Join us for a very special event from 10am-3pm on Saturday, October 29th to support gift bags for breast cancer patients at NYOH!

Take a look at the raffle baskets! They are here now and raffle tickets are on sale!

Thank you for supporting this cause that is so important to all of us here at R&Q!

The afternoon nap is coming back into style, and more and more studies are showing that certain types of naps help people be more productive and alert than they were before. Here’s what you need to know about naps so you can choose the one that’s right for you!

The Short Nap

Also known as the power nap, a short burst of sleep (between 10-25 minutes) can help boost your energy levels and may even reverse some of the effects of sleep deprivation for a few hours (National Sleep Foundation). The key is to wake up from the nap before you enter a state of deep sleep, which will actually have the reverse effect and leave you feeling more tired and groggy than you were before. Try setting an alarm so you don’t have to worry about oversleeping, then find a dark and quite room where you can nap without being disturbed. You’ll wake up with significantly increased alertness and enhanced performance.

The Long Nap

If you are trying to catch up on sleep after an all-nighter or you need to quickly recharge between swing shifts at work, you should opt for the long nap. A nap lasting about 90 minutes will allow your body to complete a REM cycle and make you better able to cope with fatigue. This is especially beneficial if you are driving or operating heavy machinery as part of your job.

The Caffeine Nap

Studies show that drinking a caffeinated beverage immediately before taking a short nap will improve your alertness and productivity more than either caffeine or napping alone. The science states that caffeine takes about 15 minutes to kick in, so a short nap in the mean time will allow your system to reboot before the caffeine takes effect. If you’re planning a long road trip and you’re fighting off sleep at the wheel, this could help get you to the nearest hotel or rest stop.

The Nap Alternative

Naps can be a helpful as a short-term solution for sleep deprivation or increasing productivity in the afternoon, but you don’t want a nap to interfere with your normal sleep schedule. If you didn’t have time for a nap before 4 p.m. or napping isn’t an option at your job, experts recommend a brisk outdoor walk. Sunlight will naturally make you feel more awake and will inhibit the production of melatonin (a sleep inducing hormone). This alternative will help you maintain your nighttime routine so you’re not always trying to play catch-up on sleep.

If you enjoy an afternoon nap, you’re in good company. Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and George W. Bush were all well known for touting the benefits of a midday rest (National Sleep Foundation). So if you’re fighting off sleep, the best solution may actually be to give in and trust that your body knows best!

Sometimes extra storage boxes aren’t the answer. With these three tactics, you can plan ahead so that you can spend less time and space when you’re organizing in the future… plus they’ll make decluttering and clean-up a breeze!

1. Make the most of your entryway.

Take the initiative to create a place beside the front door where you can store purses, keys, wallets, outgoing mail, umbrellas, and seasonal accessories. Knowing that everything you need for the day is tucked away in one central location will make your mornings far less stressful, and having a place to put them when you come home at night will prevent your belongings from being scattered all over your home.

2. Leave room for more.

When you’re organizing your closets, cabinets, or drawers, leave a little extra room. This will make it easy to find everything you just spent time organizing, and you’ll have some wiggle room in case you find something else that can be stored out of sight. When you plan ahead and leave room to spare, you won’t have to completely reorganize again just to make room for something new!

3. A well placed hook.

Keep stuff off the floor and table tops with hooks in every room! They can be used for coats, hats, and scarves by the front door, jewelry in the bedroom or closet, kitchen utensils, and just about anything you can think of with a little creativity! This is a great solution for small spaces because you can store things vertically where it is easily accessible and doesn’t take up floor space!

Leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, and pumpkin spice everything is flooding our grocery stores… all signs point to fall! Here’s a few tips for giving your home a seasonal upgrade!

Change out throw pillows and blankets for warmer materials like wool or heavy-duty cotton. You can stay budget friendly by choosing accents that fit your current color scheme, and with fall themed patterns you can make your style look fresh and current! Plaids and other geometric designs invoke a cozy, fall esthetic in any color.

Fall is the perfect season to upgrade your living room with elegant leather sofas and chairs. Invest in quality pieces that will make your home more luxurious than ever, just in time for the holidays!

Think outside the box: while we love deep burgundy and sunshine yellow as much as the next person, we know that these colors may not work perfectly in every home. But you can still enjoy fall decorations by opting for white pumpkins and gourds, or even spray painting them in your color of choice!

Let us know how you are using seasonal centerpieces and decorations in your home!

The kids are back in school, and the holidays are just around the corner! That means that this is your chance to give your home an update while you have a chance! We’ve got some great looks on the floor right now, so here’s a little inspiration to get you started!

This neutral living room set and beautifully patterned accents will look great in any season. And don’t you love this pair of antelope statues?

This sofa table adds a touch of rustic flare, and it can be used to warm up the room with lamps, flower arrangements, or other nick-knacks!

Transform the bedroom with this cabin-style decor and make the indoors feel like the great outdoors!

It’s never too early to start planning for fall! This cozy throw blanket and pillow will make everyone want to snuggle up on the couch!

From floor to ceiling, we can help you spruce up your home before summer slips through our fingers! Stop by this week for more inspiration and to talk with our talented staff! Ask about our flooring, furniture, accessories, mattresses, and appliances to see what deals you can get right now!

Since your upholstered furniture will be used in different rooms and will fulfill multiple purposes, it’s important that you select the right type of materials. This will help ensure that your furniture continues to look its best over time.

Natural Fabrics

These upholstery fabrics include linen, cotton, wool, silk, and leather. While linen and silk are both very luxurious, they must be professionally cleaned and should not be used in high traffic area or homes with young children. However, cotton and wool are both naturally resistant to stains, fading, and wrinkling. They often come in blends with synthetic fibers to make them even easier to clean. With proper care, leather furniture can be both incredibly comfortable and durable. It can be cleaned with a damp washcloth or leather conditioner and saddle soap.

Synthetic Fabrics

Over the years many synthetic fabrics have been developed to imitate the natural fabrics. These include acetate, acrylic, nylon, polyester, olefin, and rayon. Even though poorly made synthetic fibers tend to pill or wrinkle, there are also high quality options that feel almost identical to their natural counterparts but are even more resistant to wear, wrinkling, and fading. By itself, acetate (a good alternative to silk) is not a good choice for furniture that will see everyday use, while olefin is a very durable option.

When you’re choosing upholstery for your furniture, make sure to consider how the pieces will be used. Fabric for the dining room or outdoor spaces should be considerably more durable than those used in a formal living room or adult-only office space.

Help us in congratulating our winners for July’s $50 Gift Card drawing! We are excited to help all of you spend your winnings!

Svetlana Albanese
Jennifer Kaczor
Peter Lawrence
Pam Riccio
Brandy Baez