We all have storms in our lives. Whether it is a tornado that rips through our town, destroying the things that lie in it’s path or a storm that rips through your family destroying relationships. Perhaps your storm is the death of a family member, some unexpected news, a life-altering event. The nature of the [...]
While I love to cook, it is no secret that I am not a fan of baking. I CAN bake, it just isn’t my favorite thing to do. It is more of a science that cooking. With cooking I can experiment and throw whatever suits my fancy together and add a pinch of this and [...]
This is a favorite side around here. We just love it beyond what words could describe. It is super easy to make and is also really quick for those nights when you need to throw something together for the family or to impress unexpected guests. I ALWAYS keep several cans of carrots on hand just [...]
When I make this bread it gets really quiet around my house. That means I make it often! Quiet around this place is SACRED! Usually there is a dull roar. But a roar none-the-less. And at times it is louder around here than a rock concert. So if I make something where everyone just sits around [...]
I see kids younger and younger playing on Smart Phones. With all the educational apps available it really shouldn’t be a surprise but goodness, it is hard to let a young child play with a phone that cost me a fortune.
With KidsSafe Phone Cover you won’t have to worry so much. They are designed to fit most any size phone.
The KidSafe Smart Phone Cover is great for playtime. It enables your kids to use the touchscreen on your smart phone through a protective plastic coating, but your kids won’t even notice the difference.
The KidSafe Smart Phone Cover will keep sticky messes from getting on your screen. I mean really, we all know how kids always have their hands in one mess or anther. It is light weight and easy to store. Simply slip your smart phone in, case and all, and your kids can watch cartoons, play games or use your phone for educational opportunities!
I think it is great that this case fits most any phone. And it is easy to slip your phone in and out of the cover. It is easy to use the phone while it is in the cover and one of our big questions was could you still hear the sounds with the cover on. Yes, you can! About the only feature that isn’t useable is the camera. At a price point of $12.95 this makes a great gift for Mom’s and Dad’s that have little ones that are always wanting to play on their phones. It is available with pink or blue trim and can be ordered from Veyl Products.
“I was supplied with a promotional product to help facilitate this post. All opinions are those of my own and were in no way influenced by any outside source.”
There are so many things to consider when looking at flooring options. Where to even start?? One of the big considerations in our house is price. Price of the flooring, materials needed to install the flooring, do we need to hire someone to install the flooring? It can really add up quickly!
One of the BEST flooring options we have found…Carpet Tiles. Ohhh my, I love them. They are easy to install, so easy in fact that even I can do it. They are affordable. No crazy tools needed to install it. They are easy to maintain and clean. And they are DURABLE! We visited Carpet Bargains, made our selections and got started. Since Carpet Bargains is local to me we were able to go in and see the selection in person before making our final decisions. But if you are’t local and would like to see and feel what a particular color looks like you can order samples and their customer service is SUPERB. They will help you make a choice that is right for the area you want it to go in. They have tiles for both residential and commercial buildings and they have different backing options…even some that are peel and stick.
Look at that backing! That means, no ruined and stinky padding. That means spills are easy to mop up. That means that if you clean spills up in a reasonable time it won’t ruin your sub-floor!
There are so many advantages that I have found to carpet tiles, all of which were HUGE pluses to us. Carpet tiles comes in MANY, MANY different styles and colors, making it easy to find something that will go with your decor and the feel of your home. I chose a darker color because we have a lot of traffic through here, we have 3 dogs and we have teens. While the carpet tiles are super easy to clean and most spills will not stain…I didn’t want to have to vacuum every day. You Mom’s know what I am talking about…you get that dreaded call from a friend in the area that would just love to drop by and see you…Oh, and they are going to be there in 5 minutes. That means all the dirty dishes go in the oven, the dirty clothes stashed in the closet and all the clutter and toys go under the bed, air freshener sprayed and there is no time to sweep or vacuum. Oh PLEASE, don’t give me that look, we have all been there. And I seem to find myself there quite often. So, I chose something darker, so if I have company showing up I could get away without trying to vacuum a whole room in 60 seconds flat.
Since it’s inception over 25 years ago, carpet tile has been the flooring of choice for extreme high traffic areas, such as airports, restaurants, hospitals, etc. Carpet tiles will outwear conventional carpet at least 2 to 1! And that folks is how it stole my heart.
In addition to being extremely durable, carpet tiles offer the distinct advantage of easy spot replacement. If an area is damaged, simply lift out the damaged carpet tile and trade it with an extra one left over from installation or one from a less obvious place – under a desk, sofa, or other less visible area. Check out my video later in the post to see just how easy they are to clean and replace…but lets talk about the ease of installation first.
To install carpet tiles you simply have to remove the old flooring. Making sure to pull up any staples, tacks, etc.
Once that is done, clean the sub-flooring very well. All of the dust and debris has to be gone. If there are any pits or uneven surfaces you are going to want to fill with putty and let dry completely or if they are raised you will need to sand them down.
Pick your starting point…and get started. We contemplated doing a basket weave style before I saw this particular pattern. If we had stuck with our original choice we would have needed to start in the middle of the room and worked out. But because of the style we chose as our final pick we could start on one side. Another great plus to these are that the seams don’t show once they are all in and have been walked on a little, or vacuumed.
To keep the tiles in place we are using the glue that was recommended by the manufacturer. It is a spray on adhesive and super easy to use. Spray a little in each of the 4 corners and a dot in the middle and simply stick the tile where it needs to go. Seriously!! I told you it was easy! The back even has arrows so you will know which way to place the tile so that the pattern all runs the same way. It is really hard to mess this up.
When you get to the opposite edge of where you started, you may need to cut some pieces to fit. All you will need for that is a straight edge ruler and a utility knife.
And…you are done! We got completely finished in ONE day. That was moving the furniture out, removing the old carpet, prepping the floor, installing the new carpet tiles and placing the furniture back in the room.We didn’t have to pay anyone to install it. We didn’t have to buy special tools.
Now, what happens if you spill something? Or need to replace a tile? Well, let me show you how easy and quick it is to clean or make repairs:
Please note that we used straight bleach in the video. The manufacturer does not recommend using straight bleach but a 10 to 20 percent bleach solution to clean with. That will be more than sufficient to get out most stains. I just wanted to show that if an accident with bleach happens, so long as you get it up your tiles should be ok. Some lightening may occur if it sits for a long period of time. You can find out more about Carpet Tiles and see colors and styles by visiting www.carpetbargains.com or www.bestcarpetvalue.com. You can also follow them on Facebook to stay updated on new arrivals and news.
“I was provided with a promotional product to help facilitate this post. All opinions are my own and we couldn’t be happier with the carpet tiles that we installed in our home!”
I am ALWAYS needing bags. Good bags, not cheap flimsy ones that will fall apart in just a few uses. I tote around a lot of stuff and it needs to be reliable, sturdy and long-lasting. I have found my bag:
SailorBags Totes come in 3 different sizes to fit all of your needs, are generously sized and sturdy as all get out! Mine is loaded down with books, a laptop, papers and files of all sorts. When I say it is filled to the brim, I mean it, it is FULL.
SailorBags “Just For Kids” Collection is such a cute collections for all the little ones in your life. Made to hold all of their treasures and last a lifetime.
Are those not fabulous? They have every size and style that you could want. Messenger Bags, Tote Bags, Cooler Bags, BackPacks, Duffels, Stow Bags,etc. SailorBags are made from custom-woven sailcloth. They leave out the resins and chemicals that make sailcloth stiff and unpleasant to handle, but keep in the qualities that are important—nice to touch, durable and resistant to water, stains and abrasion. Originally designed for the tough standards of sailors, they have expanded their products for anyone who is active on and off the water. If you are looking for a bag large enough for all of your family gear…SailorBags and jill-e designs teamed up make a durable, yet totally fashionable, sailcloth messenger style bag – padded to protect all your valuable electronic devices. You can carry a digital SLR camera and several lenses, or a video camera and accessories, along with a netbook computer, and still have lots of space for other personal items. There’s an adjustable, padded shoulder strap, complete with cell phone pocket, and lots of exterior pockets to organize all the small items that tend to get lost in a good sized bag like this. That is going to be my next investment!!
About SailorBags:
Stylish
Popular, yet classic, nautical design
Simple, tailored look
Fine attention to detail—nautically inspired zigzag stitching, grommets and other components
Customized embroidery
Available in white, red and blue fabrics (not all styles)
Practical
Made of durable and water-resistant sailcloth
Waterproof lining
Plenty of pockets
Multiple sizes
Zippered top keeps contents dry and secure
Machine washable (except cooler bags)
Keeps its size and shape (unlike canvas)
Easy to stow, foldable
Value
Significantly lower priced than other sailcloth bags
Make sure to check out all the great gift ideas from SailorBags and their Black Friday special which is being offered on Nov. 24-29 with a generous 25% off all items!!
Also make sure to check out the SailorBags FaceBook page where they have fun giveaways, discounts, and other gift ideas: http://www.facebook.com/#!/SailorBags
“I was provided with a sample bag from SailorBags to help facilitate this review. All opinions stated are those of my own are were in no way influenced by any outside source or by receipt of sample.”
I am HORRIBLE on my glasses. I lay them around, never like they are supposed to be. I take them off and put them somewhere and then can’t find them. I weed-eat in them. I am the epitome of the absent minded, glasses wearing, geek. Especially this past week. I got a set of new lenses because well, I weed-eat in my glasses. I wish I had taken a before picture of them, they were scratched, chipped and warped. Seriously. They were sad and I could have showed you just how sad, if I would just remember things like that. My lenses were replaced with Airwear eyeglass lenses by Essilor. These babies are so light that I am constantly hunting for my glasses…which will just happen to be on my face. I LOVE them. I wouldn’t have thought that a pair of lenses could make such a difference but they do. They are so clear and light weight. They are impact and scratch resistant…and for me, that is HUGE! In addition to increased durability, the lenses are made using environmentally conscious practices such as 100 percent recycled water, 100 percent recyclable packaging, and the company re-purposes unused materials in other industries. With these new, green practices Airwear conserves millions of gallons of water and eliminates 570,000 pounds of plastic waste every year! You can read more about Airwear’s dedication to taking care of our planet at www.LighterSaferGreener.com.
You now have the choice to go “green” with your eyewear… how cool is that? Airwear® polycarbonate lenses from Essilor are 43% lighter and 10 times more impact resistant than regular lenses, made using environmentally-conscious practices, including the use of 100% recycled water, 100% recyclable packaging and re-purposing unused materials in other industries. But going green doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort, performance, protection or style. With Airwear you can have both!
And Airwear has the reputation to back it up. When I talked to my Optometrist about Airwear he had nothing but praises to sing about their lenses. He guaranteed me that I would love them and that they would be perfect for my lifestyle. He was right!
If you are in the market for new lenses or glasses, ask for Airwear. You can’t go wrong!
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Airwear and received a pair of Airwear eyeglass lenses to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
Once that is done, clean the sub-flooring very well. All of the dust and debris has to be gone. If there are any pits or uneven surfaces you are going to want to fill with putty and let dry completely or if they are raised you will need to sand them down.
Pick your starting point…and get started. We contemplated doing a basket weave style before I saw this particular pattern. If we had stuck with our original choice we would have needed to start in the middle of the room and worked out. But because of the style we chose as our final pick we could start on one side. Another great plus to these are that the seams don’t show once they are all in and have been walked on a little, or vacuumed.
To keep the tiles in place we are using the glue that was recommended by the manufacturer. It is a spray on adhesive and super easy to use. Spray a little in each of the 4 corners and a dot in the middle and simply stick the tile where it needs to go. Seriously!! I told you it was easy! The back even has arrows so you will know which way to place the tile so that the pattern all runs the same way. It is really hard to mess this up.
