Summer time is here again, and with plenty of family and friend-oriented occasions knocking on 2016's door, we're super excited about Memorial Day. Whether you're planning to have a block party blowout or an intimate gathering with family and friends, there are a few essential ingredients you'll want to have at your Memorial Day BBQ.

After spring cleaning comes summer refreshment. With just a few quick changes, you can make a big difference in the look and feel of your home. Let the warm air and sunny colors of summer inspire you to try these 10-minute tricks for freshening up your space!

When selecting window shades, most people focus on color, style and (of course) price. These are just a few of the considerations you should take into account when selecting window shades, though. There are many other factors to consider, from the safety of your pets to whether or not a warranty is included with your shades. If you’re looking for new window shades, we’ve assembled a guide of 10 essential questions to ask when buying shades.

Creating an outdoor living space is probably easier than you think, when you use ZipRite Shades. Brought to you by Polar Shades®, ZipRite exterior shades keep pets in, and insects out.

Polar Shades offers shade fabrics that are the ideal solution for managing the sun's heat and glare so you can enjoy an exceptionally comfortable indoor experience. Fabrics come in an array of styles, types, and colors guaranteed to compliment any decόr and building style. To select the best shade fabric that meets your needs, consider the following differing features:

While everyone enjoys having natural light fill their home, fading, discoloration and fabric damage are all unwelcome downsides of sunlight. All fabrics and materials are affected by both direct and indirect sunlight, and even the most color-fast materials will fade. Sun control shades are a stylish way to block and keep sunlight from doing its worst to your furniture.

Motorized window shades offer unparalleled convenience, as you can open and close them with just the press of a button. At Polar Shades, we strive to make adding a new remote to your window shade automation system just as easy as pressing an existing remote’s button. In fact, all you need to do to add a new remote is press a few buttons. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process.

Our partner, Somfy Systems, is the largest manufacturer of tubular motors. Somfy-powered, motorized window shades give you a new view on life – and your home. Somfy's latest upgrade to its myLink™ app allows you to maximize the benefits of convenience, privacy, comfort and energy savings so you can operate your window shades with your favorite mobile device – whether you're parked on your couch at home or parked in a traffic jam 50 miles away.

At Polar Shades, all of our products, including our motors, have been approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for their superior quality and operations. This is an important safety feature we've worked hard to bring to our consumers. Other companies will use cheaper motors to save a few dollars but these motors can burn up and pose a safety risk to your home.