So glad this thread is still here. Did a whole house renovation 8 years ago and just bought a new (to me) house, and about to do it again. Stuff that has held up well and I will definitely be looking at closely again this time around are: - Rohl fireclay sink (nice and quiet, plenty big to hide lots of dirty dishes in the sink; I might get 2 this time!) - Pacific Crest cabinets (despite some issues in their shipping (some banged up cabinets when they arrived), the company stood behind their product and made things right and they have held up quite well -- and everyone comments on how nice they look) - Prefinished hardwood floors (wouldn't get Brazilian cherry again because they are too sensitive to light, but with two 50-60lb dogs running around, they have held up remarkably well, especially compared to friends who had site-finished floors. now I just need to find another wood species I like as well) - Kohler Vinnata faucet (after all this time, I looked around at faucets again the other day and this is still the most gracefully sculptural faucet profile; also I had no problems with this at all.) - GE Monogram 36" range, 30" fridge, island hood (the range cooked great and was a breeze to clean, the fridge had no issues whatsoever with the icemaker/water dispenser, and the range, though a real b*tch to install has been a real workhorse around our house; surprisingly had very few issues with these appliances) - Miele dishwasher (this is the one with the top silverware rack; it was called Incognito back 8 years ago and don't know what it's called now. It cleans great and once we figured out how to use the salt/softener thingy left no streaks on our glasses) - Kinawa white granite (husband likes the veins in this and I like whiteness, and we this is as close as we can get to white carrara w/o the maintenance headaches) - Never M-T soap dispenser (what a great tip I got from this site 8 years ago. I give this to friends now, and they think it's genius) - Air Switch for disposal (another great tip I got from this site; likely ubiquitous now but it's still wonderful) - Kohler's Memoirs collection stately pedestal and drop-in sinks, and toilet (very classic looking) Looking forward to another fun remodel

A lot of "Made in America" is smoke and mirrors and deception. If you want "Made in America" real wood flooing, you will first have to insure that you are using a species that is native to and sourced from only North America. Some "American" hardwoods might be harvested, or "veneered" here, then shipped far away for processing and "manufacturing" and then shipped back here for sale. Is that "American Made"? Ipe or Purple Heart or Tigerwood is never going to be "Made in America". It might be fully or only partially milled/treated/finished/stained in the USA, or maybe not.... Walnut that is really Acacia is never going to come from America. Neither is any kind Chestnut that is not reclaimed or recovered or recycled likely to be from anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains..... The best way to buy American, and to directly support the folks who grow and harvest and process and everything else related to your desire for as domestically "pure" as possible a floor, is to..... Go to your favorite search engine, and craigslist too, and look for local suppliers of local sawn lumber of the kind you are looking for that is well air or kiln dried and have it milled and installed and finished by local flooring pro's. There are sawmills and planer/molders everywhere in America cutting and milling locally sourced woods of all kinds, including kinds of woods that if you do find at a "flooring distributor" are going to cost you a whole lot more than taking a nice ride to meet some nice folks who are willing to work with YOU (not your money) ever will. Then again, as someone who has always lived in Small Town and rural America and having been raised around and living with such places and folks for better than 60 years now, I might just have a somewhat idealized view as to what "Made in America" is all about.... It seems my friends and "neighbors" take the same view as me, and it may be that when it comes to such things,we are all just a bit more insulated from the rest of the worlds goings on, but in all honesty, I doubt it. The more "local" you live, the more local lives you touch. And the stronger you make your local and state and national economy.... Then again, just what is "local" anyway? Seems to me that from the Isthmus of Panama to the north woods of Canada and Alaska, we're all in it together, on this one big Island, that we all call "home"......

Luckygal, branding has been around for a very long time. For example: Vernon and Irene Castle slapped their names on everything and anything you can imagine and stuff that you can't from candy to cigars, shoes, records etc. This was back in 1912. They were the pair that put ballroom dancing on the map and made it extremely popular. Irene set many fashions trends in her day including the incredibly ugly but very popular stove top hat and was one of the first to bob her hair setting off a new look for hair in the 1920's flapper. They owned nightclubs and dance studios. The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers dancing that we all recall fondly in their old movies was based on Vernon and Irene's innovations in dance. My kids (aged 30 and 26) are not swayed by such nonsense and neither are their friends. I think there has always been (and always will be) people who feel safer purchasing something endorsed by a "name" and others who look for quality, value and style. Sky Here is a link that might be useful: wiki Vernon and Irene Castle

For many decades we were a two-income household. It's the norm here in CA. All the younger couples we know (Gen X & Y) both work and plan to keep on doing so, with or without kids. They shop at Trader Joe's and Costco. Seldom at Whole Foods; too expensive except for an occasional trip. Standard grocery chains (Lucky, Safeway, Andronico) for standard stuff. They are very busy, and need to make a complete healthy dinner in 30 minutes, max. They vacillate between Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade, ethnic restaurant/takeout, and quickie chicken, pasta, or rice meals (homemade, but nothing fancy). One thing I really notice they are missing: they do very little make-ahead cooking. My mother was one of the rare women who worked outside the home in the 50Âs and Â60Âs. She did a lot of cooking which was done in advance: stews, casseroles, braises. Not necessarily a completed dish, but rather one where you break the steps down over a couple of days, then assemble and finish cooking to serve. To this day I cook this way. I almost never just "degrease the pan juices and serve"  I prefer to refrigerate and lift off all the fat. Since most meat is so lean you donÂt need to cook it for hours to become tender (it only dries out), I work on creating a flavorful sauce with some vegetables after browning the meat. Similar in concept to the Spanish ÂsofritoÂ, almost always with olive oil and sometimes a bit of wine. Refrigerated overnight, it gains flavor and depth, adding a richness to the finished dish that goes far beyond what can be achieved in a 15-minute saute. For the older generation, I find many cook with too many additives, too much salt and fat (especially trans-fat), and too much sugar. They need to realize changing the diet can be done gradually and easily. Start with small changes, then work up to bigger ones. Frozen foods can be high in salt with plenty of additives, so although fine once in a while they should not be the mainstay of a diet  many seniors, especially when single due to death or divorce, find it much easier to use ready-made processed meals rather than try to cook for one. They need to be encouraged to try different brands until they find one that works for them. For instance, my MIL prefers her bread white and soft, but my DH needs fiber and whole grains. I tried different breads until I found a whole-wheat thatÂs a good compromise they can both agree on. Every once in a while white bread is served with a meal, but not more than two or three times a month. No more soda pop, first juice, then eventually juice mixed with water, once a day  the rest of the time, plain water (we have an undercounter filter at the kitchen sink, saving us thousands of $$ from bottled water). I tried salt substitutes, but didnÂt like any of them. Then I tried lemon pepper, and found a brand that was easily available which we liked, thatÂs among the lowest in sodium content. Fresh herbs, when possible, also help cut down the salt cravings. No snack foods except for healthy ones: no-salt roasted nuts, popcorn without butter, whole- or multi-grain crackers, raisins or dried cranberries/apricots/prunes. You have to watch the portion sizes (pre-packaging into small baggies really helps!), but they are much healthier than chips. And of course, dips for those (healthy, preferably baked) chips are easy to make with yoghurt and much healthier than processed ones! Cooking Light magazine is a wonderful resource to start with, and their "Recipe Remake", where they take a readerÂs high-fat recipe and refine it into a healthier version that still tastes great, is a great inspiration for people to start reconsidering how they can change their diets without feeling deprived. Kudos to you for the inspiration for this class, and best wishes for success!