Condo Blues

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

How to Waterproof a Nylon Camping Tent

Last year the tent floor leaked in a few spots of water here, even though we put a tarp down first. We let the tent air out and dry in the garage before putting it away for the year. Can you add extra waterproofing to a tent and floor? 

Yes you can! Here’s how.  

how to waterproof a leaking tent
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Selecting the Right Waterproofing Products


Before diving into the actual waterproofing process, it's crucial to select the right products that will effectively provide a waterproof barrier for your nylon camping tent. With so many options available on the market, it can be overwhelming to make a decision. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing the right products for your tent.

First, consider the type of waterproofing product you want to use. There are two main types: 

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Rain Barrel Planter Renovation!

One of the first garden improvement projects I did after we bought our condo was to install a rain barrel that looks like a rock in my front yard. I figured (correctly) that if my rain barrel looks more like a lawn ornament I wouldn’t get the stink eye from my neighbors or my Homeowner’s Association.

But mostly I wanted something that looks nice since I have to look at it.

The only downside is that the rain barrel is one solid piece and almost impossible to clean when leaves and whatnot block the spigot from the inside of the rain barrel. After many years of service, the rain barrel started to leak. Instead of trying to repair it again, I decided to replace it with this exact decorative rain barrel planter that is easier to clean and winterize. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)


how to install a rain barrel
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Friday, May 12, 2023

DIY Outdoor Plant Hanger

I have a bunch of pea seeds left from last year’s garden by design. I need to find a better way to plant them so the vines don’t take over my small patio container garden like they did last summer.

The heavy duty plant hanging eye bolt similar to this kind I used years ago and largely ignored gave me the inspiration to try growing peas in a hanging planter. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

Spoiler alert: All of the hanging planters I found were so high off the ground they required my short little self to pull out a step stool to water them. I hate dragging out a step ladder to store things normal people can reach. That’s why anything above my head is dead to me – including hanging plants.

I considered a macrame plant hanger but I wasn’t sure how well cotton or jute cording would hold up outside. And again, the hangs the plant too high and over my head thing.

The only solution was to make an outdoor plant hanger myself. 

 

how to make an outdoor macrame plant hanger
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Thursday, April 27, 2023

How to Stretch Tight Shoes the Fast and Easy Way

I recently bought a pair of these exact Naot Women's Borasco shoes after a friend recommended them as a cute and comfortable work/walking/dress up or down travel shoe (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.) My friend did not do me wrong. Ilove everything about the shoes except for one minor thing:

I’m having some pain and discomfort because of the new leather is stiff so the shoes are a little too tight.

I don’t have time to have my shoes stretched at the shoe repair shop or at home with a pair of shoe stretchers. I need to break my new shoes in fast and make them more comfortable in the heel and ball of my foot for an upcoming event. Fortunately, there is a simple and effective way to stretch new shoes quickly – and it is cheap too!

how to stretch tight shoes the easy way

Save this custom shoe stretching hack to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with your friends!

 

How to Custom Stretch Tight Shoes with Hot 

Water

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Easy Porch Light Update

Now that we are moving on in to warm Spring weather (in theory. This is the Midwest after all. We can experience all 4 seasons in one week just to keep things interesting) it's the perfect opportunity to spiff up, renovate, and decorate our front porch and yard.

Which shoots a long overdue project to the top of our porch project punch list: replace the overhead porch lights!

Our porch light fixtures are original to the house and not made to last. The entire fixture is made of plastic and was so brittle it broke apart when I gently shuttled it from the porch ceiling to a waiting garbage can. There was no salvaging any part of this light fixture and truthfully, we didn't want to either. 

 

front porch light makeover before
Please excuse the dirt and yuck in these photos. Pressure washing the porch is on the list - honest!

 The hunt for new porch lights was on!

Monday, April 3, 2023

How to Drill a Hole in Ceramic, Porcelain, and Stone Tile

One day after refilling the conditioner in this hanging soap and shampoo Dispenser , The pump bottle refused to snap into place, lurched from the wall, and tried to kill me. I bobbed. It weaved. The bottle crashed to the floor and cracked. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

One of the things I like about the Dispenser is that you can buy replacement parts. I did so several times over its lifetime. However, this time I needed so many new parts it ended up costing as much money as if I bought a new wall mounted shampoo and conditioner pump.

Since my Dispenser was looking shabby and I think we got more than our money’s worth out of it considering it was a yard sale purchase, I bought a replacement.

I bought this exact Simple Human Double Wall Mount Shower Pump because we really only use two pumps out of the original four. From reviews, it is sturdier (I see the same dispenser in hotels so it has to be durable to take constant abuse) which means I may not have to replace the pumps over time. I love that!

The only negative according to the reviews is the bracket adhesive is not as strong as the adhesive the Dispenser uses. There were reports of the Simple Human dispenser falling off the wall after all of the instructions were followed. Not a huge deal because the Simple Human dispenser also comes with screws and wall anchors. I grabbed my drill and got ready to answer the question,

How Do you Drill a Hole in Tile?