Celebrities, Fun, and Mohawk Flooring at The New England Home Show #LicenseToSpill

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Mohawk Flooring. All thoughts, experiences, and opinions shared are my own, your experiences and opinions may vary. #cbias #SocialFabric #licensetospill

The winter of 2013 has been particularly harsh, with several weekend snowstorms, so I was thrilled to see that Saturday was a bright sunny day with a few fluffy clouds scattered in the sky. The sunny day would make my solo drive to Foxboro for the New England Home Show and Mohawk’s “License to Spill” Tour more fun!

As I was driving over the gorgeous Sagamore bridge, my mind wondered to the first time I headed to Gillette Stadium. Last August, my mom took me to see Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. We had a blast and the stadium was rockin’! Immediately I wondered, how on earth are they going to have a home show outside? There is still snow on the ground?! Then I remembered that the New England Patriots train inside at the Dana Farber Field House when the weather is nasty. I’m guessing they spent a lot of time in there this winter.

I pulled into the parking lot and was directed to a spot fairly close to the entrance of the Dana Farber Field House. I was thankful for that, despite the sunny skies, the wind was howling and it was cold! My eyes quickly went to the little ticket booths. The people working in the booths looked pretty cold to me.

Quickly, I paid for my ticket and made my way inside.

I stopped to grab my complimentary light blub – and the sweet gal gave me two! I love the CFL lightbulbs. Sure, they take a few minutes to heat up, but are much better for the environment than a traditional bulb. She also gave me a map of the New England Home Show. I couldn’t believe how many vendors were there – over 300! You could finish your basement {would love to do that!}, remodel your bathroom, change out your windows, learn about homeowner’s insurance, and buy a blender. Talk about one stop shopping!

Everyone was milling about, toting their free orange shopping bags filled with goodies and lightbulbs. I used the map and quickly found the Mohawk Flooring LicenseToSpill tour.

Amanda from Mohawk Flooring greeted me right away and was excited to show me the Mohawk SmartStrand carpeting. SmartStrand has a permanent stain and soil resistance built into it – it will never wear off. I learned that over time, traditional stain resistant carpeting loses it’s stain treatment leaving the carpeting looking worn out and dirty. With SmartStrand, the strain protection is built into the fibers, not applied to the carpeting.

What I loved most about the SmartStrand carpeting is how easy it is to clean. Since The Boy was born, I’ve reduced the amount of chemicals in our home, and try to clean using only natural products. The SmartStrand carpeting can be cleaned with warm water and a clean rag. This carpet is rated #1 in consumer satisfaction. It didn’t surprise me to learn that Mohawk is the world’s largest flooring manufacturer, you purchase their products through local retailers.

Can you imagine having carpeting in your home that was this easy to clean? When I learned that SmartStrand is an environmentally friendly product as well, my jaw nearly hit the floor. It’s partially made from corn. What? I had to investigate this statement. Here’s what I found on Mohawk Flooring’s website:

SmartStrand carpet is made with DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer, which is made in part from actual corn—the same kind you grow in your garden. It also uses less energy to produce. It marks the first time that a luxuriously soft carpet offers durability and stain protection, while also making less of an environmental impact. From field to floor, SmartStrand carpet is the perfect solution to life’s unpredictable moments and environmental concerns.

The carpet is the softest carpeting I’ve ever put my hand on. It was as soft as a cat’s tail. If you have a gentle, loving cat, you know what I’m talking about. My cat is a bit ornery, and wouldn’t pose for a photo today.

As if the carpet alone wasn’t enough to impress you, Mohawk Flooring had celebrities there too!

Taniya Nayak is a Bostonian that you may recognize from shows such as House Hunters on Vacation, Designed to Sell, and Restaurant Impossible. She has Mohawk Flooring in her condo, too. I’m sure her condo is super cute. Just check out how cute she is!

Also on hand was JD Roberto, from the talk show The Better Show. If you’re not familiar with the program, it takes it’s name from Better Homes and Gardens. Much of the content is tied to the magazine as well as other publications from the Meredith Corporation.

JD was excited about the carpeting – and couldn’t wait to take a shot at spraying grape juice on the sample pieces!

While I had a blast learning about the Mohawk SmartStrand carpeting, I found myself a bit distracted while I was there. Just a few feet away, Chef Ben Lacy from Tastings from Wine Bar and Bistro was featuring a local favorite, Boston baked beans. Even though I’m not a fan of Boston baked beans, the smell was deliciously distracting. I regret not asking how easy it would be to clean Boston baked beans out of the SmartStrand carpeting!

You can learn more about Mohawk Flooring by following their Twitter and Facebook accounts. Before you run off to check those out, I wanted to let you know about a great giveaway that Mohawk Flooring is offering. A lucky winner will receive a 6′ X 9′ SmartStrand Silk bound carpet rug – as well as discounts up to $500 off a carpet installation! Learn more about the giveaway and the discount by visiting the Mohawk Flooring LicenseToSpill Boston page on their website.