How To Handyma’am | A Home Improvement Comedy Podcast · Samantha Pearl|Lic. Builder, Emily Pearl Reist|Lic. Builder, and Arly Streed

SideQuest 07: Exploding Toilets, Budget Hacks, and "Doing It In The Dark" (with Isabel Bowen) | DIY Renovations and Creative Entrepreneurship

January 27, 2026·32 min·2 clips

Isabel blew her entire patio budget on a hot tub—here's how she recovered.

In this side quest episode, host Arlie interviews her sister Isabel Bowen, a DIY enthusiast and wedding planner, about practical tips for home renovation projects, budget management, and balancing DIY with a busy life. They discuss Isabel's approach to planning projects, her transition to self-employment, and humorous anecdotes about DIY mishaps.

As heard by us

A funny, practical reminder that home projects are built in stolen hours, not perfect weekends.

A sister-on-sister side quest turns a home-improvement chat into a plainspoken look at time, momentum, and where DIY fits into an already full life.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Need DIY motivation from people who actually live the chaos?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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