May Your Floors Be Merry and Bright!

At Cinderella Carpet One in Salinas our design experts are ready to help you find the perfect floor for the way you live whether you’re completely redecorating or just need a floor to match your existing decor. Check out these tips from our design specialists, just in time for the holidays:

Create a focal point - The holidays are the perfect time to try out a new floor plan. Center your furniture around the fireplace or wherever you hang stockings or stack gifts. If you’re planning a party, arrange furniture in groups to allow for group conversation.

The Fifth Wall - Don’t ignore your floor because it’s the fifth wall to any room! Try out new area rugs to match your holiday decor or choose your festive decorations in a few colors that complement your rugs. Silver, blue, white, red, gold, brown, and green are all great colors to try.

Decorate the whole house- Carry your holiday decor throughout every room. Stand up holiday cards on nightstands in every bedroom. Add scented candles and festive knick-knacks to bathrooms and kitchens. Your guests will be pleasantly surprised!

We recently released a tool to help you prepare for holiday entertaining.  The first is the new fall issue of Beautiful Design Made Simple – a free digital magazine available for Apple iPads and Android tablets.  The Holiday Entertaining issue features articles focused on beautiful design and entertaining tips that are essential during the holiday season.  Features include “Setting the Perfect Table” with designer James M. Davie, “7 Simple Home Décor Tips for Entertaining”, “Hostess Gifts and Wow” and “Mani-Friendly Tips for Hassle Free Holiday designer Entertaining” by Julie Edelman, The Accidental Housewife.

The holiday season is traditionally a busy and stressful time for many people.  Cinderella Carpet One in Salinas is geared towards making the holidays a little less stressful.  Stop in to our showroom today at 6 Rossi Circle and discuss your holiday needs with our design specialists or contact us online. 

CINDERELLA’S STRESS FREE THANKSGIVING PLANNING GUIDE

Did you win the honor of hosting Thanksgiving this year?  Yahoooo!  Well, we put together a planning guide together that will guarantee no stress, no worries, just a multitude of holiday spirit, laughter among family and a whole lot of delicious food.

2 WEEKS AHEAD

-Make your guest list of family and friends.

-Send your invitation and ask everyone what your guests plan to bring.

-Decide on your table decorations:  napkins, candles, and tablecloth.  I like fall décor using pumpkins, berries and fall leaves.

-Finalize your menu.

-Hit the grocery store for all your non-perishable items.

-Decide if you will be serving a fresh or frozen turkey.  A couple turkey tips will help make your decision.  If you’re buying a frozen turkey, get it now and keep it in the freezer.  Buying a fresh bird?  Put your order in now with your local butcher.

1 WEEK AHEAD

-Thaw the turkey.  Make sure there is room to thaw in the refrigerator.  Make sure you put it in a large pan to catch any juice that may escape as it thaws. 

-Make sure you clear space in the refrigerator for all the leftovers after the dinner. 

3-5 DAYS AHEAD

-Shop for all your perishable items.  You can save time when cooking if you group all your items according to the recipe in the pantry and refrigerator.

-If you don’t have a bar set up a beverage area that is central to the kitchen or dining room.  This area will house all the glasses, cocktail napkins, ice bucket, bottle and wine openers and a recycling container.

-Set the table if you have a separate dining area.

2 DAYS AHEAD

-Make all your desserts.  Remember, people typically like to sample a couple of desserts so make sure you have enough for everyone.

-Get the family involved and clean the house and pick up the yard.

1 DAY AHEAD

-Prepare all your side dishes that can be made 24 hours ahead of time.  This can be cranberries or potato casseroles.  You can cut all the ingredients for salads (but don’t toss with dressing) and your stuffing.

-Purchase all your last minute items like rolls, ice, lettuce, etc.

-Decide how much time you will need to cook your turkey.  Roasting will take 12-15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees.  Plan to have the turkey done approximately one hour before dinner so it can cool, which makes carving easier.  If you have a question about your bird, call the folks at Butterball (800-288-8372).

-Set out all the serving dishes and utensils

THANKSGIVING DAY

MORNING:

-Make the stuffing.

-Cook the potatoes.

-Stuff the turkey and get it roasting.

-Make any vegetables you haven’t yet prepared.

-Whip the cream for all the delicious desserts.

AFTERNOON:

-Finish the gravy

-Reheat the potatoes that were cooked in the morning

-Transfer the turkey to the platter

-Serve, sit down and dig in!

THE DAY AFTER

Eat leftovers and take a nap!

The most important thing is don't sweat it: The true secret to being a gracious host or hostess (and keeping your own sanity) is to not let small problems ruin the day. If one of your side dishes burns, simply toss it out and enjoy the rest of the meal. If the turkey burns, order take-out. And don't forget to laugh.

Happy Thanksgiving from Cinderella Carpet One!

FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

The hustle and bustle of the holidays will soon be upon us and there won’t be any time to relax with the family.  So, before the holidays take over your life, plan a few family activities.  These activities are important for forming children’s identities, creating structure for children and shaping social behaviors, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Take advantage of these next several weeks of mellow aura to relax with fun activities.

Weekend Trips

Try an activity out of your family's comfort zone or revisit a beloved place. Most pools are closed by November, so consider an indoor aquatic resort. Make posters for your family's favorite sports team and take in a basketball or football game. Visit an art gallery or museum. Stay at a bed and breakfast, attend an auto show or see a play. Plan an early Christmas shopping trip out of town for those special holiday gifts or decorations. Designate the location and ask extended family members to meet there.

Volunteer Work

Make November and December the months your family completes volunteer work together. Come up with ideas as a family about what you all care about. Perhaps your family has lost a family member to cancer, or your town has a high homeless population. While the weather is still nice, devote time raising money and getting in condition for a nonprofit race or walk. Soup kitchens, pet shelters and hospitals need volunteers. Schools always need volunteers.  

Embrace the Outdoors at Home – Even when it is Chilly

While the weather is still nice plan a few family activities outdoors. Have a picnic at a park, or sleep in tents in the backyard. Go on a bike ride or hike. Yard cleaning is necessary and will create memories by raking leaves, covering perennials and winterizing gutters. Grill an expensive dinner as a reward for hard work. Invite the extended family for a pre-holiday gathering before everyone’s schedule is filled with holiday commitments.

Indoors at Home

Celebrate winter by keeping warm at home. Gather the family for a game night, complete with pizza and snacks. Host a card or board game tournament. Start the fireplace and organize pictures from the previous summer, research your family genealogy or read a book aloud. Write a short story together with some members writing and others illustrating. Creating food is a bonding process. Find new recipes that require an adventurous spirit through new spices or exotic ingredients.

Pitch a blanket and have a picnic.  Freezing temperatures can ruin a picnic aster than an army of ants, but you can have a picnic on a blanket indoors.  S’mores can be great in the microwave.  Sitting on a blanket instead of at the table is a fun change.

Have a camp-out inside.  Unless your family likes winter camping, pitching a tent inside and having a winter camp-out in the living room is warmer and safer.  Don’t forget those microwave s’mores and, if possible, sit around the fireplace and tell campfire stories.

If the weather does become frightful, below are some activities we have come up with that will allow you and your family to still have a blast this winter.

•Reread a favorite book from your childhood

•Have a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup

•Bake cookies and share them with friends

•Make a big batch of chili

•Drink plenty of eggnog for the holidays

•Go ice-skating

•Hit the slopes

•Kick back in your family hot tub

•Cozy up in front of a roaring fire and watch the flames

•Complete a jigsaw puzzle

•Donate food/toys/clothing to a local charity

•Listen to the wind howl on a chilly night

•Don’t forget the holidays and decorate your home with festive lights

•Decorate a gingerbread house

•Take a drive to admire your neighbors’ holiday lights

•Visit a holiday craft fair

•Throw a Super Bowl party

•When all else fails and cabin fever sets in, clear the decks of breakables and have a pillow fight.  Just don’t use your good pillows.

•Lastly, if you are thinking about purchasing new flooring for your home for the holidays, be sure to visit Cinderella Carpet One.  Bring the kids so they can help choose the perfect flooring for your home.  We are conveniently located at 6 Rossi Circle in Salinas.  Or contact us for a Free In-Home Consultation.

We’d like to hear from you:  What are your family’s favorite winter fun-and-fit activities?

BUY LOCAL FOR A STRONG COMMUNITY

Why shop local? 

•Because local businesses are fueling our economic recovery.

•Because more of what you spend stays local (Spending $10 per month locally would return $9.3   billion to local economies).

•Because local businesses are the heart of every local community (small business donate 2x as much to local charities)

•Because shopping local means giving your business to someone you know that is going to support the community in which you both live (For every $100 you spend locally, $68 stays in your community)

When you shop at Cinderella Carpet One in Salinas and SanLuis Obispo, you’re among neighbors.

This is our home, too.  In addition to backing local businesses, we’re active volunteers in the communities we serve, supporting efforts on behalf of youth sports, animal welfare, the environment and more. 

When it comes to shopping, there’s no place like home.  That’s why we encourage you to keep your business right here in the community.  We live here just like you.  So join us in shopping local – from flooring, to inspiration, to expert advice. 

Come in and see your neighbors at Cinderella Carpet One at 6 Rossi Circle in Salinas.  We’ve got you covered.

LOCALLY OWNED.  NATIONALLY KNOWN – COMMUNITY FOCUS PUTS US ON THE MAP!

DOES HARDWOOD FLOORING MAKE SENSE IN KITCHENS?

There are many reasons why hardwood flooring makes sense in your kitchen. One main consideration, of course, is cost. In general, hardwood flooring is less expensive than tile floors. It is more cost effective to install, and can be installed directly on top of a plywood base rather than having to do extensive sub floor preparation.   This is a surprise to many of my customers, but it’s a pleasant surprise since most would prefer hardwood anyway.

Hardwood floors can give your kitchen area a larger appearance, particularly if the rest of the homes floors are done in the same material. Having hardwood floors throughout the home brings the rooms together, and is in high demand in new homes. This will help in a sale if you ever decide to sell.

Hardwood floors do not have grout to deal with, which can easily collect dirt in a kitchen. This makes a hardwood floor much easier to clean, and to keep clean. They last longer than tile floors, and are always in style. Tile can crack and break over time, and become discolored – if a hardwood floor needs refinishing, it can simply be sanded down and refinished rather than having to be torn up and replaced. Your kitchen floor takes a great deal of abuse – spills, spots and dirt – and you need a floor that can be easily wiped up. With proper maintenance, it will last for many years.

A hardwood floor with a satin finish is the best choice for a kitchen floor, as it does a better job of hiding food and dirt spills. When selecting the type of flooring to use in the kitchen – and elsewhere in the house – remember that certain woods, such as oak, maple and cherry, are the most durable choices. Distressed pine flooring is frequently chosen because of the rustic appearance; however, pine will show dents and scratches more easily than a hard wood.

As long as you are willing to take good care of your wood floor, it will serve you well in the kitchen for a many years! This makes it a great choice for a kitchen floor.

Cinderella Carpet One in Salinas has the finest selection of hardwood floors!  With every purchase we offer expert installation and full manufacturers’ warranties.  Our professionally trained sales staff can help you find the right wood floor for your specific needs.  We offer free estimates and financing options are available to qualified buyers. 

Right now we are having a sale on all hard surface floors storewide.  Save up to 30% on Armstrong hardwood, laminate, tile, vinyl and other hard surface brands.  Visit our showroom at 6 Rossi Circle in Salinas before 9/23.

CINDERELLA CARPET ONE GIVES BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY!

Giving back to the communities we serve is essential to Cinderella Carpet One in Salinas.

We recently donated funds to help build the first fully inclusive and accessible playground in Salinas.  Tatum’s Garden, inspired by and named after Tatum Bakker, who was born with Spina Bifida, will be a custom one-of-a-kind and unique playground in Salinas.  It will be a virtual vegetable garden, with the playground theme and structures reflecting the rich agricultural heritage of the area.  It will incorporate cooperative games, accessible outdoor music areas, and accommodations for children with visual and auditory impairments, and sensory panels and handrails designed to include those children who may have a disability but are not confined to a wheelchair.

The dream began on Design Day on May 10, 2013 and to date they have raised over $600,000 from local residents and businesses for this wonderful play area that was designed and will be built by the community. 

There are ways for everyone to give on any level to this project, from sponsoring a $50 personalized fence picket that will enclose Tatum’s Garden, to larger gifts such as sponsoring a playground component, plus much more.  Other ways to help as they approach Build Week on September 10-15, will be the donation of materials needed for construction, such as bags of concrete, paint, tile and the recycled lumber needed to build the structures and ramps. 

Even more importantly, during Build Week they will need over 1,000 volunteers to help construct the playground plus on-site childcare for the workers, food committee volunteers and much more.

There is still time to get involved with this wonderful community project by helping with the fundraising efforts to reach the $1,000,000 goal or volunteering your time to help build the park.

Cinderella Carpet One is proud to be a sponsor helping to bring the dream of Tatum’s Garden to reality.  Do you have a business or belong to a group who could feed volunteers during the Build Week, or help in the childcare area?  Or are you ready to dive in and get your hands dirty and help build Tatum’s Garden one board at a time?  I urge you to visit their website at www.tatum’sgarden.org and donate or volunteer today!

INNOVIA TOUCH - THE SOFTER, MORE LUXURIOUS CARPET

Cinderella Carpet One in Salinas would like to introduce Innovia™ Touch carpet, the revolutionary new carpet technology, blending the ultimate in softness with long lasting beauty. This carpet is ideal for consumers looking for that step up from Innovia™ for the ultimate soft experience.  Innovia™ Touch is the luxe ultra-soft choice that offers the same fade resistance, durability and Gold and Platinum Warranties as Innovia but double the softness. You can actually feel the difference.  The revolutionary “SmartStrand” technology in the fibers provides the highest level of texture retention in the industry.

Its incredible built-in stain and soil protection ensures that liquids, spills and soil will remove easily, for a long-lasting carpet.  No matter how much the carpet is walked on or cleaned, its stain and soil protection remains the same, and will not wash or wear off.  This protection is so effective that it allows the carpet, in most cases, to be cleaned with water, and nothing more!

The advantages that make Innovia™ Touch the perfect choice for any room in your home include:

Luxuriously Soft. More fibers per square inch create a softer, plusher carpet.

Eco-friendly. Innovia is also a very environmentally friendly choice, due to the use of corn products in the production of the fiber.  And since it can be cleaned with just water, there is no need to use any harsh cleaning products that may emit fumes into the air. 

Repels Spills. Innotex technology helps repel liquids and spills.

Resists Fading. Color-grabbing technology resists fading to keep looking great for years.

Gold and Platinum Warranties. Both feature life-of-the-floor guarantee for installation and stain resistance.

This incredibly soft and durable carpet has to be seen and felt to be appreciated!  And right now we are offering Innovia Touch^TM carpet at savings of up to 50% off with 36-month special financing. We invite you to our showroom at 6 Rossi Circle in Salinas to feel for yourself.  Or, contact us for your Free In-Home Measurement.

CINDERELLA CARPET ONE HELPS HOMEOWNERS CREATE BEAUTIFUL HOMES WITH ONLINE VIDEO SERIES

Cinderella Carpet One Floor & Home in Salinas and San Luis Obispo helps customers find beautiful floors for their home every day, but through an online effort, they aim to help them create beautiful homes as well. Their Beautiful Design Made Simple podcast series available through Carpet One Floor & Home’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/carpetonefh provides customers tips and design advice. 

Design specialists have partnered with Carpet One to produce a series of Beautiful Design Made Simple episodes that help homeowners make design decisions without hiring a decorator or interior designer.  Their design specialists have worked with clients on the east coast, west coast and everywhere in between, and now they are excited to bring that knowledge to a much larger audience. The partnership with design specialists is part of a long-standing program from Carpet One Floor & Home designed to help customers simplify the process of redecorating their homes.                     

Cinderella Carpet One is excited to be able to provide a resource to our customers that give them credible design advice from veterans of the style industry.  With their knowledge of style and our expertise in flooring, we feel like we have all the bases covered for our customers.

Not everyone can afford to have a decorator or designer to make his or her home beautiful, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a home that you love that speaks to your personality. 

Carpet One Floor & Home plans to release several more episodes with more advice from design specialists throughout the year.

These inspirational videos can be viewed in the Beautiful Design Made Simple playlist on Carpet One Floor & Home’s YouTube Channel.  When you are ready to update your floors, visit our showroom in Salinas and see the wide selection of exclusive brands and beautiful floors made just for you. 

Whether it’s carpet, luxury vinyl, hardwood, laminate or ceramic tile we are sure you will find just the right choice to make your home cozy and inviting.  Contact us today for your FREE in-home consultation.

MADE IN THE USA!

There are many advantages to buying products made in the USA. Purchases of products manufactured in the USA help to keep unemployment rates down. In fact, according to MadeinUSA.com, “each manufacturing job creates 5-8 additional jobs, such as suppliers, accountants, technical support, distributors and retail personnel who sell the products.” Purchasing products made in the USA also assures consumers that those products were made by workers who are treated fairly.  Cinderella Carpet One Floor & Home in Salinas and San Luis Obispo offers many options for consumers looking to purchase products made in the USA.

Many of our customers don’t realize how many options they have for purchasing flooring that is made in the USA.  Carpet 
One has a long history in the USA. According to the Carpet and Rug Institute 98% of all carpet in use in the United States today was manufactured in the United States. The first carpet mill opened in 1797 in Philadelphia, PA. Today, the carpet industry in the United States is heavily concentrated in Georgia where approximately 80% of carpet made in the USA originates. Carpet One Floor & Home works closely with carpet mills in the United States to develop products that meet their customers’ needs.

The newest innovation in carpet is super-soft fibers like those found in Carpet One’s Tigressá Cherish and Innovia Touch products.   New technologies allow for the production of ultra-fine carpet fibers that are still strong enough to stand up to household use. This gives them carpets that are softer than ever before without compromising performance.

Although not quite as common as carpet manufactured in the USA, Cinderella Carpet One also offers many hardwood flooring options that are manufactured in the USA. One of these options is their Invincible hardwood. Invincible products stand up to heavy traffic and families with active lifestyles and feature a 50-year limited warranty.

Cinderella Carpet One’s exclusive line of pink ribbon welcome mats is made in the USA as well. Welcome mats help to protect floors inside the home by trapping dirt that can stain and damage floors. Carpet One Floor & Home’s welcome mats also support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation – 25% of the sale price of each mat sold is donated.

Cinderella Carpet One is a locally owned flooring retailer serving Monterey County and San Luis Obispo area. They are part of North America’s leading floor covering co-op. Their showrooms carry a broad selection of beautiful carpet, wood, laminate, ceramic, vinyl, and area rugs including exclusive brands like Bigelow and Lees. They offer a unique customer experience with the exclusive SelectAFloor merchandising system that simplifies the shopping experience and The Beautiful GuaranteeTM, which guarantees that the customer will be 100% happy with their floor.

Our professional sales staff has the knowledge to help you choose the right floor to match any lifestyle and decor.  Contact us today for your free in-home measurement and consultation.

CINDERELLA INTRODUCES TIGRESSA CHERISH

Cinderella Carpet One Floor & Home in Salinas recently introduced a brand new addition to their popular Tigressá carpet line – Tigressá Cherish. Tigressá carpets are known for their combination of strength and softness, which is a winning combination in flooring.  Our customers want beautiful, soft carpets but they don’t want to compromise performance. Tigressá Cherish has it all.

Tigressá Cherish is the softest Tigressá yet thanks to ultra-fine fibers that are 20% of the thickness of an ordinary carpet fiber. These super soft fibers also have a unique shape that allows them to be bundled more densely in the carpet. This creates a carpet that is stronger and more resilient. Tigressá is also made from Type 6 nylon which means that it is not only stain resistant, but it is also recyclable.

 To introduce our customers to the softest Tigressá yet, Cinderella Carpet One is having a Sweet Dreams promotion through June 30th which offers customers up to 50% off Tigressá and Tigressá Cherish as well as up to 30% off select hard surface flooring. We are also offering extended financing to qualifying Tigressá customers.

The new Tigressá Cherish products are also covered by Cinderella Carpet One's exclusive Beautiful Guarantee which promises that if customers are not 100% satisfied with the way their new floor looks, we will replace it – FREE.

Our customers have been excited about the selection of stylish and soft carpets the new Tigressá Cherish has to offer, And, they’re even more excited by the value during our Sweet Dreams promotion.  To learn more about what makes Tigressá Cherish so soft and yet durable, visit http://www.carpetone.com/tigressa-promo.

Cinderella Carpet One is a locally owned flooring retailer serving Monterey, and San Benito Counties.  We are part of Carpet One Floor & Home, North America’s leading floor covering co-op. We carry a broad selection of beautiful carpet, wood, laminate, ceramic, vinyl, area rugs and window coverings including exclusive brands like Bigelow and Lees. We offer a unique customer experience with the exclusive SelectAFloor merchandising system that simplifies the shopping experience and The BeautifulGuarantee, which guarantees that customers will be 100% happy with their floor. Cinderella Carpet One is also the home of the exclusive Healthier Living Installation system. To find out more, visit our showroom at 6 Rossi Circle in Salinas or www.cinderellacarpetone.com.  

DECORATING WITH WINDOW TREATMENTS

We all want to make our homes beautiful, but let’s face it, functionality is important too.  When it comes to your windows, you can definitely have both.  At Cinderella Carpet One in Salinas we can help you  change the whole look and feel of a room by simply changing your window coverings.  Below are some of my favorite trends in window fashions that can turn any window into your new favorite focal point.

•Exposed wood grain in blinds and natural woven shades are joining the ranks of bamboo as popular choices.  They let in diffused light so you can see what is going on outside while providing some privacy.

•Decorative hardware had been dominated by metallic and sparkle for years, but now is returning to wood and natural textures.  Bamboo is also popular for its sustainable, environmentally friendly quality.

•Another trend is to layer shades.  A blackout shade might be installed right next to the window with a sheer shade in front of it. 

•Brighten up a room with cheerful draperies.  As a popular window designer says, “Yellow epitomizes warmth and a sunny outlook toward the future”.

•Stainless steel is making its way throughout the home.  Threading stainless steel and other metallic curtain rods through simple eyelets at the top of the panels to create a simple look has become very popular.

•Instead of sticking with solid fabrics, look for creative patterns.  If your home is more contemporary, use large-scaled, geometric-patterned draperies to create a dramatic focal point.

•Charcoal and slate are the new neutrals and blend beautifully with the metallic trends.

•Window blinds can now be controlled by remote, a light switch or even the Internet.  Just because your windows have gone high-tech, it doesn’t mean they have to be stark and uninviting.  Layering fabrics with high-thread-count cottons is one trend sure to accentuate your windows.

•How about a panel-track system made of fabric or woven-wood panels. These panel-track treatments can look cook contemporary or even European depending on the fabric that is used.

Window treatments often turn into a design challenge or major investment, but if you neglect your windows for another design focus in your home, you’ll be left with a “bare” view.  Whether you find yourself in need of fresh window treatments, or are starting from scratch, Cinderella Carpet One in Salinas can help you dress up your windows.  Contact us today to discuss the current trends in window treatments for your home.