Tag: omaha tile

Posted on

Seasonal Foods and Spaces

Fireplace Update

Leaves are changing and my walks have become a beautiful reminder of the changing seasons. Every fall, I’m reminded of the upcoming cozy season, and I’ve learned to look forward to it rather than dread it!

Here are a few events, recipes or things that are making autumn special at the Phillips household!

  1. This oatmeal breakfast bake is an easy dish to put together. It’s warm, filling and requires few ingredients. Our six children enjoy this dish, and I enjoy how easy it is! Click here for the recipe!
  2. It’s taken effort on my part to enjoy the winter season. For the past 7 years, I’ve tried to plan winter activities that get us outside enjoying nature. The proper clothes make all the difference. In High School, I could walk outside with flip flops (I’m dating myself) and be fine. I’m cold all the time now, so proper winter gear is first priority. After you have that covered, this outdoor ice-skating activity is completely free and fun for ages 3 on up! It’s the second year being offered and my family has learned to enjoy outdoor ice skating! Click here to be taken to the registration link! 
  3. As many anticipate the upcoming cold season, we’ve been installing heated floors and updating fireplaces. We offer free estimates and can’t wait to serve you!

We are incredibly thankful to be serving our community. Phillips Tile & Stone was opened in 2010. Since the birth of the company, we have helped thousands transform spaces that ailed them, from waterlogged bathroom messes to tornado destruction, to additions and business remodels. Our goal at Phillips Tile & Stone is to create a space that will serve you for decades to come!

 

Posted on

From Newlyweds to a Family Business: Annual Birthday GIVEAWAY

In 2010, during the heart of a recession, most people were tightening their belts—not starting businesses. But we weren’t “most people.” We were newlyweds, full of grit, and just enough faith to believe that we could build something meaningful from the ground up—without debt, without backing, and without a fallback plan.

We launched Phillips Tile & Stone with no loans, just a handful of tools, a commitment to hard work, and a deep trust in God’s provision. We didn’t know exactly how everything would unfold, but we knew we were ready to serve people well—with honesty, craftsmanship, and a desire to do things the right way.

From those early days of Trevor laying tile in the evenings and weekends, to now managing large-scale remodels, custom builds, and beautiful installations all across the Omaha area, we’ve been on a journey that’s shaped not just our business, but our entire family.

As our company grew, so did our family. With each new child came new challenges, but also fresh reminders that God’s timing and provision are always perfect. We’ve never taken for granted the opportunities we’ve had to serve clients, partner with incredible tradespeople, and contribute to the beauty of homes and businesses across our community.

Through seasons of plenty and seasons of scraping by, we’ve seen over and over again that faith + hard work = foundation—not just for tile, but for life.

Phillips Tile & Stone is more than a business to us. It’s a reflection of our values, our marriage, our family, and our faith. Every project we take on is a chance to serve others, to build something that stands the test of time.

To our clients, contractors, friends, and family who’ve supported us since 2010—thank you. You’re part of this story, too.

To celebrate 15 years in business, we are having a giveaway. 15 years of craftsmanship, creativity, and community! And what better way to say THANK YOU than with a Birthday Giveaway!

TWO lucky winners will score a Grout Cleaning Kit — the secret weapon to keep your tile looking fresh and fabulous.

ONE grand prize winner will receive a $200 gift card to our favorite local tile store, Nebraska Tileworks Center — perfect for picking out materials for your next project!

Whether you’re a DIYer, planning a remodel, or just want to treat your tile right. Head to our IG or FB socials to enter. Thank you for allowing us to serve our community with these talents and skills.

With gratitude,

Michelle & Trevor Phillips and the PTS team

Serving since 2010
Established in 2010. Still in awe, honestly.
Posted on

A Cozy Home

Serving since 2010

Winter weather in the Midwest is all about preparation. If you’ve lived in the Midwest for any amount of time you’ll find some basic items can go far: snow shovel, salt, a heavy winter coat, gloves, hat, snow boots, a well stocked frig and pantry, board games, movies…you get the idea.

As an adult, I’ve learned that the off season is when we prep for the upcoming season. This year we had doors replaced to better insulate our home.  Many of our clients in 2024 also thought this way as we installed heated tile floors and updated working fireplaces. This morning, a gorgeous fresh snowfall is my view while sipping away at my morning coffee. I pray you are warm and safe and cozy in your space.

 

Is it time to bring the next level of “Midwest Prep?” If you’re ready, we offer free estimates to get you the cozy space you desire!

Each installation is custom!

Posted on

Merry Christmas, thankful for you!

Serving since 2010

It’s been a tradition of mine to include parts of our family’s year on the business Christmas blog. It’s important to me for clients to know we are a family business. Once we’ve done work for you, you’re now apart of the Phillips Tile & Stone family. This Christmas, I decided to have a Top 5 for the business, and a Top 5 for our family. This year was full of hard, but when I go back and remember, it was full of good as well. We are still praying for the healing of family members and friends. In the middle of hardships (death and health issues for family and friends), we saw God’s provision and blessings. I’m incredibly thankful for the HOPE Christ brings during trials. Without further ado, here are our business and personal Top 5 for 2024!

 

Phillips Tile & Stone Top 5 for 2024

  1. We took Phillips Tile & Stone back to the basics this year. The last few years we have been working with builders, but this year our projects came directly from residential homeowners again. It was an answer to prayer to see how God provided each project.
  2. Any business owner will tell you hiring is difficult. Our crew is skilled, talented and dependable. We are so thankful for our guys and their loyalty to Phillips Tile & Stone!
  3. The past 5 years have been a dream come true, as with YOUR votes, Phillips Tile & Stone has been voted Best Tile Installer in Omaha! To see our name mentioned with some of Omaha’s biggest names is humbling and unreal. Granted, I think tile isn’t a niche most are looking at entering, so I’m sure that makes our odds of winning much better. 😉 Most of our days are spent installing quality craftsmanship and not ‘building a business’. Earning this award definitely lifts our spirits.
  4. Our favorite project this year might be a heated tile floor, a large project that our oldest was able to help with.  Under Trevor’s keen guidance, our son gained an appreciation for what Trevor and his crew do everyday!
  5. One of my favorite things about owning a construction company, is having the ability to bless others with this business God has given us.

 

 

Phillips Family Top 5 2024

  1. Because of our amazing crew, this year Trevor felt comfortable taking a week long vacation as a family of 8. Our kids fulfilled dreams of flying, sailing and seeing the ocean. The Oasis of the Seas was perfect for us. We made so many amazing memories. Our 2 and 4 year old’s now play airport/pilot regularly. The littlest boys have asked if our next cruise would be “…in 10 minutes?”
  2. Our oldest three boys played Baseball from December-August. They traveled for tournaments and learned so much. Baseball season is full, but so good. Elsie’s been in gymnastics for a full year and the younger two are loving attending all their siblings basketball, baseball, flag football and gymnastics events.  Soon, those littlest two will be playing all the sports and our life will get even more full!
  3. Our oldest turned 13 and his dream was to watch Elly De La Cruz from Cincinnati Reds play. So we drove to Chicago to do just that. We saw some sites and ate great food, too.
  4. This might seem like an odd one, but our kids learned the value of hard work. Their pet sitting business allowed them to earn money for Summer Church Camp, baseball lessons and the 13 year old is saving for his first car. It can get wild having up to three dogs at our home, but it’s also an adventure that everyone enjoys.
  5. We have continued to homeschool and each year looks a bit different. This year, Michelle taught at MKS Studio and the kids took music and acting classes. This is in addition to Band. Altogether this year, our kids are playing: trumpet, saxophone, guitar, piano/keyboard, cello and singing in choir. I’m so thankful our children have the opportunity to learn from skilled teachers. Michelle also was able to attend the NMEA Music Conference in Lincoln because of MKS Studio, which was a full circle moment being able to watch All-State perform.

Thank you for allowing us the honor to serve with construction services. Thank you, Lord, for providing. Thanks for reading, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

From,

The Phillips Family

Posted on

PTS Projects and the best Banana bread

Phillips Tile & Stone, a family business.

Good morning!

Today I woke up at 5am ON MY OWN! I got right to work and started making the best banana bread to start our busy day. This recipe is from my “Little Grandma” and I even entered it in the county 4H years ago having it bring me a blue or purple ribbon. I don’t remember which ribbon I earned. I do remember the fun I had that year entering a few dishes, crafts and animals in the Russell, Kansas county fair. So much fun, that while my banana bread baked, I looked up 4H camps for my own kids. The best memories.

Here is a healthy banana bread recipe that is heavy on the overripe bananas and low on the butter and eggs. I never used anything but regular flour but I have substituted the sugar for honey. It’s such a forgiving recipe. My six kids like me to add cinnamon and chocolate chips for that extra goodness! Hope you enjoy!

Little Grandma’s Banana Bread

4 mashed bananas

1 cup of sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp milk

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Mix all together. We like to put a sprinkle of cinnamon and a handful of chocolate chips. Pour into a large, greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with butter and enjoy!

Let me know if you make it! We are off to complete a FULL day of work, projects, appointments, homeschool, errands/chores and wrap up with baseball!

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

 

Posted on

Apprenticeships and Summer Jobs

It’s Spring and today is Palm Sunday! So much to look forward to, be thankful for and celebrate!

We’ve been getting many inquiries for summer jobs/apprenticeships and internship opportunities. It’s fantastic that so many young men are interested in learning the trades as a career. Phillips Tile & Stone has supported our family since 2010. We’ve employed so many wonderful craftsmen and in turn have helped them provide for their families. That being said, there is a very limited number of teens we can take on for this amazing opportunity! I hope the desire to learn the trades increases. We have enjoyed serving our clients and helping them achieve functional yet beautiful spaces. Many times, we’ve come in AFTER another contractor has been hired and we correct their work. The need for skilled craftsmen is HUGE! The need for skilled craftsmen filled with integrity is massive. I pray our company leaves an imprint on Omaha as we strive to serve our clients to the best of our ability.

Keep telling your friends and family about our work. The more projects we have, the more we can hire and train. It’s an honor we get to help train the next generation! We love ya, Omaha!

Posted on

Happy Thanksgiving! Plus *FREE* Family holiday fun ideas!

Happy Thanksgiving to you! Whether you are having a quiet day relaxing or a day full of plans. We hope you are thankful for all the simple goodness life can bring.

This year has been full of watching our six kids grow. We enjoy watching them participate in many different activities. Our older kids are also busy with their pet sitting business and lawn care business. We have a 12-year-old who is very excited to be saving up for his first car, and we welcome his entrepreneurial spirit. Earlier in the year we added a puppy to the Phillips family. Her name is Evee. We are still home-schooling the kids, so they see firsthand all that go into running a business. We compare homeschooling to business owner life. We all learn to work hard. Life is full!

As for Phillips Tile & Stone, we’ve stayed busy as well, thanks to your recommendations! At the beginning of the year, we installed for two new local coffee shops. In addition to commercial spaces, our crew continues to install all materials for residential and new construction spaces. Our challenges for the year continue to be hiring. We had so many projects coming through and not enough skilled employees. It started to wear on Trevor, so we had to scale back on taking on all the projects coming through. What a testament to your recommendations, all those projects were through word of mouth, and we are so grateful for your support!

We are thankful for the votes this year that allowed Phillips Tile & Stone to earn Best of Omaha. This company truly is still in business because there are so many people who refer friends and family to us. THANK YOU for supporting this small family business. Please KEEP sharing about our excellent craftsmanship! Our desire is to help clients by installing spaces that will last them decades to come.

As we get ready to celebrate Christmas we would like to share some fun holiday ideas we enjoy as a family that are FREE!

  1. Holiday Light Drive. Omaha is beautiful. One of our favorite activates is to jump in the car, PJ’s on. This year we plan on bringing the dog along, too. Homemade hot chocolate in one hand and popcorn in another. Since our oldest got braces this year, I’m thinking we will need to change up our snacks instead of having popcorn. The point is, make it cozy in the car as you drive around admiring the Christmas lights.
  2. I save our Halloween candy and use it to decorate gingerbread houses together. We’ve started simply buying graham crackers and store-bought frosting to let the kids design their own houses. It’s fun to see their creativity come into action. Playing Christmas music is a must during this family activity.
  3. Our family enjoys trying new recipes and cooking together. We enjoy eating, so it all pairs well together. The cold winter months are meant for warm, cozy nights in with new and old holiday recipes. We enjoy checking out Christmas movies from the library to watch, also. Dinner and a movie at home. It doesn’t get any better.

 Are there any holiday ideas you’d like to share? We would love to hear in the comments section. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Thank you for supporting Phillips Tile & Stone. We love ya, Omaha.

The Phillips Family plus Evee the dog.

Posted on

Delicious, Homemade Hot Chocolate

We are ready to embark on cold weather and all the festive holidays. Being a Midwesterner, I’ve learned to embrace the cold. If you dress appropriately, this season can be enjoyable. Some new items I added to my wardrobe this year are thermal lined skinny jeans. I know, I know. Skinny jeans are apparently, not ‘in fashion’. My goal this fall/winter is to be warm and still try to look presentable. So thermal, lined skinny jeans will do just that.

Beyond warm clothing, I’m bringing back all the soups and hot drinks. Our six kids really enjoy soup, I should share their favorites another day. Today I wanted to share a great recipe for homemade hot chocolate that we adore. There are no packets involved yet it’s incredibly easy to make. The creamy texture is just what is needed after a day out in the chilly air.

Ingredients:

4 cups of milk (preferably whole or 2%)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Optional whipped cream for a topping!

Instructions: Place milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium/medium low heat, stirring frequently, until warm. Add chocolate chips and whisk constantly until the chocolate chips melt and distribute evenly into the milk. Whisk in vanilla extract and serve immediately.

As always, thanks for supporting this family business!

-Michelle Phillips

Posted on

Basement = A Midwest Necessity

As a Midwesterner, you quickly realize we enjoy all four seasons. Each season brings it’s own set of amazingness and challenges. In the summer, we enjoy the outdoors with swimming, boating, camping, gardening and grilling! We also realize the hottest part of the day is sometimes needing to enjoy a few hours indoors cooling off. In the winter, we sled and snowboard and snowplow, ice fish, take winter walks or hikes. We also need a warm place to congregate when the wind is brutal. In the spring we have tornado warnings and in the fall we have Husker football parties!

What do all those activities have in common? They all call for a functional space in your home to serve a variety of needs. Guess what? A great basement fits the bill on ALL those needs. So your next question might be, what does a great basement have in it?

A good basement has these qualities.

  1. Excellent storage
  2. A half bathroom…even better, a 3/4 shower
  3. An inviting gathering place, such as a bar area that includes a sink, seating and a frig.
  4. Proper lighting
  5. Proper Drainage
  6. A focus on functionality
  7. Proper air circulation
  8. A good layout
  9. Proper “exits”
  10. Enough ceiling height

Is there a basement quality that you would add? If we missed something, let us know. It might be worth adding to this inexhaustible list. For if we’ve learned anything. It’s that us Midwesterners, really need a solid basement!

Phillips Tile & Stone has worked on a few basements in since we opened our business doors in 2010. Sometimes, we don’t get a photo. Sometimes, homeowners send us photos. We then turn around and share what amazing clients we have but showing off their new spaces!

Below is a photo of LVP installed by Phillips Tile & Stone. Here is the reel you can see the entire basement transformation!