BOXING DAY SALE

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

SALE FOR CHRISTMAS!

CHECK OUT OUR SALE ON MADISONATMAIN.COM THIS WEEKEND! 20% OFF - FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY!

SECRET SALE FOR OUR READERS!

Sshh! Be very quiet...can you hear that... it is a whisper. A whisper telling you that all of our readers can use the coupon code "SECRET" this Saturday and Sunday (Nov 17th and Nov 18th) and get 35% off everything on the entire site! Go quickly and check it out! Remember the coupon code is "SECRET" and it is only for this Saturday and Sunday.

Halloween Safety Tips from Mrs. Main…

Better safe than sorry. Having a great Halloween can be easy with a few tips.

1.                    Check all of your kid’s candy before they eat it.  There are some people out there who like to take the fun out of Halloween. It may seem tedious but check through your kid’s candy.

2.                     Check the material your child’s costume is made of. Costumes are made to be disposable, which means they are made with cheap, highly flammable materials. Look for costumes that are flame-retardant or fire resistant.

3.                    Be careful lighting candles around the house. Don’t burn your house down just to decorate for Halloween.

4.                    Bring flashlights and wear reflective strips on your clothing. When you trick-or-treat, just make sure you’re mindful of cars and make sure they can see you.

5.                    Map out a trick-or-treating route. For your older kids that are going out on their own, map out a route for them to follow. They probably won’t strictly follow it, but at least you’ll know the general vicinity that they are in.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be you!

Mrs.  Main 

HALLOWEEN SALE OCT 27TH - 30TH

HALLOWEEN DECORATING IDEAS FROM MS. MADISON

I love any reason to decorate my home. I enjoy dressing up the house for any season. Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. All the fall colors, the children, the costumes,and of course – Who could forget the chocolate!

Whether you are trick-or-treating this year or having a party, Halloween offers fun events for everyone. Here are a couple of ideas for decorating around the house for a “spooky” feel.

1. Of course, check out madisonatmain.com’s 30% off Sale (Oct 27^th – 30th) for some awesome seasonal rugs. To get the 30% off just use the coupon code “HALLOWEEN” for your discount.

2.      Backyard Cemetery - this classic Halloween decorating idea turns your yard into a creepy graveyard. To create your haunted cemetery, cut different shapes out of cardboard and paint them to look like aging tombstones. Once they dry, you can arrange them on the lawn to look like a miniature graveyard.

3.      Make your yard come alive with this spooky craft. If you have trees in your yard, you can use oven-baked clay to give the trees spooky faces. Simply create a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth for each tree, and attach them to the trunks with a hot glue gun or nail them to the tree. Place a portable radio or speakers near the tree and play your favorite eerie soundtrack to draw even more attention to your haunted trees.

4.      Giant Spiders - Spiders fit right into a spooky Halloween theme. You can transform a few black trash bags into a giant spider that fits on your front porch, or up in a tree. You can also make multiple giant spiders and cluster them across the front and sides of your home.

 

Here is how - Instructions

•  Fill two trash bags with leaves or newspaper. Fill the second trash bag with only a third as much material as the first. Tie both bags shut. Turn the large bag upside down and then tape the smaller bag to it to make the tarantula's body and head.

•  Stack two trash bags on top of each other. Roll the trash bags up together lengthwise to form a leg. Wrap the ends of the roll with black tape. Make joints in the leg by wrapping two sections with black tape. Repeat this seven more times to make a total of eight legs.
•  Use scissors to cut four small holes on both sides of the spider's body. Slide one leg into each hole. Tape the legs in place with black tape.

•  Turn two plastic red cups upside down. Tape the cups to the tarantula's face, completely covering the white rim with black tape.

• Cut two giant fangs out of white craft foam. Tape them to the spider's face with the black tape by placing the tape along the edges of the fangs.

 

5.      Ghost-Lit Walkway If you have a collection of milk jugs in your recycling bin, you can create a ghost-lit walkway that your trick-or-treaters will love. Look online to get inspirations for designing your ghosts’ faces.

 

6.      Halloween Mantel – Decorate your fireplace or shelves with spooky looking characters, some Halloween garland, pumpkins and lights to tie everything together.

 

7.      Put a few drops of food coloring in a jar of water. Float novelty items such as a fake eyeball or rubber lizard for a great gross-out effect.

 

8.      Hang fake spider webs and plastic spiders to spook up a hallway, corner, or chandelier.

 

9.      Grab a garden urn or flowerpot and stack two or three pumpkins, one on top of the other, to make a pumpkin topiary.  Cut off the stems and hot glue them together for added security so that do not topple.

http://www.madisonatmain.com/categories/Seasonal-Rugs/

 

Get prepared for Halloween and start decorating!

 

Stay Fabulous!

 

COLUMBUS DAY

Looking for a good deal this Columbus Day Weekend?

You don't have to look any further - in honor of Columbus Day we are taking 20% off our entire site. Jellybean Rugs, Homefires Accent Rugs, Homefires Area Rugs, and Woven Works Afghans and Throws are all on sale. The sale will be from Oct 6th through the 8th. Just use the promo code 1492 and save 20% on our huge selection of rugs and throws!

 With the season change around the corner, Ms. Madison and I would like to share some decorating ideas to transform your home into a cozy autumn retreat.

1. Nothing says autumn like gourds and pumpkins. Group several types of pumpkins together to make a lovely centerpiece or place a couple of mini pumpkins and gourds in warm toned wicker baskets around the house.

2. Buy a couple of new throw blankets or afghans to accent your room. Is there anything cozier than curling up in a chair with a warm afghan with a cup of hot chocolate and watching the leaves fall outside? Check out our throws and afghans section of Madisonatmain.com.

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3. Decorate a fireplace or bookshelf with grapevines, twinkle lights and copper flower pots, and more pumpkins for a subtle fall glow in your home.

4. Dress up the front of your house for the harvest season too. Get a bale of hay from the local farmer and place it on your lawn with a few pumpkins or a scarecrow to transform your home into a welcoming Harvest Haven.

5. Replace your existing rugs with autumn inspired rugs showcasing fall leaves, pumpkins and fall flowers. Check out our fall season collection of rugs on www.madisonatmain.com.

So go ahead and enjoy the fall season with new décor and a cozy warm atmosphere. Leave a comment and let us know what you do to decorate for the autumn season.

Stay Fabulous!

Back To School Sale!

Back to School Sale!

 Mrs. Main called me and let me in on a little secret. This weekend, Madisonatmain.com is having a 4 day Back to School sale - 20% off the entire site! For the entire weekend – from Friday through Monday. Rugs for the kids’ rooms, the living room that needs some updating, even a fall rug for the front door. Check out the promotions page for more info. 

Don’t miss out this weekend on the spectacular sale on at Madisonatmain.com. In fact, go right now and check out www.madisonatmain.com. Pick out what you want and share which rugs you like with us on Facebook. We would love to hear from you!

Indoor/ Outdoor Rug Sale

We LUV Flash Sales! So...you, our "in the know" customers, will get a chance to SHOP! SHOP! SHOP!

Tomorrow, Aug 15th, from noon until midnight we are going to be giving 20% off our Indoor/Outdoor rugs. To get the 20% discount on all indoor/outdoor rugs you must use the code "12HOUR".

Mrs. Main and I can't wait to show you the great deals on the beautiful Indoor/Outdoor rugs from Homefires. ARE YOU READY?

Tell your friends and neighbors and even the girl down the street. Join us at madisonatmain.com for our great sale tomorrow!

http://www.madisonatmain.com/categories/Indoor%7B47%7DOutdoor-Area-Rugs/

Garden Party

With summer upon us, there's nothing quite like an outdoor garden party to celebrate a birthday or to just give family and friends their day in the sun.

Make it special by sprucing up an otherwise casual backyard garden setting with real silverware, elegant tablecloths and, of course, for splashes of bright, vivid color - don't forget your outdoor area rug from madisonatmain.com. To let you in a little secret, there will be a flash sale on Saturday Aug 4th from Noon until Midnight. Don't miss out!

Like any good party planner your should expect it to rain, and have an alternative space inside where guests can party indoors. After all, there is nothing like being prepared for the worst to insure it won't happen!

Send out invitations using downloadable clipart or garden photos, then set up any outdoor space decorated with fresh flowers (silk or paper flowers will do if you don't have a green thumb), terracotta pot utensit holders, or a bright carved watermelon basket you can make yourself.

You don't need an enormous lawn with space for furniture. A small patio, city backyard - or any outdoor space with room for chairs and a group of people - can be a perfect garden party setting.

So enjoy the weather and celebrate whatever life has to offer!

10 Tips to Play it Safe and Beat the Heat this Summer!

     With a record highs of 106°f in our city, and the 4th of July around the corner, Ms. Madison and I have put our heads together to come up with some tips to stay comfortable and safe while outside.

1. Wear Light colored Loose Fitting Cotton or Athletic Clothing.

Loose fitting clothes will allow air flow, cotton will help your skin breath and most Athletic Clothing is made to wick sweat away from the skin. Try a combo of short yoga pants under a white sun dress, to look stylish and stay cool.

2. Drink LOTS of water.
Try to drink at least 8oz of water an hour, when you’re outside, even if you don't feel thirsty, it will help keep your body temperatures down and stave off heat sickness.

3. Keep a Sports Drink nearby.
Even if you’re just sitting around and not working out, you can lose a lot of electrolytes from sweating. Low electrolyte levels can cause fatigue, dizziness and nausea. Keep a sugar free Sports Drink or Coconut water nearby, and drink it as soon as you feel unwell.

4. Avoid alcohol, sugar and caffeine.

A summer treat of white wine or an ice cold Coke may sound like a great idea, but alcohol, sugar and caffeine cause dehydration. Save these drinks for later in the evening, when the sun has gone down, and there’s less risk of heat sickness.

5. Exercise your right to bare arms legs.
Your legs are one of the biggest sources of heat loss in your body; leave as much of them exposed as possible by wearing shorts and flip-flops.

6. Find a good sunscreen.
Recent reports have shown a lot of sunscreens on the market don't protect your skin at all. So do your research and find out which one have proven track records. Our recommendation is Banana Boat Sport SPF 50! 

7. Wear a hat and handkerchief.
Wearing a large hat and kerchief can protect your eyes and skin from UV rays. When you are feeling the heat, do what Pro-Tennis players do and wet both with some cold water.

8. Ice your pulse points.

Your pulse points are the place that your veins come closest to the surface your skin. By rubbing ice on them, you can cool your blood, and your whole body.  Easy pulse points to access are the back of your neck, your wrist and the inside of your elbow.

9. Try a treat of frozen fruit, like watermelon and blueberries.
Fruit’s the perfect summer time treat, make it extra refreshing by freezing.

10. Know the signs of heat sickness and heat stroke.
Recognizing the signs of heat sickness and heat stroke, and be prepared to treat them.

Heat stroke can imitate the sings of the heart attack; other symptoms of heat stroke include, red or flushed dry skin, high body temp, rapid pulse and difficulty breathing. If someone is showing the signs of heat stroke move them a cool location and call the paramedics.

Teaching an old rug new tricks.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good accent rug. But like any gal living in an apartment in the ‘Big City’ I only have so much floor space. So over the past couple of days, I’ve been finding some new and interesting ways to use all the great rugs I own. 

My co-workers office, I think he actually lives here.

Protecting your furniture from pets:  Jellybean rugs are flexible and washable. Find a matching design, and drape it over the back of your sofa, or toss at the end of the bed to keep your furniture fur-free. When it gets dirty, just give it a spin the ol’ Whirlpool.  ((link to jellybean care instructions))

Protecting your pets from Leather car seats:  To above tip works well for car seats too, but sometimes it’s our pets that need protecting from the seat. In the summer leather seats can scorch and in winter they are cold and uncomfortable. Keeping an extra Jellybean rug to toss down is easy and will keep Fido happy. 

Wall Decor: Large oriental rugs have long been used to decorate walls, but why stop there? Jellybean rugs are light weight and can be easy hung with nails or put in a frame! They also come in a ton of great designs. 

 Replace Porch Furniture.  If you’re lucky enough to have a porch large enough to entertain friends, forgo traditional lawn furniture. Instead place a Jellybean rug, for each guest, around a coffee table, that’s been weatherized.  Ad in outdoor throw pillows and you’ve got a relaxed bohemian spot to enjoy a glass of wine.  

How to save an area rug.

     When I spilled a glass of red wine on one of my favorite Homefires area rugs a few weeks ago, I thought I’d have to toss it. Homefires area rugs aren’t machine washable, and even if they were, how would you fit an 8x10 rug into a washing machine?

     Not wanting to throw out such beautiful rug or try to find another one I liked as much, I turned to my arsenal of cleaning supplies. When none of those worked, I spent weeks trying to find another solution, even going as far as the rent a steam cleaner. All these attempts failed.

     When I lamented the loss of such a great rug to my friend Mrs. Main, she laughed and said the solution was so simple! Looking back, I should have gone to her first. If anyone knows how to get stains out of something, its the person with three kids!
   

Here’s the trick.

1: Blot up the stain as much as possible.

2: Sprinkle the stain with Baking Soda, let stand for 10-15 minutes.

3: Mix together 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon clear dish detergent, and two cups warm water.

4: Soak the stain with the mixture, and then blot up what you can with a clean white cloth.

5: Clean off mixture with cold water and let dry. Don’t worry if there is a faint vinegar smell left, it will dissipate as the carpet dries.

     Mrs. Main let me in on a little secret about vinegar and soap. While soap can be good at cleaning, it’s hard to get 100% out of your carpet. The soap that’s left behind attracts dirt faster than areas without soap which can cause the area to look even more stained over time. That’s where the vinegar comes in. It gets up more than the stain; it also gets up the soap which helps your carpets look cleaner longer.

Now I can keep my prized area rug, and use the current madisonatmain.com area rug sale as an excuse to buy a second fabulous area rug. 

Spruce up for Spring

I totally missed posting this on the 20th, you know the first day of Spring! But it’s never too late to get ready for spring!  One of the easiest ways to put up some quick color is a wreath! Yeah, a wreath, they aren’t just for Christmas anymore.  

Click for information on these wreaths plus more spring wreaths!

Purchasing one is beyond easy, especially when you can buy one online. But what’s the fun in that? Wreaths are super easy to make. All the supplies you’d need are at your favorite Arts and Crafts store. My personal favorite is Hobby Lobby. You can also find tons of helpful tutorials, like this Spring Baby Grass Wreath by Patty Schaffer.

Click for a full tutorial.

 Or watch this video tutorial by Oleanderandpalm.

Click for the youtube video!

 I've already bought a beautiful wreath for my home, but I think I'm going to have to try one of these DIY wreaths and make one for the office.

Another quick and easy way to spruce up is switch out any drab accents rugs you have for a rug that is bright and colorful!

I have Jellybean and Homefires rug in every room in my house, and I just love them! They stand up well to wear and tear and if they are looking a bit dirty I can toss them the washing machine. How easy is that?