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I checked my Facebook feed this morning and everyone is sending best wishes for a beautiful fall. Ironically, the ads on Facebook are starting to look a lot like Christmas, and the 2016 holiday extravaganzas to come. So much for fall. But – the realities of the family gatherings to come in the next few months is hitting home, so I started looking around my home to see if there are things I need to do to get ready for guests.

The first place I check every year is my family room. Is it ready for prime time? After all, I consider our family room the heart of my home. The comfort zone. I found a great checklist to help me get it ready for guests: The Organized Home. Here are a few quick tips that really helped me get organized.

• Take everything down off the walls, take down curtains etc. Wash, vacuum or dry clean as needed.
• Sweep ceiling corners and other nooks in the room - tops of doorways, windows, arches, bookcases, etc.
• Wash inside of windows and sills. Polish and touch-up stain on wood

Dormitory rooms at colleges and universities usually average about 12-by-19 feet. That means students entering their freshman year at universities across the country have, on average, 228 square feet of living space. Talk about tiny living!

You can help your student get creative to maximize every inch so they have a welcoming space to live and study. And the best way to do that is to think vertical – space that is. Here are a few tips:

• A 32” TV Mirror gives you the best of both worlds. A great mirror and a flatscreen television, perfect for any dorm room.
  TV in a Mirror!
• Stack those beds to create more floor space. Don’t forget to use the space under the beds for convenient storage.
• Baskets and containers can help keep things organized in your small closet.
• Hanging shelves can also add more storage, especially for those items you use every day, like hair dryers, shoes, etc.
• Floating shelves can go a long way toward making items accessible where and when you need them.
• Add a few plants to

When we moved into our home 15 years ago, I just had one rule: No television in the bedroom. To be fair, we didn’t have options for hiding the television, like the TVLiftCabinets available today or the TV Smart Mirrors that actually add style and function. Back then we just had gigantic televisions that took up a ton of space. So I wondered: is it possible to get the rest you need and still have the option of a television for those great, old-time, late-night movies?

Several people have posed the question and the answers hit the full spectrum. So, I thought I’d share some pros and cons for adding a television to your bedroom sanctuary.

The Cons 
1) Removing the television from your bedroom results in more, and better, sleep, so you’ll be more productive the next day.

2) What you think about first, makes a difference in how you approach the day. Having a television creates a mood, setting the stage for the rest of your day. What you think about last also matters in how restful your sleep

Many people will be looking at updating their homes in 2016. Some are getting homes ready to sell, as they need to downsize or upsize. Others are simply trying to make their living space more comfortable, and as the economy improves, HGTV reports that people are looking at ways to invest in their homes to get the most value for their dollars. For some people, it means major remodel projects, like new bathrooms, kitchens or bonus rooms.

For others, it means adding great impact with very little effort (and minimal investment). This is especially true if people are planning to move in the next couple of years. HGTV pointed out that making your décor work harder is a smart way to add square footage and impact to your rooms. One thing they noted was to shift furniture away from walls to make living rooms feel larger and more contemporary.

They suggest creating a seating area around a feature you want buyers to notice, like a dramatic fireplace or piece of furniture. One item that can add drama

Are you getting a good night’s sleep? Every night? Estimates from the National Sleep Foundation suggest that at least one in three Americans are not getting enough quality sleep, which is having a huge impact on their quality of life. And while many people claim they get between 7-8 hours a night, 35 percent of Americans report their sleep quality as “poor” or “only fair,” and 20 percent say they don’t wake up feeling refreshed on any of the past seven days.

While some of the reasons may be health related (and people should certainly check in with their doctors for ongoing issues), other reasons include making a few changes in your home to create sleep conditions for uninterrupted sleep.

First, ensure you have the perfect temperature – not too cold or too hot. Research suggests that keeping your head nice and cool is conducive to good sleep. Some say 65 degrees is the perfect temperature for sleeping.

Next, be sure to make your bedroom as sound-free as possible. Some people try white noise

The first Father’s Day can be traced to the ruins of Babylon. It is believed that a young boy called Elmesu carved a Father’s Day message on a card made of clay more than 4,000 years ago, wishing his father good health and a long life. Today many dads still get clay gifts and homemade cards, but it’s safe to say that today’s dad might appreciate a gift that not only gives him pleasure, but is something his entire family would enjoy for years to come.

On the top of the list: A new flat screen television for the family room. Today’s models come in many iterations, including televisions that become beautiful mirrors when not in use. That’s right. Many homeowners are tired of having the television being the focal point of the room, but almost everyone has a mirror in many spaces. TVLiftCabinet just starting offering this unique home furnishing – just in time for Father’s Day.

When you turn on the TV, the mirror transforms into a state-of-the-art LED HD Smart television – with a sharp picture

We’re not making it up. House Beautiful listed the Glamily Room as a top trend for 2016. But what does that mean – and why should you care?

Axiom TV Lift Cabinet

Let’s face it, most families have messy kids, dogs that tramp in mud (or other crud) and all kinds of life’s little annoyances that drive most moms crazy. Yet – we all want to have a nice place to spend time with the family. You know, that picture-perfect place where the family magic happens (at least some times). For some, it’s as easy as turning to hardworking fabrics with unique silhouettes. For others, it means looking for hard-working furnishings that look great, but do double-duty as a highly-functional storage unit for all the clutter that comes with having a family in today’s electronic world.

TVLiftCabinets are perfect for a glamming up a family room because they’re gorgeous, lots of handcrafted features that instantly add value to the room. There are many styles to complement any home style – even an option to customize

Spring has sprung.

The birds are chirping. The breezes are turning a little warmer. Green buds are starting to emerge from their long winter nap. Then you turn around and look at your cocoon, your little piece of heaven that has kept you safe and dry for the past few months. Notice anything?

If you’re like me, there’s an abundance of clutter. You know the kind. Old magazines and newspapers. DVD and CD sleeves. Piles of books. Video game clutter everywhere. Yes. It’s that time of year again – time to shake out the cobwebs and put things in order.

One of my big challenges each year is finding a home for all the things you use in your family room – but don’t necessarily want to look at as you’re
passing through. That’s why I was thrilled to discover TVLiftCabinets because in a snap, the clutter disappears. Well, not exactly a snap, but with all the available storage, it just takes a few minutes to organize everything you have related to entertainment and carefully shut the doors. I also love

It’s that time of year again when all basketball fans turn to brackets to ponder, assess, strategize and contemplate which team will come out on top.

Last year, more than 23 million people tuned into the Duke/Wisconsin final game, and overall viewership was up nearly nine percent from the previous year for all the games. Whether you’re cheering on a home team or a fan favorite, it’s always a good idea to make sure your family room is ready for a few extra friends to watch the big games.

One thing that can be a problem is being able to see the television from everywhere in the room. If you have a TVLiftCabinet that’s finished on all four sides, and has a swivel bracket, you can control exactly how the television will be displayed so everyone can enjoy the show. The unit I like the most is the Crystal Pointe cabinet.

With beautiful mahogany veneer, it’s a stunning piece of furniture. The component drawers can be reversed so they open from the front or the back (any way you want). And with

What is Nordic style? Scandinavian homes are known for their simplicity, utility and beauty. They have a pure, pared back style that is centered around warm functionality, flawless craftsmanship and understated elegance. Light is extremely important.  Many Nordic homes feature earthy muted tones, honest materials and minimal ornamentation.

For those who prefer this style, there is a perfect TVLiftCabinet to help you stay true to the Nordic lifestyle. Our Crystal Pointe 360 Swivel Cabinet in weathered white is the perfect addition to a Nordic style. It features a transitional design with hand-carved corner columns, is finished and framed on all four sides, and can be placed anywhere in your home.  You could use it against a wall, as a room divider or at the foot of your bed – and have full access to your flatscreen television and all the electronic gadgets that stay hidden from view.

So if Nordic is your favorite style, be sure to check out the perfect TVLiftCabinet to complement your