DIY Life

Today's how-to video comes from Home Depot, and I love some of the tips shared in this helpful tutorial. Although I'm not a massive fan of sponge painting or glaze, I love the look of color blocks, argyle and stripes using just a bit of chalk and painter's tape. Check it out!:


My favorite decorative painting technique? Stripes on stripes. Choose your favorite shade of paint in both matte and hi-gloss and tape off some vertical stripes using painter's tape. Alternate between hi-gloss and matte paint for a beautiful effect that adds both dimension and drama to the room. The look works great in a home that may need a boost in architectural elements.

The possibilities are endless with a can of paint and a few tools, and paint is one of the fastest (and cheapest!) ways to transform a room. Get to work!

My husband was walking an underground tunnel in Jerusalem a couple years ago when his flashlight died. Thanks to the LCD screen on his digital camera, he was able to get enough light to see where he was going and find the exit.

Yep, just like cell phones, digital cameras are handy little gadgets to have on you. They're definitely not just for taking family snapshots anymore! Let's explore some of the ways they can help out in a pinch:

1. Flashlight. As I've just noted, digital cameras make a pretty decent light source when you get stuck.

As the weather turns colder, our showers are turning hotter. Beat the morning mirror mist with this handy tip I learned from my aunt...

Buff a thin layer of shaving cream (not gel!) directly onto the mirror after a cleaning. Surprisingly, the mirror won't look any differently than before, but the steam from your super hot shower won't fog it up!

The effect should last about a week, and the trick is to use very little shaving cream and rub the cream into the mirror for over a minute. You'll be amazed at how much time this handy tip will save you in the morning -- and you'll never have to take an open-door shower again!

For more incredibly useful bathroom tips, check out a few of my favorite DIY Life bathroom reads:
-Daily DIY: Curtain Call
-$5 and 5 Minutes: Fix a Running Toilet
-Low Flush Toilet Hack

School is back in full swing and chances are, your schedule is bursting at the seams. Why not delegate snacktime to your children with these easy, handy-to-make treats for your kiddies?

1. Ants on a Log
Keep a few strands of celery available in the refrigerator. Add peanut butter and raisins to the "log" for a fun and nutritious snack!

2. Crunchy Apples
Store some sliced apples in your fridge, along with some granola and peanut butter. Have your children roll the peanut-butter covered apples in loose granola over wax paper. It tastes delicious!

3. Tortilla Rolls
Roll ham, turkey, cheese and lettuce in tortilla wraps. Add your favorite condiment or sandwich spread to spice it up!

4. Cinnamon Toast*
Place a slice of whole-wheat bread in the toaster, top with butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar sparingly.

5. S'Mores**
You know the drill; graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows make this fun treat. Place in a microwave on medium temperature for ten seconds.

6. Parfait
Add some vanilla yogurt, loose granola (or GrapeNuts cereal) and fresh blueberries or strawberries into a cup or mug. Top with whipped cream for a sweet surprise!

7. English Muffin Pizzas**
Divide an English Muffin into halves and spread tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni (or your favorite toppings!) onto each half. Microwave for twenty seconds and enjoy!

8. Banana Dog
Spread peanut butter onto a hot dog bun and sandwich a banana between each side of the bun. I've never met a kid that didn't love this recipe!

9. Trail Mix
Encourage your child to create their own trail mix by keeping pretzels, peanuts, granola, dried fruit and yogurt chips on hand.

10. Frozen Grapes
This takes some prep time, but teach your child the art of preparation with this handy treat. Place a bag of grapes in the freezer overnight, and by the time they arrive home, frozen snacks will await them!

With these yummy recipes, your kids will stop badgering you about dinner and start helping themselves to nutritious snacks. A win-win situation if you ask me!

*requires use of toaster
**requires use of microwave

Impatient for those golden and red leaves to start falling? Make this Whimsical Autumn Leaves Windcatcher while you wait. Easy enough for kids to do with help. You supply colorful fabric leaves and beads and let them have at it. – Centsational Girl

Pasted with vintage maps, any object becomes a unique and eye-catching collectable. A chic headboard or a stack of antique books. How about paper butterflies crafted from old music score sheets? A collection of photos to inspire you. – Bromeliad Living

The Young House Love bloggers are working hard on a sleek nursery design for blogger John's sister's house. The emphasis is a decidedly non-prissy nursery, with nary an iota of pastel pink or blue in sight. Instead, contemporary lines and colors rule ... all on a tight budget. – Young House Love

No, I don't want your golden Cartier watch. In fact, I don't want any Cartier watch, prescription drug that will boost my... err, self esteem or a size 0 waist. And I'm assuming you don't either. Lucky for you, Lifehacker has released a variety of ways to block those ads... forever.

One of the best ways to block Internet ads is a handy Firefox add-on called Adblock Plus. If you haven't yet installed Adblock Plus, you're in for an insane treat. A few tips using Adblock Plus?:

1. Right-click on any banner and choose "Adblock" from the context menu so that the banner won't be downloaded again.
2. Replace parts of the banner address with star symbols to block similar banners as well.
3. Select a filter subscription when Adblock Plus starts up the first time. From then on, the filter subscription will block most advertisements automatically.

Easy enough! For a variety of other ways to block Internet annoyances, check out Lifehacker.

My youngest dog has finally outgrown the puppy stage where he feels the need to chew on everything that exists in a two-dimensional form. I've been saving dozens of items for this glorious moment; items that need to be repaired but that I didn't want to risk fixing until I was sure it wouldn't happen again (boy, I hope my dogs read that last sentence).

So, to congratulate my young puppy (Go, George!), we have Mr. Fix-It himself, Eric Stromer, teaching us how to repair all of those incredibly broken power cords:



Such handy advice, right? I can't wait to get my hands dirty and repair some of my own, especially with such easy instructions! So gather your tools (wire cutter and replacement plug-- that's it!), get to work, and vow never to throw out a power cord or perfectly handy tool again!

Note: If anyone wants to practice this tutorial, I have plenty of broken cords to choose from!

It can be tough to find rental housing where pets are welcomed. Expensive, too, once you factor in pet deposits. Let's look at top FAQs for finding & keeping awesome pet-friendly rental accommodations.

How do I find an apartment that allows my dogs, too?
Sometimes it seems like every rental ad out there blares "no dogs!" or "no pets!" In fact, the renting world's a lot more pet-friendly than it used to be. Approach your search with a glass-half-full attitude and it won't seem so daunting.

Your best bet is to look for large pet-friendly apartment complexes. Not only are dogs and cats welcomed at these places, but your neighbors are likely to look more kindly upon Bowser's occasional fit of barking.