Thanks Tibbix for the tips! The Costco Shark does have continuous steam and does not need a constant trigger action. It also does have velcro for the pads, making on & off easy. This Costco model does not have the multiple steam levels like the HSN one. I bought it anyway. So...I found it a bit hard to move on the quarter acre of Marmoleum here. Could be because Marmoleum has a slight texture or it could be, well, the filth. (dogs, toddler, salt & garage grit from this endless winter), It did slide very smoothly over a cleaner wood hallway. I made three passes with the micro pads and one with a disposable pad. First was black, second mottled black and third greyish, like a dirty mop. The disposable was also greyish. I believe I am dealing with years of buildup. I still see film in places but the floor is way cleaner than it has been in years. The colors seem much brighter too. I am washing the pads and will then give it another go. I am thinking three more passes should do it. Overall I am happy with it. I have been struggling with this floor as changing water and rags umpteen times still left a film, and the scrubbing was hard on my 60-plus year old knees. This Shark beats my other plan to enlist a very resistant DH in a tandem operation involving buckets of water and the shop vac... FYI: Walmart had better prices than Lowe's on extra pads: 9.88 vs 14.98.

What really grates on my last nerve so often here is reading "My husband will only 'ALLOW' green paint and I hate green but every room HAS to be one shade of green he likes" or "My husband won't 'ALLOW' anything but white sheets". Allow? How and why do women live like this in 2012? I can tell you my take on this, based upon my own experience. I was married for 15 years to a man who initially was agreeable and, like me in my early/mid 20s (when we met), still finding his way in the world. By the time we were both close to 40, he had morphed into -- well, I hesitate to say a monster -- but an extremely controlling individual who didn't care one whit for my thoughts or opinion. What I wanted simply didn't matter. He made it abundantly clear that because he brought home a significant amount of money, he was calling all the shots. I remember longing for a certain flooring in the house that we were building. He adamantly and steadfastly refused, and for no other real "reason" than it wasn't his preference - or idea. There was no reasoned discussion or compromise. Not ever. It was his way or the highway. As far as "allowing" this to happen - well, sometimes women just do, because the only alternative is to get the hell out. And sometimes we just aren't quite ready to make that move yet. I did make the move, however, and even 10 years down the road and in a new, completely different kind of relationship now, I still have moments where I revel in the liberation of not being under my ex's thumb. My wonderful DH is a sweetheart with an excellent eye for color. My only complaint about him is that, while he stands back and graciously accepts my decorating choices, he is very particular about "his stuff" -- almost to the point of being OCD at times. A stack of magazines that's been there forever? Don't touch them. He does the grocery shopping and the cooking. I can't tell you how many times there has been a recipe that he intends to make at some point during the week, but all of the ingredients have to stay out in plain sight -- or it's like he fears that he'll forget what he has planned to do. Same with grocery coupons. They can't be kept in the coupon organizer or in the drawer. He worries he'll forget about them. This behavior occasionally drives me a bit batty, but in the overall scheme of things, it's still a very small price to pay to live with a man who treats me like my opinions do matter.

I painted my bathroom cabinets with Sherwin Williams Pro Classic. They turned out very nice. To get a nice fininsh that lasts you need to make sure the piece is clean and dust and chip free and then use primer before the top coats.

This is a post I can really relate to. I have 3 kids, (B-G-B) and the two teens cook. I bring over Girl Scouts to cook. The youngest, a boy, is 11. We also have a full-size dog (standard poodle). I did polished granite in a darker tone. Yes, I briefly loved soapstone, then fell in love with all the light-colored granites (wannabe marbles, really). In the end, our choices were all about durability. We realized we won't be doing this again for a really long time. I would go with maple or cherry. Previous poster is correct, that maple is harder, but cherry is still relatively hardwood. Woodworking websites actually rate the hardness of different wood species, something worth checking out. It can be hard to stain maple--not that it can't be done, we just saw an amazing finished maple kitchen from theplayer. But I myself was advised against it. In the end, myself chose red birch with a natural finish. My viewpoint was that it would be easier to sand down and re-finish if they got nicked badly enough. But that may be overthinking it. If you really want grey, I'd go for it. I would not do lower cabs in white for a busy-boy household, myself. But certainly the uppers could be white. I know there are many who would disagree with me. The s/s fridge is a pain and I hate keeping it clean but I couldn't find another option I liked. Our stove front is black with a brushed chrome top, and I liked it enough to keep it. I wish there were a brushed chrome fridge but not available. Our dishwasher was just 2 years old and it was black in front; I kept it too. Not sure I will switch either to S/S but we will hopefully not have to decide that for several years. Good luck!!