Ginger shares her experience as Ms. Fix-It:

I spun it, it squealed for 1 second, and then stopped!  It hasn’t made a sound since!  I fixed it!!!

I love it when I can fix things all by myself without having to call in a repairman and spend money. I feel such a great sense of accomplishment.

I am woman, hear me roar!

I'm proud of you, too, Ginger! Well done!

We've all heard that a good way to spruce up your kitchen inexpensively is to reface your kitchen cabinets. But if you want to really make an impact, check out Design*Sponge's tutorial on making cabinet fronts like the ones pictured to the left. What an amazing idea!

Thanks, Blissfully Domestic, for alerting us to this neat idea:

On Saturday, March 29, 2008, people from around the world will join together for Earth Hour 2008 and turn off their lights from 8 to 9 p.m. to reduce greenhouse gases and raise awareness about global warming.

Last year Earth Hour 2007 was a Sydney, Australia event where 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour. This year it's getting worldwide attention and millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tel Aviv, will unite and turn off their lights for Earth Hour.

Head on over to Blissfully Domestic for more ways to celebrate this and make it a fun family event!

Once again Shelterrific comes up with an awesome solution. This one is for those who have windows that are longer than most conventional curtain rods. The solution? Metal conduit. Head on over for a detailed how-to.

Over at BeingFrugal.net, the discussion is about good vacuum cleaners. I agree that $100 vacuum cleaners are not the way to go. I've been through several myself, and the very mention of the words "Dirt Devil" in my house causes me to go into violent spasms.

I finally bought a Kenmore vacuum cleaner much like the one pictured here (mine's white) and have been ridiculously happy with it. Mine cost about $250 if I recall correctly, and it was worth every penny to have a vacuum cleaner that doesn't clog up every time I use it.

What's your fave vacuum? Hit the BeingFrugal.net link for more info on buying a vacuum.

Here's a simple, easy way to add some flair to your decor. Use fabric- the funkier the better- to decorate your light switch plates. How simple and cool is that?

I figured you'd rather see a random angel pic than a picture of a toilet, Shakhammerers! You can thank me later.

No, today I'm going to talk about the "5 minutes of caring" over at CoolPeopleCare.org. This one is about saving water and they have several easy ways to conserve water over there. Have you done this 5 minutes of caring? Let them know over at CoolPeopleCare!

It's funny to think how ahead of her time my grandma was. When I was a kid, I always wondered why she collected rainwater when there was tapwater easily available. She used it to wash her hair and water her plants.

Jim Voorhies talks about using rainwater to water the landscaping:

So it’s dark outside and I’m watching the DIY channel when the This Old House people start talking about rainwater reclamation. This house in Austin uses a 1,200 galvanized tank (it takes about an inch and a half of rain to fill it) to store rainwater in for watering the landscaping. Tres cool!

Turns out the company that was doing the work on TOH links to a rainwater harvesting community. Now I just need to find a place for the tanks (and the money and the time). Like I need another project.

I've just always used big buckets to collect rainwater like my grandma did. A whole rainwater collection system would be really awesome, though. What are you doing, if anything, to collect rainwater and how are you using it?

[Image Credit]

Do you feel rugs are accessories or focal points? Are they required to finish off a room or are they simply another accent? So you wannabee a Domestik Goddess has a great post covering this topic.

St. Patrick's day is Monday, will you be celebrating? If you want to make some cool Irish Soda Bread, or other St. Patrick's day crafts and decorations, check at Creative Mom Cafe- they have a great St. Patrick's day roundup.

I've got some and I need to do something about my metal lawn furniture. Every bit of it needs a paint job. After awhile it all begins to rust and look funky, and that blue color I painted it several years ago is beginning to wear on me. What to do?

I'm loving the color on the glider posted at Shelterrific. Kinda gray, a shade blue, maybe a periwinkle? I dunno, but it's got me thinking about what to do about my own lawn furniture. Stay tuned.

Sarah at A Steno Pad For My Thoughts writes about the tools she uses:

I have a dual speed 12 volt cordless drill that is lightweight enough that my hands don’t get tired making hundreds of something and has enough power for what I use it for with my products. I think it cost me around $80. (Though, I also use a tabletop drill press for some items in the shop.) Also, I don’t use vises or clamps when drilling though it makes one person in my house very nervous, I have been able to simply hold what I am drilling in my hand just fine.

She talks more about items I've always been interested in like awls. It's a neat-o look behind the scenes of this craft shop!

Ever since I heard about CFL bulbs containing mercury, I wondered what to do about the cleanup if you broke one. I figured I'd Google if it ever happened to me. Fortunately (for me, unfortunately for NotMartha), NotMartha had this happen and posted about it.

Here's what she says about it:

Apparently, a Hazmat team does not have to get involved in the case of a broken CFL bulb. Most of the resources I found on how to clean up and dispose of a broken CFL bulb repeat these guidelines from the EPA: Before Clean-up: Ventilate the Room
1. Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
2. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
4. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag...

There's more at her place, including the full instructions on cleaning up a broken CFL bulb.

The sun's heat and light provide an abundant source of energy that can be harnessed in many ways.
In my quest to discover what there is to know about solar power, I found all kinds of uses for the suns rays that can help us conserve energy. First off was my discovery of solar water heaters.

Also called solar domestic hot water systems, solar water heaters generate hot water for your home in any type of climate, fueled solely by sunshine.

Solar water heating systems usually cost more to purchase and install than conventional water heating systems. However, a solar water heater can usually save you money in the long run. Check out the U.S. Department of Energy site on solar power for the economics of potential savings. Find out more about solar water heaters here; and if you're feeling particularly DIY, check out how to build your own unit!

The next interesting thing I found was an article at News Scientist Tech about solar-power paint.

Scientists are developing a way to paint solar cells with a photovoltaic paint onto the steel sheets of walls and roofs of warehouses and other buildings to generate electricity from the sun.                                                                                                                                                   
The paint will be based on dye-sensitised solar cells. Instead of absorbing sunlight using silicon like conventional solar panels, they use dye molecules attached to particles of the titanium dioxide pigment used in paints.                                                                                                                                                     
Finally, the solar panel. Through the use of photvoltaic cells, solar panels make use of renewable energy from the sun, and are a clean and environmentally sound means of collecting solar energy.

If you are looking for information on solar panels and don't know where to start, check out CALFINDER's blog on solar panels and going solar.

Not quite ready to tackle solar projects on your own???   Don’t forget the fact that searching for a qualified solar installer will never be a dilemma. CalFinder Solar does the FREE screening for you and only works with the best installers in the industry. Get a bid now!

I've burned my wrists on the oven rack, oh, at least a million times. Okay, I don't think I've even used an oven a million times, but it feels like it. Via the Cooking Gadgets blog, here's an awesome idea. They're oven rack guards made from the same material firefighters wear to keep from getting burned. This is definitely something no clumsy cook (like me!) should be without.

Kathy T has the scoop over at Shak and Jill! I'm amazed by how awesome this looks.

There's nothing I love more than the new vintage look. I'm especially digging the look of Mary T's sink, purchased for just $80 at Ikea. (Just  for the sink- cabinet and hardware extra. Even so, good price!)

Mary links to a couple of other new vintage bargains at Ikea and a really fab, but expensive version. For my money, I think the Ikea versions are the best bet.

Photo: Mary T at Shelterrific

Even though the economy is beginning to tank, you still want your house to look nice, right? Redecorating on a budget is a special, but fun challenge. Take a look at what Marie Carlson and her son managed on a budget! I love it!

If you're European, apparently this two-flush toilet system is old hat, but Americans like Guy Kawasaki and me are digging them. I've not seen a two-flush toilet before, and to me it seems like a great, innovative idea. I do have to wonder, however, how is it that we're the last to get this kind of thing here in America? Come on, America, we want two-flush toilets! ;)

In not-quite-related-but-related-enough news, ever wonder what to do with those unmated socks that pile up all over the place? Wonder no more.