Category Archives: Tools

You made it! The winter holidays have passed and you made it through fall and the start of winter without the family breaking apart, the turkey exploding in the oven, or the presents under the tree catching on fire. Okay, maybe your holidays aren’t quite that stressful. All the same, there’s still plenty of winter left. Here are three must-have items to help you make it until the spring thaw.

As it is with most families, you probably buy one big-ticket item for a family member and then supplement the rest of your gift giving with smaller but still meaningful gifts. Luckily, there are many ideas when it comes to pricier gifts that are guaranteed to elicit gasps of surprise, and yes, on Christmas Day. Here’s a look at five of them.

There’s nothing worse than a project without the right tools. While you may never know what sudden fix is in your future, it’s best to be prepared for them all. You may not be handy, but having the right toolbox (and appropriate tools to go in it) is just plain smart. Prepare someone moving in to a new home, a new college student, or beef up your own toolbox with our best tool tips.

When it comes to adding a dose of color to your home’s walls, nothing adds a splash of new more than a fresh coat of colorful paint. Depending on your expertise, wall size, and even patience, painting can be a frustrating ordeal.

We take electricity for granted until the power goes out. Then, it’s suddenly like going back in time, and it’s certainly good to be prepared to weather the outage with flashlights and other lighting options that do not require a cord and power fixture.

It’s a fact of life: Things fall apart. Luckily, there’s glue to the rescue. Whether it’s a broken dish, a floppy shoe sole, or just an every day need to paste things together, the right glue can make any job a bit easier.

While some glue boasts “all purpose”, there is a right adhesive for every situation. Stick to our glue guide and save yourself a sticky situation.

It is certainly annoying to have a backed up kitchen sink, especially if you hand wash a lot or all of your dishes. The best tip is, of course, to avoid stopped up drains. So, do not pour grease or food in the kitchen drains. Using Dawn dish washing liquid also helps, since it cuts grease.

A few years back I rented an apartment and prior to moving out had to “patch” the place up.  Amongst the list of little pesky things I needed to fix was patching up all the holes in the wall I created when I hung up frames and photos.  I thought I could do it on my own, but I ended up pulling in my landlord and a few other hardware specialists so I could learn once and for all how to patch a hole.  It’s easy!

Does your garage currently resemble a warzone more than a garage? Do you frequently have trouble finding tools when you need them? Do you trip over boxes filled with old clothes, toys and your grade school spelling bee trophies whenever you walk through your garage? Read through this guide and learn which storage products to shop for that will help you organize your garage and tools so you don’t have to park in the driveway anymore.

How many times have you rummaged through your spouse’s work space in the basement or garage looking for a hammer, nails or any other tool that you needed in a pinch?  Well, search no longer.  The following is a list of essential items that every woman should keep on hand; items which will serve you in a variety of situations and, when kept together, will save you time and frustration.