Purchasing furniture is one of the priciest investments that you make in your home, so you likely want to keep it looking as good as new. Follow these smart tips for preventing stains, rips, and other signs of wear and tear on your new furniture.

1. Invest in high-quality pieces. First and foremost, investing in good quality furniture is one of the very best ways to ensure that it keeps its original look for years to come.
2. Protect your fabrics and upholstery. When you first purchase a new rug or upholstered sofa, pay a bit extra to have a professional administer a protective coating to repel stains.
3. Flip sofa cushions. By flipping your sofa cushions monthly, you can distribute the weight from frequent use to multiple parts of the cushion.
4. Minimize eating in the living room. If you’re already trying to break this bad habit, just imagine a food stain on your brand new sofa for a bit of extra motivation.
5. Tackle stains immediately. Whether it’s on a rug or the sofa, the most important way to prevent permanent staining is by addressing it immediately so that it can’t sink into the fabric. Read the care instructions on your furniture or rugs when you purchase them so that you know exactly how to remove that red wine stain before it inflicts major damage.

How to Keep Your Furniture Looking Like New [WikiHow]
4 Steps to Keep Your Furniture Looking New [Apartment Therapy]
Keep Your Sofa Looking Like New in 3 Easy Steps! [Shofer’s]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Maegan Tintari

An elegant ambiance, expertly attentive service, and a sumptuous menu of flavorful fare are the hallmarks of Masraff’s. Seating options include the bar with an elevated fireplace, the patio, or in the chic dining room.

Settle in with a glass of wine from Masraff's expansive inventory, then whet your appetite with the ahi tuna tartar, garlic seared calamari, or the chilled colossal crab. Move on to the main event with pan seared diver scallops with carrot ginger bisque, coffee rubbed filet mignon with wild mushroom risotto, or pan roasted chicken breast with au gratin potatoes. Save a spot for the warm triple berry bread pudding with cream cheese mousse.

Masraff's is open every day.

Masraff's
1753 Post Oak Boulevard
Houston, TX 77056
(713) 355-1975
www.masraffs.com
www.yelp.com/biz/masraffs-houston

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/Tarale

If you strive to include local, organic produce in your diet, this post is for you! The following two websites make it easy to track down farmers' markets near you, so you can continue to stock your kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers.

USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory [USDA]
Listing more than 8,200 markets across the U.S., the USDA's farmers' market directory makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for. You can search by zip code, available products, accepted payment, and location (e.g. farm or closed-off street). Making this tool even more convenient, results can be exported to a spreadsheet or viewed in map form.

Farmers' Markets [Local Harvest]
This website displays local farmers' markets in map form with a directory of market names listed underneath. Simply type your zip code at the top of the webpage, then click the results for more information and product highlights of each farmers' market.

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/Michael Dorausch