Leatherman Micra

Leatherman Micra, the perfect pocket tool.

Fellow FACE* Team member Heather highly recommends the Leatherman Micra mini tool.
Tools include: Spring-action Scissors, Nail File/Nail Cleaner, Tweezers, 420HC Knife, Extra-small Screwdriver, Medium Screwdriver Flat/Phillips Screwdriver, Ruler (4.7 in / 12.0 cm,) Bottle Opener and Key Ring Attachment.

"The Micra is one of the most useful tools I've ever owned. I remember my mom used to have a great set of collapsible pocket scissors that we used constantly. The Micra takes that convenience and practicality a step beyond. Everyone should have one of these in their purse or pocket!"

*Facilitating Awesome Customer Engagement

Children's Miracle Network Hospital 20% OFF Sale

Hassett ACE Hardware is proud to be teaming up with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, donating with each purchase for a great cause!

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is an alliance of 170 premier children's hospitals that treat an astounding 17 million sick and injured kids each year. Whether they suffer from common childhood afflictions like asthma, and broken bones, or fighting bigger challenges like birth defects or cancer, CMN Hospitals provide comfort, treatment and hope to millions of sick children and their families across the country. There is a CMN Hospital serving each and every community across the United States, and 100% of the money raised locally stays local.

Ellie is the 2013 ACE All-Star. At 20 weeks in utero, Ellie was diagnosed with Myelomeningocele, an open type of Spina Bifida.

Here's what Nikki, Elle's mom, had to say about their experience at Lurie Children's Hopital (a CMN hospital):

"Lurie Children's gave us more than hope; they opened our hearts back up to feeling joy. When Ellie came into the world, she was rushed to Lurie within an hour of her life.  Her back was open, with spinal cord exposed, nerves damaged, hyperextended knees, club feet, hydrocephalus and an array of other issues. Lurie took her and took care of her like nowhere else. Everyone from the transport team to the neurosurgeons embraced us and cared for us and our daughter like family. Ellie had two surgeries within her first few days of life. There were limited expectations as to what she would accomplish. Lurie Children's taught us how to fight for her, and I'm proud to say she has defied most odds given to her.

Ellie has a little sister Mia, and as a family, we don't let anything stop us.  We have a rule in our house.  We don't use the contraction "can't" we say "can try". Ellie goes to school with all her neighborhood friends, and learns in a regular education third-grade classroom making excellent grades. She plays sled hockey, miracle league baseball, dances ballet and tap and is in Girl Scouts.  She can do all of this thanks to the miracles of medicine, and the gift of modern technology, the love of family and the spirit of hope, all of which were received at Lurie Children's. Lurie Children's is not just a hospital. It is a family of doctors, nurses and staff reaching out, hugging you, and caring for your whole family.

On behalf of Ellie, and our entire family, thank you for participating in this campaign.  Every dollar you raise for your local Children's Miracle Network Hospital makes a difference in the lives of children and families just like ours. So, thank you again and good luck!"

Exclusions: *10% discount on power tools and small appliances. Regular priced items only. Excludes propane, labor charges, Stihl, Weber & Miele products. Limit one bucket per person, per sale period.

Dry Canning

Now I admit, I too thought that having all my pastas and dry goods in clear jars was something for some fancy TV cook's kitchen, not mine. That is until I bumped over an open two-pound box of spaghetti, causing a shower of noodles all over the floor. The whole incident brought back memories of playing pickup sticks as a child. Only without the fun aspect - especially when the cat decided to come and "help". I'm still finding noodles on the floor, and this was over a month ago.

The next morning upon arriving at work I checked out our storage aisle, hoping to find anything to put my pasta in, to avoid future spaghetti showers. What I found was a collection of dry good jars, and we have them in both plastic and glass. One was the exact size of my spaghetti! Woot!

I've since learned it's nice being able to see what I'm running low on at a glance, without picking up every box and opening it. Cereal even stays more crunchy and doesn't get stale as quickly, and I live in a humid environment (read: foggy Half Moon Bay).

And who says fancy TV cooks don't eat cereal for dinner?"

- Larissa Texter, FACE team, Hassett ACE Hardware, Half Moon Bay

Fiber Fix - Repair Things Without Welding, Nailing or Gluing

Ever broken a tool in the middle of a project, but it's too late in the day, or you're too over the project to do much about it but swear (or possibly cry)?

Next, you think about Duct taping it together and go so far as to come up with a splint-type fix-it plan, but as you're getting the piece of starter wood from the woodpile, you realize it's just a pipe dream.

At ACE, we break stuff all the time, and we thought fixing things like shovel and broom handles, chairs, hoses, and leaky PVC pipe was just a dream too, until we were introduced to Fiber Fix. It's 100 times stronger than Duct tape, it hardens like steel and it just wraps around the broken area!

I know what you're thinking - at the moment it only comes in black, but it's paintable, and sandable.



I'm thinking this is a must in our household's camping kit and in the car's tool kit next to the Duct tape!

For full instructions, check out this video, but it's really easy to use: Just wet it, tightly wrap the item to be fixed, wait five to 10 minutes and get back to work. It will be fully cured after 24 hours and is meant to be a permanent repair. It comes with gloves, and we recommend using them. The resin will stay on whatever it touches (ie: hands, clothes), so if you trim it with scissors, or get it on your hands, wash the resin off quickly. See instructions for full safety details.

Find FiberFix at all four of our locations: Half Moon Bay, Palo Alto, San Mateo and Willow Glen.

- FACE team, Hassett ACE Hardware, Half Moon Bay

Fun Facts about July 4th

The Fourth of July 2013
On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.

2.5 million
In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation.
Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970
<http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/HistoricalStatisticsoftheUnitedStates1789-1945.pdf>

316.2 million
The nation's estimated population on this July Fourth.
Source: U.S. and World Population Clock <http://www.census.gov/popclock/>

The Signers
56
Numbers of signers to the Declaration of Independence.

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston comprised the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration. Jefferson, regarded as the strongest and most eloquent writer, wrote most of the document.

It's also worth noting that:

John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress, was the first signer. This merchant by trade did so in an entirely blank space making it the largest and most famous signature - hence the term John Hancock, which is still used today as a synonym for signature.

Benjamin Franklin (age 70), who represented Pennsylvania, was the oldest of the signers. Franklin County, Pa., had an estimated population of 151,275 as of July 1, 2012. Edward Rutledge (age 26), of South Carolina, was the youngest.
Two future presidents signed, John Adams (second President) and Thomas Jefferson (third President). Both died on the 50th anniversary of signing the Declaration (July 4, 1826). There are 12 counties nationwide named Adams and 26 named Jefferson.
Robert Livingston, who represented New York, was on the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence but was recalled by his state before he could sign it. Livingston County, N.Y., was home to an estimated 64,810 people as of July 1, 2012.
Representing Georgia in 1776 were Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall and George Walton. Gwinnett County, Ga. (842,046), Hall County, Ga. (185,416) and Walton County, Ga. (84,575) were named for these signers.
Charles Carroll, who represented Maryland, was the last surviving member of the signers of the Declaration. He died in 1832 at the age of 95. Carroll County, Md., named for him, had an estimated population of 167,217 as of July 1, 2012.
Roger Sherman, who worked as a land surveyor and lawyer, represented Connecticut.
Nelson County, Va. (14,827) and Wythe County, Va. (29,251) were named for two of the six signers who represented the state of Virginia - Thomas Nelson Jr. and George Wythe.
Sources: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012
<http://www.census.gov/popest/data/counties/totals/2012/CO-EST2012-01.html>,
2011 American Community Survey
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_1YR_B24124&prodType=table> and
2011 County Business Patterns (NAICS)
<http://censtats.census.gov/cgi-bin/cbpnaic/cbpsect.pl>

Tips on starting a charcoal grill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1UvFZGI22M

Demo of the different products to start a charcoal grill.

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[caption id="attachment_816" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Image © Josiah Mackenzie[/caption]

A Spare the Air Alert is in effect Saturday, June 29, 2013, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Residents are encouraged to drive less and reduce their energy use tomorrow and every day so pollution levels are lower, preventing health alerts when temperatures are high. For more information go to www.sparetheair.org.

We're a Best Place to Work in the Bay Area

On June 12, 2013, it was announced that our employees nominated us, and then voted us, one of the BANG (Bay Area News Group) 2013 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area!

We are honored and thrilled, as we have been actively changing the culture at all four of our stores for the past two years. We strive to create a workplace where employees are empowered, heard and seen; and feel a sense of teamwork, accomplishment and fun. Looks like we're on the right track!

Dynamic Workplaces is the independent survey company who ran the contest, the outcome of which was based entirely on employee input. They chose their three favorite quotes from the surveys, and these comments exemplify the way we want our employees to think and speak about their experience with us:

"I work with incredible people and the culture creates an energy that makes me excited about going to work every day."

"I have clear direction from my manager, know what is expected of me, have flexibility in my schedule, and am appreciated for my hard work! This company has far exceeded my expectations."

"Our culture is one where we get a lot of autonomy to succeed. I feel a high sense of trust to do my job. I also love the people I work with. We are a motivated and engaged group that lives by the "work hard, play hard" philosophy."

Hassett ACE Hardware was number 21 out of the winning 95 top workplaces - out of a total of 1,400 companies surveyed.

ACE Paint Brand, Clark + Kensington, Outperforms Big Brands

In Consumer Reports' latest tests of interior paints, a newcomer, Clark+Kensington, outperformed products from Benjamin Moore, Behr, and other big name brands. Clark+Kensington, sold only at Ace Hardware stores, earned the highest scores of 65 products evaluated for overall finish, ability to hide, and more.
"When choosing paint, don't assume a leading brand you swore by last time will do just as well this time around," said Bob Markovich, home and yard editor for Consumer Reports. "Our tests found paints can vary year to year - and a bigger name does not always equal a better product."
Consumer Reports found Clark+Kensington paint to be tops in satin and semigloss finishes, and among the best for flat paints. It was also impressive at hiding, leaving a smooth finish that resisted stains, and scrubbing. Its volatile organic compounds are low enough to meet the toughest, regional California standards.
While Clark+Kensington is available only at Ace stores, other paints that were great at hiding, durable, washable, and low in volatile organic compounds, are as close as Home Depot, Lowe's, and Benjamin Moore retailers.
New formulas have improved some paints, but others performed worse than they did just a year ago in Consumer Reports' test. Compared with earlier versions, the Behr Premium Plus Satin Enamel wasn't quite as good at hiding and became dull when cleaned.
Some paints such as Olympic One Flat Enamel improved at hiding. Better hiding also helped move Valspar Signature matte and semigloss up in the ratings, joining Behr in besting Benjamin Moore, which costs roughly twice as much, among flat and semigloss paints.
Twenty of Consumer Reports' top picks let consumers skip priming and paint directly over old finishes, bare wood, and wallboard. One coat of a "Recommended" paint should be enough to hide most colors beneath it, though a second coat adds richness and results in a more even finish even for top performers.
Since colors often look different in different lights, Consumer Reports suggests buying a sample, painting a patch, and living with it for a day or two before buying more. Here are three things to consider when choosing paint:
Go online before hitting the store. Manufacturer and retailer websites and Facebook pages offer a wealth of tips on choosing colors, including photo galleries of finished rooms and calculators to help consumers figure out how much paint will do the trick. They are also the place to check for deals such as free samples, discounts, and rebates if consumers are unhappy with the color after it's applied.
Find the perfect color. Certain hues are specific to a brand, but retailers can often match colors. Paint-color formula books and color-matching computer technology means consumers don't have to rely solely on the skills of a sales clerk, though one with a good eye and mixing equipment with clean nozzles may be able to match colors, too.
Match sheen to surface. The best low-luster satin and eggshell paints offer easy hiding and durability, making them ideal for most surfaces. Flat paints hide flaws better but are less resistant to stains and smudges, so use in low-traffic areas. Semigloss works well for trim and other surfaces that don't need to be wiped frequently, because repeated cleaning will dull most finishes.
Consumer Reports writes columns, reviews, and ratings on cars, appliances, electronics, and other consumer goods. Previous stories can be found at consumerreports.org.

Organic Garden Oasis in Willow Glen, CA

Two of our fabulous employees, Michele and Alexa, have created a beautiful garden oasis and are willing to share their creative process with us!

The organic raised garden is a new work in progress - and Alexa's baby. The rest of the yard design and adornments are Michele's hard work and talent at designing and building.

If you need advice on landscaping design, what will grow (and what won't) or just general tips on gardening - ask Michele! You can contact her here.

We'll be following the garden's progress, so check back to see what's growing!

 



 

Canning jar crafts at Hassett ACE Hardware, Half Moon Bay

If you're in the neighborhood, stop by our Half Moon Bay ACE and see the great crafts Jennifer has come up with for canning jars: candle holders, herb gardens, sugar holder, the options are endless!

We have several six packs of the limited-edition blue jars - come get 'em now, once they're gone, we can't get any more, and they are so pretty!

The other sizes are great for all sorts of other projects and those are almost always in stock.

Ask for Jennifer if you have questions on how to make these yourself, or for the jars on the driftwood, follow the easy steps in this post from McCutcheons Blog.

 

DIY Animal Toy Wall Art

[caption id="attachment_903" align="aligncenter" width="477"] Image from HarpersHappennings.com[/caption]

Ok. This project from HarpersHappenings.com is one of the cutest and most inventive DIYs with painted animal toys I've yet seen. Turns out our ACE stores also carry most of what you need for this fun project, which I would argue looks both swank enough for a library and whimsical enough for a kid's room.

Ingredients:

Miniature Plastic Animals - Not generally found at our store, unless you ask our mom customers, who probably have one in their purse.

X-acto Knife - Check.

Rust-Oleum Metallic Spray Paint in Gold - ...And Silver, and just about any other color you could want.

Eye Goggles - Oodles of choices.

Mask - I prefer the old-fashioned white one, but we've got several.

Glue Gun and Glue Sticks - Not our specialty, but if you're looking for DIY Animal Toy projects, you've probably got a glue gun already.

Frame - You might have one already that needs some art, or check your local thrift stores.

White Card Stock - Nope.

Pencil - Check.

For complete instructions, please see the original post on HarpersHappenings.com

New Orleans ACE Show, 2013

ACE holds corporate events and tradeshows every few months - and a lucky group of us got to enjoy the Spring show (where you're actually buying for the Holidays) in NoLA (that's New Orleans, Louisanna, dontcha know?)

It was raining most of the time we were there, but we managed to do the requisite breakfast at Cafe du Monde, stroll along the Mississippi and enjoy Bourbon Street at night:

Dr. Earth All Natural Garden Products

Introducing: Dr. Earth natural garden products, coming to our Willow Glen store on March 11, 2013!

Dr. Earth products are 100% NATURAL, ORGANIC, PEOPLE AND PET SAFE and include soils, fertilizers, weed killer, insecticides, fungicides, and snail and slug spray.

Dr Earth-soils are infused with Probiotic - living organisms like beneficial microbes and mycorrhizae. The microbes break down organic materials into forms more readily absorbed by growing plants. The soil can rebuild food reserves - a self regulating cycle that has occurred for millions of years as part of the wisdom of nature. Bigger, healthier and more abundant plants, fruits and flowers, that's the promise with Dr. Earth.

Made in America.

Repair Cafe, Palo Alto, Feb. 24, 2013

We just finished our second Repair Cafe at the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto this weekend and it was a fabulous success!

We had over 100 people in line by 11:30am, just a half-hour after the Cafe opened!



Our nearly 40 volunteers saw less lamps, toasters and vacuums this time and many more small appliances, computers and other electronics. We also fixed several sentimental or heirloom pieces.

I'll update this post with more details when I get the full report from the Repair Cafe folks, but by my estimation, we had about 200 community members show up with all manner of broken items, from heirloom and sentimental pieces, to newer retro-remakes of 1950 toasters, to hedge trimmers to rolling hand carts to puppets. Thanks for coming and volunteering or bringing your broken items - this event is so much fun and is only possible because everyone shows up!

The next Repair Cafe will be held on April 21, from 11am to 3pm at the Museum.

Cub Scouts Make Pinewood Derby Cars at ACE

We had the fun privilege of hosting Cub Scout pack 236 and helping them cut out their Pinewood Derby cars! We also got to go watch them race those cars last weekend at their Pinewood Derby in Half Moon Bay.

We are hosting more car-cutting events. The next one is schedule for February 10, 2013.

At our Palo Alto store: 10am - 12pm at 875 Alma St.

At our San Mateo store: 10am - 12pm at 545 First Ave.

At our Half Moon Bay store: from 12pm - 4pm at 111 Main St.

We've got all the tools, supplies and accessories the Scouts need - even the cars!

Here are some photos from the last Pinewood car-cutting event and from the Derby itself!