Hampton Bay Ceiling Fan Installation and #Review

Happy Holidays! I recently installed a Hampton Bay ceiling fan in both bedrooms over the summer. I have been doing a lot of home improvement projects since I have been spending more time at home. The heat was unusually intense this year so I needed to add more ways to push the heat out the rooms. We do have A/C, but sometimes we like to save energy and turn on a fan. These Hampton Bay 52 inch LED Ceiling fans were pretty easy to install. In the video, I install one of the two and share my first impressions after things were completed. I purchased this product for my personal use from the Home Depot.

Staining a Coffee Table | DIY Project

Recently, I decided to try to re-stain an old wooden coffee table in the living room instead of purchasing a new one. Since we have been in quarantine, it was the perfect time to try a DIY home project. I'm no pro or subject matter expert so I had to figure this process out as I went along. I even purchased a palm sander to add to my tools for this task.

In this video, I share the process I took, my hiccup and new approach, along with finally getting a final product that I could appreciate.

Have you worked on a DIY home project this year during quarantine? If so, share your project in the comments below. I would like to know more about it.

Ryobi 2.6 Amp 5 in. Random Orbital Sander

BLACK+DECKER Random Orbit Sander, 5-Inch

Ronald Reagan Library - An American Christmas Exhibit #VideoRecap

During the holidays I like to visit various museums and the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum is always at the top of my list. The last time I was there I had the opportunity to see several different Christmas trees in the exhibit, An American Christmas. I realized that I did not share the video footage and this is the perfect time of the year to do it! Although, this year has been filled with uncertainty for us all, we can still enjoy the holiday season. If you're decorating your home with lights and a Christmas tree too, have fun and enjoy the video recap.

Christmas Tree Fully Decorated Pre-lit 6 Ft Pull Up Pop Up Out of Box Ready Minimal Assembly Needed Holiday Decorations w/ 350 Warm Lights with Stand

Best Choice Products 6Ft Pre-lit Pre-Decorated Pine Hinged Artificial Christmas Tree w/ 818 Flocked Frosted Tips, 58 Pine Cones, 58 Berries, 250 Lights, Metal Base

Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast Review #Plantbased #HolidayDinner

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! For my holiday dinner, I tried Field Roast's Hazelnut Cranberry Roast, which is 100% plant-based and vegan. I usually get another brand for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but this was the only one available so I jumped on it.

The pastry dough on the outside of this roast loaf really sets off the plant-based, vegan sausage, cranberry, and hazelnut filling. I had leftovers for three days after Thanksgiving. I also made some homemade cranberry sauce again, which elevated this roast even more. The sweet potatoes and sauteed Brussels sprouts were great too. I can say, I was impressed and I'm thinking about purchasing another one for Christmas dinner.

In this video, I walk you through the preparation process of baking this roast.

Below, are some other Field Roast plant-based options and resources you may enjoy. Happy Eating!

Field Roast: 101 Artisan Vegan Meat Recipes to Cook, Share, and Savor (Book)

Field Roast Vegan Fieldburger 3.25 ounces (Pack of 48)

Field Roast Plant Based and Vegetarian Frankfurter, 2.7 Ounce -- 72 per case

Genstone Faux Stone Installation on Front of House #Review #DIY

It's almost Thanksgiving! I have a lot to be thankful for, my health and strength, food and shelter. Recently, I had the opportunity to complete a home improvement project on the front of the house in one day. The sun shines directly on the lower half of the house, which caused some chipped paint to start so I began researching solutions. I came across Genstone, a company that specialize in faux stone panels, faux stone siding, and brick veneer siding. It's stone comes with a twenty-five year limited warranty. They already had a number of reviews from satisfied customers. I was going to do the traditional stone with concrete, but I wanted an option that was simpler and quicker to install. After measuring the area of the house, I found the style of faux stone I liked on Home Depot and ordered there. However, I strongly recommend that you order directly from Genstone because with the COVID-19 conditions, it took two months to arrive. If I would've ordered directly from Genstone, I would have received a better idea of delivery times. They were getting production back into full swing when I called them directly so it was definitely worth the wait. The tools used for this project are listed below and also mentioned in the YouTube video below. You will see that a hand saw will cut through the faux stone perfectly and PL Premium Construction Adhesive is great for additional support before applying your deck screws. I did put down 10-minute craft paper as an additional barrier of protection from rain water. However, that is up to you and how the weather affects your work area. The DIY project was completed in one day and I was able to add some fall decor to the front of the house, which looked amazing, complimenting the faux stone. I am very pleased with the results and would recommend this product and company to you. 

If you have any questions about this project, leave them in the comments below. Enjoy the video!

Tools I Used for Installation

Hand Saw 

Level 

Cordless Power Drill 

PL Premium Construction Adhesive (12pk)

Deck screws 

My Genstone Faux Stone Video Installation

How to Remove a Broken Sprinkler Riser #FixitYourself

I hope you are safe and well. This past week, while I was cutting the front lawn, I happened to bump too hard into one of the sprinkler heads. It broke off leaving some of the riser in the PVC pipe. I thought that I would have to dig up the sod around it, but luckily I did some research and digging, no pun intended and found an inexpensive tool, Orbit Plastic Riser Extractor, to remove the broken sprinkler riser. It worked really well for me and I show you how it works in this video.

Orbit Plastic Riser Extractor

You can purchase it on Amazon or you might can find it at your local hardware store. Thanks for watching and stay safe and well!

Removing a Tree Stump with Reciprocating Saw #HomeImprovement

The days are shorter and the nights are getting cooler, but I had to finish removing the last tree stump from the backyard before the rainy season. Southern California's weather has been unpredictable this year, hot then cool and back to warm again. I was able to use the chainsaw to cut the trees down to stump level, but as the blade got closer to the dirt, it dulled, something I had to learn during these DIY projects. During this COVID-19 experience, I have been doing a number of home improvement projects. I have realized that this has become a fun outlet for me, learning how to do things by myself without hiring a contractor for everything. Also, Home Depot, Tractor Supply and Amazon have all been my go-to places when I have needed tools, parts, and supplies. 

In the following video below, I show you how I removed the final tree stump from the backyard of the house with the Porter Cable Reciprocating Saw. It made the job much easier and I thoroughly enjoyed 

using the Diablo 12 inch Carbide Pruning Blade. The reciprocating saw came with a smaller blade, but I wanted to use a blade that gave me lots of success on the other stumps. It cuts through wood like slicing through a stick of butter. The two together, as you will see, worked well and I show you how to attach the pruning blade to the saw as well. The Porter Cable saw had more power than I expected. I will definitely use it for more wood cutting projects and yard work in the future with other blade attachments. 

Are you working on a home improvement project? If so, share your favorite tool(s) and project in the comments below for others to learn about.

 

#Halloween Pumpkin Carving Kit #Review

Happy Halloween! In some parts of the country trick-or-treating is limited. However, you can still make this day fun for the kids, friends and family alike. Grab some pumpkins and carving tools and get to work making funny faces to display. In this video, I decided to try Pumpkin Masters' Pumpkin Carving Kit. 

The pumpkin tools are a bit small, but they still are not safe for children under 3 years old and do require adult supervision. The tools provided in the kit did get the job done, but you will have to have a bit of patience while you carve. Overall, it was a fun activity that I believe you and your kids will enjoy. The 10 designs are labeled by difficulty level so you know what you're getting yourself into before you try each one. I would recommend that you use medium-size pumpkins to make sure that you can completely flatten the design on the pumpkin before using plastic wrap to keep everything in place as you carve. I used LED lights inside each pumpkin and they worked well. I displayed each pumpkin creation on the front porch, which added character to my Fall decor. 

Halloween may be a little different this year, but don't let that stop you from having fun with the family anyway. If you have "Halloween at Home" ideas leave them in the comments below for others to read. Have fun!

Visiting Grand Canyon National Park | Day 2 #TravelVlog

Hello, I hope you are safe and well. I finally had time to get this video ready for you, sharing our Day 2 adventure of visiting Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, CA. God blesses you when you least expect it, even during these times he is still blessing. I'm hoping to one day get back out into nature to share more adventures with you. For now, enjoy this video of the Grand Canyon and put it on your bucket list. It's a breathtaking place for all ages to see. Stay hopeful and prayerful for healing and recovery for all.





Grand Canyon


The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim


Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide: Grand Canyon National Park (Color Travel Guide)

#Travel Vlog: Visiting Grand Canyon National Park | Day 1

I hope you are safe and well at home on this Good Friday. This week I'm reminded of how beautiful our Earth is and how important it is to take care of it. In November 2019 I had the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon National Park. We spent two days in the park, exploring various viewpoints, hiking, and appreciating its natural beauty.

Once we are free to travel again, I hope you will plan your trip to the Grand Canyon. For now, here is Day 1 of our travel vlog adventure.

Hiking Resources for you...

OlarHike Hydration Backpack Pack with 2L BPA Free Leak-Proof Bladder, Insulated Water Backpack for Hiking,Biking,Running,Camping




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SEOULSTORY7 5Pack Men's Climbing DryCool Cushion Hiking/Performance Crew Socks 5Pair Large2