Renovating homes of U.S. veterans and helping communities in need

Do you want to help renovate the homes of U.S. veterans and help in areas that have been affected by disasters such as the Superstorm Sandy? You have the chance by going to Craftsman.com/MakeaDifference and signing up for the Craftsman Club.

The Craftsman brand, well-known and trusted America’s tool brand, recently launched the “Make a Difference” Tour together with Sears Heroes at Home and Rebuilding Together. Throughout the summer they will be driving across the country trying to make difference in various communities and also inspire individuals to do the same, to bring out their tool boxes and work with their hands.

“We believe all Americans can build, create and shape their worlds, from the smallest of home projects to the tallest of buildings. And, we enjoy the pride in seeing our passion for making come to life,” said Michael Castleman from Sears Holdings.

Together with them is also Ty Pennington, national TV personality who will be helping with the tour as a leader of the volunteers. He said that “I’m excited and proud to be part of the Craftsman ‘Make a Difference’ Tour because, with the help of volunteers from Heroes at Home and Rebuilding Together, we’ll make a positive impact in the lives of those in need.”

Along the way, the “Make a Difference” Tour will be making more than 20 stops, and at each event, in addition to everything else, there will be demonstrations of the latest Craftsman products, giveaways and much more.

The tour is part of Craftsman’s new “Made to Make” campaign, meant to celebrate the maker in each of us.

Disclosure: This post was requested by an advertiser.

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed

Like most of us the kids keep getting older.  No matter what I have tried they keep growing up, moving out and getting lives of there own.  For so many years we had to look at houses that were “big enough” for us all; now all of the sudden we fit into normal houses and are quickly approaching the time when it will be just the two of us here are home.  For some reason this got me thinking about retirement.  While I was looking online I found a place called Devonshire at PGA National.

Not only is Devonshire located in sunny Florida, but it is located on the PGA National Golf Course.    Imagine access to a 90 hole professional Golf Course any time you want.  No matter what your level of ability, you are a member and can on any of their 5 world renowned PGA golf tour courses.  How would that feel for retiring in style?

But maybe world class golfing isnt your thing or perhaps it isnt enough to sway you.  Well how about this:  The facility has three different styles of apartment to choose from, some as larger as 2800 square feet.  5 town cars and 2 buses for getting places.  Personal Trainers, health care and so much more.  But I didnt even tell you one of the best parts.  as part of the facility you can choose from any one of 5!!!! THATS RIGHT 5! 5 Star, World Renowned dining facilities featuring 19 different and fabulous entrees every night.  Who says when you retire you have eat cafeteria food?

No matter where you live a house becomes a home when it is filled with love.  What a great way to spend your retirement years!

What do you think about that for a way to retire in STYLE!

Home ownership is something all of us dream of and most even have a plan for.  If you are like most of us you often spend your time looking at new homes for sale dreaming of all your dream house and all you want in it.  I think if you asked anyone they would tell you they would love to find and live in their dream house.  Most would probably also add they would like to find it at a price they can afford. The drawback to buying a previously lived in house that is for sale is that it is based someone else’s dream and not yours.  Often we settle for something close, but in our mind we know what we want and wish we could find it.  If you are like me you have probably even considerer foreclosures.  The price tag definitely seems very appealing, but a foreclosure has the added problem of not only being someone else’s dream but also will most likely come in “as is”condition; Which is to say that you then have inherited all the problems the former owner couldn’t afford to take care of before losing the house.

The simple solution to the problem of buying a house that is your dream home and not someone else’s is to be the fist owner in a house built for just for you, and built just the way you want it.  There are two ways to have your dream house custom built for you: The first option is to have a home custom built for you from the ground up completely according to your choice of floor plans, fixtures, colors and so on. The second option is to buy a partially completed house that has the floor plan you want but before the finishing touches are put on it so you can pick all of the cabinets, carpet, colors and so on that you want.

In either new home build cases; once you have decided to go that route is when a quality new home builder comes in.  It is important to find a company that knows what they are doing.  Look at home many years they have been building houses.  It is also VERY important to find out how many community developments are they currently working on compared to the size of their company.  If you are going to buid your dream home also want to be sure that the company that is building the home can help you with all the aspects of buying that home.  It is just as important that the company know how to get you financed properly as it is that they know how to build your house.  Having one company to work with for all of the items involved with the purchase and build of your home will not only save you time, but also money.  Some companies even have programs to help you begin planning now for building and moving into your new home.  Look at programs that will help you determine what house is right for you, helps you prequalify and maybe even has a program to help you save for the down payment or other such financial preparations

In the end I hope you can make your dream home a reality and do it in such a way that you can enjoy the entire process both now and years into the future of living in the home.  Let me know what your dream home plans are and any thoughts you might have on moving into the home you have always wanted.

I look at products for the home quite a lot, but it isn’t often that I find a site with a product that gets my mind thinking as much this most recent one has. The tip for the day is – Magnetic fabric bulletin boards!

If your house is like ours then there are always a ton of things to remember. Little notes here and there or the squares on the calendar crammed with stuff. Then of course there are the important phone numbers like, your cell phone that you have to give to babysitters or the older kids so they can get a hold of you when you are gone. It seems like some of these things we have to write and rewrite over and over again because they get stuck someplace and then lost or thrown away. A Bulletin Board is the most practical place to put all these items and so much more.

Best of all this bulletin board is MAGNETIC so you can use both pins and magnets to hold things on it. Because it is covered with densely woven self-healing fabric you don’t have to worry that you push pins are leaving unsightly holes in the fabric which, of course, eventually becomes so tacky that you would want to throw it away. In this case the holes seem to magically disappear when the thumbtack is removed. But it you don’t want to use thumbtacks you can use the included clip and magnet set to you’re your items on it. Better yet if you refrigerator is like ours you have a ton of magnets that slowly slide off or even fall off when you are in the midst of making dinner. Now you can display all the artwork, grades and other special things you are proud of someplace that can feel more like a showcase and not end up on the floor during a late night fridge raid.

This gorgeous fabric bulletin board can be ordered with or without a frame. Frame choices include a beautiful deep mahogany finish frame which can become the centerpiece of your house. Or get one without a frame to fit better into your décor. This one piece may just end up being one of the most flexible, attractive things you ever put on your wall.