Home & Garden

There are laws in place in most cities about what you must do if you hit someone’s pet with your car. Unfortunately, there is very little information about this online, but there is certainly a lot of discussion about it! Most people have the wrong information. To help set the record straight, here is what you must do if you hit someone’s pet…

Wondering if changing a dog’s name is something you should do? And can you change a dog’s name regardless of age? Here’s WHEN it makes the most sense to change a dog’s name, the times when you should NOT change a dog’s name, a few things you should do BEFORE renaming a dog, HOW to change a dog’s name now to avoid problems later, and how to get a dog to LEARN its name quickly!

If you’ve been thinking about using one of those PODS for your moving & storage needs… check here first! Get a PODS storage promo code for local OR long distance moves here. And hear from others who have used PODS before…

Even if you don’t have any sewing skills (like me) here are 6 funny dog Halloween costumes you can make at home with very little effort. See photos + video tutorials

Want an easy banana pudding recipe? I’ve got the quickest & easiest one ever! I make it ALL the time because it’s so simple. See my homemade banana pudding recipe, plus a fun variation: individual banana pudding cups!

Wondering what to do if your dog eats chicken bones?! First, don’t panic, most likely your dog will be ok. My dog ate chicken bones and he passed them just fine — but it depends on whether your dog gulps down the bones (bad), bites them into smaller pieces (bad), or grinds them down thoroughly before swallowing them (good). Here’s what to do if your dog ate chicken bones… OR turkey bones.

Tired of paying high water bills? Have you heard of the ways you can use a rain catcher to lower those bills? You probably also didn’t know that 623 gallons of water can be harvested from 1 inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof and as far as rain barrels are concerned, a typical 1/2-inch rainfall will fill a 50- to 55-gallon barrel. I’m sharing everything I know about making rainwater collection an efficient way to lower your bills and help the environment.

See standard Shower sizes & dimensions, Toilet sizes & space requirements, bathroom Sink spacing issues, Tub placement & sizes, and overall Bathroom Room Sizes for a full bath, small bath, half bath, and water closet / powder room. Plus, ADA bathroom requirements and online tools to save time & money designing a bathroom.

Gutter covers keep gutters from clogging with leaves, water, and debris. But not everyone agrees that gutter guards are worth the cost, time & effort to install. Wondering what are the best gutter guards? Here are the pros & cons of the 5 types of gutter guards, and gutter guard reviews for each of the companies that manufacture them.

Unless you want a ladybug infestation this Winter, you’ll want to follow these tips to keep ladybugs out of your home, as well as the reasons they invade your house in the first place. Avoid an Asian lady beetle infestation — with these helpful tips. Trust me, this is the article for the most helpful info about natural ways to remove them from your home and some common misconceptions about ladybugs.

How do you mentally stimulate a dog? Here are fun ways to challenge dogs and keep them from getting bored! Homemade brain games for dogs + DIY dog games and activities for backyard fun.

See how I made some really inexpensive PVC pipe curtain rods to hold long, sheer porch curtains for around $15. After getting all the supplies at Lowe’s, I was able to measure, cut, and install the outdoor curtain rods and hang the curtain panels on my front porch in about 1 hour myself. They are holding up perfectly (even after storms and heavy gusts of wind). And they look great!

You know what a dirty bathtub ring looks like… Now imagine what that soap scum buildup is doing inside the jet plumbing of your Jacuzzi style bathtub! Sure, you can clean the tub itself. But once you start the air jets, all kinds of nasty looking bits and specks will come floating to the surface if you don’t clean the jets, the nozzles, and the interior plumbing system too. Those pipes behind your jet tub quickly become contaminated with infectious bacteria — some you can see, and some you can’t. Fortunately, cleaning the inside of your air tub’s pipes, jets, and nozzles is really easy! The hardest part is taking the time to do it on a regular basis — to prevent biofilm (a nasty residue that forms around bacteria in your plumbing lines) from building up. Here’s how to properly clean a whirlpool tub and remove biofilm yourself in just a few quick steps. See how to make your own jetted tub cleaner and where you can buy one.

My hands-on DIY cargo van insulation tips. See step-by-step how to insulate a van roof, how to insulate cargo van walls, and how to insulate a van floor. I’ve done it myself… and you can too!

I’ve had lots of great garage sales, but I recently had my most successful yard sale ever. I made over a thousand dollars! These are my best yard sale tips.

Switching dog food will happen at least twice in your dog’s life: 1) as they transition from puppy to adult, and 2) as they transition from adult to senior dog. You can’t just change dog food overnight though! Here are the steps to transition your dog with ease to a new food in 5 or 10 days — whether you’re switching from puppy food to adult dog food, from adult food to senior dog food, or there’s some other reason for you to switch food (like allergies, weight issues, health concerns, etc.)

See how easy it is for one person to assemble and hang the Sorbus hammock swing chair. Once you try a hanging daybed swing, you’ll want one for inside too! Here’s my review, photos, video, and tips for hanging and using this tree hammock swing.

Believe it or not, a puppy is never too young to learn basic dog commands. In fact, you can (and should) introduce puppy training the day you bring your new dog into your house. A well-behaved dog is what everyone wants, but not everyone wants to start the dog training early enough. By training your puppy early, she will always know what’s expected of her inside your home.

The Wicked Ball dog toy is one of the best interactive dog toys I’ve ever seen. It’s 100% automatic – it rolls and moves all by itself and even turns itself ON and OFF! It’s great for preventing dog boredom and entertaining your dog when you’re not home. See why my dogs like it so much…

Before you buy a new house, you need to do a roof inspection and look closely at the gutters. Here’s what you should look for now… to avoid costly repairs later!

I’ve used essential oil diffusers for years. I used to use the plastic kind (aka ultrasonic diffusers), but I’ve learned that a nebulizing diffuser is SO much better – because the scent fills the room quickly, you get the benefits of aromatherapy right away, and it looks beautiful! Here’s a point-by-point comparison, and my experience using glass nebulizing diffusers vs. plastic ultrasonic diffusers.

All puppies nip or bite at your hands, feet, and ankles. See the #1 reason you should not allow this behavior any more, How to stop a puppy from nipping and biting, Why puppies bite, When puppies stop biting, and All about puppy teeth!

My toddler son and I love to spend time outside. I decided to make a saucer swing from a small trampoline. Here’s my DIY tree swing tutorial… with lots of photos! (Bonus: This nest swing is portable — you can take it down and set it up on any tree… anywhere!)

See how a swimming pool that’s been converted to a salt water system, rather than a chlorinated system, fares after 3 years. You might be surprised! If you’re thinking of converting to a salt water swimming pool, read this first to see a list of pros & cons that you probably haven’t thought about!

Our veterinarian said dogs that spend a lot of time indoors during the winter months tend to get mild skin conditions resulting in dry, itchy, flaky skin. Guess what? A home remedy of Olive Oil will typically solve a dog’s dry skin problem! In fact, the Olive Oil works so well on my dog’s dry, itchy coat that we put it on his food every single day… year round!