diy Archives - Page 13 of 65

Back in March, my world was totally changed when my only favorite sister moved here from Orlando. It had been been 19 years since I had lived within a two day driving distance from anyone in my family, and now my sister is about 30 minutes away from me door-to-door. To say that this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me would be an understatement. My kids are thrilled that “Aunt Leigh Leigh” can just stop by for dinner any time, and I am thrilled that we are able to spend so much time together after 19 years of trying to catch up over quick weekend visits.

Like many people, Leigh Ann has gone gaga for Pinterest and has found some adorable projects that she wants to recreate. The thing is, though, that Leigh and I couldn’t be more opposite in our personalities. She’s the numbers girl and I’m the creative one, so she was nervous to even attempt these projects. So, we’ve had a Sister Craft Day where I’ve helped her put together the projects that she had in mind, and I have tried to teach her some things about crafting. She’s now making cute little canvas signs for herself and her friends.

But, Leigh has never painted anything before. So when she found a $40 headboard on Craigslist that she wanted me to paint, I said, “How about I teach you how to do it?” She wasn’t thrilled (to be totally honest), but she agreed. I had just gotten a HomeRight Finish Max Fine Finish HVLP paint sprayer in the mail, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to use it. This isn’t the type of sprayer that you’d use for huge areas, like walls, but it’s perfect for things like furniture and cabinets.

I set up plastic sheeting in my garage and got her headboard prepped for painting (using a deglosser to remove the shiny factory finish instead of sanding it). Don’t you wish you had a big sister to do all of your prep work? Ha! Then, to try out the sprayer myself, I used it to apply a primer coat (Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3).

I have a few other paint sprayers myself, and the Fine Finish Max felt different to me than the other ones. It was much lighter weight to hold in my hand so my hands didn’t get fatigued. I did have a hard time using it the first time because you are supposed to hold it 6″-12″ away from the item you are painting – much closer than my other paint sprayers. But, once I got the hang of that, it was really easy.

After the primer dried, it was Leigh Ann’s turn. I gave her a quick set of instructions (basically just overlap the strokes by about 1/3 and use your legs to move up and down instead of your bending your wrists), and I turned her loose. Since she is not a DIYer, I had no idea how it was going to go.

As it turns out, Leigh Ann was a beast with that paint sprayer!

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There are few things more boring, or easily forgotten, than performing routine home maintenance tasks. Mowing the grass, resealing grout, replacing caulk around the windows. Yawn, right? Well, as tedious as those tasks seem, they are very important to the way your home physically operates. A properly maintained home helps keep your energy costs down, which in turn (if we are being totally honest) means you have more money left over for decorating. Woot!

I am notorious for conveniently forgetting routine tasks, like changing smoke detector batteries before they start beeping at me or the HVAC filters before they are disgustingly dirty. I’m pretty good at remembering things that happen once a month, like giving my dogs heir heart worm preventative on the first of every month. But if something is supposed to be done once every few months? My brain refuses to participate. I mean, y’all saw my dirty HVAC filters a few months ago. They were gross! Thank goodness I usually use the Filtrete Allergen Defense MPR 1000 filters that help to reduce airborne allergens in my home and clean indoor air by capturing dust, pollen and lint from passing through the system. That at least makes me feel a little bit better when I forget about them.

Since I’m trying to do my best to turn over a new leaf and save us a little money by properly maintaining an efficient heating and cooling system, I have come up with a system to help myself remember to perform certain tasks. One of my friends (shout out to Sara!) just told me it cost her $7,000 to replace an old HVAC system – you could buy a lot of paint with that money, y’all! Replacing her system wasn’t dirty filter related, but there’s no reason why I should send mine to an early grave by ignoring it.

Just in case you are in the same boat as I am, I put together a list of a few ideas I had for setting up a system for these types of reminders:

Set an Alarm

I tend to rely on my iPhone for just about everything. I need it to make calls, send emails, search the Internet, do some pinning and tell me if its going to rain. Now, I think it needs to remind me to change my HVAC filters, too.

There are a few ways you can set such an alarm on your phone. With either an iPhone or an Android, you can download a free app called Any.Do (I LOVE this app, y’all). You can schedule a task, like Replace HVAC Filters, every three months (the recommended time between changing filters) and set an alarm to go off. When the date and time you selected arrives, a chime and a notification will pop up on your phone.

Any.Do even has a web app now which makes it even easier to schedule tasks. I use it for reminders for all sorts of things.

Jot it Down

As much as I love my Any.Do app, I’m a paper calendar type of girl. I know, I know. Make fun of me all you want, but writing appointments down on a paper calendar is pretty much the only way that I’m going to make it there at the right time. I’ve tried – and failed – several times to convert myself to a digital calendar on my phone/computer. Each time, it ended badly. …

A Paint Sprayer That Even a Non-DIYer Can Use {and a Giveaway}

Five Easy Ways to Remind Yourself to Change Your HVAC Filters

Set an Alarm

Jot it Down