Forget talking to the construction manager. Find out who the CEO or President of the company is and write him a letter. Introduce yourself as a customer who is in the process of having a home built by their company at such-and-such an address by so-and-so construction manager. Compliment the quality of the work being done on your home (or how clean they are keeping the property...or something!) and that you are happy to be working with a company that prides itself on customer service. Tell him what a great reputation his company had back where you used to live and that you were so relieved when your original builder's company was taken over by his company. (Never hurts to lay on the compliments first.) Then state that you do have a complaint however and have tried to resolve this with the construction manager but have not gotten satisfaction nor any explanation that makes sense to you so you are hoping the CEO/President can assist you. Then, keeping it short, outline the fact that they broke ground on your home on date X and that on a later date (later dates) broke ground on three "inventory homes" at such and such addresses. Point out the ways in which these three inventory homes are substantially the same size, style, and quality of the home they are building for you and are in the same neighborhood. State that under the circumstances, it seems logical that the home that was started first (yours) ought to be the first one finished but that you now find that work on the inventory homes is moving forward MUCH faster than work on your home and further that you are being told that your finish date is being delayed significantly. In a chart, show the status of your home as of "yesterday" and the status of the 3 inventory homes on the same date. Point out again that the 3 inventory homes were begun AFTER your home and that the same CM is building all of them and using, as far as you know, the same crews. Suggest that it looks like the construction manager is delaying work on your home in order to concentrate his efforts on the inventory houses - presumably so that they can be finished and sold more quickly so as to maximize profits on them and that while you can understand the CM's motives, delaying work on your home to give priority to the inventory homes is simply unfair. Point out that while this INTENTIONAL (be sure and use that word) delay may be more profitable for the company and look good for the CM, it works a hardship on you and your family because if your home is not finished on schedule (by mid-September) you will have to move into a hotel with 2 school-age children at a cost of $x/week after September 30. Tell him - and quote me here because this phrase tends to be somewhat magical. "This is simply not acceptable. It reflects badly on the good name of your company." Suggest to the CEO that if they don't have your home ready by the originally promised date but do finish any one of the inventory houses that was started AFTER yours, it would be only fair for them to let you and your family move into the finished inventory house - and live there for free - until they complete your home. Then say that while this would be an acceptable compromise for you, what would really make you happy is for them to simply get your house back on its original time-line schedule and stop treating it like a "stepchild". If the CEO is a reasonable person, the fact that you brought the matter directly to his attention will tell him you are a savvy consumer. The fact that your complaint is stated in a rational manner and that you are not making irrational demands - only asking them to do what is right and fair - and that you still hold a good opinion of the company - is very likely to result in a message coming down from the CEO to your construction manager to get humping on finishing your house and to make sure it gets done BEFORE the inventory houses and before September 30th if at all possible. For the construction manager, finishing the inventory houses first is a big deal for his small portion of the company's bottom line. For the CEO, that extra profit is likely to be a piddling amount in the grand scheme of things. So, if the CEO can keep you happy by just telling the CM to make finishing your home a priority over the three inventory houses, he is very likely to do so. And, once word comes down from on high, you can bet the CM will do it. You may hear nothing back - other than maybe a letter that the CEO will "look into it" - but you'll know your letter succeeded if work on your house suddenly appears to become top priority for your CM. Good luck!

I used to mix things up when the kids were home. I had a mishmash of their 'special' ornaments and whatever color scheme I chose for that year. The last two years I've put up a 6 foot artificial tree in the family room and decorated it with stuffed santas, snowmen & reindeer. And a lot of primitives decorations. I usually had a tree in the living room in the bay window, but this year I redecorated that room, so on tree can fit in there. Instead I put up a 2 foot lit artificial tree on the sideboard. I found some wired ribbon in the colors of my LR, and also some unbreakable balls in copper color. I happened on some glass icicles in aqua, and some aqua & copper glass onion bulbs, so I decorated the mini tree with all those. I had to flick the cat several times each time he tried to bat one of the balls off the tree, but he finally got the hint. I also had to wire the stuffed santas to the other tree because the cats knocked them down and the dogs thought they were getting new toys. Honestly, it's worst than when the kids were little!

YES and I got better deals because online I can find all sorts of coupon codes for discounts and most all had free shipping so I got it for cheaper than it would have been in the store and I did not spend a dime for gas to go get it. I much prefer to do it online if I can get it for the same or lower prices. I am just not into the big shopping crowds. In a wheelchair it is really difficult to get around in crowds and I am always afraid of someone falling on me or me running over someones foot. I had one guy a while back at the mall, he was busy talking on his cell phone totally not paying attention to his real surroundings and veered right into me and ended up sitting in my lap!! Then they act like it was your fault! A lady walking beside us that saw what happened told him well it's a good thing it was not a fountain you would end up on youtube like the other idiot that was not paying attention while on their cell phone. I thought that was a great come back!!

Thank you guys for all the compliments! DIL told me yesterday that she saw the twin to my tree in a convenience store the other day, but, get this, they had turned it into a SNOWMAN! LOL She said they "balled up" about the top 1/3 for the head, the middle branches for its middle, etc. She said it was complete with a carrot nose, top hat, etc. I told her that my tree was NOT gonna be mutilated into any old snowman! LOL I found some of the frames for 97 cents a piece at WalMart and then some little wooden ones at a surplus type store for 29 cents a piece. I bought all that they had both places and would still like to have some more! Gonna check at another WalMart tomorrow.