Tag Archives: home improvement

7 Common DIY Mistakes (7)

This is it! We at the end of our series on the seven most common mistakes that people make when doing projects around their home by themselves. It has been a long road, and we have covered so much. If you have missed any of these articles, just take a look at the links below this one. You’ll find everything there that you need to catch up on the discussion. And we can come full circle talking about a common mistake that can really be overcome within any of the other mistakes. What I mean is, that avoiding this mistake … Continue reading →

Do Teens’ Messes Ruin a Home’s Feng Shui?

A few years ago, I bought a book about how to “Feng Shui” your living space. Since then, I’ve picked up a few more books and articles about energy, chi, and the art of arranging one’s environment for optimal health and happiness. I have to admit, however, that with a houseful of teenagers, there is only so much work and control I can exert over my environment. What I’m wondering—is does the teenagers’ messy rooms and constant clutter ruin my home’s Feng Shui? I have read quite about how important it is to have movement in my wealth area, and … Continue reading →

Organize Thoughts to Organize your Home

If you keep “clutter” in your mind, those unfinished items from work, the project you have always wanted to complete, the activity you wish you could learn or do, you’re more likely to keep clutter in your home. Instead of finishing a task and putting away the implements needed to do it, you’re more likely to pile items up on your desk as a way to motivate yourself. “I’ll have to get done, so I can clear my desk.” Unfortunately, that rarely works. Instead, we push things aside, move them around, and squeeze in more stuff, adding to the clutter. … Continue reading →

Organizing The Garage, Day 1, Part 2

Join me on our family adventure of cleaning out the garage. It took us two days to get the garage from a staging area of stuff to useable space that can fit our large mini-van. In the previous blog, I talked about how we started the organizing process by sorting our stuff into separate piles: toys, tools and household. We also had some boxes set aside for donation, and a large trash can for obvious trash. I mentioned how there were some things that my husband couldn’t let go. But I had my own irrational item that was taking up … Continue reading →

Basement Floor Savings (And Garage Floor, Too)

As you might now know, I am blogging over at the Home Blog (as well as here at the Frugal Blog and there at the Computing Blog), and I am sharing my family’s adventure as we clean out our garage. Now that the garage floor is nice and clean, my husband has mentioned painting it. Not only will it look much better painted, but it will help improve our home. Having the garage floor painted will also help it serve another function, as an impromptu place for gathering with friends and family during parties, when we need to expand our … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: August 27 – September 2

I hope you had a great week and I hope you are now enjoying your Labor Day weekend. Labor Day was designed to celebrate the individual, the worker, the laborer, the people who work hard to make the American dream a reality. So, enjoy yourself. You deserve long weekend. This week, in the Home Blog, we were inside and outside the home. We talked about phones, plants, safety, cleaning, air purification, and outdoor improvements, with articles on things like the pros and cons of trading a “landline” for a mobile phone and ways to add curb appeal. There was a … Continue reading →

Outdoor Home Improvement Safety Tips

There are many safety tips to help ensure that your outdoor home improvement projects are completed without injury or damage. Here are three important points you need to keep in mind when you decide to do it yourself: Wear your Gear Always use appropriate protective gear. There are very few projects that don’t require some type of safety gear. Safety glasses should be worn for most every project. Cut-resistant gloves are another staple of the home improvement enthusiast. Don’t do projects in bare feet either. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Watch those Wires Of course, you need … Continue reading →

Introducing Myself: Coming Home

Home. There are so many things packed into that small word. Family, warmth, security, frustration, pride, bills, hope, work, creativity, love and a place to hang your hat. The home is the heart of a family, no matter whether it is a one room apartment or a 100,000 square foot castle. There are so many images, so many memories associates with the home, and that is why I am excited, awed and humbled by the opportunity to be one of the bloggers here on the Home Blog at Families.com. Sherry has been bring us some amazing articles, and I’ll be … Continue reading →

Frugal Drain Cleaner

If you have slow drains but don’t want to spend a lot on commercial drain cleaners, you can try this trick. It doesn’t use harsh chemicals, so it is safe for septic tanks and can be used over and over again. You can use help dissolve built up scum and hair in any of your drains (ugh), including the sink, the shower, and the bathtub. Regular maintenance will help keep your drains clean and flowing well. If your drains have gotten to the point where they are completely clogged and absolutely no water is moving through, then this remedy might … Continue reading →

Appliance Repair for Less

Just recently, I wrote about how sometimes it makes sense to pay for an extended warranty when buying products on appliances. But what if you don’t have a warranty on your machine? Major and minor appliances can be costly to repair. When something such as a dishwasher breaks down, it can cost hundreds of dollars just to have someone look at the appliance, let alone fix it. This goes for other things around your home, too. One time, a plumber tried to charge us $300 just to tell us that we needed a new sink. He did nothing more than … Continue reading →