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Oct-16-2015

Bamboo Flooring

Posted by creatingyourspace under Green Flooring

The trends for flooring in 2015 are exciting and fresh, boasting surprising materials and new takes on old ones. It can be hard to determine if a new trend is right for your house when you don’t know much about the material like one of this years biggest trends—bamboo. Here we will go over the pros and potential cons of this exciting flooring material.

 

As we mentioned before, bamboo is a trend that is quickly on the rise. It might surprise you to learn that bamboo is very hard, even harder than most other hardwood floors. Bamboo gives your room a look similar to traditional hardwood flooring, however it does have a distinct appearance that can add a modern look to any room. Generally it comes in wider planks, and you can find it in various shades.

 

One strong argument for bamboo flooring is that it is a natural and renewable material. While it can take the trees used for hardwood floors 20 years or more until they can be harvested, bamboo is mature enough to be harvested in only 5 years. This faster growth means that the harvesting and use of bamboo as flooring does not deplete the bamboo population with the same effect that it has with hardwood. Don’t worry about pandas going hungry, either!  Bamboo grown for floors is not edible by our fuzzy friends.

 

There are some considerations when deciding if bamboo floors are right for your space. Bamboo is best installed in areas that tend to be dry rather than humid. Avoid bathrooms and kitchens and instead use bamboo in areas such as your bedroom or living room where there is no threat of humidity. This will ensure that the planks do not expand. 

 

Finally, cleaning bamboo flooring is convenient and incredibly easy. Make sure that you keep it well swept with a dry mop or broom. No harsh or special cleaning treatments are necessary. If you really need to clean more deeply, you only need to use warm water and a mild soap to mop the floor. Wring the mop thoroughly so no excess moisture is left behind.

 

Bamboo is a great option when considering what type of floor you want for your home. There are many pros and with an informed decision you will be able to find the floor that is right for you. If you have any questions, check out our bamboo information page or stop by one of our stores!

Sep-18-2015

Popcorn as a Healthy Snack

Posted by creatingyourspace under Hints and Tips

Looking for the perfect snack that is healthy, simple and has plenty of available toppings?  Popcorn clearly wins in each of these categories!   Popcorn is versatile, full of fiber and very low in fat (at least when it’s not doused with butter and salt). Skip the “Movie Theater Butter” and get creative when flavoring plain popcorn! Rather than butter, use a healthy oil substitute such as vegetable or coconut – this will help your choice of toppings to stick to the fluffy kernels.

Are you in the mood for sweet or savory? If you are craving sweet, mix together a dash of cinnamon to a teaspoon of natural sugar. Sprinkle the mix over top of popcorn in a large bowl, then toss. Continue to add the mixture and toss the popcorn. This will ensure that all of the kernels get an even coating of flavor. Natural vanilla extract can be used as well. If you must use butter, pair a small amount of melted butter with a couple drops of vanilla extract and pour the mix over popcorn and continue to toss the kernels to evenly distribute the flavor.

If you are craving savory then garlic parmesan may be the way to go. Sprinkle your popcorn with garlic seasoning.  Next sprinkle parmesan cheese (the kind you put on top of pizza) onto your popcorn. This snack is delicious and can really help with savory cravings. Another option is to sprinkle popcorn salt (ground finer than table salt) and nutritional yeast (this can be found at a health food store and has the added benefit of containing protein and B12!)

For spicy food lovers, turn to spicy flavored popcorn! You can add spice to popcorn by using ground red pepper, spicy paprika seasoning or ground black pepper and a dash of salt. For a powerful punch, pair chili powder with paprika. For a zingy flavor mix a tablespoon of vegetable oil with several drops of lime juice and carefully drizzle over popcorn.

Get creative and think outside of the box. Search your pantry and spice racks for healthier options to flavor popcorn with. If you like a certain flavor, most likely you will enjoy it on your healthy plain popcorn snack!

May-10-2015

Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted by creatingyourspace under Holiday
Dec-24-2014

Your Holiday Season

Posted by creatingyourspace under Holiday

Hoping this holiday season is filled with happiness, laughter and love!  Make sure to take time to enjoy the family and friends gathered around you at this amazing time of the year.

Dec-25-2012

‘Tis the Season

Posted by creatingyourspace under Holiday

Happy Holidays to you and all of your loved ones!

Need help cleaning up after all of the holiday celebrating and don’t know where to start?  Here’s some tips that might make the cleanup go smoother this year:

Make a list: Yes, even though Santa has all ready come and gone doesn’t mean you can’t make a list, too.  Decide what tasks need to be accomplished.  After to make your to-do list, you can pick out easier tasks to delegate to the kids.

Family help: Everyone participated in the holiday celebrations, so have everyone pitch in and help with the cleaning.  Assign a couple of chores to each person that way you’re not stuck doing it all.

Dishes:  We know there’s always a lot of cooking and eating during this time of the year.  If you’re doing all of the cooking this year, have others roll up their sleeves and do the dishes.

Paper cleanup: Do you have wrapping paper all over the house now? Make a game out of it and have everyone gather as much paper pieces as possible during a certain time limit.  Whoever has the most pieces of wrapping paper, gets an extra holiday treat.

May-18-2011

The Multigeneration House Part 1: Sharing with a Parent

Posted by creatingyourspace under Hints and Tips

As parents age, eventually you may have to help them re-design their lives. Health issues can make it hard for a parent to continue to live independently, but personality, emotional and financial factors may eliminate the possibility of assisted living or other institutional options.

If you’re considering bringing one or both parents into your home, making a few plans first can help this transition work well for everyone involved.

To start, make sure your family member or members have a realistic understanding of the situation. If possible show them the space they would have, and get measurements to keep their furniture expectations realistic. Let them redecorate the space to make it their own.

Be sure to do a safety check on your home before your parent or parents move in. Look for tripping hazards such as rugs without non-slip pads. If possible, carpet their space. Carpeting is the safest flooring for the elderly because it cushions falls. You may also want to add safety bars to showers or bathtubs.

If you can, provide a bedroom, a bathroom and a sitting room to ensure enough privacy. It’s generally a good idea to include a television in their personal space so that there will be no program debates among the generations.

Plan to provide additional storage space for valued possessions. Remember that something that may not seem valuable to you may hold special memories for a parent. If you need to, rent storage space to hold their things until they’re ready to let them go.

Above all, work to keep the lines of communication open. There will be challenges, but with effort you will all find the time together to be rewarding.

Jan-30-2011

Sharing your Heritage

Posted by creatingyourspace under Design and Decorating

Antique Roadshow on PBS allows people to share various items they either collected or inherited. Sometimes something that was only marginally valued becomes more important once people find out its value.

Do you have items tucked away in boxes and attics that are an important part of your heritage? Maybe it’s time to bring them into your life. One way to do that is by creating a vignette of pieces and photos from your family’s past. You can focus on one person or one theme, and end up actually telling a story.

This table display shows the history of a great grandfather who spent his life studying butterflies. Some of his old reference books stacked in one corner hold his hand-written notebooks and the magnifying glass he used for field study. A shadowbox with some of the butterflies he collected leans against a panel. The pride of his tools – the brass microscope – stands in the center of the display. If the family added a few photos, the vignette could be a complete story of one relative’s life.

When planning, choose a theme or person to focus on to make a story rather than an unconnected display. Did your grandmother quilt? How about one of her quilts under her old sewing basket with some unfinished quilt squares lying on top? Add in a photo of grandma in her spare room with one of her quilts on the bed and you’re on your way to another story.

Whatever your heritage, bring it into your own present by creating a vignette. Your family’s past is waiting for you to share it with others.

Nov-25-2010

How to Remove Gravy Stains from Carpet

Posted by creatingyourspace under Care and Maintenance

Thanksgiving is finally here!  We’d like to share our stain removal techniques with you and your family, just in case a dish gets dropped on the carpet.  It’s our goal to keep you and your family happy on this special day.  Don’t let a little gravy stain spoil your holiday!

Nail Polish Remover – Two types of nail polish removers are available. One type contains acetone, a dry cleaning solvent. Use the same precautions as with other dry cleaning solutions. The second type contains amyl acetate, which is used in many paint, oil, and grease (POG) removers. Many POG removers leave residues that may cause rapid soiling. When using a POG remover, always rinse the area thoroughly with a dry solvent.

Solvent – A non-flammable spot removal solution, or dry cleaning type solvent, is preferred. Exercise caution when using a solvent. Never pour it directly onto the carpet or allow it to reach the backing, because it can damage the latex that holds the primary and secondary backings together. Acceptable solvents include Carbona®, Energine®, K2R®, Goof-Off®, etc.

Detergent Solution – Mix one fourth (1/4) teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent per one (1) cup of lukewarm water. NEVER USE A STRONGER CONCENTRATION! Thorough rinsing is necessary to remove detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. It may be necessary to rinse with warm water several times to completely remove residues. (See Residue Precautions.) Care should be used in selecting a detergent. Never use a laundry detergent of any type, because laundry detergents may contain optical brighteners (flourescent dyes) that dye the fiber. Do not select an automatic dishwashing detergent because many contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.

Vinegar Solution – Mix one (1) cup of white vinegar per two (2) cups of water. White vinegar is a 5% acetic acid solution. It is used most often to lower the alkalinity caused by detergent solutions or alkaline spills.

Warm Water – Lukewarm tap water should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions from the fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling.

Ammonia Solution – Mix one (1) tablespoon of household ammonia per cup of water. Please note: Be aware that ammonia, if used improperly, can cause a color change. Be sure to test a hidden area.

When in doubt, call a professional – Professional cleaners have the ability and the equipment to use more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn spills. Always consider consulting a professional cleaner regarding any spot removal question. Carpet and Rug Institute – 1-800-882-8846.

Nov-17-2010

Thanksgiving Recipe: Super Apple Pie

Posted by creatingyourspace under Thanksgiving

Here at Carpets N More, it is our goal to make you and your family happy in your home.  Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we thought we’d share one of our holiday recipes with you.  Now, close your eyes and imagine the deep, warm scent of apple pie baking in the oven.  It’s almost like you can taste it!  Below is one of our favorite apple pie recipes of all time.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 ounces vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 5 to 7 tablespoons applejack
  • 12 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the filling:

  • 3 to 3 1/2 pounds apples, mixture of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Golden Delicious, about 6 large apples
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • 2 tablespoons apple jelly
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher slat
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise

Directions

For the crust:

Place the butter, shortening and applejack into the refrigerator for 1 hour.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until the texture looks mealy. Add the shortening and pulse another 3 to 4 times until incorporated.

Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle in 5 tablespoons of the applejack. Replace the lid and pulse 5 times. Add more applejack as needed, and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Weigh the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

For the filling:

Peel and core the apples. Slice into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Toss all of the apples with 1/4 cup of the sugar, place in a colander set over a large bowl and allow to drain for 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer the drained liquid to a small saucepan, place over medium heat and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Set aside to cool. Toss the apples with the remaining sugar, tapioca flour, jelly, cider, lime juice, salt and grains of paradise.

For assembling and baking the pie:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough onto a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9 1/2 to 10-inch tart pan that is 2-inches deep. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary. Set a pie bird in the center of the bottom of the pan.

Place the apples into the unbaked pie shell in concentric circles starting around the edges, working towards the center and forming a slight mound in the center of the pie. Pour over any liquid that remains in the bowl. Roll out the second pie dough as the first. Place this dough over the apples, pressing the pie bird through the top crust. Press together the edges of the dough around the rim of the pie. Brush the top crust with the reduced juice everywhere except around the edge of pie. Trim any excess dough. Place the pie on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake on the floor** of the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer to the lower rack of the oven and continue to bake another 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through but not mushy. Remove to a rack and cool a minimum of 4 hours or until almost room temperature.