The end of July will mark five years that we've been in our house, and holy cats - our carpet really shows it! I'm pretty strict with the whole, "No food or drink outside the kitchen" rule, so it's not like we have root beer stains in the bedrooms or anything like that, but yeah. It's pretty nasty. Five years and five children do a number on carpeting, no matter how careful you are. We've actually resigned ourselves to the idea that we will need to completely replace the carpet on the first floor, throughout the living room, playroom, and bathroom area as soon as the kids get to be school age. There are so many stains from formula spilling out of bottles, and juice leaking from sippy cups, and don't even get me started on the whole potty training thing. I had four kids in diapers for quite awhile, and it took a minute to get everyone trained! I have a carpet shampooer I use regularly, but there's only so much you can do. It's like the old saying about cleaning up after children: it's like shoveling while it's still snowing.

I'm really looking forward to getting new carpet one day - I LOVE the feel of brand new carpet under my feet! I keep seeing the commercials for Empire Carpet - I have no doubt at all that you know the jingle by heart, too! Who doesn't? "588-2300, Empiiiiire!" I've been hearing it on TV since I was a little kid! Now they have the "800" at the beginning, but I don't remember that being there when I was a kid? Here's what the commercials looked like when I was just a little rugrat:



I'm cracking up, because I have a Bissel carpet shampooer, but it sure as heck doesn't look like the one in that commercial! Here's what the commercials look like nowadays...same jingle, with the "800" added to the beginning of their phone number:



I wonder if the Empire Man is even still alive today? I can't help but notice that he's, uh, ANIMATED in the newer commercials. And you know what - Empire Carpet sells more than just carpet nowadays - you can get Hardwood Flooring, laminate, ceramic tile, and even window treatments. All without leaving your house. Check it all out on the Empire Today website.

Okay, I'm a little obsessed, I guess - but I just checked out the Empire Today page on Wikipedia (yes, they have their own page!) and found out a couple of things. The original actor from the old commercials still does the voice for the animated commercials. I'm guessing he's just old as dirt now, and not about to get on hands and knees to lovingly stroke rolls of carpet like he used to. And, the company originated in the Chicago area, and had commercials that ran on Chicago superstation WGN-TV, which even today is available on cable nationwide, so that explains why I remember the jingle not including the "800" part. It was a "local" commercial, but we still saw it nationally.

I guess I've devoted enough of my day to researching Empire Carpet!