If you're a regular reader then you know that I've been featuring excerpts from my recent interview with Paul Ryan of the DIY Network. Today I'm featuring his practical advice on range vent hoods.

I also asked Paul about recent industry innovations regarding kitchen range vents.

Have your kids been little stinkers lately? Ground 'em for Halloween!

That'll teach them a lesson!

Here's a unique Halloween yard decoration that I've kept (unintentional) tabs on for the past couple of years. It's displayed in a subdivision just down the street from ours and I have yet to have seen any other yard with anything quite like it.

One of the coolest features that I find to be a pleasant surprise when we're out looking at homes are walk-in hidden kitchen pantries. Not only are walk-in hidden kitchen pantries a cool feature but they are convenient, they blend in with the rest of the kitchen and they also have plenty of storage.

I've got a few photos of walk-in hidden pantries to show you to give you some ideas.

The world is full of interesting people but extraordinary people are few and far between. I recently met and befriended one of those extraordinary people through my workplace and she's got quite a story behind her.

Hard times, courage, determination, patience and dreams are some of the elements that have made Sipaphay the person that she is today. She's also the extremely proud owner of a very nice home in her native country of Laos...but that hasn't always been the case.

Have you been thinking of diving into a kitchen remodeling or renovation project?

Paul Ryan of DIY's Kitchen Renovations has some sound advice for homeowners to get the "biggest bang for the buck" for a kitchen renovation project.

photo credit:DIY Network

Today is a slight departure from my usual house chatter to give you some information about a Match & Win Dream House Game sponsored by Goya, Tyson and Reynolds Wrap Foil where you can win a $500,000 dream house.

I'm not kidding!

That's the grand prize amongst over $1,000,000 in prizes to be given away.