Full disclosure: I’m the last person to give advice about not worrying. I was up half the night last night thinking about everything currently going wrong with my home renovation. Trust me, if it wasn’t that it would be something else.

But look, there’s plenty of actual Bad Stuff happening out in the world—none of us need to add to that worry load. So take a look at a few things around the house that I believe we can just strike off the list.

Your Friends Have Never Heard of A Coaster

Okay, nobody wants to act like the parent at the party, but I’ve been known to surreptitiously insert coasters under the beverages my visitors casually set down on antique furniture (or even World Market furniture). But if you don’t act quickly enough, you can end up with those water rings that can drive you crazy. Guess what? You can get rid of them fairly easily. How? Bob Vila has the answer –and it’s kind of surprising. The trusted handyman’s solutions include an an iron, hair dryer, mayonnaise, and toothpaste (!?).

Make It Last: How to Update & Repair Vintage Wood Furniture

Your Puppy Ate Your Woodwork

Yes, over the years my brood has chewed all of these things, but don’t fret. The DIY Network says with half a day, a modicum of skill, a few bucks—and the secret ingredient of Bondo (yep, auto-body filler)—you can repair these mishaps. Their before and after shots of a chewed-up chair repair are pretty inspiring and give me hope for the handful of projects awaiting me. So, yes, it’s kind of bad, but it’s not the end of the world. The same can be said if your pets destroyed all your other stuff: Sometimes things just are the way they are. You can make every effort—train them, buy the right fabric , give your pets appropriate outlets for their energy – and they’re still just going to inadvertently leave a path of destruction. And you know what? It’s okay. It’s part of life with pets. As is dog or cat hair on the furniture. Stock up on Nature’s Miracle cleaners and lint rollers, and go on about your merry way.

14 Things Your Dog Can and WILL Ruin (& How You Can Fix Them)

Your Grout is Gross

While comparing bathroom notes with a neighbor the other day (because this is what you do as a grown-up?), we commiserated over our shower grout, playing thesaurus with our descriptions: Disgusting, vile, revolting, horrendous—these are the nicer things I had to say about the decades-old white grout in the white tile of my shower.

But here’s the thing. I wouldn’t think twice if I stayed in my friends’ house and the grout was spotty. It’s an old house, and sometimes things don’t look new. Which told me I was worrying way too much about mine.

The 4-Step Guide to Renewing Grout (In Order of Increasing Grossness)

You Damaged the Drywall

Turns out the flat screen TV was a little much for the wall where you hung it. Relax. You haven’t necessarily forfeited your deposit. That’s an inexpensive home fix you can probably make yourself (although of course you may want to be sure that’s okay with the landlord, before you go down that road). In this tutorial , we show you how to patch holes in drywall or plaster walls.

How To Patch a Hole in the Wall

Ruining Your Marble Countertops

If your night terrors center on knocking a glass of Pinot Noir over on your drop-dead gorgeous countertops, well, I feel you. I haven’t gone a day in my life without spilling, dropping, or otherwise breaking something (my phone screen is proof). In fact, my designer friend I’ve hired to lead me through our kitchen reno made me swear I wouldn’t go with porous marble, which etches pretty easily, and stains if not sealed properly.

But others who have marble countertops and love them, like Maxwell , and Kitchn editor Faith , learned to let go and live with their imperfections.

As Maxwell writes :

Think of marble as the jeans of countertops—they will work better and better while wearing and aging gracefully, giving them a unique and organic character.

Marble Countertops 101: Yes, They’re a Great Idea!