House Smash

10/11/2017

Good morning!

09/30/2017

*Landscaping for Dog Owners*
By buff.ly/2ht3VIa

Dogs hard at play can take quite a toll on backyard landscaping. Our experts share tips on plants and grass that will stand up to the family pet.

Dogs hard at play can take quite a toll on backyard landscaping. Our experts share tips on plants and grass that will stand up to the family pet.

09/29/2017

*Add Interest to Your Lawn With Ornamental Grasses*
By Julie A. Martens

You can count on these beautiful, low-maintenance and easy-growing ornamental grasses to add color to your yard all year long.

You can count on these beautiful, low-maintenance and easy-growing ornamental grasses to add color to your yard all year long.

09/29/2017

*How to Install an Irrigation System (But Why Maybe You Shouldn't Do It)*
By John Petersik

Welp, I’ve found it guys – the DIY project I most regret undertaking: installing an irrigation system in our yard. Don’t be fooled by my friendly wave below.

Why? The short answer is that it was much more exhausting and took much longer than I expected. A professional crew could’ve knocked it out in a day or two (I know this because I watched two neighbors get theirs installed in no time while I sweated and stressed through my own installation over a three-week period). Sure, DIY projects almost always take more time and elbow grease than just writing a check – but usually, the satisfaction of doing it yourself, learning a new skill, or saving some dough makes it all worth it.

The basics of what goes into installing a whole-yard irrigation system, how much it cost, and why you might wanna think twice about doing it yourself.

09/28/2017

*Living Simply: Our Go-to Household Cleaners and Personal Care Products*
By Sherry Petersik

Since sharing this round-up back in 2009 and an one from 2012, we’ve been getting quite a few requests for an updated breakdown of the household cleaners and personal care products we’re using to keep our home (and bodies!) clean these days. We do our best to keep our collections of soaps and cleaners pretty simple and streamlined (including my makeup, which all fits into a bag the size of a pencil case) because less stuff = more money, more time, and more space. So if you’re looking for a few ideas on what you might be able to cut out or simplify, hopefully this quick little post will give you some ideas. Ok, let’s go

Looking to streamline your stashes of household cleaners, soaps, shampoos, and even makeup? We've rounded up our current faves!

09/28/2017

*Replacing Your Lawn With Landscaping*
By Julie A. Martens

Trade in turf for groundcovers that bring low-maintenance beauty to landscapes.

Trade in turf for groundcovers that bring low-maintenance beauty to landscapes.

09/27/2017

*Tired of Mowing? Try These Plants and Groundcovers*
By buff.ly/2xu1NpM

If you're tired of your high-maintenance lawn, discover a wide array of good-looking plants you can use as grass substitutes.

If you're tired of your high-maintenance lawn, discover a wide array of good-looking plants you can use as grass substitutes.

09/27/2017

*10 Things to Plant This Fall*
By Julie Martens Forney

Dig in! It's the first day of fall: learn what you should be planting right now.

Dig in! It's the first day of fall: learn what you should be planting right now.

09/26/2017

*Did you Know?*

As of 2016, 80% of all home buyers are searching online!

Source: Contactually

09/06/2017

READ: Barber & Osgerby, Dynamic Design Duo

The men at the top of one of Britain’s leading design firms tell Becky Sunshine how it all came down to collaboration

09/06/2017

READ: Diy Tips for Cleaning Roof Gutters

DIY Tips to ensure safety when cleaning roof gutters.

09/05/2017

READ: Can You Clean Your Own Chimney?

The importance of keeping chimneys clean and the viability of doing it yourself.