Soap Star?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

Luxury bath and spa products that inspire color and décor

Have you ever had a throw pillow you loved so much you ended up decorating the whole living room around it? Sometimes a particular color scheme or theme just calls to us, and we know we’ll feel good if it surrounds us.

So when thinking about decorating – or working off of a unique decorative element –  the bathroom may not necessarily be top of mind. But it’s actually one of the rooms in your home that can be transformed dramatically, and easily.

Since bathrooms tend to be one of the smaller rooms in your home, there isn’t a lot of room for extraneous decor. You need towels, a shower curtain, basic accessories, and whatever products you want on hand to clean up.  Pretty straightforward, right? Maybe, but extra-special bath products could be the caveat to turning your bath space into a small sanctuary. We recently added some absolutely luxurious lotions, soaps, powders and cleansers to our inventory – packaged in colors that may just inspire you to base your entire bathroom decor around them.

Here is the 411 on some of our favorite collections. Choose yours, then add plush towels and a heavenly shade or two of Benjamin Moore® Aura Waterborne Bath & Spa paint (the absolute best choice for painting a bathroom), and you’re in business!

Camille Beckman

Camille Beckman truly is American luxury. Glycerine lotions and bar soaps, shower cleansing gels and lathers, foot treatments and perfumed body powders are just a few of the product choices in the various collections. Each one is carefully thought out, and in a word: lovely. You know they’re serious when they describe the scents like fine perfumeries do, by the top, heart and base “notes.”

But back to bath decor…

 

Camille Beckman’s new Mango Beach No. 2 line boasts delicious tropical scents like sweet mango, crisp coconut and vanilla cream. They are beautifully packaged in coral-orange notes that just beg you to make them the star of your bathroom.

Decor Suggestions

  • Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore® apricot chiffon, marble white, cafe royal
  • Towel Colors: Go bold with peach or coral, or stay classic with a shade of white
  • Decor Accent: A small tropical indoor potted plant

While the Mango Beach line has a exotic tropical feel, the Secret Sea collection is classic coastal. The colors are ocean blues with warm and cozy fragrances like cozy bergamot, nutmeg and sandalwood.

Decor Suggestions

  • Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore® north sea green, lime sorbet, lemon ice
  • Towel Colors: Pick up the subtle shades of green, or make the blue walls pop with a shade of creamy white
  • Decor Accent: Beach shells or sea glass, in your favorite decorative vessels or just scattered across a windowsill

Caswell-Massey

Caswell-Massey can be described as a luxury “apothecary.” They have been around a very long time, operating as America’s oldest operating retailer (founded in Newport in 1752, orginally known as “Dr. Hunter’s Apothecary”). The company is also ethically and environmentally conscious; they have never tested their products on animals, the soaps are vegetable-based and biodegradable, and packaging materials are either biodegradable or recyclable.

There are two new lines from the botanicals collection that will make you (or your guests) feel absolutely pampered when they step into your bathroom. The package designs are calming, and using the products makes you feel that way, too.

The Fig & Bamboo products are enriched with Marula oil and natural plant extracts, and make your skin feel like, well… one of their products is called a “Body Soufflé” – so you get the idea.  There are also body oil, sugar scrubs, soaps, creams, lotions and more to choose from. And a room bathed in the colors of green fig and natural bamboo? Sounds like a state of zen to us.

Decor Suggestions

  • Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore® sesame, navajo white, morning dew
  • Towel Colors: Pure white
  • Decor Accent: Bath accessories (toothbrush holder, soap dish, etc) made from a natural bamboo; a few stalks of “lucky bamboo” in a woven pot or vase

Caswell-Massey’s Coriander & Mandarin collection products are enriched with Yuzu extract, essential oils and natural antioxidants. The “sweet & spicy” combination of fragrances will make you feel both soothed and revitalized at the same time.

Decor Suggestions

  • Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore® soft marigold, normandy, cascade mountains
  • Towel Colors: Depending on the paint and your mood, go for a dramatic steel blue or a soft taupe
  • Decor Accent: You can play off the invigorating nature of the mandarin/coriander scents with an array of accessories from Urban Spa, such as a massaging hairbrush, walnut exfoliating buffer, pumice stone, and bouclé bath mitt.

B.Witching Bath Co.

Another American treasure, B. Witching bath products were inspired by their Great-Grandma Bruce’s time-tested secret herbal formulas. They are uniquely formulated with high quality botanicals and essential oils and their signature formulations are made in small batches at laboratories here in the U.S.

B.Witching has many great fragrances (mint tangerine, rosemary herb, honey) but if you want to channel some iconic Cape Cod, Hydrangea is a must.

The Hydrangea collection is made with real floral extracts and includes a bubble bath, moisturizing cleanser, shower gel, sugar scrub, goat’s milk body lotion.

Decor Suggestions

  • Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore® summer blue, smoke gray, cascade white
  • Towel Colors: Any of the coordinating paint colors, or perhaps towels with a hydrangea pattern
  • Decor Accent: B. Witching’s Hydrangea soy wax candle, and of course, a lovely vase of fresh or dried hydrangeas!

Bronnley

H.Bronnley & Co. was founded in 1884 by James Bronnley at tender young age of 19. His soap making techniques stemmed from a year in Paris studying the art form, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Bronnley is an English classic, famous for the abundance of natural almond oil, herb, flower and tree extracts they use. When you want the best soap, go here.  And of course, a couple of particularly lovely floral soaps and related bath products might just be the highlight of your bathroom decor:

Peony

Decor Suggestions

  • Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore® pink peony, gray pinstripe, ivory tusk
  • Towel Colors: If you want an overall feminine vibe, stay with the pinks and creams. A darker gray or white keeps things more neutral.
  • Decor Accent: When the flowers are in season, fresh peonies would be sublime. Simple white bath accessories keep things clean and fresh.

Lavender

Decor Suggestions

  • Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore® enchanted, deep space, silver satin
  • Towel Colors: A light lavender towel set would be striking against a darker wall
  • Decor Accent: Decorative dried lavender

 

 

 

Bottom line, use the colors and scents that make you feel good. When you surround yourself with that, you’ll have a spa-like environment in your own home, without any expensive renovations. Get ready, bathing beauty!

p.s. Have fun creating your own custom color combinations online at Benjamin Moore’s color gallery. Or, do you have a design question? Register for a one-on-one consultation with one of our visiting design experts.  There are a few spots left in May… and the June series will be announced shortly.  Please sign up for our e-newsletter to receive the opportunity to sign up first!

 

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Help with Your Home Work

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

Snow’s Designer on Duty Series

It was an inspiring hour to sit around a table and chat with three design experts yesterday. We were discussing the particulars of this year’s Designer on Duty series at Snow’s, but what I really wanted to do was delve into colors and fabrics and give my home a facelift!

Lori Mead

From now until at least the end of the summer season, you will see either Lori Mead, Madeleine Bickert or Susan Pike at Snow’s in Orleans between 10 a.m and 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The consultants are available to meet with you during your own dedicated 30-minute time slot, so their expertise is completely tailored to you.

Each designer has her own speciality, so it’s certainly worth seeing all of them at least once. Madeleine specializes in space planning, Susan in choosing colors, and Lori in window treatments. Click for more information on each designer

Susan Pike

What is the cost for this, you ask? It’s just a mere $5 to register, and when you come for your appointment the designer will hand you a $5 coupon to use toward any Snow’s purchase – you can’t beat that! Certainly these talented women aren’t in the business of working for nothing, but Snow’s has contracted Lori, Madeleine and Susan to assist customers with their design-related projects and questions as a complimentary service.  The program was born as a natural extension of customers’ frequently asked questions (especially in the paint department). There was a clear demand for more education and expert advice, so bringing in design experts to help seemed to be a very good idea.

Madeleine Bickert

“Designers on Duty” has unofficially been going on for about three years, but this is the first year customers are asked to register in advance and secure a private consultation. It certainly is a half hour dedicated to you, but since we tend to be gregarious and helpful in nature, most people find they can benefit from having others around.  We get inspiration from others, and providing a “wow-that’s-a-really-beautiful-color-you-chose” comment can do wonders to validate someone’s design direction.

Each designer can help make sense of the myriad of choices with colors, styles and materials. And at any given time of year, they are up to speed on what people are thinking about. There are a lot of houses on the market now, for instance, so if you’re selling, you need to make it look turn-key. If you’re buying a new investment property or summer home, you want to get it decorated before the season is in full gear. Designers can help.

People are often intimidated by designers – but don’t be! Especially with this scenario, it’s a chance to get some excellent guidance in a completely pressure-free environment.  If you do decide to hire one of the designers to help you further, you could start with just an hour or two.  A little planning can go a very long way…it’s certainly less costly than painting the living room twice because the color you chose on impulse doesn’t work for you anymore.

Posted in Decor, DIY, Homekeeping | 2 Comments

Gifts fit for a Queen

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

Unique, handcrafted jewelry for Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 11th

Something about Mother’s Day and jewelry just seem to go together.  Maybe it’s because she is most often seen putting the more practical household items to use – running the vacuum, ironing someone’s clothes, cooking a family dinner – that we like the idea of giving her something more personal on her special day.

Of course, jewelry comes in many shapes and sizes, not to mention an infinite number of materials…it’s almost overwhelming.  With that in mind, we’ve been on the lookout for some truly special jewelry, and we love what we found.  Several new collections have just arrived at Snow’s in Orleans, just in time for Mom.

Ken’s Handcrafted Jewelry

As the name implies, Ken is the artist who handcrafts this beautiful sterling silver jewelry. Even as a child, he says he has always loved using his hands to craft and create.  At Snow’s, you can find an eclectic selection of Ken’s earrings: in a modern expression of shapes such as circles, triangles and hearts.  And for us coastal creatures, the silver fish earrings are an especially welcome variation that mom is sure to love.

Ken’s Handcrafted earrings all are very reasonably priced between $14 and $26.

Pico | little architecture

Pico Design is the name behind the elegant, handcrafted jewelry inspired and designed using famous architectural designs.

Founder and Creative Director Andrea Panico is an industrial designer with credentials as a furniture designer, a tabletop designer for West Elm, and the Director of Product Design and Licensing for world renowned interior designer Clodagh.  So what’s with the jewelry, you might ask?

In 2005, Andrea formed Pico Design to explore the concept of architecture as inspiration for personal keepsakes and jewelry. The Little Architecture collection draws from some of the greatest architects and buildings in the last 100 years.

Snow’s selection of “Pico pieces” includes designs inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. Having direct access to Wright’s vast portfolio of drawings and sketches has given Pico the raw tools to create these original jewelry designs. Prices range from about $50 to $150. Choose from drop earrings, bangles, and various necklaces and earring sets featuring a tiny heart or kiss.  Wouldn’t that be a wonderful token of appreciation to give your mother?

Beyond delighting consumers with their jewelry, the company also aims to promote and enhance educational opportunities for women within the architecture and industrial design industries.

Solares

If the mother in your life would appreciate an eco-friendly gift Solares jewelry is made from recycled glass bottles, combined with other natural materials by Australian designer Simon Harrison. Enjoy giving (or wearing) this jewelry, and spread environmental awareness at the same time.

 

At Snow’s you will find a selection of Solares necklaces made in stunning combinations of blue and green sea glass, cultured pearl and natural stones. You might want to get more than one: all pieces are in the $2–$30 range.

 

Jilzara

For mom’s more whimsical side, Jilzara clay beads are cheery and fun. To paraphrase a statement from the company’s founder, Jill Manzara, they are an “optimistic expression of spring.”  Kind of says it all, doesn’t it?

Snow’s’ Jilzara collection – bracelets, earrings, watches and rings – come in assorted colors and patterns that just make you smile!

MyCape / MyTown Designs

MyCape Bracelets have become well known for their hand blown glass beads, each uniquely representing your favorite town or beach on Cape Cod.

In addition to the town and beach beads, there are also the Mom, Grandmother, Thank you, My Wife, Grandaughter, Daughter and Sister beads (among many others, so Mother’s Day is a perfect occasion to give one. The beads are of a fine line of jewelry from the My Cape/My Town Collection, designed by a local artist Shari Aussant. Beads can be worn on a MyCape Cuff, Sterling Silver Chain Bracelet, Earrings, or MyCape Necklace. They will also fit the Pandora, Troll & other add-a-bead bracelets.

 

Snow’s new jewelry collection is available now, in the Orleans store. And the store is open Sundays from 9-5, so even if you wait to pick up something special on the way to see Mom next Sunday, we’ll be here!

 

Caring for Silver Jewelry: A piece of sterling silver jewelry, it can last a lifetime with proper care. To prevent the tarnishing of silver, store in a plastic zip bag or in a jewelry box. If the jewelry does tarnish, lightly scrub the surface using a soft-bristled toothbrush with a mild dish detergent and water. If the tarnish is more severe, rub with a silver polishing cloth.

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To go, or not to go: the question of organic

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

It’s all around us: living a greener lifestyle is no longer a contemplation of some special group. “Green” is a catch-all phrase, though, and it can mean many different things: from organic and sustainable food choices to recycling, and of course, to the green right around us: our yards and gardens.

At Snow’s, our customers come to us this time of year for the products and advice they need to get their outdoor spaces ready for the season. And with so much attention to organic these days, there is a definite need to educate our customers on the finer points of both organic and manmade lawn and garden products.

Before getting into the details of organic or not, it should be noted that organic products are far better for Cape Cod’s fragile ecosystem, especially our waters, ponds and estuaries, so if it’s a viable choice for you, organic garden products should definitely be considered. In general, organic fertilizers supply natural, essential nutrients which can ultimately promote a healthier soil over a period of time. With those two things being said, you might ask why organic isn’t always the obvious choice.  Well, while slow and steady may win the race, most inorganic fertilizers will work much more quickly, and depending on your situation, you may need to get results faster than Mother Nature would allow. Plants that have a very short season simply may not get the opportunity to thrive with an organic option.

Organic fertilizers are made up of natural ingredients. For example, if you look at the back of a bag of Espoma brand Garden-Tone® you will see poultry manure, bone meal and hydrolyzed feather meal among the ingredients listed. In most cases, these all-natural ingredients mean you can’t over fertilize.

On the flip side, manmade fertilizers are at least in part comprised of synthetic materials, and you do have to watch how much you use because too much could burn the roots of your plants. Synthetic in this case means chemical, but it’s often not as bad as it seems. As Snow’s garden expert David Christopher says, “While you certainly wouldn’t want a small child putting handfuls of chemically-treated soil in their mouth, there are many brands that are non-toxic. Look for the ones that say “pet friendly” right on the bag.”

Both manmade and organic fertilizers have something in common, too. Soil and plants need macro nutients like potassium and nitrogen, and these will be present in any fertilizer you buy.

So, other than the issue of time (how fast you need your fertilizer to start working), what else should you think about if you’re considering organic? There are a few other key differences.  After factoring in the actual time it takes to “kick in,” research tells us that organic fertilizers do more to improve soil health if you’re looking at it in years, not just one season. So if you are working toward a fertilizing program that is more effective over the long term, organic may be the way to go.

Another seemingly trivial – yet realistic – point to make is how a fertilizer smells. You may not expect roses, but remember that ingredient on the back of the Garden-Tone® bag…manure? Plants love this nutrient-packed organic gem, but as you can imagine, it doesn’t smell very nice. There’s a trade off with manmade products, too – you very well might rather the “farm fresh” smell of manure to the smell of chemicals that some inorganic fertilizers give off.

And there is a cost consideration. As with most organic products, they tend to be a little more expensive. But you get what you pay for. Think about organic eggs or chicken in the supermarket: for many of us it’s a premium worth paying.  David says that when comparing costs, you should also take into consideration the fact that most natural fertilizers last longer, therefore need to be reapplied less often and require fewer trips to the garden center cash register.

If you want to explore organic fertilizers for pretty much any plant, soil, tree or vegetable, Snow’s carries the extensive Espoma line in sizes ranging from 4 to 40 pounds. Espoma is one of the pioneers in natural gardening solutions. These products contain mycorrhizae fungia - beneficial bacteria found naturally in the soil that enhances root development.

Snow’s also carries “Chickity Doo Doo” products: As the name indicates, these fertilizers are made with poultry litter (a chickens’ classy way of saying “manure”) and can used across the board for lawns, trees, vegetables and more.

Speaking of which, those early veggies are starting to come in? Lettuces, broccoli, parsley, some little tomatoes and herbs… and more is on the way, arriving every two weeks. For those that want to plant an organic vegetable garden in raised beds or boxes, the Espoma products work great, and Miracle Gro also has it’s own line of organic potting soil, too.

We invite you to come in and explore all the options…summer’s waiting!

Posted in DIY, featured posts, Featured Product, Garden | 1 Comment

The Grass is Always Greener

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

Getting your yard and lawn ready for the season

As we Cape Codders know, spring doesn’t always feel warm and sunny. But even if it’s unseasonably chilly, your lawn is still expecting you to give it some loving care.

Cleaning up & getting ready

The first step is a good raking of your property. Even though you probably don’t have many leaves, raking is an important step because it helps clear away the dead grasses, stems, leaves and roots that will get in the way of bringing your healthy lawn back. Raking will also give you a chance to see if there are any problem areas that need attention before you start the task of fertilizing.

So even if it’s still somewhat cold out, it’s safe to start raking as soon as you’re sure the snow is gone for the season. And while you’re raking away, this is also the time to clean up the planting beds so they are ready for mulch in the near future.

Fertilizing

Spring is also the time to replace some of the nutrients that were depleted from your lawn during its winter slumber. The way to do this is through fertilization; simply put, feeding your lawn will make it healthier.

The well-known lawn care company Scott’s recommends a schedule of slow-release products that will allow your grass to “bulk up” over time.  For our climate here in coastal New England, the basic recommended plan is to wait until the soil temperatures reach about 60 degrees – and then start with one of their TurfBuilder® products that have a crabgrass preventer in the mix.

Next, a “Weed & Feed” product will help get your lawn ready to take on the summer heat, both by thickening the blades on top, and building deep roots underneath. For problem areas like bare spots or really aggressive weeds, use turf builder products that contain a dose of easy-to-apply grass seeds, or a weed killer, respectively.

To customize a plan according to your own needs, check out the handy lawn care widget on the Scott’s website. A wide selection of Scott’s lawn products－ including spreaders and other tools － are available in both Snow’s Orleans and Harwich stores.

Mulching

After you’ve cleaned things up and given your lawn a kick start, you can begin to make it look pretty. Mulch is a popular choice for filling in beds and defining areas of your yard for a few reasons. It does a very good job of keeping weeds at bay, and mulch also helps keep the soil temperate and moist.

Mulch can technically be any organic material, so if you compost, you can use it as your mulch – or at least part of it. If you’re buying mulch, there are lots of choices. Wood chips and bark are among the most common because they look good, they last, and they often smell nice, too (especially cedar, cypress and pine mulches). Snow’s has a great selection of Jolly Gardener brand and other excellent quality mulches, in sizes you can manage easily.

If you’re laying down the mulch yourself, you may want to invest in a mulch fork. A shovel works, but the tines of the fork allow you to get more in one load when moving it around.  Be careful not to get the mulch on your newly prepared lawn, it doesn’t play nice with grass and will kill it if it’s on there too long.

One of the things to be careful about when mulching is not to lay it on too thick. Heavy mulch can actually cause harm to plants and potential new growth by creating a suffocating layer that can’t decompose.  About an inch or so of new mulch is recommended in most cases; a yard of mulch will cover about 300 square feet at this height.  Also, if you are planting, mulch is really just intended to fill in the bare spots in your beds, so less is more.

 

So, treat your lawn to a little seasonal facelift!  Once you’re armed with the right information and the right tools, you’re ready to create a yard of which you will be proud.  And if you have questions, please ask! If you’re on the Cape, you can speak with a friendly staff member in either in one of our stores. If you want to ask a question online, just leave a comment to this post, and we’ll do our very best to provide you with timely and useful feedback.

 

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Above Board Decor: Nautical accents give your home a fresh, coastal feel

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

Decorating your home with nautical highlights is certainly a nod to tradition, yet it’s a theme that also happens to be timeless.  It’s no wonder: most of us feel cool and calm when we think of the sea, and the clean, crisp look of nautical home decor will stay fresh for years to come.

Out the Window

Windows are a great place to bring a nautical feeling to your home.

You can look for full curtains or panels, or choose from a wide variety of window valances that make a sea shore statement (say that 10 times fast!) without overdoing it. Heritage Lace’s Sand Shell valances are a classic ecru and white color, decorated with subtle sand shells and starfish, and the edges are trimmed with tiny sand shells, too. Other sea-worthy variations include valances and panels with lighthouses; there are also shower curtains to match if you happen to be using them in a bathroom.  At Snow’s Orleans store, you can also find lines by Park Designs and Split Pea that boast classically beachy patterns.

Heritage Lace lighthouse panel curtain

Or, if you’re feeling in an exceptionally “DIY mood,” you could install an actual porthole window in a room. Especially if you have a water view; what a unique way to capture a nautical feel in your home!

Sleep on It

The bedroom is a perfect place to bring in the fresh air feeling of the sea. Transform the feel of an entire room with one of C&F Enterprises bedding collections, including “Cora,” “Natural Shells,” and “Treasures of the Sea.”

Treasures by the Sea blue quilt

Natural Seashells sham

While the bedding (and paint) choices establish the color scheme of the room, you can tie the whole look together with accents like a sea-themed piece of art on the wall, a pair of nautically-inspired lamps, or strategically placed “bric-a-brac,” such as a metal anchor, wooden oar, or a colorful buoy.

Anything but Common

The common gathering areas of your home – like the livingroom, or even a foyer or mud room – are an opportunity to make a statement that reflects your lifestyle and personality.  A solid color couch or bench is brought to life when adorned with a few decorative pillows.  A side table becomes a focal point with an interesting lamp. An entryway channels charm when paved with a throw rug with a coastal motif.

Snow’s carries a wide variety of designs in all of these categories by fine brands including:

  • C&F Enterprises
  • Dakotah
  • Nantucket Bound
  • Chandler 4 Corners
  • Albert & Dash
  • Midwest
  • Safe Imports
  • Madison Avenue Furniture
  • Style Craft

Shower Power 

There is an inherent “water theme” in the bathroom, so some nautical or aquatic accenting here seems second nature. The sink or window ledges seem the perfect spot to showcase the unique shells or sea glass you found at the beach, and paired with some tasteful accessories, your bathroom can feel more like a beachy oasis.

Avanti makes beautiful lines of bath towels and shower curtains in aptly named collections like “Nantucket,” “Blue Waters,” “By the Sea,” and “Hampton Shells.” For a more whimsical look, Creative Bath a shower curtain called “Rainbow Fish” that’s guaranteed to brighten up any bath space. Shower curtains by InterDesign might appeal to you more if you are going for more color and less pattern: they make a gorgeous aquamarine color that is stunning against pure white.

Avanti Nantucket fingertip towel

Avanti Blue Waters shower curtain

Avanti By the Sea hand towel

Avanti Hampton Shells shower curtain

Turn the Table

Your dining area – inside or out – is also a great place to add some seaside spirit, even if just for a season.  Placemats and melamine (acrylic) dinnerware by Keller Charles come in playful beach scenes, and they are durable enough to stand up to your most hearty summer barbecue or clambake. Don’t forget the lobster bibs!

For entertaining, there is an almost endless variety of dinnerware, serving pieces, glassware and disposable paper goods with shells, fish, lobsters, mermaids, boats… you name it.

For a more permanent accent, Barnett makes chair pads in cool greens and blues that look great year-round.

Color Me Coastal

Finally, if you’re looking to transform your home – or even just a room or two – with a coastal feel, good paint is a sure way to do it.  When the walls of a room or open space have fresh paint, it just feels good. Benjamin Moore has a line of costal colors  with names that inspire you just by the way they sound.  Tranquility, Lemon Sorbet… wouldn’t you like to spend time in a room that felt -  or even tasted – like that?

For a broader selection of items references in this article, please visit Snow’s Home and Garden’s flagship store, located at at 22 Main Street, Orleans, MA.

Get custom directions

Posted in Decor, DIY, Local Lifestyle, paint | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time for a Clean Slate

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

A Guide to Spring Cleaning

There’s a reason we like to do a good, thorough cleaning come April. After the house has been closed up all winter, we can finally open up some windows and let the fresh air back in. In addition to airing out the house, the warmer weather also gives us a chance to do some of the bigger jobs that are just plain harder in the winter.  For instance, bathrooms are less likely to grow mold when they’re ventilated after scrubbing, and cleaned carpets will dry faster, giving them less opportunity to take on a mildewy odor.

But is there a method to the madness of spring cleaning? Some will definitely say yes.  While no list is the final authority on the subject, we’ve compiled an overview of what you can do to get your home in ship shape for the brighter days of summer.

1. Get organized

No doubt, we all accumulate more in the winter…maybe it’s a nesting instinct that comes with our desire for a cozy home. Nevertheless, it will feel good to eliminate some clutter.

The easiest way to do this without getting overwhelmed is to get a few big boxes for sorting items to keep, donate, or throw away. To organize the things you’re keeping, pick up a few specialty containers that suit your rooms – like an under shelf basket for the kitchen or some pretty rattan baskets for the bathroom. And don’t forget about clothing: as you change over your closets for the new season, you can also weed out what you haven’t worn in awhile and donate it to a friend or a charity.

2. Windows

The windows are perhaps not your favorite task, but it’s a little easier to take when you can get some sun on your face while you do it. Windex® makes an outdoor window and surface cleaner that works great; it can attach right to your garden hose, so you can even get to second story windows safely. It also works on patio furniture, play sets & other outdoor surfaces.

p.s. In addition to hosing down your patio or deck furniture, this is a good time to inspect your pieces for any tears or loose screws, etc.

3. Under the Furniture

See if you can enlist the help of some family members for this one. A strong volunteer can lift the heavy furniture while you vacuum or dust underneath. You’ll be surprised what you might find – maybe you’ll come across that missing earring or an “irreplaceable” Lego piece!

4. Room by Room

Our friends at Bissell came up with a very good checklist for the main rooms in the house. Rather than recreate the wheel, here are the highlights:

Kitchen:

  • Dust down the ceiling, corners of walls, ceiling fan and light fixtures
  • Remove and wash light fixtures if necessary
  • Spot wash walls, air vents, doorknobs, doors, etc
  • Take down curtains, draperies and blinds and clean accordingly
  • Wash the inside and outside of windows
  • Take down screens and rinse off before replacing
  • Clean the oven; leave the windows open when using oven cleaner
  • Wipe down the stove, removing burners, burner covers and spill catchers
  • Clean out the refrigerator and freezer; throw away expired food, wipe down shelves, door handles, etc. and sweep and mop underneath
  • Dust refrigerator coils (UNPLUG REFRIGERATOR FIRST)
  • Wipe down toaster, mixer, microwave, dishwasher and all other appliances
  • Wash all countertops and backsplashes
  • Clean out and organize all cabinets
  • Group like items together to make them easy to find
  • Wash down the sink; put baking soda with warm water and a lemon down the disposal and put ice cubes through the disposal to sharpen the blades
  • Sweep and mop the floor
  • Clean doormats: vacuum, wash, etc.

Bathroom:

  • Dust down the ceiling, corners of walls, light fixtures, vents and fans
  • Remove and wash light fixtures if necessary
  • Spot wash walls, air vents, doorknobs, doors, etc
  • Take down curtains, draperies and blinds and clean accordingly
  • Wash the inside and outside of windows
  • Take down screens and rinse off before replacing
  • Scrub down the shower, tub and toilet
  • Wash sink, faucets and countertops
  • Clean all mirrors
  • Wipe down the inside and outside of medicine cabinets and linen cabinets; throw away expired products, including medicine, makeup and hair products
  • Update first aid kit
  • Shake out and wash all rugs
  • Sweep and mop the floor

Bedroom:

  • Dust down the ceiling, corners of walls, light fixtures, accent lamps, vents and fans
  • Remove and wash light fixtures if necessary
  • Spot wash walls, air vents, doorknobs, doors, etc
  • Take down curtains, draperies and blinds and clean accordingly
  • Wash the inside and outside of windows
  • Take down screens and rinse off before replacing
  • Wash all bedding, including pillows
  • Flip mattress
  • Dust down and clean off dressers, chests, nightstands, desks and other pieces of furniture
  • Clean any mirrors
  • Vacuum, spot treat and deep clean any rugs/carpet
  • Dust and mop hard wood floors
  • Clean out closet, drawers, shelves etc; throw away the items that are unusable and give away or sell items you no longer need, never use or never wear – and put off-season items in storage
  • Organize the remaining clothes, knickknacks, jewelry, books and other items

Dining Room:

  • Dust down the ceiling, corners of walls, ceiling fan and light fixtures
  • Remove and wash light fixtures if necessary
  • Spot wash walls, air vents, doorknobs, doors, etc
  • Take down curtains, draperies and blinds and clean accordingly
  • Replace heavy items with lightweight ones
  • Wash the inside and outside of windows
  • Take down screens and rinse off before replacing
  • Dust and wipe down table, chairs, cabinets and other furniture
  • Spot clean seats
  • Wash tablecloths
  • Vacuum, spot treat and deep clean any rugs/carpet
  • Dust and mop hard wood floors
  • Wash and dry all nice china by hand
  • Clean doormats: vacuum, wash, etc.

Other resources:

Mrs. Meyers: Household cleaning products that do a great job and actually smell good. Made with essential oils from flowers and herbs such as Lavender, Basil and Lemon Verbena. Earth-friendly, cruelty-free and not tested on animals.

Cape Cod Polish (A Cape Cod Company): Soft, reusable cotton cloths containing just the right amount of (amazingly effective) metal polish. Simply wipe away tarnish for your brass, silver, copper, pewter or other metal pieces

Wash Safe (a Cape Cod company): Spring is a great time to clean the roof, too! Wash Safe Roof Cleaner removes roof moss, mold and stains. When applied to the growths on your roof, a reaction occurs causing the roots of the growth to weaken to the point where it can’t feed or absorb water, basically cutting off its nourishment. Starts working instantly.

 

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Go outside!

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

Great outdoor games to get kids of all ages going

Whether it’s a PlayStation, an Xbox, a Wii or even an iPhone, chances are the kids, tweens and teens in your life are mesmerized by modern technology. It’s hard to make a good argument for getting off the couch or away from the computer when it’s cold and dark outside, but now that spring is here, it’s a great time to encourage kids of all ages to get back outside to play.

There are lots of classic games that need nothing more than an imagination and a few willing participants, and there are just as many that come together in a flash using basic household items. And of course, there are lots and lots of outdoor games you can buy. The ones we’re focusing on for this post, however, are the ones that encourage good old fashioned family fun. These are timeless games you’ll be excited to break out season after season. In most cases, they cost less than a single video game…and it’s not just the thumbs that get a workout.

No equipment needed

1. Hide and seek

Choose who will be “it”. “It” closes or covers their eyes and counts to 50.  While counting, the other players scatter and find places to hide.  “It” then goes looking for the other players.  When he finds one they are out.  The last player to be found becomes the new “it”.

2. Tag

This is another game where there’s an “it.” The basic rules to Tag are quite simple. All you need is a group of kids and a decent sized backyard. One person is designated as “it”, and that person runs around and tries to touch someone else. If they succeed, the person they touch is now “it” and tries to chase everyone else. The game continues until everyone is exhausted! :)

3. Simon Says

One person is Simon and the rest stand in a line facing Simon. The “Simon” calls out instructions like this, “Simon says touch your nose.” Everyone else has to touch their nose. If the Simon calls out an instruction without saying “Simon says” then everyone should ignore the instruction. If you don’t follow a Simon says instruction you are out. If you do follow an instruction that doesn’t have Simon says on it you are also out. The person who wins can then be Simon next time.

4. Red Light, Green Light

In this game, one person plays the “stop light” and the rest try to touch him/her.At the start, all the children form a line about 15 feet away from the stop light. The stop light faces away from the line of kids and says “green light“. At this point the kids are allowed to move towards the stoplight.

At any point, the stop light may say “red light!” and turn around. If any of the kids are caught moving after this has occurred, they are out. Play resumes when the stop light turns back around and says “green light”. The stop light wins if all the kids are out before anyone is able to touch him/her. Otherwise, the first player to touch the stop light wins the game and earns the right to be “stop light” for the next game.

Minimal equipment / uses items you may have around the house

1. Tug of war (rope)

Find a level, grassy area to play on, and make a line on the ground with flour or paint. This will be the center line. Choose a non-player to be the judge. His or her job is to mark the rope, start the pull, determine a winner, and watch for people breaking the rules. Mark a rope at the center with tape. Measure 15 feet from the center in each direction and tape the rope at those points. When this line crosses the line on the ground, the team on that end has lost. Form two teams with equal numbers of people, and line both teams up on their respective ends of the rope. Have everyone pick up the rope and hold it tight, taking up the slack between the two teams. The judge can now line up the center tape over the line. When the judge decides the teams are ready, he or she yells, “Pull!” Each team pulls until one side’s tape crosses the line.

2. Hopscotch (chalk)

Find a playground with a cement area, or a driveway. Using chalk, draw a big square and divide it into four same-sized squares. Four players play at once, with one person in each square. To play, one person passes the ball to someone else. That person has to let it bounce before they hit the ball to someone else. But remember, if you hit it out of the square you’re out!

Worth the investment: Great outdoor game sets

1. Bocce

Bocce can be played almost anywhere there is open space. This includes grassy surfaces such as a front lawn or back yard, dirt surfaces, sandy surfaces such as the beach, and even paved surfaces like parking lots. Bocce is played with eight large balls and one smaller ball (called the pallino). The game can be played with 2, 4, or 8 players. At random, choose a player to throw the pallino. After the pallino is thrown, the same player will throw his first bocce ball. The purpose of the game is to get your bocce balls as close as possible to the pallino, and points are awarded based on that.  A game is won when a player reaches 13 points.

 2. Badminton 

A badminton court can be modified to fit the space available, particularly if the net is set up in a backyard. The net is 5 feet high and teams of one or two can play on each side. Each side of the court is also divided in half to form four quadrants on the entire court, which is important for when the shuttlecock is served. The serve ends when the shuttlecock touches any part of the ground, whether in bounds or out-of-bounds. Each team wants to prevent the shuttlecock from landing in bounds on the side of the court they are defending. 

Teams take turns hitting the shuttlecock over to the other side. The birdie must also travel diagonally to land in the opposing quadrant. After the serve, the birdie is hit back and forth by teams until the birdie hits the ground. Points are only awarded if the team that wins the rally is also the serving team. Games usually go up to either 11 or 15 points, playing for best out of three games. 

 3. Croquet

Croquet is usually played as a backyard lawn game, so the rules can be pretty casual, but croquetters who want to play the real thing should stick to these fundamental rules.

The point of croquet is to use your mallet to hit your ball through the wickets and into the stakes, and finish doing so before your opponents. The order of play is always blue, red, black, yellow, followed by green and orange if six croquet balls are being used. In team play, blue/black/green goes against red/yellow/orange. 

Each player has one shot per turn but can earn extra shots by scoring a wicket or by striking another ball, which is known as a roquet. Scoring earns one bonus shot and roquetting earns two. New bonus shots can only be earned on the final bonus shot, and there’s a limit of two at once. Croquet wickets have to be run in the proper order and in the right direction.

Finally, with the rover ball rule, a ball that has scored all wickets but not staked out can be used to roquet balls. If it hits the stake or is knocked into the stake, the rover ball is out of the game.

4. KanJam 

KanJam is a new game that may just become a classic. It consists of one flying disc and two scoring containers that serve as goals. The official distance between the goals is 50 feet. The object of the game is to score points by throwing and deflecting the flying disc and hitting or entering the goal. The game ends when a team scores exactly 21 points or “chogs” the disc for an instant win.

For more details on how to play, you can watch the video here: KanJam is available at Snow’s Home and Garden in Orleans. 

So get outside and play! The Nintendo won’t mind a brief time out.

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Look what the stork brought in!

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

Baby trends and gifts to match at Snow’s

So just what do babies want in 2013, anyway? Well, based on some of the latest baby gift trends, today’s modern baby has an eclectic taste: from eco-conscious to downright enchanting.

At Snow’s, we’ve recently expanded our baby department, just in time for Spring and the rush of baby showers that seems to come in the warmer months. You’ll find a great representation of both traditional baby items as well as some truly unique and trendy lines that are sure to make both baby and mom happy.

Environmentally-Friendly Gifts 

In our quest to live more green lives, we can’t forget about those tiny little carbon footprints. More and more eco-friendly products are available, and products for babies are no exception.

A great example is the Green Eats™ line. Toddler bowls, tumblers, plates and more, made in the USA from recycled milk containers. The resulting super-clean plastic that’s reprocessed is called high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is considered to be one of the safest, cleanest plastics around.

And your environmental statement doesn’t need to stop with the gift itself; simpler gift packaging and gift wrap made with recycled papers will be appreciated, too.

 

Gifts with Meaning (that just happen to be adorable!)

It’s always nice to be able to give a great gift that has just as great a back story. Bunnies by the Bay™ was founded in 1986, in response to tragic events that unexpectedly propelled one family into navigating a wayward journey from tragic loss to hopeful healing. As the company states on their website: “The lessons of those experiences instilled in us the belief that everything can be rescued and mended, even broken hearts.”

So from this charge, Bunnies by the Bay makes charming and endearing gifts for babies in their first year. Of particular adorableness are the soft velour snuggle-sized blankets — with a little bunny friend sewn inside. Awww!

 

Bundles (or Baskets) of Joy

When you can’t decide, baskets are a great way to tuck a lot of baby-sized treats into a one special gift.

Filling a baby basket is a great change to get creative. Perhaps a mini stuffed animal, a special book, a rattle, a bib…and you won’t be able to resist the “Boo Bunnie!”  This is a cute little bunny with an ice pack inside, guaranteed to make tears disappear when minor boo-boos happen. Replacement ice pack cubes are thought full add-on…and by the way, it works on adults, too!

 

Gender Neutral Theme Decor 

There are some really darling themes for decorating a baby’s room, even if you don’t yet know if he will like blue or she will like pink.

“Dandelion Wishes” is a sweet line of products for a little one’s room, with a wide assortment that appeals to  a boy or a girl. Featured pieces include piggy banks, photo frames in various sizes, night lights, book ends, and even some clothing and accessories to match.

Other themes that work for either little Sally or little Sam are bumblebees, jungle animals, letters and numbers, the circus, fairy tales, underwater, and more. Yellow has traditionally been the “safe” color when the sex of the baby is unknown, but nowadays bolder colors like aqua, lime green and orange have been more popular.

We suppose this list wouldn’t be complete without letting you know what you WON’T find in Snow’s new baby department…just in case you’ve seen some of the more bizarre baby gifts available in the circle of the rich, famous, and clearly too much time on their hands.  For a good laugh, check out this link.

So sorry, you’ll have to source your baby toupees, diamond pacifiers and punk rock onesies somewhere else. But we do hope you check out Snow’s new pint-sized collection of baby products when you’re in town.  The items mentioned in this article are available at Snow’s Orleans store, located on 22 Main Street. (view map)

 

 

 

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Gourmet Comfort: A Special Valentine’s Meal at Home

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Snow's Home and Garden

Le Creuset's Mini Cocottes (in their signature red) can do double - or even triple - duty.

Every February 14, people around the world are doing something special for their loved ones.  How this became a tradition we don’t exactly know — there are several different versions of the history of Valentine’s Day, and we’re not even sure if the noble St. Valentine is really the inspiration behind it all.

But what we do know is this: Valentine’s Day is about romance, and a special meal is one great way to turn up the heat. There are literally millions of recipes out there that could fit the bill (a Google search for “valentine’s recipes” produced approximately 37,600,000!), so of course, part of the job is sifting through the options and creating something really special. Couple a great menu with the right tools for the job, and being a gourmet chef at home this Valentine’s Day (or anytime) is within reach.

If you’re lucky enough to be on Cape Cod like we are, these chilly months are the perfect time for oysters. They can indeed be enjoyed year round; the old guideline about  only buying them in months with the letter “r” goes back to the days when refrigeration was a commodity. But the better reason to eat oysters now is because they aren’t spawning, which results in a firmer texture and brighter, brinier flavor. This recipe for oysters on the half shell highlights fresh, local oysters and is simple to achieve with a proper oyster knife and a kitchen towel or glove.

A set of 4 Red Mini Cocottes from Le Creuset will find their way into many special recipes, including the gouda and bacon mac & cheese in our menu. These tiny casseroles are a perfect blend of style and function; they easily migrate from oven to table carrying individual servings of whatever your culinary juices can imagine. The set includes a cookbook with delicious recipes like Mini Spinach Souffles and Chocolate Cocettes with Molten Hearts.

Since no fabulous meal is complete without a great bottle of wine, you’ll want to have the right tools for the liquid part of your menu, too. To get your bubbly or white chilled quickly, VacuVin Rapid Ice Wine Chillers do it in style. You’ll use this again and again – simply keep the chiller in your freezer like you would any reusable ice pack. When you’re ready, and slip it over the wine bottle and it will be chilled in five minutes and stay cool up to two hours.  If you have a big red on the menu, the Vinturi Wine Aerator will enhance the flavor, bouquet, and finish. It’s special design speeds up the breathing process by instantly aerating in the time it takes to pour a glass.

For dessert, sometimes simple is best.  There’s nothing not to like about homemade heart-shaped cookies, especially when they’re decorated with your special touch. Use a Kitchen Aid 5-Speed Hand Mixer to whip up a classic cookie dough, then use pink and red heart cookie cutters to make your shapes. Top it all off with glittery red, heart-shaped and other fun sprinkles to give your valentine a sweet message and a sweet ending to the meal.

Menu & Recipes

For the wine: splurge on a split of good Champagne – Veuve Clicquot, perhaps? – to pair with the oysters, For the meal, an earthy red like Cotes du Rhone would be perfect.

Products not linked to our online store are available at Snow’s Home and Garden in Orleans, 22 Main Street.


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