Author Archives: Dan Hansen

Episode 238: The Wishbone’s Strange History, Holiday Survival Guide, Brilliant Gift Recommendations

Posted on

SEGMENT 1: The Wishbone’s Strange History

We all know the Thanksgiving tradition of two people pulling apart the wishbone to see who gets the wish . . . but do you know where this strange tradition comes from? Tune in to find out!

SEGMENT 2: Holiday Survival Guide

Whether you’re a person who enjoys big Holiday gatherings or not, they can be a little stressful. We put together a Holiday Survival Gide that is sure to make family gatherings more enjoyable for both hosts and guests.

SEGMENTS 3 & 4: Brilliant Gift Recommendations

This is our 5th Annual Gift Guide and Dan is trying desperately to “win”. Sadly, he comes up short again . . . .

Gifts for the Whole Family

Hailey: Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park Family Membership

Dan: Home Theater (you can do it well AND cheaper than you may think!)

Gifts for Kids and Teens

Hailey: (Kids) Dinosaur Explorer Gift set. But it’s not just the set . . . get other related items and create a world!

Dan: (Teens) A Mysterious Package Experience. You’ll receive a package (or multiples) in the mail and within, you’ll find letters, documents, artifacts and more that tell an unfolding story or mystery that you are challenged to solve!

Gifts for the Hard-To-Buy-For Person

Hailey: Snacks from around the world! Pick a country and receive a package of their favorite snacks.

Dan: An Audible Subscription. Give the gift of books on audio. Yes, it’s a digital gift and no it doesn’t have a lot of flair . . . but it does have “staying power”! This is the kind of gift that will likely be used ALL year long. Personally, I’ve listened to over 27 books in the last year . . . some of which (Anna Karenina, I’m looking at you) I don’t think I’d have made it through if I was reading on my own . . . .

Gifts for Adults

Hailey: The gift they ALWAYS wanted as a child. Hailey goes for the nostalgia factor here and suggests finding a fun gift someone always wanted but never received. Her example is the famous (perhaps infamous) Red Ryder BB gun!

Dan: A membership (or several-month pass) to a gym. YES, I know this is an incredibly difficult gift to give. You have to be smart, suave, and tactful because nothing could say, “hey, you’re not exactly good enough as you are . . . why not try this?” quite like a gym membership. So maybe it’s a gift you give yourself! But still, as we head into winter, getting out and exercising can really make you feel a lot better!

A Unique Gift

Hailey: A Float Tank experience at PHLOT in Grand Rapids. It’s a sensory-depravation experience and Hailey claims it’s the most relaxing experience she’s ever had! Also, it’s remarkably good for people with chronic pain. So if you can get past the idea of spending an hour alone in the silent dark . . . this might be for you!

Dan: An Escape Room experience. We’ve talked about them on the show before . . . but escape rooms are just a TON of fun! You can find them in Grand Rapids, Holland, and at our favorite spot in Zeeland: Out of the Box Games, Toys, and Puzzles!

Episode 236: Paint Hack Attack, Color of the Year 2022, Tablescapes Made Easy, Avoiding Scams

Posted on

SEGMENT 1: Paint Hack Attack

Life hacks are all over the internet! And many of them are just terrible ideas . . . . One “paint hack from the pros” that we ran across involved pounding holes in the rim of your paint can. We talk about why that’s such a bad idea.

SEGMENT 2: Color of the Year 2022

Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year for 2022 is October Mist. It’s a great color that “plays nice” with so many other colors! It’s easy to work with and might be something to consider as you plan your next paint project.

SEGMENT 3: Tablescapes Made Easy

Putting together a centerpiece for your holiday table is easy. You just have to start with a few basic concepts and work from there!

SEGMENT 4: Avoiding Scams

It’s pretty much always “Scam Season”. We’ve all run into them from time to time and some of us have been hooked and taken for a ride. We talk about some current scams going on in the Holland area as well as some basics behind what scammers do and why. All of that info should help us avoid getting suckered by that next phone call.

Here are the articles we referenced in the discussion:

Episode 235: The Best Leaf Tarp, 10 Minutes with Your Fridge, Hailey’s Monumental Bathroom Re-do

Posted on

SEGMENT 1: The Best Leaf Tarp

When you have a lot of leaves to deal with in the fall, you get creative! You look for new solutions everywhere. Well, I stumbled into what I think is the best leaf tarp out there. And it’s actually a dump truck tarp. We’ll tell you why we like it so much.

SEGMENTS 2: 10 Minutes with Your Fridge

Our refrigerators don’t ask for much! But one thing we can do to possibly extend their life is to periodically clean the condenser coils. We’ll tell you how (and the good news is it’s quick!)

SEGMENTS 3 and 4: Hailey’s Monumental Bathroom Re-do

Hailey’s cat, Berger, couldn’t get to his litter box the other day . . . and two weeks later, Hailey had a brand new bathroom. We’ll talk about all the crazy steps in between!

Episode 234: Fall Prep, Spontaneous Combustion, Time Capsules, Why Painters Wear White

Posted on

SEGMENT 1: Fall Prep

The seasons are changing and while it’s been a remarkably warm October so far . . . we all know what’s just around the bend. With that in mind, we go over a number of projects that you want to make sure you’ve got wrapped up in the next couple of weeks!

SEGMENTS 2: Spontaneous Combustion

Hailey ran into a story of how a home improvement project ended up resulting in a fire that burned the home to the ground. Rags used to clean up oil-based stain and solvent were left accidentally in a pile and, over the course of a couple hours, they ignited because of spontaneous combustion. 

We talk about what happened and how to prevent it . . . and, because it’s Fire Prevention Month . . . we discuss a number of other safety measures to consider.

SEGMENT 3: Time Capsules

Not the usual topic for a home improvement show, but we think a personal time capsule, filled with family memories, and set to be unearthed at some future date might be a great project with a huge payoff! It’s definitely something fun to consider.

SEGMENT 4: Why Do Painters Wear White?

It’s an age-old question . . . and the internet is full of answers! We sift through all the suggestions and have what we feel might be the definitive list of reasons professional painters have worn white through the ages!

Episode 233: Backing Out and Pressing On

Posted on

This episode, we explore the concept of failure. So often we fear it and do everything to avoid it…but it’s part of life! And it’s part of every great endeavor. But, not every instance of failure or complication we encounter should be handled in exactly the same way….

SEGMENT 1: Backing Out of Color Mistakes

This episode, we explore the concept of failure. So often we fear it and do everything to avoid it . . . but it’s part of life! And it’s part of every great endeavor. But, not every instance of failure or complication we encounter should be handled in exactly the same way….

When choosing colors, most of us put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into making the right choice! But even then . . . sometimes when we roll the new paint onto the walls, we wonder if we’ve made the right call! If you’ve ever been in that situation and have worried you made the wrong “color call” . . . here are a few considerations:

FIRST: Colors change as they dry down — sometimes dramatically – so give the paint time to dry before you react too quickly!

SECOND: Colors are affected by our surroundings! If the wall is a different color, and you view the new color framed with that older color, your impression of your new color may not be accurate at all. You may need to paint an entire section, covering up that old color entirely, before you’re able to judge the color accurately.

THIRD: If you know you just picked the wrong color, here’s what we can do in the paint store to help:

  • Tinted paint CAN be changed, but only in limited degrees. However, if your color is close, but just leans “too gray” or “too green”, “too yellow” or “too pink”, then usually we can adjust it to an acceptable hue.
  • We can also deepen the color to some extent, but the amount of change we can affect is limited by the base used for the original color and the colorant already present in the mix.
  • Finally, lightening colors is very limited.

The best course of action is to reach out to any RepcoLite or Port City Paints and talk through the situation.

FOURTH: There’s nothing better than avoiding a problem in the first place

  • Benjamin Moore Sample pints
    • Paint it in your home
    • View it in your lighting!
    • Make sure you got it right
  • RepcoLite’s Color Consultants
    • In-home visits for $50/hour
    • Free in-store consultations

SEGMENTS 2 & 3: Tragedy, Failure, and the History of the Telegraph

With almost all invention, the road from concept to reality, is usually bumpy! The history of the invention of the telegraph is no different. But there are great lessons tucked inside the story!

SEGMENT 4: A New Take on Feature Walls

We can’t focus on failures the whole episode! Now it’s time to jump into a project that really caught our eye over the last couple weeks: feature walls done not with just paint or wallpaper . . . but with wood strips. It’s a great project, a simple project, and can have a tremendous amount of impact in your space!

Episode 232: Instagram Contest Update, Supporting the Arts, Drill Bits 101, The History of Color on Trim

Posted on

SEGMENT 1: Instagram Contest Update

There’s still time to enter our contest! Click here for everything you need to know!

SEGMENT 2: Supporting the Arts with Lions and Rabbits Center

We talk with Hannah Berry, founder of Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts. 

SEGMENT 3: Drill Bits 101

There are so many options when it comes to drill bits. We cut through some of the confusion!

SEGMENT 4: The History of Trim

Last week we talked about putting a color other than white on your trim. This week, we look at the long history of what trim has looked like in America since the 1700’s!