Pet Proof Your Home in 5 Ways

By Mike's Furniture

You love how the right furnishings turn a house into a home. Yet it just doesn’t feel like home without the company of four-legged friends. Seems like you’re being forced to choose? With a bit of pet proofing, you, your pets and your style can cohabit beautifully under one roof.

Tips for Pet Proofing Your Home

 #1 Take a hard look at your floors.

Polyurethane-finished wood, vinyl/laminate, stone, tiles and concrete all make for easy cleanup  of hair, hairballs and pretty much anything else your pet can dish out. Be proactive. To prevent scratching, keep your pet’s nails trim. Vinyl/laminate floors don’t scratch easily but many pets find them uncomfortable and slippery. Maximize your style and your pet’s comfort with area rugs.

 #2 Choose easy-care materials.

Fido or Fifi love to join you in bed? Rest easier with a machine washable duvet cover, rather than a comforter. Or, put down a blanket or throw to give your pet a designated place to crash, be it on the bed, sofa, chair or elsewhere.

Say No to…

Anything delicate (e.g., silk or linen)

Velvet — It’s a pet hair magnet.

Button tufting — Pets might be tempted to pull on the buttons, and the deep crevices can trap fur.

Wicker — It’s the ultimate cat scratching post.

Loop pile — Though a very tight woven loop might work fine.

Say Yes to…

Leather/faux leather — It’s tough and resilient (any scratches you might encounter can add to the distressed look).

Like colors — If you have chocolate lab, for example, a brown sofa can make fur a lot less visual.

Synthetics — Opt for synthetics that are easily cleaned with a damp sponge and touch of soap. Faux suede is especially popular for this reason, whereas wool will attract and grab pet fur, making for stubborn cleanup.

Slipcovers — A chic slipcover that’s easy to get on and off can save the day. Blankets and throws also do the trick.

ScotchGuard® — Before you settle in, give your furniture investment that added layer of stain protection.

#3 Groom your pet regularly.

Combing and brushing your pets, especially during shedding season, is good for them and your furniture. Regular doggie baths and nail trims for cats and dogs help keep fabrics fresh and free of snags.

#4 Spoil with toys.

Without toys to play with, pets might look to your furniture as the next best thing. For those with an itch to scratch, a heavy piece of leather or jute slung over furniture might well suffice.

#5 Splurge on your vacuum.

Good vacuums don’t come cheap but they pay for themselves over time. One with strong suction and a pet tool pack can really cut down on your cleanup time.

Have any pet-proofing tips to share? Let us know in the comments section below.

Content provided by: +Tailbase & Ashley Furniture

www.tailbase.com

Throw a Last-Minute Halloween Party

By Mike's Furniture

Halloween is just around the corner. Are you a busy bee who can barely find the time to brush your hair, let alone plan a Halloween party? Then you`ve fallen on the golden goose of party ideas for the procrastinator.  So feast your eyes on these 3 simple steps!

Step 1: Set a date

First and foremost, set a date, compile a list of guests and give them a call. Make sure you nip this in the bud right away! In order to entice your guests to come to your spooktacular party, mention there will be fun games, special treats and a costume contest! Keep in mind that not everyone is comfortable with dressing up. Word to the wise; add that this is optional.

Step 2 – Decorate your home inside & out

Get ready to have a frightfully good time by prepping your home inside and out to celebrate in style! Here`s a list of thrilling decoration ideas to inspire you:

Outside:

1)      Transform the front yard into a graveyard.

2)      Board the windows

3)      Put a condemned notice on your front door. Try to make it look aged (you can do this by sponging a bit or tea or coffee onto the paper).

4)      Go crazy with some caution tape – this will give your guests the impression that your home is abandoned and unsafe… maybe even haunted.

Inside:

1)      Add as many candles as possible, especially if you have a visible staircase. To avoid a fire hazard, you can purchase battery operated candles at the dollar store. You can always use real candles in jars for extra precaution.

2)      Cover your furniture with drop-cloths or sheets. Nothing says condemned like a house full of covered furniture!

3)      Change the light bulbs for some vintage colored ones, to create a dim atmosphere.

4)      Spider webs – if your house is going to look condemned, don`t forget spider webs!

  

Step 3 – Entertainment

Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment!  A successful party has great entertainment and treats to go along with it. I mean, let`s face it. No one wants to see their guests yawning and looking at their watches. Here are some great ideas to keep the party going:

1)      Halloween charades.  You can find free printables on Pinterest.

2)     Murder Mystery Game. Good news – you have access to free murder mystery games online, complete with character descriptions and scripts, so your guests will dive into the game.

3)      Halloween movie trivia. If you`re a horror movie buff, and so is your circle of friends, then this is the game for you. Again, this is another frugal game idea. Yes, horror movie trivia quizzes can also be found online.

4)      Last, but not least, the costumes contest. The pinnacle of your party is the contest. Make sure to take the time to vote on whose costume won the challenge. To add a little excitement, throw in a prize. It doesn`t have to be anything pricy. A candy loot bag can do the trick!

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All You Should Know About Memory Foam Mattress

By Mike's Furniture

Does your body ache every morning? Are you restless and sleepless? A memory foam mattress can help remedy these problems and make the day feel better. Lucky for you, the memory foam invented by NASA 50 years ago to protect astronauts is now used in mattresses. When you lie on a memory foam mattress, its soft foam adjusts to every part of your body from head to foot. The temperature-sensitive material distributes body weight evenly and reduces pain. If you suffer with back, neck, hip and joint pain, mattress brands like Ashley-Sleep®, Tempur-Pedic® and other premium brands are perfect for you. They adapt to your body so you can rest easy in personalized comfort. Add an adjustable base and with the touch of a button, you’ll discover that perfect ergonomic position. In addition to pain relief, there are five more great health benefits of memory foam mattresses.

HELPS EASE SLEEP APNEA

When a memory foam mattress and pillow are used together, your head will be properly elevated. This helps clear the path to easier breathing because your airways are no longer obstructed.

HELPS ALLERGY SUFFERERS

There’s nothing to sneeze at with memory foam. Since these mattresses are made of polyurethane foam, the interior of your mattress will always be free of allergy-causing dust mites. By eliminating one of the major allergens, these mattresses can also help control asthma. 

IMPROVES METABOLISM

If your partner constantly tosses and turns, you’ll never know it with a memory foam mattress. The foam isolates all motion and you’ll enjoy uninterrupted sleep. This will positively impact your metabolism, which may in turn help you lose weight, deal with daily stress and improve your overall health.

IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH

Because you’ll be sleeping on a mattress that strikes the perfect balance between layers of support and a cloudlike top surface, it’ll be easier to fall asleep and the quality of sleep will greatly be improved. With solid sleep, you’ll feel rejuvenated, chronic fatigue will be eased and you’ll be in a better mood.

PROVIDES PROPER SPINAL ALIGNMENT

Contouring support provided by a memory foam mattress keeps the back aligned and delivers pressure-relieving comfort while you sleep. This helps with preventing back pain and future spinal problems. As time goes on, these mattresses are less likely to sag and lose shape, so your back will not suffer.

Content provided by: +Tailbase & Ashley Furniture

www.tailbase.com

Get Crafty: DIY Decor with Squash This Fall

By Mike's Furniture

Who said decorating your home for fall had to be expensive? Check out some thrifty DIY ideas with the use of squash to add a touch of autumn in your home. Time to roll up those sleeves!

Antique your butternut squash:

There is something about decorating a home with antiquities, as it adds instant history and soul. If you have a fondness for antiquities, then this is the project for you!

For a dark & rich aged-look, use dark wax. You can purchase some Minwax Stain at your local hardware store. Apply the stain to your squash and try not to spread it evenly, in order to achieve a distressed look. Make sure it dries in a well ventilated area, free of humidity or cold. Once it is dry, feel free to add some finishing touches like hemp string that you can tie to the stem. If the mood strikes, you can go a little wild and add some artificial leaves along with your string. Voilà : the perfect antiqued squash for your home. Fall, come on in.

Pumpkin vases for your table escape:

Here`s another idea to jazz up your home for fall; pumpkin vases! Make a beautiful, yet simple table escape that is not only quick, but easy on the budget. First, hollow-out your pumpkin. Do not carve a large piece off the top, but just enough to slide a tall glass inside the opening. Then, spray paint the pumpkin white to soften the look of its deep orange coloration. You can also choose another muted color such as a pale blue or mint.  The idea is to tone down the color of the vase and draw the attention to the bouquet.

Once the spray paint has dried thoroughly, slide the tall glass through the opening of atop the pumpkin. Add some water to the glass and put together a beautiful fresh arrangement with flowers of your choice. If you prefer a low maintenance vase, then synthetic flowers are your thing. Don`t be afraid to use multiple colors, as it will add more character. There you have it, your very own pumpkin vase!

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5 Alternative Uses For Your Dining Room

By Mike's Furniture

You bought a home with a formal dining room. Nothing wrong with that. Problem is, you can count on one hand how many times you’ve actually enjoyed it. So you haven’t turned into the gracious dinner host you thought you’d be. Why reserve that valuable space for “someday” when it can serve you so much better today.

5 Alternative Uses For Your Dining Room: 

Homey Home Office. Already have a rectangular dining room table? Take away all but one seat, or remove them all and replace with a sumptuous accent chair. Boom, the perfect desk arrangement loaded with surface space. A desk and underlying rug at an angle might be even more dynamic. And that chandelier? Looks just as good over your desk as it did over the table. If you do invite dinner guests, return the chairs for a quick fix.

Homework Area/Playroom/Craft Room. Dining rooms easily make the grade as homework areas, playrooms and craft rooms, too. Very on trend, tables with heavy distressing make it easier to hide the occasional slip of a crayon or marker. You can bring in couple of stylish bookshelves for cubby space or use your existing buffet or server for storing supplies. They’re not just for plates and silverware anymore!

Breakfast Bistro/Cafe/Sitting Room. Imagine your dining room as your favorite neighborhood cafe, complete with a bistro table and chairs (in lieu of a dining room table) and a lounge seating area, maybe with a wall-mounted TV. What a perfect place to sip your morning coffee, check your email and get yourself perked up for the day. When it’s time to unwind, your cafe serves as your wine bar.

Pool Hall/Bar Lounge/Party Central. Love the thought of having people over but dread having to cook and serve? Break from the ordinary. Turn your dining room into a cool hangout space, complete with a bar, pool or ping pong table and wall-mounted TV. A few swivels chairs will really keep the conversation flowing.

Music Room/In-Tune Space. Maybe you play the piano or guitar, or perhaps your little ones are budding musicians? Turn your dining room into a music room with instruments on display, fun seating, music-themed artwork and your music collection. Or, stretch the possibilities by turning the space into a yoga or dance studio, if that’s what really moves you.

Have better ideas for an underused dining room?

Content provided by: +Tailbase & Ashley Furniture

www.tailbase.com

Getting Ready For Halloween

By Mike's Furniture

October has come fast and Halloween will be here before you know it. Get ready for a frightfully good time by prepping the house early so you can celebrate in style.

 

Decorate inside and out

Make your house “spooktacular!” Surprise trick-or-treaters on your doorstep with thrilling decorations, homemade or store bought. Here’s a perfect opportunity to get the kids involved. For example, transform your front yard into a haunted graveyard. Headstones can be set up with bones laid out and zombies placed so they look like they’re creeping up out of the ground. Put green, orange and purple lights on the bushes. Position spiders on the house and set spotlights on them. Stretch sprawling webs across the shrubs, doorway and shutters for a haunted effect. Scarecrows are fun to set up too!

Trick out the inside

Here's an example on how to set up a spooky Halloween party at the kitchen counter or dining table.

Make plans

You can also involve the kids with a craft project like making a bunch of cheesecloth that can be hung around the house. Wrap the banisters with Halloween style garland. Add lights if you dare. Clear off the mantle, tabletops, bookcase or the top of the entertainment center and decorate with Halloween accents like ceramic pumpkins, lighted haunted houses and animated spooks.

Content provided by: +Tailbase & Ashley Furniture

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How To Spend Columbus Day This Year

By Mike's Furniture

When Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492, his voyage was an adventure even though it lasted for days! Today, some states do not have any formal celebrations, others do not consider Columbus Day as a national holiday. What exactly happens on that day?

In some states, special church services, parades and large events are held to commemorate the landing. Yet, Columbus Day has become a great time to explore the adventures of life!  Many  stores have great sales, making it a great shopping day!  How are you spending your Columbus Day?

Whether you decide to relax at home or go shopping, we just have one piece of advice for you: be an explorer!

Content provided by: +Tailbase 

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5 Trendy Materials For Fall 2015

By Mike's Furniture

Leaves are falling and nights are getting chilly; these are the cue to autumn! So it is time to invite fall indoors and create a warmth atmosphere at home while enjoying sunset hues from your windows. Certainly, we all have started to cozy up at home but how could we bring comfort into our house during this season?  With sensory and tactile materials that will make our house look trendy!

Here are our 5 trendy materials that can set up a perfect fall atmosphere in house:

1. Wood. Even If you do not have hardwood floor you can still add some rustic accents in your living room!

2. Wool. Worsted or knit, wool is a natural décor fabric for this sweater chilly season. Woolen rugs under a coffee table, throws or pillows can make a great difference on a couch.

3. Velvet fabrics. Have a craving touch for velvet!

4. Ceramics. Get pumpkin center table on your dining room to stay in the fall mood.

5. Our final trendy touchy material is animal fur leather!

 Content provided by: +Tailbase 

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