Winter is finally over in Michigan, and the Handyma’ams are ready to head outside! This episode kicks off a two-part summer hosting series designed to help you get your home party-ready and, most importantly, safe for your guests.

In this episode, we cover:

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  Memorial for Carla Jean: A special dedication to a "girls' gal" who loved life.

  
  

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  The 3-Minute Catch-up: New eyebrow freckles , a heartwarming story about Marshall at Pizza Hut and his wood-crafting daughter , and getting rained on at an Alabama Shakes concert .

  
  

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  Tales from the Field: The struggle of replacing niche, patented hinges on a massive glass door .

  
  

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  Arly’s Prep Checklist: Why you need to power wash (or soft wash) your surfaces , checking your deck boards for soft spots , and the importance of a working bathroom lock for guest privacy.

  
  

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  Backyard Lighting & Pests: Inexpensive solar options , DIY planter light posts , and how to manage standing water to keep mosquitoes away .

  
  

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  Samantha’s Fire Pit 101: The 10-foot rule , why wood-burning pits and decks don't mix , and a step-by-step guide to building a stone fire pit with proper drainage .

  
  

Handyma’am Pro-Tip: Always put a plunger in the guest bathroom so nobody has to die of embarrassment.

Check out our Blog HERE!

Check out all our links at linktr.ee/howtohandymaam

Grab your concert tees and get ready to rock, because this is the Sidequest of the 90s!

This week, Emily went rogue in the basement office and dug into the depths of Reddit to find some truly unhinged contractor horror stories. Samantha, Arly, and Emily read through four different nightmares and provide their professional commentary on the massive red flags these homeowners missed.

In this Sidequest, we react to:

• A custom window disaster where 3.5-meter tall glass panels were secured with small screws and blew right into the house.

  
  

• A $9,999 defamation lawsuit over a bad review.

  
  

• The all-too-common "Materials Scam," where sketchy crews over-order insulation and lumber to stash for their side gigs.

  
  

• A "somewhat simple" kitchen and double-bathroom remodel that was handed off to an unlicensed subcontractor from Lowe's.

  
  

Plus, we share essential Handyma'am advice:

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  The Box Store Secret: Why you should never assume a contractor referred by Lowe's, Menards, or Home Depot is vetted or qualified. (Home Depot literally ranks their Pros by how much money they spend on materials! ).

  
  

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  License Verification: Step-by-step instructions on how to look up your contractor's license through your state's regulatory affairs website (like LARA in Michigan).

  
  

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  The Discount Red Flag: Why a legit business with workers comp and overhead cannot afford to offer you a $5,000 "act today" discount.

  
  

Did you love this Reddit episode? Search for the How To Handyma'am group on Facebook and let us know if we should make this a regular series!

Check out the Blog!

Welcome back to How To Handyma'am! This week, Arly survived a brutal bout of food poisoning to bring you an episode packed with chaotic energy, essential life advice, and a hardware store game show.

Before we talk tools, Samantha celebrates finding a great new therapist , and then Emily takes the mic for an important soapbox moment about body neutrality, diet culture, and dealing with internet trolls. The ethos of How To Handyma'am is simple: come exactly as you are. Your body is the least interesting thing about you, and we are here to build cool things, not conform to impossible standards!

Then, it is time to play The Price is Right: Big Box Store Edition! Arly quizzes Emily and Samantha on the retail prices of everyday DIY materials. We are covering everything from LVP flooring and exterior doors to why a gallon of Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane will cause some serious sticker shock.

🎉 GIVEAWAY ALERT! 🎉We are giving away a Milwaukee Drill Kit (M18 Drill, two batteries, a charger, and a bag)! To enter, follow us on Instagram (@howtohandymaam) and join our email list before May 8th, 2026 at 12:00 AM.

Check out our BLOG!

Got a question? Want to join the community? Search for the "How To Handyma'am" group on Facebook, visit howtohandymaam.com, or email us at [email protected]!

Welcome to another Side Quest! ⚔️ Today, Samantha, Arley, and Emily are tackling your listener questions. We’re covering everything from the legalities of deck building to why poorly installed safety equipment is the absolute worst.

In this episode, we answer:

• Do you need a permit to replace your deck boards? (And why you should never pull a permit for your contractor!) .

  
  

• Can you put mulch over a weed barrier, or will it invite a swarm of cockroaches? 🪳.

  
  

• How to fix a stair handrail that ripped right out of the drywall.

  
  

• Is pressure-treated lumber poisoning your vegetable garden? 🍅.

  
  

Plus, a terrifying tale from the field involving tick-infested mulch, and a mind-blowing realization about where the word "windmill" comes from.

Check out the Blog!

Got a question for us? We want to hear it! Email us at [email protected].

Welcome back to How to Handyma'am, besties! We missed you. In this episode, we are wrapping up our four-part "Spring is Sprung" series with the ultimate guide to beautifying the outside of your home in 48 hours or less.

We are giving you beginner-friendly DIY tips for:

• Diagnosing your house style: Why you need to lean into the house you have (stop making ranches look like farmhouses!) and the rules for Craftsman, Mid-Century, and Colonial aesthetics.

• Committing Shutter Crimes: Why undersized, non-functional-looking shutters are a federal crime in our book, and how to remove them and fix the holes.

• Exterior Paint Prep: Can you paint vinyl siding? (Yes, but you have to use the right stuff so it doesn't melt!) Plus, wood siding prep and when to use a "Paint Eater."

• Sneaky Exterior Repairs: Using "Siding Band-Aids" (patches) for holes and swapping rotted wood trim for PVC/composite.

• Landscaping for Real People: How to pick plants based on the person you actually are, not who you wish you were. Hint: Hostas are your friends.

This episode is proudly dedicated to Emily’s fierce, intelligent, and effervescent cousin-in-law, LaTonya! Be like LaTonya.

Plus, we have your three (nine?) minutes of controlled chaos, featuring:

• Live otter cameras as stress relief.

• Florida sunshine as a cure for depression (and laying in it like a lizard).

• A medium amount of investigation into a tiled shower room that was totally missing waterproofing.

• A truly horrifying "Tale from the Field" involving contaminated drywall, fecal matter, and handcuffs attached to bolts in the floor. 😱

Links & Resources:

• 🌐 Check out our storefront for tools mentioned in this episode: https://shoplowes.me/4i2zfaI

  •Linktree: linktr.ee/howtohandymaam

• 📸 Follow us on Instagram (help us get to 1,000!): @howtohandymaam

• 💌 Got a DIY question? Email us at [email protected]

• Malice in the Mitten, Singly Married, Marci Talks Money (podcasts mentioned).

  Check out our BLOG!

This week on the Side Quest, we are putting down the power tools and picking up our resumes! If you are job hunting, switching careers, or just struggling to land an offer, this is the episode for you.

Before we started How to Handyma'am, our very own Samantha Pearl had a long career in Human Resources and conducted hundreds of interviews. Inspired by the absolute trauma of some recent chaotic interviews we have held, we are sharing the ultimate guide to getting hired.

In this episode, we cover:

Resume Red Flags: Why you aren't getting callbacks, how to fix your AI-generated resume, and why your voicemail greeting might be costing you the job.

The Do's of Interviewing: How to prep behavioral stories, what to research before you arrive, and why you should bring a pen and paper.

The Absolute Don't: Why you should never ask about pay in the first interview, why badmouthing your toxic ex-boss makes you look bad, and the "Forbidden Three" topics you can never bring up.

The Handyma'am Reality Check: Why not getting hired is actually a "you" problem—and how to fix it by treating your interview like an audition!

As always, join the Handyma'am Community:

Have a wild interview story or a DIY question for us?

Email us at [email protected]!

Check out our BLOG: https://howtohandymaam.com/blog/sidequest-19-the-ultimate-job-interview-guide-tips-from-an-hr-pro !

Sign up for our newsletter: https://howtohandymaam.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">howtohandymaam.com.

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @howtohandymaam

If you are planning on building, replacing, or resurfacing a deck this summer, you cannot afford to skip this episode! Today, we are starting from the ground up to give you the ultimate Deck 101 survival guide.

We talk through the dreaded permitting process and explain exactly when you can legally skip the paperwork. Then, we break down the pros, cons, and hidden costs of the three most common decking materials: pressure-treated lumber, cedar, and composite. Whether you want the cheapest option or a deck that will outlive you, we have the installation secrets you need to know.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why your deck's substructure must always be ground-contact pressure-treated lumber.

• The 6-to-12-month waiting rule for sealing a pressure-treated deck.

• Why you need to wear a mask when cutting cedar.

• The hidden costs of composite decking, including special fasteners and structural framing requirements.

• A major safety warning about modern cable railings.

Connect with us!

Got a question or a "Tale from the Field"?

Email us at [email protected]!

Check out our blog at https://howtohandymaam.com/blog/episode-20-decks-101-permits-materials-amp-building-it-right

🔗 All our links in one place: linktr.ee/howtohandymaam

🏡 Check out our website: howtohandymaam.com

Welcome back to the Sidequest! This is where we drop the script, embrace the chaos, and answer your emails. Today, we are tackling three listener questions that cover everything from electrical safety to heavy lifting in the kitchen.

In this episode, we answer questions from:

• Marguerite: Looking for tips on rewiring a house? We share why you need to make friends with your local electrical inspector, the absolute necessity of voltage testers, and the one wire you should never, ever touch if you want to stay alive.

• Cindy: We settle the great deck debate: stain vs. paint. We explain why painting a horizontal wood deck is a terrible idea, why we swear by Australian Timber Oil for low-maintenance longevity, and the strict rules you cannot cheat on when waiting for your pressure-washed deck to dry.

• Lola: How do you safely remove old kitchen cabinets? We break down the reverse-engineering method, why you must remove the doors and shelves first, where to find the hidden face-frame screws, and the sneaky ways new flooring can trap your base cabinets.

Plus, Minutes of Chaos: We're talking about whispering toddlers, horrifying OSHA training videos, and the slippery dangers of using the wrong water seal on your walking paths.

Got a question for the Handyma'ams? Email us at [email protected]!

Check out our blog from this week HERE!

🔗 All our links in one place: linktr.ee/howtohandymaam🏡 Check out our website: howtohandymaam.com

Welcome back to How to Handyma'am! In this episode, we are continuing our Spring Series by teaching you everything you need to know to grow things outside your house this spring. We are also dedicating this episode to Arly's mother-in-law, Johanna, who is retiring after 20 years of working night shifts—congratulations!

In this episode, we cover the Do's and Don'ts of:

• Grading Your Yard: Why you need to slope the dirt away from your foundation (1 inch per foot!), use proper fill dirt instead of topsoil, and use downspout extenders to keep water out of your basement.

• Mulching: How 3 to 5 inches of organic mulch can save you from weeding and watering, why you should never "volcano" mulch around your trees, and how to get free mulch using Chip Drop.

• Gardening on Your Deck: Why heavy ceramic pots and regular dirt will cause "fast rot" on your wood deck, and why you should switch to light plastic pots with fast-draining potting soil.

• DIY Garden Beds: Emily breaks down how to build cheap, safe beds using cedar fence pickets instead of toxic pressure-treated wood. Plus, we explain the "lasagna method" for filling them so you don't go broke buying topsoil!

• Critter Control: Why your bird feeder is actually attracting raccoons to rip off your siding, natural ways to deter pests, and why you should never, ever plant bamboo or mint directly in the ground.

Plus, Minutes of Chaos: We're talking about eating Mr. Leslie's Cheesecake, Samantha getting her lizard-on in the Florida sun, happy sci-fi movies, and doing an ASMR review of the Enviro Brush (a reusable paintbrush helping reduce construction waste!).

🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: In-Person Training! 🚨We are hosting our first in-person training this June! Head to our website and put your email in on the events page to get registration access two days earlier than everyone else.

🔗 All our links in one place: linktr.ee/howtohandymaam

🏡 Check out our website: howtohandymaam.com

Check out our Blog: https://howtohandymaam.com/blog/ep-19-spring-landscaping-101-garden-beds-yard-grading-amp-keeping-critters-out

Welcome back to the Sidequest! This week, Samantha poses a deeply personal question to the group: How do you handle the stress and long hours when you're trying to create something incredibly important, but circumstances make it difficult?

If you are currently pouring your heart into a passion project, a small business, or just trying to survive a chaotic season of life, this episode is your official hype squad.

In this Sidequest, we cover:

• Coping Mechanisms & Avoiding Spreadsheets: We share how we actually get things done. From Emily’s hyper-focusing (and literally trading TikTok video creation to get out of building a spreadsheet) to Samantha’s "all the way on or all the way off" lifestyle that requires long, decompression baths.

• The Importance of Support Systems: We are destigmatizing therapy and talking about why having a solid support system is non-negotiable. Huge shoutout to the partners picking up the laundry and dog-walking slack during 80-hour work weeks!

• Reframing Disappointment: What happens when your big plan fails? We talk about pivoting our original November podcast launch and reframing that "failure" into building a massive online ecosystem instead.

• The Ultimate Mission: Why quitting is never an option for us. We are building this community to give women the autonomy, knowledge, and agency to make choices about their own homes.

When a project is this important, you aren't just the person who can make it happen—you are the person who cannot not make it happen.

Join the Handyma'am Community!

Check out our Blog: https://howtohandymaam.com/blog/sidequest-17-the-ugly-truth-about-building-a-business-80-hour-weeks-amp-therapy

🔗 All our links in one place: linktr.ee/howtohandymaam

🏡 Check out our brand new ecosystem: howtohandymaam.com