WOMEN’S CHOICE AWARD®
BEST FORFamily HOME 2016-2017 SHOPPER’S GUIDE
and
COOL TOOLS
To try before you buy
HOW-TOS Practical advice for weekend warriors
VIDEOS & CHECKLISTS Keep your project on track
Inspiration by the Houseful 2015
Women’s Choice Award® TheW Voice O M E N S Cof H OWomen ICEAWARD.COM
contents
+ MEDICINE CABINET
SAFE & CLEAN
NEW! FOR THE BABY
CURB APPEAL
NEW! FURRY COMPANIONS
NEW! REST & RELAXATION
THE KITCHEN
NEW! LET’S CELEBRATE
FOR THE BEDROOM
NEW! FOR THE PANTRY
NEW! GETTING CRAFTY
NEW! GARAGE HAVEN
Yes, You Can! *
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BONUS CONTENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT. It’s become a family endeavor. We all like to jump in and get our hands dirty, and when the job is done, we love to admire our hard work with a healthy dose of pride. The Women’s Choice Award® Best for Home Buyer’s Guide is an easy reference tool to inspire and assist you as you strive to make your home not just a house, but a haven. What makes this guide so special? We’ve done the legwork for you. Women across the country have vetted their favorite and most relied-upon brands and awarded them with the Women’s Choice Award designation. We showcase them here—along with practical, insightful tips— so you can condense the research phase and dive right into the home-improvement fun. The Women’s Choice Award gives a powerful voice to women and offers a selection of top products chosen by the people who use those products most often. As you peruse the pages, remember that you are viewing products and services from the top-rated brands in their categories. Want to add your voice? Sign up, vote, win prizes and, ultimately, help other women in their homeimprovement endeavors. Our interactive digital guide has links and videos. Click the links for special offers, product information and availability. View the videos from our trusted partners to find tips and how-tos. Let’s complete our projects and dive into new ones with the best brands as rated by women. Let’s build it together.
VIDEO
All the best,
COOL TOOLS
Delia Passi Editor-in-Chief Founder, Women’s Choice Award
BEST FOR HOME
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WELCOME
Boost Your Curb
APPEAL
Whether you intend it to or not, your garage door makes a major style statement about your home. Why not make it a good one?
UPGRADING YOUR GARAGE DOOR IS one of the top three home-improvement
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projects nationwide for return on investment, according to Remodeling magazine. That’s partly because, visually, the garage door represents a large portion of your house. Infusing a little style into this seemingly mundane part of your property can make a major difference in how people (including you) view it aesthetically. Follow these style tips to ramp up the appeal of your garage door—and your entire home.
FIND YOUR STYLE. Most garage doors come in one of three styles: Traditional: These doors usually contain panels that can be recessed or raised, short or long. Adding windows gives them a distinctive look. Carriage House: High on historic charm, carriage varieties offer the look of swinging stable doors but the functionality of a door that opens vertically. Modern: These doors generally use materials such as aluminum and glass to make a contemporary design statement.
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CHOOSE YOUR MATERIAL. • Steel is durable and low maintenance, but can dent or rust if not cared for properly. • Vinyl resists dents, is rust-free and never needs to be painted, but it isn’t recommended for climates with extreme heat or high elevation. • Premium woods are beautiful but usually need to be painted, stained and water-sealed every few years, depending on sun and water exposure. • Fiberglass looks a lot like wood but requires a coat of clear protectant every few years.
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A 2013-2015 Women’s Choice Award Winner
• Aluminum and glass demand almost no maintenance but generally don’t provide much insulation, so they may not be ideal for extreme climates.
SELECT A COLOR. Prefer a subtly elegant door? Or perhaps one that pops? Color allows you to customize your door in a way that suits your personal aesthetic style.
ADD ACCESSORIES. Windows, panels and decorative hardware such as hinges and handles lend flair that can set your home apart.
TEST RUN Get a feel for how various style, color and material options would look on your home with the DoorView™ visualization tool at overheaddoor.com.
On the Cutting Edge Overhead Door Corporation’s founder, C.G. Johnson, invented the upward-lifting garage door in 1921 and the electric garage door opener in 1926. Today, Overhead Door’s beautiful, innovative products and reliable installation, service and support have earned it a prestigious Women’s Choice Award for four years running.
Attractive. Reliable. Convenient. Discover the Garage Door Women Adore.
Overhead Door has more of what women want in a garage door system. That’s why we’re the winner of the prestigious Women’s Choice Award. In fact, our garage doors and openers make things so smooth, convenient and secure, we’ve taken some of the fuss out of life’s daily ups and downs. So we thank the more than 5,000 female consumers who were surveyed by WomenCertified®. Overhead Door is the garage door women recommend most. After all this time, it’s nice to know women appreciate all our good qualities. Experience the Overhead Door difference. Call your local Overhead Door distributor today for installation or service.
1-800-929-DOOR
www.overheaddoor.com
Innocence in living color Now America’s #1 bridal dinnerware pattern Opal Innocence shows its true colors in a cool contemporary collection . Like all Lenox fine dinnerware, this new arrival is made in the USA and is dishwasher safe. Elegant and easy, this Innocence is captivating!
Š 2015 Lenox Corporation
Original
NEW Blue
lenox.com/entertainingUSA
NEW Dune
TAKE CARE Follow these tips to keep your china beautiful now and for generations to come. • Buy dishwasher-safe china— the easier it is to clean, the more likely it is you’ll actually use it.
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A 2014-2015 Women’s Choice Award Winner
• For safe washing, use a mild liquid or powder detergent. Load china securely on racks so that the pieces do not touch. Use a mild wash cycle, and let pieces cool before removing. • Prevent damage by avoiding dramatic temperature changes: For example, don’t whisk a dish from the refrigerator to the dishwasher; let it warm to room temperature first. Or pour milk or cream into a teacup before adding hot tea.
3 Smart Shopping Tips KNOW YOUR MATERIALS. Bone china provides the best durability, as well as a characteristic whiteness. For trim and accents, select products that use real gold or platinum. It will look better and last longer, making it worth the investment.
The DISH ON Fine China How to choose—and care for—the best-quality place settings for your home. FEW THINGS ADORN a home as beautifully—or as enduringly—as fine china. Its place at holiday celebrations and other family occasions infuses it with treasured memories and welcome elegance. And, if you buy wisely, you’ll have a precious heirloom to pass along to children, grandchildren and beyond. Here’s how:
TEST THE QUALITY. Before you buy, verify a dish’s value by holding the piece up to a light to check for translucency, which demonstrates the quality of the clay content. With most high-caliber dishes, you can see your shadow behind the plate.
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT. The best, most reputable companies provide lifetime guarantees and warranties, demonstrating the worthiness of the product and their commitment to the customer.
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HOME STYLE
One brand stands above the rest with women everywhere
America’s Favorite Yarn Whatever your creativity calls for, you’ll find it in the Red Heart family with our vast selection of yarns and Free Patterns.
redheart.com
DIY Home DÉCOR
Think beyond scarves and sweaters: Possibilities abound for knitting or crocheting beautiful home accents.
THERE’S PERHAPS NO BETTER WAY TO INFUSE your home with your personal touch and style than by crafting your own handmade accessories. Yarn projects like knitting and crocheting lend warmth to your décor and allow you to be more selective about specific colors and styles. Here are some design accents to try—many are even beginner-friendly!
THROWS/AFGHANS.
PILLOWS.
BASKETS.
TABLE RUNNERS.
Toss it over the back of a sofa for a pop of color, or beautifully adorn a bed. These projects range from simple to challenging.
Smaller than throws, pillows are a manageable starter project. Style options are limited only by your imagination.
Make one to hold your yarn or as a catch-all to corral clutter. Use two colors to give it a shaded, modern look.
These can be elegant or playful, depending on the direction you go. They can also be as easy or intricate as you choose.
WHY KNIT OR CROCHET?
SEASONAL DECORATIONS.
POUFS (BEAN-BAG COVERS).
ORGANIZATIONAL POUCHES.
Knitted and crocheted items are a simple way to lend your home holiday or seasonal flair.
This project, an excellent choice for novices, turns a child’s bean bag into an attractive footrest or floor pillow.
Keep your pastime paraphernalia—remote, crossword puzzles, Kindle and so on—at hand with simple pouches that can rest over the arm of a chair or slip under a cushion or a mattress.
One word: science! Recent research studies suggest that hands-on crafts such as knitting or crocheting can improve mood and even support cognitive function and memory by encouraging new neural pathways (especially when they replace TV watching).
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A 2015 Women’s Choice Award Winner
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HOME STYLE
Jump on the Broadband
WAGON
Figuring out how best to connect to the Internet can make your head spin. Follow these simple steps to land the perfect provider and plan for your budget.
FOUR OUT OF FIVE BROADBAND USERS in the United States don’t know the speed of their Internet connection, according to a survey by the Federal Communications
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Commission (FCC). And we’re willing to bet that most of those people don’t know what speed they should have, either. Make sure you’re getting the most for your money— without paying for something you don’t need—with this smart guide to selecting an Internet service provider and plan.
ASSESS YOUR INTERNET NEEDS. Will you be primarily checking email and performing basic searches? If so, you probably don’t need the fastest service or highest data limits— for example, the FCC survey found that the time required to download a basic Web page dropped proportionally with speeds up to 10 Mbps but stayed about the same after that. But if you play games online, watch or download movies or music, or
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spend a lot of time on social media, you’ll want to get the fastest service and the highest data-download/ upload limits you can afford. Also, be sure to consider not only your needs but also those of anyone else who might use your computer; having multiple Internet users in a household at one time can reduce speed. Note: Download and upload speeds are usually different; check both if you do much uploading.
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LOOK FOR EXTRAS. Stretch your dollar by asking about promotions and addons, such as free routers or other equipment, virus protection, 24/7 tech support or free hotspots. For college students, some providers offer shorter contracts to match school schedules.
TRY BUNDLING. Often you can get discounts by purchasing other products, such as phone or digital TV, from your provider as well.
A 2014-2015 Women’s Choice Award Winner
SURVEY SAYS AT&T U-verse consumers were more satisfied with the reliability of AT&T’s advanced digital network than with that of major cable competitors.* AT&T has earned the Women’s Choice Award as the most recommended Internet, TV and phone provider by women across America. Visit www. WomensChoiceAward. com to learn more. *Based on data from 4Q 2014 Nielsen customer satisfaction survey with a sample of 31,639 Internet respondents nationally.
SECRETS
to All-Night Sleep Simple changes can make the difference between toss-and-turn and out-like-a-light.
FOR SOME, A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP is like an elusive phantom—always
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beckoning, but never actually appearing. Before you turn to a prescription, try these sleep hacks for sweet, sustained slumber.
A 2011-2015 Women’s Choice Award Winner
USE A GO-TO-BED ALARM.
SNIFF YOUR WAY TO SLEEP.
Set an alarm on your phone to remind you when it’s time to start powering down electronics and getting ready for sleep. Take 20 minutes to finish your chores, 20 minutes for personal hygiene and 20 minutes to read quietly or relax before lights-out for the night. If you must leave your phone on overnight, place it facedown on your bedside table and screen incoming calls to only top-priority numbers.
Aromatherapy—using scents such as ylang-ylang, lavender and chamomile—has been shown to help you relax and fall asleep faster.
GO TO BED EARLIER.
TRY A NIGHTLIGHT.
Sleep triggers a hormone that regulates appetite—skimp on sleep, and you’re more likely to choose high-fat, salty snacks over healthy ones. And the heavier you are, the more likely you are to snore, which can keep you (and your partner) from sound sleep.
Bright lights wake up your brain, so light your bathroom with ambient lighting or a small nightlight.
OPTIMIZE YOUR BEDROOM. Think of your bed and pillows as performance gear. Do a sensory test of your bedroom furnishings— sight, touch, smell and sound all contribute to your good (or not-so-good) night’s rest.
CALM YOUR MIND. Stress is a top contributor to poor sleep. Before bed, try various relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, prayer or writing down your worries or things that you’re thankful for.
ON A WINNING STREAK Restonic mattresses have received the Women’s Choice Award for excellence for five consecutive years. Of the women polled, 96 percent said they would recommend Restonic to their family and friends. Share your good-sleep tips at facebook.com/restonicbeds or twitter.com/restonicbeds.
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FOR THE BEDROOM
Be the
SPIN Doctor
Keep your laundry machines humming with these easy washer and dryer fixes. WHEN YOUR WASHER OR DRYER stops working, you usually need it fixed fast—before your laundry pile grows into a laundry mountain. Fortunately, the most common problems are ones you can easily remedy yourself, if you know where to look. Use these tips to quickly find the problem and repair your appliance—or prevent it from breaking down at all.
WASHER PROBLEMS?
DRYER ISSUES?
• If the washer won’t turn on, first check for a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
• If the dryer seems to be working but is taking an unusually long time to dry, clean the lint screen and clear the exhaust vent. If the problem continues, reduce the size of the load.
• If the washer turns on but doesn’t fill with water, check the hot and cold inlet hose filters, and clean them if necessary. Straighten the watersupply hoses to make sure there aren’t any kinks, leaks or cracks that might be hindering water flow. • If the washer isn’t draining, you likely have a clogged pump, which can often be cleared without taking the machine apart. First, if you have a coin trap at the bottom of your machine, clean it out. Next, disconnect the drain hose from the back of the machine to check for obstructions, such as lint build-up or maybe a stray sock. • If the machine is making loud, rhythmic thumping sounds, it’s probably out of balance. Redistribute the clothes evenly in the washer, and try again.
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• If you hear the dryer motor running but the drum isn’t turning, open the door and check for any obstructions around the drum. You may have to replace or reattach the dryer belt. • If the dryer drum turns but there isn’t any heat, first clean the lint screen and exhaust vent. Then check the thermostat, heating element and timer.
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A 2015 Women’s Choice Award Winner
BE PROACTIVE Stop problems before they start with these simple strategies. • Never drop a washing machine lid—it can damage the lid switch. • Remove wet clothes from the washing machine immediately after the wash cycle. Letting damp clothes sit for long periods can cause the unit to develop a musty odor. You can also leave the lid or door open for about 30 minutes after the cycle to air it out. • Wrap a nylon stocking around your drain hose outlet to prevent extra lint from going down the drain. Replace the stocking every four to six weeks. • Clean out your dryer’s lint filter before every load, and clear the exhaust vent every week or two.
This isn’t the spring cleaning you imagined. Life happens. Have a plan.SM Women across America have rated American Home Shield® as the most recommended home warranty provider in the nation. The average cost to replace a washer is $543.* If your washer went out, do you have a plan to help protect yourself against unexpected costs? Choose an American Home Shield® Home Warranty. It’s a service contract that covers the repair or replacement of home system components and appliances that break down over time.
Learn more or get your free Home Warranty quote today. Visit quote.ahs.com/wc *Replacement cost is an average U.S. cost. As reported in A Study of Homeowners’ Appliance and Home Systems Service Experiences, a nationwide survey of home owners conducted in 2013 by Decision Analyst for American Home Shield. Further reproduction or use is expressly prohibited. ©2015 American Home Shield Corporation. All rights reserved.
Make Your
LEATHER Last
Leather goods are strong, comfortable, durable and versatile. Here’s how to keep them that way.
WHEN CONSUMERS want the best—whether in coats, handbags, belts, automobile, furniture upholstery, or other cherished goods—they opt for leather. And for good reason: Leather is one of man’s oldest, strongest, go-to materials. It’s ideal in all seasons, because it maintains room temperature and then adjusts to your body temperature, sitting “warm” in winter and “cool” in summer. It’s also nonallergenic, naturally flame-retardant and exceptionally durable—especially when you learn how to combat its two biggest enemies: drying and sun-rot. Follow these tips to keep your prized leather goods soft, strong and beautiful for many years to come.
AVOID HEATERS. • Position all leather seating at least 2 feet from heating sources. Prolonged exposure to heat dries out leather.
BE SUN SHY. • Leather fades when exposed to sunlight, so keep leather seating away from direct light sources such as windows, skylights and open doors.
SET A CLEANING SCHEDULE. • Vacuum or dust your leather upholstery weekly. Then, mark your calendar to fully clean and re-protect your leather furniture every six months. Treat surfaces with a nontoxic, water-based, leather-specific cleaner that suits your leather type (see “Smart Cleaning” for tips on identifying the type of leather and choosing the appropriate product). Give special attention to high-use areas such as seats, arms and backs. Always pre-test in a hidden area first. After cleaning, let leather air dry before applying Leather Master’s Protection Cream.
DID YOU KNOW? Leather is flexible and pliable, while remaining one of the strongest materials you can buy: It takes more than 4,000 pounds of pressure to puncture upholstery leathers.
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WOMEN’S CHOICE AWARD
SMART CLEANING Leather is an investment— preserve it well by always choosing the right cleansing and protection products. Start by identifying your leather type: Leather is classified in three categories: aniline (A), protected (P) and nubuck (N). • Aniline is unprotected leather, colored with transparent dyes. • Protected leather uses tannery technology to provide a more uniform look and is the most common leather type. • Nubuck is a soft, brushed aniline leather with a velvety feel. Determining your type can be tricky—for information on how to identify, clean and protect your leather, download the FREE UNITERS APP available at the App Store and Google Play. Women’s Choice Award winner Leather Master provides a complete line of the nation’s highest-quality leather-care products, including cleaners and protectors for every type of leather. Please visit the website at www.uniters.com.
Leather Master leather care products restore and maintain the softness and beauty of fine leather upholstery. Developed by world famous researcher Dr. Leo Tork in Italy, Leather Master products exceed the standard for leather care with safe, gentle formulas tailored to different types of leather.
uniters.com | (877) 336-3041
Appliance
SCIENCE
Today’s kitchen appliances employ high-end technology and design to make your life easier. Here’s what to look for as you shop.
WANT AN EASY, GUARANTEED WAY to improve your quality of life? Upgrade
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your kitchen appliances. Choose high-performance, energy-efficient, aesthetically pleasing models, and you may just stop hunting for excuses to get out of the kitchen—and start looking for reasons to spend more time in it. Follow these tips to discern which of the many options will work best for you.
REFRIGERATORS. A new refrigerator can use up to half the electricity of older models. Look for a fridge with an ENERGY STAR label, a government-supported certification that ensures that it meets rigorous efficiency standards. Other features to consider include adjustable shelves, fast-cooling compartments, child-safety locks, ice makers and water dispensers, crisper drawers with modifiable humidity levels, door alarms, and LED lighting that offers better visibility while using less energy.
even baking and allows for crisper baked goods because it doesn’t produce water vapor). Or spring for the best of both with a dual-fuel range that combines a gas cooktop with an electric oven.
Modern ranges provide more options than ever, making your time in the kitchen more efficient and fun. Key decisions you’ll need to make:
• Convection baking options. Many ovens, gas or electric, now offer a convection baking setting, which uses radiant heat with a fan to circulate hot air throughout the oven, cooking food more evenly and quickly. However, not all convections work the same way, so it’s smart to ask how many fans are used (some use two vs. one) and how the heating elements inside the oven work with the fan to deliver more even heat distribution across the oven. Kenmore recommends dual true convection for this reason.
• Gas vs. electric. Gas is ideal for experienced chefs who need precise heat levels for various recipes. Electric can be better for budget-conscious buyers or frequent bakers (it offers true convection that promises more
• Stovetop features. Separately, induction cooktops use magnetic technology to deliver fast and precise heat directly to the cookware holding the food (the cooktop surface does not heat up). Induction offers faster speed
RANGES AND COOKTOPS.
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A 2014-2015 Women’s Choice Award Winner
to boil than gas or electric cooktops, provide more precise simmering and is safe to the touch, even while cooking. However, all these features often come at a premium to gas or electric cooktops. And cookware that isn’t magnetic (iron, steel or copper are all fine) won’t work on it.
DISHWASHERS. The increased efficiency of newer dishwashers saves energy and money—with innovative cleaning features like micro-filtration and motorized spray arms that distribute water and detergent more evenly, they can eliminate the need to prerinse dishes. Many new models also have “express wash” cycles that offer a modest increase in water consumption to wash dishes faster than older models. High-tech features to consider also include delayed-start settings, noise insulation, adjustable racks with fold-down tines, and smart sensors that detect soil levels and load size to automatically choose the cycle that cleans the best.
WOMEN’S CHOICE AWARD®
BEST FORFamily HOME 2016 SHOPPER’S GUIDE
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IMPORTANT DATES Space Reservation Deadline September 16, 2016
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MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS Preferred File Format: PDF File Also accepted: Indesign, Photoshop (saved as a TIFF or EPS file), Adobe Illustrator (with type converted to outlines and saved as EPS file) Size: Build all full page ads to trim. For bleed ads, extend 1/8” beyond the document page. Include both printer and screen fonts. Convert Illustrator fonts to paths or provide both printer and screen fonts. Graphics: Optimum resolution is 300 dpi at 100% of final print size. Save linked graphics (line art, halftones, or images) as an EPS or TIFF.
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2015
Women’s Choice Award® The Voice of Women
Lia Smith DIRECTOR OF PARTNER INITIATIVES (704) 458-1040 Lsmith@womenschoiceaward.com www.womenschoiceaward.com