The 4th of July
is just days away.This all-American
holiday is typically celebrated with parades, backyard barbecues and elaborate
fireworks displays.But how much do we
really know about what we are celebrating?Test your patriotic IQ with Value
Place's 4th of July quiz (answers are
at the bottom of this post).
Questions:
1.What does the Statue of Liberty hold in her left hand?
2.How many hotdogs will Americans consume this 4th of
July?
3.What year did Congress establish the 4th
of July as a legal holiday?
8.Approximately how many pounds of fireworks do Americans set off on
July 4th?
2.On July 4th, 1776, what did the
Continental Congress approve?
3.Which American president was born on the 4th of July?
4.When did the Liberty Bell last ring?
5.Who wrote our National Anthem?
6.How many stripes are on the U.S. flag?
9.How many Value Place
properties will be open by July 4th?
Looking
for more 4th of July trivia and fun facts?Check out the following sites:
A post by Bob Creech,
Sr. Vice President of Safety & Security
As a
country, we love the Memorial Day
holiday for many reasons -- remembering loved ones; picnics and cookouts with
family members and friends; and my personal favorite -- it unofficially marks
the beginning of summer!But many people
find themselves on the road rather than relaxing at home for the holiday.Or, maybe you're preparing to hit the road for that long-awaited summer
vacation.
Whether
you're currently on a trip or preparing to take one, I'm curious to know how
much thought you put into travel safety.It's something that's typically taken for granted.We always assume that our families, our
vehicles and our valuables will be fine.There's nothing to worry about, right?No one ever thinks they'll be a target for vehicle theft while traveling,
and most people don't spend much, if any time, exploring the safety and security
features of the hotels where they plan to stay.
These two
things can really make or break a trip and are worthy of a little thought.Following are a few travel safety tips that
will help ensure you and your family have nothing to gripe about on your trip except
maybe the weather.Happy travels, and happy Memorial Day!
Hotel Safety Tips:
·Select hotels that haveinterior room entry, meaning the doors of the rooms open to a
hallway inside the building.Rooms with
exterior entries are prime targets for thieves.Also, be sure that window locks
are offered on all windows, as this is not an industry standard (shocking, I
know!)Value Place offers these features
in all of our properties, but we take it a step further.Value Place also
offers locked corridors, so no one
can get beyond the lobby without a key.This is quite unusual in the hotel industry and is a phenomenal guest
security feature!
·Ask how the hotel registers its
guests.Unlike most hotels who register only the
guest that made the reservation, Value Place's standard is to
register every person who is staying in each room.We want to know our guests! Again, this security feature goes well beyond
the industry standard.
·Your hotel should have a well-lit
parking lot.Some hotels, including those in even
the nicest of neighborhoods, partner with local law enforcement and have patrol
cars drive through their lots to deter theft.Value
Place does this; it's just one component of our national SAFE
Communities Partnership Program, which keeps us on the leading edge of
hotel security.
Vehicle & Valuable Safety Tips:
·Write down your vehicle's VIN,
license plate and insurance number.Most people don't have
these memorized, and you'd need to know them if anything happens to your
car.Write down the phone number of your
insurance representative, too.
·Record the model and serial numbers
of any valuables
you'll be traveling with, including cameras, portable DVD players, recreational
equipment, cell phones, etc.If your
valuables are stolen, you'll have a record of them, which will greatly help law
enforcement.This will also help you file
a claim with your insurance company.Also write down phone numbers of
your credit card companies and bank.Report
any lost or stolen cards or a checkbook immediately to prevent unwanted
shopping sprees and identity theft.
·Out of sight, out of mind:You've heard this before, but do you make a habit of taking valuables
out of your car or locking them in the trunk?Even things that could be perceived as valuable, like an empty box, for
example, should be removed.You know
there's nothing inside that box, but a thief doesn't.This is particularly important in parking
lots at beaches, theme parks, hotels, shopping centers and other tourist
locations. Be sure to park only in
well-lit areas, too.
Can't afford to buy diamonds this
year?Don't fret!There are dozens of wallet-friendly ways to
honor your Mom and make her feel special this Mother's Day.Here
are a few suggestions.
1.Get out your gardening gloves
Plant a
flowering tree or bush in her yard as a lasting reminder of your love and
appreciation for her.Don't have a green
thumb?The Arbor Day Foundation will
plant a tree in honor of Mom with the purchase of a Give A Tree Card (priced at
around $6).
2.Host a brunch or lunch
It can
be as simple or elaborate as you want.Whip up a few of Mom's favorite dishes and serve them on your best
dishes.Don't forget the dessert!
3.Make a Memory Box
Fill a
decorative jar or box with slips of pretty paper that list your favorite
memories of Mom and reasons why you love her.
4.Plan a Get-Away
Whether
it's just one day or a whole week, treat Mom to a vacation in a city she's never
visited.You'll have lots of fun
exploring new sites and spending time together.If you need lodging, consider staying at Value Place.We have 140 locations open throughout the U.S., and we'd love to have you as
our guest.
How will
you honor your Mom this Mother's Day? Leave a comment and share.
Love is in the air at Value Place- so much so that two of our guests decided to get married at the Value Place in Liberty, Missouri!
Property Manager, Stacey Ruona said a couple staying at Value Place decided to wed, but on the day they were to be married, their witnesses didn't show up due to bad weather. Not wanting to postpone their special day, the couple came down to the office and asked Stacey and her Property Attendant, Kelly if they could step in. Stacey and Kelly who had gotten to know the couple during their stay at Value Place eagerly accepted and the guests were married right in the Value Place lobby.
Can You Top That?
We want to hear your Love Stories.Send us your:
"Most Romantic Valentine's Day"
"Most Hilarious Valentine's Moment"
"Most Dreadful Valentine's Day Story"
The best story in each category will win a bouquet of roses to be sent to your Sweetie on the 14th. Have your stories in by February 12th.
2007 was an exciting year
for Value Place.We opened 44 new extended stay hotels during
the year, bringing our system-wide total to a whopping 77 open hotels.Our development plans for 2008 are even more
robust, and we are looking forward to serving you and thousands of other guests
in the New Year in cities like Colorado Springs, CO (now open); Jacksonville,
FL (now open); Austin, TX (opening in mid-to-late January); Sioux Falls, SD (opening
in May); and Las Vegas (opening in late summer).
Check the locations section
of Value Place.com frequently to keep up on our growing list of open and under
construction Value Place
hotels, and make your reservation online or call 1-800-ValuePlace.
While you're on the web site, enter
our 1000 Dollar Week-Stay Giveaway. Every month from now through March, you
could win $1000 and a free week stay at the Value Place of your choice.
Posted by glscharoun on December 20, 2007 at 7:52 AM
Christmas carols, a cup of
hot chocolate with marshmallows and enjoying time with family and friends --
these are a few of my favorite things about the holiday season.Of course, I also really enjoy all of the baked goodies that are so popular around
this time of year, but wonder how people find the time to make those elaborate
trays of tempting treats.
My team at Value Place
maintains the philosophy of "keep it simple," and I apply those words of wisdom
to my holiday baking.That said, I want
to let you in on a little secret and share with you a super simple but
delicious recipe that you can whip up in a flash.Your friends will never know that you didn't
spend hours over the stove.
This recipe is so easy in
fact, that you could even make it in the kitchen of your Value Place hotel room, as no baking is
required (although, you would need to bring along some of your own kitchen
supplies or purchase them at the local Wal-Mart).The recipe is listed below.Happy baking (or in this case, no-baking)!
In a blender or food processor, grind all of the Oreos until
they look like coffee grounds.Add the
package of cream cheese to the Oreos and blend until smooth.If you don't have a blender or food
processor, you can crush the Oreos in a plastic zip-lock bag and then kneed in
the cream cheese.Line a baking sheet
with waxed paper.Roll the Oreo/cream
cheese dough into small balls and place them on the waxed paper-lined baking
sheet.Put the Oreo balls in the freezer
for approximately 1 hour.Melt ½ to ¾ of
the package of almond bark in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl or over
low heat on the stove in a saucepan.Dip
all of the frozen Oreo balls in the melted candy coating and place them back on
the waxed paper-lined baking sheet.Return the coated Oreo balls to the freezer or refrigerator until the candy
coating hardens.
Optional Step:You
may wish to finish off the Oreo balls with some chocolate swirls.This step will make your treats look ultra-fancy,
but it somewhat goes against my "keep it simple" motto.Use your discretion.If you have a little extra time, go for
it.Here's what you do:melt ½ cup of the chocolate chips and a
teaspoon of vegetable oil in a zip-lock bag in the microwave.Snip the corner of the bag, and pipe
chocolate swirls over the white chocolate Oreo balls.When finished, return the treats to the
freezer until the chocolate is set.Store in an airtight container in the freezer until you are ready to
serve.
Do you have a favorite
holiday recipe to share - one that abides by the "keep it simple" rule?Post a comment below and share it with
us.We'd enjoying hearing from you.
From all of us at Value Place, have a
safe and happy holiday.We look forward
to serving you in 2008.
Warm regards,
Gina-Lynne
Scharoun President, Value Place
Franchise Services
