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I wanted to add some automatic lighting into the stairwell to the basement where there is no natural light. Our remodel ...
10/14/2026

I wanted to add some automatic lighting into the stairwell to the basement where there is no natural light.

Our remodel added outlets to the other side of the wall to the stairs, so I removed the outlet, pocked through the box into the wall on the other side so that I knew where to cut the hole for the new receptacle.

Once the hole was cut, wires and a box were added, then this neat nightlight with a light sensor automatically turns on in the dark. It even has 4 light settings, including off, by just pressing on the face.

A recurring issue in the new build section of our house is the location of the light switches. This one was not only gre...
10/12/2026

A recurring issue in the new build section of our house is the location of the light switches. This one was not only greater than an arms distance reach into the laundry room, you had to step down a step (in the dark!) to turn on the light. (Justin, if you’re reading this, I hope this is helpful feedback for future designs!)

I knew I wanted to move the switch closer to the doorway, and when I got a new cordless vacuum, I decided to install the charging mount right at the entry, for easy access. I installed an electrical outlet where the old light switch was, for the vacuum charging station which could be mounted right into that stud, and then I could just peer inside the wall to see the best location of the new switch.

For reference, where the doorway is now, used to be the exterior (brick) wall of the house before the addition, so the light switch could not be any closer to the doorway because the brick wall is still there, underneath the drywall.

I took what I learned from our Mudroom door and was able to switch out just the trim around the insert (I kept the glass...
10/10/2026

I took what I learned from our Mudroom door and was able to switch out just the trim around the insert (I kept the glass)
This time I knew better, and took the door off the hinges first.
Amazing what a big difference such a small change can bring. I love the clear view, but I especially love how easy it is to wipe the glass clean now
While I had the door off the hinges, I also replaced the door sweep, installing a new sweep into the kerfs (routed channels) in the bottom of the door. Now I can have a rug in front of the door that won’t get caught by the old temporary slide-on sweep

Yes, I still need to touch up the paint that was damaged, and remove some caulking that someone used on the old trim, but I a very pleased!

(I was able to find the correct sized trim online, so all I had to do was remove the old frame and replace with this new frame)

I guess replacing that broken window got to my head, because next I decided to tackle this patio door. This 15-panel gla...
07/19/2026

I guess replacing that broken window got to my head, because next I decided to tackle this patio door.

This 15-panel glass door was a steal on Fb marketplace, and matched our patio door off the kitchen, but is definitely NOT cohesive with the style of the house. I found glass inserts that match our front door (also on FB marketplace), but my husband only wanted the clear glass, which was great until I shattered the inner pane of glass (oops)

Tip: take the door OFF the frame when switching out the glass insert 🤭😂

These door insert kits come in standard sizes, but you also need to note the thickness of your glass (1/2” vs 1”)

Fortunately my husband was pleasantly surprised by the final product. Admitting that, although he really liked the clear glass, he really likes the privacy of this glass and actually prefers it over the clear 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

What do you think? Which style do you prefer?

(I personally HATED the grids, because it made cleaning the glass so difficult. I love how easy it is to wipe clean now)

06/24/2026

I might be able to replace a window in an hour, but my tech skills have me struggling for days to edit my video footage of the process. 😅🤪

Here’s a clip for proof!

06/22/2026

1992 Anderson Narrow line 200 series windows… as my kids would say, “it’s from the 1900’s, like you”
These were the existing windows from when we bought the house. Unfortunately, our big construction project did not include replacing any of the windows along the south (back) side of the house.
FORTUNATELY, I ended up on the phone with Anderson Windows and learned about my existing windows, and this conversion kit that they make and sell as an option to upgrade, without having to replace the entire window. That, plus the fact that I could complete the entire project from inside the house, even for a window two stories up.

More to come!

Happy Earth Day!The red maple that I planted on earth day last year survived the summer drought and the frigid winter!Th...
04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day!

The red maple that I planted on earth day last year survived the summer drought and the frigid winter!

This year I tore out a bed of highly invasive vinca/periwinkle and sweet woodruff (and god-awful “landscape fabric” which did exactly zero to prevent weeds, but instead smothered and compressed the soil, negatively impacting soil quality) and planted some NATIVE PLANTS that love the shade and acidic soil under this (non-native) Norway spruce. Their roots will do the work for me to break up the soil and bring it back to good health.

I was able to add a few groupings of different species. The shrub in the middle is our native hydrangea arborescens. There’s also foam flower (tiarella), coral bells (heuchera), wintergreen (gaultheria procumbens), and some volunteer Virginia creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia)- which happily grows all over our property, and I will be transplanting to the front hillside as a sprawling ground cover. It’s sparse now, but it will fill in, especially the foam flowers and Virginia creeper.

If planting natives is a new concept to you, I highly encourage you to look up PA local entomologist Doug Tallamy, and his research findings regarding the drastic and accelerating decline of insect populations in North America (and, consequently, the similar demise of our birds… making its way up the food chain).

Somebody was shocked that I was planting in my garden, and asked “aren’t you worried about frost, planting before Mother’s Day?”. Nope. These are all natives. They have evolved over thousands of years to thrive in these conditions. No need to wait. If we have a really hard freeze, I might cover them just to be safe.

And all that ground cover that I pulled… I know some folks would give it away for others to plant in their garden (to the detriment of our ecosystem), but I’m trashing all of it so as not to further the spread of invasive plants

If you read this far, thank you!

If anyone can guess the name of the only other entomologist I’ve ever known about or referenced, I’ll pot up some native sedum ternatum (stonecrop) as a prize!

Tip: when re-grouting your shower, seal the tiles FIRST to make cleaning up the grout easier and prevent grout haze I wi...
04/12/2026

Tip: when re-grouting your shower, seal the tiles FIRST to make cleaning up the grout easier and prevent grout haze

I wish I would have known that before tackling this.

I DID know the exact brand and color originally used, so I was able to find the exact color for the tiny bit of grout needed to patch the floor, and sanded caulk at all the seams. (Seams are where two different planes meet, like at the corners or where the wall and floor meet, and these should be caulked, not grouted)

After the sealant cured, I went in and cleaned all the glass and applied a ceramic coating to hopefully keep the glass spot-free

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