Lifetime365

Addicted to Chalkboard Paint

katie — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:00:00 GMT

I recently came across this article on Kasi Good's blog, and liked it so much, I asked if we could share it here! So here it is, a cool and functional makeover for your Lifetime Table:

"I am addicted to chalkboard paint...
It's true. We had the kids computer and art stuff on this hideous lifetime table. It was covered in paint, since I routinely use it for painting furniture or picture frames or whatever else I decide to slather paint on. I decided it couldn't get any worse, so I rolled on a couple coats of black chalkboard paint!

Now, I may as well be honest and tell you that it's not going to last forever. I can envision one of them realizing that if they try hard enough they can scratch the paint off and that will be the end of it. But it will be fun while it lasts.

EDIT: I ended up stripping off the paint so that I could put down a plastic primer first. So I sprayed on the plastic primer, sanded the table, and then rolled on the chalkboard paint. It is much more permanent now! I love, love, love it! When I am at the computer and I need to jot something down I can just grab a piece of chalk and write on the table! Very handy!"

Check out the article on Kasi's blog here. And remember, if you're Lifetime table is 'hideous' chalkboard paint isn't the only solution, all those paint marks and scuffs are easy to clean off too! Check out official table cleaning tips at Lifetime.com.

"Bestest Yard Cart Ever in the Whole Wide World"

Jan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Over the past few months, I've been sharing my personal reviews of the Lifetime Yard Cart. I've come to the conclusion it's an awesome product with lots of cool and unique features. So far, the only drawback I've discovered is that it is difficult to dump multiple small loads because when the load shifts it is hard to tip the cart back down, both in wheelbarrow and trailer modes. Ironically though, this negative turned into a huge positive for us when we were spreading our compost.

At first, I thought Lifetime had thought of everything with this product... cup holders, tool holders, trailer mode conversion, slats for building up the sides, and more. However, after using the Yard Cart for a while, I now have a few more ideas that I think would truly make the Lifetime Yard Cart "the bestest Yard Cart ever in the whole wide world." :) Yes, my 5-year-old helped write the title of this post!

So, let's see. First, the size of this thing is great for big jobs and getting your work done efficiently. But, wow, does it take a lot of space to store. Remember that sweet 5'x8' Lifetime shed my husband and I built in our backyard? The Yard Cart won't fit in there! Aaah! Check out the picture of my kids laying in the Yard Cart after we assembled it...see what I mean? I must admit, we've had a bit of a dilemma of where to store it. So, right now, it's leaning up against our fence in our backyard, hidden behind a tree. Thank goodness it's made of plastic and powder-coated steel so it won't rust being left out in the elements. Anyway, here's what I was thinking. Know that cool, folding utility trailer that Lifetime makes? It sure would be nice if they could use that same technology to figure out a way to make the Yard Cart fold in half for storage... without compromising it's strength or size, of course. A wheelbarrow that's twice the size but stores in half the space! Hmmm, I like the sound of that.

Speaking of folding, one of my other ideas is to have the end panel of the Yard Cart tub somehow unlatch and flip down so you can easily rake or push dirt, rocks, etc. out of the cart without actually having to dump it. It would allow you to rake out just a little at a time, and you could easily get all the remaining debris out instead of always having just a little left that seems impossible to get without turning the cart upside down. Plus, it could make filling it more convenient because you could push the Yard Cart flush to a pile or wall if needed.

The Lifetime Yard Cart tub is made of high-density, blow-molded polyethylene. The edge of the cart tub has a rounded edge with a "lip" underneath kind of like a giant handle all the way around. My neighbor, my friend, and my husband and I all ended up using the Yard Cart to spread compost by dumping the Yard Cart and then dragging it along while it was dumped so we could quickly and evenly rake out the dirt. While this technique worked great, the one downside is the Yard Cart "lip" on the end of the cart would tend to catch the grass a bit and tear it. Obviously, our technique is not the intended use for the Yard Cart so this "lip" was probably never considered an issue in the initial design. But, if the front edge of the Yard Cart tub was completely rounded under like a table edge (with no empty space underneath for a "handle"), it would allow for a totally smooth drag. Ooooh....or, just add a third wheel in the front to make it even easier to drag!

Let's face it, these are all pie-in-the-sky requests that I don't even know if they are physically possible for engineers to design. But, hey, I can always wish, right? The one true critique I do have is that we have discovered the rubber handle grips tend to slide off if you are using the Yard Cart like a wheelbarrow and pulling (not pushing) a full load. It's not like they just slip right off like a pair of socks, but they do wiggle off a bit easier than it seems like they should. A minor issue though given all the other positives with this cool cart.

So, that is MY Yard Cart wish list. I'm sure some of you out there have thought of some creative improvements, too. If you have, and you want to share your ideas for the "the bestest Yard Cart ever in the whole wide world," please leave us a comment!

Product Launch: Lifetime Wheelbarrows

joe — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:23:39 GMT

Every home owner with a yard or garden to take care of can attest to the necessity of a quality wheelbarrow. Event the ancient Greeks and Chinese, and medieval Europeans knew the value of having a solid, reliable wheelbarrow.¹

Wheelbarrows haven’t changed much over the years. Lifetime Products thought it was about time someone challenged that.

Lifetime took the design of the traditional contractor’s wheelbarrow, studied it to find out what its shortcomings were, then reinvented it. The result? The Lifetime Wheelbarrow (65011), which gives you superior stability, added maneuverability, and thanks to a re-engineered center-of-gravity and pivot point it lightens your workload by an amazing 85%.

Lifetime wheelbarrows: yard work made easy.

Hang on! Let's Go 4-Wheeling with Our Yard Cart!

Jan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Good friends help friends in need. We had friends who needed to spread 13 yards of dirt on their lawn, so we loaned them our Lifetime Yard Cart to help make their work easier. What? Did you think I was going to say I offered to actually help spread the dirt? Hey, I said we were good friends, not great friends! (Just kidding. Marc & Jenna, we love you guys!)

Truth be told, the Lifetime Yard Cart was practically screaming for Marc and Jenna to borrow it. Why? Because Marc and Jenna live on an acre lot AND they own a 4-wheeler that can pull the Yard Cart in the trailer mode. This is the kind of dream job the Lifetime Yard Cart was built for. The measly six yards of compost that we spread on our yard by pushing the Yard Cart like a wheelbarrow was mere child's play compared the massive job that Marc and Jenna were going to tackle.

Needless to say, Marc and Jenna were more than willing to jump at our offer to borrow our Lifetime Yard Cart and give it a test drive in trailer mode. When Marc picked the Yard Cart up in his pickup truck (you're kidding yourself if you think this beast is going to fit in the back of your SUV), I armed him with the owner's manual in case he it wasn't intuitive how to convert the Yard Cart from a wheelbarrow to a trailer.

So, how did the Lifetime Yard Cart measure up? Marc gave the Yard Cart two thumbs up for making his back-breaking work, well, less back-breaking. He said it was much easier than with a wheelbarrow and he was able to move the dirt much more efficiently. When I asked Marc if he had to do the job again next year by using traditional push wheelbarrows like he did last year or pulling the Lifetime Yard Cart with a 4-wheeler like he did this year, it was pretty much a no-brainer. "That's an easy decision. Definitely the Yard Cart and 4-wheeler," said Marc. Ok, not exactly a shocking surprise there. Umm, let's see... man vs. machine, push vs. ride. Hmm. No contest.

One of my biggest concerns though was if the Yard Cart easily converted from a wheelbarrow to a trailer and how the dumping mechanism worked. (Embarrassingly enough, I haven't tried either since we don't have a way to pull it in trailer mode.) Good news! Marc agreed with Lifetime's claims that the Yard Cart is simple to convert to trailer mode, "you just move a couple of pins," he insisted. Whatever that means.

When it came to the dumping, Marc said it was super easy. Mostly he would dump the Yard Cart and then drive slowly dragging the tipped cart to let the dirt naturally fall and spread on its own. (Similar to the technique I showed in my spreading compost video.) The only problem he encountered was that it was a bit difficult to dump in multiple places (like on opposite sides of the yard) because the Yard Cart was heavy to flip back up and then it was challenging to get the lever to re-latch. Normally, if the cart was empty, the lever automatically latched when the Yard Cart flipped back down. However, with the cart still loaded and the weight had shifted to the end of the Yard Cart, he had to push dirt to the front of the Yard Cart in order to get the lever to latch. (I'm sure there's a physics lesson somewhere in there.)

Anyway, in a nutshell...YES, YES, YES to using the Lifetime Yard Cart with a 4-wheeler. But, if you want to see for yourself how easily the Lifetime Yard Cart converts to a trailer and then dumps with the pull of a lever, check out this from the At Your Leisure's Gadget Guy Bryan Lund. He'll demonstrate how to convert it in a matter of seconds and assure you that you really do "just move a couple of pins." (Please visit the site to view this media)

Ten Cool Summer Indoor Outings for Kids

Jan — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:00:00 GMT

School is out! Wait for it, wait for it. Yep, there is it, I knew I’d hear it soon. “Mom, I’m bored. What can we do today?”

Sigh. Of course, there are the traditional summer activities of swimming pools, parks, and amusement parks. But, sometimes hanging outside in the heat and dripping in sweat just isn’t appealing. Personally, I try to so some sort of outing at least twice each week to help break the monotony. One day is usually focused outside around water either at a swimming pool, splash park, lake, or water park. The other day I try to find something to do that’s inside.

Earlier this week, we tried out a new indoor play place here in San Antonio called Funtastic Playland. Wow, where were these places when I was a kid? It had a huge pirate ship, castle, monster truck, bouncy castle, and playground for the kids to climb on and slide down. My kids' favorite part was the kid-powered train…it wore them out! We only spent a few hours there, but we easily could have stayed longer since they even had a snack bar. Oh, and guess what they used for chairs in their eating area? Lifetime stacking chairs! They probably had about 10 café tables with four Lifetime chairs at each table. At first, I was surprised to see the Lifetime stacking chair, but then I realized it made much more sense than the Lifetime folding chair. First, the black color shows less dirt. Secondly, and more importantly, when you have little ones climbing on and off the chairs, you don’t have to worry about them pushing on the back of the seat and accidentally folding the chair while they are climbing, or pinching fingers.

Anyway, if you're trying to come up with new places to go with your kids this summer, here’s a list of some of my favorite indoor kid-friendly outings to stay cool in the summer.

1. Children’s museums – Don’t let the word museum scare you away! If you’ve never been to a children’s museum, you’re in for a treat. They are like a miniature city of sorts with kid-sized grocery stores, hospitals, painting stations, water stations, and more. And, you can touch everything!

2. Inflatable jumping zones - Places such as Pump It Up or Inflatable Wonderland are rooms dedicated to nothing but bouncy castles! They usually have an "open jump" time each day which is sure to wear your kids out!

3. Indoor playlands – Sometimes shopping malls have great indoor playlands which are free. (And, you can combine them with a quick shopping treat for you, too!) Or, you can also find larger stand-alone playlands (like Funtastic Playland) with a small entrance fee. Just Google "indoor playland" or "indoor playground" for your city.

4. Pottery studios - Let your kids get creative and paint a piece of pottery as a gift for someone or just themselves. Trust me, pottery painting is much more than a plate nowadays! Money banks, flower pots, picture frames, and chip and salsa dishes are just a few of the options you'll find.

5. Libraries - In addition to just checking out new books and movies, don't forget to take advantage of your library's many free activities like reading clubs and storytimes. If your kids won't sit still to listen to a story, don't worry! Storytimes usually include songs, crafts, and sometimes even games and snacks!

6. Bowling allies - What kid doesn't like to throw a ball and make a mess?! Plus, it's an activity that even Mom and Dad can legitimately enjoy. Most lanes now feature gutter guards that automatically pop up for kids and go back down for the adults. And, even the little tikes can enjoy rolling the ball all by themselves with the help of a handicap ball ramp.

7. Painting studios – If you are raising a little Monet, another option is to look for an art studio that has open paint time for kids. Some cities even have art studios just for kids, such as Artworks here in San Antonio. You pay a small fee to paint as much as you want with many different types of mediums ...and the best part is you don't have to clean up the mess!

8. Children's theaters - Lots of cities have theaters that host performances geared solely for kids. The shows are professional, fun, and SHORT! In addition to live theater, don't forget to check out your local movie theaters for summer specials. Many theaters (including Regal Cinemas) show FREE kid movies in the mornings! Honest!

9. Pizza play places – Combine your food and fun in one place! Grab a bite to eat then spend the day playing arcade games at places like Incredible Pizza, Chuck E. Cheese, Peter Piper Pizza, or Gatti's Pizza. (Check your local paper, coupon books, and online before you go for free token coupons!) If you have teenagers, check out the more "grown up" versions like Dave & Buster's and Jillian's that also have billards, shuffleboard, bowling, and a nice sit-down restaurant.

10. Playdates at a friends house - We all know someone else's toys are much more fun than your own! Invite a friend over to your house to play then swap locations next week. Backyards are more fun when you have your own playground too! Check out Lifetime's variety of playgrounds that bring the fun and adventures right to your backyard.

I hope this gives you a few ideas of things to check out in your city this summer. (If you try at least one each week, that should get you through almost the entire summer!) Stay cool and have fun!

How to Make an Umbrella Hole in Your Lifetime Picnic Table

Jan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Sunday night was the season premiere of Army Wives on Lifetime TV. I love this show! Since I'm a military spouse, there are so many aspects of the show that hit pretty close to home. So naturally, I was glued to the TV anxiously awaiting the fate of my favorite characters.

Now, I've admitted before that I pathetically watch for Lifetime products in TV shows. Well, Sunday night was no different. Wait, wait. I promise I'm not going to write about every single time I see Lifetime products on TV, but I just have to share a snapshot from Sunday night's Army Wives episode! Why? Because it highlights a great, yet little-known feature, of the Lifetime picnic table.

Check out this first photo. What do you notice? Yep, the table has an umbrella in it! How did that happen? Most people buying a Lifetime picnic table know the tables fold flat for storage since that is how they come in the package and it's mentioned in the assembly instructions/owner's manual. But, a lot of people don't take the time to read the fine print or box text to realize the Lifetime 5', 6' and 8' picnic tables are built to accommodate an umbrella hole. It's not obvious because the tabletop is flat with no holes or indentations. BUT, if you look on the underside of the tabletop, you'll notice a recessed area in the center that you can drill to create an umbrella hole. Simply use a saw that is 1/16" larger than the diameter of your umbrella pole, but no larger than 2" diameter. Center the saw in the hole, drill the hole, then lightly sand the hole edges. Ta-da! Your Lifetime picnic table can now hold an umbrella to give you shade! (I will say, Lifetime neglects to mention this feature in the actual table assembly instructions for some reason. But, you will find the umbrella hole directions in the "Picnic Table Care Instructions" portion".)

The Army Wives episode also showed numerous Lifetime picnic tables in a scene later on in the show. Hmmm, I wonder if the military really does use Lifetime picnic tables in Iraq? I can tell you for certain that a few years ago when my husband was deployed to Qatar, his squadron did in fact ship several Lifetime banquet tables over to Qatar to use as their desks. Unfortunately, that was before my blogging days, so I don't have any photos! Hey, if you're deployed to Iraq or another combat zone, leave us a comment and let us know if you're using Lifetime picnic tables or tables and tell us how they are working out in desert heat and sand storms!

If you missed the Army Wives season 3 premiere, you can watch the full episode online - just be sure to keep your eye out for the Lifetime picnic tables! :)

Rocks, Dirt and Wheelbarrows

katie — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Two Lifetime employees submitted some photos after leveling the yard of their new home using one of Lifetime's Wheelbarrows they recently purchased. Jenn and Wes found themselves all caught up over the weekend and then every day after work for a week hauling dirt, raking out rocks, and landscaping the yard with rocks. Luckily they had a handful of willing helpers to get the job done. "We love that Lifetime Wheelbarrows have two wheels, are stable, and so easy to use," said Jen, "Ours has really come in handy."

The first few days started with three truck loads of lava rock that was wheel barrowed and shoveled in to fill the curbing around the stairs and the island (This took 3 days of on and off work). And in the next few days they started filling in rocks under the back deck and along the side of the RV pad. They sprayed for weeds and grass, laid down the fabric to stop weeds and filled it in with rock for a maintenance free finish. And I hope it was helpful... from these pictures it looks like one of those projects where I'd want to sneak back inside the house with the excuse of bringing out lemonade...

Lotsa' dirt and rocks

We found The Littlest Landscaper!

Wes working overtime, filling in rocks under the back deck and along the side of the RV pad.

Ahhhh the teamwork

The beautiful finished product! (A few weeks later as you can tell from the grass coming in).

How to Make A Waterproof Banner in Minutes

Jan — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Sometimes I just amaze myself with how stinkin' creative I am! Just kidding. But, I must say though, I am pretty tickled with the clever idea I came up with last week. Our neighborhood was having a community garage sale, and two days before the sale, the HOA president agreed with my suggestion to hang a banner on the fence at the entrance of the subdivision to help advertise the sale. We are located right behind a school so lots of parents turn around in our subdivision to drop-off/pick-up their children. So, we wanted the banner to be out on Thursday and Friday to catch the school traffic.

Since I was the one to suggest a banner, I felt obligated to volunteer to check on banner pricing. Unfortunately, a one-day turnaround was not going to work in our favor, unless we wanted to pay through the nose. ...which we didn't want to do since we didn't even know for sure if the city would allow our banner to stay hanging. (Our city ordinances only allow you to post signs on the day of the sale in specific, designated places. However, the fence is private property so we were hoping it would be ok.)

I called the local fabric store and asked if they had vinyl to make a banner...they did and it was only $2.99 a yard. Great! But, after I went to the store, I realized they neglected to tell me it was clear vinyl! Oops. So, I went to the local party store and thought about buying one of those "make your own" banners, but all they had were birthday ones with balloons. Feeling defeated, I came home and searched through my craft closet. That's when I found the perfect item to make a waterproof banner! Shelf liner paper! You know, the kind that's a little bit rubbery? See, told you it was clever! It's the perfect width to unroll and make a banner! I simply bought a roll of white shelf liner and some black vinyl letter stickers (available in the poster section at a craft store) and ta-da! (You probably also could use a permanent marker if you wanted to forego the stickers.) It didn't look as nice as a professionally printed one, but it was quick, inexpensive (only about $7 ), and waterproof.

Well, the banner must have worked to draw in the traffic because I had people swamping my driveway at 7:30! (The sale didn't even start until 8am!). We opened up our garage at 7:30 and people started walking in our garage trying to buy things (even things that weren't for sale - crazy) while my husband and I were trying to carry out all of the tables onto the driveway. We borrowed two Lifetime 8' folding tables and two Lifetime 6' folding tables from my husband's squadron. Thank goodness I had set everything up on the tables the night before in our garage because it made it so quick and easy for us to simply carry the loaded tables out in the morning. I also used my Lifetime Personal Table and Lifetime Chair as my "checkout" table where people paid for their items.

We were rained on twice during the day. So, we quickly carried the Lifetime tables back into the garage...and then back out...and then in...and then out. Ugh. Thank goodness the Lifetime tables were lightweight and so sturdy because it made that inconvenient chore a lot easier.

Anyway, despite the rain, the sale was still a success...thanks in part to my creative waterproof banner! So, that's my garage sale tip for this year. If you want some more ideas on how to make your garage sale a success, read my post from last year's garage sale, or check out Lifetime's website for more garage sale tips!

Teacher Thank You Gift Ideas

Jan — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Whoo-hoo! School is almost over! For most kids here in Texas, this is either the last week or next-to-last week of school. If you haven't already, it's time to really start thinking about how to thank your child's teacher.

Wow. A teacher plays such an instrumental role in your child's life. A mere gift seems almost too simple and meaningless. Nonetheless, it is the thought that counts and even the smallest gesture of appreciation is treasured by teachers. For starters, a sincere handwritten thank you note can mean more to a teacher than any tangible gift. You can even go a step further and pass along your words of praise for the teacher to a principal or administrator so they know how much their staff is valued. It's a gift that costs nothing but the impact is priceless.

If you do want to give a tangible gift in addition to a thank you note, there are two basic directions you can take when it comes to teacher thank you gifts. You can give a gift that can be used by the teacher in the classroom, or you can give a personal gift that the teacher can use to pamper her/himself after a year of hard work.

Giving a gift for the teacher's classroom is a great way to thank the teacher and help give back for the wonderful year your child spent in that classroom. If you're down to the wire, here are some easy last minute ideas that are sure to be a hit:

~ A Lifetime Personal Table - The folding table is adjustable in height and small in size so it's perfect to store yet easy to pull out as an extra desk, art table, fish tank holder, podium, etc. If parents go together as a class for a larger gift, an adjustable height Lifetime banquet table is a great option, too!

~ Make a Teacher Mini Album. Ask your child to collect a few photos, notes, and memorabilia from the year, and make a small album. This honors the teacher for a great year, and shows off the highlights in a way that he/she can show off again and again. And, it's a great way for the teacher to show parents and students in next year's class some of the activities they can look forward to. Try these instructions on Lifetime's website for an easy envelope album.

~ Donate your child's favorite book to the classroom. Be sure to write an inscription in the front cover from your child, and maybe even include a photo of your child.

~ A gift card to a teacher supply store - Often times, teachers spend their own money to buy supplies and equipment for their classrooms which can really add up quickly.

Me? I went the more personal route this year for my kids' preschool teachers and centered everything around a "hand" and "growing" theme. I made a card that said "Hands Down My Teacher Is The BEST" and added my kids' painted handprints. Inside I attached a picture of my child from preschool and wrote a heartfelt message from my son that included the line, "Your caring hands and big heart have helped me grow in so many ways this year." I bought a cute pair of gardening gloves and then my son picked out his favorite scents of hand lotion, hand soap, and hand sanitizer to fill the gloves. Nothing over the top, but hopefully, it's appreciated and the meaning is taken to heart.

If you're looking for more clever and crafty inspirations for teacher thank you gifts, check out these websites I found with more fun ideas!
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/05/06/teacher-appreciation-week/

http://www.ehow.com/how_2321116_thrifty-endoftheyear-teacher-thank-gifts.html

Re-inventing the Wheel(barrow)

Charly — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:06:00 GMT

It is speculated that the wheelbarrow had it’s beginnings as early as 100 B.C., it’s original design being a simple platform or basket with a large wheel underneath and a pair of handles which the operator used to push it along. It was obviously designed as a “carrier”, and the loads it has carried have varied widely throughout the years. Spanning many cultures all over the world, it has been a vital piece of equipment in a variety of occupations.

Wheelbarrows have a long and honorable history. They have been used in early military operations to transport supplies and injured soldiers. Various forms and designs have been found throughout history to transport produce and carry building materials for construction. Wheelbarrows were crucial to world-wide mining operations as well. While the wheelbarrow is still vital to such large-scale operations today, it has also become highly valued by individual homeowners, like you and me, for gardening and landscaping. So just how has this simple apparatus managed to endure the test of time?

The wheelbarrow’s simple, unmotorized design has ensured its popularity and survival. First of all, it’s a one-man/woman operation. No assistance is required—although an occasional glass of cold lemonade during an outdoor yard project would be appreciated. The small design of a wheelbarrow allows you to maneuver it into small spaces and tight corners in your yard and garden. Though the original design from 100 B.C has been effective, mankind has a natural disposition to improve his condition, especially if such improvements would make his burdens easier to bear. Such has been the case with the wheelbarrow.

The engineers at Lifetime products are all about improving our existence by turning everyday products we need to use, into the products we love to use. First, they designed the Lifetime wheelbarrow so that it distributes more weight to the wheels and less to the operator, decreasing your workload by 85%! They’ve designed a wider wheel base and lower center of gravity to provide greater load stability—no more wobbling or pulled back muscles! The front of the tub has been tapered so you have more control when dumping your load. And speaking of the load, go ahead and fill ‘er up! The sides of the Lifetime wheelbarrow are designed with slots so the sides can be built up with wooden slats to accommodate high, bulky loads (up to 550 lbs!).

While the most significant improvements have been for practical purposes, you’ll also appreciate the fact that a Lifetime wheelbarrow is made out of 100% post-consumer recycled material with a heavy-duty plastic tub and rust-resistant, powder-coated steel frame. This is one piece of equipment that won’t be joining the ranks of rusted farm machinery out in the pasture.

So let’s hear it for the humble wheelbarrow. You’ve come a long way baby! As long as innovative human nature continues to drive us to create tools that can accomplish more with less effort, the wheelbarrow will be an indispensable figure in the ongoing history of manual labor.

Video Tips for Building a Lifetime Shed

Jan — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:47:00 GMT

I FINALLY did it! I finally got around to editing and uploading my video clips from when we built our Lifetime 8'x5' Shed back in the Fall. But, hopefully, it's just in time to help those of you workaholics who are planning on building a Lifetime shed this Memorial Day weekend!

The video is a little long (about 10 minutes), but it's a condensed, yet thorough, documentary of our 4 hour and 45 minute project. (Honest, that's all the time it took us to build an entire shed!) It's a great insight as to what you're really in for if you're thinking about building a Lifetime shed. And, it's filled with tips for steps where we, as normal homeowners, had problems. So, in addition to reading the instructions and my other three shed building posts, be sure to watch this video for some pointers and heads-up of steps that were a little tricky for us. Hopefully, our video will save you some time and make an already easy shed assembly project even easier!

Ten Upcoming Reasons to Buy A Lifetime Table Now

Jan — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Ok, so maybe this title has a slight arrogant flare. But, just hear me out. I honestly have your best interest in mind and I'm only trying to help you get the most bang for your buck.

The idea for this post popped into my head after talking to my neighbor who just bought a Lifetime table. She'd been wanting to buy a Lifetime table for a while, but just never got around to it. (Sound familiar?) Her friend was having a 40th birthday party and asked if our neighbor had a folding table she could borrow for the party. Since my neighbor had been wanting to get one for her monthly Girl Scouts' meetings and her upcoming garage sale, she went out that day and bought a 6' fold-in-half Lifetime table and then immediately loaned it to her friend for the birthday party. Being able to clearly see how should would use the table for multiple future occasions, as well as having an instant need, gave her the kick-in-the-rear and justification she needed to finally make the purchase.

Let's think for a minute. How many times in the past year have you hosted a party or event of some sort and as you were setting up, you realized you really could use an extra folding table? But, the thought of running out and spontaneously buying a table for one occasion just didn't seem justifiable. Right? So you either scrambled to call friends, neighbors, and your church to see if you could borrow one of theirs, or you simply did without.

Well, now is the time to put an end to this unnecessary stress. This weekend is Memorial Day and, more than likely, several stores will have Lifetime tables on sale as part of their holiday specials. A reduction in price is always a nice motivation. But, if you're worried about whether you're really going to get your money's worth out of buying a folding table, I thought I'd help you out and put together a quick list of popular summer festivities. Check it out and count how many of these upcoming activities you'll be hosting or attending... at which a folding table would come in handy!

1. Memorial Day picnic
2. Graduation party
3. 1st Communion celebration
4. County fair booth
5. 4th of July picnic
6. Birthday party
7. Garage sale
8. Neighborhood pool party/BBQ
9. Family Reunion
10. Labor Day party

And, this is just your summer list! Don't even get me started on the fall/winter list with holiday dinners, school bakes sales, etc. Lifetime banquet tables are available in 4', 5', 6' and 8' lengths, as well as adjustable heights, if preferred. And, no more using storage space as an excuse either because the fold-in-half versions take up minimal storage space and are easy to transport in your vehicle to all your activities. One last shameless plug... if you're not in the mood to run to the store, save yourself a trip and simply order it online. The shipping's always free at www.buylifetime.com. So, go buy your Lifetime table now while you are thinking about it and happy celebrating!

Haul Out the Sod

Jan — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

After spreading six yards of compost on our lawn, you'd think we would be done with yard work, right? Nope, not us. We have a back corner of our yard that is heavily shaded by trees so the original Bermuda grass never grew. To make matters worse, our yard is sloped so what little grass we did have in that corner simply washed downhill. We really want to try and get grass to grow back there. Not just so it will be green and look nice, but because we have a tire swing back there and we have a ladder in that corner to climb the fence over to our neighbor's house. Read between the lines...I'm tired of having to wash muddy feet every time we come into the house!

We did some research and we think we've found a grass that is pretty shade tolerant. So, last week, we put down some Palidsades Zoysia sod in that corner. It's a Texas grass developed by Texas A&M University - Gig 'Em Aggies! We only needed half a pallet of sod, but if you've ever lifted sod, you know how heavy it is. Even half a pallet was going to be a lot of physical work. Thank goodness we had a Lifetime Yard Cart so we didn't have to carry it piece-by-piece. If you're going to lay sod, here's a tip: fold the pieces into thirds before you try to move them to prevent them from tearing/breaking. The Lifetime Yard Cart was big enough for the sod to easily lay flat (after it was folded) so the sod didn't break while we transported it from our truck to the yard.

Even though the Yard Cart can hold up to 750 pounds, being able to push a full load up a hill in the grass is another story. (A lawn mower to hitch the Yard Cart to in its trailer mode would have been pretty nice at this point!!) So, we were limited to putting a maximum of five pieces of sod in the Yard Cart. But, it was still faster than carrying it all and it was more than we could have put in the Lifetime Wheelbarrow, especially since we wanted to make sure the sod laid flat.

Anyway, yard project #2 complete. It's been over 2 week and so far the sod looks like it's growing great. Hopefully, in a few more weeks, we'll have some beautiful green grass in that back corner...which means we'll finally be able to run the sprinklers and let my kids can use their swing on the same day! Yipee!

Our Fastest Way to Spread Compost

Jan — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

I think I can finally move again without feeling pain in every inch of my back and arms. Remember in my Great Wheelbarrow Showdown post how I mentioned that my husband and I spread six yards of compost on our front and backyard? Did I mention that I was the one who shoveled absolutely every bit of compost into the Wheelbarrow and Yard Cart? Yep, me and my big buff muscles. Ouch!

Anyway, in my Great Wheelbarrow Showdown post, my "test" results for the best actual wheelbarrow had the Lifetime Wheelbarrow beating out the Lifetime Yard Cart and a traditional wheelbarrow. The Lifetime Yard Cart could hold twice as much dirt as the Lifetime Wheelbarrow and it pushed fairly easy considering the amount of weight in it. However, it failed the wheelbarrow tipping test because once you dump the load, you can't control how much you dump. More importantly, you really can't set the Yard Cart back down once it's tipped.

But, if you're spreading compost, mulch etc. where you want an evenly distributed and steady line of dirt, we quickly discovered this Yard Cart tipping negative can actually turn into a huge positive if you have two people. My husband and I ended up figuring out a technique that cut our compost task down to three hours, compared to the almost eight hours it took us last year! Honest! (BTW, did you know Lifetime now makes a composter?!)

Here was our trick. First, we used both the Lifetime Wheelbarrow and the Lifetime Yard Cart. Having two pieces of hauling equipment definitely sped things up since we made fewer trips. I would fill both the Lifetime Wheelbarrow and Lifetime Yard Cart with compost, then push them to my husband to dump them. He would spread the compost piles out with a rake while I refilled the Wheelbarrow and Yard Cart. Our timing was impeccable. As soon as I started wheeling back a load, he was raking his last pile. Getting a good assembling line rhythm was essential.

But, the real key was the Lifetime Yard Cart. Even though we couldn't use it as a wheelbarrow to dump several small loads, we ended up getting the most even and continuous lines of dirt with it. How is that possible when I said it failed the tipping test? Well, Mike would tip it up (and leave it tipped) and then simply drag it backwards while I used the rake to pull out a steady stream of compost. The front of the Lifetime Yard Cart is angled kind of like a big scoop so the compost almost naturally fell out as Mike drug the cart along. The even lines of compost made Mike's raking job much quicker .

This obviously is not the intended use for the Lifetime Yard Cart, but it sure worked for us! So, I thought I'd share in case our technique can help ease the workload for some of you. Sure, it's not as easy as having the luxury of a bucket loader to help haul and spread the compost. (Or better yet, hiring someone to do it for you!) But, given the equipment we had, the Lifetime Yard Cart was a huge time saver!

To give you a better idea of what I'm talking about, watch this video to actually see how it worked. Good luck!

Mr. Moneybags Steps Up to the (Lifetime) Table

Meredith — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Who doesn’t love a good game of MONOPOLY? At the 2009 MONOPOLY U.S. National Championship, held on April 14 and 15 in Washington, DC, the focus was on the game — and the pressure was on for the 28 finalists. Up for grabs was $20,580, which is equivalent to the “bank” in a standard game of Monopoly.

To ensure that no wobbly tables stood in the way of their peak performance, Lifetime provided the tournament with twelve 37-inch square fold-in-half card tables. (Check out the picture to see them all set up and ready for competitive play). These tables turned out to be perfect for the intense game. Their fold-in-half frames lock automatically, so they could stand up to the players’ table slaps of excitement and fist pounds of frustration. They also come with a convenient carrying handle, making tournament setup and cleanup a snap (literally!). Plus, Lifetime’s fold-in-half tables can be used both indoors and outdoors, so if next year’s tournament is held on one of the real-life streets from the game, the players need not worry!

After three rounds of competitive play, Richard Marinaccio of Buffalo, NY bankrupted the competition to become the new MONOPOLY U.S. national champion. His next stop is Las Vegas, NV for the 13th MONOPOLY World Championships. I know that the next time I’m hosting a MONOPOLY tournament, I’ll be using a Lifetime table — after all, if it can handle the U.S. National Championship, it can certainly stand up to the competition in my own home.