Posts

Laundry Peace and Quiet

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Shared from our friends at Speed Queen . Laundry, Peace, and Quiet Shhhh… ocean waves… a spa… soothing… calming… natural… this is how our washer has been described when it’s agitating. Wait, what? People use those descriptors to describe a washing machine? Yes, they do. Let’s talk decibels. 43 decibels equates to the noise level of a library, a bird call or the agitation of a Speed Queen top load washer. Our top load washing machine is so quiet, you may question whether or not it’s working until you hear the water swooshing back and forth. Why is it so quiet? Just like commercial applications, the Speed Queen top load washer uses an inverter drive with a pulley system to move the wash basket, creating a motion similar to an ocean wave; powerful and quiet. Check out this video to hear it for yourself:   Play video If you have main floor or second floor laundry rooms, or sleeping children nearby, this machine is ideal. https://speed...

How to Refresh Neutrals

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Interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel shares how she uses SmartBoost™ to keep her living room neutrals fresh. 2/12/18 Shared from our friends at Electrolux Neutrals in the home are gaining popularity. The versatility is just one reason interior designers love them. But neutrals can be an intimidating place to play. Do you mix and match neutrals? Make a statement and add patterns and colors? Designer and blogger Sarah Sherman Samuel is going to share some of her interior design tips and tricks for outfitting your living room with the latest color trend — and her easy way for keeping neutrals, well, neutral year-round. Neutrals are so trendy because they work with so many other colors or they can stand alone. Regardless of whether you choose to add bold colors, the first rule of neutrals is to stay away from using only mid-tones, Sherman Samuel says. “Think browns and taupes. These can read as drab, while brighter whites, ivories and creams, or dark and moody ne...

Planning the Ultimate Home Theatre

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Shared from our friends at Palliser Furniture . The perfect home theatre combines high-tech audio and video capabilities with the sumptuous comfort of relaxation. With the right set-up, watching movies at home in a comfy recliner is even more fun and enjoyable than going out. Here are four steps to help you plan the home theatre of your dreams. Get Inspired Whether you’ve got a dedicated home theatre, are building one, or are transforming a multifunctional space, your options are limited only by your imagination. Get inspired by browsing magazines and websites to find the furniture styles that most appeal to you. Are you looking for a dramatic movie theatre look, or a sleek, contemporary space, or a comfy retreat that matches the rest of your home? Define your Space Once you’ve got an idea of your style direction you can start planning the room. Create a basic drawing of its layout and its dimension on paper or use our  ROOM PLANNER . Note the location of ...

4 tips to keep your dishwasher in good working order

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2/3/18 There is so much information out there about how to take care of and clean our dishwashers that it can be overwhelming.  If you keep up with the cleaning and maintenance you can extend the life of your dishwasher.  We studied the owner’s manuals for Kitchen Aid, GE and Bosch dishwashers and came up with the 4 most helpful cleaning tips.   Check your owner’s manual for specific instructions and frequency. Clean the filters Inside your dishwasher there is at least one filter that collects solid particles that may have been on your dishes.  If you don’t clean it regularly then your dishes may show visible signs of dirt and the dishes can feel gritty to the touch.  It is easy to remove and clean them.   You can just do a quick look at the filter about once a month if you tend to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher.  If you are in the habit of clearing the dishes of food before putting them in the dishwasher you may only need to ch...

Ultra Violet in Real Life: Decorating with Pantone’s Top Color of the Year for 2018

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1/27/18 Shared from our friends at Hooker Furniture Ultra Violet, Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year, celebrates the artistic/boho vibe of a new generation. Sectional and Chair by Sam Moore Furniture. It’s the new year, and you want to refresh your decor with Pantone’s latest “it” color, but its an offbeat hue like 2018’s Ultra Violet. What to do? Ultra Violet celebrates the mystical, spiritual and artistic/boho vibe of a new generation open to diverse and global inspirations; a vibe last felt in the late 1960s.  Sensuous and elegant, velvet is another important look for 2018. Bring it home in regal violet, updated with modern black base and legs in the  Cheekie Chair .  Sam Moore Furniture. Violet in all its variations look great with gray. Here, a deep plum warms up light gray and silver of the  Sage Sectional   without sacrificing the modern, urbane scheme. Sam Moore Furniture Gray is a top trend with staying power, perfect f...

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Quinoa and Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes

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Shared from our friends at Kitchen Aid . Serves 4 INGREDIENTS Quinoa 1 cup quinoa 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth Crispy Shredded Brussels Sprouts 2 pounds Brussels Sprouts, shredded 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced Juice from half a lemon Salt and pepper to taste Brown Butter Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup butter 3 tablespoons maple syrup Topping 8 ounces Manchego cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons olive oil Juice from half a lemon Zest from one lemon Salt and pepper to taste DIRECTIONS Preheat the  oven  to 400° Fahrenheit. Quinoa Rinse the quinoa under running water while rubbing it between your fingers. In a medium  saucepan , heat about one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Toast the quinoa until the water has burned off. Add the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the hea...

HOW TO USE A WARMING RACK

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1/16/18 Shared from our friends at Weber Grills Pretty much every full-size gas model that we make comes with a warming rack, but a lot of the time they go underutilized, which is a shame since there are so many great ways to use them. Here are some different ways to put your warming rack to use! #1) Keep things warm  - This one seems like a no brainer given the name, but a warming rack is a great place to just move food to that’s done or almost done that you just need to keep warm for a bit while other food is finishing grilling. Got a few pieces of chicken that are pretty much done but some others that need a little more time? Move them to the warming rack to get them out of the way to keep them from over cooking, but keep them warm! #2) Secondary grilling area  – There are times when I’m grilling a lot of things that call for direct, high heat, like burgers, brats and hot dogs, but I also want to grill something that takes a bit longer and doesn’t need the ...