"While mudrooms are not a new amenity, they've moved up on the list of must-haves for today's homeowner," says Linda Jovanovich of the American Hardwood Information Center, www.hardwoodinfo.com.

"As the amount of residential square-footage dedicated to mudrooms has grown, so has the attention paid to their design and aesthetics. Solid hardwood built-ins not only provide the customization needed in what are sometimes awkwardly configured spaces, but also create the opportunity to bring the warmth and character of natural wood to what is first and foremost a service room."

Bob Near, renovation division director at Streeter & Associates, a Minneapolis-based home-building firm that installs myriad mudrooms, agrees: "For example, working with Peterssen/Keller Architecture and Eminent Interior Design, we recently completed a large mudroom with red-birch cabinetry, part of the makeover of a dated 1980s house. The client wanted a mid-century look, as if the room had been built in the 1960s, so its design is very clean." One wall is entirely floor-to-ceiling storage concealed behind plain slab doors; the other comprises a row of six locker-room-style open cubbies serviced by a single full-length bench.

"The client also asked for unstained wood rather than painted cabinetry, for reasons of durability and aesthetics," Near continues. "First, they felt a clear polyurethane varnish would hold up better than enamel paint to the wear and tear imposed by four active boys. And second, they wanted to give the somewhat austere space a more earthy, homey feel."

Easily applied by hand, the oil-based satin finish had the added advantage of deepening the tone of the red birch without changing its color, an important consideration because the wood had been carefully selected for its not-too-pink, not-too-green hue.

As a whole, the project could serve as a terrific checklist of best mudroom practices: With six cubbies, there's one to assign to each member of the family, who'll then have an easily accessed set of hooks on which to hang wet weather gear; a stretch of solid bench on which to sit and take off dirty boots and shoes that can then be quickly stored in the deep cubbies underneath; a handy drawer for smaller items that might otherwise get lost; and all delivered in a beautiful, red-birch package. Find a better example of flawless function married to fabulous form if you can.

Visit www.hardwoodinfo.com for more about mudrooms and other applications and products using American hardwoods.

The reality series makes its debut at 8 pm Eastern time (ET) on February 14, and features twin sisters, Heidi and Heather, who team up to start an interior design business aimed at providing families with creative, beautiful and functional spaces. To get the new venture off the ground, the twins move their families in together to save money and increase efficiency.

Viewers can empathize with their challenges as the twins, together with their husbands and a total of seven children under the age of 6, work to nurture both their families and their growing business, aptly named "Joyful Living."

The Atlanta, Georgia-based UPtv makes it a full night of love for Valentine's Day this season by also airing the much-anticipated wedding of Josie Bates and Kelton Balka at 9 pm ET on the popular series, "Bringing Up Bates," following the premiere of "Design Twins."

The wedding features a picturesque outdoor country setting and plenty of family participation in the festivities.

"At UPtv, we celebrate family and life's biggest moments," says Amy Winter, general manager and evp. "We are excited to add 'Design Twins' to our Thursday night lineup as we continue to bring viewers uplifting and inspiring stories."

Valentine's Day is a time to celebrate love and romance, but the network keeps heartwarming stories upfront year-round with new episodes of UPtv's hit series on Thursday nights, movie premieres on the weekend and fan-favorite acquired series throughout the week.

UPtv continues the themes of love and family in 2019 with UP Faith & Family. The streaming service offers a variety of commercial-free, faith- and family-friendly entertainment anytime, anywhere. UP Faith & Family offers endless hours of movies, drama series and kids' programming. It's also the exclusive home for past seasons of UPtv originals.

In February, UP Faith & Family will be adding the wedding-themed reality series, "Our Wedding Story," and "Crazy Beautiful Weddings," as well as other romance-themed programs, including the movies, "Bridal Bootcamp" and "Love's Last Resort." New titles are added monthly.

Prospective viewers can enjoy a 14-day free trial of the service by downloading the UP Faith & Family app or visiting Upfaithandfamily.com.

For more information about UPtv, go to UPtv.com or check for updates on Facebook at facebook.com/Uptv, Twitter on @Uptv and Instagram at UP_TV.

"Ultimately, through food, exercise and lifestyle changes, I was able to successfully turn my health around," shares Mullen, who says that Cheribundi has been but one of the keys to improving his RA.

"Whether I'm spending the day in the kitchen or on my bike, I drink Cheribundi along with other 'Hero Foods' to reduce soreness, boost my immune system and amplify my overall health."

Cheribundi tart cherry juice has the highest amount of antioxidants of any juice on the market.

Chef Mullen opened his first solo Spanish restaurant, Tertulia, in Manhattan in 2011. Two years later, he opened El Colmado. In 2017, he released his latest cookbook, "Real Food Heals," hoping to inspire others to take control of their diet and general health."As someone with RA, I'm constantly exploring the impact food has on our overall wellness. Cheribundi understands the importance of nutrition … and like me, they believe in helping people everywhere simply live healthier."

Cheribundi, Almond, and Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:

8 oz of Cheribundi 100 percent Tart Cherry juice

6 oz of coconut water

? an avocado

1 cup frozen wild blueberries

1 TBSP unsweetened almond butter

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a powerful blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately or save in a glass jar in the fridge for later.

Her first foray into publishing began, as many picture the life of an author, with a traditional publishing deal. But after releasing a few books, Michaels decided to turn down an additional deal and try self-publishing.

"I'd begun developing an audience for my books and wanted to try something different. Authors I respected had success and greater control over their work with self-publishing, so I was eager to try it for myself," says Michaels.

She mastered it quickly and decided to go "strictly indie" in 2015, using Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) service to publish in both eBook and print. Since her decision to self-publish, she has been on the USA bestseller list ten times. Her husband quit his job at a large technology company and now works with Michaels to run their publishing company.

"I wanted more control over not just the creative writing, but also the marketing strategy, cover art, and other business aspects of publishing. I grew frustrated being unable to make these decisions going the traditional publishing route," she says. "I'm both a writer and entrepreneur, and I'm enjoying more creative and financial rewards than I ever have."

For Michaels, who says the initial idea of going indie was "taking a leap off a cliff and hoping you can fly before you crash," the resulting benefits have exceeded her expectations.

For those authors wrestling with the idea of self-publishing, consider this:

- Creative control. Self-publishing a book allows authors to build characters and stories exactly the way they want and, ultimately, retain full rights to their original material. A book that has been nursed from inception to novel remains yours.

- Get to market fast. Once a book is ready, self-publishing services, such as KDP, guide authors through setting up their books and getting them in the hands of readers in just a matter of days.

- Make more money. Authors who opt to self-publish can set their own prices and take home a higher percentage of royalties.

While a self-published author serves as his or her own marketing department, indie publishers make marketing simple and effective. Self-publishing companies, such as Amazon, also offer authors additional promotional opportunities to make their work available to more readers.

Many authors find support through writers' groups online, such as Facebook groups, or in-person by attending workshops and writers' conferences. Most cities have local writing groups that meet regularly. These meetings can provide constructive criticism of your work and other resources.

"I fell into self-publishing by accident, and found that connecting with other authors and joining a local writers' organization helped me improve my technique and career tremendously," says self-published science fiction and fantasy author T.S. Paul. "When sales of my novels began to take off, I began working with freelancers and a virtual assistant, also, to grow the community around me."

Regardless of whether a writer is interested in romance, mystery, fantasy, or biographies, self-publishing with services such as KDP can empower them to pursue their dreams, especially if they're willing to study the business side of publishing as well as Jess Michaels did.

Who knows? Maybe the best seller list is closer than you think.

For more information, visit https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/.

Year-round, the bookseller recognizes all the wonderful things that educators do by giving them 20 percent off school supplies. Each weekend in August, Barnes & Noble amplifies their thank you with an Educator Appreciation Month. Each weekend in August, Barnes & Noble increases its discount to 25 percent for most books, gifts, games and toys for teachers and administrators, including items in an expanded back-to-school section.

"Educators do so much for us, our children, and our communities," says Tracy Vidakovich, Vice President, Business Development for Barnes & Noble. "That's why we try to give back in different ways, including our year-round offers for teachers, as well as special appreciation periods like this August's 25 percent discount for most merchandise in our stores."

While educators are shopping during these August weekends, they can also treat themselves to drinks and food at Barnes & Noble Cafés for 10 percent off. In addition, they can snag educational tech products, such as Code Gamer learning kits, at a 10 percent discount.

When it comes to back-to-school shopping, Barnes & Noble has a lot to choose from this year. The bookseller not only has the books, pens, and other school supplies educators need, but it has an expanded collection of back-to-school items that includes JanSport backpacks, S'well water bottles, and Skullcandy headsets.

"Between grading assignments, communicating with parents, and planning classes, teachers are busy well beyond the school year," Vidakovich says. "That's why we want to support them and make things easier by helping them save throughout the year, whether they're teaching or preparing for their next class."

Barnes & Noble's Educator Program has been dedicated to providing discounts to public, private, and home-school educators for about a decade. Sign-up is free. After this August's Educator Appreciation days, Barnes & Noble's next major educator deal will come in the fall, with another Educator Appreciation Week from October 6-14, 2018.

To take advantage of these discounts, educators can enroll in-store, or by completing the Educator Application online and bringing it to their nearest Barnes & Noble location. Educators can also find more information at www.bn.com/h/bn-educators.

Visit Orlando, the official association and travel planning expert for Orlando, offers an additional 10 percent discount on all purchases made at OrlandoTickets.com starting on November 20 to celebrate the start of the holiday shopping season.

To access the promotion, visit OrlandoTickets.com between November 20 and 29 and use the promotional code, "GIFT."

Shoppers will find exclusive deals and discounts to more than 40 world-famous theme parks, attractions and dinner shows. Most are valid through one year from purchase, so they make great gifts for anniversaries, family vacations, or other special events throughout the year.

The Black Friday 10-percent-off offer is in addition to some notable savings opportunities at popular Orlando-area theme parks, including:

- Walt Disney World Resort:

Savings start at $30 per ticket on Flexible Date Disney tickets.

Guests who purchase a 5-day or longer Flexible Date ticket also receive a free commemorative Toy Story towel with each order while supplies last.

- Universal Orlando Resort:

Guests who purchase a 3-Park, 2 Day Park-To-Park ticket receive an additional two free days of unlimited admission to Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure, and Universal's Volcano Bay for a total savings of $65 per ticket.

- SeaWorld Orlando: Guests receive 2 days for the price of 1 with a 2-Day, 2-Park ticket that can be used at SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Busch Gardens Tampa for a savings of $75 per ticket.

- LEGOLAND Florida Resort: Guests receive a second day of free admission with the purchase of a single day admission for a savings of $35 per ticket.

The Orlando area offers more than 450 hotels not only convenient to theme parks and family activities, but also offering a mix of vacation experiences including water parks, entertainment venues, unique and diverse dining experiences, sports, and nightlife, to appeal to all ages and interests.

For more information on how to save money on next year's vacation, or give the perfect gift experience, check out OrlandoTickets.com starting November 20.