Archive for the 'HAYNEEDLE' Category

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Shopping? Mom’s the word…

Published on April 29, 2011 in HAYNEEDLE. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

As Mother’s Day approaches (and it is), take a moment to remember she who is responsible for your, well, being. Whether you’ll be shopping for your own mother, the mother of your children, or the mother of all gifts, there’s no doubt you realize how irreplaceable she is. To keep her in your thoughts as you search for special gifts this spring, we’d like to share some of our favorite quotes about mothers… enjoy!

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.”
- Tenneva Jordan

“All mothers are working mothers.”
- Unknown

“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.”
- Rudyard Kipling

Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children.
- Sam Levenson

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.
- Chinese Proverb

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.

- Washington Irving

There’s still plenty of time to find the perfect gift for yo mama, so be sure to get it right. Whether you shop with us at Hayneedle or not, please make sure to remember just how special mothers are. Happy Mother’s Day!

It’s a Girl! Let the Decorating Begin!

Published on April 22, 2011 in BABY & KIDS and HAYNEEDLE. 0 Comments

I announced a few weeks ago that I am expecting my first baby in early August.  My husband and I were thrilled to find out that a little girl will be joining our household, and that meant I could start planning the nursery.

I immediately started fawning over cribs, dressers, paint colors, and mobiles. I don’t know what it is, but the nursery is the first room I’ve ever planned out.  My husband jokes that the baby room will be our first complete room, sadly I have to agree.  I want a nursery  that will transition from infant to toddler; for the room not to be overly pink; and for the room to include personal touches.

A tip for planning your nursery is to first pick out what your fabrics are going to be and then pick out the paint color and furniture. My mother-in-law is an amazing seamstress and is making our nursery bedding and decor. If it wasn’t for my mother-in-law, I’d be purchasing one of Hayneedle’s baby bedding sets. They have so many great options to choose from.

I went to the local fabric store and found this amazing pattern:

I paired this fabric with green walls and black polka dots. So far I’m loving the color combination.

The next step was to pick out the furniture. We immediately went to Hayneedle’s Nursery section and browsed through all of the crib options.  If you’re planning to match all the furniture in the room, I highly recommend browsing through the Nursery Collections.

We were only in the market for a crib and a changer, so our searched landed us on the Graco Sarah 4 in 1 Convertible Crib Collection in Cherry:

Crib and Changer

We immediately put the crib together so we could see where we wanted it to live and so we could plan the rest of the nursery furniture around the crib.  We still need to pick out our glider, refinish the dresser and shelves, and make the wall art, but here is a view of our nursery in progress:

As we make more progress, we’ll be sure to share the updates, but I want to know what colors are you choosing for your nursery? Share your ideas and comments below!

-Angie

Making the Outdoors Great

Published on April 19, 2011 in HAYNEEDLE. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

At Hayneedle, we love our outdoor furniture. You know this. We’ve got everything you need to create a beautiful, personal outdoor space that matches your home, personality, and entertaining needs. But, once you’re out there… what do you do? After a while, the same things that irk you or bore you indoors are going to catch up to you if you insist on merely lounging. After all, gorgeous weather and great furniture won’t make your friends smarter or your kids less “but Mooooommm…” So, whether you’ll be sipping Lemon Iced Tea while watching the kids or Long Island Iced Tea while kidding with friends, it’s a good idea to plan for some outdoor activity.

Make waves

If you’re lucky enough to have a pool in your backyard or ocean at your beach, the outdoor entertainment question is a no-brainer – swim! Pool games and pool floats make great additives to the big drink – splash in a dash of playtime for the kids and a kick of sports or tanning for adults. When your energy starts to sink to the bottom, dry out under an umbrella or on waterproof poolside lounge furniture.

Land the perfect shot

Alright, so you’re landlocked. A lack of water doesn’t have to dehydrate outdoor activity, though – leisure sports to the rescue! Games aren’t just for kids… in fact, some of the greatest backyard classics will look downright foreign to the 3DTV- and internet-addled minds of today’s youth. But a time-tested game like croquet or bocce ball is a great way to get the entire family or a group of friends up out of the patio furniture and into the yard. If your crowd is more into beer and bragging rights, try one of the newer, rowdier yard games like cornhole or ladder ball.

Drink it in

When in entertaining doubt, ply your guests with alcohol. Nothing spices up with sitting circle blues like a mojito or a margarita. Stocking your kitchen (or outdoor island, if you’re lucky) with glasses, blenders, serving trays, and a sturdy wine rack will make sure your patio never leaves your guests parched for conversation. Killer drink recipes or tasty microbrews aren’t hard to come by these days, and just may be the ticket to making your outdoor space hazily memorable.

Can you dig it?

Let’s face it – you imagine your patio to be always teeming with activity, but sometimes you’re out there alone. Getting into gardening is a great way to utilize your outdoor space, and requires visits only from sunshine and rain. A barren yard is often the result of poor planting – use the best garden benches, wagons, potting benches, and hose reels to keep your greenery green and your flowers fresh. When everyone does come over, they’ll notice you’ve been working out(side).

Now get out there!

Go Maintenance-Free!

Published on April 12, 2011 in HAYNEEDLE. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

This week at Hayneedle, we’ve been talking a lot about “maintenance-free” outdoor furniture. But what does that mean, exactly? The end of telling your chair that it looks nice every time it asks?

If you’re anything like us, you went to drag out the summer furniture at the first hint of warmth. If you’re really like us, the effort was totally premature and your hopes of fun in the sun have already been dashed at least twice. But if you unearthed the ole’ table and chairs to discover a world of rust, dust, and disappointment… there’s a better way. Maintenance-free patio furniture is what’s cookin’ this year, and it look better and lasts longer than you could possibly expect.

Just think about it – nice-looking cushioned chairs that you can blast with the hose or leave in the sun? A dining set you can drench that doesn’t look like the kids table? That’s a seriously relaxing summer in the backyard. To get there, you’ll have to forget about fancy woods and delicate wickers that need treatment, care, and general worry and embrace some new materials.

This stuff is made from aluminum, resin-wicker, and recycled plastic. Each of these materials is unique, but at least one of them is perfect for your yard and your style. Here’s a little background on each -

Aluminum

A super-lightweight metal that never rusts and can be powder-coated to take on the look of just about anything. You’ll find it paired with textilene slings and top-of-the-line outdoor cushions for the look that fits your life. A great choice for furniture that gets moved around or put away often.

Resin-Wicker

You know traditional wicker is comfortable and versatile, but you also know it cracks easier than an egg. Resin wicker never breaks, cracks, or deforms and can be crafted into any number of traditional or modern shapes. It’s good and heavy, making it a perfect solution for high-traffic or high-wind areas.

Recycled Plastic/Poly-Wood

It looks and feels like real wood, but it’s completely waterproof, fadeproof, and never expands or contracts. You’ll find Adirondack chairs, benches, and picnic tables made from recycled plastic. Seriously, we wish houses could be made out of this stuff.

So, as you start dreaming of the dog days and the outdoor fun they bring, consider your outdoor furniture situation. You don’t have to clean  out the hardware store’s supply of Rust-B-Gone every spring, and you don’t have to spend another post-barbecue evening scrubbing down the table. With maintenance-free outdoor furniture, all you have to do is get the hose!

Be sure to check out our sale on all maintenance-free outdoor furniture featuring up to 30% off and free shipping!

From 2.5 to 3.5 – Oh, Baby!

Published on March 30, 2011 in BABY & KIDS, FURNITURE and HAYNEEDLE. 0 Comments Tags: , .

I have been a quiet contributor to the Hayneedle Blog for sometime now, but I think it is time I come out of the shadows and start sharing a little more with you guys.  First off, my name is Angie, and I’ve worked at Hayneedle for three wonderful years.  A lot has happened in my time at Hayneedle; I got married, got a dog (Lander – so cute – I’ll share pictures later), and now am expecting my first child!

In the past I have written about buying the right baby furniture, decorating the nursery, and other various baby-related topics, but boy has my perspective changed. I have many nieces and nephews and coworkers who have started families, so I thought my research on the topic of preparing for baby was sound. I was confident that I would be the most prepared expectant mother when my husband and I decided to go down the path of starting a family.  Now that I’m experiencing the fun (and stress) of planning for a baby firsthand, I have a humbled perspective of what it takes to get “baby ready.”

As I go through my journey of being an expectant mother, I’ll bring you along for the ride, from deciding which stroller/travel system is best to deciding how to decorate the nursery.  Feel free to offer your opinions and parenting insight, or to ask questions. I look forward to going through this journey with you!

-Angie

Twitter : angiekub