As restrictions are beginning to lift and we are able to safely socialize once again, now is the perfect time to spruce up your outdoor entertaining area. At Wallauer Paint and Decorating Centers—celebrating their 100th Anniversary—they are here to help. Any space, no matter how small, can be transformed into an elegant oasis for al fresco dinner parties, neighborhood barbeques, or simply relaxing with friends and family. 
 
Maybe this is the year you go all out with built-in appliances and a pizza oven to accompany your grill (don’t we wish?). Or maybe your space just needs some tweaking, like an outdoor carpet to “ground” your entertaining area or some fun new throw pillows in bright summery colors. Fabrics like Sunbrella are designed to withstand the elements, so if your cushions are in need of a pick-me-up, Wallauer can reupholster them for you with their extensive mix of colors and patterns to choose from. 
 
Other easy options to help transform backyard space into your personal resort:

• If you haven’t done so already, set up a fire pit—perfect for after-dinner lingering, making S’mores and all around ambience. Keep a basket of cozy blankets handy to warm up on chilly nights.

 

• Install an outdoor projector so friends and family can gather and watch sports together—a tailgate party in your own backyard! Make sure to have plenty of tables around to hold the all-important half-time snacks!

 

• Gazebos, tents, or other covered areas offer protection from sun or sudden downpours and can be decorated as ornately or simply as you desire.

 

• Light up the night with a mix of copper torches and lanterns with glass and metal hurricane lamps. Fairy lights under your table umbrella and out in the garden create a charming twinkling effect while dining at night. 

 

• Add a calming auditory note with burbling fountains or a variety of wind chimes positioned where they can catch a bit of a breeze. 

 

• Bird feeders, baths and houses add a whimsical touch to your outdoor living spaces and ensure a steady stream of avian visitors and will provides hours of “entertainment” for you and your guests. 

For more ideas, visit https://www.wallauer.com/?s=outdoor+space.
 

About Walllauer’s: As Westchester’s largest home decorating center, Wallauer Paint and Decorating Centers have 15 locations in the region including six design centers and five Ace Hardware Departments and offer the finest selection of paints, wall coverings and hardware along with design products such as window treatments, custom bedding, carpeting and reupholstery.

Wallauer Paint and Decorating Centers have been serving Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties since 1921. The fourth-generation family-owned business, headquartered in White Plains, New York, offers the finest selection of paints from Benjamin Moore, specialty products and accessories from Ace Hardware, window treatments from Hunter Douglas, designer fabrics and wall coverings, area rugs, and home design services, and has 15 stores across the region. 

To thank long time customers as well as new, a $100 gift certificate will be awarded to one shopper in every store every month through December. To register for the drawings, visit www.wallauer.com/100. In addition, Wallauer will offer a “buy one paint sample, get a second one at ‘100%’ off” throughout the year. Visit https://www.wallauer.com/specials/ for more details. 
 
Wallauer offers a wide variety of interior and exterior paints and stains, including low-odor paints, washable finishes and more from Benjamin Moore and is the largest Benjamin Moore paint, hardware and decorating retailer in Westchester, Rockland & Putnam. Wallauer also offers their own brand of paints and has more than 5,000 color selections available ensuring there is a perfect color for every project. Customers can take advantage of their color matching services and even create their own custom color palate - a Wallauer specialty. 
 
Wallauer stores are located in White Plains, Bedford Hills, Carmel, Mohegan Lake, Ossining, Pelham, Port Chester, Scarsdale, Yonkers, Yorktown Heights, New Rochelle, Ardsley, and Lewisboro/Cross River. There is also a location in Nanuet in Rockland County which offers Ace Hardware products and there is one location in Putnam County in Mahopac.

Customers can shop online and pick-up in store at www.shop.wallauer.com. For more information visit https://www.wallauer.com/ or call (914)-948-4000.  

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Spring is here with thoughts of daffodils, warmer days, and...spring cleaning! While this prospect can be daunting--especially for busy moms--we have some great tips on how to declutter and organize kids’ bedrooms and playrooms without the panic. 

Brave the Bedroom
The first and most simple step when tackling a child’s bedroom, whether it belongs to a wee one or a pre-teen, is to remove all trash from trash cans, as well as hidden trash from under the bed,  on closet floors, and even behind furniture. Once that’s done, the real decluttering can begin. An easy starting point is with clothing. Closets, dressers, and bureaus might be filled to the brim with clothing that your child has outgrown, or which is simply damaged or stained beyond repair.  Combine clothing by size to expedite sorting. Then, divide all clothing into three piles: Keep, Donate, and Store (for younger siblings or anyone you’d like to pass them onto). Clearly label what you’re storing, so you don’t need to dig through boxes and bins in the future, when you’re looking for items like that special holiday dress for the baby!

Next, tackle the toys. Begin the process of sorting through toys one by one, dividing them into our three categories of Keep, Donate, and Store. After toys, you can focus on a library overhaul by sorting through your child’s books. Again, keeping the trifecta of Keep, Donate, and Store in mind, you can ensure there will be space for new favorites as your child grows.

After curating and sorting what remains in the room, it is an excellent time to thoroughly clean all surfaces, especially the floors (now that you can reach under the bed and deep inside the closets). A clean bedroom provides the opportunity to implement new storage solutions. Remember, organization is much easier to maintain when everything has a home. Bins, baskets, and dresser drawer dividers will help you and your kids stay organized going forward. Don’t forget to use coordinated space-saver hangers in closets to maximize your space! With systems in place, your child can help maintain their organized space on a daily basis.


Plow Through the Playroom
The playroom can easily become the most unruly area in your home, but conversely might be the most straightforward to organize. Imaginations run wild in the playroom, but that doesn’t mean you need to live in disarray. Again, we call on our trusted trifecta to guide us through the playroom makeover journey: Keep, Donate, and Store. As children outgrow toys, it’s fairly easy to determine under which category items fall. Pro tip: do not include the kids in the toy sorting process--they’ve been known to fall in love again with long-forgotten favorites which can make organizing take infinitely longer. Once finished decluttering and purging, you can begin reorganizing the room. Miniature cubbies, baskets, and clear (or colorful) bins are the key to a neat and orderly playroom. If you don’t have clear bins, be sure to clearly label the outside of the bin with the name of its contents (or with a picture label, for younger children).  

Divide the room into activity zones: a craft area, a reading nook, a game section—and store all necessary items for the activity in their respective zone. 

When reorganizing a playroom, make sure that your children can comfortably reach whatever they need. This fosters independence and encourages participation in cleanup. Returning a toy, book, or art supply to its rightful home is much more likely to happen if it is easy to do. We call that a win-win for parents and children alike!

If you need to purchase new furniture for your playroom, be sure to look for multi-use storage solutions like tables with shelves or drawers underneath, ottomans that open for additional storage, or benches with organizing cubbies. You never need to compromise style for function.

Need assistance conquering your kids’ clutter? 123organize is here to help!
 
As the #1 Move Management company in Westchester, with more than 15 years of experience offering premium organizing, staging, and moving services in Westchester County and the surrounding areas, our team is enthusiastic about helping our clients achieve their organizing goals!
 
With our non-judgemental approach, we are dedicated to providing you with a supportive and stress-free experience every step of the way.
 
For Westchester NY Moms, this spring we’re offering a complimentary in person or virtual consultation on all of our services - organizing, staging, and move management - if you book before June 1st, 2021.  Just mention the code SPRING10 !
 
Contact us at: inquiries@123organize.com or visit our website at www.123organize.com for more information.
 
We look forward to simplifying your life!​​

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Our lives can be filled with plenty of other outside stress. So, why do we choose to live in a space that may be adding to that stress? 

Our home is our way of expressing ourselves, so shouldn’t that place be filled with comfort and relaxation? After a long day, you should feel as if you're in your own personal sanctuary, lifting your energy rather than diminishing it. 

If you are living in, or surrounding yourself with clutter, it’s nearly impossible to relax your mind. Living in constant clutter or if you have a specific area in your home looming in your mind, you will attract negative energy. 
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If you have a space in your home you are stressed about, want to further perfect an area of your home, need assistance getting organized for a move or after a move, SPIFF is here to help. 

Getting organized doesn’t need to be stressful and what seems to be the impossible definitely is possible. 

If you feel you are in over your head or simply do not have the time in your busy schedule, contact SPIFF Home Organizing today for a free consultation.

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SPIFF Home Organizing
Larchmont, NY 10538 
Email: Jenna@spifforganizing.com
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Spring is upon us and the spring cleaning itch may be as well. Here are 5 ways to get your home organized, looking great and clutter free! 

Donating your gently used items benefits everyone. First, your used, or in some cases unused, clothing and other household items can make a real difference to someone less fortunate. Second, you help the environment by diverting your things away from the landfill. Third, donations are tax deductible. 

Family Services of Westchester makes donating your stuff easy. Donate children’s clothing to The Sharing Shelf, who will ensure it is given to local families in need. Specifically, they collect and distribute new and gently used clothing in sizes from newborn through XXL, for children and teens from infancy through age 19. They also accept  gently worn or new shoes, strollers, pack-n-plays and new school supplies. Donate at 47 Purdy Avenue, Port Chester (near Costco and the Port Chester movie theater) or for more information contact Deborah Blatt, Program Coordinator at 914-305-5950 or email thesharingshelf@fsw.org.

Big Brothers Big Sisters in Westchester accepts all kinds of donations- everything from clothes to toys, strollers to furniture. Check out their full list of acceptable items. You can schedule a pick up with just a few days notice online (even from your phone, that is how I did it!) or you can drop off at one of many convenient Westchester County locations. See the details or schedule a pick here. No need to be home for the pickup.

Another idea is to donate used American Girl Dolls to GirlAGain, a local non-profit organization dedicated to developing job skills for young women with autism. They accept donations of good condition American Girl brand (and Pleasant Company) dolls, doll clothing, furniture, accessories and books. Bring or mail to GirlAGain, 4 Martine Ave, White Plains, NY 10606. For more information visit their website.

Another way to free up some much needed space in your home is to resell or recycle items you no longer need through consignment. This can earn you a little bit of cash, while making them available at a bargain to someone who wants them. 

The Be Green Consignment Sale
Dates TBD
Purchase College Athletic Facility, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase, NY
Sign up to consign your items as part of the annual spring Westchester Be Green Consignment Sale. They accept clothing, sports equipment, baby & toddler equipment, toys and more. Register in advance on their website.

​Once Upon A Child, 2 Convenient Locations
Scarsdale - 455 Central Park Ave, Scarsdale, NY, phone: 914-874-5535
Somers - 80 Route 6, Baldwin Place, NY, phone: 914-621-0003
Once Upon A Child is a wonderful consignment store. Each site is individually owned and operated. The concept of the store is that each location buys and sells gently used children’s items including clothes, shoes, toys and more. All locations feature unique items sold in their surrounding neighborhoods. From strollers to baby carriers these stores have so much individuality to offer.

The Preppy Turtle 
2 Depot Plaza Suite, Bedford Hills, NY , phone: 914-666-8500
The Preppy Turtle is a consignment boutique that serves the needs of women and children looking for clothing at bargain prices. The Preppy Turtle buys and sells clothing, shoes and handbags, as well as toys, books, and gift items for infants to teens. Toys, books, gift items, and certain non-seasonal clothing are accepted year round. The Preppy Turtle features a mix of new and barely used items. If you are interested in donating clothing items make sure to check out their Consignment Calendar on the Homepage as they only season items during a specific date range.

Image Source: LED World

​Organizing can be a great way to clean up your home without purging. You can check out Real Simple or Pinterest for great organization ideas or you may want to consider bringing in some help.

If you would like to hire an expert, check out Let's Sort It Out, who can transform your home into a more functional, relaxed, organized space. You can also find a number of other local organizers in our Directory in the "Organizing and Interior Design" sub-category. 

If you are looking for a total playroom makeover, check out Learnique's Design-to-Learn service. They can help you to create livable, learnable spaces for your family at home. Design-to-Learn combines interior design principles and organizational systems with a full understanding of child development. The results are learning spaces uniquely inspired and fun for the whole family. 

Okay, so this one sounds pretty obvious. But a little elbow grease and some clorox can go a big way. Cleaning encompasses a lot of things, everything from standard house cleaning, to season carpet or furniture steam cleaning, outdoor power washing, window cleaning, car washing & detailing and more.

If you're not up for doing all of this work yourself, check out some of the local services in our Directory in the "Cleaning" sub-category or Submit a Request. Hint: when submitting a request, try putting in your budget and desired date to find available local businesses who can work within your timing and budget. Goodbye cobwebs, crumbs and stains! 

Let's face it, sometimes things are just junk. Broken, torn or simply worn out. If that is the case and you have something big you want disposed of you may need some help. If you want to hire someone, there are plenty of handymen and junk removal companies in our Directory in the "Moving" or "Contracting, Renovation, Home Repair" sub-categories. Or of course, Submit a Request. Sure beats carrying it all yourself!

Wishing all of our readers a happy spring!