When I was young, I spent a lot of time at my grandparents' house. I have many fond memories of building hideouts, playing with my siblings and cousins, and watching TV in the den. Many a Saturday afternoon we watched the lineup of shows on PBS: The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross's happy little trees, Victory Garden, Julia Child, and The Frugal Gourmet. However, I wasn't quite as interested in This Old House. Times sure have changed! Now that I'm a homeowner, I appreciate it much more. My husband and I have been known to watch it on Saturday mornings, and it airs on avariety of stations. I enjoy following the projects, and I marvel at how the crew makes everything look so easy on Ask This Old House. My husband subscribes to the magazine, which you can get here at the library. I even had the pleasure of meeting host Kevin O'Connor at a luncheon. (We went to the same college.)

I have grand ideas, but my husband and I are not Norm Abram. Our home improvement projects are fairly minimal--think spackling, caulking, painting, and little bit of patchwork. We leave the big jobs, like plastering our ceilings, to the experts. But, if you are handy or just want some ideas, the library has numerous resources. Aside from the afore mentioned magazine, we have books on home improvement, painting, and remodeling, among other topics that might be helpful if you are doing work on your house. You can also look at the HGTV and DIY websites.

Home improvements will make you happy in the end, but they can be stressful. What seems like a simple task often becomes more involved and complex than you had anticipated. I am writing from experience!

If you have a favorite home improvement show or any tips, please leave a comment below.