Home improvement projects are messy business: Whether you’re painting, re-tiling, or just moving furniture, you want to make sure you’re protecting the surfaces you’re NOT working on.
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Listen to BOB VILA ON PROTECTING FLOORS, or read the text below:
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Whenever I hesitate before throwing out something useless, like an expired coupon or an old magazine, I think to myself, “Kristina… this is how the hoarding begins.” But even with a determination to be proactive about disposal—with some light to medium self-shaming thrown in for good measure—I still find myself standing next to piles of old receipts, partnerless ski mittens, and Windows ’95 software wondering where I went wrong.
So when I noticed the row of empty wine bottles lining my room the other night, I decided, as the new Editorial Assistant at BobVila.com, to find a way to up-cycle them into something fun and useful. Sure, carpe diem, YOLO, and all that, but why just write about crafting when you can do it yourself? And then write about it, obviously.
Straight from the hands of the newest BobVila.com team member: The Wine Bottle Lantern!
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I’m a beginning gardener. I have lots of ideas but little experience. The basic landscaping package that came with our new construction home is, well… basic. Now that my family has gotten settled, it’s time to spruce up the yard and put our stamp on it. I want color. I want a flowers to cut. I want daffodils.
Slideshow: 9 Daffodils to Cheer Up Your Garden
While your important household documents should always be backed up and kept in fireproof storage, some things, like appliance manuals, can often be replaced if they’re lost.
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Listen to BOB VILA ON APPLIANCE MANUALS, or read the text below:
Music is one of our greatest pleasures, and thanks to today’s technology we can listen to it wherever and whenever we choose. And that definitely includes the backyard, where innovative options in weather-resistant speakers and wireless technology have made music a natural outdoor feature. Here are some of the latest contenders:
Acclaim 5 Outdoor Speakers from Russound
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Good news! Real estate prices are firming up, and sales are on an upswing. You may soon be able to cash in on your home improvements. But before you try to impress buyers, you have to impress an appraiser.
Cooking with gas costs half what it costs to cook on electric ranges. Keeping your range clean will keep it efficient.
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Listen to BOB VILA ON GAS RANGES, or read the text below:
One of the wonders of the modern age, vacuum cleaners range in price from $60 to almost $2,000. What’s different about them? It’s a matter of choosing the right tool for the job.
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Listen to BOB VILA ON VACUUM CLEANERS, or read the text below:
A squeaky floor is easier to fix if it’s a floor that you can access from below.
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Listen to BOB VILA ON SQUEAKY FLOORS, or read the text below:
This is WEEK 4 and the final week in our month-long GE Appliances Home Improvement Give-Away.
If you weren’t lucky enough to win last week’s prize–the GE GeoSpring Hybrid Electric Water Heater, valued at $1,299–or the prior weeks’ GE Hybrid Stainless Steal Interior Dishwasher ($699) and GE Profile Slide-in Double Electric Range ($2,799), this is your last chance!
ENTER TODAY and every day (through midnight EST Friday, September 28) to be eligible to win a GE Profile SmartDispense Frontload Washer ($1,299 MSRP) and companion GE Profile Frontload Dryer ($1,099 MSRP)–now with steam technology and a laundry list of advanced features.
The Energy Star-rated 4.2 cu. ft. king-size capacity GE Profile SmartDispense Frontload Washer is designed to clean small to large loads efficiently by automatically sensing the right amount of water for each size load. The pedestal base not only stores, but also automatically dispenses, detergent and fabric softener based on each load’s size, soil level, water hardness and fabric or cycle type. The washer also boasts one of the most comprehensive stain removal systems, treating more than 40 different combinations of stains and fabric types.
The integration of steam in the overall wash and dry performance takes clothing care to the next level. For the wash, a Steam Assist option helps lift hard-to-remove stains to get clothes clean. In the dryer, a Steam Dewrinkle feature helps remove stubborn wrinkles quickly and conveniently, even from clothes left in the dryer from the day before. The 7.5 cu. ft. companion GE Profile Frontload Dryer employs both a Reverse Tumble action and a DuoDry system to ensure that clothes dry quickly and more evenly.
For Official Rules and entry, click here. And be sure to enter Bob Vila’s GE Appliances Home Improvement Give-Away daily to increase your odds of winning!
To learn more about the new GE Profile™ SmartDispense Frontload Washer and Dryer and other innovative products, visit GE Appliances.
The “Bob Vila GE Appliances Home Improvement Give-Away” sweepstakes is open only to permanent legal U.S. residents of the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia; residents of Alaska and Hawaii are not eligible. Void in all other geographic locations. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest Period runs from 12:00 a.m. (EST) Saturday, September 1, 2012 through midnight (EST) Friday, September 28, 2012. One entry per household per day on BobVila.com. Alternative means of entry for Drawing is available by faxing your name and address to 508-437-8486 during the applicable Entry Period. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. See Official Rules.
