !

Derek Hough of "Dancing with the Stars" and Gov. Nikki Haley are scheduled to attend the grand opening of the rebuilt Tanger Outlet Center 1 on March 31 in greater Bluffton.

Hough, the ABC TV show's only three-time champion, and Haley will join Tanger Factory Outlet Centers president and CEO Steven Tanger for an 11 a.m. ribbon cutting according to a Tanger announcement.

At 1 p.m., 22 contestants will win a chance to dance with Hough in a class/exhibition. The winners will be picked from entries made online at Tanger's and ABC's websites and in-person at Tanger Outlet Center II.

One of our favorites...

Check out Jim 'N Nick's Barbeque!  We LOVE going there... Our favorite menu pick for lunch? 

Their lunch "sandwich", but we get no bun with BRISKET, mmm...with mashed potatoes.  It's the perfect portion and sooo tasty!  Are they one of your favorites too?  LIKE them on Facebook.



1 BR Luxury Ready for You!

Click HERE to see what it's all about!

The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Savannah!

Bring out the whole family for a day/night of entertainment with the Harlem Globetrotters! They will be performing March 29th at the Savannah Civic Center for their historic 2011 "4 Times the Fun" tour. Witness basketball history, and enjoy the show slam-packed with high scores, theatrics, and fun for everyone! For ticket information visit http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/.

Happy Birthday Houdini!

Google on Thursday posted a homepage doodle in honor of what would've been illusionist Harry Houdini's 137th birthday.  The image (below) features a drawing of Houdini with chains on his hands in front of a red banner with the Google logo.

Houdini was born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest, Hungary in 1874. His family re-located to Appleton, Wisconsin four years later, and by age nine, Houdini and childhood friends established a five-cent circus, with Houdini billing himself as "Ehrich, The Prince of the Air," according to PBS.

Houdini relocated to New York City in 1887, and adopted the Houdini name five years later after setting up "The Brothers Houdini" act with friend Jacob Hyman, PBS said. Houdini eventually ventured out on his own and got his big break in 1899 with a handcuff escape routine, making him a top vaudeville attraction.

Over the years, Houdini was involved in several high-profile illusions, from the "Mirror Cuff" escape at the London Hippodrome in 1904 and escaping a Washington, D.C. jail in 1906 to emerging from an underwater box in New York's East River in 1912. In 1925, he hit Broadway with a 2.5-hour show called "HOUDINI."

Houdini died on Halloween in Detroit, 1926 from complications of appendicitis.

The doodle comes the same week that Houdini's last surviving assistant died at the age of 103. Dorothy Young joined Houdini's tour at age 17; her most famous role was that of Radio Girl, where she emerged from a large radio onstage, according to the Daily Mail.

Mmm, yummy!

Springtime Pasta

Serves 2

I happen to live alone and make a small batch of this pasta that's perfect for two (or one, with leftovers). For a family of four, simply double the recipe below. Adding the hot pasta on top of the arugula is critical as it helps in wilting and softening the greens.

1/4 pound fettuccine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

3/4 cups arugula

1/4 cup freshly cooked peas

1/4 cup shredded prosciutto

Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper

Lay the arugula on the bottom of a medium-sized serving dish.

Place the fettuccine in a boiling pot of water and cook until al dente. Pour into a colander to drain. Pour drained pasta on top of the arugula and add the warm heavy cream, butter, and Parmesan. Stir quickly to combine and wilt the arugula leaves.

Add the peas, pine nuts, and prosciutto and toss until well mixed. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve while piping hot.

1 BR Luxury Apartment in Hardeeville!

Click HERE to learn more about our BEAUTIFUL apartments here at Courtney Bend!  We have luxurious amenities and special prices for Spring!

On This Day in History...

Johann Sebastian Bach was born 21 March 1685.  He was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity.  Although he did not introduce new forms, he enriched the prevailing German style with a robust contrapuntal technique, an unrivalled control of harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France.

Revered for their intellectual depth, technical command and artistic beauty, Bach's works include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Partitas, The Well-Tempered Clavier, the Mass in B minor, the St Matthew Passion, the St John Passion, the Magnificat, A Musical Offering, The Art of Fugue, the English and French Suites, the Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, the Cello Suites, more than 200 surviving cantatas, and a similar number of organ works, including the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor and Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, as well as the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes and Organ Mass.

Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the main composers of the Baroque style, and as one of the greatest composers of all time.

How Honey Could Cure Your Allergies

How Honey Could Cure Your Allergies

Richard Kolker/Getty Images

Honey may gradually expose the body to allergens which could immunize a person against allergies.There have been no peer-reviewed scientific studies that have conclusively proven whether honey actually reduces allergies. Almost all evidence regarding the immunizing effects of eating honey is anecdotal. But these reports have proven persuasive enough for some people to try to fight their seasonal allergies by eating honey every day.

Without scientific inquiry, we're left with only theories about how honey could reduce allergies. The prevailing theory is that it works like a vaccination. Vaccines introduce dummy versions of a particular virus or germ into the body and effectively trick it into believing it's been invaded, triggering an immune system response [source: UNICEF]. This produces antibodies designated to fight off the foreign invaders. When the body is actually exposed to the harmful germ or virus, the antibodies are ready for them.

The idea behind eating honey is kind of like gradually vaccinating the body against allergens, a process called immunotherapy. Honey contains a variety of the same pollen spores that give allergy sufferers so much trouble when flowers and grasses are in bloom. Introducing these spores into the body in small amounts by eating honey should make the body accustomed to their presence and decrease the chance an immune system response like the release of histamine will occur [source: AAFP]. Since the concentration of pollen spores found in honey is low -- compared to, say, sniffing a flower directly -- then the production of antibodies shouldn't trigger symptoms similar to an allergic reaction. Ideally, the honey-eater won't have any reaction at all.

As innocuous as honey seems, it can actually pose health risks in some cases. Honey proponents warn that there is a potential for an allergic reaction to it. And since honey can contain bacteria that can cause infant botulism, health officials warn that children under 12 months of age whose immune systems haven't fully developed shouldn't eat honey at all [source: Mayo Clinic].

If a regimen is undertaken, however, local honey is generally accepted as the best variety to use. Local honey is produced by bees usually within a few miles of where the person eating the honey lives. There's no real rule of thumb on how local the honey has to be, but proponents suggest the closer, the better [source: Ogren]. This proximity increases the chances that the varieties of flowering plants and grasses giving the allergy sufferer trouble are the same kinds the bees are including in the honey they produce. After all, it wouldn't help much if you ate honey with spores from a type of grass that grows in Michigan if you suffer from allergies in Georgia.

At least one informal (unfunded) study on allergies and honey conducted by students at Xavier University in New Orleans produced positive results. Researchers divided participants into three groups: seasonal allergy sufferers, year-round allergy sufferers and non-allergy sufferers. These groups were further divided into three subgroups with some people taking two teaspoons of local honey per day, others taking the same amount of non-local honey each day and the final subgroup not taking honey at all. The Xavier students found that after six weeks, allergy sufferers from both categories suffered fewer symptoms and that the group taking local honey reported the most improvement [source: Cochran].

The study was never published, but the anecdotal evidence in favor of honey as an allergy reliever continues: Several of the study participants asked if they could keep the remaining honey after the experiment was concluded.

TGIF!!!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Happy Hump Day!!

Palmetto Electrics Energy Saving Tips !

http://www.palelec.com/pdf/energy_tips_brochure.pdf

Free Ride Home!

AAA is offering its Tipsy Tow services on Saint Patrick's Day. A free tow for your car and a free ride home for you are available from AAA if you think you've had a bit too much to drink and feel unsafe behind the wheel call 1.800.AAA.HELP

Roller derby fun this weekend!

Erin Go Brawl Scrimmage - Saturday, March 12, 2011


The Savannah Derby Devils debut their newest skaters, mixed with seasoned roller derby veterans, in this red vs. black scrimmage.

The event will include an hour of full-contact skating between the local rollergirls as well as raffles, games, prizes, refreshments, merchandise and a free moonbounce for kids.

Buy Tickets...
For the Supergoose Scrimmage: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/151141

Tickets are $10 adv., $12 door. $2 off door price with a military ID, student ID or senior citizen (65 and older). Kids ages 8 and under get in free. Some bleacher seating is available. Online tickets are non-refundable.

Details...

Supergoose Sports - 3700 Wallin Street (MAP HERE)
Doors open at 6 p.m., the Scrimmage starts at 7 p.m.

No chairs allowed on the sport court. Must be age 18 or older to sit in "suicide seating" near the rink. Ticket holder assumes risk of injury.

Alcohol is not permitted inside SuperGoose Sports but tailgating in the parking lot is encouraged, starting at 5 p.m. (no glass, please).

Note: PARKING IS LIMITED - DO NOT PARK AT MCDONALDS.

A portion of ticket sales will go to the American Diabetes Association's Kiss-a-Pig Campaign.

Resident Survey

Attention Residents:

On Friday, March 11, 2011, Courtney Bend will be passing out a Resident Satisfaction Survey.  Please take a few moments to fill it out and return to our corporate office at: residentsurvey@contravest.com or fax it to 407-333-0483.  We look forward to reading your suggestions and opinions to improve our community!



11 Ways to Save Gas, Save Money

With gas prices high and still on the rise, everyone is looking for ways to save gasoline and to save money. Here, find 11 tips.

1. Drive smart: Aggressive driving (meaning quick acceleration, hard braking and speeding) wastes gas. In fact, it can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds, and by five percent on the city streets.

2. Choose wisely: Don't assume that neighboring gas stations will have the same prices -- check around. Also note that gas stations near freeways and popularly-traveled roads, as well as those in high-income areas, will charge more.

3. Just park it: Don't circle the lot hoping for a great parking space. Take the shortest route to a free space and walk from there. Circling doesn't just waste gas, but is usually ultimately slower than simply parking somewhere a little less convenient and walking.

4. Get pumped up: Keep your tires properly inflated and aligned to increase gas mileage by up to three percent. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by nearly half a percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are also safer and last longer.

5. Be cool: If you're hot, don't open the windows -- they increase drag and decrease gas mileage, especially at highway speeds. Ultimately, using the air conditioner is cheaper to run, though you should try to minimize your use of the AC. When you can, use the vents to bring in outside air.

6. Go the speed limit: Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional 15 to 20 cents per gallon of gas. Is it worth it?

7. Lock it up: If your tank isn't secured, get a locking gas cap. With prices so high, you're more of a target for siphoners if you're not locked up tight. Locking gas caps are available at most auto parts stores.

8. Stay in tune: Fixing a car that is out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of about four percent (though your results will vary based on the kind of repair, and how well the job is done).

9. Close the gate: It's an urban myth that driving a pickup truck with the tailgate down will get better mileage by decreasing wind resistance. In fact, a study published by the National Research Council of Canada says that despite what you'd think, keeping it down (or using a mesh tailgate in its place) actually has the opposite effect. When the tailgate is up, a bubble of air forms in the truck bed, allowing air to flow more smoothly over and off the truck -- and without as much drag. (A tonneau cover works best of all.)

10. Re-think your route: Look into lesser-traveled routes where you can travel at a steady pace instead of joining in on rush hour traffic. (Your blood pressure will thank you for it, too.)

11. Figure it out first: Check maps (especially those online) before you go to make sure you know how to get where you're doing. You'll avoid the hassle, time spent and gas used by getting lost -- or by having to pull over for directions.

Native American Festivities this weekend on the Savannah River at Millstone Landing!

Native American Pow Wow

Start Date: 3/11/2011 at 5:00 PM

End Date: 3/13/2011 at 6:00 PM

Location: Millstone Landing

Description: Vendor browsing begins Friday at 5:00 and admission is free. Events run Saturday from 10:00-8:00 and Sunday from 1:00-6:00. Grand Entry, which includes the Native American dancing, is at 1:00 on Saturday and 12:00 on Sunday.

For more information contact Mike Benton (843) 384-5551

St. Patty's Party Cancelled

Residents- We have cancelled the St. Patty's party scheduled for tonight due to a lack of RSVP's from our residents. 

We would love for our community to get involved and help plan a resident function! Send Courtney Bend your ideas for our next event!

Courtney Bend Management

Check out our latest website!

Click the link below:

ContraVest Management Portfolio- Courtney Bend Hardeeville, SC

Celebrate St. Patricks Day Close to Home!!!

The St. Patrick's Day celebration in Savannah, Georgia is the city's largest annual celebration and the second largest St. Patrick's Day gathering in the United States. Attracting roughly 400,000 visitors and local celebrators each year, Savannah's St. Patrick's Day traditions are steeped in the area's rich Irish heritage.

This deal won't last !

THIS WEEK ONLY!! RENT A GARAGE FOR ONLY $45.00

Call or stop by the leasing office for more details.

KidFest offers FREE activities on March 27th!

BEAUFORT — The 15th annual KidFest, a fun day of free activities, games, prizes, crafts, and entertainment for families will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 27 at the Cross Creek Shopping Center.
The shopping center if located off S.C. 170 near Walmart, Belk and Best Buy in Beaufort.


The event is a combined effort of civilian and military agencies in celebration of Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Month of the Military Child. Local organizations and agencies including the Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA) and the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) will be present to answer questions. The event is free.


There will be snow cones, games, jumping and virtual booths, crafts, face painting, fire truck tours, animals, prizes and a talent show featuring local groups.


To participate or to find out more, register by calling Wade Bishop at 470-4555 or e-mail webtide@hotmail.com. The deadline to register is March 12.


The event is sponsored by CAPA, MCCS and Beaufort County Department of Social Services with Kidsville News! and 98.7 The River.

9 Ideas for Spring Break

1. Rent a vacation house. If you’re going away for more than a few days and need more space than one room, it can be more economical to rent a house rather than to stay in a hotel. Browse HomeAway for a thorough selection of vacation homes throughout the world for rent. In some cases, staying for a week — a luxury you might have over spring break — can help you save even more money.

2. Go camping. If you stick to government-owned camping sites, there’s a good chance you’ll be able find deals you wouldn’t necessarily find at private-owned sites. You can visit Recreation.gov to start planning a low-cost camping trip. The website isn’t perfect, but you can browse for campsites with certain amenities and use this as a starting point for researching your vacation.

3. Travel as a student. If you’re a full-time student, part-time student, or part of the faculty or staff at a learning institution, you may qualify for better fares. Student Universe is a fare search engine like Kayak that offers student rates.

4. Take a road trip. The Mother Road is a website dedicated to this route, and it has turn-by-turn directions for travelers who want to avoid newer road improvements like bypasses, opting for as authentic a drive as possible.
Of course, not all road trips need to be as focused as this; if you have the time, as might be the case for spring vacation, replacing a flight with an interesting drive could lead to new adventures.
5. Take a cruise. Spending your vacation on a cruise ship stopping in several ports can be a good way to experience a wide range of activities and a variety of locales in a short period of time.
6. Day trips in your local city. Although the travel bug often leads people outside of the United States, there’s often a lot to do and see close by.
7. Go on a photography safari. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to have a great experience with your camera. If you take an organized photography tour, your vacation could be fairly expensive, but access to superb outdoor photographers can change the way you think about the art and craft. To save money, organize your own photography safari by taking any vacation with the sole purpose of coming back with amazing images.

8. Tour vineyards and wineries. Most wine tours are a few hours long, so this isn’t an activity can take over your entire vacation. This isn’t an activity geared towards students or families, obviously. It’s better suited towards couples who are interested in what could be a romantic opportunity. Many wine tours are educational, as well.

9. Participate in a volunteering group. More for students who are looking for a different type of vacation, whether to enhance their résumé or to enhance their set of life experiences, joining an organized group volunteering event can affect life-long values and help introduce you to like-minded individuals. The United Way markets this opportunity as an “alternative spring break,” with projects such as helping underachieving children in Newark, New Jersey and learning how to plan fundraising events in Boston, Massachusetts.

More ways to serve you better!

http://www.rentcontravest.com/

Mardi Gras 2011

Flip for Free Pancakes!

March 1, 2011

Join IHOP on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., for National Pancake Day and receive one complimentary short stack!* In return for the free flapjacks, we ask you to consider leaving a little something behind for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities. Thanks to our guests' generosity, IHOP raised more than $2.1 million last year. IHOP began its National Pancake Day in 2006, and since then, has raised $5.35 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities and given away more than 10.1 million buttermilk pancakes.