DIY Life

It seems that everything in our house needs a fresh coat of paint right now. The doors, the windowsills, the millwork. Add to that my fetish for buying unfinished furniture and there is a lot of painting to do this spring.

I learned a trick while chatting with a woman in the paint aisle of my local Home Depot several years ago. She told me that her husband uses the mini trim paint rollers instead of a brush, for everything. I was skeptical, but I needed to repaint a corner hutch in my dining room, so I bought one and decided to give it a try.

I wish I had gotten the woman's name and address so I could have sent a bouquet of thank-you flowers. Not only does the roller save a ton of time, but it also makes a much smoother finish. You don't have the stray bristles to worry about, and rather than washing the brush or switching brushes between coats, if the roller dries out, just toss it and pop on a new one.

If you have a piece or some trim with a lot of detailing, you will still need a brush for those parts, but the roller works almost everywhere.

Easy, affordable, and time-saving with good results. The little sucker even comes with its own mini paint tray. Is there anything more you could ask for in a painting tool?

If you have a Roomba vacuum cleaner, chances are you're considering giving a name and making it part of the family (yes, they're that wonderful). If a more useful tool exists for cleaning your house, then I don't know what it is so I'm all about making my Roomba as happy as it makes me.

Between the dirt tracked that gets tracked in from my three kids, and the fur from our assortment of pets, my Roombas (I have two) get a workout nearly every day. To keep them functioning in tip-top shape, it's important to give them a thorough cleaning after every use and it only takes a couple of minutes.

It's well worth it since I haven't had to use a regular vacuum in months. Here's how to keep your Roomba clean, so it keeps cleaning for you.