WELCOME to the TEXASDIYMAMA blog

DIY and Woodworking are my jams but I also use this space to share a little about my journey as an autism mom in hopes that it will help someone who is struggling with the same things. And when I say I'll be sharing a "little" I really mean a little.  Most of the content here is about DIY. :)

THE LATEST POST

Y’all. If you have ever spent a Saturday afternoon spreading fresh mulch in your flower beds, only to look out the window two months later and wonder where on earth all of it went, this post is for you. I have asked myself that exact question more times than I can count. I would lay […]

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ALL RECENT POSTS:

DIY

Is Mulch Glue Worth It? Everything You Need to Know

Y’all. If you have ever spent a Saturday afternoon spreading fresh mulch in your flower beds, only to look out the window two months later and wonder where on earth all of it went, this post is for you. I have asked myself that exact question more times than I can count. I would lay […]

Three polished brass swans of different sizes displayed on a marble surface with Casa Mexicana Style and other books

DIY

How to Clean Brass with The Pink Stuff – No Harsh Chemicals Needed

Y’all, I have a confession. I am a Facebook Marketplace addict. I scroll FBMP the way some people scroll Instagram before bed. And honestly? Some of my favorite home finds have come from random sellers in my area who had no idea what they were sitting on. That is exactly how I found these brass […]

LIFESTYLE

Best Retractable Hose for Busy Homeowners & Why I Ditched My Old Garden Hose for Good

Y’all, I need to talk about a garden hose. I know. That sounds ridiculous. But hear me out, because if you had told me two years ago that a retractable hose reel would make me genuinely excited about watering plants, I would have laughed in your face. And yet here we are. If you have […]

Full view of a DIY fluted MDF panel accent wall in a home gym with warm oak finish and black slats, spin bike and yoga mat in front

DIY

How to Install a Fluted MDF Panel Accent Wall (The Easiest Slat Wall You’ll Ever Build)

I have built slat walls three different ways. I have used individual wood strips, I have used acoustic panels, and I have used these MDF fluted panels from Lowe’s. And honestly? If I had to do it all over again, I would skip straight to the panels every single time. This project cost us about […]

DIY

How I Transformed a 20-Year-Old Bathroom Vanity on a $25 Budget

I’m going to be honest with you right out of the gate, I did not plan on flipping a bathroom vanity. This bathroom remodel has been a slow burn. A “do-it-when-I-can” kind of project. I’ve been working on it mostly on my own, piece by piece, over the last year. And like most real-life renovations, […]

DIY

The $30 Attic Hatch Insulation Fix That Saves Hundreds on Energy Bills

Okay, I have to share this with you because it is one of those projects that looks completely unimpressive until you see it on your energy bill. We are talking about a $30 fix that has saved our family hundreds of dollars a year on energy costs. No renovation. No contractor. Just a little attic […]

Vegan breakfast burrito filled with tofu scramble, vegetables, and salsa on a blue and white plate

RECIPES

Easy Vegan Breakfast Burrito – Protein-Packed & Weekday Realistic

I’m just going to say it upfront: I am not a food blogger. I don’t test recipes twelve times, I don’t own fancy plating tools, and I absolutely do not measure everything down to the gram. What I am is a mom who’s been vegan for 10 years, gets asked for food ideas constantly, and […]

DIY

Failed Shower Pan Liner: How I Discovered a Hidden Shower Leak Under My Tile Floor

This used to be what my bathroom looked like. I never expected a simple baseboard removal to lead to a full shower gut — but that’s exactly what happened when I discovered a shower leak under my tile floor. When I removed the baseboard in my bathroom, I immediately noticed wet drywall and mold forming […]

Checkered patio with two light chairs and a small table against the brick wall.

DIY

How to Paint a Checkered Concrete Patio

I love my patio, but the floor has been through it. We had old tile, I painted it once (chaos), then finally paid to have the tile removed… which left me staring at a plain, rough concrete slab. I tried hiding it with an outdoor rug. Hated that for me. So I did what I […]

Updated kitchen corner with wooden vent hood, new peel-and-stick backsplash, and bright white painted walls

DIY

My Budget Kitchen Glow-Up with Paint and Peel-and-Stick Tile (for Under $1,000!)

I’ve never been crazy about our kitchen. It’s dark, it’s dated, and for years I just kind of… lived with it. Between cooking, kids, and life, it became one of those spaces I cleaned constantly but never actually liked. The beige walls felt sad, the lighting was builder-grade and boring, and don’t even get me […]