Shur-line Paint Edger Review | Pretty Handy Girl

Shur-line Paint Edger Review | Pretty Handy Girl

Last month I received a little care package from Shur-line. I opened the kit and assessed the products with speculation. As you probably remember, I don’t generally like new painting gadgets. I have my tried and true painting tools that I use and I rarely find new ones that I like better. As I was getting ready to re-paint the living room, I grabbed for the Shur-line Pro Paint Edger. Having been a fan of our old Shur-line edger, I really didn’t think that they could have improved much on the design.

Well, I was wrong, and this is my new favorite paint edger.

The biggest change they made was to add flip up edge guards. Why would you want this?

Shur-line Paint Edger Review | Pretty Handy Girl

It protects the wheels and the edge guard from getting paint on it when you reload the paint! Brilliant.

Shur-line Paint Edger Review | Pretty Handy Girl

In the past, I had to be careful not to dip the wheels in the paint when re-loading. And, I inevitably had to wipe off the wheels with a damp rag when I did. Now, they flip up and out of the way when you raise the little handle between the roller wheels. After the paint is loaded, flip the handle down and the wheels and edge guards are ready to edge. Read more

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl
How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding

I love our antique heart pine floors! They are beautifully distressed. The round pegs and square nails securing them in place add loads of character. However, the square nails sit flush with the surface preventing us from ever being able to refinish them with a sander. The nails would tear up the sandpaper in no time. But, that’s no problem because I know a way to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding!

 

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl

From time to time, our floors start to look dull…

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl

…and the scratches are more noticeable. This is when I know it’s time to refinish them.

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl

The first time I refinished our floors, it was several years ago when we were painting the office and dining room. I decided to try to refinish the floors because the rooms were already devoid of furniture. Several neighbors had recommended Bona® Hardwood Floor Cleaner and Bona® Hardwood Floor Polish. I was skeptical, but the results were beautiful floors that had luster, but still showed their beautiful age.

Before and After Finishing Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl

The Bona® Hardwood Floor Cleaner did a fabulous job of cleaning the floor without damaging them. And, the Bona® Hardwood Floor Polish provided a strong finish without any waxy build up. The high gloss protective layer adds some shine, but isn’t overly shiny. The polish also fills micro-scratches, evening out the appearance of the floor.

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl

Fast forward to this past week when Bona asked me to write a sponsored post for them, I jumped for joy because I already use and love the Bona® Hardwood Floor Products! (Here’s my full disclosure: Yes, this is a sponsored post. No, I was not told what to write. And yes, I probably would have blogged about my experiences using Bona® Hardwood Floor Products at some point anyway. Win-win.)

I highly recommend trying the combo of the Bona® Hardwood Floor Cleaner and the Bona® Hardwood Floor Polish before spending huge amounts of money to have your floors refinished. (Bona® Hardwood Floor Cleaner & Polish will not work on floors that have an oil or wax coating. Test in an inconspicuous area to be sure it will work for your floors.)

Here’s how to Refinish Your Wood Floors without Sanding:

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Instructions for Cleaning the Wood Floors:

Remove all rugs and furniture from the room. If you have heavy furniture pieces that are never moved, you can leave them in place.

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl

Vacuum or sweep the floors to remove all dirt and debris.

How to Refinish Wood Floors without Sanding | Pretty Handy Girl

Assemble your Bona® Hardwood Floor Spray Mop as shown here: Read more

Quick Kitchen Cart Makeover with BB Frösh Chalk Paint Powder

Quick Kitchen Cart Makeover with BB Frösh Chalk Paint Powder

It seems I have a penchant for painting my late grandmother’s old furniture. You may remember the coffee table I wrote on of her’s. This kitchen cart was Grandma’s, but it had seen better days. It has been hanging out in my Dad’s kitchen for years now. My sister Caitlin decided to rope me into giving this kitchen cart a quick makeover over the holidays.

Quick Kitchen Cart Makeover with BB Frösh Chalk Paint Powder

It actually turned into the perfect opportunity to try BB Frösch Chalk Paint Powder. The powder is mixed with water first and then any flat latex paint to create a smooth, durable chalk paint that can be painted directly over any surface regardless of whether it is bare wood, metal, or previously painted. Primer is not needed! For a soft durable finish, you can add a coat of BB Frösch Clear Wax.

Quick Kitchen Cart Makeover with BB Frösh Chalk Paint Powder

I can’t wait to show you how this chalk powder works and how quickly you can give furniture a makeover.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Quick Kitchen Cart Makeover with BB Frösh Chalk Paint Powder

Optional (for butcher block top):

 

Instructions:

Begin by wiping off your kitchen cart with the damp rag.

Quick Kitchen Cart Makeover with BB Frösh Chalk Paint Powder

To remove the butcher block top, turn the cart upside down and remove the screws holding the top in place.

Lightly sand the rest of the cart with a sanding block. It helps to enlist the help of one adorable niece for this step. Read more

3-DIY-book-giveaway

I love being able to peruse real bound books! Browsing through blogs and online is fine, but there is no substitute for the printed word in a book.

Lucky for you, I’ve reviewed three new home, garden and design books that I think you’ll love!

The first is Decorating for Real Life by Wendy Hyde (blogger at The Shabby Nest)

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Blogger Wendy Hyde began writing her blog, The Shabby Nest in 2008. She has taken her online world of decorating and design knowledge and has created a book full of magazine worthy homes. The photos may seem unachievable at first, but she breaks each room down to help you get the same look in your own home. She holds your hand and points out what makes the room work design-wise. This 208 page hardcover book is full with color photos of almost every room in a typical family home. At the end, Wendy printed several pages of grid paper and typical furniture items to help you design your own room layout.

PostBreakblueThe second book is Cultivating Garden Style by Rochelle Greayer

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Rochelle takes us into a diverse world of beautiful and inspiring gardens. Her book is filled with ideas and tips to create landscaping that reflects your style, your home or your dreams. This hardcover book has over 300 pages filled with twenty three unique garden styles and step-by-step DIY projects to complete your outdoor space. Whether you like modern, Asian, Cottage or any other style, you’re sure to find inspiration in Cultivating Garden Style.

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Last but certainly not least is DIY Wood Pallet Projects: 35 Rustic Modern Upcycling Ideas to Personalize Your Space by Karah Bunde (blogger at The Space Between Blog)

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Karah takes her popular blog theme of upcycling and decorating using shipping pallets from the online world and into the pages of this book. She created 35 new projects using shipping pallets and gives you the step-by-step tutorial to complete each one. In the beginning of the book she discussed everything you need to know about the safety of wood pallets and how to harvest the wood from them. The rest is full of tutorials using pallet wood that will definitely be easy on your wallet.

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WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirlWORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

A few months ago WORX sent me their WORX Lithium Cordless Chainsaw with Extension Pole for a product review. Our property is very wooded and we have so many trees that I’ve lost count. I do know that they need pruning and maintaining on a regular basis (at least every six months.) I knew our yard was a good test environment that would put the JawSaw through a rigorous test on our hardwoods and ornamental trees.

Recently one of our smaller trees died and needed to be removed. I charged up the JawSaw battery and snapped it in place after it was fully charged.

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

As is always the case, as I got closer, that little tree didn’t look so small. I honestly doubted I’d be able to use the JawSaw for this task. But, I was pleasantly surprised when the jaws fit around the trunk.

To work the JawSaw, you have to push the button with your thumb and pull the trigger at the same time. To start the saw moving, you push the handle in towards the shaft.

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

The blade easily cut through the tree trunk. And within about fifteen minutes I was able to cut the tree down and cut it into manageable pieces.

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

Next I added the pole attachment to trim branches up to 12 feet high. The pole slides into the slot near the black handle. The handle snaps into the handle clamp on the pole. The JawSaw handle needs to be pressed into the shaft and the red bar is inserted into the bottom to lock it in place.  The power pack slides into the battery slot on the JawSaw. The battery pack is then inserted below the handle on the extension pole.

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

The pole extension has a 12 foot reach, but you will need to position one hand on the black shaft to operate the JawSaw.

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

After positioning the JawSaw “jaws” around the branch…

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

…pull back on the black shaft to set the blade in motion.

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

The JawSaw does all the work for you while you remain safely on the ground. I also like the JawSaw because it gives the user a safe distance from the blade. With a regular chainsaw kickback is always a concern.

Logs and branches can be cut directly on the ground because the “jaws” blade guard holds the blade just above the ground. You can’t do that safely with a regular chainsaw.

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

The only negatives about the JawSaw is that you will need to have a battery charged ahead of time (but I much prefer the cordless vs. a corded yard tool.) And you are limited to a 4 inch cutting diameter.

Using the JawSaw on the extension pole is a bit awkward, but I don’t have the strongest arm strength. However, once the jaws are around the branch you don’t have to support the saw the entire time.

WORX JawSaw Review | PrettyHandyGirl

Overall, this is one yard tool that I’m happy to have in our tool shed. It is invaluable for safely removing limbs and cutting up small trees. I highly recommend the WORX Lithium Cordless Chainsaw with Extension Pole for tree trimming and small tree removal over a chainsaw.

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Disclosure: This is a product review for the WORX JawSaw Cordless Chainsaw. I was provided with the tool at not cost to me. However, I was not swayed to write a positive review or write anything at all. This is NOT a sponsored post. As always I am very particular about the brands and products I choose to showcase on this blog. Â