Condo Blues: October 2018

Sunday, October 28, 2018

The One Thing You AREN’T Doing to Save Money on Your Heating Bill but Should!

In 2008, my husband and I started a year long project to reduce our utility bills by what we though was a too lofty goal of 20% with cheap home improvements and new habits. We beat our original goal and reduced our electricity and natural gas our use by 32%!

We’ve kept our yearly average lower than comparable size energy efficient rated homes in our area for 10 years running and with all of the things that make life worth living: holiday lights, electronics, and toasty warm toes in the dead of winter.

So while my heating bill stayed low and the rest of the house is toasty warm (thanks in no small part to adding weather stripping like this to the bottom on my window sashes installing a programmable thermostat like this one and using it) my laundry room was always colder than the rest of the house. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

the one thing you MUST do to save money on your energy bill
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Monday, October 22, 2018

How to Make an Easy Hot Glue Embossed Wood Sign

Call me Danger Girl. I have to admit hot glue is one my favorite adhesives even though it has the potential to sear off my fingerprints. I use hot glue to glue stuff together all of the time but using hot glue to make the craft itself? Not so much. 

Which is why I was very interested when a review copy of the book  Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts 50 Fun and Creative Décor, Fashion, Gift and Holiday Project to Make with Your Glue Gun by Angie Holden and Carolina Moore was delivered to my doorstep. I was happy to learn the book does not feature your typical crafts put together with hot glue. Instead Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts teaches you how to make the craft elements almost entirely out of hot glue – including a pair of flip flop shoes!

(I reviewed a copy of the book for review but that has no bearing on giving you my honest review of it. I am including affiliate links for the items I used to make this project in this post for your convenience.)


One of the things I like about craft books like Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts is how it can inspire you to use several techniques from different tutorials in the book to make a totally different hot glue gun craft on your own. In this case, I drew inspiration from the Hot Glue Embossed Vase and Hot Glue Party Cake Topper projects to make an embossed hot glue Love wood wall sign.

DIY hot glue embossed Love sign
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DIY Hot Glue Wall Art Tutorial

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Friday Favorites Linky Party 447

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Thursday, October 11, 2018

Friday Favorites Linky Party 446

Let's Party!



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Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
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Sunday, October 7, 2018

How to Clean a Dryer Vent the Easy Way!

Even if you clean the link trap/screen in your dryer after every load lint can still build up in the dryer duct, vent, and end cap. Dryer lint is highly flammable (which is one the reasons why people use it to make homemade fire starters) and according to experts it doesn’t take much for accumulated dryer lint to cause a dryer fire.

Fortunately, there are easy steps to help prevent this:

1. Clean the lint trap or screen after every load you put in the dryer.

2. Clean the dryer vent and dryer a few times a year.
Cleaning a dryer duct is so easy! You don’t even need to take it apart! 

Not to mention, your dryer will run more efficiently, use less energy, and lower your electric bill  if it is lint free.

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How to Clean an Electric Dryer Vent Without Taking it Apart

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Friday Favorites Linky Party 445

Let's Party!



Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Jennifer at Busy Being Jennifer - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst

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