text by Vicki     Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

There is nothing more annoying than decorating with Christmas lights and then having to plug them in to turn them on! I’ve had an outlet switch for years that I keep just to control the lights on my tree. All the lights are plugged in end to end and then the last one is plugged into the switch which is plugged into the outlet. I can toggle it on and off to control the lights. 

That’s a very low tech way to control the lights but these days there are so many ways to control those lights. There are so many options from low to high tech!

Take a look at some of the ways to control your holiday lighting. 

​text by Vicki     Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot as a part of The Home Depot’s ProSpective Campaign. THD provided the Diablo Hole Saw used in this post.

We've designed and created alternative Christmas trees for the last couple of years as we like the look and the creative challenge. We set out to create something new for Steph's house. I don't remember if Steph had an idea, but if she did, I ignored it and lobbied for MY idea.

A few years ago I saw a basic wood tree in a mall window display. It had shelves for merchandise but it was basically a tall skinny wood triangle. We decided to create our own version of the display tree.

Ours would have no shelves and would be supported by a concrete base. I really liked the concrete bases we made for Steph's nightstand and thought it would be a great idea to hold the tree up. Also, we designed the tree so that it could easily be taken apart for storage. 

​Take a look at how it all came together!

​text by Vicki     Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

After the completion of our first EL Wire project we were hooked on the unique lights and wanted to use them in additional projects. When Apple announced their new phones would have wireless charging capabilities, we knew we had found our newest project! We could combine this new technology into a table with EL Wire lighting. 

We decided to make two end tables for Steph’s bedroom, one with the charger and one with the EL Wire only. Take a look at how it all came together.

text by Vicki     Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot as a part of The Home Depot’s ProSpective Campaign.

We have pretty good lighting in the garage- with the exception of one dark corner. Bright light is essential in a workshop for safety and accuracy when working. We needed a solution to this corner and the Milwaukee LED Site Light seemed the perfect solution! 

The light is app enabled which means it can be controlled remotely via a phone which is convenient since we hung it from the ceiling. With the One-Key app we can turn it off and on without having to touch it.

​text by Vicki     Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

Both Steph and I really like our app supported smart home devices. I only have a few--some Hue lights and my Ecobee smart thermostat. Some smart devices must be hardwired, like the thermostat, but many others can be retrofitted into existing fixtures, like using smart bulbs in current lamps and overhead lighting. 

Some things, like lamps that use speciality bulbs that don't have a smart bulb equivalent, can be made to operate as a smart device with simple adaptations like the switchmate that turns switches into smart ones and using smart plugs in outlets to control whatever is plugged into it. The best thing, is nothing is hardwired--it's simply plug and go! Watch the video above to learn all about smart plugs!

​text by Vicki     Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

After a storm here in Tallahassee in September 2016, we picked up a bunch of cut up logs from the neighbor across from my house. The logs have been drying all this time in Steph’s garage and are now ready for projects. We’ve already used two in a previous project.

The most interesting of the salvaged stumps was the one with a hole partially through it. We knew it would make some kind of cool project and thought a lamp would be interesting to try. 

text by Vicki     Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot as a part of The Home Depot’s ProSpective Campaign.

We here at Mother Daughter Projects like technology, so the new Tick from Milwaukee is something we've been wanting to try out. The Tick is an app based, bluetooth enabled device that helps you keep track of your stuff! 

Here's what you need to know:

• The Tick is a small plastic device, powered by a replaceable battery that you attach to stuff you want to keep up with (think inventory control). It attaches to the item with epoxy, screws, rivets, or cable ties.
• The One Key app is a free dowload and each individual Tick is activated and registered within the app.
• When the app is opened and you are within 100 feet of your Tick enabled item, it will tell you if your item is within range or the last place the app "saw" it.  If your item is not where you left it, you can mark it as "lost."
• Once something is marked as "lost" that's when the community of other One Key app users takes over. If the signal from your "lost" item is picked up by another One key app user a location of that "lost" item will be sent to your phone helping you to track its location. 
• The ability to find an item is directly related to the number of people adopting this technology. The more folks that use it, the larger the coverage, the more likely your "lost" item will be located. ​

We came across this neat product called SnapPower, which adds a USB port to an outlet cover. This seemed like a great solution for a bedroom, kitchen, or anywhere you need to charge your phone, tablet, camera, and more!

Before we discovered this product, the only way to add a USB was to completely remove the existing outlet and wire in a new USB compatible one. This one requires no wiring! 

We ordered one on Amazon to give it a try. It really is a fast way to add some tech to your home! 

​text by Vicki     ​Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

You know when you’re all comfy and cozy in bed; the last thing you want to do, is get up and walk down the hall to adjust the temperature at the thermostat! Here in Florida the weather varies--a lot! Sometimes it’s too cold, sometimes too warm and it varies the most when you’re trying to get comfortable at night. The solution to my on-going temperature problems are as close as my phone!

A few months ago I (Steph) bought an Amazon Tap to try out. I like that it's a portable speaker that I can take around my house- especially in the garage when working on projects.

I was really blown away by the great sound quality and the number of features it has. Check out the video above to see our favorite features of Amazon Tap (and see how to add hands-free voice control at the bottom of this post)!

​text by Steph     ​Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

We love adding smart products to our homes to make life easier. When I moved into my house 3 years ago, I was looking for a product that would simply turn on a light switch for me. I didn't want to rewire or get a smart bulb, I just wanted a device to physically move the switch for me. I even drew up my own ideas on how it would work.

Well, a few months ago I found the product does exist! It's called Switchmate, and it in fact, it simply turns a light switch on and off. It does it using bluetooth and the setup couldn't be simpler.

​Check out 5 ways to use Switchmate in your home today!

text by Vicki     ​Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

We have previously posted on how we installed smart lights at my house. I was so pleased with the first set of Hue smart lights, installed above my kitchen cabinets, that I immediately asked Steph to get additional smart bulbs for me. I put those smart bulbs into lamps in my living room and bedroom. They are set to come on and off automatically at night.

The next Hue product I got was the Hue Go. This smart light functions as a plug in or on a rechargable battery with a run time of three hours. What I like about this light is it can be used without having to be connected to wi-fi and the portability feature.

It also can be programmed and controlled via the Hue app on my phone. Since I already have the Hue Bridge installed it was a snap to set up. With the app, I can use the light as a modern alarm clock. With the Hue Go set in this mode, I can be awoken with light that increasingly get brighter over a set period of time. It mimics the rising sun. It's much more pleasant to be awoken this way rather than the blare of a piercing alarm! Since I'm not a morning person, this works well for me.

For the past few years, I’ve (Vicki) strung lights in the tree above the sidewalk to my front door. The branches are now too tall to comfortable reach so I needed a new way to have lights over the sidewalk. 

We decided to use PVC pipe to construct a structure on which to secure lights. We first used PVC pipe when we made a “tent” for grandson Tyler’s bunk bed. That’s where we learned it was pretty bendy in the smaller diameters so we thought it would be the perfect material to use. 

It must be noted that our final design was our second try at a PVC arch. That’s the cool thing about designing a DIY project. Sometimes it works out in the original design, sometimes it's necessary to develop a plan B! 

In designing the arch, it had to meet a couple of criteria: materials must be readily available and it must be collapsible for storage, so parts could not be permanently glued. 

​text by Vicki     ​Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

When it comes to December decorating, we like simple and quick! This project meets those two requirements. In this DIY we are making a star with string lights using screws driven into a fence in which the lights are wrapped into a star shape. We are using App Lights from Home Depot, but any lights will work. If you use App Lights, this is a decoration can stay up year round as you can change the color to match the season or holiday. 

Continuing our series on home automation, we focus on thermostats. Replacing a traditional thermostat with a smart one gives you a couple of advantage.

• It can save you money as it automatically adjusts the temperature in your house depending if it is occupied or not. Raising or lowering the temperature during the day when the home is unoccupied can lesson your energy costs.
• Second, there's a lot of convenience built into a smart thermostat. Think of your phone as a remote control for your smart thermostat. For example, if you're out all day and want your house nice and toasty before you get home, you can adjust the temp via an app on your phone. And who wouldn't love the convenience of being able to control the house temperature when you're nice and snug in your bed at night! 

Installing a smart thermostat is a doable DIY for homeowners. Do your research to determine which brand is right for you. A good hint is to check to see if the company is committed to keeping their software and app up to date.