This patio makeover gets a kick start from a fresh paint job on an ugly concrete block wall. Further proof that paint really does fix everything! This month I’m tackling a patio makeover that all started last year with our new gazebo. We installed the gazebo, loved how it looked and functioned, and immediately wanted to fix up the rest of the backyard but got distracted by summer activities with two kids. (The best kind of distraction!) Now that the weather is getting nice again, my husband is planning several sprinkler and landscaping upgrades, and I’m looking for ways to get out of digging ditches with him. So I’m painting… Keep Reading
How to Hang Curtains the Easy Way with a Laser Level
When it’s time to hang curtains, make your life tons easier with this simple inexpensive hack. You’ll never hang curtains without a laser level again! This is the third in my Back to Basics series, where I’m covering all the basics on things like making art from color palettes, tools that make it easier to paint a room, and now hanging curtains with a laser level. Hanging fresh curtains is a great way to change the look of your room. It may not be the most fun job but with the right tools, it doesn’t have to be frustrating. First I have a confession. This post is difficult for me… Keep Reading
How to Make Painting Simple With the Right Tools
Painting a room doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating. Make painting simple with the right tools, and a few insider tricks. I’ve been meaning to write this post for years, but I always assumed I’d be telling you something you already knew. That changed this week when I stopped by a friend’s house as she was painting her living room. Watching her try to do the job with only a roller and a paintbrush made me realize it’s time to share what I’ve learned over many years of painting rooms. (Hint: the right tools make all the difference!) Some folks are intimidated by painting rooms, since it’s such a… Keep Reading
Replacing Carpet with Waterproof Laminate Flooring
It had to go. It was dingy, dirty, and just downright gross. The carpet that lived in this house before we moved in had seen better days. It had also seen more than its share of the underside of the previous owner’s dogs. We knew we had to get rid of it as soon as possible, but as the days turned into months and even years, that day couldn’t come soon enough for me. One Saturday morning while my husband was out with his friends, I pulled out my heavy duty box cutter and started ripping up the carpet. I just couldn’t take it any more. Now I don’t recommend… Keep Reading
16 Money Secrets That Will Save Your Next Remodel
I love saving money. And I love remodeling my house. Alas those two hobbies, by definition, often seem at odds with each other. But I’ve learned a few things over the years that help me drastically cut my remodeling costs, and I thought it might be helpful to share them with you today. This is our third house that we’ve owned and remodeled, and it seems like there’s always another project on the horizon for us. Right now, we’re working on our floors (more on that soon) and we hope to hit our bathroom next. We normally work on one project at a time, whenever money becomes available, which means… Keep Reading
Chalkboard to the Rescue! Low Tech Organization Hack
I love technology as much as the next girl, but sometimes you just gotta take a step back and find something to scribble on! The month of January is all about organization, and I wanted to share with you how this serial procrastinator gets her stuff together, with the help of one of the oldest tricks in the book. ~ This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. ~ Organizing Hacks Organization hacks are probably my favorite thing of all time, and I’ve shared some of my favorites over the years. Hairband Keeper from a craft… Keep Reading
Vacation Rental Hosting: Make Your Home Work For You
Today is the last post in this Vacation Rental Hosting series, and I’m so excited to wrap everything up and look back over all we’ve talked about so far! We have learned so much through this process, mostly the hard way, and I’m hoping to save you some of the bumps along the way by sharing this series with you. If you’re thinking of turning a home into a vacation rental property on AirBNB or VRBO, this is the series for you! ~ This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Palette… Keep Reading
Vacation Rental Hosting: Creating the Perfect AirBNB Listing
Creating the perfect AirBNB listing for your vacation rental property is an art form. It takes a deft hand with photography, some creative juices flowing into the wording, and a few specific bits of know-how to get folks to line up (online) to book your home for their vacations. As you probably know if you’ve been researching vacation rental opportunities, there are a LOT of properties out there. How do you stand out from the crowd and earn your first bookings? Let’s dig in! First, and maybe most redundantly, you need a good clean property to rent out. I covered that in my first post of this series, on getting… Keep Reading
Vacation Rental Hosting: How to Clean your Home FAST between AirBNB Guests
Cleaning a house requires a whole list of skills, but cleaning a house quickly, from top to bottom, is a skill that in my book approaches super-hero status. And when you’re getting a whole house ready for guests in under 4 hours, you need all the super-hero-ness you can find. So I’m going to give you our secrets to how we do it with our AirBNB rental home. If you missed the last post about getting a house ready to rent as a vacation property, definitely check that one out first. But if you’re caught up, or just wondering how to clean your home fast, roll up your sleeves, grab… Keep Reading
9 Genius Cleaning Hacks from a Messy Mama
I have a confession to make. I get on my kids’ case all the time about cleaning up after themselves, but deep down inside, I’m pretty sure they get their messy tendencies from me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love to have a clean house, but I just don’t love making it that way. I may be a homemaker, but I’m no housekeeper. In fact, I wrote a whole post about how and why I never Spring clean. It’s worth a read too, if you’re a reluctant cleaner like me. This week, I’ve been helping a friend get her house ready to sell, which includes a lot of… Keep Reading