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It never fails - unlike nearly every major appliance or mold and mildew stain remover I've used in the last two months - every Sunday evening, my family and I heat up a couple of bags of popped corn in the microwave (yes, it works...knock on wood...but, not too hard) reach for a couple of blankets, nudge the dog off the couch, grab a box of tissues and get ready to cry our eyes out, as we settle in for another heart-wrenching episode of Extreme Makeover - Home Edition.

The show is fun, informative, fast to lend a helping hand to those in need and - especially if you are already a fan, like me - you may be interested to know just what BlogHers have to say, as Extreme Makeover plans on renovating homes in all 50 states and maybe coming to a neighborhood, near you!

A lot of the items used on Extreme Makeover are donated by Sears. However, other companies are getting in on the bandwagon and passing along a little something along to the rest of us - Celebrity Baby Blog posts about a gift that keeps on giving:

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Pumpkin Noodle, a simple but sophisticated line of clothing for babies and toddlers from 0 to 4T, has donated clothing to the three youngest children (there are six in the family) for the house being done by the Extreme Makeover Home Edition team in Michigan [aired on October 1st.]

Celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson, Gweneth Paltrow, Heidi Klum and Denise Richards have all been gifted with Pumpkin Noodle

To continue the gift of giving, Pumpkin Noodle would like to offer 10% off to all CBB readers at their online boutique at www.pumpkinnoodle.com through the end of October.

Use coupon code EMHE.

Though, most people who watched would probably agree, last Sunday's edition was an extremely emotional show - the box of tissues nearly empty by the time Desperate Housewives started - it really hit home for the hubs and me, when we learned that the house in Michigan took 53 hours and 54 minutes...to build...beating the record of 94 hours...to build...A HOUSE, PEOPLE!

So, what's my excuse?!?

Heaven forbid we should ever have to submit our names for consideration into Extreme's pool of possible makeovers - seeing as last Sunday's show was about a woman who recently lost her husband on Christmas Eve and was left to abandon their mold-infested 900 sq. ft. home with her six children - still...just once...I would love to be able to walk into any one of the six rooms in my house and have someone say in a sincere and understanding voice, "After 7 years of living with unfinished walls, sagging exposed beams and hand-me-down furniture...it's finally finished...welcome home, Thompson Family!"

Perhaps, there are plenty of other families - some more deserving than others - who feel that their home improvement projects may well be a lifetime's work in progress.

June gives us The Indiana Update and questions the reality of the show's timeline:

"Well we've had a bit of excitement in our small blip on the map! Extreme Home Makeover has been filming an episode about 10 miles from our house in the tiny town of St. Meinrad. There have been Ty spottings galore, although come to find out, he isn't really even there for most of the event, basically just the beginning and the end! Makes one wonder how he gets that special, secret room done! Could it be we are being snookered by a reality TV show? Surely not!"

Rosana Olsen believes Extreme Makeover did Iowa proud, as she recounts her experience with another makeover to the Des Moines Register:

"My volunteer experiences this past week at the build site of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in Tama County are permanently etched in my memory. It was my pleasure and privilege to work with, and beside, the employees of Hubbell Homes, the contractor chosen to build the home."

A friend of mine recently finished putting an addition onto her simple ranch-style home and - after 8 months of hiring, firing, and re-hiring contractors - there was nothing easy about that renovation and they ended up (and still are) doing a lot of the work, themselves - it was a home renovating nightmare that scared me straight to the "how-to" and "oops, now what" aisle of my local home center!

Perhaps there's a place where we "gently used" and "trash to treasure" home improvement types can go for help - have you thought about going to a home and garden show, lately?

The Home Show is an event designed for homeowners in all stages of remodeling, landscaping and decorating their homes. Each event includes hundreds of exhibits with merchandise, product demonstrations and sample interior and exterior vignettes. With a combination of new products and expert advice from the pros, the Home Show inspires homeowners with countless ideas on enhancing their home's comfort and functionality, as well as its aesthetic appeal and overall value.

Visit the Home & Garden Show and see hundreds of experts who supply the products and services you need - check dates HERE for an expo near you.

[via: American Consumer Shows (ACS)]

Or, you can enter to win the makeover of your dreams:

The DIY Network - Ultimate Kitchen & Bath: Ready to create the kitchen and bath you've always wanted? Enter for a chance to win $100,000 to customize your kitchen and bath - you may enter once a day from October 2 through October 30, 2006!

The Home Depot - Dream Kitchen Makeover: Every time you use a MasterCard card at The Home Depot or homedepot.com between September 7 – October 31, 2006, you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win a $100,000 dream kitchen makeover. Every purchase is another chance to win. [Blogtip: bfeedme]

Benjamin Moore - Colour Makeover Contest: Win a free colour makeover from Benjamin Moore valued at $5,000! Simply submit a digital photo of your room below and tell us why you want a colour makeover.

Yes, it's so nice when we can get a little help (every now and again) and - since, it's likely the hubs and I will continue plugging away at our own home makeover...at...an...extremely...slow...pace:

If you've got an extreme makeover or renovating story of your own, please...let me know - you can either email me or leave a comment - I'd love to share it.

In the meantime, don't bother with entering the 2007 HGTV Dream Home in Winter Park, Colorado - that sucker's mine!
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Contributing Editor Elizabeth Thompson also writes for the eZine, "The Imperfect Parent."

[Header image: TV.com]