Did you know - 4th of July?

Do you know why we celebrate the 4th of July?

Independence Day is the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was an amazing step for our 13 colonies to stand up against England's King George III over taxes - remember "taxation without representation"? If you would like to learn more about the history of Independence Day you can read more at History of the Fourth.

For those of us who live in Gwinnett County, Georgia, we have a historical connection to the Declaration of Independence. Button Gwinnett, a merchant, trader and plantation owner turned politician was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He is also the "Gwinnett" in "Gwinnett County" as you may have guessed.

Celebrate with Family and Friends

Traditionally the Fourth of July is a time to spend with family and friends at picnics, parades, baseball games, watching fireworks and celebrating everything American.

To help prepare you for your 4th of July celebrations we've put together a sampling of favorite local businesses:

1) Patton's Meat Market (Duluth) - If you're looking for high-quality meat for hamburgers, hot dogs or sausages, this is the place. Read the reviews...

2) Harry's Farmers Market (Duluth) - To help fill the remainder of your picnic basket you may want to try this farmers market. Read the reviews...

3) Simply Wine (Duluth) - Looking for that perfect bottle of wine to share with family and friends? They have an incredible selection of wine and highly knowledgeable sales people to help you decide. Read the reviews...

4) How Sweet It Is (Norcross) - To add a special touch to your picnic or party stop by this bakery/cafe for outstanding bakery treats and decadent desserts. They are currently offering a coupon on BeanPool for a free bakery item with the purchase of a beverage. Read the reviews...

Enjoy and have a fun and safe 4th of July!

New "My Search Pool" functionality...

We recently added a feature on the search results page called "My Search Pool" (actually it's already in the members area). This is a drop-down window that allows you to expand or contract your search results by zip code, city, metro area and state. The search results will default to your city (based on your city selection or the zip code you entered). If you want to see more results expand the "My Search Pool" by selecting "Metro Area" and you will see all the results in your metro area (Atlanta).

Let us know if you have any questions about this - customerservice@beanpool.net.

Window replacement done right...

One of our front bay windows is a dual-pane window and was fogging and looked terrible. So we decided to replace it. We were refered to a company called Superior Pro (http://www.beanpool.com/Businesses/BusinessDetails.aspx?Business=461685) and we called them for an estimate. They showed up in a couple days to look at the window. Their estimate was the cheapest and two of our neighbors had used them before so we decided to go with them. After calling them to come out it took them a few days to arrive but when they did arrive it took them an afternoon to replace this one large bay window. They did a fairly good job but I noticed the there was a gap on the right side of the window. I called them and they showed up the very next day and fixed it. I would recommend this company.

Is there another window company you would recommend? If so, go to beanpool.com and write a review.

Sushi in Peachtree Corners!!!

A few nights ago I wanted to try something different for dinner so we went and visited a local sushi shop called Emiko's. This place is hidden in the corner of the Ingles shopping center here in Peachtree Corners, but once inside the place opens up to a large sushi bar and open grill area. I like the open grill area because you can actually see the chef's cooking your meal.

As you walk in the front door all the employees shout out something in Japanese to you - I believe this means Hello, or Happy Sushi eating, or something like that. Anyways it makes you feel welcome and noticed.

After sitting at the sushi bar for a few minutes we met the sushi chef. His name is Chef Shawn and he's the owner of the place. Wow, an owner that actually still cooks, very nice.

Since I'm a newbie sushi eater I placed my dinner destiny in Chef Shawn's hands. I told him the types of food I like and he made me several different sushi rolls and other things I don't know the names of that tasted out of this world. He also explained sushi etiquette which I didn't know there was such a thing. For example, you are supposed to eat sushi with your hands and not chopsticks.

Overall this was an excellent dining experience with excellent food, good atmosphere, and you get entertained by the owner as he makes sushi for you.