How do I always end up here? I was googling something (not Mr Clean) and one of the results was this thread. Interesting how often these forums show up. Nice to see other people who know about MSDS's. Eucalyptus oil is fantastic. It did leave a pale patch on a timber laminated shelf which DH attacked with a little too much vigour. But on other occasions, for example when he's used it to remove paint spatters on timber, it's been fine. Didn't know about pets. Thanks for the warning. Just wondering if eucy oil is the main active ingredient in OdoBan. Years ago when citrus oil was the big new environmentally friendly thing I tried to buy a cleaner and found most in the supermarkets had the usual ingredients anyway with just a token bit of the citrus oil added. For coffee and tea stains in cups I read about bicarb years ago. Back to what I was doing.

Get the Pavers Ready! The Unilock pavers that have been sitting in my driveway for months got put to use today. The wall crew switched gears and compacted the final rough grade before jumping on the pavers. These are the Umbriano that require a little different install (No Poly sand). The PB also finished tile today around the spa. If all works our we will be swimming by Aug 1 :). The only kink today was the wait for electrician for the deck bonding which is a grounding wire 4-6 inches below grade 18 inches from water line. It's throwing off the paving somewhat as the crew can't build the deck right up to the pool. That's getting installed Thurs morning with an inspection hopefully end of day. Entry way to Pool I think the crew is excited to get a break from building that wall Final Tile Placed in Spa My Daughter has Little Fun with the Paver Sand

I appreciate everyone's input -- pro and con. That's why I asked. Part of the reason we are considering the pool is because there isn't a neighborhood pool nearby and we aren't really the country club type. We are members of a health club with pools (indoor and outdoor) but that means packing up and heading over there which can be a real hassle and that would be true with a neighborhood pool or country clue. Right now I work full time but when my daughter starts school next year I am contemplating switching to teaching ( I work for a community college) so I don't have to hassle with finding care for her during the summer. A pool would be a great way to get her outside and have fun. It would also make it easier to be the house where she and her friends want to hang out as she gets older. I would much rather have her at our house with her friends so I can be the one keeping an eye on things. That being said -- I know its a lot of money to spend and I do agree that it doesn't mean we will never take another vacation elsewhere. I do think it will cut out the mini-vacations to Texas beaches -- an easy thing to give up for me. I also am not counting on big bucks on resale -- that's why I think it is important that we don't plan on moving unless there is some unexpected career change. Another plus for us regarding resale is that we have a big enough lot that the pool won't be the entire backyard. That was one reason we didn't buy a house with a beautiful pool that we looked at -- you walked out the backdoor and were practically in the pool. We have almost 1 1/2 acres so we can have a pool and still have a yard. Maybe that only makes a difference to me but I have to think that factors into the purchasing decision for others as well. I also think it helps a bit from a safety standpoint. We will be able to fence a pool separately from the "play" area of the yard if we want to and not have it look strange. And no neighbors that can check us out from their backyards or the second story of their house. Finally -- I am married to a 50 year old kid so he will probably be the number one pool user -- whether our daughter is around or not! =) He is a SoCal native and misses the water. Of course he is no help with this -- he told me if I wanted a pool to get it -- he doesn't worry about the finances. He knows that I will spend all this time figuring things out and researching before I do anything. I guess opposites do attract. =) Keep the opinions coming. I really appreciate the input. I probably will post on one of the other boards as well. THANKS!

Our first house had a formal dinging room but no decent eat-in kitchen space. (Just a few stools facing a wall - yuck.) So we ate in the dining room, even with a baby. Not exactly a hardship, but we would have preferred not to mess up the wood floors quite so much. Not surprisingly, a key factor for house #2 was a breakfast room. Which we then used all the time, meaning the formal dining room NEVER got used. Not once in 6 years. Move forward to house #3, which had an informally-styled dining room that was open from the kitchen. More elegant than a breakfast room, but not a 'formal' dining room. NOT what I wanted, but we bought the house anyway. Turns out to be something we LOVE now. A pleasant, elegant, casual space that helps make mealtimes special. From now on, NO more breakfast rooms for me! I want one lovely dining space that's nice enough to feel like a 'dining room,' warm enough to feel comfortable and welcoming, and sturdy enough to use every day with kids. A few seats in the kitchen are great for breakfast or homework, but we eat our meals in the dining room.