PREPARING YOURSELF FOR A DIY PROJECT

Most people have a modest set of tools and buy other things they need as they go. However, this can make DIY work very expensive in the long run. People do most of their DIY projects in the summer, so now is the time to start thinking about how to get ready. If you are ready, you can start as soon as you have the time and good weather to do the things you want to do. When you're ready for DIY, you can also keep up with any important house maintenance you may need to do throughout the year.

Let's look at a few things you can do to get ready for DIY: 

Think Ahead 

It's a good idea to take a walk around your house and yard. Write down what needs to be done and put it in order of how important it is. Then, you can go through the list and write down the materials and tools you'll need to get the job done. By doing this, you can see if any of the jobs need the same materials or tools. If you do jobs that need the same things, you can save money because buying in bulk is usually a better deal. So, if you need an AR15 lower jig or another type of tool, get them before you start the work. After you've written everything down, you should put all the tasks in order and make a list of everything you'll need to do them. So, you can make a plan for your money. 

Think About The Tools And Materials 

You should think about what you will need to do the things you need to do in a safe, correct, and good way. If you don't have room for big tools, you might want to look into how much it would cost to rent them. As we've already said, buying in bulk will usually save you money. If you have room to store things like screws, paint, and sandpaper, it's probably best to buy them in bulk rather than in small packs for each job. It's a good idea to keep things like screws, light bulbs, a spanner, screwdriver, nails, plaster repair, etc. in the house in case of an emergency. If you can fix something right away instead of having to go to the local DIY store, you can save a lot of time and money. 

Have A Set Place To Work 

When doing DIY, it's best to have a specific place to work, especially if you're going to be doing things like cutting wood or tiles (this can get messy). Outside is great, of course, if the weather is right. But if you can't be sure of the space, it's best to have a small workshop in a garage or shed. Set this up with all the tools and materials you need, and use lighting to make sure it’s a well-lit area. This will make sure you can work in a safe way. 

These are just three things that will help you be ready to do things on your own. Do you have any other tips? Please tell us about them in the comments.

DISNEY DOLE WHIP RECIPE

The frozen Dole Whip deserts that are served in the Magic Kingdom have developed its own fanatic fanbase with visitors to Walt Disney World. Now with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic shutdown Disney is sharing some magic with those of us stuck at home by providing the recipe for this tasty treat. So while we aren't able to get to Aloha Isle in Adventureland to enjoy a Dole Whip, my family was able to rustle up the ingredients so that we could make these pineapple sweets ourselves to enjoy while spending an evening watching Moana on Disney+.

Disney Dole Whip Recipe

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream;
• 2 cups of frozen pineapple chunks;
• 4 oz of pineapple juice

Directions:

•  Cutting up a fresh pineapple into chunks is preferred but you can also buy a the canned variety as well. Place it in Zip Lock Bags and store away in your freezer for at least 2 hours. We let the pineapple freeze overnight and made our Dole Whips the next day.
• Mix together the ice cream, pineapple chunks and juice together in a blender until it has a smoothie texture. 
• You want to have the pineapple frozen so that it also has an ice cream like texture as it blended instead of just being a flavor added to the ice cream. 
• The juice adds sweetness to the mix so make sure it is distributed evenly as things are whipped up in the blender.
• Pour the mixture into baker's decorating piping. If you don't have that it is available at Jo-Ann Stores, Michaels, Williams Sonoma, and Walmart as well as among other retailers. Use the piping to twist the mixture into a cup or bowl to provide the classic whip look of the Walt Disney World desert.

There you have it! A simple list of ingredients and steps to make this frozen pineapple treat. We didn't have any piping so ours didn't have the soft serve look to them but they still tasted as good as the ones you can get at the Magic Kingdom. Delicious! 

If you are making Disney Parks recipes at home share them with A Geek Daddy on social media by tagging @Geekdad248 and I'll give you a retweet. Following this dad blogger on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter is appreciated and will keep you in the loop about all our new ageekdaddy.com content.

HALLOWEEN WAGON DECORATING

When my kids were younger we got a lot of use transporting them around the neighborhood in our family's wagon on Halloween while trick-or-treating. I never thought about incorporating the wagon into their costumes when they were little though. Wish I had after looking at these wagon decorating ideas supplied to me from my friends over at WHOLESALE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES.

Transform a wagon into a dump truck, fire engine, magic flying carpet, princess carriage, pirate ship or a spaceship. Whether participating in a costume parade or trick or treating, what child isn't going to be delighted to ride in one of these decorated wagons for Halloween?! Not only are these a great costume accessory but I'm sure the mom or dad who craft up the decorated wagon will get a lot of attention and praise as they pull it around with kids in tow.

Here are some handy diy tips courtesy of WHOLESALE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES for treating your kids to a sweet ride by tricking out the family wagon. By picking up some supplies and putting in a bit of time and effort you can easily do one of these ideas or use them for inspiration to build something unique yourself. Just click on the links below for step-by-step tutorials on Halloween wagon decorating:

DUMP TRUCK

FIRE ENGINE

FLYING CARPET

PRINCESS CARRIAGE

PIRATE SHIP

SPACESHIP

For those of us who aren't crafty WHOLESALE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES sells a wide variety of decorations and outfits. Check out what they have to offer!. They have a wonderful selection of costumes for both kids and adults and decorations for your house with prices that won't bust family budgets. From spooky to goofy there is something for everyone to provide a terror-ific Halloween at wholesalehalloweencostumes.com. And if you are looking for some help in setting the stage for a family movie night, birthday party, holiday soiree or a variety of other festivities head over to WHOLESALE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES throughout the year for great products to deck out your event. Having fun dressing up and decorating doesn't have to be just for Halloween!

AVOID EXPENSIVE HOME REPAIR BILLS WITH DO IT YOURSELF FIXES

** Roto-Rooter Drain Care Products sponsored this post **

Home repairs can be daunting for those of us who aren't handy at fixing things.  That being said there are often things that at first glance look difficult to do that in fact are relatively easy for people to do themselves.  Here are four examples of do it yourself fixes to avoid an expensive bill from a handyman, plumber or electrician:

REPLACE A LIGHT SWITCH

When it comes to electrical work in most cases it is really worth the cost to hire a professional to make sure a project is done safely and properly.  You absolutely don't want to electrocute yourself or have your house burn down trying to save a few bucks.  That being said, switching a light switch is a very low-risk thing to do yourself that can save your checkbook a hundred dollars or more when avoiding an electrician to come out to do it.

All you need to accomplish this task are a pair of standard sized flathead and phillips head screwdrivers, a replacement light switch and if you desire a new faceplate.  Remove the faceplate covering the switch with your flathead screwdriver.  Next use the phillips head screwdriver to take the switch out of the wall.  Turn off the power to the switch on your circuit board. Then flip the switch to make sure the electricity has been cut off.  Remove the two wires connected to the switch and attach them to the new one.  Reinsert the switch back into the wall, cover it with a faceplate and you're all done.

AIR CONDITIONER / FURNACE FIX

If you air conditioner or heater stop working ask yourself when was the last time you changed the air filter in your furnace?  The furnace directs the air flow for both your home's heating and cooling systems.  If the air flow is being restricted or clogged it can shut everything down.  You don't want to pay for an expensive repair visit to find out all that needed to be done was change your air filter.  Try this fix yourself before making a service call.

An air conditioner's evaporator coil will begin freezing up when it is not getting the proper air flow and it will stop cooling your home.  Turn off the conditioner for a few hours to allow it to thaw. Replace your furnace's air filter, turn your central air back on and your problem should be solved.

Restricted air flow will also impact your furnace's ability to generate heat.  Clogged air filters will cause the heat exchanger's temperature to get too hot and the furnace's safety guards will trigger its burners to turn off.  Letting the furnace cool down then replacing the air filter could be the fix to your problem.

FIXING A LEAKY FAUCET

Instead of paying for an expensive plumber visit, give it a shot first at fixing a leaky faucet yourself.  In most cases fixing a deteriorated washer or o-ring is the heart of your problem.  Shut off the water to your house.  Find the concealed screw for the faucet hand and remove it.  Next use pliers to remove the packing nut. Take out the valve stem and any screws that are holding a washer or o-ring in place.  Grab the deteriorated washer/o-ring to the hardware store and find a matching replacement.  Replace the part and put everything back together again.

Do a youtube search if you need more detailed instructions as this is a popular topic for do it yourself repair videos.  Also the dummies-learning made easy website has a variety of useful instructional pages for tips on doing home repairs yourself.

CLOGGED DRAINS

If you have stubborn clogs caused by soap scum, grease and other gunk blocking up your drains try one of Roto-Rooter's Drain Care products before calling a plumber to snake them out. It is an easy and affordable way to fix the problem.  Roto-Rooter's clog removers have the precise viscosity to power through what has plugged up your drain.  In addition to being useful in bathrooms this product is also great for kitchen sinks because in addition to not harming pipes it also can be used without worrying about damaging a garbage disposal.  Note though that neither of these products are meant to be used for stopped up toilets or pipes that are blocked by tree roots.

 
I've used Roto-Rooter Hair Clog Remover to deal with a bathroom sink in our house that my wife and daughter brush their hair over and where I shave at that kept backing up.  Following the directions on the packaging,  I poured 1/4 of the bottle down the drain, waited 10 minutes, then flushed the plumbing with hot water.  Whoosh the water ran straight through the drain and the clog was gone!

 

Wow that really was impressive!  No more having to continually pour and flush the drain over and over again as I've experienced with other liquid clog removers in the past or having to spend a half hour or an hour trying to scrape the hair all out of the pipe myself by hand with a snake.  Of course we won't even go into the expense of having a plumber come out to fix the problem.  Using Roto-Rooter Clog Remover was a quick, efficient and clean way to accomplish a task that can be a pain to deal with.

In fact, Roto-Rooter is so confident its line of home drain care products will satisfy you they provide a double guarantee.  If you are not completely satisfied with the product they will refund your money. Plus if you need to call in a Roto-Rooter plumber for help give your bottle to the visiting service tech to receive 10% off your next service call. For complete details on how to redeem a refund on this guarantee please visit rotorooter-products.com for more information.

I've been so impressed by my experience using these products, I'm serving as a 2017 Brand Ambassador for Roto-Rooter Drain Care Products.  Throughout the year, I will be posting sponsored content featuring their different products, providing tips on simple plumbing problem fixes you can do yourself, and hosting some great giveaways.  Whether is it discussing routine maintenance by providing simple steps to protect your pipes or giving an overview about the most common ways clogs occur, A Geek Daddy will be providing a lot of useful information through this partnership with Roto-Rooter Drain Care Products to help you save money and keep your plumbing flowing smoothly.

For more information, please visit rotorooter-products.com

Change the air filter in your central heat and air unit often, especially during peak usage months. Thirty days is the absolute longest you should ever leave an air filter in place; two weeks is maximum for high-usage months.
Using cheap fiberglass filters is actually preferred as opposed to more expensive HEPA filters for two reasons: First, replacing the more expensive filters often isn’t cost-effective. Second, the fiberglass filters actually allow for more air to flow into your climate-controlled unit, reducing the amount of energy needed to effectively heat or cool your home.

Discovery Kids: 7 in 1 Solar Space Fleet

 ** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**

Children and teens can have fun model building and learning STEM concepts such as how gears, electrical circuitry and solar energy works with 7 in 1 Solar Space Fleet from Discovery Kids available at toy retailers across the USA.  Start off building a lunar rover that fits in the palm of your hand and really moves across surfaces fueled by the power of the sun.  No tools required just pop out the plastic parts and snap them together.

Once you've built your lunar rover, pull it apart and rotate around additional pieces included with this space exploration themed construction kit to make up to six more different models that have a variety of functional movements powered by solar energy.  Switch out the parts from the Lunar Rover to create either an Astronaut, Battle Mech, Robot Dog, Orbital Station, Space Explorer or Shuttle to play with.  This do it yourself toy kit will get kids enthusiastic about space exploration, building things with their own hands and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) concepts.

Learn about energy and technology by building a solar panel that actively powers the movements of some of your space fleet creations.

Some of the other models you can build are powered instead by a rechargeable battery that is fueled by plugging it into the solar panel.  Insert the battery once it is charged into astronaut, robot dog or lunar rover to get them moving about.

The 7 in 1 Solar Space Fleet is a great hands-on activity that gets kids using their fine motor skills, develops constructive thinking through building the models, and provides educational lessons in an entertaining way.  Because the intricacy of constructing some of these models, this toy set is recommend for children 6 years old and up and parental involvement will probably be necessary for children on the younger end of this age scale.  Half the fun of these toys is putting them together so spend some quality family time constructing your space fleet models and make it a teachable moment by engaging your kids to discuss how science, technology, engineering, and math are relevant to both building these toys that can fit in the palm of your hand as well as for exploring the vast expanse of outer space.

Discovery Communications provides a variety of toys and products associated with the programming on their television channels (Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery Kids, Destination America, ID, Science Channel, TLC, and Velocity).  Check out what they have to offer at store.discovery.com.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS: petMOJI Character Creator

Are you excited about THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS arriving at movie theaters on July 8, 2016?!  My kids have been drooling to see this movie since the trailers started popping up at theaters and on television last year.  Of course we're going to go see it!

While waiting for the theatrical release have some fun with ILLUMINATION'S The Secret Life of Pets petMOJI character creator.  Visit this special website where you can create a custom cartoon of your favorite pet.  Also keep an eye out for an app coming out soon for iOS and Android devices that will feature sticker packs and a custom keyboard. For more information, visit www.mypetmoji.com/

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS story revolves around a Manhattan apartment building where a dog named Max has his life as a favorite pet turned upside down when his owner brings home a sloppy mongrel named Duke.  Max and Duke have to put their quarrels behind them though when they find out that an adorable white bunny named Snowball is building an army of abandoned pets determined to take revenge on all the happy-owned pets and their owners in their building.

Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in The Secret Life of Pets, which co-stars Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, Steve Coogan and Albert Brooks.  Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio and Brian Lynch.

Enjoy some Halloween fun anytime of the year with a Hotel Transylvania 2 Family Movie Night

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone. #MakeItAMovieNight #CollectiveBias

Halloween is such a great time of the year with all its spooky fun and treats.  That fun doesn't have to be limited to October with the January 12, 2016 release of HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 on Blu-ray and DVD. Show your Halloween spirit anytime of the year by enjoying a Hotel Transylvania 2 Family Movie Night.

My kids just adored Hotel Transylvania 2 when we saw it last year at the movie theater so my wife and I didn't hesitate picking up the film as soon as it was available to add to our family's home entertainment video library.  With its cast of monsters that really are more silly and wacky than horrific and frightening making this a great family friendly comedy parents and kids can spend an evening howling in laughter at together.  We always like to have a special snack that ties into a movie we will be watching so we made our favorite Halloween treat, caramel apples, for our Hotel Transylvania 2 Family Movie Night.

We drove over to our local Walmart to purchase Hotel Transylvania 2.  Of course you need popcorn for any family movie night so we grabbed a six pack of Orville Redenbacher Movie Theater Popcorn.  I always enjoy drinking an ice cold refreshing Coca-Cola and munching on M&M'S® Chocolate Candies so we stocked up on them as well during our visit to Walmart.

Walmart has a nice deal that if you purchase one of each of the four products I just mentioned together in one purchase between now and 2/2/16 you can get a $10 Vudu movie code by email.* To redeem just snap a picture of your receipt with a smart phone and visit uploadreceipt.com/movienight to submit your photo by 2/9/16. To make sure you are purchasing the right items to qualify you for the Vudu deal CLICK HERE for a list of products along with their UPC numbers that you can print out and take along with you on your shopping trip. For more details on this offer visit http://cbi.as/1fihg

*While supplies last. Limit 1 per person

As I mentioned, in addition to snacking on Orville Redenbacher Movie Theater Popcorn during our Hotel Transylvania 2 family movie night we made ourselves some caramel apples.  They actually are pretty easy to make and here is a recipe so you can do it yourself too:

 A Geek Daddy's Awesomely Scrumptious Caramel Apples

Ingredients:

4 apples;
1 package of caramel bits (11 oz);
2 Tbsp of water;
4 wooden popsicle sticks;
 **Optional** Mars M&M'S® Chocolate Candies  3.4oz Theater Size Box

Directions:

Take the number of apples you want to candy and wash them. Then thoroughly dry them.  For our demonstration we took two large Red Delicious apples for my wife and I to eat and made two caramel apples out of smaller Granny Smith ones for our kids.

Insert wooden popsicle stick into the stem end  of each apple.  Cover a plate with waxed paper.  Spritz the wax paper with cooking spray to avoid the apples sticking to the plate when covered with caramel.

Place your caramel bits into a microwave safe bowl.  Add two tablespoons of water.  Place in microwave for 2 minutes on HIGH.  Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir until caramel bits are completely melted.

Alternatively, you can also place the caramel bits in a medium saucepan and use a stove instead.  Add the two tablespoons of water and place the saucepan on a burner set at medium-low heat for 3 minutes.  Stir the caramel bits constantly until they are completely melted.

Next before the caramel cools dip the apples into it.  Use a spoon to evenly coat the apples and make sure their entire surface is covered with caramel.  Allow excess caramel to drip off back into your bowl or saucepan. Handle with care as the caramel should be very hot.

 

To make your caramel apples extra special smash up some Mars Chocolate M&M'S® Chocolate Candies in a plastic sealable snack bag.

Spread the Mars M&M'S® Chocolate Candies on a plate and roll your apples while the caramel is hot across them.  This will coat your Caramel Apple with a delicious crunchy covering.

Place the caramel covered apples on your wax paper covered plate(s).  Refrigerate for at least one hour.  Remove your caramel apples from your refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.

Voila! there you have it a tasty Halloween themed treat to enjoy during your Hotel Transylvania 2 Family Movie Night.  Or as my kids would say mimicking me "Blah-Blah-Blah-Blah-Blah."  We grabbed a pop up bowl of Orville Redenbacher Movie Theater Popcorn and our caramel apples to snack on while we enjoyed our show.

My wife and kids stuck with the plain caramel apples while I scarfed down the one coated with M&M'S® Chocolate Candies and drank a bottle of Coca-Cola.  We had a very good time enjoying our snacks while watching Hotel Transylvania 2.

CLICK HERE to find more fun snack ideas for when you want to #MakeItAMovieNight

#HotelTransylvania2

Create Your Own Personalized INSIDE OUT Movie Poster

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #InsideOutEmotions #CollectiveBias

It was a dreary summer day and the radar showed a series of storms was going to be rolling in and out of our neighborhood all afternoon and evening.  During a break in the rain, I dragged my kids out of the house as we headed to the bank, post office and Walmart getting some errands taken care of before the next bout of bad weather began.  As we were out and about, I was trying to think of something for the kids to do when we returned home that would keep them amused inside while it was storming outside.

As we passed a toy section in Walmart for the movie INSIDE OUT, I jokingly thought to myself how fun it might be to create movie posters that were customized to feature the Emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear) actually pictured inside my kids' very own heads. Hey wait a moment we could actually do that and keep them amused for the rest of the afternoon.  Everything we needed was right here at Walmart! So before heading to the cash register we grabbed some construction paper, poster board, and glue sticks to use in constructing our very own movie posters, some #InsideOut toys for inspiration, and Kellogg's fruit snacks to keep us fueled and energized to get this project accomplished.  Walmart has a nice selection of plush Emotions from the movie that are nicely priced at $8.88 and are exclusive to the retailer.  My son picked out Fear and my daughter Joy to take home with them.

Once we got home I broke out a few Tomy Inside Out toys that we had also picked up while at Walmart and used them as a teachable moment with my children to talk about some of the Emotions that may be in their heads and how they may at times take control of how the kids act.  I mentioned how they may feel Angry or Disgust over something and those were a healthy part of coping with things in life, but like in the movie if they let those Emotions control their actions bad things could happen.  My daughter then mentioned that like in the movie we need to feel sadness, fear, anger, or disgust so that based on circumstances in life that may bring out those Emotions we'll be brought back to feeling Joy.  Sometimes those other Emotions protect us or balance our mental state during the rocky moments in life.  I then told my kids we were going to make silhouettes of the Emotions inside their own heads and they got pretty excited.

Here's an easy tutorial on how you can make your own personalized Inside Out movie posters featuring the silhouette of a child's head.

SUPPLIES:
Computer & Printer;
Scissors;
Glue Stick;
White or Colored Construction Paper for the Background;
Black Poster Board for the Silhouette;
Inside Out Printable to add Emotions to the Silhouette - preferably printed with color ink on a see through printable clear plastic sheet though standard white multipurpose paper will work fine too.

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Take a profile style picture of your son or daughter;
2. Print it out on a piece of white multipurpose paper in grey scale sized so that the picture takes up most of an 8.5" x 11" space;
3. Cut out the child's profile from the paper;
4.  Place the profile on top of your black construction paper, trace it, and cut out the shape carefully;
5. Print out the Printable of the Inside Out Emotions;
6. Cut out the Emotions so you can add them to the silhouette;
7. Find a black & white Inside Out movie logo on the Internet, download it, and print it on your white or colored construction paper.  Another option is to print the logo on multipurpose paper, cut it out, and glue to your background piece of construction paper;
8.  Glue down the black poster board silhouette of your child's profile onto the construction paper background for your movie poster;
9.  Select the cut out Emotion(s) to add within the silhouette and glue them on;
10. Voila! You have a personalized INSIDE OUT movie poster!

My kids were really amused to see the INSIDE OUT Emotion characters inside their own heads.  Once we wrapped up this craft project, the kids enjoyed those Kellogg's fruit snacks we'd bought at Walmart then spent some time playing with the Inside Out toys we brought home with us.  Next thing you know a few hours had gone by, the storms were gone and my kids had some time to go outside and play.

Dealing with emotions can be tough for kids which is the theme of the Disney PIXAR movie Inside Out.  The movie is an emotional journey within the mind of an 11 year old tween named Riley. How have you discussed emotions and how to handle them with the children in your life?  

Sometimes it takes a little imagination to get through to children.  That's why I believe Bing Bong was one of my family's favorite parts of Inside Out.  Bing Bong is the"Imaginary Friend" Riley had as a preschooler who is part elephant, chesire cat, teddy bear and dolphin made of cotton candy with a nougat filled center - how can you not love that!  Bing Bong turns out to be the hero that saves the day in this animated film and helps the emotions learn through their journey that joy and sadness are two sides of the same coin when it comes to helping steer Riley through the memorable moments in life.  Engaging in imaginative play with the exclusive Walmart Inside Out plush dolls along with the Tomy Inside Out musical Bing Bong toy and Emotions action figures and control board playset was a nice way to have a productive conversation with my children about emotions while keeping them amused and busy on a rainy day.  Combining that with a fun craft really sparked some productive yet lighthearted conversation on what can be a serious topic.