Home & Garden

Use these tips to clean, disinfect, and remove mold, mildew, bacteria, germs, soap scum… like a pro! A list of all the best cleaning products for the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, bathtub, bath mats, refrigerator, chrome, mirrors, appliances, carpet, upholstery, glass, wood trim, baseboards, cabinets, hardwood floors, vinyl flooring, fingerprints, painted walls, scuff marks, crayon marks, stovetop, stainless steel, and polishing the furniture.

Wondering exactly how other people stuff Kongs for their dogs? I’m going to show you how to stuff a Kong toy for dogs + A few Kong stuffing tips for first-timers.

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…

Let’s talk about hairy dog paws!… Does your dog have a lot of fur that grows on the top of his paws, between his toes, and even underneath on his paw pads? If so, should you trim the fur or just let it keep growing? I trim it… and I’ll show you how to do it yourself.

Without question, the one part of your house that gets beat up every single day is your floor! Shoes, boots, heels, and cleats are just a few of the menaces that torture your flooring. Moving chairs and other furniture also add their fair share of damage. When you consider these factors, combined with damage from moisture getting on the floors from spills, stains, rain, mud, and snow days… eventually you’re going to be faced with replacing your old flooring. But what type of flooring should you put down? As a flooring installer, I have some thoughts about luxury vinyl flooring including — 1) How durable, waterproof, and scratch-proof vinyl tile and vinyl plank flooring is, 2) How to install luxury vinyl as a DIY project, 3) How to clean vinyl plank flooring, and 4) How vinyl tile & plank flooring compare to natural stone and wood flooring.

A list of Universal Design new home features you should consider BEFORE building or remodeling your house. Plus reasons to consider “aging in place” in the home of your dreams! I encourage you to give these Universal Design principles a lot of thought before building or remodeling your house!

We bought 2 sets of down pillows from Hilton Hotels — because we LOVE the pillows every time we stay at a Hampton Inn hotel. But here’s a TIP… don’t buy them from Hampton Inn online. Buy them from Pacific Coast instead. They’re cheaper! Here’s what you need to know…

You know what a dirty bathtub ring looks like… Now imagine what that soap scum buildup is doing inside the jet plumbing of your bathroom jetted tub! Sure, you can clean the surface of the tub itself. But once you start the air jets, all kinds of nasty looking black specks will come floating to the surface if you don’t clean the jets, the nozzles, and the interior plumbing system too. (I know because it happened to me.) Those pipes behind your soaking tub with jets 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 (nasty residue that forms around bacteria in your plumbing lines) from building up in the jets. Here’s how to properly clean a jetted tub and remove biofilm yourself in just a few quick steps. See how to make your own jetted tub cleaner and ones that are available in stores.

Looking for Furminator reviews? Or the best dog brush for shedding? I’ve found a pet brush that blows all the others away. The Furminator deShedding tool is my all-time favorite dog brush. I’ve been using the Furminator for dogs since 2008… and it still looks and works like new! Here’s my review of the Furminator dog brush.

The most energy-efficient, low-maintenance house siding options — according to a home siding expert. Here’s how to weigh your options before residing a house to improve the look, improve energy savings, and increase resale value.

Honestly, I’ve never been diligent about using reusable shopping bags — because most are just too small. And you still have to carry a ton of bags from the shopping cart to your car… and then from your car to your kitchen. But since I’ve had these 4 large Lotus Trolley Bags, I use them all the time! Grocery shopping has never been easier. Here’s why I like the Lotus reusable shopping cart bags so much and think you will too!

Does your dog like to play with water bottles or plastic 2-liter bottles?Mine does. Now there’s a REAL dog toy that is similar to a 2-liter bottle… but safer, and lots more fun for the dog. It’s called the Tug-A-Jug interactive toy for dogs. It a multi-sensory toy that dispenses treats as your dog plays with it.

Prefer using a DIY organizer rather than buying a product or gadget that does the same thing? These are some of the best ideas I’ve seen for getting organized without spending a dime! See my personal recommendations before trying each of these DIY organization ideas. These are the best repurposing tips to help you get organized… for FREE!

We own 16 Kong toys (2 dogs). While dogs can have hours of fun trying to get the goodies out of their Kong toys, CLEANING them isn’t quite so fun. Here’s the easiest way how to clean Kong toys… all my best tips for cleaning Kong dog toys when there’s food stuck inside!

How will your dog be spending Thanksgiving this year? Chances are, most of our four-legged friends will find themselves smack dab in the middle of the holiday festivities. And many will be on the prowl for turkey treats, table scraps, and dropped food particles! Here’s what dogs can and can’t eat on Thanksgiving day. Plus lots of fun ways to include your dog in the Thanksgiving feast — by making your own Thanksgiving food for dogs with these recipes OR by serving these one-of-a-kind dog-friendly Thanksgiving foods and treats that are now available in stores!

Can dogs eat turkey? Yes… but they might get an upset stomach. See which Thanksgiving dinner foods are safe for dogs, and which ones aren’t. Instead of giving your dog Thanksgiving turkey & all the fixin’s, try these easy homemade Thanksgiving dog treats — to avoid bloat & canine pancreatitis!

Planting a new tree in your yard? You can save money by doing the tree planting yourself… it’s easy! (I know because I just planted a new elm tree in my backyard myself.) See how to plant a tree step by step — in just 4 steps!

Looking for the best dog gifts for yourself or a fellow dog lover? Here are 30+ clever gifts for dog owners. Helpful dog Christmas gifts they’ll really use! I know, because I’ve had dogs all my life, and I actually use every single one of these items and my dogs like ’em too.

A list of acceptable household medications for pets, according to vets. Plus the correct doses for dogs & cats. Before giving your dog medications from your medicine cabinet, be sure to check this list of human medicine safe for dogs first!

Heard warnings about the downsides of using fabric softener and dryer sheets? There are so many opinions out there about whether or not you should use fabric softener. You might’ve heard it can stain your clothes, start a fire, cause buildup in your washer & dryer, scare away mice, ruin sportswear, soften hard water, and cause acne — among other things. It’s time to sort out the facts from the myths about fabric softeners and dryer sheets!

Water won’t drain from your dishwasher? There are 2 reasons for this: 1) Food is blocking the drain basket in the dishwasher tub. 2) Food is clogging the drain hose under the sink. See how I fixed my dishwasher myself… and you can too! Here’s how to fix a dishwasher that won’t drain water.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had to clean out all of the black gunk and slimy food debris from the dishwasher basket in the far back. The first time, I was able to fix the dishwasher not draining. THIS time, there was no water backing up… just a bunch of food and grime buildup which was making our dishwasher run poorly. Here’s how to clean a clogged dishwasher and remove the black gunk quickly & easily.

It can be difficult to outwit a smart dog that is determined to get into the garbage one way or another. These are the best dog proof trash cans (including DIY dog proof garbage cans!) and tips for keeping your dog out of the trash once and for all!

We have 3 dogs and 2 vehicles. I use the 3-in-1 iBuddy dog cargo cover / dog car hammock to protect the inside of our SUV from dog fur, dog drool, and dog toenail marks. See how I also use this dog seat protector as a cargo kennel — and why I love it!

As someone who works from home and spends a lot of time in my house — I LOVE receiving clever (and useful) home gifts. If you know someone who recently moved into a new house or someone who appreciates owning one-of-a-kind items… then you’ve come to the right place to find something special for them this year! I own most of these items myself and I know that your friends and family members are going to enjoy them too!