How To Handyma’am | A Home Improvement Comedy Podcast

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 inspecto...

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...

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 o...

Welcome back to How to Handyma'am! It is finally spring, and we are kicking off a four-part series dedicated to all things spring maintenance and landscaping. But first, 3 Minutes of Chaos! We also take a moment to talk about leaning into who you really are and accepting your unique quirks. We also give a shoutout to our favorite med student, Hannah MacArthur! Then, we dive into the Spring Han...

Welcome back to the Side Quest! We kick things off with a truly chaotic (and somewhat mournful) rendition of our theme song, and then dive right into some excellent listener questions. First up, a listener asks a question we've all been wondering: what happens to the painted exterior doors of a house that's been stripped down to the studs and abandoned for years? We break down a few ways t...

Welcome back to How to Handyma'am! We are kicking off today's episode with 3 Minutes of Chaos, featuring Samantha's Victorian romance tv show recommendations, a quick menopause update, and the hilarious story of her cartoon-style wipeout on a loose rug while chasing Winnie the Golden Retriever. (Spoiler: Winnie's response was to sit directly on Samantha to tell her to calm down!) B...

Welcome back to the Side Quest! Today, we are skipping the intro and diving straight into some listener questions, ranging from the highly technical to the completely chaotic. We start by helping Sherry F. figure out how to restore the water-damaged fronts of her sink cabinets without totally replacing them. (And yes, we may have gotten a little distracted by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons alo...

Welcome to How to Handyma'am! We are kicking off Episode 16 with a little singing, a sweet dedication to Samantha's sister, Sandy, and a recap of our live TV debut on New Day Cleveland! Fun fact: Samantha and Sandy both have golden retrievers (including Samantha's dog, Winnie the Pearl) and the dogs are actually sisters! We also got to teach an amazing troop of Girl Scouts how to build...

Welcome back to a very special Side Quest! We are officially recovering from a wild weekend at the Lansing Home and Garden Show, so we are opening up the vault and giving everyone early access to an episode originally recorded just for our Patreon. This week, we are taking a break from home repair to share our ultimate "horror stories from the field". Warning: this episode is essentially...

Welcome to How to Handyma'am! This week, we are consulting Shakespeare for our home repairs and asking the ultimate DIY question: To fix, or not to fix? But first, we kick things off with a sweet dedication to Arly's grandma, the "OG Handyma'am," and spill the tea on the products we are absolutely loving right now. From navigating the tragedy of dragging a refrigerator across...

Welcome back to another Side Quest! This week, we are answering three of your most pressing DIY questions from the community. If you have a question you want us to tackle on a future Side Quest, you can now submit it directly on our new website: howtohandymaam.com! In this episode, we answer: Amanda's Question: How hard is it to take down old living room paneling, and what do I have to do to t...

Welcome back to How to Handymaam! 🛠️ This week, we are introducing a brand new segment called "Three Minutes of Chaos" before diving into a highly practical checklist for securing your home. Whether you live alone or just want some extra peace of mind, we are breaking down the easiest, most effective security upgrades you can tackle this weekend. In this episode, we cover: Three Minutes...

Welcome back to the Side Quest! 🎧 This week, we are off the leash and bringing you a brand new edition of "Tales from the Field". If you've ever dealt with unwarranted comments in the hardware store or accidentally become the star of your own true-crime podcast, this episode is for you. We are sharing three highly chaotic stories from our day-to-day lives as female contractors. In t...

Welcome back to How to Handyma'am ! This week, we are dedicating the episode to the ultimate hype-woman: Grandma Chris. She embodies the true Handyma'am spirit of loving support and "of course you can do that" energy. Before we get into the heavy lifting, we have a very chaotic catch-up session. We’re talking about a "menty b" over a DoorDash order missing its emotional...

🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: We have a brand new, dedicated website! Go check out howtohandymaam.com ! We officially separated it from our construction page, and we are SO excited for you to see it! Welcome to the official "off-topic" podcast episode! In this highly conversational and chaotic Side Quest, we are running entirely on Sparkling Ice +Caffeine and good vibes. We're taking a break...

We’re kicking off a brand-new series to help you stop being a "reactive" homeowner and start being a proactive Handyma’am . This episode moves past the basics to cover the high-priority safety and maintenance tasks that most people ignore until something goes wrong. Inside the Episode: The Recommendation Engine : We dive into our current obsessions, from Bridgerton (Season 3) to the high...

In this milestone 10th SideQuest, Samantha, Emily, and Arly discuss why the "why" is just as important as the "how." From Emily’s late-night war against a neighborhood skunk to a listener’s four-year battle with a mysterious sewer smell, we’re breaking down how to diagnose the root cause of your home’s biggest headaches. Inside the Episode: The "Moby Dick" Moment: Emi...

We are coming full circle! Our very first episode was a deep dive into Cheap vs. Quality tools, and today we are returning to that concept to tackle home products and DIY materials . From the "science" of top-shelf paint to the nightmare of peel-and-stick wallpaper, we’re breaking down where to invest and where you can actually afford to save. The reno industry is flooded with "begi...

In this SideQuest, Samantha, Emily, and Arly dive into the mailbag to solve some common homeowner headaches. From the mysteries of "clicking" floors that have stopped clicking to the science of why your laundry room walls might be "sweating" syrup, the ladies break down how to fix it without calling in a pro (or burning the house down in frustration). Is your click-and-lock flo...

This week’s episode is dedicated to our favorite sister/DIY-er, Isabel Bowen (of Bowen’s Builds)! In this episode, we play a game of "Red Flag, Green Flag, Yellow Flag" to help you navigate the stressful world of hiring contractors. If you are planning a renovation or need a repair, knowing these warning signs can save you thousands of dollars (and a lot of headaches). We discuss: 🚩 Cas...

We realized we’ve been hanging out in your earbuds for a few weeks now, but we haven't properly introduced ourselves! In this SideQuest , we’re hitting pause on the tutorials to tell you who we actually are and how "My Handyma'am" started. Spoiler: It began with an accidental renovation, a biology major who never left, and a lot of plaster dust. In this episode, we cover: The &qu...

We are taking a little trip back in time to right after Christmas! 🎄 In this episode, we are recapping the gifts we received (including a pink bucket that almost made Arly cry), sharing the moment Emily got recognized from the podcast while sitting in her car looking like a "Gremlin," and answering the ultimate beginner question: Do you really need power tools to DIY? We break down the...

Welcome to a very special Side Quest ! Today, we are keeping it in the family— Arly’s sister, Isabel Bowen , joins the chat! Isabel is the ultimate "double threat": she plans luxury South Asian and multicultural weddings by day, and by night (literally), she runs Bowen’s Builds , a DIY renovation brand she built with her husband, Jacob. In this episode, we talk about the messy reality of...

Welcome back to How to Handyma’am ! In this episode, we are celebrating some huge wins : we hit the Apple Education (How-To) Charts (Top 30!), went viral on TikTok, and are officially building the best village on the internet. We dedicate this episode to our favorite villager, Kayleigh (our “guinea pig numero uno”), who proves you don’t need to be handy to be essential to the crew. Then, Emily tak...

The squirrels in our brains are running wild today (Gerald says hello), but we are staying on track to answer your questions! In this episode, the crew discusses: Sticky Situations: Can you use Shellac primer over sticky window cling residue? (Yes, but sand the texture off first!) The "Oogity Oogity" Debate: The difference between antique shellac furniture finishes and modern shellac-bas...