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The Home IDEA
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 (BPT) - Cleaning the bathroom and emptying the dishwasher isn’t at the top of a couple’s “To Do Together” list, but it may be the true language of love. In fact, a recent survey from home appliance leader LG Electronics found most Americans (52%) get turned on by their partner doing housework. In fact, those who do chores with their partner (60%) are nearly twice as likely as those who don’t (37%) to believe a person who is good at chores is good in bed. So what’s the key to a better relationship? Communication and housework. That couldn’t be truer for celebrity couple Rachel Zoe, renowned designer and editor-in-chief of The Zoe Report, and her husband Rodger Berman, president of Rachel Zoe Inc., who have been together for 26 years. Rachel and Rodger are proof that communication and managing housework together could lead to a happier relationship. “Rodger and I have young boys, so there is always something to clean or pick up around the house,” shared Zoe. “We work as a team to tackle the different housework, so we can spend more time together.” Over their decades-long relationship, Zoe and Berman have some advice for how to handle disagreements over housework: 1. Divide and conquer Splitting up household responsibilities makes it quicker and easier to get housework done. While one person prepares dinner, the other can set the table and then clear it afterwards. This helps couples feel like they’re both doing their part and no one is putting in more effort than the other. “We love to entertain and there is always a lot of preparation before guests arrive,” Zoe said. “Rodger and I divide up the responsibilities, which makes it so much easier and faster. For example, I’ll cook and he’ll load the dishes so everything is clean and ready when people arrive.” 2. Find the right tools to make tasks easier “When we have friends and family over, we want to spend time with them and not worry about running around doing a million things and cleaning up,” notes Zoe. “We make sure we have the right tools to help us — our newest trick of the trade is the LG QuadWash dishwasher. It looks amazingly chic in our home but it also makes our lives easier. Because it has four powerful spraying arms, instead of the traditional two, we don’t have to worry about prewashing or rewashing the dishes.” Technology can help couples tackle cleaning and maintain their home together. Set reminders for whose turn it is to clean out the refrigerator or use the LG SmartThinQ® app to monitor and check when the dishwasher is done. Using technology can help couples spend more time together and less time cleaning. 3. Specialize according to priorities and strengths Specializing is one way to ensure everyone’s priorities are met and housework gets done. Some people would rather clean the bathroom than load a dishwasher, while others don’t mind a layer of dust on furniture but can’t abide a sink full of dirty dishes overnight. The party who hates bathroom cleaning can be responsible for all dishwasher duties, including making sure the sink is dish-free at the end of the day. Meanwhile, the other party can tackle bathroom duties. Zoe and Berman prioritize housework based on the other’s preferences. “I love cooking and it’s important to me to always serve good meals, so I handle all the cooking,” she says. “Rodger actually likes doing the dishes, and he knows I can’t sleep if there are dirty dishes in the sink, so he always makes sure the dishes are loaded in the dishwasher before we go to bed.” 4. Never use housework as a tool for revenge One in four people surveyed by LG said they have purposely messed up a partner’s laundry after a fight. Zoe admits when she’s angry with Berman she may not take the throw pillows off his side of the bed, or make his nightly frozen yogurt. However, she also verbalizes to him what she’s upset about. "Sharing responsibilities has always been an effortless part of our relationship," Zoe says. "That's the way we have always approached our lives. We have always thought of ourselves as a team." KEYWORDS
Replacements’ designer, Julie Robbins, hears similar stories from baby boomers like Rogers, who after years of collecting, finally completed their patterns. However, as families mature and styles evolve, boomers are increasingly asking Robbins for fun ways to refresh their treasured patterns. Start by looking for complementing patterns that fit your lifestyle. (BPT) - Sometimes collecting all the pieces to your cherished wedding china may take more time than you think. It took Jill Rogers four decades. “After 44 years of marriage, I got the soup bowls I wanted; Mama would be so proud to know I finally have exactly what she wanted for me,” says Rogers. “My mother started this pattern for me in high school, buying pieces from the area grocery store. The fact she started it was so sweet and special.” Over the years, Rogers actually forgot the name of her pattern. That’s when she turned to dinnerware giant, Replacements, Ltd. The company’s research team not only identified Rogers’ vintage pattern through Replacements’ free pattern identification service, they even had the pieces she needed to complete her set. “I collected pieces here and there through the years but never had more than six place settings,” adds Rogers. “We use it for special family occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries, and sometimes we take our special china out just for us.” Replacements’ designer, Julie Robbins, hears similar stories from baby boomers like Rogers, who after years of collecting, finally completed their patterns. However, as families mature and styles evolve, boomers are increasingly asking Robbins for fun ways to refresh their treasured patterns. “They love their wedding china and are attached to it because it means so much to them, but they want to freshen it up and give their dinnerware a more current look and feel,” says Robbins. “It’s really easy to stay true to tradition, yet transform your table by adding a splash of color or different medium. Mixing and matching patterns continues to be a huge trend in tabletop, transcending all ages, from millennials to boomers.” So, how do you go about creating a look that makes you want to take your vintage china out of storage and use it every day? Start by looking for complementing patterns that fit your lifestyle. “You might start with a piece that you use on a regular basis, such as a salad plate, then build around that piece by adding patterns that pull out a color, shape or feeling that accentuates the current pattern you already own,” adds Robbins. And who says your dinnerware is just for eating? Find fun ways to use it around your home. “Think outside the dining room,” says Robbins. “I inherited a set that I love but didn’t fit my entertaining style, so I took the tea cups and now use them for notions in my sewing room. You could also use cups to hold doodads in any room of your house, while tureens and teapots make wonderful flower vases. I find bathrooms and powder rooms are great places to use old china because those rooms are often under-decorated and very antiseptic. Using old, pretty serving pieces, such as an oval vegetable or sugar bowl to hold soap or flowers, helps make those rooms warmer and more inviting.” Looking for more ideas or would like help with design dilemmas? Simply contact the company’s creative team through Replacements’ Facebook page. |
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