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The Palmers Landing Homeowners Association held its first annual Easter Egg Hunt last weekend which was made possible with the help of local residents and the Arverne by the Sea Stop and Shop that sponsored the event.

1. Build sandcastles – This is a great activity the entire family can enjoy. Simply fill buckets with wet sand close to the breakers, bring it to your sandcastle “property” and start packing. You’ll find sandcastles dotting most of the Queens beaches, and you can even buy kits and instruction manuals for more complex castles.

2. Volleyball – Volleyball and the beach go together like peanut butter and jelly. Throughout the spring, summer and fall you can usually find a couple of spirited beach volleyball games on the beaches in Queens, or get a net and put your own team together.

3. Frisbee – Frisbee on the beach has the benefit of being a lot of fun and being a wonderful workout. You have plenty or room on the Queens beaches to enjoy some Frisbee and it’s the perfect activity for the entire family.

4. Flying a kite – The beach is almost always a little windy, which means it’s the perfect chance to take a kite for a test spin. Kids and adults alike love getting a kite off the ground and watching it bob and sway in the wind.

5. Go for a hike – Queens beaches are full of great places to explore. Put on some comfortable shoes and go exploring with the crashing waves as your backdrop!

6. Find treasures! – All kinds of cool things wash up on the beach. Take the kids to find seashells and driftwood, or for the more seasoned treasure hunter, go out and get a metal detector and sea if you can find that buried chest of pirate booty!

7. Go for a picnic – Picnics are always fun, but never quite so fun as on a beach in Queens. Take a comfy blanket, some great food, that special someone or the entire family. Just watch out for hungry seagulls!

8. Go for a walk – It’s great exercise and gives you an opportunity to see all of the wonderful scenery on the Queens beaches. Go by yourself for some time to relax and think, or take someone special with you.

9. Go for a swim – Make sure a lifeguard is on duty! And you might want to wait for the summertime to try it, but the water at the Queens beaches can be really refreshing on those hot summer days.

10. Go for a run – Running on the sand has tons of benefits. It’s easier on the joint, a more intense workout, and of course you have the benefit of doing it while surrounded by some lively scenery and of course the beautiful ocean and refreshing ocean breeze.

If you live in one of these great neighborhoods, or if you are considering purchasing a home at Arverne by the Sea or any of the other great Queens, NY beachfront neighborhoods, you may have considered how to decorate. We have some great tips for you.

Consider your colors carefully – Everyone knows how important the right color scheme is to a home, but it’s more than choosing the most current trend. The color of your rooms, furniture, even your decorative items have been shown to have a real impact on the overall feel of the home. Consider what rooms are used for. Entertaining guests? An office? A child’s room? The color scheme should serve a purpose, but should also reflect your unique style. Beautiful home in Arverne by the sea and other beachfront homes take this into account.

Now match your colors to the scenery – You’ll want your Queens beachfront home to look like a beachfront home inside and out, so from the colors that serve the purposes above, including your own unique style, look outside of your window and see how these match up to the scenery, and consider altering, slightly to go with what you see outside of your beachfront home.

Don’t forget comfort – Sand is fun, but certainly not comfortable. How do you match the “scenery” with your floors? Hardwoods and different tile schemes are popular for many beachfront homes in queens, but lay down stylish throw rugs as well to avoid bruised feet when the kids run in from the beach.

How about furniture? – Your own style always should trump trends, but consider an economical minimalist approach to furnishing that is also comfortable. Creams and beiges are very popular choices for beachfront homes.

Linens – Duvets, curtains, and throws for the bedroom and family room are a must. Simple styles that match your color scheme, but without mimicking the exact patterns are a good idea. Some go all the way with their beach theme, seashells and all, but simple patterns or stripes are also a good idea.

Artwork – Don’t leave your walls bare. Along with family photos of course, you will want to add art that compliments each room. Ocean scenes and the like are popular or very simple black and white photographs.

Don’t distract from the view! – Decorating windows is a blast, but keep it simple. The Queens beachfront view should always be the main attraction!

Accessorize – Avoiding clutter is always a good idea, even if you’re a knick-knack sort of person, keep things orderly. Shapes and colors should match each room’s specific mood. Seashell arrangements, anchors, driftwood and the like are all great ideas.

Dress appropriately! – Hot cold, or “just too nice” is no excuse not to get that heart pumping. Dressing the right way is essential for ensuring you can concentrate 100% on your workout. The winter months can get cold in Queens as everyone knows. If you are going for a winter walk or run on a Queens boardwalk, you want to layer your torso. Why? Well, even though that is not the part of your body that initially will get coldest, your body knows it’s the most important part to keep warm and if you are not properly layered there than working out will become more difficult as your mind tells your body to “stop and find someplace warmer!” With that in mind though, once you begin you will almost immediately shed that cold feeling, so don’t overdress. Along with layers for your torso, keep those ears covered, consider two pairs of athletic socks, and depending just how cold it is and how cold you tend to get, some thin gloves. When it’s warm outside things are simpler. Some shorts and good shoes and you’re ready to start. No excuses!

Get the right footwear – If you are walking on the boardwalk you want sturdy shoes with plenty of cushion. Running shoes are fine, and cross trainers may be more comfortable. If you are a runner, you want running shoes, but not spikes, save those for high school tracks and the Olympics. A light pair with good grip is the key, and if you have ankle issues here’s a tip: it’s not the height of the shoe that matters as much as the surface area of the bottoms, so compare bottoms while buying.

Drink! – Water is still your best option. Most don’t know that Gatorade, Powerade and similar drinks are actually engineered for professional athletes. They are full of sugars that the casual runner doesn’t need, and the walker definitely doesn’t need. If you are training for marathons and are really depleting your vitamins than these drinks are fine, otherwise good old water is the best thing invented. You will want to drink a full glass about half an hour before, and be sure you are not already dehydrated. Don’t drink a lot immediately before you begin however or you’re likely to get a side-stitch. If you go for long workouts than have something with you or know where a fountain is. Remember, your body is thirsty way before you start feeling thirsty. Make sure you have another full glass of water almost immediately after finishing. This not only re-hydrates you, it is essential for your body to perform the fat-burning and muscle-building functions you are trying to accomplish to start with.