A few of our favorite things {Home Edition}

After {almost} 5 years of home renovation, there are some things we have learned make our projects much simpler. 

The first is ear plugs. When you are working with power tools {indoors} it is important to protect your ears. In the early days of having a double-compound miter saw set up in our living room and various power tools {skill saw, drills, nail guns, etc} laying around {and in constant use}, ear protection was a priority {it still is}.

We have several pairs of these Harbor Freight specials {ear muffs} lying around. They are my faves... for some reason, ear plugs don't work well in my ears {they always feel like they are falling out}.

Quick story: In the first year of our renovation, my brother spent a summer with us. One Saturday morning, Daniel and I had been up early working on a project in the living room. We both had on ear muffs which required us to raise our voices {yell} in order to hear each other.

Later that day, my brother pulled me aside and asked if everything was ok. I was confused about his question. He clarified by saying, "You guys have been yelling at each other all morning and I thought you were having a fight!" He had been in his bedroom with the door closed and had no idea we were talking {yelling} about our project... oops.

Daniel prefers these 3M Combat Arms ear plugs, found at Northern Tools. The Green end offers constant protection against noise while the yellow end lets wearer hear clearly with instant protection against sudden loud noises.

Another product we have found use is DAP Painter's Putty {we call it dope}. This stuff is AMAZING for filling holes in trim. It has really made our lives easier.

 

We started out using Elmer's Wood Filler - which is a total pain. It is hard to squeeze out of the tube and you have to go back and sand it. We are so thankful our friend, Benjy, introduced to dope.