12/05/2018

I’ll confess, it’s getting to me. The un-fixedness of my “TLC” residence, the inability to find items I own, and how long it’s taking to accomplish repairs. Learn how the gas stove meatloaf disaster challenged Maren's "make do or do without" philosophy.

10/13/2018

If a hurricane or blizzard is coming, or even when a blizzard isn’t coming, what do you absolutely want to have in your home? If you have a baby, diapers and baby food are probably at the top of your list. I’d say that if you’ve ever done the “grocery store run” in advance of predicted horrible storms and stay-off-the-roads travel conditions, YOU KNOW what you value most on a day-to-day basis. I can’t say that having primer paint is essential to me during storms in particular, but I will

10/10/2018

FUN! Why didn't anyone ever tell me how much fun power washing is? It's easy and it's like magic.

09/27/2018

Back when I was a newbie in home handyperson jobs, I assumed that surfaces were level, perpendicular or parallel, or the perfect rectangles they represented themselves to be. NOW I know that this is not necessarily so. I have installed many curtain rods. Depending on the room and my incredibly high need for natural sunlight, I use different tricks to meet my needs. Curtain Project Right now, I want a black-out curtain for night time at the window in my new front door. I'm planning to use a

09/24/2018

Frost proof, or freeze proof, outdoor faucets come with a risk. If you do not follow the maintenance instructions, you may destroy the faucet. I learned the hard way...

09/22/2018

Cords that are more than 30 feet long just naturally tangle themselves whenever possible. If you are impatient (as I am), you don't always nicely roll it as you move it from one part of the yard to another. Or, if you've been working on a project using a long extension cord and realize what time it is - oops, I gotta be somewhere in 15 minutes! - you may just scoop it up and throw it somewhere safe for that moment.  That works in the short run, but the next time you want to use it, you'll be