Door Prize
We’re in business! Hollywood is calling, I can see our names written in the stars now: Nominees for Best Door award! I’d like to thank the academy…
Start here for the beginning of the door project, and go here for the final product.
A Blanket Butler
May I interest you in a blanket sir or madam?
“Why yes, I think I’ll take a pillow as well Edgar.”
At Your Service
If only it could fluff up your pillow too… Maybe when the robots take over.
Life Hacking
Lifestyle Design
Aren’t there things you wish you had a say in designing? Like your office chair that never reclines far enough, or your quirky front door that needs to be shut just right for it to lock. Or that your coffee pot would start brewing your morning mocha (aka starter fluid) on a schedule each morning? Maybe it’s just for your family to have access to one calendar; everyone can update it on-the-go.
All Work and Some Play
So you see. Here’s a photo book I put together. Have you made one of these before?
Glad spring is joining us in the upper half of the US. I think Joe is done working in Tampa for now. Just in time for spring projects.
Ice Dam[age]
Ice Dam
Remember that phone call we got about the ceiling leaking? Flash forward. We have the situation under control now and learned a few things about how to handle an ice dam. Firstly, we should have seen the signs. They were written on the wall roof. We know the deal now and have to say, it’s not so much fun. A little preventative maintenance is much better than a whole lot of cleanup.
So what is an ice dam?
Looks a little something like this:
Operation: Desk Ergonomic
Results Are In
I officially love my desk post-modifications. As a lot of you big kids know, sitting at the office 8+ hours each day can have a serious effect on your posture. I make a major effort to take stretch breaks and walkabouts. But when the bulk of time is spent in your chair, arms at the keyboard, eyes facing the monitor, that’s not enough. So think about how important your seating position is — at the end of the day it’s going to make a difference. For those of us who have next and shoulder trouble already, it’s especially important. I ordered a laptop stand that you see in the picture above, but it just wasn’t cutting it. So I had to take matters into my own hands.
Egg Rolls
When Life Gives You Eggs
Sometimes you just gotta roll with it. This past weekend, we experienced our first major homeowner woe at Joe’s house. More on that coming… Once we have everything fixed. Let’s rewind a little first. We went on a snowmobile day trip Saturday and had an engine issue near Brainerd, MN. Luckily it was warm and we were near a highway and could get towed back to town pretty easily. And we met a few really nice people who stopped to help. One man did dog sled racing professionally!
Flash forward to later that night. To add salt to the wounded day, we get a phone call that the ceiling is leaking water. Not sure just how bad it was, we race home. To discover a huge ice dam on the roof. Water is currently leaking into the living room!
New Apartment Love
Hello IKEA
Welcome to your new apartment, now may I introduce you to IKEA?
Renting a new apartment can be a lot of fun, and a lot of work. I’m jealous of my friend Maria in that she gets a fresh canvas to decorate. Not jealous of all the packing and unpacking involved. I’m so excited to see her put it all together. Mainly so we can get around to that house-warming party! Here are some of the fun ideas she already has.
Home Sickness
Home is Where the Heart is
My heart’s in Florida right now, but I’m counting down the hours before I get to see Joe at the airport. Snow is falling, just in time for a true Minnesota homecoming. Nobody in his right mind would be excited to leave sunny Tampa for a few feet of snow. Joe’s an exception. We’re both pretty excited. It’s only been two weeks, but it feels like months.
Our Winter Games
Goodbye Sochi
The Olympics are over. Sniffle Sniffle. It seems like just yesterday we were watching the closing ceremonies. Oh, yea that was yesterday. We didn’t get to watch too much of the games, but we’ve definitely been making winter memories of our own. I wanted to showcase some of our winter highlights before it’s gone. It’ll be spring before we even know it. This past weekend I went to the RedBull downhill skating event, fondly called Crashed Ice. It’s becoming a Minnesotan tradition! Joe spent his weekend swimming with manatees and baking in the sun. But we’ll save that story for later…