This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have a decades-long dream. It’s to go on a trip to some wonderful, relaxing place — and take my favorite people from all different phases of my life with me.

Of course, I’d take my family and close relatives. But then I’d take the “gang” of friends I grew up with: Lisa, Marnae, Kim, Annette, Shelly, Michelle, Eileen, Liz, Sonja, Kerri, Cheri, Paula, Lisa, Jennifer, Jill, Jerryne, Deanne, and a bunch more. I’d grab some college buddies, like Dallas, Marie, Lisa, Courtney, Brenda, Sarah, Paige, and a few others. Without question there will be the Boca contingency, which would have to include Tara, Robyne, Amber, Rolain, Donna, Kendra, Becky, Patti, Kim, Holly, Sheri, and others. And I couldn’t forget my dear friends from Eagle Mountain, my new friends in Lindon, and all my blogging partners and associates. Of course spouses would be invited.

It would be like a class reunion without all the stress of having to see the kid who tortured you every day your entire childhood. (I call him “Bob.”)

If you share this dream, you could make it reality! The Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes is going on now and you could win an entire hotel for a weekend. That’s 100 rooms for two nights. In addition, you get $5,000 toward the cost of taxes.

This fine sweepstakes is open to everyone, not just Hilton Honors members or previous guests. Enter today!

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We are looking for appliances for our new home. We are prepared to order online, but could be persuaded to order locally if the prices are competitive. Below is the package we have decided on. We have also included the best price we have found (prices include all shipping and taxes).

If you’re interested in bidding, please comment below or use the contact form.

Kitchen Appliances

Refrigerator/Freezer

Frigidaire Professional FPRH17D7KF $949.05

Frigidaire Professional FPUH17D7KF $949.05

Double Trim Kit DUOTRIMKIT $235.32

Ice Maker IM501 $38.13

Range

DCS RDT485GDSSN $8949.99

Microwave

Panasonic NN-SD967S (purchased at eBay)

Trim Kit TK-929SA (purchased at Amazon)

Dishwashers

2 Bosch Evolution 300 SHE43P05UC $587.79

Garbage Disposers

2 Waste King 8000 (purchased at Overstock)

Kitchenette Appliances

Refrigerator

Danby DCR326BSL $186.38

Microwave

Kenmore 66339 (purchased at eBay)

Garbage Disposer

Waste King 8000 (purchased at Overstock)

Break Room Appliances

Refrigerator

Danby DCR326BSL $186.38

Microwave

Kenmore 66339 (purchased at eBay)

We will be reviewing each of these products in future posts. They were chosen after a great deal of research through consumer services, owner recommendations, independent reviews, and cost and feature comparisons. The internet is a great source of candid consumer information. It’s also a great source for pricing information and actual product purchases.

Sometimes hearing about the bad is as important as getting a positive recommendation. We’d love to hear what appliances you like and which ones you wish you’d never purchased.Similar Posts:

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

Boost Mobile has an interesting program called Re-Boost. The most difficult thing about Re-Boost is figuring out what it is! If you go to the Re-Boost area on BoostMobile’s site, it doesn’t give you any clues.

Googling for some information, the most thorough description came from the meta description tag. It says this:

Re-Boost®: it’s how you add money to your account. You decide exactly how and where you want to pay no matter what plan you’ve got. You’re in control. Have a credit/debit card or bank account? It’s easy—and it’s anytime/anywhere. Want to use cash? No problem. We have thousands of Re-Boost retailer locations. Visit Boostmobile.com and click on Re-Boost to learn more.

Ah. So Re-Boost is kind of a mobile phone minutes refilling service.

Boost Mobile has certainly made it easy and convenient to give your phone more calling juice. As per above, you can pay in person at one of their retail locations, but you can also pay online or by phone with a debit or credit card. You can even sign up for automatic payments. Best of all, you can have someone else pay your bill. I like that option the best. (Anyone want to volunteer to pay my phone bill?)

Boost Mobile offers a number of phones, including the uber-popular Blackberry. And if you’re a social media fan, rest assured that Boost Mobile’s phones are ready to help you stay updated on FaceBook and Twitter.

If you’re in the market for a new phone/service, check out Boost Mobile and their convenient Re-Boost program.

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Building a custom home is not for the faint of heart. Seriously. I’ve decided that building is like having a baby. It’s extremely long and painful, but once you’re done you forget the pain — just long enough to decide that you’d like to do it again. And when you remember the pain, it’s too late to change your mind.

Due to the fact that we paid for the land outright and then still had to fork over ridiculous amounts of cash just to close on the construction loan, our personal contingency funding was long gone. And the budgeted contingency was gone before we had a single wall to call our own.

Months ago we had a big cost overrun for the concrete footings due to some misunderstandings and/or miscommunications between the engineer and the cement guys. Later the lumber went about $14,000 over budget due to a price spike between the bid and the order when the bid price lock wasn’t monitored or renegotiated.

If that weren’t enough, the “bids” from the electrician, the plumber, and the HVAC guy — obviously a huge part of a building budget — were unwritten, unspecified, and (apparently) subject to change.

When Sam and I look for subcontracted work, we always get multiple, competing bids (at least three). They are always written, very specific, and negotiated carefully before we move forward. Unfortunately most of the subs our general contractor brought in have nothing but memory of months-old conversations to go on. That pretty much works to our disadvantage at every turn.

Then there are the details. A few months ago we walked up to the house only to find a huge vent coming out of the roof right over the front door — even though we had specifically designed the HVAC system to avoid this unsightly mess and even though we had discussed the issue. I pretty much had a cow and demanded that they move it to the back. They did. But the hole stayed there for weeks and weeks. In spite of repeatedly requests to fix the hole, it was only taken care of after a big rainstorm (by Utah standards) that poured in the roof, through the attic, into the utility closet through the floor, and out the vent hole to the main floor. I freaked and the hole got fixed. Finally.

Sam and I have been trying to make sure windows aren’t open during storms, people don’t trudge through newly poured/painted/polished/stained surfaces, and stuff doesn’t get broken. We have door damage and tub damage and a number of days ago we cleaned up the flooded garage ourselves.

Last week a guy on the crew was installing the second series of stairs. When he left (we were working on the attic flooring) he said, “The stairs going down are already getting scratched. You probably want to cover them up so they don’t get worse.”

Huh?

It seems to me that either in the capacity of “general contractor’s crew” or in the capacity of “stair installer” he might be the one to cover the stairs to make sure they don’t get damaged. Instead it was the homeowners doing the job.

And now it seems we are in slowdown mode. The house was first scheduled to be done in May. It’s nearly September, the owners of our rental home are back from New York and wondering when we’ll move out (we have to empty the garages for their stuff tomorrow), my family is ready to move my dad, and we’re the only ones over working on our house some days. The seating guy and the countertop guy and the appliance guy are waiting on the cabinet guy — who isn’t there. The landscaper is waiting for the driveway — which isn’t being poured. There are trim and stairs and other details needing to be done — and no one is working and no one answers the phone.

So if you send me a letter and it gets returned next week, you’ll know that our landlord got tired of waiting and we’re living in a tent in our future back yard. Won’t that be fun?Similar Posts:

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Woodrow Wilson. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am surrounded by scientists. My husband has a PhD in electrical engineering. My father has a PhD in mathematics. My sister has a master’s in math and her husband has a PhD in physics. Yes, it makes for a family reunion geekfest, but it also means that math and science are very important in our family.

When my oldest was just a baby I typeset my sister’s master’s thesis, titled Scientists, Schoolteachers, and the Two Cultures of Mathematics. The information I read there compelled me to research further about those who introduce the majority o f America’s children to math. In a nutshell, statistically public school teachers don’t like math, don’t excel in math, and the majority select elementary/secondary education as a major in order to avoid upper level math! (See Lucy Sells, Marilyn Burns, et. al. for more.)

That wasn’t the education I hoped my children would receive. In fact, the poor foundation that most teachers have in math was the single greatest catalyst in our beginning to homeschool in 1994.

Today I learned about a group that may be part of the education solution. The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship (www.wwteachingfellowship.org) offers a $30,000 stipend to recent college graduates and those changing careers to complete an intensive master’s degree program. The goal is to recruit, prepare, and retain great teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM fields). Recipients can choose from among 14 participating universities in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. My dad was a math professor at one of the universities, Purdue, before I was born!

Do you qualify for this award? You’ll be competitive if you meet the following criteria:

• Completed an undergraduate degree in a STEM field by June 2011.
• Graduated with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the program and its goals.

If you are interested in applying, remember that there is a September 1st deadline!

Here are some of the great features of the program:

• Complete a field-based master’s degree in teacher education.
• Commit to teach for at least three years in a high-need school.
• Receive intensive support and mentoring in the classroom.
• Funded by states and nonprofit organizations.

The unfortunate name aside (Woodrow Wilson is my least favorite president in history), this kind of community program is a positive step toward improving teaching in science, technology, engineering, and math — four areas very close to my heart.

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13 years ago, Sam and I found the perfect mattress. For us. And we still have it. It’s a combination air bed with memory foam on top. It is luxurious and amazingly comfortable. It is amazing.

But after 13 years, it has sprung a couple of unidentifiable leaks — at least one on each side. So after just a few hours of sleep, we find ourselves sunken down the box spring and wake up to refill the mattress. We’re looking into just getting replacement parts or a new bed altogether. During the search I learned about a great new concept in bedding: creating your own bed to your personal specifications.

With a made-to-order mattress, you choose the softness, the size, the materials, and the features. You get exactly what you want.

The  mattress discount site I found has seven basic steps. You choose the size, support system, softness, and features. Then you confirm and customize your mattress.

For example, I chose a king mattress with 12″ memory foam with a microsuede sidewall fabric. I added a standard box spring. The  total price was $5,550. Compare the prices and you’ll likely find that they are significantly lower than most department stores and furniture showrooms.

There are multiple support and firmness choices, an adjustable base is available, and you can upgrade or downgrade to suit your budget. If you want a queen size memory foam mattress, they’ve got it. If you want a twin size spring mattress with an adjustable frame, they’ve got that, too. If you’re looking for a bed and can’t find just the right fit, look into creating a custom mattress — and rest easy.Similar Posts:

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While getting countertop and tub surrounds bids, we learned a lot about various surface options and how they compare in today’s market. (Things have really changed since we last built in 2003.) Unfortunately there are no perfect home surfaces. All have pros and cons.

While I love the look of tile, I really hate grout. Hate with a capital H. But after much consideration, we have decided that tile is still the best solution in some areas of our home.

Tile can be purchased in myriad materials: slate, marble, saltillo, granite, travertine, limestone, ceramic, porcelain, glass. As you can imagine, the prices vary even more than the selection. We found tiles for well under one dollar per square foot to well over twenty. (And even million dollar tile encrusted with diamonds.) Through the countertop contacts we made, we got a few incidental bids for tile installation. But with the tile purchase and installation mixed together in one price— along with fuzzy specifics about which tiles could be selected — we found the process convoluted and imprecise. It was difficult to compare the bids. So we’re starting over.

We’d like to gather bids for tile installation as specified below on a per square foot basis, with the tile priced as a separate item. We have purchased some of the tile already and will likely purchase the rest as well. If our selected installer has some great tile sources or discounts they are willing to pass on to us (without all behind the scenes dealing), that will be a bonus. [Note that there are three showers that do not have tubs. The floors are concrete, so please include anything needed to prepare the floor in the bid.]

Price should include labor and everything needed to complete the job as specified, except the tile. The total square footage to be tiled is 692.3 square feet.

The house is located at 242 E 600 N, Lindon, Utah. Download the cabinet drawings and the whole house drawings if they will be helpful to you.

If you’re interested in bidding, please use the contact form or comment below. Here are the areas we wil be tiling:

Kitchen Backsplash

• 19.9 square feet
• Range (north) wall, full wall from counter to upper cabinets and (behind the stove) from rangetop to hood

Master Shower

• 198 square feet
• Floor to ceiling (ceiling not tiled), including small entry walls that extend to corners
• Additions: bench, two shampoo shelves (or inset shelf), soap dish (or inset)

Master Jetted Tub

• 31.4 square feet
• Above jetted tub from tub to window sill height on two walls
• Wrap bottom ledge of window sill
• Jetted tub skirt on two exposed sides
• Tile extends two inches beyond top of tub on each wall side from top of tile down to floor
• Addition: removable tiled panel on short end of tub to access motor

Main Floor Guest Shower

• 110.9  square feet
• Floor to ceiling (ceiling not tiled), extending two inches beyond door
• Additions: bench, shampoo shelf (or inset), soap dish (or inset)

Downstairs Guest Shower

• 76.5 square feet
• Floor to ceiling (ceiling not tiled), extending two inches beyond door
• Additions: shampoo shelf (or inset), soap dish (or inset)

Kids’ Basement Shower/Tub Surround 1

• 77.9 square feet
• Floor to ceiling (ceiling not tiled)
• One window fully wrapped
• Tile extends three inches beyond top of tub on each wall side from ceiling to floor
• Additions: soap dish, shampoo shelf, towel bar

Kids’ Basement Shower/Tub Surround 2

• 77.9 square feet
• Floor to ceiling (ceiling not tiled)
• One window fully wrapped
• Tile extends three inches beyond top of tub on each wall side from ceiling to floor
• Additions: soap dish, shampoo shelf, towel bar

Kids’ Attic Shower/Tub Surround

• 70.3 square feet
• Floor to ceiling (ceiling not tiled)
• Tile extends three inches beyond top of tub on each wall side from ceiling to floor
• Additions: soap dish, shampoo shelf, towel bar

Kitchenette Backsplash

• 13 square feet
• Full backsplash from counter to upper cabinets
• Two 4″ splashes — one on each end

Laundry Room Backsplash

• 6.3 square feet
• Full backsplash from counter behind sink to upper cabinets
• Two 4″ splashes — one on each end

Fireplace Surrounds

• 10.2 square feet
• 6″ border around two fireplace openings
• Will be edged with wood trim

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of iNetVideo.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have six kids. That fact alone would almost assure that I not only need a fitness program, but need an efficient and convenient one as well.

Having exercised regularly since I was a teenager, I have amassed myriad ways to fit fitness into my life. As a mom it’s been mostly through the use of jogging strollers (often accompanied by roller blades), home fitness equipment (like my beloved tread mill and adjustable weight set), and a host of exercise DVDs.

Fitness DVDs are a great way to keep exercise interesting. They don’t cost much and yet provide hours of fitness instruction. No longer are you limited to either Jane Fonda or…Jane Fonda. Now you have workout DVDs form every angle imaginable, from kick boxing to circuit training to hip hop to belly dance.

If you’re looking for a new fitness DVD to keep you motivated, check out the huge selection at iNetVideo. They have great prices, so breaking into a sweat won’t break the bank.

Some of my favorite fitness instructors are there. Billy Blank, the Tae Bo guru, is always a fun, quick-paced workout. Kathy Smith — who I swear hasn’t aged in the last 20 years — has a dizzying array of workouts. Even Denise Austin is still alive and kicking (and producing) and Tony Little still has that crazy ponytail. (What the heck, Tony! Get a haircut!) And don’t forget the never-ending The Firm. I still have the first three of these and they are killer weight workouts.

Check out a couple of new fitness DVDs. There are still a few months of swimsuit weather left!

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If you’re thinking the house building has come to a stand still, think again. The reason I’m not posting about it — or about much of anything — is because I’m too busy with the details. Painting, cabinets, trim, hardware, flooring, decking, landscaping, fixtures. Not to mention stupid budget overruns that never should have happened. It never ends.

Now that we are in the process of finish work, there are a billion, tedious details to wrap up. It’s crazy. It’s hectic. And it’s taking all of our time. And we’ll all be really glad when it’s done. Of course, that will mean it’s time to move. Again. And that’s another month of insanity.Similar Posts:

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I was in high school, my mom was an administrator for BYU’s Degrees by Independent Study. That was my first exposure to the idea of getting a real, accredited college degree without the full campus experience. It was a great fit for all sorts of people, like adults who were working full time to support a family, stay-at-home moms who couldn’t be gone all day, those were were physically unable to manage the rigors of moving from class-to-class all day, etc.

Today, with the internet, a whole new world of remote education has opened up. It’s more convenient and efficient than ever to study and learn from anywhere in the world. Now you can earn a respected degree in almost any situation, to improve your job prospects, earning potential, or just to become a more educated and knowledgeable person.

The USC Rossier School of Education’s MAT@USC offers teachers the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in teaching from distinguished USC faculty. The course of study is highly interactive and can be completed in as little as 12 months!

You’ll be a full-fledged Trojan with all student benefits. Upon completion, you’ll participate in the commencement ceremonies and have a free, lifetime membership in the USC alumni association. Get program information for this ground-breaking program to find out if it’s right for you and your future.

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