Lifetime365

I'm sure you remember that I'm the "technical guy" that blogs about geeky stuff, right? Here's another one of those geeky posts, so if you're looking for Thanksgiving Tips or something along those lines, this isn't the article for you. If, however, you'd like to see some of the nuts and bolts that make Lifetime Products the company that it is, you might just enjoy the read.

Lifetime Products recently made the switch to Microsoft Exchange 2010. For those of you who don’t know, Exchange is Microsoft’s “Swiss Army Knife” server application. It’s an email host with LDAP & contact capabilities, it handles schedules and calendars, tasks and to-do lists, voice messaging, fax, unified messaging, syncing to Windows Phones (formerly known as Windows Mobile, formerly known as Pocket PC) and iPhones, and a whole bunch more stuff that I can’t possibly cover in a short article.

Crystal Flores, Exchange Program Manager for Microsoft has headed out on the road to talk with some “early adopters” of Microsoft Exchange 2010. Her first stop was Lifetime Products, right here in Clearfield, Utah.

Crystal interviewed Lifetime’s Richard Hendrickson, President; John Bowden, CIO; and Vince Rohton, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Some of the more notable advantages and features mentioned in Crystal’s interviews included the ability for Lifetime to eliminate their desk phones and offer one number to their customers and clients, which is completely transparent to our customers.

They estimate a savings for $1,000 per year for each desk phone replaced or not deployed because of the power of Exchange 2010. By putting email, contact, voicemail, text messaging, and phone calls all one one mobile device, all this information is available where ever that employee goes.

Lifetime Products’ Exchange 2010 deployment serves their facilities and employees in China, Mexico, and all their USA users as well, all hosted in one data center, on a single instance of Exchange 2010. That’s impressive. What’s more impressive is that they don’t need a dedicated Exchange Administrator to do it all.

The same technology that Lifetime Products uses also empowers employees of their online store BuyLifetime.com and their brick-and-mortar BackyardsInc.com stores as well.

CIO Magazine has a great article that features some more details about Lifetime’s adoption of Exchange 2010 titled Exchange 2010: Five Reasons Why I’m Upgrading and  has posted a video interview with John Bowden, Lifetime's CIO.

Buying the right shed can be a difficult task. There are many options available ranging in size, material, design, etc. Choosing the right material can often be the most difficult part of purchasing a shed. Many people refer to Lifetime sheds as “vinyl” sheds; however this is not the case. Lifetime “vinyl” sheds are actually made out of high-density polyethylene plastic (HDPE), which differs greatly from vinyl (PVC). Some of the main differences are:

• HDPE is much stronger and durable than vinyl
• HDPE will not crack, chip, or shatter
• Vinyl turns weak and brittle, especially in temperature changes
• HDPE is UV-protected and will not warp or change in extreme sunlight
• Over time vinyl can put off toxic gases into the air, ground, and water
• HDPE is completely recyclable and “eco-friendly”

So, when looking into purchasing a shed, whether a Lifetime one or not, make sure to do some research on the material it is made of. Go for a polyethylene (HDPE) shed, over a wood, steel, or light plastic one.  HDPE will last much longer, won’t fade or crack, is stain resistant and easy to clean.  It’s definitely the best shed material option! 
Other factors come into play when purchasing a Lifetime shed as well. Make sure your shed has certain attributes to meet your needs.  Things to consider include: the size, how many windows it has for ventilation, if it has large enough doors (single vs. double doors), and making sure it is low-maintenance. Good luck!

Hope you had a fun and safe Halloween this year.  We sure did!  My kiddos were the perfect age this year to really enjoy it.  Of course, I wouldn't being doing my doting mommy duty if I didn't brag about how cute my kiddos looked.  Personally, I think they were the cutest costumes I saw...maybe just slightly prejudice, I know.  :) 

My two-year-old daughter went as Minnie Mouse and my 6-year-old son was R2DT from Star Wars.  At first I figured R2D2 would be easy to find since Star Wars is so popular right now.  What I didn't realize is that R2D2 is not in the new movies and cartoons.  Tons of Stormtroopers and Darth Vadar costumes were readily available, but leave it to us to pick the one character for which a costume doesn't exist. 

Luckily, my son LOVES to do craft projects so we decided to fully embrace his R2D2 passion and tackle yet another homemade costume. I must say, despite all the trips it took to find the supplies, it turned out AWESOME!  He was the hit at his school costume parade and in the neighborhood.  Believe it or not, we ended up making the R2D2 costume out of a trash can!  Wait just a minute. Before you start giving me any creativity points, I have to admit, I completely borrowed the idea from familygo.com.  Another wonderful (and much more creative) mom graciously posted her pictures and step-by-step directions of how to make the entire costume.  Thank you, thank you!

It was pretty cute watching R2D2 (complete with working lights) walking up and down the street.  Our neighborhood is only one square block - perfect! You make the loop, buckets are full, and you're done!  Instead of having kids walk up and ring the doorbell, many neighbors simply set up Lifetime folding tables and chairs at the end of their driveways so they could see all the costumes, and kids quickly knew which houses were handing out candy.  One group  even made it a neighborhood socializing event.  Costumed adults set up a 8' Lifetime folding table and about five different neighbors had  their treats on the table for kids to fill their buckets.

After the trick-or-treating, my husband and I donned our own homemade Halloween costumes - Titanic Survivors - and headed to a costume party.  (This time the costume idea was completely our own!)  Another successful Halloween.  Now, I just have to figure out how to get rid of all this candy before the Easter Bunny comes!

My husband helped the kiddos carve our jack-o-lantern last night.  Honestly, I don't know why we go to the effort every year because they kids never help.  They both think it's gross and stinky.  They do like the finished product, just not the actual scooping and carving process.  Oh well.  I guess we just keep hoping that one year they'll actually find it fun. 

So, after your jack-o-lantern glows for three or four nights, now what do you do with the pumpkin?  Well, you could do what some of my neighbors do and let it simply rot on the porch.   (Personally, I'd vote against that smelly option!)  Most people probably just throw the pumpkin in the trash and think nothing of it.  Instead, this year, why not let your orange pumpkin go green! 

Composting pumpkins is a great way to dispose of your pumpkin.  Be sure to remove the candle and any wax build-up first, then cut or smash your pumpkin into small pieces.   Go ahead, let loose, relieve a little stress, and smash away!  Or, let your kids burn off a little extra energy, they'll love it!  Then, simply throw the pumpkin pieces in a composter, like the Lifetime Composter Tumbler.  Add some of those leaves that have fallen all over your lawn and other organic materials like table scraps and grass clippings and you'll soon have some great compost to use in your garden and flowerbeds.  

Don't have a composter?  Give your pumpkin to a neighbor who does.  Or, simply bury your pumpkin in a garden or flowerbed to enrich your soil.

If you haven't actually carved your pumpkin, scoop out the insides and use them for cooking before you send it to the composter.  You can also save the seeds and use them to roast as a snack.  There are plenty of good recipes online to try, including these three toasted seed versions from 101cookbooks.com. 

Oh, and of course, don't forget to save a few seeds to plant next year to grow more pumpkins! 

I’ve been to a lot of yard sales. At a recent one, I bought a 1921 replica Coca-Cola serving tray and made arrangements with a seller to pick up a refinished oak tool chest that I plan to use as a coffee table.

After years of experience buying and selling, I’ve also brought home what I call my three Ps for a successful yard sale: Planning, Presentation, and Pricing.

• Planning is crucial. If you sell it, they will come, right? Wrong. Run a classified ad in your local newspaper. Be sure to include popular and big-ticket items as well as the date, time, and location of your sale. Post a free listing at Craigslist.org also. Then make signs to put up at the nearest major intersections and other strategic spots to direct people to your sale. (Check with your local municipality or homeowners association first to make sure it’s okay to have a yard sale and that signage is permitted.)

• Presentation is everything. Don’t just throw stuff out on the lawn and call it good. Organize your sale like a retail store – by department – so buyers can more easily find what they’re looking for. Hang clothing on racks (you can make a rack by inserting a broom through the rungs of two step ladders). Display all other items attractively on sturdy folding tables, like those from Lifetime Products.  I like the Fold-in-Half Tables because they store easily when I’m done using them. 

• Price to sell. Forget what you paid for an item. Price at 20-30% of the original price and be willing to negotiate. Remember, you’re trying to turn clutter into cash, so accept all reasonable offers. Put a price tag on everything so buyers don’t have to ask – some will, some won’t and those who don’t will just walk away. I use a Sharpie marker on blue painter’s tape because it peels off easily. Another strategy is to group like items such as books in a bin and create one sign with one price for all. 

Happy yard sale-ing!

My husband and I made the big leap a about a month ago.  We bought iPhones.  I have to say, as reserved as I was about making a jump to such a trendy gadget of which I thought I wouldn’t really need, I LOVE it!  It is soooo user friendly and the voice control feature is astonishing.  It is so cool to do a Google search just by talking to your phone, then simply tap the phone number Google pulls up to call the place you were trying to find... or tap the Google map to get GPS directions!  Amazing.

But, of course, we couldn’t just simply purchase iPhones and be done.  Oh, no.  Naturally, we had to find snazzy cases, too.  After running around to more than five different stores, I narrowed my choice down to the Speck Candy Shell and the iFrogz Luxe.  I loved the fun two-tone colors and unmatched durability of the Candy Shell, yet the iFrogz felt great in the hand and had a sliding bottom piece for easy docking. 

I came home and showed my husband my narrowed-down choices online.  (Ummm, just so you know, they are both available much cheaper online than in stores.)  But, still, which one to pick?  Well, when I did my Google search for iPhone case reviews, one of the first sites that popped up was actually a video review.  I was planning on reading some user reviews, but it never even dawned on me there might be video reviews for a phone case!  Turns out there are dozens of in-depth video reviews available for almost every style and brand of iPhone case made.  These reviews were super helpful!  Nothing fancy or professional about them, but lots of specifics and answers to details I never would have thought about, plus up-close product shots from all angles. 

Anyway, it got me thinking...there must be video reviews about almost every kind of product if there are video reviews for phone cases!  Hmmm, I wonder if there are any video reviews of Lifetime products?  (Well, obviously, I knew there were at least a few because I have done a couple myself for Lifetime wheelbarrows, Lifetime yard carts, and Lifetime plastic sheds...although not nearly as in-depth and detailed as the reviews I found for phone cases.)  Anyway, sure enough, a quick Google Video search for "Lifetime basketball hoop reviews", pulled up several video reviews, most of them on expotv.com.  The reviews, or "Videopinions", are unsolicited by Lifetime and are from everyday homeowners who own Lifetime basketball hoops. There are also numerous written reviews about Lifetime basketball hoops on various sites, as well.  Here are just a few of the Lifetime basketball hoop video reviews I found that may be of help to you:

So, my point with all of this:  if you're making an investment in a product - an iPhone case, a Lifetime product, or any product - be sure to take advantage of today's wonderful technology.  Take the time to do a quick search online to help you make a wise and educated decision.  Manufacturer's websites can provide you with all of the specs and benefits of a product.  Google Video, YouTube, and Expotv are all great sources for customer video reviews.  And, most all online stores usually have written customer reviews for each product that are extremely insightful, too.

Oh, yea. I forgot to tell you... we ended up buying the iFrogz Luxe cases and so far they are great!

This past weekend we headed to a local pumpkin patch for our squadron's annual Fall Festival. It was an easy and fun way to celebrate autumn and Halloween without having to attend yet another costume party! 

It's tough to say what my kids' favorite activity was because there were so many cute things to do.  As soon as we got there, my daughter was immediately drawn to the Corn Box...a metal bin filled with corn instead of sand and loaded with buckets, shovels, and trucks.  However, the Corn Box soon took a back seat as soon as she heard the sputtering sound of tractors and noticed there were hayrides and little cart rides. My son enjoyed winding through the hay maze and pumping the old-fashioned water pumps for the plastic duck races.  And, naturally, they both took advantage of the free face painting.  (Personally, I passed on the face painting, but was thrilled to see they were using a Lifetime 4' adjustable height table as their painting station!) 

The farm also had stuff your own scarecrow stations, petting zoos, obstacle courses, and pumpkin basketball.  Yes, you read that right...pumpkin basketball.  They had a portable Lifetime basketball hoop, but in the spirit of the festivities, you played with a pumpkin instead of a basketball.  Hey, it's round and orange, right?  Obviously, I was a bit concerned since pumpkins are heavy, hard, and tend explode when dropped!  Thankfully, it was a fake pumpkin!  They also had Gourd Bowling... roll a pumpkin at gourds set up like bowling pins.  Yes, once again, these were all fake, too.  Whew! 

If you've never been to a pumpkin patch, they are worth the trip for the fun and to support your local farmers.  And, don't forget to check your local apple farm and corn mazes for Fall festivities, as well.   You'd better hurry though, because most are only open with special festivities through the end of October.

Save yourself some work and check out this great website I found that makes it easy to search for pumpkin patches near you!  Have fun and Happy Halloween!

Home and garden help is here! Whether it’s time to restore last year’s vegetable garden, prepare your home for holiday entertaining, or perform a garage overhaul, our panel of experts is here to help. Periodically, each of our experts will share his or her knowledge in the areas of organization, gardening, entertaining, and family-life balance.

Here, you will find advice, video demonstrations and firsthand accounts – sure to spark new project ideas, motivate you to complete those in progress, and uncover creative solutions to everyday home and garden challenges – all with you in mind. Be sure to check back frequently to get to know our experts and stay up-to-date with the latest tips – all for the way you live.

 Check out each of our Home and Garden Guru's Profiles to learn more about them:

Hannah Keeley, Lifestyle Expert

Patricia Mendez, Entertaining Expert

Charlie Nardozzi, Gardening Expert

Donna Smallin, Organizing Expert

You can read more about all our Home and Garden Gurus at http://www.lifetime.com/page/tipssolutions/Gurus

Anyway, the start of football season also means the start of tailgating season!  It may still be called a “tailgate” party, but nowadays, most people use more than just a tailgate when it comes to pre-game or pre-race festivities!  In fact, quite often, RVs and buffet tables with canopies have replaced simple tailgates.  Likewise, a rack of ribs or skewer of shrimp has replaced the traditional game day hotdog or burger.  And, surprisingly, a lot of people never even plan on going to the actual game!  They simply attend the tailgate party for the camaraderie and fun.  Yes, people actually tote their generators, televisions, and portable heaters to set up camp for one day in an over-crowded, paved parking lot! 

So, I wanted to pass along a quick video to get you psyched and prepped for your own tailgate party.  Check out these tailgating video tips from Jay "The Tailgate Guy" DiEugenio, author of I Got Your Tailgate Party Right Here!  He gives you some cool set up ideas and shows you some ideal tailgating products (including, of course, Lifetime tables and Lifetime folding chairs!).  The video gives you a great view of how easy it is to adjust and fold Lifetime's adjustable height fold-in-half tables, too! 

After you watch the video, click on over to Lifetime's Tip and Solutions page for even more tailgating ideas no matter how simple or extravagent your spread may be, including some fan-pleasing recipes that are sure to score big!

As a real estate agent, I often hear from people who want a new home because they’ve outgrown the current one.  In some cases, people really do need larger homes, but other times, homeowners just need to use their property—inside and out—differently.  In a tough economy, like the one we’re in, it’s especially important to understand that difference. 

Do you think you’ve outgrown your house, but can’t afford to build an expensive home addition or move to something larger?  Thankfully, there are alternatives.  One significantly more budget-friendly option I recommend for people who decide to stay put (at least temporarily) is an outdoor storage building.  “A shed instead of a larger house?” you may ask.  Absolutely!  A great shed, like the ones from Lifetime Products, can free up closets, cabinets, attics, garages and more for other uses. 

If you are concerned about placing your family’s belongings outside, don’t be; these sheds have screen vents and skylights to allow for airflow and lockable, steel-reinforced doors to help keep belongings safe from intruders or children. They’re also weather-resistant and made of steel reinforced plastic, so they don’t rust, crack or fade and they don’t need to be painted.  And they have attachable shelving units and hooks allow homeowners to easily organize their items.

Hopefully, my advice has helped you discover some new space in your old home.  However, if your home is overflowing with extra people, rather than extra boxes, a new house may be in order.  If that’s the case, you know who to call!

###

Loren Keim is a national authority on real estate and the housing market and is the president of Century 21 Keim Realtors in Pennsylvania. He is the author of several how-to books, including How to Sell Your Home in Any Market and has appeared on various television programs and radio shows offering advice and insight on the housing market and the recent real estate crisis.  In addition to his other work, he currently serves as a spokesperson for Lifetime.

One of my Dad's traditions at the lake house is to build a campfire outside almost every night.  My dad likes to eat popcorn around the fire, but when the grandkids visit, it's time to break out the good ol' traditional smores!  After all, what kid can resist melted chocolate and gooey marshmallows smooshed between graham crackers? 

For a change of pace for the kids' campfire sweet treats, one night my sister-in-law introduced us all to Hobo Pies.  If you've never had a Hobo Pie, you're in for, well, something different from smores.  :)  First of all, to make a Hobo Pie over a campfire, you need an iron pie maker, available in camping departments.  Then, you'll need bread and some fillings.  In the tradition of "pie", my sister-in-law brought apple pie filling and cherry pie filling.  First, we lined up all of our ingredients on our Lifetime picnic table so everyone could easily see the flavor choices available for Hobo Pies.  Next, you simply butter two pieces of bread on the outside and put your filling on the inside, making a sandwich.  Place the sandwich in your pie maker and place in the campfire for about 5 minutes.  Be sure to flip your pie maker to get both pieces of bread toasted!     

Now let me warn you, Hobo Pies do NOT taste like Granny's apple pie or even a McDonald's hot apple pie.  When you look at them, they look a bit like a grilled cheese sandwich, and they kind of taste like one too...with the exception of a fruit taste instead of a cheese taste, of course!  I don't really like regular apple pie or even apple cobbler, so a Hobo Apple Pie didn't sound much better to me.  But, on the inside of the pie maker box label there were other recipe ideas.  It turns out you can use the pie maker to make just about any meal over a campfire...sandwiches, eggs, you name it.  Anyway, there were several dessert suggestions, too, including some with chocolate! So, I improvised and whipped up my own favorite Hobo Pie creation:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Hobo Pie
1.  Spread peanut butter on each slice of bread
2.  Place thin slices of banana on one slice of bread
3.  Place 3 rows of Hershey Bar chocolate on top of banana
4.  Put other slice of bread on top
5.  Butter outsides of both pieces of bread
6.  Place in pie maker and cook over fire about 5 minutes

Mmmmmmm.  Now that was yummy!  If you like marshmallows,  I think a marshmallow in the middle of my creation would also be pretty good.  If you're having a campfire cookout sometime this Fall, why not try something new and give Hobo Pies a try.  Get creative and let me know your favorite concoction!

Kids have a way of doing things that just make you smile.  It's always surprising and amusing how even the tiniest of tots can be pretty resourceful.  Take, for instance, my daughter's witty idea a few weeks ago when we visited my family in Ohio.  While we were up at their lake house, we ate almost every meal outside to enjoy the lake view and the beautiful weather.  Plus, with six adults and five kids, we simply had more table space outside than inside. 

Typically, the adults would always sit at my parents' patio table and chairs while the kids would eat at the 6' Lifetime picnic table.  Even though it wasn't a children's Lifetime picnic table, all of the kiddos could reach just fine, except for my two-year-old daughter, Alyssa.  She loves being like the big kids though so don't think for a second that size would stop her! 

Nope, usually Alyssa just sat on her knees and could reach the tabletop without much problem.  One meal, though, she got pretty wiggly and silly and actually fell off.  (Thank goodness she wasn't hurt.) So, the next meal, instead of trying to sit still like we asked, she came up with her own plan!  She simply pulled her little toddler outdoor chair up to the bench of the picnic table and used the bench as her tabletop.  It was the perfect height for her!  And, who knew a plate was the perfect size to sit on a picnic table bench?  Alyssa was finally able to sit on her bottom and was still able to eat at the picnic table with the big kids!  Now, why didn't I think of that?!

Out of the blue, two people have mentioned table clips to me in the past few weeks.  It's not exactly a popular conversation topic or product, so I'm taking that as a sign that I should blog about them!  Wanna hear something else weird...both people were named Nancy.  Good thing I'm not superstitious.  :)

My aunt Nancy was telling me how her friend was looking for table clips to fit her Lifetime table to hold her material in place for quilting.  Hmmm...clever idea for you quilter's out there, huh?!  And, one of our blog readers, said she was looking for table clips to fit her Lifetime tables that she uses in her restaurant with skirting on them.

Just so you know, the edges of most Lifetime banquet tables are thicker than traditional wooden folding banquet tables, which makes it a little harder to find clips that fit properly.  But, have no fear!  Just click on over to the table accessories department at Buylifetime.com.  Buylifetime.com has plastic table clips with velcro strips that fit Lifetime tables.  You can use the clips to hold your table cloth in place, as well as attach skirting. 

The clips are sold 10 per pack for $10.  But, here's the best part.  Right now Buylifetime.com is offering a special coupon code good for $10 off your purchase of $20 or more.  (And, as always, shipping is FREE!)  So, that means if you order two packages of table clips, you'll end up getting one of them for FREE...two packs for the price of one!  Gotta like that!  Just enter Buylifetime.com coupon code JMA010 when you check out.  And, don't forget to check out Buylifetime's other great table accessories too, like table skirts and picnic table covers.

I can't believe it's been one year already since I wrote my first blog for Lifetime365.com.  I have to admit, back when the folks at Lifetime first asked me if I was interested in blogging, I was a bit hesitant.  Don't get me wrong, I was super excited they asked me since I am a former Lifetime employee and I LOVE writing.  It was a perfect fit.  But, I wasn't quite sure how I would ever come up with enough topics about Lifetime products from my daily life to blog one to two times a week. 

Well, it turns out that when you really like something, it's pretty easy to talk (er, blog) about it non-stop!  Kind of like how people can go on and on and on about their kids.  :)  Until I started this little project, I honestly never realized how many times and ways I use Lifetime products almost every day.  And, as you've probably noticed, I only use a handful of their wide selection of products.  Most of my blogs only focus on folding tables, chairs, sheds, and wheelbarrows.  Why?  Because, quite simply, that's what I own!  That means I haven't even scratched the surface of Lifetime's other assortment of quality products like basketball hoops, utility trailers, composters, and playground equipment.

So, one year and 58 blogs later, happy blogging birthday to me!  Hmmm, maybe it's more of an anniversary than a birthday.  Oh well, moot point.  Either way, I hope my blogs have helped to educate, enlighten, and inspire you at least a little bit over this past year.  Here's to many more blogs to come...

Summer is quickly winding down.  But, thankfully, August is one of the hottest months so there are still plenty of days left to squeeze in some last minute authentic summer fun.  Here in Texas, it's been crazy hot.  Ok, insanely hot – something unbelievable like 35 days over 100 degrees before August even started! 

I was tired of simply heading to the pool or waterpark to stay cool, so the other day I surprised my kids with some good ol' fashioned water balloons.  Sure, it took twice as long to fill them up as it did to throw them, but it was worth it to see the smiles on their faces and hear their giggles.  My son had fun trying to throw them at me, while my daughter just liked dropping them on the grass and watching them pop.

I grew up playing with water balloons by having a simple water balloon toss contest. However, my neighbor shared a fun idea for water balloons that I had never heard of before.  Every summer she lets her daughter have a water balloon party with her friends and they have a water balloon war similar to paintball.  Her daughter spends all morning filling an entire laundry basket with water balloons.  They set an unfolded Lifetime banquet table on its side in the yard and use it as a base and protective barrier to take cover behind as they launch the balloons at each other. Super simple, yet super fun and the kids look forward to it every year.

Once I started looking around online, I quickly realized a simple water balloon toss is only a mere beginning.  If you're looking for other clever games to play with water balloons before summer is over, check out these sites I found that describe dozens of games to play with water balloons - everything from musical chairs to water balloon shaving!  Have fun!

http://www.suite101.com/reference/water_balloon_games

http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Kids_Water_Balloon_Games