Earlier this summer, we had a garage sale. We had a lot of junk treasures, to clean out. I was excited about the prospect of making a good chunk of change based on a few of our "big" objects and the oodles of infant gear and kids' clothes, which are always hot garage sale items. But, I knew that presentation was the key to getting more things sold. The neater my "treasures" were displayed, the quicker and better they would sell.
We have annual garage sales so I've somewhat perfected my strategies over the years. I usually try to arrange things similar to a mini-store with all like-items placed together. Normally, I have enough table space simply by putting a big piece of plywood on top of our sawhorses, and setting up my card table and Lifetime 4'x2' table. I also always use my Lifetime Personal Table for my separate cash table. This year, however, we had way too much stuff...I needed more table space. My husband is in the Air Force and, luckily, his squadron had three Lifetime 8-foot tables we could borrow. Whoo-hoo! However, did I mention these tables are normally used by a bunch of fighter pilots for BBQs and lobster boils? Oh, and the tables are stored outside. Consequently, when Mike brought the tables home, they were disgusting. Dried on BBQ sauce, beverages, butter, and layers of dirt and filth. Do the guys ever clean these things?!? (Rhetorical question, I suppose.) But, just like Lifetime advertises, the tables are pretty much stain-resistant. Fortunately, most of the aged stains hosed right off, and only a few of the really crusty ones required a little more elbow grease with some soap and a brush.
Having all the table space was great. It allowed us to set up everything the night before in the garage and simply carry the tables out to the driveway in the morning to open business. And, I could use one table for baby items, one for household décor, one for electronics, etc. However, one thing tables aren't good for displaying at garage sales ...clothes. People tend to just rummage through neatly stacked piles and you end up with a huge heap of what looks like dirty laundry! So what did I do with the TON of kids' clothes I had? Well, here's a helpful tip... I took an extending pole (or use a shower rod) and laid it between the rungs of two ladders and tied the rod fast so it wouldn't roll. I hung all of the nicest and cutest outfits on the rod. Then, I used pink and blue index cards cut in half to make hang tags for the rods to separate each section of clothes by size and gender, just like you see in a store. For other clothing items like onsies, pajamas, shorts, etc, I used big clear bins with giant signs stating what sizes and gender it contained. Oh...and EVERYTHING was priced individually. It takes a little longer to price everything individually and organize it well, but it's definitely worth it in the end...we made over $400 in four hours and our biggest ticket item was only a $40 TV! If you plan on having a garage sale in the near future, check out some more handy garage sale tips at http://www.lifetime.com/tipssolutions/organization/article.aspx?PostID=170.
Like most people, I enjoy firing up the BBQ grill to cook dinner outside. I’m usually a big fan of steaks, marinated pork loins, and the occasional chicken breasts. Last week, however, I almost tried a new cut of meat… RAT!! Ugh. My husband opened the lid to light the grill and, much to his surprise, a rat was scurrying around under the rack!
Unfortunately, this isn’t our first rat encounter. About a month ago, I was in our backyard and saw two rats run across our wooden fence. I FREAKED! We just had friends in a subdivision a few miles down the road who had one rat do $8,000 damage to their new house when a rat in their attic chewed through AC lines! And now, the nasty little vermin are daring to venture into my yard. Let me make it clear – I don’t do RODENTS!! I immediately called our exterminator who set some bait boxes by the fence and some glue boards in our attic just as a precaution. The exterminator checks the boxes every week and – lucky us – we have “lots of activity”! Do I win a prize? Is this supposed to make me feel good? Apparently, according to the exterminator, it’s a neighborhood problem. Lovely.
So, after seeing the rat in our grill last week, I frantically hopped online in hopes of finding more ways to deter the rats. It seems many people have had success with placing cotton balls saturated with peppermint oil around the house. Yep, you can bet I immediately ran out to buy lots of peppermint oil… I’ll try anything. I’m not sure yet if it works since it’s only been one day. I’ll keep you posted. If anyone has any surefire ways to deter rats, please comment, I’d love the help!
In the meantime, my next project is to clear the patio and only keep the bare essentials so the rats have fewer places to lurk. Right now, we have patio table umbrellas and too many toddler toys stacked in the corner of the patio. So, my hubby Mike and I decided it’s time to put a shed in our backyard to help eliminate clutter from both our patio and over-flowing garage. At first, Mike wanted to make it a “manly” project and build a wood shed. However, we have a sloped yard with lots of trees that really only allows one ideal flat spot for a shed… in the far back corner wedged up against the fence on two sides and trees on the third side. Unfortunately, we quickly learned that a shed with real shingles requires a city permit. The city permit requires a shed to be three feet from the fence… which we can’t do. So, to make a long story short, now we’ve been looking at Lifetime’s sheds. With the realistic-looking plastic molded siding and shingles, it still looks classy (unlike comparable-sized metal sheds). It will be quicker and easier to install than actually building a wood shed and we can even take it with us when we move. And, best of all, since it’s not a permanent structure, it does not require a city permit… so it doesn’t have to be placed away from the fence! Overall, it seems like a pretty good route to go. Now, we just have to do some measuring to see which Lifetime shed is best for us. I’ll let you know what we decide and how it turns out in my future posts. Rest assured though, whatever we choose, there will be lots of peppermint cotton balls inside!
Oh… so what ever happened to the rat in our grill? Well, it jumped out and ran under a storage bench we had beside the patio. I quickly grabbed some rat glue boards. My husband placed the boards on each side of the bench and then pounded on the bench to scare the rat. Bam, it ran right onto the glue board! I am now too freaked out to even think about opening the grill and my husband obviously is still slightly skittish. However, my 4-year-old son thinks it’s pretty cool that "Ratatouille" and his friends live in our backyard! Ugh.
My best friend recently replaced all her wicker patio furniture with Lifetime patio furniture—her wicker chairs and table had rotted from sun exposure in less than two years! As she said, “I like the wicker look, but I’m not made out of money. These tables and chairs will last forever.”
Maybe they won’t last forever, but they should last a good deal longer, and I agree with her that they look a lot better. Her wicker furniture was faded and ratty in the first summer, even before it fell apart. The clean, smooth finish on her new Lifetime patio furniture will last much longer.
I know, because I’ve been using Lifetime tables and chairs as patio furniture for ages. Long before I came to work for Lifetime, we had a Lifetime picnic table on our deck and Lifetime folding chairs sitting in the shade under our walnut tree. Apparently, I’m not the only one. Since coming to Lifetime and learning to recognize the products, I’ve seen them everywhere. People use our tables and chairs on their decks, their patios, their lawns, their gardens.
So, we figured if everyone is already recognizing how great our products look on their patios, it’s about time we did too! We have a created a whole new category just for patio furniture on BuyLifetime. It groups our most popular patio furniture into a single location on the site, making it easier to compare the different products and choose which table or chair or bench would best suit your outdoor living areas.
Personally, my current favorite and next intended purchase is the glider bench. What’s yours?
Our friends over at the Costco Blog have a very nice write-up on our 44" Round Picnic Table. They also mention our durable [banquet tables] and chairs, and even praise our revolutionary [folding trailer].
Thanks for the kudos guys!
*Costco Blog is not affiliated with Costco Warehouses or Costco.com
So, we have a new dinner table.
My wife and I have talked about getting a new, bigger table for our kitchen, so we finally decided to just do it. But, we felt like we had to sell our old table first. The old table was the very first piece of furniture we bought when we got married back in 1997, so it's a bit of an emotional sell for us. So she put it on the local classified ad website and it sold...in like 40 minutes. Did I mention she sold the chairs with it?
Now we don't have a dinner table! Luckily, I work for a company that makes folding tables. So I brought one home and now it's what we use to eat all of our meals on. Now, I have to admit, I'm actually a big fan of our stuff, but only in an informal setting. I love them outside, or at church or downstairs when my buddies and I have a game night, but NEVER in the kitchen! In this case, we have done it out of necessity - and I'm glad we had the table. And...the chairs, or course.
It's actually quite nice to have. It's perfect for our two-year-old to reach, it's great for coloring and little crafty things that my girls do, and it doesn't look all that bad. That being said, the exact moment we get the new table, we'll move it right out where it belongs - the storage shed to be used the next time we have company over or have a game night downstairs!
It's been fun though... and I think my five-year-old will be sad.
Anyone who works with a youth group knows that summer camp is one event that’s looked forward to all year, and slightly feared by most adult leaders. Whether it’s a group of giggling girls or rambunctious boys, the ideal summer camp has enough to do to keep everyone busy. Joe attended the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) owned Camp Kiesel, and told me a little about his trip. Nestled in Utah’s mountains above Causey Reservoir, The camp offers excellent programs geared towards Cub Scouts and Webelos. The camp teaches archery, wrist-rockets (aka "slingshots"), outdoorsmanship, physical fitness, boating/canoeing, and even a BB rifle range. Although individuals are required to pack their own lunches, the camp offers a large area of Lifetime Picnic Tables…The perfect place to relax, share stories, and for camp leaders, taking a much needed rest from the day's activities!
Lifetime Tables contain powder-coated metal and plastic components that are easy to clean, and very long lasting -- making them a perfect choice for the tough conditions of a mountain camp and for your back yard.
My own girls camp experience at BSA’s Camp Hunt, on the wooded shore of Utah’s Bear Lake, was more humorous than anything. After 2 days of bug bites, sunburns, 5 a.m. nature hikes, and chasing girls from activity to activity, we got a welcome break gathering at the fire pit to watch skits put on by the Boy Scouts and camp staff. In one of their funniest skits, a thief was showing his apprentice how to steal a wallet from a sleeping man… sleeping on a Lifetime 4’ adjustable fold-in-half table. I’ll admit… I was a little nervous as he theatrically tossed and turned repeatedly on the lightweight table, scaring the thief. He shook the table back and forth, but it never started to fold, lean, or tip over. I later saw the same table being used at the waterfront, and other than a layer of dirt, it looked great.
Last weekend, we had a chance to finally see our sheds on national TV. Our shed was a featured product on "Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford." We have had our products featured on literally hundreds of news stories and remote features, but this is the first time we have been built into the content of a show.
About Danny: Danny Lipford, a veteran remodeling contractor, is an expert on homes and home improvement. As Host and Executive Producer of the nationally syndicated television show, Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford®, Danny helps viewers keep up with the latest home trends and understand the steps and products involved with both small and large home projects.
In addition, Danny is in his eighth season as home improvement contributor on The Weather Channel and CBS’ The Early Show where he provides home tips and advice. He also has appeared on other national television shows including LIVE with Regis & Kelly and Inside Edition and has been a resource for the national magazines Real Simple, SmartMoney and others.
As a contractor for nearly 30 years, Danny speaks from experience. His friendly, reassuring manner and expert advice take some of the mystery—and fear—out of the home improvement process.
I've been a big fan of Danny Lipford for years, being the big DIYer that I am. So this was a real treat to see a guy like Danny actually use our stuff. Check out the feature and check out our sheds.
Over here at Lifetime Products Mission Control, we try to keep our flagship website up-to-date not only with the latest content, but also with the latest in techology and design.
When we visit websites we tend to like the ones that frequently update their content; have a clean, easy to use navigation scheme; and are fun to interact with. We think these kinds of sites encourage people to come back (that's called "repeat viewership" in web lingo) and to explore the site (that's called "multiple page views").
So, we added some flash, we added some interesting articles, and much more before wrapping it all up in a fancy new design that we hope you'll love!
Why don't you head on over to www.Lifetime.com, surf around a little bit, then come back here and let us know what you think!
For me, it's often hard to shop for dad around Father's Day. Every dad's different, and mine is especially content with what he has. As he puts it, he "gets along just fine"... which is pretty annoying when Father's Day rolls around. 
Looks like MomGadget.com is out to fix this problem. The blog about gadgets and gizmos that make mom's life easier presents options for almost every type of dad and any situation. Whether you're on a budget, going in on a special gift, or if you have a little extra to spend, you should see something he'd like in their Father's Day of posts.
Included in one post is the Lifetime Fold-up Utility Trailer:
"What dad doesn’t have stuff they like to haul? Whether it’s to haul something they just bought at Home Depot or just moving things from point A to point B. Men like to move stuff!
The Fold-Up Utility Trailer from Lifetime Products is a first of its kind product - it folds to less than half its full size in less than 90 seconds and can fit beside the car in a garage or through the gate into the backyard..."
See the full post at: http://momgadget.com/momgadget-fathers-day-gift-guide-extreme-gifts/
It's time once again to celebrate our wonderous Earth. Though Earth Day began as a grass-roots movement 38 years ago to educate people about pollution, conservation and to draw the government's attention, it has changed over the years. Today, we all have concerns like climate change and diminishing resources fresh on our minds.It seems like everyone's making some small changes, or just being a little more aware. I've made a consious effort to buy more organic food, switching my light bulbs to compact florescents (CFLs), and turning off unused electronics. But I'd like to do more this Earth Day, so I've been searching for ideas. Here are some of the best one's I've found... a few of them utilize our Lifetime Products:
1- Plant a tree in your back yard: Besides being a fun activity for your family, planting trees help to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and they provide a habitat for a variety of other plants and animals. Go to your local nursery, and pick out the perfect tree for your yard. Lifetime [trailers] make it easy to haul the tree home. More trees in your yard can actually lower your cooling bill by providing shade over your house.
2- Make pine cone birdfeeders- Bring birds right to your yard and watch them as they enjoy a healthy snack. Making pine cone bird feeders is a fun and easy activity for children. Simply roll pinecones in a mixture of lard and peanut butter, and then coat with seeds.
3- Visit a nearby recycling facility- Recycling processes are fascinating and fun to watch. If you save up recyclable materials to drop off during the visit, you’ll earn some extra change you can use to pick up ice cream cones afterward.
4- Sit with the family and set specific goals to recycle and save energy- It’s often as easy as changing your light bulbs, adjusting the setting on your fridge, or making a routine trip to a nearby recycling bin.
5- Plant or renew your vegetable garden- April is the perfect time to plan your garden. Section off an area of your yard, and decide what you’d like to grow this year. If you don’t have a yard, window boxes and large pots work just as well. Home grown vegetables are pesticide-free and help you save money. Let the children choose new types of fruits or vegetables to try out each year, and give them responsibilities in the garden.
6- Plant flowers or greenery at a local non-profit organization or church- Contact the organization prior to planting. Most are thrilled when someone offers to beautify their grounds.
7- Go on a nature hike- Nature hikes and campouts are a great way to appreciate the details of our beautiful earth. Pick a park or nearby trail, or visit a new place every year on Earth Day.
8- Clean up litter at a local park- Parks provide places for everyone in the community to enjoy nature. Unfortunately, litter often detracts from their beauty and can be dangerous to people and animals. Bring some large bags or a Lifetime Yard cart and gather up trash to revive your park. Use sticks to pick up the litter you don’t want to touch.
9- Attend an Earth Day event- Earth Day events are held across the nation, and are full of fun activities for both you and the kids. Pick a place close to you, events can be seen at www.earthday.net.
10- Cook a special Earth Day meal using all non-processed foods- Invite the friends and family over to share a healthy, home-cooked meal. Tell your friends about some of the ways you're "going green" at home. Get creative and decorate in an ‘earth day’ theme using leaves or potted plants, and let each guest take a plant home to add to their garden. If you have many guests, set up extra tables and chairs to accommodate them.
Today is Pet Owners Independence Day, a day when pet owners have their pets come in to work for them. Though it seems like a tempting proposition to send our pets to work and lounge around the house napping all day, we didn't celebrate here at Lifetime. We were all hard at work, letting Fluffy, Stan, and Max enjoy their naps.
It's interesting to think what would have happened if some of us at Lifetime had celebrated....
If Jay, our Research and Design Engineer, sent his 30-year-old cat Bubba, he would plop himself on his computer chair and stay curled up there all day. If another engineer came in to ask about one of the tests that bring our Tables and Chairs up to BIFMA standards, Bubba would simply open his mouth, as if to meow. Then he'd turn around to ignore them.
My cat Skyler might enjoy being the Interactive Media Manager, though first he'd hide under my desk until he knew it was safe. Eventually he'd proceed to paw through my office in search of something to play with. He'd delight the finding a bin of paperclips, spreading them all over, and pouncing on each one.... typing out an interesting blog post in the process. If someone stopped to ask him a question, he'd probably start meowing loudly and follow them out of the room thinking they had food.
If our Graphic Artist's beagle Boozer filled in for Lindsey, he'd probably sniff out the entire office until he found the engineering area. He'd scare Bubba off his chair then chase him in and out of our powder coating facility, coming back to the office when he missed his bone. If someone asked him what he thinks of a design concept, or to re-design this blog, he'd probably sniff the paper in their hand for about three minutes before he carried it away in his mouth go bury it.
Susan's dog Pequeno would have a difficult time placing orders for retail store POP materials, as his primary language is Spanish. We'd have to bring in our team of Spanish translators to help him fill his new role as a Display Coordinator. But when Graphic Artist Omar yelled "Marchese el gato!" to Skyler, as he followed him down the hall in search of food, Pequeno would ditch the phone in no time. Once he lost interest chasing the cat, he'd probably join Boozer and start sniffing around for food.
So you see, without our great team at Lifetime (not to mention the slew of animals taking over their jobs) we'd have a tough time making and supporting our products, which would mean a tough time for all our retailers and customers. Not to mention we'd have a tough time answering your customer service issues through your parrot. So, thank you, and thanks to all our employees for not celebrating Pet Owners Independence Day!
Scrapbooking for 3 days straight may sound like a weird form of torture... but even after the paper cuts, late nights, and reeeeally early mornings, I look forward to it twice a year.
My family’s crazy little tradition is called "Scrapbook Weekend". If you’re anything like me; you have a busy schedule, a suffering photo album, talkative friends and family, and an endless appetite for good cooking. Scrapbook Weekend gives me the chance to learn new layouts, trade materials, or just catch-up on all my photos.
Twice a year, all my aunts and cousins (about 18-20 people total) drive to my mom’s house with cars full photos, paper supplies, and the fixin's for some great food. We load all the food in the fridge, spread out our cutters, paper, pictures and embellishments on about 6 or 7 Lifetime tables, and camp out for 3 days… stacking pages like we’re warming up for "Scrapbooking with the Stars". We always put the tables in a square formation to facilitate talking. I’m not really sure why... we seem to have no problem doing that otherwise. You learn a LOT: who’s kids are just starting school, my aunt's new neighbors, the latest cooking trick, my aunt's new singing group, my cousin who’s falling in love, and some stories so funny they’ll make you cut crooked.
Scrapbook Weekend is really the only time I sit down and do some major damage to the 'ol album... if you saw my pages you'd know what I mean ;). This year I brought a fat stack of wedding and honeymoon photos. Good thing my mom stepped in; I actually ended up with some pretty sweet layouts. But even with the help, I was a scrapbook slave. The last to go to bed and the first to wake up. I plowed through my college days, wedding preparation, some of my wedding day, and skipped to our Cancun honeymoon.
Indisputably, the best thing about Scrapbook Weekend is the food. We're not a family of gourmet cooks, but some of my aunts could probably host on the Food Network. They seem to compete for the best recipe. Which means three days of eating better than a newlywed could ever dream!
This Scrapbook Weekend I came home with a few more pounds — but our album gained some too. I think it's a pretty fair trade-off. Since the weekend, I've set up a Personal Table to work at home, and haven't touched my album. I salute all you scrapbookers who can dedicate time every week to your scrapbooking! At least I know it's there... patiently waiting for me to organize my life.
It was a big day for my son -- he's 8 and switching schools. Today we got to meet his principal, teacher, and people that he'll be seeing while furthering his education.
We also got to see his classroom, and more importantly, the playground. You remember how important recess was in elementary school, right? Yeah, really, really important!
It's been a while since I've been on a school playground. Back in my day they had two kinds of basketball hoops, the tall ones (at regulation height) and the one for the younger kids (permanently set lower).
At this school, however, they had adjustable-height backboards from none-other than Lifetime Products! Sweet!
Name: Mike 
Position at Lifetime Products: Web Developer. What does that mean? As one of the elite web developers here @ (oops, sorry, I've got to remember to write English and not short jargon) at Lifetime Products, I have been invited to share with you information about me, as I will be one of your friendly neighborhood bloggers here at Lifetime365.
How long at Lifetime Products: A year less than Joe.
Background: I have a great interest in social bookmarking ("The Social," as the kids call it) as well as a love for writing lots and lots of code (Pretty Web Sites).
It has been my pleasure to work among the finest individuals here at Lifetime Products and there is a real family feel here. Some of individuals I work with like Joe keep me wondering if he really is an android (as much work as he does, no human could match). Katie and Phil keep me full of work and make designing and developing a pleasurable and challenging experience.
Before you go much further surf over to BuyLifetime.com and have a look at all the great Lifetime Products that are available.
Name: Joe 
Position at Lifetime Products: Web Developer. What does that mean? I work with the rest of the web team (some of whom blog here, including Phil, Katie, Mike, and others) to put great designs into industry standard xHTML, CSS, ASP.NET, and use other techno-jargon stuff to help our customers find what they're looking for, learn about our products, and have a fun time doing it.
How long at Lifetime Products: A few years... and counting!
Background: You’ve always wanted to know who on earth Joe is, and even if you haven't we're going to tell you anyway! He was born in Weber County, Utah, USA. He is a descendant of Paiute (Native American) heritage and is a member of the Kanosh (Utah) Band. He is a member of various community, church, and civic organizations, and is actively involved with local, state, and national government. He is concerned with customer service and is striving to educate businesses concerning proper “consumer etiquette”. Joe is a Thawte Web of Trust Notary and is involved with seamless Digital Signatures utilizing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and similar technologies. He is a husband and father. He rides his recumbent bicycle to work every day. He enjoys gardening, houseplants, mobile computing, camping, authoring web sites, working in the yard, and spending time with his family.How does he do it all? We really don’t have the foggiest. Some have suspected he’s discovered the secrets of cold fusion, while others think he may be an android. We may never know for certain.
Topics I blog about: Special Occasions, life in general, camping, gardening, self-sufficiency.
My favorite Lifetime Products: Lifetime Yard cart, outdoor sheds, camp tables, and picnic tables.
On a Saturday afternoon you can find me: Planting or tending to my yard and outdoor pets, home improvements, "building stuff."
My favorite escape: Listening to music, catching the latest movie, reading something sci-fi related.
Other blogs/web sites I can’t get enough of: woot.com, PocketPCThoughts.com, Neowin.net, Bink.nu, and EcoGeek.org