School Daze

The countdown is on! School will be starting in the blink of an eye. This will make for many happy parents. Though with school resuming the reality of school supplies, clothes and shoes loom in the checkbooks horizon. I myself have to watch the old budget and with the economy like it is that means bargain shopping. ACO can help with that.

College age kids can benefit from the small appliances- coffee makers, toasters, and hot plates. There is also room decor- rugs, beanbag chairs(about $10 less than most stores), bookcases, sheets and desk lamps. Through is the normal college fair of can good foods and the ever cheep Ramen noodles and they are good to go. Got an aspiring Spartan or Wolverine on your hand? Well get t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and more with the school logo on all at less than $20.00.

High school and junior high kids will benefit from the Levis jeans at under $10.00. They also have the most recent fad of rubber band bracelets in many different styles for only $1.99 a pack. Pencils and staplers, notebooks and pens are also available at good prices. Lots for under a $1.00.

Elementary kids in the house. Well stock up on pencils, crayons, fruit snacks, chips, lunch bags and more for school lunches. Bottled water is also available for a good price(it's from a Michigan company).

Want a last hurrah before summer ends? Check out the four person tent and air mattresses. Perfect for a weekend camp out. No need to have to travel far there are plenty of campgrounds in lower Michigan. you don't have to spend a lot of money or go far to enjoy a weekend away from home before the ever dreaded school starts.

Summertime Blues

The dog days of summer are coming up quickly. Nothing to look forward to until school. The holiday is over as are graduation parties. Perfect time to plan a cheap vacation to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. ACO has the solution. Check out their tents that are a four person dome tent on sale for $19.99. They also have air mattresses starting at $19.99 for a twin or $24.99 for a queen size. For under $50.00 you can get a tent and mattress and throw in a portable disposable grill. Perfect for those on a budget. Don't forget the graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars for s'mores. What's a camping trip without the wonder s'mores for desert. Also check out the flashlight section for a Led lantern, great for camping or with the Michigan weather power outages.

Speaking of Michigan weather we have had a slew of storms and power outages lately. It's been an interesting time. ACO has batteries, flashlights, and generators to help offset the thousands who keep losing power. Some ACO's have glass cutting abilities that you can utilize if the weather put a branch through a window. If you are one of the lucky ones who haven't had them type of troubles ACO has fans to help keep your house cool or room darkening blinds which help beat the heat. The blinds can be cut to size. Stop in and see what else ACO has to offer, there's probably an ACO near you as their are sixty-nine stores scattered throughout Michigan.

Beat the Summertime Blues

July is well on it's way to being a hot month. The dog days of summer on starting. Now is the time for barbecuing and pool parties. Wonderful ways to beat the heat. Spending time in the yard you so lovingly took care of. Now is the time to hit ACO and stock up on the things to make your summer memorable.

Need some new lawn furniture, it is on special pricing for display models that are left. Same with gazebos. Great deals are all around. Pool toys are also on sale for 25% off and chlorine is on sale with a coupon. Have a garden? Canning supplies hit the store and are on sale. If you need them get them early because with the economy in bad health more and more people are looking at alternative ways to save money and growing and canning their own food is a wonderful money saving way. This means canning supplies go quickly and after they are gone you will be hard pressed to find them anywhere. Last year they were in such demand that no one had any left by the end of August.

This week is also dollar days. There are some great 10 for $10 deals. While looking around why not surprise the man in your life with new barbecue tools or a new gas grill. Imagine his surprise when he gets a gift like that for no reason. Maybe he'll return the favor by doing the dishes or taking the kids for an afternoon out, leaving you with much needed free time. So check out the books on sale for $1.00 and the hammock ACO carries. This would be a great way to spend a relaxing summer afternoon. Can you imagine kicking back in that hammock(with stand) having a cold glass of iced tea and losing yourself in a good book. Sounds like heaven to me. They even have decent mp3 players for a good price. Music goes a long way towards helping a person relax.

Take a break and check out ACO. Then head on home for some inexpensive relaxation during the hot summer days and the sultry summer nights. You deserve a break from the day to day grind. Spend some time having fun like when you were a child and had no worries expect for who you were going to play with that day.

Michigan Heat Wave

We are in a heat wave! Hot hot hot outside. This kind of weather makes it advisable not to cut your lawn. For one it contributes to emissions in the atmosphere that help deteriorate the ozone layer and make breathing harder to do. Another reason not to cut your lawn in this heat is that it will cause your lawn harm by browning and drying out the lawn. Lack of rain and the heat shock the lawn and cause it to die. Don't be alarmed it will come back. Water in early morning or after dark for the most effective chance of feeding a thirsty lawn. Stay away from fertilizers that are not chemical free like Greenview or Scott's. This will help keep down on burning your lawn. Ringer fertilizer or Milorganite would be the preferred choice. These are both natural fertilizers that won't harm the lawn in this type of weather. They are non-burning fertilizers that green up your lawn quickly. I like Milorganite because it costs a lot less than Ringer and can be used anywhere from your lawn to your flowerbed and even the garden. It won't harm kids or pets and that makes it a great product all around.

Keep your house cool also by keeping curtains and shades down. If you have ceiling fans have them running to circulate the air. Window air conditioners are a good alternative to a fan. Put one in a room and keep doors closed to limit the amount of space they are trying to cool. Have fans running to move the cool air more around the room. Only open your refridgerator when necessary. The heat makes the motor run more and you will find that even your freezing is struggling under the heat making ice cream soft. The more you open the fridge the harder it is for the motor to keep it cool.

Room darkening shades help keep the sun out. ACO sells them and they cut them to size. Just make sure you measure correctly because if you don't you're out a little bit of money. The room darkening shades block the sun and contribute to keeping your house cool. They do help. The more light you let in your house the quicker it heats up the inside the harder it is too cool down. Remember the end of the heat wave should be here by the weekend. Stay cool and if you don't have ac head on over to an ACO store they all have air conditioning and browsing is free.

Welcome to ACO

Welcome to ACO, Michigan's largest hardware store chain. ACO was started in 1946 by the Traskos brothers. There have been a couple of name changes since the beginning but the ACO name came about in the late 1970's and continues on to this day.

If you have never been in an ACO Hardware store you are in for a surprise. ACO is not your typical hardware store. They offer many items, there is something for everyone. Toys for the kids at great prices - 60% off regular price this weekend. Into crafting, then look at the artificial flowers and vases, candles, and yarn and knitting accessories. Need and air conditioner to beat today's heat- look no farther. ACO has them at great prices.

The 4th of July at ACO means many things. The first is serving customer needs for the holiday weekend. Great place to get last minute items like charcoal, water, lighter fluid and more. There is a toy sale going on and a clearance sale with an extra 20% off green tag items. Chlorine for the pool is also on sale. July 4th is also time for the next step in your fertilizing schedule. This means that regular lawn fertilizer is needed or lawn fertilizer with insect killer in it. I, myself, would just go for Milorganite. Milorganite is a green type fertilizer and a non burning fertilizer, which means it won't burn your lawn even with the lack of good rain these past couple of weeks. Patio furniture is at a great deal especially if the store you are going to shop at is down to the display model. Also check out the great sidewalk sale deals, you might just find a deal on something you needed or wanted.

ACO also has some great deals on dry food goods. Next time you are near an ACO Hardware why not take a minute and stop and see what's in the store. The employees are friendly and most have been there a long time so they have the knowledge to help you, the atmosphere is peaceful, and I can guarantee this isn't your typical hardware store. You may find to your surprise that you like the place. I will try and feature some spotlight items of the week found at ACO and if you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them. I am also quite knowledgeable on hardware products and have many tips and tricks to help guide your project along. Each week I will also try and do a theme type project help list.