Before spending any money hiring an electrician, just look at all of the dead outlets and see if one of them looks different then the others. The GFCI outlet has it's own breaker built into it kind of like the breaker box, but instead of just tripping when you exceed the amount of current limited by the breaker, or when grounded out, the GFCI will trip when there is any disturbance in the current on the line. They trip all the time, some more then others, and all you have to to is put the button in at the outlet to reset it.
They used to just be used in kitchens and bathrooms because they provide an additional level of safety around water.
Now they are being used all over a house. Outdoors too. I probably replace half a dozen of them a year for clients since they do go bad a lot more frequently then a regular outlet. I rarely replace bad outlets. If you do not find an outlet with the buttons on it anywhere, and you looked real good, odds are very good that it's the breaker. Outlets and wires rarely go bad. Breakers and GFCI outlets do a lot more often.
If you find that there is a GFCI outlets and nothing happens after you push one of the buttons, then try the other button, then that's a good indication that it's bad. Sometimes you need something more then just your finger to reset the button on a GFCI outlet. I usually use a pencil, or a small screwdriver, or the tip of my pocket knife. Anything that is smaller then my finger so it will go in all the way.
One button is to reset it, the other is to test it, or turn it off.
