Backyardmomma, We have bought a dumptruck load of 'dirt' twice, once with great results and the second time, not with such great results. With the first load, we were building raised beds on land my brother owned south of Fort Worth and we bought a load that was a mixture of topsoil and compost. (This was when we lived in an old house on his land for a year in a rural area to 'test drive' living in the country before we sold our house in the city and took the plunge!) The topsoil/compost mix was purchased from Silvercreek Materials in western Tarrant County (they made their own compost then and probably still do, but are too far away for us to use now) and was AMAZING. Everything grew like mad. We had carefully done our research and asked questions and made sure we were getting quality soil. I just loved it and my brother and sister-in-law were amazed how much the raised bed with that blend outperformed their in-ground garden. In 1999, after moving here right in the middle of planting season (late Feb. or earliest March), I was desperate for topsoil to rototill into our very compacted red clay. DH ordered a load of topsoil from a supplier based in Carter County after calling around and comparing prices and asking them about their topsoil. At the time, no one within 50 miles of us was offering a topsoil/compost blend, so we were stuck with so-called topsoil that was mostly pure sand. It was awful. (I still am not convinced that you can even find really good topsoil for sale here in our rural area....they tell you it is good topsoil, but when you go and look at it, it is sand.) I just mixed the terrible sand with lots of compost and manure and added it to my clay, but I would have been just as happy if we'd never ordered or accepted delivery of that load of junk sand because all it did was bring in billions of weed seeds. At the time, I just said to myself "Well, it is better than nothing". Looking back, though, I think "nothing" would have better better than that poor sand. So, if you ever splurge and buy soil, try to find some that has compost mixed in and make them tell you what percentage of it is compost. Also, look at the soil they sell before you order it and make it clear you expect soil of the identical quality or you'll refuse to accept delivery when the dumptruck arrives at your house. Unless you have a friend with a Bobcat or front-end loader, expect it to take quite a while to get the soil from the big pile they dump in your driveway or yard to the actual beds you're placing it in. A dumptruck load of soil is a lot of soil, particularly if you're moving it one wheelbarrow load at a time. Dawn

Sarah...maybe this applies somewhat to you, but I found this on John Leeke's website, which I am studying to memory in gearing up to do my window restoration. It's about vinyl. John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks(tm) Vinyl Siding Q: "I purchased an 1840's house in northwestern N.J. in 1991 which has been a great deal of fun to restore. However, I have been ignoring its largest problem: the house is covered in a disgusting, light-green vinyl siding. There was evidence of termites in the basement when I bought the house. I exterminated the termites and have seen no evidence of them since '91. Should I consider painting the vinyl siding? What is the advisability of ripping vinyl siding off, considering I don't know what's underneath. Is there any way to tell whether or not the clapboard underneath is damaged, or is continuing to be damaged." A: You face the two common problems with vinyl siding: it is not "maintenance free" and it hides conditions beneath. I am now seeing many vinyl siding projects that have 12 to 18 year's age on them being painted due to poor appearance. To improve deteriorating appearance vinyl siding is sometimes washed with high pressure water. This must be done carefully with a downward blast to prevent loading the wall with moisture through the ventilation slots. When cleaning does not help the vinyl siding contractors' response to deteriorating appearance is to replace the siding. So the time proven actual maintenance method for vinyl is little or no maintenance until it fails and then the very high maintenance treatment of replacement. If you have a term of interest in the building that is less than the life of the vinyl product, this approach may make economic sense to you. Even if you plan to sell before the vinyl needs to be replaced vinyl's short-term economic advantage may be limited. Vinyl siding is now becoming recognized as a liability by some astute real estate buyers, because its long-term life is not as cost effective some other siding materials and because it can hide serious problems. Vinyl siding hides changing conditions of the wood and paint underneath. You need to investigate conditions underneath the vinyl siding. Begin by looking at the exterior surfaces of the siding for visible signs of buckling, trails of light tan insect wood dust sifting out of the vent slots of the siding, etc.. Suspect underlying damage in the walls at inside corners where two roofs drain into one location, and north and east walls in particular which are susceptible to moisture decay problems. Look for major cracks in the foundation which might have telegraphed up the walls underneath the siding. As an historic building investigator, I use moisture meters to sense high moisture content in the wood underneath the vinyl. This is quickly done and does not damage the vinyl. You can also spot moisture problems by looking for black streaks of dirt left by water from cornice leaks at the top of the wall. Locations of high moisture usually indicate trouble spots. Selectively remove sections of siding where you find these signs of trouble and where you saw the termites. There are special tools for removing vinyl siding so you might want to hire a vinyl siding contractor. It can usually be done carefully enough to put the vinyl siding back up without damage. Look for dampness, peeling paint and decayed wood. Paint peeling to bare wood indicates there has been high moisture, which could also have lead to decay. Look for dampness that indicates the moisture problem is current and not historic. You might need to remove the old siding in areas of concern. This should be done by a finish carpenter or cabinetmaker. Again, it can sometimes be done carefully enough to reapply it without much damage. Look for deep decay in sheathing boards and the structural members beneath such as sills, studs and plates. Here is a link that might be useful: Historic Homeworks

My husband works for Sam's Club, and they do not take those check/coupons. My DS is on Isomil Similac and we have found the best deals at Walmart. For some reason, the Walmart by our house offers the huge can (1lb,14oz) for 2 dollars cheaper than the walmart by my work. My DH says it is b/c the income level is lower where we live. Anyway, the formula is always $15.54 and w/ a $2 coupon, it's only $13.54. At Kmart or Fry's, the SAME can is $22.50. The difference is amazing! Andrea

It would probably depend on where you live also, and may depend on if they supply the products or if you do. I have had some cleaners charge $40 an hour and do an ok job and others charge $20 and do a fantastic job in half the time. You could try a groupon to check out a few different companies and see how they do and they would also be able to give you a better estimate of the fee for ongoing service after they have cleaned your home. Also easier to just not call them back if they don't do a very good job. I would never consider an individual person for liability reasons.