Tag Archives: history

EP117: Yankee Doodle, Multi Generational Living, and Projects Using Distressed Wood

Posted on

LISTEN HERE:

Segment 1: History of Yankee Doodle

Growing up, most of us learned a plethora of patriotic songs that we pulled out of our memories for the 4th of July. This year, we decided to look into the history of a childhood favorite, Yankee Doodle. Do you know what a Yankee Doodle Dandy is? The answer and story behind it may surprise you.

Segments 2 & 3: Multi-Generational Living

We’re hearing about it more and more: multi-generational living. The trick is, how do you get a home to function for all ages under one roof? Derek Anderson, owner of Amber Valley Construction, walks us through some important considerations and even offers advice on a book to read (Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud) BEFORE we make the leap.

Segment 4: Projects Using Distressed Wood

Barn wood can be expensive. It can also be tricky to find. And who wants to risk bring all kinds of bugs into their home? But it looks so cool!

Back in Episode 106, we talked about how to make your own barn wood out of new pine planks. Today we’re giving you a few ideas to put that barn wood to good use!

 

EP94: Tool Belt History, Hiring a Contractor, and Baking Soda Super Hero!

Posted on

For some reason, most of us associate tool belts with guys. And more specifically, construction workers. But did you know its origin is actually as a piece of female jewelry? Even back in the times of Ancient Rome, it was a piece of jewelry that served a purpose. And ladies, you can take a cue from Fendi and make it a fashion statement!

And we’re lucky enough to have Jon DeGraaf, Owner and President of Jon DeGraaf Painting, sit down and discuss steps we should take when hiring a contractor. Now, we talk about a painting contractor, but this information is good for ANY type of contractor you hire!

And, if you happen to be looking for a painting contractor, we can help! Call any RepcoLite or Port City Paints or stop in. You can also fill out the form on our webpage and we’ll email the names and contact information of painters in your area who would be PERFECT for your project!

And last, but certainly not least, is a segment dedicated to the super hero in your kitchen cabinet: baking soda! It has tons of cleaning and deodorizing uses, but it will also go a long ways to keeping your stomach in check with certain foods and drinks. It really should be wearing a cape!

Listen here:

EP93: Which Screw to Choose, History and True Stories of Port City Paints, and Duct Tape in Space!

Posted on

We’ve been building a lot of things for home shows recently. And it seems as though we are constantly running out to get new screws. Either we don’t have the right size, or they aren’t working the way we need them too, or we just plain don’t have enough of what we need. It’s a bit maddening!

In our first segment, we’ll dig in to what we’ve recently learned about screws. We’ll talk about the different types, how they came to be, what we found works best, and why it’s so important to have an organized stock pile.

Our second segment is ushered in with our very own Abe Pastoor from port City in Muskegon. Port City is part of the RepcoLite family and Abe shares its long history. He also tells us some crazy stories about the building that are actually true. Creep factor anyone?!

And finally, the pièce de résistance, a segment all about duct tape. And not just any segment about duct tape. It’s about duct tape in space and why it’s a critical part of the gear astronauts ALWAYS have.

If you are interested in reading some of the amazing stories of duct tape in space, check out the NASA website. Or read the most recent story of duct tape on the ISS. And if you just want a guaranteed smile, check out this short clip of  Astronaut Gene Cernan skipping and singing on the moon.

Listen here:

EP89: Death of the Aluminum Christmas Tree, Painted Tin Ceiling, and Escape Room Debriefing!

Posted on

So, if you are a child of the late 50’s or early 60’s, it’s likely you’ll remember the aluminum Christmas tree. But, if you were born after 1965, it’s entirely likely you’ve only seen pictures of them (or maybe in an antique store, if you’re lucky). The reason for this is the 1965 debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Yes, that’s right, Charlie Brown single-handedly brought down the aluminum Christmas tree industry. We’ve got the story of that and the reason for their comeback in the first segment.

We’re also taking a call from a listener, Ruth, who has an old farmhouse tin ceiling. The ceiling was painted quite a while ago and the paint is starting to peel in some areas. We’ll tell her why that is and what she needs to do next.

And finally, Jeff Rietveld from Out of the Box Games is dropping by to give us the results of our recent Escape Room challenge. He’s also going to do a short debriefing to tell us what we did well and what we need to work on for next time. And no matter how we did, these Escape Rooms are something we can’t recommend enough!

Listen here:

EP87: Hackley & Hume Homes, Giving to Furry Friends, and Results For Scuff-X

Posted on

OK, now how often is there something we pass every day that we don’t think twice about? For us, the Hackley & Hume Homes were just such a place. We had passed them a number of times and thought they were cool but didn’t give it another thought…until this week.

Forget what you THINK you know about Victorian homes. These surpass that in leaps and bounds. And, right now, they are all decked out for Christmas. We just couldn’t contain our excitement so be prepared!

And, with Christmas coming, we’ve all been busy buying gifts for family and friends. But what about the four-legged friends who don’t have a home? We’ve got Jen Nuernberg and Sarah Shea from the Harbor Humane Society in the studio to talk about their wish list for the furry friends at the shelter. They’ll also tell us if it’s ok to buy a pet as a Christmas present.

And, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, they have their annual Holiday Open House from 11-4 this Saturday, December 8. You can tour the shelter, decorate doggie “cookies” and get photos with Santa! Check out more details on Instagram!

And finally, we’ve talked about Scuff-X before but it just seems to be one of those products that people can never hear enough about. We’ve posted the videos as proof, but now we’ve got a local company who’s used it for a year. Did it do what we said? Are they still happy customers? We’ll tell you in our last segment.

 

Listen here:

NOTES:

Hackley & Hume Holiday Tours

  • December 8  4-8pm
  • December 15  4-8pm
  • December 27  4-8pm
  • December 28  1-4pm

 

Harbor Humane Society

The Harbor Humane Society also has a great program called Reading With Fido. Research shows that dogs who are read to in a shelter calm more quickly and become better with humans. Here is a quick video that Sarah took of some young kids reading to “Fido.”

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

EP86: Paint Tools, Heat Vents, Laundry Room Transformation, and Christmas Gift Lists

Posted on

So, there are some common tools that come to mind when people think of painting; brushes, roller covers, trays and liners, etc. But did you know there’s a whole other group of tools that will save you time and money? We’ve got a list of items you’ll want to consider the next time you paint.

And we’ve been hearing chatter about people closing heat vents in unused rooms to save money. That got us wondering if it really works. We talked to some experts and it turns out closing the vents could be a really terrible idea and actually COST you money! We’ll tell you what we learned.

We’ve also been thinking about laundry rooms. With holiday travel, sometimes the laundry really piles up. The problem is, many of us have laundry rooms that are less than inspiring. In fact, we may dread stepping foot in them, even if we aren’t doing laundry. Now, it’s time to change all that! We’ve got some great ways to make your laundry room just another room in your house.

And last but not least, we’ve got our lists of great Christmas gifts. Some are tools but some are just fun! Check out the notes below for links and videos for all of the items we talked about.

 

Listen here:

NOTES:

To Close or Not to Close the Vents?? Suggested Resources

Dan’s Recommended Gift List

Betsy’s Recommended Gift List

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave