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Lately I’ve been working on a lot of crafty projects with my toddler.  Unfortunately, I’m plagued by ICTDT Syndrome (“I can totally do that!”), which means my result is never quite what I intended . . . and by “quite” I mean that I blame the two-year-old for the craftastrophe, and people actually believe it.  Of course there are a lot of As Seen on TV arts and craft products and tools for Do-It-Yourselfers, and these are designed to make crafting, building, and remodeling easy for even novices.  Unfortunately, for some of us, there’s just no help.

For example, The Bedazzler made creating jeweled fashions simple for anyone.  Well, almost anyone:

I’m sure Jaycee’s Mommmy will wear this Bedazzled garment with pride at the next PTA meeting.   And Jaycee will enjoy many years of therapy.

Crafters are not alone in their failures, however.  DIY projects of all kinds can go dramatically wrong in a second, even with the best of tools–although I’m not sure this qualifies as the best of tools:

Perhaps this home improvement genius should consider the Half Time Drill Driver, no?  Clearly, he’s in the market for a new drill.  At least, I hope so, or this is even more Fail than I thought.

Crafts, Do-It-Yourself . . . and let’s not forget Cake Fail.  There is a whole website dedicated to the ridiculous cake fails of professional bakers, but homemade cakes can often really take cake horror to a whole new level:

Oh, how I hope this cake isn’t for poor Jaycee.

Of course you want your cake to be the focal point of the party.  Of course you want your cake decorating skills to be talked about for years to come.  But not like this.

Or this:

Never.  Like.  This.

No, if you want a cake that is eye-catching, not eye-gouging, try a Big Top Cupcake instead, and keep your kids from joining Jaycee and Emma in their “Ways My Mom Ruined My Life” recovery group.

Or if you’re like me, and you STILL think you can do it, head over to SeenOnTV Express and check out the selection of As Seen on TV arts and crafts products, tools, and kitchen products.  You can totally do that!

Harold Camping had his followers all set for the end of the world on May 21, 2011.  The world didn’t end, but subsequent storms in Oklahoma, Missouri, and elsewhere around the nation had many people feeling like the end was, in fact, at hand.  Severe weather, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and more seem to be devastating areas around the globe.  During tornado season, massive storms have caused record fatalities in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Joplin, Missouri.  Towns in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Minnesota have seen great destruction from these storms.

The reason I’m writing about severe weather on an As Seen On TV blog is because two nights ago, this was the hail that fell on my home:

And last night, this is what I saw when I looked out across my back yard:

This photo was taken from the west side of the storm.  We were on the east side of it, so that tornado you see is directly between the camera man and my house–and moving toward us.  As I took my family into the storm shelter, I was convinced that my house would be rubble when we climbed out again.

Fortunately for us, the storm turned and we were spared.  Others were not so lucky:

As my family and I huddled in our storm shelter, I wondered if our home would collapse on top of the shelter.  I wondered if we’d be able to climb out from under the debris ourselves, or if we’d have to wait for rescuers to free us.  Suddenly, the sippy cup of milk and baggie of snacks I’d brought down for our young son seemed grossly insufficient.

We are grateful that it was a non-issue for our family, but it did get me thinking a lot about emergency preparedness.  There are actually several As Seen On TV products that can help you and your family stay safe in an emergency.

Most notable is the 72 Hour Emergency Kit.  The 72 Hour Kit is designed to keep you fed, hydrated, and warm in the first 72 hours following an emergency.  Each kit contains enough food and water to sustain one person for 72 hours or until emergency personnel arrive:

• 6 (4.2 oz) Mylar water pouches
• 2400 calorie food bar
• 36-piece first aid kit
• Emergency blanket
• 5-in-1 survival aid tool
  • Compass
  • Signal whistle
  • Signal mirror
  • Waterproof match box
  • Flint firestart
• Waterproof matches
• Light stick

Another thing I was wishing for in our dark shelter was light.  We had a small battery powered lantern and a couple of flashlights, but it was still fairly dark.  Of course, when we emerged, our power was out, and we could have used some light then, too.  While not specifically designed for emergency use, the Hug Light, Widget Light, and Hex Light are all created for hands-free use, which could come in handy in a difficult situation.

Seeing a massive storm coming your way gives a feeling of incredible hopelessness.  Take every precaution available to protect yourself and your family.

To the victims of this spring’s devastating storms, our hearts are with you.

Some of us here at SeenOnTV Express are quite handy (not me).  In fact, one of us (not me) is a terrific carpenter and can build actual furniture--furniture that stands up straight and everything.

(Note:  I made a cookbook shelf in shop class in seventh grade.  For some reason, my mother never hung it on the wall with cookbooks proudly displayed.  I can’t imagine why not.)

Today’s Way Back Wednesday retro infomercial product looks like it actually worked pretty well.  I’ll have to save all my mockery and snarky comments for the commercial script itself.  The Powerdriver is a power screwdriver that was sold on television in 1984.  The Powerdriver had an adjustable head and even adjustable depth to keep you from drilling your screw all the way through the other side.

The Powerdriver infomercial is a veritable gold mine of “But Wait, There’s More!”  With Powerdriver, you also got a 7-piece “nut driver” set (these look like socket wrenches to me, but I’m no carpenter) and a nail driver (which seems impossible, but if it really works, I want one).  In 1986, the Powerdriver set was sold along with the Power Wheel, a sander/saw contraption, an unstoppable tool combination if ever there was one.

Behold the Powerdriver:

Now, I may be lacking in mad skills when it comes to carpentry, but I can promise you this:  I have never tried to hammer a screw, nor have I amputated a thumb with a “fancy” screwdriver.

I love it when the pitchman calls the long screw a “monster that would twist your wrist off the old way.”  Quite dramatic, no?  Another catchy phrase is the reference to a regular screwdriver as a “blister buster.”  And did you  notice the paneling?  It nearly caves in with the force of the Powerdriver!  Go back and watch it.  I’ll wait.

The original Powerdriver does not seem to be available today.  A keyword search for “powerdriver” turns up computer drivers and wrestling moves (did you notice the YouTube comment that says that “Powerdriver” sounds like a heavy metal band?).  However, if today’s Way Back Wednesday has left you with a hankering for power tools, check out the Dual Power Saw Plus.  If you are stuck with your old blister busters, though, try organizing them and keeping them handy with the Tool Bandit.

Now quit reading this and go build something already.

I’ve seen similar ladders for several years – even wish I had one on occassion – and now the DuraLadder is available on our site. Both of the home inspectors we used in the past and one realtor I worked with used this type of telescoping ladder. Since that was several years ago, I am sure it wasn’t the DuraLadder brand, but these compact, portable ladders are certainly popular among home professionals (at least the few I was exposed to).

The Dura Ladder marketer is pretty confident that you will be pleased with the quality of their product because they are offering a longer 60 day money back guarantee as opposed to the industry standard 30 day.  They’ll even pay for the return shipping if you choose to return the DuraLadder (something almost unheard of in infomercial offers).