The DIY Handy Mom - DIY Projects and Homemade Costumes, Crafts, and Food!
  • Meet the DIY Handy Mom
  • Halloween Costumes
    • For Kids
      • Oogie Boogie Halloween Costume
      • Gizmo the Mogwai Gremlins Toddler Halloween Costume
      • Audrey 2 Little Shop of Horrors Kid’s Halloween Costume
      • Jack Skellington Face Mask
      • DIY Jack Skellington Kids Costume
    • For Dogs
      • Zero Dog Halloween Costume
  • How-To
    • How to Clean Dryer Vents Yourself
    • How to Remove Rust Stains from Porcelain Sink or Tub
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
      • Warm Quick Oats Recipe with Summer Berries Toasted Pecans & Maple Syrup
    • Lunch
      • Mediterranean Greek Chicken Salad with Lemon Citrus Vinaigrette
    • Dinner
      • Garlic White Wine Seafood Pasta
      • Canning Tomatoes for Beginners – Quick and Easy!
      • Homemade Italian Pasta Sauce
      • Butter Garlic Mushroom Quinoa
      • Hearty Lentils and Rice
      • DIY Small Holiday Dinner Ideas: Perfectly Roasted Chicken in 40 minutes.
      • Honey Roasted Acorn Squash
    • Dessert
      • Bourbon Flambéed Summer Peaches with Homemade Ricotta, Toasted Pecans & Honey Recipe
  • Beauty
    • DIY Acrylic Nails Alternative – Quick and Easy At Home Manicure
    • DIY Festive Holiday Manicure
    • DIY Remedies for Splitting Nails Gel Strip Solutions
Meet the DIY Handy Mom
Halloween Costumes
    For Kids
    Oogie Boogie Halloween Costume
    Gizmo the Mogwai Gremlins Toddler Halloween Costume
    Audrey 2 Little Shop of Horrors Kid’s Halloween Costume
    Jack Skellington Face Mask
    DIY Jack Skellington Kids Costume
    For Dogs
    Zero Dog Halloween Costume
How-To
    How to Clean Dryer Vents Yourself
    How to Remove Rust Stains from Porcelain Sink or Tub
Recipes
    Breakfast
    Warm Quick Oats Recipe with Summer Berries Toasted Pecans & Maple Syrup
    Lunch
    Mediterranean Greek Chicken Salad with Lemon Citrus Vinaigrette
    Dinner
    Garlic White Wine Seafood Pasta
    Canning Tomatoes for Beginners – Quick and Easy!
    Homemade Italian Pasta Sauce
    Butter Garlic Mushroom Quinoa
    Hearty Lentils and Rice
    DIY Small Holiday Dinner Ideas: Perfectly Roasted Chicken in 40 minutes.
    Honey Roasted Acorn Squash
    Dessert
    Bourbon Flambéed Summer Peaches with Homemade Ricotta, Toasted Pecans & Honey Recipe
Beauty
    DIY Acrylic Nails Alternative – Quick and Easy At Home Manicure
    DIY Festive Holiday Manicure
    DIY Remedies for Splitting Nails Gel Strip Solutions
The DIY Handy Mom - DIY Projects and Homemade Costumes, Crafts, and Food!
  • Meet the DIY Handy Mom
  • Halloween Costumes
    • For Kids
      • Oogie Boogie Halloween Costume
      • Gizmo the Mogwai Gremlins Toddler Halloween Costume
      • Audrey 2 Little Shop of Horrors Kid’s Halloween Costume
      • Jack Skellington Face Mask
      • DIY Jack Skellington Kids Costume
    • For Dogs
      • Zero Dog Halloween Costume
  • How-To
    • How to Clean Dryer Vents Yourself
    • How to Remove Rust Stains from Porcelain Sink or Tub
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
      • Warm Quick Oats Recipe with Summer Berries Toasted Pecans & Maple Syrup
    • Lunch
      • Mediterranean Greek Chicken Salad with Lemon Citrus Vinaigrette
    • Dinner
      • Garlic White Wine Seafood Pasta
      • Canning Tomatoes for Beginners – Quick and Easy!
      • Homemade Italian Pasta Sauce
      • Butter Garlic Mushroom Quinoa
      • Hearty Lentils and Rice
      • DIY Small Holiday Dinner Ideas: Perfectly Roasted Chicken in 40 minutes.
      • Honey Roasted Acorn Squash
    • Dessert
      • Bourbon Flambéed Summer Peaches with Homemade Ricotta, Toasted Pecans & Honey Recipe
  • Beauty
    • DIY Acrylic Nails Alternative – Quick and Easy At Home Manicure
    • DIY Festive Holiday Manicure
    • DIY Remedies for Splitting Nails Gel Strip Solutions
Browsing Category
Archive
Home Improvement How-To

Refinish Old Furniture

February 10, 2021 No Comments
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One of my favorite things to do is refinish old furniture. A lot of things I’ve bought in the past were from consignment stores and were decent quality but over time became out dated. This particular desk I found when we were out on a family walk during trash day. Yes, I am not above trash picking!  Especially when it’s an Ethan Allen writing desk that’s probably around $2,000. This is seriously one of my greatest finds. It had a little bit of wear in the front from where a chair or something seemed to be rubbing but other than than it was in great shape! I couldn’t believe our neighbors were throwing it out!

I forgot to take a picture of the condition it was in when I first found it, but here’s a photo after my first pass at sanding it.

  1. The first thing I like to do is use some liquid sandpaper or de-glosser just to take the clear finish off especially in those nooks and crannies where you can’t get to it well with sandpaper or a sander. I let it sit for a while to really penetrate the finish and then wipe it off with a damp rag.
  2. Next, I use my orbital sander to go over the flat surfaces. I start with some 80 grit sandpaper and move to 220 grit sandpaper to create a smooth finish. I don’t ever use the orbital sander on any edges or places that have detail. It will make marks and deform the shape of the wood. I hand sand all of those areas. You can fold the sandpaper and run it in the creases. This part requires a ton of elbow grease but is an important step in having your new finish adhere properly.

 

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Written by: Steph
Beauty

DIY Remedies for Splitting Nails Gel Strip Solutions

February 5, 2021 No Comments
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I love Dashing Diva’s gel nail strips so much I used them back to back and didn’t give my nails much of a chance to breathe. After about 4 or 5 different sets of strips, my nails started thinning out and splitting. Oops! It makes sense, but I just didn’t think about it. I’d slowly been suffocating my nails and they were suffering for it. I was very bummed out because I bought A LOT of gel strips and I was really sad I had to take a break from them. 🙁

It’s been about a month or two and my nails are mostly back to normal. It seems as though more people than just me were having the same issue because I received an e-mail from Dashing Diva advertising their new nail care products for preventing what just happened to me. Of course, I ordered them to try them out and see if they really work!

They call this their Red Therapy Line and you can purchase it by clicking on the link. I have not personally tried them yet but I did read the reviews and people are claiming that they do what they say. There are a few different products of Dashing Diva’s Red Therapy line.

I purchased the:

  • Repair: Rich Nail Serum
  • Prime: Base Coat for Gloss Nail Strips
  • Prime: Base Coat for Magic-Press Nails

Here is a brief overview of all of the products…

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Written by: Steph
For Kids Halloween Costumes

DIY Jack Skellington Kids Costume

January 28, 2021 No Comments
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It was a challenge this year coming up with a costume for my son with mask requirements at school. Since we are avid fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas he mentioned Jack Skellington and I thought of the perfect implementation of his mask.

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Written by: Steph
Dinner Recipes

Garlic White Wine Seafood Pasta

January 14, 2021 No Comments
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This recipe was passed down to me from my mother. It’s a simple dish but tastes like it’s from a 5-star restaurant. It’s incredibly simple to make and takes all of about 15-20 minutes from start to finish. The key is finding quality ingredients! For this dish, I went to my local Wegman’s to see what looked good. Wegman’s is more on the expensive side when it comes to groceries but I find their seafood is pretty reliable.

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Written by: Steph
Dinner Everyday Recipes

Honey Roasted Acorn Squash

January 5, 2021 No Comments
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It’s always tough to come up with a side that compliments your main dish. Especially during the week when you just don’t have the brain capacity to come up with something on the fly. This recipe is incredibly simple, delicious, and can be made in 20 minutes.

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Written by: Steph
Dinner Everyday Recipes

Hearty Lentils and Rice

December 14, 2020 No Comments
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Lentils are one of my absolute favorite meals. They’re healthy, delicious, filling, and very easy to make. I often make this recipe for dinner or sometimes even lunch if the mood strikes. Lentils are also a great source of fiber and protein especially when you’re in the mood for a vegetarian meal! My kids also love this recipe which is awesome because it’s a great easy week night dinner you can make in about 25 minutes and everyone’s happy.

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Written by: Steph
Beauty Holiday

DIY Festive Holiday Manicure

December 9, 2020 No Comments
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I just ordered a few Holiday sets from Dashing Diva.com and I’m thrilled to share them with you because they are super cute! The set in the above image is called Santa’s Helper found on the Dashing Diva.com website. What I love about these sets are that they come with so many combinations of accent nail strips that you can really come up with some cool designs on your own.

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Written by: Steph
Dinner Holiday Recipes

DIY Small Holiday Dinner Ideas: Perfectly Roasted Chicken in 40 minutes.

November 16, 2020 No Comments
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So as we all know Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be a complete mental challenge for all! If you’re like my family you’re use to visiting family on the holidays and not typically in charge of hosting the Thanksgiving or Christmas feast! With everything going on in terms of Coronavirus and this pandemic perhaps you’re not really sure what you’re doing for Thanksgiving or Christmas and are now feeling disappointed and a little overwhelmed at still maintaining holiday traditions and keeping it special for your kids. For the past few weeks, I have had a few ideas for how to make the holidays still feel special without being able to see family and friends

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Written by: Steph
Lunch Uncategorized

Mediterranean Greek Chicken Salad with Lemon Citrus Vinaigrette

November 12, 2020 No Comments
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This Mediterranean greek chicken salad with citrus vinaigrette is one of my absolute favorite healthy meal options for lunch. I like to prepare the dressing in advance and double the recipe. I also cook a couple of chicken breasts a day or two ahead so it’s easy for me to whip up a quick salad during the week between taking care of kids and the household.

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Written by: Steph
Dinner Recipes

Butter Garlic Mushroom Quinoa

November 11, 2020 No Comments
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This recipe is so delicious. I came up with it one night when I needed to think of a side to serve and had some quinoa cooking in the microwave. As I started to slice mushrooms to sauté, I was laboring over how to prepare the quinoa and then it hit me… combine the two!  We’ve all heard the success stories about weight loss with quinoa; I don’t know if they’re all true, but I know that this was fantastic!

This butter garlic mushroom cooked quinoa can be served as a side dish (even for kids) of a vegetarian or vegan meal. Just use vegetable stock instead of chicken!

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Written by: Steph
Page 1 of 3123»
  • Meet the DIY Handy Mom
  • Halloween Costumes
    • For Kids
      • Oogie Boogie Halloween Costume
      • Gizmo the Mogwai Gremlins Toddler Halloween Costume
      • Audrey 2 Little Shop of Horrors Kid’s Halloween Costume
      • Jack Skellington Face Mask
      • DIY Jack Skellington Kids Costume
    • For Dogs
      • Zero Dog Halloween Costume
  • How-To
    • How to Clean Dryer Vents Yourself
    • How to Remove Rust Stains from Porcelain Sink or Tub
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
      • Warm Quick Oats Recipe with Summer Berries Toasted Pecans & Maple Syrup
    • Lunch
      • Mediterranean Greek Chicken Salad with Lemon Citrus Vinaigrette
    • Dinner
      • Garlic White Wine Seafood Pasta
      • Canning Tomatoes for Beginners – Quick and Easy!
      • Homemade Italian Pasta Sauce
      • Butter Garlic Mushroom Quinoa
      • Hearty Lentils and Rice
      • DIY Small Holiday Dinner Ideas: Perfectly Roasted Chicken in 40 minutes.
      • Honey Roasted Acorn Squash
    • Dessert
      • Bourbon Flambéed Summer Peaches with Homemade Ricotta, Toasted Pecans & Honey Recipe
  • Beauty
    • DIY Acrylic Nails Alternative – Quick and Easy At Home Manicure
    • DIY Festive Holiday Manicure
    • DIY Remedies for Splitting Nails Gel Strip Solutions
How to Remove Rust Stains from Porcelain Sink or Tub

How to Remove Rust Stains from Porcelain Sink or Tub

August 24, 2015
How to Clean Dryer Vents Yourself

How to Clean Dryer Vents Yourself

Oogie Boogie Halloween Costume

Oogie Boogie Halloween Costume

September 17, 2018
Gizmo the Mogwai Gremlins Toddler Halloween Costume

Gizmo the Mogwai Gremlins Toddler Halloween Costume

September 12, 2020
Bourbon Flambéed Summer Peaches with Homemade Ricotta, Toasted Pecans & Honey Recipe

Bourbon Flambéed Summer Peaches with Homemade Ricotta, Toasted Pecans & Honey Recipe

October 2, 2020

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Recent Posts

  • Refinish Old Furniture
  • DIY Remedies for Splitting Nails Gel Strip Solutions
  • DIY Jack Skellington Kids Costume
  • Garlic White Wine Seafood Pasta
  • Honey Roasted Acorn Squash

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