Archives for 2017

How To Hire Someone To Build A Garage

September 13, 2017 By Anne

Whether you are having a new garage built or are looking for a contractor to remodel the one you have, finding the perfect builder to meet your needs can be difficult if you don’t know where to begin looking. In most cases, it makes the most sense to start looking at the profiles of metal buildings contractor to see who might be the best fit. A reputable garage remodeling contractor like the ones found at remodelingcontractor.com will make you feel confident about your decision. To help you find the perfect garage builder for your project, below are some tips for hiring a contractor.

Create A Budget

Even though you may have a dream garage in your mind that you would love to have built, it is best to create a budget for the project and stick to it. Having a budget laid out will help you to avoid spending too much money here and there without realizing it. It can be easy to overspend on a project such as building or remodeling a garage.

Know Purpose Of Garage

The best way to get a garage built is to know what you intend to use it for. Are you wanting a carport? Do you want a full garage with room for working? You will also have to decide on things like whether it will be attached to the home or detached. Create a list of essential components of your new garage before you talk to a contractor.

Get Multiple Estimates

It is not wise to go with the first contractor you hire. It is a rule of thumb to get at least three estimates from different companies. Doing this can give you the opportunity to compare costs, completion estimates and more. A project as big as a garage being built or remodeled is an important one and choosing a contractor you are comfortable working with is essential to being happy with the finished product.

Check Credentials

Never hire a contractor who cannot or will not offer proof of insurance and licenses. All contractors should carry workers compensation, property damage and personal liability insurance. Additionally, reputable contractors will offer you references to call and talk to. When you speak with their references, do not just ask about their overall satisfaction. Find out specifics such as if the job was completed on time and close in cost to the original estimate. Also, ask if there were any issues during the process and how they were handled.

Customer Service

You should feel comfortable and confident working with your contractor. They are going to be around for days or weeks building or remodeling your garage. When you initially meet potential contractors, pay close attention to your first impressions of them and gauge if the interactions were positive or negative ones.

It can be exciting having a project completed by a contractor. The key to you being happy with the finished project will be based on finding a quality garage remolding contractor who is competent and offers competitive estimates over the rest. Hiring a garage contractor is essentially about entering into a temporary partnership with someone and it is essential to hire someone you enjoy working with. Doing this will ensure you get the garage that you hoped for and within your budget.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

4 Reasons to Visit Canada in the Summer

September 13, 2017 By Marijean

When you see pictures of Canada, they are normally ones with snow covered mountain tops which evoke that winter feeling. Yes, Canada is a popular place for travelers to visit in winter, but the fun doesn’t stop once spring rolls around. In fact, it is a year-round destination that has plenty to offer whenever you decide to land in this diverse, enticing country.

With that said, and as the title spotlights, this article will be focusing specifically on the summertime in Canada. After all, it is the direct opposite of winter – so it is the ideal way of pointing out why the country isn’t just a one-off seasonal stop each year. Read on for four reasons to visit Canada in the summer.

Warmer weather for exploring

Firstly, it is important to start with the most obvious aspect of visiting in the summer: the warm weather. While Canada is a popular place to visit in winter, that doesn’t mean every traveler is comfortable with going on holiday during cold temperatures and snowy conditions. If you are in that situation, going during the summer is the perfect solution – the snow might not be so prominent (you’ll still find it atop the most elevated mountains), but everything else that makes Canada so special remains.

Countless things to do

UNESCO World Heritage sites, 42 national parks, museums, wide-open spaces ripe for exploring, wildlife to observe – there’s so much to do in Canada, that you will probably regret not booking a longer trip! As for summer-specific things, you obviously have the chance to participate in more outdoor activities. While hiking is still possible during the winter, the summer allows you to do things like biking, rafting and playing a round of golf in comfort.

Affordable prices

Perhaps surprisingly, Canada is a country that is amongst one of the most inexpensive places to visit on the planet. Sadly that doesn’t include airfare if you are traveling long distance, but the price of entering attractions, going to festivals, and so on is usually an inexpensive affair.

Plus if you are keeping a close eye on your finances, why not book a self-catering accommodation option like Tremblant Sunstar in Mont-Tremblant? That way you can cook in your very own kitchen, helping to avoid eating out for every meal during your journey. If you’re traveling across the country, the option of camping is also a possibility – which is not something that would be all that viable during those freezing winter conditions.

Summer festivals

During the summer months, there are plenty of Canadian festivals to choose from. Of course, festivals rarely pop up during the winter months, however, when the sun and warm arrives so does the music, art and culture.

When it comes to these annual festivals and events, there are many of them that are suited for visitors of all types. This is an ideal point if you’re traveling as a family. Plus these shows and celebrations are diverse in what they offer, with everything from the well-known Montebello Rockfest music extravaganza to Freezer Burn – the latter being a Burning Man-sanctioned, artistic expression of freedom.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Guy Harvey Outpost Resort Vacation

August 31, 2017 By Heather Little

Although we live just a few miles from a beautiful beach on the Atlantic Ocean, I grew up going to beaches on the Gulf Coast and to this day, they remain my favorite. The crystal blue calm waters and soft white sand are just so beautiful and relaxing. So when it came to planning our summer vacation this year, we decided to head west to the Gulf Coast.

From the panhandle of Florida all the way down to Marco Island and Naples, there are an endless number of beautiful beaches along the coast. We wanted a destination with a relatively short drive, so we decided on St Pete Beach, near Tampa. When picking a resort, my family really enjoys a “one stop shop” where everything is available onsite or within walking distance. After some research, we decided on Guy Harvey Outpost Resort.

Located directly on the Gulf of Mexico on St Pete Beach, the resort offers tons of amenities, plus access to their “sister resort”, Tradewinds Island Grand, just a few steps down the beach. Between the two resorts, there are seven swimming pools, over a dozen restaurants, bars and eateries, and countless activities like a touch tank, paddle boats, and pirate shows to keep you and your kids entertained the entire vacation. One of the major attractions at Tradewinds is the 3 story high, 200 foot long High Tide Slide. My girls couldn’t get enough of it! They also had a great time on the inflatable waterpark while my husband and I relaxed in the complimentary beach cabanas and ordered delicious food and tropical drinks right from an app on my phone…Doesn’t get much better than that!

Surrounded my sea grapes and swaying palm trees, the wide, white sand beach is beautiful. The water is clear and calm, perfect for floating the day away or enjoying the water sports the resort has to offer. But when the sun starts to set, that’s when the real show starts! The famous sunsets from St Pete Beach are simply amazing. Just before the sun starts to go down, crowds gather on the beach to enjoy the beautiful view. My girls loved roasting s’mores over the resort’s fire pits as we watched the sun set each night.

Overall, my family and I really enjoyed our time to Guy Harvey Outpost in St Pete Beach and we definitely plan to be back. Between the beautiful beach and the great onsite dining choices and countless activities to keep the whole family entertained, the resort checked all our boxes for a relaxing beach vacation.

To book your vacation, click here!

Heather Little

My name is Heather Little and my husband and I have two sweet girls and one crazy dog. We moved to Florida 6 years ago and have loved every minute of it! I enjoy crafting, good food, shopping, and of course travel!

Color Me Mine Studio Opens at Avenues Mall on August 30th!

August 25, 2017 By Marijean

Color Me Mine at The Avenues Mall, Jacksonville, FL

The highly anticipated Color Me Mine Paint-It-Yourself Ceramics Walk-in Studio soon opens on Wednesday August 30, 2017 at The Avenues Mall, Jacksonville, FL. Grand opening is planned for Saturday September 23, 2017.

This walk-in studio will boast well over 400 ceramic items to choose from, including Disney licensed pieces and many other Color Me Mine exclusives, a Design Center featuring 22,000 images and over sixty colors to paint with! Customers will design and paint their pieces however they like. Staff members will be ready with painting tips, tricks, and techniques. Color Me Mine is a perfect outing for families, date night, or even solo. It’s great fun to relax and paint, and even more fun to take the glazed and fired work of art and enjoy it forever!

Color Me Mine is great for birthday parties, showers, handprint keepsakes, fundraisers, Scout events, school programs, and much more! It’s a great way to spend quality time while creating gifts and masterpieces that will last a lifetime. Everyone’s an artist at Color Me Mine!

For more information about Color Me Mine at The Avenues Mall, please visit: www.jacksonville.colormemine.com and on Facebook.

For groups of less than 6 – NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED!

About Color Me Mine Inc.: Color Me Mine is the leader in the paint-it-yourself ceramics industry with 136 studios franchised throughout the world. Each location is an upscale art-as entertainment studio offering unfinished ceramics and other craft media. Customers enter a relaxing environment, choose one of 400 unfinished ceramic pieces, and spend an hour or two painting it to explore their own artistic vision.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Scare Up Some Fun at Seaworld’s Halloween Spooktacular on Weekends in September and October!

August 25, 2017 By Marijean

SCARE UP SOME FAMILY FUN AT SEAWORLD’S HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

Popular Daytime Halloween Celebration Returns Weekends September 23 – October 29

Halloween Spooktacular returns to SeaWorld Orlando this fall earlier than ever before on September 23. Guests of all ages can join everyone’s favorite furry friends from Sesame Street as The Count, Elmo, Abby and others take the stage in “Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween.” Families will also enjoy a Halloween Dance Party and meet whimsical characters inspired by the sea. For this special event, children can dress in their Halloween costumes and take part in fun-filled trick-or-treating in the park.

The daytime Halloween fun takes place every Saturday and Sunday starting September 23 through October 29, 2017 and is included with park admission. Event hours are 11 a.m. to park close.

Halloween Spooktacular Highlights Include:

· Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween – Celebrate a Spooktacular Halloween at SeaWorld with The Count, Elmo, Abby, and the rest of their Sesame Street friends! The Count is feeling lonely this Halloween, and it’s up to the loveable monsters from Sesame Street to get him into the Halloween spirit. Batty bats and spooky skeletons join the fun in a song-filled stage show that invites guests to dance, play and sing along.

· Count von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast – Back by popular demand, Count von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast features a delicious buffet enjoyed with the furriest characters in town, this breakfast is a fun-filled experience sure to delight kids and parents alike. Starting at $9 for kids and $19 for adults, reservations can be made online, at the Information Counter or by calling (407) 545-5550.

· Penelope’s Garden Party – This dynamic “underwater” environment comes to life with a live DJ, bubbles floating overhead, unique photo opportunities and colorful sea-themed characters.

· Pets Ahoy Halloween – Guests can enjoy a special Halloween version of this side-splitting show with surprise twists, and a cast of unlikely characters that will have the whole family laughing from beginning to end.

· Waves of Trick-or-Treat Fun – Costumed youngsters can trick-or-treat from 11 a.m. to park close for ghoulish goodies. Each sea-themed, trick-or-treat station features an assortment of candy favorites including Tootsie Roll®, Airheads® and Junior Mints®, just to name a few.

· Halloween Dance Party – Children join Princess Penelope and her under-the-sea friends for a Spooktacular Dance Party where they can participate in line-dancing favorites as clouds of bubbles fill the evening air. The party kicks off in the front of the park every event night one hour before park closing.

Best Way to Play:

The best way for families to experience SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular – and save – is by purchasing advance tickets online at SeaWorldOrlando.com. Guests who purchase single-day tickets at least 1-day in advance can save $20 and visit the park for only $79.99.

For more information, park hours and to purchase tickets, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com. To keep up to date on park hours and events, follow SeaWorld’s social channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.