Home and Garden Helpers
Live in Your Outdoor Space as Well as Your Indoor Space
Melissa Jones and Tim Salafie, the outdoors-loving partners in Architectural Gardens, worry that you’re depriving yourself of the full use and pleasure of your home. If you think of your home as what’s inside, they’re sadly right. If you’d like to open up your world, these down-to-earth pros will show you how to do it, realistically and affordably. What’s more, they’ll do it for you.
“We turn plain yards into truly usable outdoor rooms,” says Missy Jones.
Landscape design begins the transformation by creating comfortable and appealing outdoor living spaces for relaxation, socialization or recreation. Depending on what you like, those spaces might be courtyards, meditation gardens, hidden garden rooms, moon gardens, outdoor kitchens or patios for dining and entertaining.
Next comes garden architecture, to install the backbone elements of your landscape: paths, sitting walls, gates, fences, exterior lighting, arbors, pergolas and garden accessories.
Hardscaping adds foundations of natural stone, concrete or traditional brick pavers: walkways, patios, paths, retaining walls, pool decks, stairways, driveways, dry stream beds, stone steppers and boulders.
Plantings soften the structural components with beautiful and dramatic combinations for a landscape that has beauty, year-round seasonal interest and ease of maintenance. Think flowerbeds, container arrangements, vegetable and herb gardens and native plant naturalization.
At the same time they’re making your open space beautiful and usable, they’re doing sustainable landscaping to create and preserve wildlife habitats with native plantings, xeriscaping, integrated pest management, rain gardens, harvesting water, rain barrel installation, organic fertilizers and drainage solutions.
Speaking of water, custom water features — fountains, fishponds, streams and waterfalls — transform a garden functionally and aesthetically.
Once it’s all done, there’s garden maintenance, bi-weekly, monthly or seasonally, including colorscaping, rejuvenative and ornamental pruning.
Starting this spring, expand your life into your outdoors spaces.
Architectural Gardens
Serving Anne Arundel, Calvert, Prince George’s
and Queen Anne’s counties and Washington, D.C.
800-280-2103
www.arch-gardens.com
Crack a Big Green Egg at Eggannapolis
With the cookout season starting, now’s the time to add a Big Green Egg to your outdoor kingdom.
If you don’t already own a Big Green Egg, bet you’ve been tempted. Owner or admirer, indulge your interest on April 28. At Eggannapolis, Bay Stoves’ first annual Big Green Egg Fest, a dozen large Big Green Eggs will be fired up. Then 12 chefs, egg owners and local chefs will show what the combo grill-smoker-slow cooker can do, preparing fare from breakfast breads to ribs and brisket to chocolate-chip cookies. “Big Green Eggs cook from 175 degrees to 750 and everything in between,” says Bay Stoves’ Don Lawrence.
Buy your ticket (two for $25) and try it all from 10am to 3pm. If taste doesn’t convince you to bring home a Big Green Egg, special deals and the enthusiasm of the cooker’s advocates surely will.
“The Big Green Egg has an enormous following, and they’re passionate about spreading the word,” says Lawrence. “I’ve had one for 14 years,” he says, “and as far as I’m concerned, I’ll never need another grill.”
Eggannapolis ends with a deal you’ll likely find hard to resist: All the Big Green Eggs used that day go on sale for $850, $300 off the usual price.
As well as Eggs and Egg-fare, there’ll be music, bluegrass by Mitch Harrell (son of bluegrass legend Bill Harrell, late of Davidsonville) and the Virginians.
Eggannapolis proceeds, swelled by the support of local businesses, benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.
Bay Stoves is a retail hearth and outdoor cooking store. For your in-home comfort, Bay Stoves specializes in sales, service and installation of wood, pellet, oil and gas stoves and fireplaces and offers many options for all your hearth needs, including mantels, surrounds and accessories. For your outdoor pleasure, Bay Stoves helps satisfy your grilling desires, from gas and pellet grills to Big Green Eggs. Let Bay Stoves light your fire.
Bay Stoves
3157 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater
410-956-7101
www.baystoves.com
Help Your Air Conditioner Keep You Cool: Get a Tune-up
When your air-conditioning systems are working hard, air filters get dirty. They need changing every month. A dirty air filter slows down your system’s airflow and wastes energy as your AC tries to satisfy your thermostat.
Belair Engineering gets to the root of the problem with a money-saving precision AC tune-up.
The dirt and dust from dirty air filters and coils will slow down the cooling airflow, causing your system to heat up and run hot. This lack of cooling airflow causes unnecessary and expensive maintenance issues and premature system failures.
Many unnecessary service calls are due to clogged or dirty air filters.
But if your system is old, a new one may save you money.
Air conditioners usually work well enough for 10 years or more. But a 10-year-old system is inefficient compared to today’s money-saving systems. A cost savings of 20 to 40 percent can be seen in today’s models, according to EnergyStar.
Even a new, efficient AC system isn’t a cure-all for hot homes.
If your house has inadequate surroundings, even your newest air conditioners will have to work extra hard and negate possible energy savings.
Attic insulation, double-pane windows, tree shade and sealed windows and doors are all important factors.
Belair Engineering has kept Marylanders cool, calm and collected for 50 years by managing all these problems.
When designing and upgrading your air conditioning system, the Belair team factors in attics, windows, doors and other areas where insulation can help keep your costs down.
Belair also provides service for all your seasons, including installing heat pumps, emergency backup generators, gas fireplaces, gas furnaces, air cleaners and humidifiers.
Belair Engineering is also your hassle-free source for complete plumbing services. Expert technicians are drug-screened, background-checked and mom-approved.
Belair Engineering
301-249-0300; 410-451HVAC; 888-8BELAIR
after hours emergencies: 301-262-4199
www.BelairEngineering.com
Amenities for Comfortable Outdoor Living
Turn your boring backyard into an oasis with the help of Chesapeake Spas. The family-oriented business sells everything you need — except fences to keep your clamoring neighbors out.
“We have a great proven product, and we stand behind it,” says Harry Early of Chesapeake Spas. Each spa’s jet set is movable, meaning that you can customize your water massage.
Another approach to relaxation: Sweat off the stress from your day with a HELO sauna installed by Chesapeake Spas.
To show off your new spa or make the best of the summer months, Chesapeake Spa sells all the amenities for comfortable outdoor living. Find a range of outdoor steps, hammocks, patio furniture, beach chairs, playground equipment and outdoor candles.
Chesapeake Spas keeps you relaxed outside the spa with comprehensive customer service. The spa team will help you perfect your spa location with deck construction or enhancement, find the proper pH balance with water testing and analysis and keep your spa bubbling.
Soaking in a spa doesn’t have to drain your wallet. Chesapeake Spas sells reconditioned spas with full service history and anti-leak estimates.
Chesapeake Spas has been serving Anne Arundel and surrounding counties for over 20 years. The doors of our first hot tub showroom opened back in 1985, when Hot Spring Spas had only six spa models. Today’s conveniently located showroom offers the full line of Hot Spring Highlife Spas, Hot Spring Limelight Spas, Hot Spot Spas and RIO Swim Spas. You’ll also find Napoleon barbecue grills, HELO saunas, outdoor furniture, fire pits, chimineas, hammocks, Woodwick candles, Creative Playthings Swing Sets, gifts and more.
When you’re ready to look at spas, don’t depend on looks: Bring your swimwear and take a test soak.
Chesapeake Spas Inc.
2806 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater
800-974-8827; 410-798-5674
www.chesapeakespas.com
M-F 9-6; Sa 9-4
Landscaping Adds Quality and Value to Your Home or Castle
What’s your dream for the grounds surrounding your home? From removing problems like drainage and erosion to creating your own personal park that’s not only beautiful but also eco-friendly, Ciminelli’s Landscape Services works to make your dream come true.
Ciminelli’s has over 20 years’ experience satisfying customers with quality landscape construction and maintenance as well as friendly and responsive service.
Construction services include landscaping, lighting, walkways, paver driveways, retaining walls, pool decks, patios and rain gardens. All work is done by skilled craftsmen, including stonemasons and green roofers.
Integrity is Ciminelli’s standard of doing business.
For employees, Ciminelli’s is committed to providing respectful working conditions.
For our environment, Ciminelli’s is committed to eco-landscaping, using rain gardens, stormwater management, green roofs, living walls, native plantings, permeable pavement and more. Matt Ciminelli was among the first in the nation to obtain certification as a Green Roof Professional. The company is certified as a LiveRoof installer as well as by the Interlocking Concrete Products Industry and National Concrete Masonry.
For the community, Ciminelli’s is committed to participating in charitable outreach in local schools, Christmas in April, See Forever Foundation, Annapolis Historic Society, The River Keepers, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and more.
For you, Ciminelli’s means integrity, working with you to do what is promised, creating a landscape that is beautiful, creative, functional, within your budget and guaranteed. Your satisfaction is Ciminelli’s goal. Ciminelli’s works to exceed your expectations.
Ciminelli’s Landscape Services
new customers: 410-734-2493; 410-741-9683
www.ciminellislandscape.com
Old Is Good — and Cute
Cottage Chicks, a shopping highlight of Deale for over three years, specializes in cottage and nautical furniture, kitchenware, collectibles and garden goods.
Linda DeLuca, sole local owner, finds, paints and distresses the vintage furniture you love to bring home.
New this summer: monthly Tent Events behind the store. The back lot has been paved, making room for more parking and providing a good surface for sales. You can now enter through the back door.
There’s always space to accept local artists’ items for consignment. Daily consignments also welcome.
Cottage Chicks
5954 Deale-Churchton Rd., Deale
443-607-6228
www.cottagechicksdeale.com
MThFSa 10-5; Su noon-4
Antiquers Are the Original Go-Green Buyers and Sellers
Davidsonville Antiques is a neighborhood spot where antiquers come to find special gifts, jewelry, collectibles or pieces to decorate the home. As your taste changes or you downsize, come consign pieces you no longer need. Buyer or seller, you’ll be welcome.
Davidsonville Antiques
1251 W Central Ave., Davidsonville
410-370-6001
Daily 11-6
From Big to Little, We Have Hardware
Deale Hardware and Home Center — and now Dunkirk Hardware and Home Center — are your convenient local stops for all your hardware needs. Stop by either location to see new outdoor living products for spring 2012.
Both are local, family-owned alternatives to the impersonal, national big-box stores. At either location, you’ll find all the tools and hardware you need year-round as well as seasonally appropriate specialty items to keep your lawn green and your outdoor living space inviting.
As certified Stihl dealers, both loctaions carry a full line of Stihl products and feature an expert Stihl mechanic for small engine repair.
Extensive marine departments keep boaters, fishermen and crabbers supplied.
Both Deale and Dunkirk Home Centers are complemented by fully stocked Rental Centers, offering powerwashers to clean your deck, roto-tillers to prepare your garden and all the other heavy or light equipment the do-it-yourselfer — or party-giver — needs.
Deale Hardware, Home and Rental Center
668 Deale Rd., Deale
410-867-8080
www.dealehardware.com
M-Sa 7-7; Su 8-5
Dunkirk Hardware, Home and Rental Center
10745 Town Center Blvd., Dunkirk
410-257-1300
www.dunkirkhardware.com
M-Sa 7-8; Su 8-6
We Do Windows
Dr. Glass Window Washing, the premier professional window-cleaning service in the Annapolis region, provides homeowners with first-rate, high-quality services. After eight years of steady growth, Dr. Glass now services over 1,200 regular customers whose repetition and recommendations build the business.
Residential window washing requires special techniques. Dr. Glass window-washing professionals are highly trained and fully screened. They clean by hand, using a special wand, then a squeegee and finishing with a lint-free cloth to detail along the edges and in the corners of the glass. Finally, unwashable stains and spots are removed, window frames and sills are wiped down and screens brushed off.
Working inside your home, Dr. Glass and assistants remove or cover their shoes to protect your carpets and floors. Drop cloths cover furniture and carpets. All items are moved away from the windows and everything put back the way it was. Outside, your landscaping and outdoor décor are treated with care.
Dr. Glass is always respectful of your home, your family, your belongings and your pets. Doors and gates are carefully closed when work is going on in your home. Customer satisfaction is guaranteed.
For your protection, Dr. Glass is fully insured with both workers compensation and business liability coverage.
Bill Mitchell, the principal of the company, lives in Annapolis and is easy to reach and responsive to your needs. Dr. Glass understands that you choose services that are well done, with concern to detail and quality, and is friendly and accommodating of your needs.
For high-quality, meticulous full window washing, as well as power washing and gutter cleaning, call Dr. Glass, recommended by Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau. Dr. Glass treats homes, condos and businesses.
Dr. Glass Window Washing
410-626-0782
www.WindowCleaningNow.com
M-Sa 8-8
EarthSense Solutions: Saving the Bay One Family at a Time
Are your cleaning products good for your home? They may clean, but at what cost to your peace of mind and safety?
EarthSense Solutions — the only green wholesale shopping club in North America — believes cleaners should help you care for your home, environment and family the way you want to.
EarthSense Solutions helps you be a more conscientious consumer. That means buying products that are sourced from natural ingredients and formulated to be safe.
It means using products that are highly effective but don’t rely on caustic chemicals.
It means using products that are environmentally responsible, so as you are taking care of your home you are taking care of the world around you.
And it means using products that actually save you money, concentrated products that offer more cleaning power at less cost per use than many national brands. Ordering direct from the factory adds to your savings.
Bottom line, being a more conscientious consumer means using products that will save you money, save you time, are safer and healthy for you and your family and are guaranteed to work — or your money back.
EarthSense Solutions’ eco-friendly line of over 350 products is designed to outperform grocery store brands and save you money. All are developed from the ground up with naturally derived ingredients such as thyme oil, pharmaceutical-grade tea tree oil, carnauba wax and citric acid.
Email your name and address at [email protected] to receive one of two booklets free: Let’s Stop Poisoning Our Children or Is Your Home a Healthy Home?
EarthSense Solutions
877-535-7860
http://SaferForYou.com
Have Fun Sprucing Up for Spring as You Find Amazing Deals
When the clock strikes 10am, the lights go up at Echoes and Accents, the music goes on and the coffee and cookies are put out. Our hospitable staff will help you find what you’re looking for, give you decorating ideas — or, if you prefer, let you browse.
From the elegant to the whimsical, the new and the old, the traditional and the contemporary, Echoes and Accents has it all.
Part of the fun is seeing furniture and accessories coming and going in the 7,500-foot consignment showroom. You might witness the arrival of interesting pieces of furniture coming in on consignment, from a gently used Pottery Barn dining room table to an antique fire surround or an Asian buffet.
For just the right piece in that special room or alcove, we keep a large selection of shabby chic and hand-painted furniture. In addition to furniture, you’ll find interesting accessories — lamps, rugs, art, glassware, china and jewelry.
More than 8,500 valued consignment partners use our services when they are buying or selling properties, remodeling, downsizing or looking to change the décor in a room or in an entire house.
Whether you’re buying or selling, shopping at Echoes and Accents is an exciting experience. That’s why everyone says, I just love this store.
Echoes and Accents
224 Chinquapin Round Rd., Annapolis
410-280-8800
www.echoesandaccents.com
M-Sa 10-5 ; Su noon-5
Local History Sold — and Browsed Here
Evergreen Antiques offers a wonderful and always changing selection from the 18th century to the mid-1900s, including furniture, art, silver, jewelry, crystal, pottery, lighting, books and bottles. Find antique and vintage nautical, Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland and Chesapeake Bay historical items.
To create the kind of shop you like to visit, new merchandise is added daily — and prices are marked down every single day.
Located between State Circle and the United States Naval Academy, Evergreen Antiques is the oldest antique shop in historic downtown Annapolis and a fun and interesting place to browse.
Evergreen Antiques
69 Maryland Ave., Annapolis
410-216-9067; 240-432-1772 (24 hours)
M-F 11-5; Sa 10-5; Su noon-5
Paint Is the Sure Way to Turn Over a New Leaf
When you want to turn over a new leaf, paint is the way to do it. It’s sure, swift and transformative.
But doing the job right demands a steady hand as well as a steady ladder. Steady hands and tools, backed by 20 years’ experience, are what we bring to your interior and exterior painting jobs. Exquisite Painting guarantees smooth, lustrous surfaces and promises to clean up what little mess is made — leaving your house fresh, neat and tidy for you to enjoy and your neighbors to envy.
To complete the job, Exquisite Painting cleans your gutters and downspouts and hand-washes your windows. Between paintings, call for exterior power-washing with clean and green products safe for your landscaping and our Bay.
Exquisite Painting and Wallcovering
Licensed and insured: MHIC 125585
443-253-0754
Landscaping or Sprucing Up for Spring?
You know the feeling you get when you drive past a breath-taking lawn or garden, sigh, followed by a frustrated why can’t my yard look like that?
It can. Whether you want that manicured lawn with raised formal beds and a perfectly pruned rose hedge … or that expanse of natural park-like setting with old trees, fields of naturalized narcissi and perfectly placed large rocks — anything you can imagine, Exterior Image, Inc. can design, install and maintain.
Since 1994, residents in the greater Washington and Baltimore corridor have relied on Exterior Image, Inc. to create their perfect lawn and garden space. Exterior Image, Inc. will look at your home and property and create rooms of outdoor space for use in entertaining or a private space for your daily, mini-vacation. With many years of experience, Exterior Image, Inc. is familiar with problem waterfront slopes and will come up with a solution that will accommodate your desires while protecting the watershed. As an added benefit, you will have plants installed that have been grown in Maryland soils under the watchful eye of a nursery facility.
A visit to Trent Hill Farm & Nursery in Lothian will offer many ideas for anyone from the weekend gardener to the serious horticulturalist. Trent Hill has beautifully designed and installed display gardens that feature plantings and a variety of hardscape products that will enable you to visualize your future landscape. Plant materials, native and exotic, plus woody, conifers and perennials are grown largely on the property. Plants not grown on site are imported from the most reputable growers in the country.
Exterior Image, Inc. and Trent Hill Farm & Nursery are local experts that can help you pick plant materials that are best suited to your home environment, ensuring that they will thrive and survive for many years. Exterior Image, Inc. will maintain plants and turf installed to make certain your investment is protected.
Exterior Image, Inc. and
Trent Hill Farm & Nursery
24 Nutwell Rd., Lothian
410-956-1344
www.exteriorimage.com
M-F 8-5 ; Sa by appointment
Get the Hometown Touch on Your New Floors
When you’re leaning toward refreshing your floors with new carpeting or hardwood, call Foxwell Floor Covering. An Annapolis institution since 1996, Foxwell can show you all the latest in laminate, vinyl, cork, carpet, ceramic tile and wood coverings.
Stop by the showroom and meet with experts to discuss your home vision and get a free estimate. Busy? Have the experts come to your home to discuss projects and consider sample books.
Foxwell features environmentally friendly floors with style and quality. Look into carpet made from recycled plastic bottles and learn about Foxwell’s environmentally friendly installation.
If keeping your current floor is your goal, Foxwell offers sanding and refinishing that will make old wooden floors look showroom new.
Once Foxwell floors you, custom window treatments are next.
Foxwell Floor Covering
Licensed and insured: MHIC 50685
1977 West St., Annapolis
410-224-7010; 888-280-5649;
http://foxwellfloors.com
M-F 9-5; Sa 9-1
Old Building, Old Stuff, Rich Discoveries
The only thing new at Friendship Antiques is the business. The shop opened in July, 2011, in an historic building begun in 1806 as the first store and post office in Friendship.
The village of Friendship began its civic life as Hell Corner. Back then, the tiny village was quite the crossroads, a stop on the postal road that continued to St. Leonard and, crossing the Patuxent River by boat, into St. Mary’s County.
Then a Methodist circuit rider visited. His preaching got him run out of town because Hell Corner embraced the values he condemned. But he kept coming back, and his church helped shape — you might say reform — the community. Spending the night, another circuit rider, Eli Towne, dreamed a new name for the village: Friendship. The Weems Preaching House was built in 1785 with Methodist circuit riders arriving to bring God to the people, and a community started to grow.
On March 3, 1807, the U.S. Mail Key and Post Office records arrived under the name Friendship, and the name became official. In the heyday of the 1860s there were 32 buildings, two hotels, three stores, three churches, the parsonage, one school and two blacksmith shops.
So you’re surrounded by history at Friendship Antiques, and if you’re not careful, owner Myles Conway will get out the maps and tell you more.
You’ll also find eight highly individual dealers offering a range of antiques and vintage collectibles. To say more would deprive you of the fun of discovery.
Sales move outside into our half-acre lot on May 5 and 6, with other outdoor sales to follow in the summer and fall.
Friendship Antiques
3 West Friendship Rd., Friendship
410-286-5932
Th-Sa 10-5; Su 11-5
Garden to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Your garden can help you reduce your carbon footprint.
Grow some of your own food as an alternative to having fruits and vegetables brought by mass transit from far away. Good Deale Gardening can help you plant a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Supplement your garden by buying food grown by local farmers on local farms.
Reduce the overall size of your lawn by installing planting beds that contain native trees, shrubs and flowers. After initial planting, areas planted with this type of vegetation do not require nearly the amount of resources — gasoline, fertilizers, water, pesticides — that lawns do.
Set your lawn mower to its highest setting once days are above 80 degrees. Your lawn will stay greener longer, and you will save green in your wallet because you do not have to buy as much grass seed, fertilizer or pesticide. Your friends will call you greener because you’re leading the way to better the environment.
Good Deale Gardener
443-454-0444
www.gooddealegardener.com
[email protected]
Ageratum to Vera Bradley to Zinnia
Greenstreet Gardens is your one-stop gardening shop in Southern Anne Arundel County. The 165,000 square feet of greenhouses are popping with color from the annuals and perennials grown on the 65-acre farm. From Ageratum to Zinnia and everything in between, you’ll find all you need.
TomatoMania, on April 28 and 29, is a tomato gardener’s dream event, featuring more than 175 hard-to-find heirloom tomatoes for your vegetable garden.
Greenstreet’s friendly and experienced plant experts are always glad to lend a hand — and advice — with your latest project.
To complete your transition to spring, you’ll find gardening accessories, outdoor living furniture, Vera Bradley bags, jewelry, birding products and much more.
Greenstreet Gardens
391 West Bay Front Rd., Lothian
410-867-9500
www.greenstreetgardens.com
daily 8:30-5; after April 6, MTuWF 8:30-6:30; Th 8:30-8; SaSu 8:30-6
You Can’t Spring Clean Without Clean Water
It’s that spring-cleaning time of year again. But frequently, the water we are going to clean with isn’t clean in the first place. Only days or weeks after cleaning the rust stains out of your toilets and bathtubs and the white calcium scale from your faucets and drains, they’re back again. Spring cleaning becomes a year-round event.
How do you confine spring cleaning to spring? You start by cleaning up the water that causes these problems. For nearly 20 years, Hague Quality Water of Maryland has been helping people do just that. A family-owned company, Hague Quality Water serves nearly 7,000 clients throughout central Maryland and the Eastern Shore. Hague’s consultants and technicians know how to eliminate the problems in problem water.
When you have high iron content in your well water, you will end up with rust stains on nearly every surface your water touches. This unsightly staining can be extremely difficult to remove, requiring special cleaners and a good deal of elbow grease. Hardness — which creates that hard, white calcium scale — can also be difficult to remove. Even worse, the hardness in your water requires you to use far more soap and cleansers (up to 75 percent more) than conditioned water. So not only does the problem water require you to clean more frequently, it requires you to use more cleanser to do it.
Clean is judged not only by appearance but also by odor: Does it smell clean. Hague water technicians frequently encounter sulfur, with its rotten-egg smell. No way would anyone ever mistake that for a clean smell. So even if iron and hardness aren’t problems for you, if your house and water smell like rotten eggs you aren’t going to experience clean.
When you start your home’s spring cleaning this year, call Hague Quality Water of Maryland to clean up your water. You’ll get a nice clean toilet at no extra charge!
Hague Quality Water of Maryland
814 E. College Parkway, Annapolis
888-84WATER
www.haguewaterofmd.com
For Outdoor Living Everything Under the Sun, Including Shade
Homestead Gardens of Davidsonville is the largest enclosed garden center in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area, stocking full lines of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, houseplants, garden supplies and decoratives — and offering full landscaping services and learning occasions.
Severna Park is home to a smaller outpost.
Homestead Gardens
743 West Central Ave., Davidsonville
410-798-5000; 800-300-5631
522 Ritchie Hwy., Severna Park
410-384-7966
www.homesteadgardens.com
M-F 9-7; Sa 8-7; Su 9-6
Find the Perfect Stone to Set off Your Home
Stone décor has come a long way since the Flintstones. Visit Annapolis’ In Home Stone, Marble and Granite for a look that takes your home beyond wood or carpets.
Looking for a beautiful marble counter? It’s here.
Wanting tiles to give your old room new life? You’ll find them.
The only problem you’ll have with In Home Stone is making up your mind. Visit the expansive warehouse where you’ll find thousands of natural stone slabs and tile samples to help guide your choices.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take heart. Experts will guide you every step of the way. Meet with a personal consultant to discuss any job big or small and know that you’re getting the best price around since In Home Stone buys direct.
Before you buy, browse freely. Visit In Home Stone’s website and stores to learn about granite, marble and tile choices and find ideas and inspiration for your home.
In Home Stone, Marble & Granite
Marble and Granite Showroom
1800 Virginia St., Annapolis
410-6226-2025
8:30-5 M-F; 9-2 Sa
Tile Showroom: 100 Edgewood Ave., Annapolis
410-626-2725
8-5 MTuWF; 8-7 Th; 9-2 Sa
www.inhomestone.com
Go to Jail; Collect Treasures
Unique finds await you in Galesville’s historic jail, the last police substation in Anne Arundel County. You’ll find decorative items of all sorts: Sterling, china, statuary, jewelry, art, pottery, furniture and more.
Jailhouse Antiques
4704 Muddy Creek Rd., Galesville
410-867-0987
F-Su noon-5
Kids Sleep Better and Longer in Kids2teen Bedrooms
Once the kids crawl out of their cribs, the trouble starts. They go wherever they want, they get mouthy and they need new bedroom furniture. From when they’re out of the crib to when they’re out of the house, nothing is easy.
Including bedrooms. Until third-generation furnisher Larry Blum opened Kids2teen Bedrooms, first in Rockville and now in Annapolis.
“This isn’t work; it’s a pleasure. I feel like I’m filling a need,” says Blum of his business, which sells nearly everything for your kids’ rooms: bunk beds, loft beds, standard twin and full-sized beds, desks, nightstands, dressers and dresser drawers — all in a variety of finishes.
Kids like loft and bunk beds, but, cautions Blum, “they need to be four or five before they can safely manage the ladders.”
For that reason, a popular system is Maxtrix modulars, which grow from a daybed when the toddler comes out of the crib, adding longer legs — and more room for furniture underneath — as the child grows.
Teens like more sophisticated beds, sleigh beds, poster beds and lounge beds, which sit parallel to the wall, Blum says.
“By the teen years, most pick their own bedroom sets,” Blum says. But, he notes, “Even the younger kids come in with their parents. It’s not like it was when you bought your kid what you felt he wanted. Now it’s a shared decision and a fun experience.”
Ninety percent of Blum’s sales are wood, finished in white, cherry, and the increasingly popular chocolate.
“It’s midrange quality at a very reasonable price made to last your kid’s childhood,” Blum says. “It comes with a warranty, and most arrives within a month, sometimes less.”
While you’re buying the bed, you’d better get a mattress. Kids2Teen sells Therapedic Pediatric mattresses, which Blum says are the Number One-rated pediatric mattress, “with 20 percent off when you buy a bed.”
Kids2Teen Bedrooms
2444 Solomons Island Rd., Annapolis
410-573-0088
http://kids2teenbedrooms.com
M-F 11-8; Sa 10-6; Su noon-5
Made to Order: Custom Cabinetry for Kitchen and Bath
“Good design belongs to everybody,” says Kathryn Porter of Kitchen Kollective, the business she and partner Chuck Barton have created to put that principle to work in your cabinetry. The Kollective brings a combined 25 years of professional experience in designing and building custom cabinets for both kitchen and bath.
“We promise you brilliant designs, transparency in pricing, integrity, intelligence and exceptional service,” Porter says.
Kitchen Kollective
420 Chinquapin Round Rd., Annapolis
410-975-0815
www.kitchenkollective.com
10-4 M-F and by appointment
Life Is Sweeter in a Perfectly Cleaned Home
Lifelong Marylanders Wayne and Luanne Phillips care about what you think of them, so they wouldn’t dare leave your home less than perfectly, obsessively clean. You’ll be 100 percent satisfied: That’s their guarantee. If you’re not, they’ll come back to redo any work you’re not happy with.
That standard is good for you and good for The Maids. “We’ve built our business over the past 30 years one satisfied customer at a time — relying on positive recommendations to spread the word about our thorough house-cleaning services,” says Wayne Phillips, who’s a local boy who graduated from St. Mary’s High School, the University of Maryland and Salisbury University.
The nation’s only professional home housekeeping company that specializes exclusively in cleaning for health, The Maids follows a 22-step Healthy Touch® deep-cleaning system to make your house cleaner and healthier.
The Maids’ cleaning service begins with a phone consultation to determine how long the first clean will take. In turn, you’ll learn the price for that first cleaning, what to expect when the team is in your home and the cost of ongoing service to keep your home looking its best.
The first cleaning — priced hourly to bring your home up to a higher level of cleanliness than ever before — includes tackling tough buildup like soap scum in the bathroom and grease in the kitchen. Along with normal cleaning tasks, during the first clean The Maids take extra care to hand-wipe ledges, baseboards and window sills, as well as cleaning the exterior of appliances, dusting ceiling fan blades and wiping clean cabinet and drawer exteriors.
“Give us a call,” says Phillips. “We look forward to meeting you and exceeding your expectations, both with our customer service and with our thorough clean.”
The Maids
new customers: 866-909-8393;
800-783-1938
www.maidsmd.com
The Hunt Ends Here in Thrills
At The Magnolia Shoppe, you’ll find unique furniture at fair prices plus beautiful home accessories, including lamps, mirrors, florals, pictures and tabletop accents. Each piece is selected by owner Pamela Whitlow with care and delight from an array of world markets. Selections change with the seasons, so every visit promises a thrill.
Magnolia Shoppe’s location in the tiny southern Anne Arundel County village of Friendship adds another pleasure to your visit, whether you come from far or near.
The Shoppe’s boutique services include gift registry, layaway, gift certificates, special orders and a monthly coupon in Bay Weekly, so you can enjoy great style with great savings.
The Magnolia Shoppe
2 West Friendship Rd., Friendship
410-257-7510
W-Su 10-5
Trust Your Memories to Medart
Your father’s war medals. Your mother’s nursing pin. A Civil War document that turned up in your great-uncle’s old papers. The letter offering you your first job. Photos from your wedding, plus all the years ever after. Your baby’s bracelet, booties and christening gown. An original painting by an artist who turned out to be somebody.
Objects like these enshrine your memories. They have great emotional value to you, and perhaps significant financial value, too.
Trust your memories to Medart Galleries, and their professionals will preserve them for you.
Medart is picky about taking care of your valuables and the quality of work. Your trust is an honor to have, and that’s what you give when you bring in your art and memories for framing.
Family-owned and operated since 1968, Medart Galleries offers expert custom picture framing for your art and memories.
You’ll also find fine original oil paintings and limited-edition prints by local and national artists. In addition to local and Chesapeake art, Medart Galleries specializes in aviation and military art. Since 1993, Medart also has been a music-and-arts affiliate, offering instrument rentals and accessories.
Medart Galleries
10366 Southern Maryland Blvd., Dunkirk
301-855-4515; 410-257-6616;
www.medartgalleries.com
M-F 10-6; Sa 10-4:30
Don’t Let Your Business Dollars Fly Out the Roof
Increase the energy efficiency of your commercial and agricultural buildings and save money. Narvon specializes in metal roofs, EPMD weather-proof roofs and BUR systems, waterproof and energy-saving membranes built up with alternating layers of bitumen and reinforcing fabrics. Amish craftsmen do the job conscientiously and reliably.
Narvon Enterprises, LLC
717-598-5215
[email protected]
Cash-and-Carry Furniture at Amazing Prices
Price, price, price is the mantra of Parkemoor’s 2012 reinvention. You’ll find a fresh new look, new products, new manufacturers and, most importantly, new lower prices. Imagine sofas for $695. Also new is an in-store design studio for decorating assistance, special orders and catalog sales. That’s where you’ll find all the product lines carried in Parkemoor’s past.
The new showroom is filled with cash-and-carry furniture at amazing prices, furniture you can take home that day, no special orders required. At these prices, the hard decision will be which two or three pieces to take home.
Parkemoor is a home-decorating store selling furniture for every room, plus rugs, lamps, floral arrangements, art, decorative accessories, baby items and great gifts.
Parkemoor (formerly Parkemoor HOME)
127 Mitchells Chance Rd., Edgewater
410-956-1701
www.parkemoor.com
M-Sa 10-6; Su noon-5
Reduce, Reuse — Recycle and Help Others
Repeats Consignments opened its doors on May 6, 2011, to such an enthusiastic reception that by the end of July, the store had expanded from one commercial space to three. Repeats is the largest consignment shop in the greater Annapolis area, housing a vast variety of treasures.
From furniture and household items to art to men’s, women’s and teens’ clothing, to jewelry and handbags, you never know what you’ll find, as merchandise changes every day.
Owners Trish and Jim Lawler are environmentalists cultivating good karma. “We reduce, reuse and recycle everything,” Trish says. Conscientious about helping others, Repeats donates all merchandise not sold to Jobs Housing & Recovery in Baltimore for distribution to local charities that benefit folks in need.
Repeats Consignments
161 Mitchells Chance Rd., Edgewater
410-956-5818
www.repeatsconsignments.com
M 10-5; Tu-Th 10-7; FSa 10-8; Su 10-4
Entrust Your Lawn to the Pros
With 80 years’ experience, Scotts LawnService is ranked as the world’s Number One lawn-care company. Service, skill, products and proven reliability keep Scotts in that position.
As part of Scotts Miracle-Gro, Scotts LawnService builds on industry-leading research and development, including one of the worlds’ largest turfgrass research facilities. Scotts employs hundreds of scientists, specialists and engineers in the service of making lawns thicker and greener. Scotts’ products — including Turf Builder Pro and Ortho Weed B Gon’ Pro — are only available to professionals.
At your end of the spectrum, graduates of Scotts LawnService Training Institute analyze, diagnose and treat your lawn. Scotts’ analysis is always free and their treatment ongoing. They continually monitor your lawn and take responsibility and pride in the results. Scotts LawnService’s complete satisfaction guarantee means that they’re not satisfied until you are.
Scotts LawnService
Serving Anne Arundel, Calvert,
Charles and St. Mary’s counties
866-300-4769; 410-535-0030
www.scottslawnservice.com
Two Sides to Each Story
Second Wind Consignments offers a large, constantly changing variety of merchandise from home furnishings and decorative accessories to books, jewelry, houseware, fishing equipment and marine hardware. With over 500 new items every week, all creatively displayed in a fun and relaxing environment, Second Wind will top your list of favorite shopping destinations in no time.
Discount-dated tags tell you the longer the merchandise stays on the floor, the greater your savings. But don’t expect your heart’s desire to wait. Turnaround is fast. Bargain buying is habit forming, with some shoppers coming day after day.
Not in a shopping mood because you are downsizing or moving? Second Wind will help you get the most money for your consignments. Just drop off your treasures and they’ll do the rest.
Buying or selling, there’s nothing better than getting your Second Wind.
Second Wind Consignments
655 Deale Rd., Deale
410-867-0480
www.secondwindconsignments.com
TuWFSa 10-5; Th noon-7
Building your Remodeling Dreams
To your construction or remodeling job, Chris Sharp brings a lifetime of experience, the pride of high standards and the promise of value and satisfaction. Before founding Sharp’s Contracting, LLC, in 2004, he worked for reputable local family-owned construction companies for over 30 years. Along the way, he earned several master certifications. Now he’s trained a staff of skilled tradesmen to work to his standards to satisfy yours. Most have been with Sharp’s Contracting since its beginning.
“Because we live here, our name and reputation is our stock and trade,” Sharp says.
Sharp’s Contracting is a complete residential and commercial construction company, managing new construction and additions, remodeling, repairs, insurance claim work and more. Top to bottom — roofing, siding and shingling — Sharp’s helps to boost your home’s value and appeal. Visa, Mastercard and American Express accepted.
Sharp’s Contracting, LLC
301-888-9200; 240-949-7056
www.sharpsroofingandsiding.com
All You Need for Home Improvement
Sneade’s Ace Home Centers are your DIY places to shop.
If you love to work in your yard or in your garden, come in. Live plants, bulbs, seeds, soil, fertilizer, compost: Sneade’s has it all.
If you are remodeling or building, check out Sneade’s materials. They carry Benjamin Moore Paints, vinyl windows, interior and exterior doors, composite decking, pressure-treated lumber and much more.
Of course Sneade’s does a little more than that, serving homeowners and contractors with a broad diversity of core products including hardware, paint, plumbing, electrical, seasonal, lawn and garden and building materials.
Sneade’s is committed to providing you not only high-quality products but also the best service.
You’ve rewarded their commitment. Thanks to you, Sneade’s is an expanding, locally owned, home-grown business. Founded in 1975 in North Beach, Sneade’s moved to the former Owings Lumber in September, 1989, expanding the building to a 14,000-square-foot hardware/lumber supply store. Refurbishments included a unique, covered, drive-thru lumber facility for your convenience.
In October, 1996, Sneade’s purchased Solomons Home Center and converted it to Sneade’s Ace Home Center to serve southern Calvert County. Outgrowing the 8,000 square-foot center in Solomons, Sneade’s designed and opened a new 14,000-square-foot store in Lusby in July of 2002. In October 2003, they began a completely covered drive-thru lumberyard, which makes their lumber service uniquely able to serve you with non-weathered material.
Since 1975, Sneade’s has helped with all of Calvert County’s home improvement needs
Sneade’s Ace Home Center
1750 Prosper Lane, Owings
410-257-2963
11861 H.G. Trueman Rd., Lusby
410-326-3222
www.sneades.com
M-F 7-8; Sa 8-5; Su 9-3
Real Wicker from the Real Spice Islands
“You’re likely to be very surprised by all you find in our 4,000-square-foot showroom,” says Don Walker, owner and furniture designer of Spice Islands Wicker.
“Our prices are lower than anywhere else because we are the wholesalers. We have our natural wicker indoor furniture built in Indonesia, and there is no middle-man.”
There’s truth — and a story — behind the name Spice Islands.
The story behind the story is that Walker creates beautiful and elaborate designs for every room in your house. He sends his designs for construction in Indonesia, the Spice Island. You see the results, shipped to Owings for you — and for over 40 retailers across the country. Orders for Walker Wicker designs have come from as far as South America.
For wicker lovers of more traditional tastes, Spice Islands also designs and sells an extensive line of antique wicker reproductions in Victorian, Edwardian, Arts and Crafts and Mission styles.
Spice Islands wicker creations follow many forms and functions: bedroom, lounge and dining room; porch and sun room; day bed and futon; and children’s furnishings.
Choose from hundreds of pieces, design themes and fabric to bring the natural elegance of wicker to any room in your house.
Spice Islands Wicker
7616 Investment Court, Owings
800-597-7061; 410-257-1302
www.spiceislandswicker.com
http://yesteryearwicker.com
M-F 9-5; Sa 10-5 and by appointment
Don’t Let Cement Dull Down Your Property
Think cement is, well, cement? Not any more. Designed cement has become a valued design feature, and you don’t need to call in the cement mixer to bring it to your home. Sundek’s stamped and spray texture overlays can turn your concrete surfaces from drab to fab. You design it, and Sundek artisans will create it. Or choose from a portfolio of custom patterns, colors, stains and overlays.
Resurfacing cement saves you money and gives you quick results and more choices of appearance.
Sundek also does cement resealing, repairs — from patching to crack treatment — and maintenance.
Since 1970, Sundek has been beautifying America’s cement surfaces — patios, walkways, driveways, pool decks, garage floors and every surface you stand on.
Sundek of Washington
866-631-8664
www.sundekofwashington.com
Enjoy Your Pool; Let Sunrise Do the Work
If you’re thinking of building a concrete in-ground pool, let Sunrise Premier Pool Builders make the process enjoyable.
A professionally trained Sunrise designer will come to your home to start your dream on the road to reality. Not sure what you want? No problem. Sunrise has a large selection of designs to choose from. When it’s time to build, they use top-of-the-line equipment and materials.
Already have a pool? Perhaps it’s showing signs of age. Perhaps you’re ready for a new look. Sunrise can renovate your pool and transform it into your own personal oasis. They offer coping, tile, paste, mosaics, calking, water features, lighting, equipment and decking.
Too busy to maintain your pool? Let Sunrise do the work while you relax and enjoy your pool. They offer several maintenance programs, with our without chemicals, from weekly, biweekly or monthly. Sunrise also offers pool opening and closing.
Are you about to be a first-time pool owner? Sunrise will come inspect the pool before you complete the purchase of a home. Sunrise also offers Pool School to teach you to maintain your pool from A to Z.
Sunrise offers a large line of portable hot tubs and swim spas, as well as pool toys and games.
Sunrise Premier Pool Builders is a family-owned and -operated company. In business for over 12 years, Sunrise prides itself on excellent customer service and quality of work.
Sunrise Pools
410-349-3852; 877-349-pool
http://sunrisepremierpoolbuilders.com
Food Fresh from Our Family to Yours
On a family farm since the 1800s, fifth-generation farmer Bobby Taylor has pioneered a new path, Taylor’s Fresh Organic. Earning organic certification, he has dedicated 90 acres to providing a healthy, all-natural, abundant food source for families in a 250-mile radius of Federalsburg, his Caroline County home base. “We chose 250 miles because that’s the locavores’ boundary,” says wife and partner Janna Taylor, who with their three sons make up the family farm’s core.
In realizing that vision, Taylor’s Fresh Organic achieves three more of Bobby Taylor’s goals: protecting our precious environment; providing a helping hand to those in need; and building a sustainable future for our family, friends, neighbors and community.
You can be a part of that vision, sustainably, conveniently and affordably.
Join Taylor’s Fresh Organic CSA, and receive fresh organic vegetables all season long.
For 20 weeks starting in mid-May, CSA members share in the abundance. As you read, farm hands are planting beans, beets, cantaloupes, canary melons, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuce, lima beans, English and snow peas, three kinds of peppers and potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, of squash, sweet corn and watermelons.
Broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, radishes and lettuce are reaching size for the season’s first delivery.
For only $13.75 ($275 for the season), you get enough produce to feed two people for a week. A whole share costs $25 to feed four ($500 for the season). These share baskets are filled with a variety of vegetables and fruits at the peak of freshness.
Taylor’s Fresh Organic produce is delivered to homes, businesses and partners throughout Chesapeake Country. Join up with nine other families, and Taylor’s will deliver to you. Or pick up your share basket at partner-businesses like Jing Ying Institute in Arnold and all Annapolis Seafood stores. Taylor’s also delivers to three farmers’ markets, including Annapolis Westfield Mall’s Sunday market
The deadline for purchasing shares is March 31. Join now.
Taylor’s Fresh Organic
443-515-0323
http://taylorsfreshorganics.com
Water Features Add Beauty and Tranquility to Your Home
Your Davidsonville neighbor, Tropic Bay Water Gardens, is also the largest aquatic garden center on the East Coast. Lush water gardens — and all that’s in and around them — make a great destination for a family on field trip as well as for water-garden aspirants and enthusiasts.
A visit is likely to convince you to bring the beauty, drama and tranquility of water gardens into your life. Or, if you’re already enjoying those benefits, you’ll find all the products you need to keep your water features in state-of-the-art shape.
You’ll be tempted with fish, designed ponds, fountains, art and all the latest hardgoods and equipment.
In the four-and-a-half-acre landscape, you’ll see flotillas of aquatic plants flourishing in 30 display tanks.
Inside the 3,000-square-foot greenhouse, fish play in 22 ponds. Many of these are koi royalty, startling orange, black, white and multicolored Showa Sanshoku, Taisho Sanshoku and Shiro Utsuri that grow up to three-feet long. Owner Stephen Koza personally selects his breeding stock on travels to Japan.
As well as fishponds, fountains bring splash and vitality to a landscape. Here you’ll see varieties with and without catch ponds.
To keep your water features working and your fish healthy, you’ll find over 2,200 square feet of filters, pumps and plumbing plus food, medication and art.
To make your garden charming, shop here for lawn ornaments, statuary, bird baths and feeders, gazing balls, pottery, including Mexican hand-painted Talavera figures, and Chimineas, the Mexican hand-painted firepots.
There’s all this and so much more that you’ll want to come see it for yourself.
Tropic Bay Water Gardens, LLC
600 West Central Ave., Davidsonville
410-798-1800
http://tropicbaywatergardens.com
M-Sa 10-6; Su 1-5
Create a Habitat Haven
How do you watch a hummingbird but in wonder and amazement?
Attracting birds, butterflies, and a variety of wildlife can be an easy and enjoyable pastime. In your own yard, you can create a natural wildlife habitat that will bring you countless hours of joy and enrich the beauty of your home and yard — while helping the ecosystem.
The Wild Bird Center of Annapolis is here to help you enhance your yard, decks and patios with bird feeders, premium-quality birdseed, bird houses and much more. Whether you wish to provide a water source for birds in your yard or reduce mosquitoes by installing a bat house, the team at Wild Bird Center of Annapolis can help you connect with nature and discover a better backyard experience.
From the store on Forest Drive in Clock Tower Place, the staff at Wild Bird Center of Annapolis will provide expert guidance on all things wild. Every day, Wild Birds helps neighbors solve issues with squirrels, raccoons and other critters and advises on how best to attract beautiful birds including goldfinches, cardinals and hummingbirds. You’ll find a large selection of eco-friendly and Made-In-the-USA products, as well as many unique nature-themed gifts suited for special occasions like Easter and Mother’s Day.
A primary goal is to help you create backyard bird and wildlife habitats. With that in mind, Wild Birds has partnered with Annapolis Parks and Recreation and the City of Annapolis in working to make Annapolis a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat. Stop in and learn how you, too, can enjoy the benefits of having a natural wildlife habitat in your own yard.
The Wild Bird Center of Annapolis is the region’s ultimate nature store, offering a wide range of nature-related products, including premium quality birdseed, bird feeders and houses, optics, wind chimes, bird baths and a distinctive variety of gifts to appeal to people who wish to be more connected with nature and their environment.
Wild Bird Center of Annapolis
1410 Forest Drive, Suite 11, Annapolis
410-280-1545
www.wildbird.com/Annapolis
SuM noon-5; Tu-Sa 9-6
All the Herbs, Including Roses
Roses are red — and every color in the spectrum since they were brought under cultivation in China some 5000 years ago.
2012 has been designated the Year of the Rose by the Herb Society of America.
A rose is an herb? Emphatically yes! Roses have been used to flavor food and beverages, create medicine and, as everyone knows, to create fragrance.
Smelling modern roses can be disappointing, as fragrance has been bred out of many. Old-fashioned roses, in existence prior to 1867, as well as many David Austin roses, possess breathtaking fragrance and romantic beauty. Bred in England, David Austin roses have the beauty of old-fashioned roses and even more disease resistance in many cases.
You can make a variety of products from fragrant unsprayed roses. Potpourri to scent your home and rose petal jam and rose butter are some special treats you can make if you grow a few fragrant roses.
Learn to make potpourri, taste rosy creations and take an old-fashioned rose bush home at Willow Oak’s workshop Roses, Queen of the Garden on Saturday, May 26.
Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm is a family nursery and pesticide- and herbicide-free farm specializing in old-fashioned annuals and perennials, heirloom veggies, herbs and many varieties of fruit trees as well as cut flowers. Willow Oak is also an educational environment offering seasonal classes and teas in the gardens, which are a delight for walking and learning. Wedding flowers and landscape design are additional services.
Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm
8109 Telegraph Rd., Severn
410-551-2237
www.willowoakherbs.com
M-Sa 10-6; Su noon-4
Frame It to Save It
Precious things don’t do well shoved away in drawers. For your memories to last, they need frames. Wimsey Cove Framing & Art is your go-to framing business. Elizabeth Ramirez, owner and chief designer, will help you find the right way to conserve and show off your photos, artwork — whether by Picasso or your kids — diplomas and certificates, as well as all kinds of memorabilia, including fabric (jerseys to needlepoint) and three-dimensional keepsakes.
No framing problem is too big, too small or too intricate for Ramirez. Trained as an artist, she has over 20 years of framing experience. She’ll explain the intricacies of how good framing is good conservation for heirloom pieces and fragile art.
Since 2007, Wimey Cove — located in the heart of Edgewater — has been a center for people interested in the visual arts. Muddy Creek Artists Guild members regularly show their work there.
Wimsey Cove also carries the most extensive collection in the region of high-quality reproductions of historic maps and bird’s-eye views.
Need a frame? Want a map? Want to ask about framing? Come to Wimsey Cove. There is even a children’s corner where your kids can play while you’re there.