Do you realize the positives in good and bad times?

Follow: Whew! We made it to the final week of another year. Before this week is done, be sure to remember your wins! We all know life can be difficult and human nature tends to focus on the things that aren’t going the way we expect. That’s why this is a good time to deliberately reflect on all that has gone right throughout the year. End 2016 on a positive note by recognizing your accomplishments and counting your blessings. In fact, this is something Oprah Winfrey does at the end of every year.  Noting positive things that have happened (your "wins") is something successful people do every day. In fact, many write them in a journal. There are definite benefits to being gratefulmentally, emotionally, and physically. “Be thankful for the bad things in life. They open your eyes to see the good things you weren't paying attention to before.” Whether a quick list or a full written account of the experience, a gratitude journal is one way to count your blessings. Yet, there can be times when moments of gratitude are hard to find. Good is hidden in the bad. When we reflect on bad times, there’s a good chance we will find more to be grateful for than we expected. It could be the situation that generated a positive life-changing lesson- making us better people or simply causing us to appreciate things even more. Whether you write gratitude and blessings down or not, I hope you fondly remember many good things from 2016. In just a few days it will be time to celebrate the final countdown. Whichever way you choose to celebrate, I hope your celebration is as quiet or robust as you prefer. See you in the New Year.            Matt Capell            President of Capell Flooring and Interiors P.S.  All of our products come with a lifetime installation warranty!  Buying flooring is not like buying any other piece of interior décor, such as a sofa or a lamp.  Why?  Because unlike other products, flooring is installed or “manufactured” in your home.  This makes the installation critical.   I offer a lifetime installation warranty.  You NEVER have to worry about something going wrong with the installation.  If it does, I’ll fix it FREE!  And I’ll do it quickly.

Do you want 2017 to be a box office hit?

Follow: Next week is triple play – Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and the start of 2017. With its high and low points, 2016 zoomed! What is in store for 2017? Of course, there is no way to know right now, but there is a way to give the upcoming New Year structure and flow. Are you a fan of movies? From concept to ticket sales, the process of creating those films is dependent upon serious planning and dedicated action. It has been said that life is a like movie. With that truth, we are the producer and director.  A movie starts with a concept - an idea of how the story will go, like a New Year’s resolution. If no steps are taken to turn that resolution into reality, the same one may get heard next year. Beyond the concept of a movie, getting it to theaters goes through script writing, story boards, finding the cast and crew, rehearsals, filming, editing, promotions, and final release. The production of a successful resolution is similar.  There are steps to making it real and making room for a new wish list in 2018.  To get your resolution to the box office take these action steps. Step one – Imagine - What is your resolution? How will life look with its attainment and how it does feel? That is the goal. Step two - The script - Establish the action plan that will achieve the goal. How does the journey play out? Step three – Set, cast, and crew – What and who is required to get to the goal? Find the tools, resources, and build those needed connections. Step four – Rehearsals – Start taking required actions to achieve that goal, then adjust and repeat. For example, if your resolution is to lose weight, this is where you start and build a consistent routine of healthy eating and exercise. Step six – Film and edit – Now that everything has become habit keep going until that initial resolution is reality. Step seven – Box Office – Now that you have conquered the goal, may it be all you hoped for. A box office hit!         Your Flooring Consultant For Life,         Matt Capell, President of Capell Flooring and Interiors P.S. The monthly Mega Trivia Contest ends tomorrow! Click the link, make your best guess and enter to win a $25 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice! Your odds of winning are much higher than you think!

Have a Pet-Friendly Christmas!

Follow: They are entertaining, comforting, and forever curious – the three key words to describe family pets. Each has its unique personality and habits, and all the sparkle and glitter twinkling about this time of year can bring out the worst in them. That’s why it’s important to pet-proof your Christmas. Oh, Christmas Tree! Whether real or artificial, anchor the Christmas tree so it won’t fall over. Imagine the world from the perspective of a cat. Those Christmas bulbs may be fun to swat at, but it can be terrifying if it causes the entire tree to fall on you. In fact, placing the ornaments higher up may prevent temptation.   If your tree is real, be sure to cover the water reservoir underneath and keep those falling needles cleared away to prevent an opportunity for your pets to ingest what is not good for them. Plant Paradise! Speaking of ingesting, beware of holiday plants like poinsettias, holly, and mistletoe. Not only can eating these upset a pet's tummy, but it can cause severe or fatal side effects. Consider pet-friendly or artificial options. It’s not Tinsel Town! Sparkly and shiny things catch a pet’s attention, and our furry friends often want to taste things. Avoid tinsel because any consumption of this can cause an upset stomach, digestive obstruction, and dehydration should constant vomiting occur. Plus, non-food items don’t always pass through their systems. In some cases, surgery is required to remove indigestible things. It’s for humans only! Be sure to keep those candies, nuts, and sweet dishes covered or put away. Aside from finding what the cat swatted under the furniture at some point in the new year, pets eating the wrappers to the chemical components can be harmful. In fact, when it comes to food, though eager and willing to consume just about anything, human foods are not the best options. Some human foods will make pets sick. So no matter how much they beg, resist. What will they get under the tree? Of course, pets love to get in on the excitement and what better fun than towrap a pet’s gift and watch them open it at Christmastime. Your Flooring Consultant For Life,        Matt Capell        President of Capell Flooring and Interiors  P.S.  End the headache of shopping for new floors with our FREE Design Audit!™  The Design Audit™ is a diagnostic tool that allows my expert floor consultants help you choose the right floor for your decorating taste and lifestyle.  They’ll walk you through a series of questions that will help narrow down the thousands of options to the two or three that exactly match your unique situation.  They’ll also give you a written, customized “maintenance” plan with their professional recommendations for getting the longest life and beauty out of your floor.  Call or visit us today for your FREE Design Audit!™

When do you and your family start Christmas decorating?

Follow: The question was, “When do you and your family start Christmas decorating?” The response was a mix of celebration and “bah humbug!”  Avid fans begin decorating as soon as possible – primarily the first week of November. While other people decide not set out a hint of Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. Another group will not decorate until Christmas Eve, while others do not celebrate Christmas at all.  For those who do decorate, the array of ideas and styles is never ending. How extreme are your decorating habits? Those who adore Christmas go all out in and outside their home. Some even to the extreme of the Griswold family in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Maybe this year you know a family that wants to take Christmas off and go somewhere else. Hopefully not like the experience witnessed in Christmas with the Kranks. Some strive to be unconventional in their holiday decorating, like a tree constructed with blown up colorful surgical gloves or the homeowner who strung a single cord of lights spelling out Ditto and an arrow pointing to their neighbor’s home, which resembled the brightly lit home of the Griswold’s. If you’re looking to be unconventional this year, here are 40 ideas for a non-traditional Christmas tree. I like the first image. However, if you enjoy the holiday season but don’t want your surroundings overdone with ‘traditional’ holiday spirit, here are 21 winter décor ideas that don’t scream Christmas. If you are among those who do celebrate Christmas, while getting your home ready and waiting for the big day, here are The 100 Best Christmas Movies of All Time to share with your family. Your Flooring Consultant For Life,        Matt Capell        President of Capell Flooring and Interiors  P.S.... Continue reading this month's copy of the Home Advisor - by clicking the link below. Be Sure to Enter the Mega Trivia Contest - for a chance to win a Free Gift Certificate to a restaurant of your choice.  See past winners and archives here in case you missed an issue. December2016HomeAdvisorCapellFlooring.pdf

How do you feel about Thanksgiving with family?

Follow: Thanksgiving is approaching fast! It's that time of year when families travel distance to be together right before heading out for the biggest shopping day of the year.    Many of us are super excited to get together and enjoy the long weekend. We anticipate the flavors of favorite recipes, like turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  There will be a few who, like the characters we see in movies, dread the idea of going home for the holidays. Often by the end of the movie we get shown that, despite everything, families endure and things never turn out as bad as once thought. Of course, if you're looking for ways to just survive Thanksgiving with the family, there are survival tips. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. May you have safe travels, great shopping, and delicious food.            Matt Capell            President of Capell Flooring and Interiors P.S.  All of our products come with a lifetime installation warranty!  Buying flooring is not like buying any other piece of interior décor, such as a sofa or a lamp.  Why?  Because unlike other products, flooring is installed or “manufactured” in your home.  This makes the installation critical.   I offer a lifetime installation warranty.  You NEVER have to worry about something going wrong with the installation.  If it does, I’ll fix it FREE!  And I’ll do it quickly.

Do You Need to Be a Better Giver?

Follow: Giving is enriching and it's good for us.  For starters, genuine giving - doing something good for another - makes us feel good. Plus, it releases oxytocin, the love hormone, into our body. This hormone induces feelings of warmth and a closer connection to others. To be a better giver, make it a priority. Giving is not all about money and giving things, it can also include time as a volunteer or helping someone in need.  Whichever form of giving you choose, set giving goals. Decide how much you will give, spend, or time allocated. Make giving easy. The simpler giving is, the more likely you are to continue the habit. Financial giving can be automated between you and the organization you're donating to. Schedule in your calendar the day and/or time you will give to charity, another person, or shop for gifts. In fact, to shop you don't even need to leave home when online shopping. New habits can have a bumpy start, but the more we keep at them, the more ingrained they become into our daily lives. Developing the habit of becoming a better giver can be like that at first.  Yet, over time, it gets easier and it's good for our mental health too.        Matt Capell        President of Capell Flooring and Interiors P.S.  Have you ever heard of a Reticular Activator?  I hadn't until recently myself but once I heard about it - let's face it makes perfect sense.....click here to learn more and getting your Reticular Activator on can actually earn you money from my store!!!

Conquering Your Need to Downsize

Follow: We take on downsizing to make a home more spacious, weed out the no-longer-necessary items, or in preparation to move into a smaller square footage. No matter the reason, the entire experience has a cornucopia of thoughts and emotions.  Downsizing can be difficult. If you or someone you know is facing the challenge of downsizing, here are some tips to help preserve sanity and make the process as straightforward and smooth as possible. Get clear about the new space. Have a clear vision of the final living space room by room. How big is each room? What items are unmistakably a must in each? Decide on the main furnishings. Whenever possible, plan the layout. Envision the look and feeling you want to experience for each room in your home. Begin going through the things. Get four distinct bins or areas - Keep, Sell, Donate, and Trash – and set a goal to downsize by a half to two-thirds. Each item will get added to one of the areas above. Scrutinize why you put each in the Keep bin. After sorting. Working your way through the contents is a big task. When that’s done, bring the new rooms to mind again. Focus on them in as much detail as possible. What do you see there from your Keep pile? How does the fresh space feel? Now, with a new visualization of each room, go through the Keep pile again. Does each item have a home in the new space or can it be filtered down further to the Sell and Donate piles? If downsizing before a move, it’s a good idea to undertake the process before the move happens. It may require a lot of time to complete and can be overwhelming. That’s why one way to combat the process is to plan out over days or weeks. Downsizing is well worth the time and effort. It can give each room more meaning and cause us to appreciate home a lot more. Your Flooring Consultant For Life,        Matt Capell        President of Capell Flooring and Interiors  P.S.  End the headache of shopping for new floors with our FREE Design Audit!™  The Design Audit™ is a diagnostic tool that allows my expert floor consultants help you choose the right floor for your decorating taste and lifestyle.  They’ll walk you through a series of questions that will help narrow down the thousands of options to the two or three that exactly match your unique situation.  They’ll also give you a written, customized “maintenance” plan with their professional recommendations for getting the longest life and beauty out of your floor.  Call or visit us today for your FREE Design Audit!™

Do you need a calming, happy place?

Follow: As the season changes and Thanksgiving approaches, a sense of family and gatherings abound. Some may consider this good – others not so much, but one thing is sure, we all want our homes to feel warm and inviting. It's Not About Stuff  Adding warmth to a room is not about adding more stuff. It's about realizing how you want to feel when spending time in the space - inviting, comfortable, cozy - choose the word that resonates for you and make that your reality.    What to Choose  The age of the pieces you choose is not important because items from different decades and centuries can hang out well together. If you love that old side table, it can work with a modern sofa (or floor covering). The key is to make the room suit your tastes, not an image seen in a magazine or television show. Most important, begin with what you already have and pick the items you like most. Here are some ideas to help create a sense of warmth. Pattern and Texture With the main pieces in place, a room can be pulled together with complimentary colors and patterns found in a pillow, wall hanging, or decorative accents. It's surprising how starkly different patterns and designs work well together in a room. Shelves If you have bookcases or shelves in your room, consider painting or adding wallpaper to the back that contrasts the wall color surrounding within the cabinet. That instant pop of color can transform the energy in a room. Speaking of Colors Add more natural light by adding mirror accents. Let them reflect those room colors that make you feel good. In fact, learn how room color affects your mood. Add a Little Nature The addition of plants, flowers, rocks, and other earthly elements can help create a stress-free and relaxing environment. Have you ever wondered how nature affects our well-being? I hope these tips give you ideas to further make your home the best place to be. Your Flooring Consultant For Life,        Matt Capell        President of Capell Flooring and Interiors  P.S.... Continue reading this month's copy of the Home Advisor - by clicking the link below. Be Sure to Enter the Mega Trivia Contest - for a chance to win a Free Gift Certificate to a restaurant of your choice.  See past winners and archives here in case you missed an issue. November2016HomeAdvisorCapellFlooring.pdf