Keeping a Pet-Friendly Home

By Forschler's Home Center

Pet-Proofing Your Home:

A house is just not the same without a four-legged friend. Although pets are loyal companions, many people are reluctant to own one for a fear of ruining their home and furniture. Yes, there are a number of things that come with the package such as hair, drool, odors and scratches. However, pet-proofing your home is a great solution to maintaining your home, so you don’t have to compromise your desire to add a furry member to the family. Here are some easy tips you should swear by:

1)      Choose the right fabrics – Obviously, leather or “pleather” is an easy-to-clean solution. Just give it a quick wipe down! Another benefit for this type of material is that it is not one to attract fur. It can be quite durable; however your pet’s nails should still be trimmed to avoid scratching. Another resistant material is velvet. Unlike other fabrics, it’s not looped together, so claws will not get caught!

2)      Color coordinate your furniture with your pet - Although this may sound kind of funny to some, coordinating your furniture with your pet’s fur color makes for a great camouflage. A little tone on tone is pure genius!

3)      Groom your pet – Regular grooming will avoid tumbling fur balls – the vacuum is definitely your friend. Also, a little bathing can avoid a certain stench!

4)      Protect your furniture – Embrace two things; throws and rugs. A beautiful and durable throw blanket is a great protection for your sofa. If you choose a stylish one, not only will it enhance the room, but it will maintain your furry friend’s favorite seating area. As for your gorgeous hardwood floors, there are always rugs! Choose a rug that is preferable low pile, so that their claws won’t dig into the looped strands. Ideally, you should have a rug in the areas they choose for rest – living room, bedroom, office and staircase.

Although these restrictions may seem like a lot to some, if you’re an animal lover, you’ll find a way to make these restrictions work for you, and with style! 

Father's Day Gift Idea

By Forschler's Home Center

Father’s Day is a day which fathers are honored and appreciated by their loved ones for their paternal bonds. Along with the celebration, it is customary to offer a gift. Are you out of ideas and need some inspiration for a great father’s day gift? Then throw those cliché gifts out the window! Rather than spending your money on dust collectors, why not spend it on something useful?

We all know many dads love to kickback on the sofa in front of the television in order to unwind after a long day. Most dads enjoy their “alone time” by watching their favorite sports and movies. Of course not all dads enjoy sports. Some fathers also enjoy gaming to detach from reality once in a while!

That being said, why not invest in a tv console that will enhance your father’s cinematic or gaming experience? There’s an idea! That way he can store all of his favorite movies, games and gaming console all in one place. Not only will he appreciate having all of his stuff neatly organized in one place, but surely mum will too! In fact, there are a variety of styles that Ashley furniture offers, in order to accommodate your home décor. Now there’s a gift that’s worth twice the deal!

See his eyes light up when you present him with an awesome gift that he will appreciate. Don’t forget a hug and a kiss! Happy Father’s Day!

Content provided by: @tailbase

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The Frontier To Confidence

By Forschler's Home Center

Do you need Vitamin SEA? Bring the ocean breeze into your home, by implementing some navy home accents. Confidently anchor a nautical theme, as it will introduce a chic coastal look and have your home in beach mode all year round! It won’t matter the season. Let’s take a look at how you can create this ambiance:

Your Coastal Bedroom:

Get the dreamy beachy bedroom you’ve always wanted! The coastal look features an injection of blues, especially navy, into a white bedroom. In fact, navy blue and white make a statement - one of confidence. In order to achieve this look, consider a navy bedding set with two-toned decorative pillows. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns for more visual interest and for a bolder look. Also, you can include accessories such as a white lamp, vase & picture frame to break up all of the blue.

Life aboard your Living Room!

All aboard the soothing living room retreat! Transform your living room in a charming Cape Cod-style cottage that will keep the beach close to home. Ideally, your furniture should already be picked out. You can completely change the look of the room with the help of accessories! The easiest and most neutral sofa colors for this look are white or beige. Both colors blend beautifully with navy blue. To balance the design, make sure to add a mixture of contrasting colors – navy and white. In other words, add contrasting pillows,throws, frames and a rug. In terms of pattern, stripes are your typical choice. It’s classic and you mostly likely won’t get tired of it versus a print.

 So matey include navy blue into your home if you dare! This color and décor choice exudes confidence and just might give you the daily dose of confidence that you need. 

                                               Content provided by: @tailbase

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Eco-Friendly Cleaning Tips

By Forschler's Home Center

Today is the largest environmental event in the world - Earth day! In fact, it is the perfect day to get involved in activities that can help make the planet cleaner, healthier and more sustainable. Even if one starts being eco-friendly at home by buying organic products, using energy-star appliances and recycling, it is a different story with furniture. In order to remain with today’s green spirit and lending our planet a helping hand, here are some tips on how to be eco-friendly while cleaning your furniture and upholstery.

First, you need to check your furniture cleaning code as it gives instructions and precautions on how to clean and care for it! If you bought or are planning to buy Ashley Furniture, you will find a cleaning code on your upholstery and furniture. Following these cleaning codes will help you make your furniture look newer and to maintain them longer. Here are the guidelines:

CLEANING CODE	MEANING	WASH: Cleaning products, water…	DRY
DC	Dry Cleaning only	û	ü
HW	Washing by hand	ü	û
S	Clean only with dry cleaning solvent. Do not saturate. Do not use water.	û	ü
W	Water only. Do not over wet. Do not use solvents to spot clean.	ü	û
SW, WS	Spot clean. Do not saturate with liquid.	ü	ü
X	Vacuuming or light brushing only	û	û
E, N	Use the Millennium Leather Care Kit	û	û

Once, the cleaning tag is found, read and understood; it’s time to get equipped! In order to be efficient, you will need 3 things:

1-      a vacuum cleaner

2-      accessories like small brushes,  cloth/towels, buckets

3-      cleaning products and water

How to proceed?

1.       Vacuum your furniture till it is dust free. If you vacuum your furniture frequently you will maintain it clean and well kept.

2.       Spot clean with cleaning products and water on the stains you wish to remove if the code is a “W, SW, WS “. You can also use a brush to take off the stains as well. This accessory works well while using powder on a stain.  Use cleaning products from manufacturers or you can make your own! If you need to clean pillows, check whether they have removable covers, as it will be easier to wash them separately.

  

3.       Dry your furniture by applying a cloth on it, if you washed it with water and foam. Vacuum it again to remove any dry powder residue. Then, you can start using your furniture again!

Home-made/Natural products tips:

Make your own cleaning product depending on your needs:

-mix lemon with some olive oil or jojoba oil will clean leather sofas, chairs and fabric upholstery. It will also remove undesirable odors

- mix water and vinegar to help you get rid of food stains and/or pet little disaster!

Make your own dry cleaning powder with baking soda and corn starch to remove grease stains on leather and vinyl. After sprinkling the solution on the stains, let it sit for 4 hours. Finally wipe it with a clean cloth.

Everybody can contribute to the environment and make the planet a cleaner and healthier place. Happy Earth Day!

                                                     Content provided by: @tailbase

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Getting Together For St. Patrick’s Day

By Forschler's Home Center

St. Patrick’s day, the patron saints’ feast is coming! No need to be in Ireland or Irish to celebrate it, as March 17th has become a cultural tradition spread all over the world. It is more of a religious holiday in Ireland where St. Patrick was known for converting the people to Christianity. In other countries, this day is a symbol of sharing Irish traditions and heritage. Some people would even say that it is their luckiest day!

Indoor or outdoor- lots of things are planned for gatherings on St. Pat’s! Here are a few ideas you will definitely crush on. No matter what mood you are in; get ready to see everything green!

Our indoors/ in-house suggestions!

If you decide to throw your own St Pat’s party, you will be rewarded as you can make a great party on a budget and enjoy the most of the day! 

Start by turning your house green with a green sofa and homeaccents or get few accessories like green leprechaun’s hat, shamrock!

Once the atmosphere is set, you can now get some drinks and food ready. If you are a great cook, you can attempt to cook some typical Patrick’s Day dinner with colcannon or Irish stew. Whatever you plan to make, just remember that “a room without potatoes is like a body without a soul.” Make sure you have potatoes!

Put some nice Irish music and start dancing!

Our outdoor /outside your house suggestions:

If you live close to the Chicago River, you might see the leftover of the river dyed in green the weekend prior to the D-day.

In the morning, you can start your day on a green foot – drink an Irish coffee and wear green clothes to fit in the Patty’s day mood!

Then, participate in a street parade in the afternoon. Eat the classic corned beef dish!

Continue or finish your day in a pub for a stout and just feel the Irish culture ambiance surrounding you!

So many things can be done to celebrate St. Pat’s but the best part is that you can share this moment gathering with friends and family.

Happy St. Patrick’s day!

Content provided by: @tailbase

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