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We love to kayak, and recently added another kayak to our collection which also includes a folding Oru and an inflatable stand up paddle board/kayak. The last two do not require any special storage requirements, but the new hardshell one does.
We decided to create a simple storage stand to keep the kayak off the ground and also at a height where we could simply slide in onto the stand with the kayak cart (wheels) in place. Read on as we share how we made this kayak stand with the materials we had on hand.
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On a drive home one afternoon, I spotted a couple of Adirondack chairs and stools curbside in a trash pile.
Everything was in really rough condition and truly ready to be hauled to the landfill! But, I had a lightbulb moment and thought we could rehab them using parts from the stools and finish them with some leftover Olympic Elite stain. They'd made a great Earth Day project--taking trash and making it usable again--one less thing to go to the dump! Read along as we share what we did.
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I've always been skeptical of "as-seen-on-TV" products. Are they really as good as they seem to be?
When Steph said she wanted to try this magnetic closing screen door for the dogs, I certainly had my doubts! But, this particular "as-seen-on-TV" product turned out to be just as advertised! Surprise! Read on as we share our review. text by Vicki Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter! A few years ago we installed a "made-from-scratch" sliding door in my laundry room. I liked it so much that I wanted to do the same in the hall bathroom.
When we spotted this all inclusive sliding door kit at Costco, we decided it would be perfect for the bathroom. Rather than taking a couple of days to build a door and install it, this kit took maybe a couple of hours! That's a win! Follow along as we share how it all came together.
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This bathroom was gutted and remodeled in 2012 and at that time I decided not to install cabinets on the back wall. It seemed like a good space to add a personal touch with a fun piece of furniture.
Early on I found the perfect mid-century modern cabinet for the space. It was the right length, fairly narrow, and the right height. Unfortunately, it was a MCM piece that looked nice, but was not made of solid wood. I used it many years, but over time, one of the legs quit holding making it unusable. I moved an old cedar chest into the space for a while, but is was really too large for the space. I was ready for something new that would better fit the space. Taking inspiration from a post from DIY Huntress, I decided a wall-hung cabinet would be perfect for the space.
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For the past three years, the view out Steph's living room windows has been of a two-ladder plant stand we build and installed in the space. We've gotten used to the view and couldn't imagine not having the ladder plant stand out there.
But a few months ago we noticed there was a lot of deterioration in the wood. In fact, so much so that it was in danger of falling over. We decided to take it down and replace it with, wait for it...another two-ladder plant stand! This time, we are making our own ladders out of pressure treated wood which should stand up better to our Florida weather.
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Many homeowners are not aware, but smoke detectors have an expiration date. Smoke detector companies state that they are good for ten years starting with the manufacturing date, NOT the install date.
With that fact in mind, you can see that Steph was loooooooong overdue to replace the smoke detectors at her house. She's been in her house nine years, but who knows when the detectors were changed out before that. Because of the difficulty and frustration I've had with the wired detectors at my house, she wanted something a little more high tech and more frustration free. Those at my house beep when the backup batteries need changing, but it's trial and error to find out when one is problematic. Uggg! After much research, she settled on the smart smoke detector Google Nest Protect. Here's how the install went.
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After nine years of use, the handle on Steph's front door was starting to show wear on the finish. It wasn't looking so good and Steph was ready to replace it!
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I always enter my house via the garage into a small utility hallway. At the end of the hallway is an underused closet.
Prior to the great "garage remodel of 2016" I always entered through the backdoor where there were plenty of flat surfaces to put all the stuff I always had in my hands. Coming through the garage, I had no surfaces to unload onto thus the area in front of the closet was always a cluttered mess with shoes and more. During this period of time, I've been working to relocate all the stuff that was in the closet so that I could transform it into a multi-functional landing zone. This fall I finally got all the stuff moved, trashed, or donated. Awwww, I now had a nice empty canvas in which to work! This written tutorial covers the highlights of the build. Check out the video for more details.
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The lights outside Steph's garage were way overdue for replacement. We really should have changed them out when we painted the house a few years back. House painting took place over a hot couple of Florida June days and last thing we wanted to do was more work outside! So it never got done.
But after seeing these fixtures at Costco, we decided these would look great and it was time for a replacement.
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Steph has a friend with a kayak that allows her to use it whenever she wants. The friend lives on a lake so it's just a matter of moving the kayak to the water and launching for a quiet, solo relaxing paddle on the lake!
The kayak was stored a ways away from the lake so with the homeowners permission, she decided to create a more convenient storage spot for the kayak near the water.
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Part of the plan when installing the elevated toy train train was a way to reach the train to turn it on. Although the LEGO train operates via a phone app, it has to be manually turned on, hence the need for a ladder to reach it!
On Steph's list of "making childhood dreams come true" was a rolling library ladder. She decided that this type of ladder would be perfect for reaching the train. Here's how it all came together and with it, how she got to have her Belle, Beauty and the Beast, moment!
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I think for a lot of people, especially home decor experts, ceiling fans are one of those love/hate things! They are super functional, but not all that attractive. This enclosed blade fan solves that "not attractive" problem while still providing plenty of function.
Between our two homes, we now have three of these fans with more to be installed in the future! Read along as Steph shares how she installed this fan.
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Steph is making her LEGO childhood dreams come true one project at a time! First it was to establish a LEGO room in her house, followed by the ultimate Wall Control storage wall, and now--an elevated train track!
Did anyone see that one coming? I surely didn't know she had always coveted rooms with elevated train tracks since watching the movie Casper back in the 90s. Since it is way too hot to work on anything outside, this was the perfect summer project. Follow along as we show you the build from beginning to caboose!
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Rarely do I see a pin on Pinterest that makes me go, "wait, I want that!"
The pin below stopped me mid-scroll! I saved the pin and pondered how I could do a similar design in my small primary walk-in closet. Well, one thing led to another and I figured out how I could make it work using primarily what I already had on hand.
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I have to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this particular project. Yes, the planter needed to be removed, but it was going to be a lot of hot, hard work.
We managed with a little help and learned a few things along the way. Read on and add your tips for concrete removal in the comments below.
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When Steph was assembling the Harbor Freight Haul-Master utility trailer she was doing great UNTIL, the lighting would not work! Even with all the troubleshooting she tried, still, NOTHING.
She almost called it quits, but decided to confer with her friend, Stephen, who has the same trailer, to see if he could offer some advice. Well....you'll see what happens. Take a look at how Steph wired this trailer. She's never done anything like this before, but reading and watching YouTube videos on the process gave her the confidence to try. I must say, I was very IMPRESSED with all the tools, techniques, and supplies she used. Even if wiring a trailer is NOT in your future, these techniques and supplies can be used in other wiring projects. I would say, that you should just watch the video as my written "tutorial" is not going to be nearly as comprehensive and detailed as what Steph has put into the video. I'll try my best, though!
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We're following up on our Scotts 2-bag yard improvement project.
Earlier this year, we applied Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action South to Steph's yard. The second bag was to applied eight weeks later. So, it's eight weeks later and time to apply the UltraFeed, to keep the yard green all season long! Check out the video to see the progress we've made in Steph's yard and on mine!
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When Steph bought her house there was a water feature in the backyard. It wasn't working at the time so she hired someone to fix it. He sort of fixed it, but it truly was never 100 percent. Plus, the electrical situation was a nightmare. The person who put in the pond didn't hire an electrician to put in proper wiring so the pond pump was powered by an extension cord that snaked across the backyard.
When I discovered THAT situation, I encouraged her not to run the pump for safety reasons. We enjoyed the pond but over time, the rocks fell into the water and with the water no longer moving, it was a haven for mosquito breeding. A neighbor helped with that situation by putting mosquito fish into the water. Those fish thrived in spite of the dirty mirky water! Two factors that finally pushed Steph into removing it was 1. her second greyhound, Tosh, really wanted to get in the water and 2. grandson, Andrew, practiced rock skimming and created a hole in the liner. Overnight the water dropped a foot. It was time!
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
Both Steph and I don't take care of our yards in any meaningful way. Although we both would like a less weed filled and green yard, we've never tried to sort out the options on how to do that.
When we were offered the opportunity to work with The Home Depot and Scotts® using just two products, it was an easy 'yes!' We are both looking forward to improvements in our yards this season. Take a look at how you can become your "neighborhood lawn pioneer!"
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Over the years, we've tweaked and improved our garage Wall Control pegboards. This latest improvement was quick and easy and took care of a couple of issues.
Read on to see this quick fix.
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Steph had a hodgepodge of lighting in her garage, all with different color temperatures and there was not enough of it. It was time for an upgrade!
We purchased linkable lighting fixtures and installed them to remedy the lighting situation. They plug in so no wiring was needed.
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
We recently completed four product videos for the Home Depot. What that means is when you are looking at, for example, the Glacier Bay 1.28 GPF toilet, you'll find our product video giving you more information about it.
In addition to the toilet, we also did product videos for a caulk gun, glass cutter, and HLVP spray gun. We were determined to connect all four of these random products into one cohesive mini bathroom makeover. Here's how we did it!
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We are always on the lookout for new and innovated DIY products to try. Steph spotted this new product by DAP and thought it looked promising. She convinced me we needed to give it a try in a head to head product challenge. DAP Eclipse Wall Repair Patch verses standard spackling.
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This table has a history. It was custom crafted by a local maker many years ago who seemed to have a good reputation regarding his craftsmanship. Unfortunately, it was clear when the table was delivered, his "craftsmanship" left much to be desired. The tabletop was a beauty, but the legs and the way they were attached, left the table feeling wobbly and difficult to move.
Steph lived with it for a while, but finally got fed up. That's when we added metal sawhorse legs. Although that solution looked really good, those legs also proved to be a problem as well. Finally, we had a "duh" moment and came up with this solution! |