One of the pros of being a fan of DIY is that you can save lots of money. Another pro is that there is a sense of pride and ownership in what you’re doing: it’s a little like sweat equity (Okay, it’s a lot like sweat equity because it IS sweat equity.). One of the cons is that a DIY bathroom renovation can take lots longer than if you hire a professional. We recently got started on our mostly-DIY bathroom renovation and if you were thinking about doing one in your house, here’s how to get started…in thirty easy steps. 1. Buy a house with which you are completely in…
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#BBSummit12 In A Nutshell
After nearly a year of planning meetings, brainstorming sessions, countless emails, thousands of name badges (okay, 160 of ’em), and excessive sweating, the 2012 Brands and Bloggers Summit (#BBSummit12) came and went this past Saturday. After all the work that I put in alongside my Social RevUp partners MJ Tam and Dwana De LaCerna, I was looking forward to the beginning of the day just as much as I was looking forward to the end of the day (7:00 to be specific, which was the starting time of the after party). My brain is still swimming but I wanted to give you a recap of my favorite parts of #BBSummit12…
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Third Time’s A Charm!
We had quite a fantastic Monday night around here. After a harrowing evening of negotiations, seventeen-year-old J finally bought (with his own money) a new car that is, according to our mechanic, reliable. It’s his third car. Wait, what? Didn’t I tell you about getting rid of Zeus and buying a second car that proved to be a terrible decision? Oopsie. Zeus the Neon (car #1) came down with a case of needing a repair that was much too expensive to have our mechanic fix and much too time-consuming for Jim and J to take on at home, so he sold it. And he, like his brother after he sold…
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That’s What Friends Are For
I guest-posted for my buddy Momo last night, on account of her entire neighborhood (city? I don’t know. Huge area) being out of power for the weekend with NO ELECTRICITY IN SIGHT for another week. Seriously. The post is pretty funny if I do say so myself. Figures I’d be “on fire” on someone else’s blog. I work really well under pressure. If you don’t already read Momo’s blog, WHY??? I mean, check it out here.
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Mr. and Mrs. DIY
Even though we love to DIY (or would that be DIO*?) around here, we haven’t done much to our house for about four years. There are a couple of good reasons for that: budget and burnout. The burnout happened because we were going gangbusters on home improvements for a few years and then, after being forced to have our foundation repaired because our house was literally cracking up**, we repaired the giant cracks in the walls, repainted half the house, installed crown mouldings and baseboards in the living room and dining room, had our brand-new family room carpeting (which we put in right shortly before we got the foundation repair…
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Guilty Pleasure #52
With the exception of when I am running in a hundred different directions and have little time to shop for food, I love the grocery store. I’m not sure when it started, though I know it wasn’t when I was a kid. More often than not I would choose to sit in the car while my mom went in to get what she needed. (Keep in mind that in the 1970’s this was very normal.) Anyway, at some point when I became an adult I really started to enjoy the grocery store (except for that one time that lady touched my meat and I bubbled over to the degree that…
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How I Do All That I Do, Part Three
In Part One I wrote about exactly how I juggle so many things. In Part Two I wrote about my thought process. I had great intentions with Part Three, but to be totally upfront and honest with you, it’s a hot mess. I need to begin by saying thanks to one of my blog readers, Susan, for emailing me a really sweet email and asking me “What’s next?” because that’s what kept my brain busy when I was mowing our lawn on Friday, and that’s when I came up with this three-part series. When someone asks me about what’s next, I honestly think about those Walt Disney World commercials. “You’ve…
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How I Do All That I Do, Part Two
In Part One I wrote about exactly how I juggle so many things. Part two is about my thought process, because that’s where everything begins. When I say I am always thinking, I mean it. Unfortunately, the circumstances under which I do my best idea-generating aren’t always ideal for remembering said ideas, and the places you would think I could come up with some great stuff aren’t so thought-friendly. Now, I’m not saying that you have to be thinking all the time like I do. In fact, I often find myself green with envy over those efficient thinkers out there, the people who can come up with an idea and…
- Confessions, How To, I've Got Mad Skillz, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Proud Moments, Something That Could Change Your Life
How I Do All That I Do, Part One
I’m a busy girl. This has already been well-established. (If you’re new here: Hi, and welcome! Trust me. I’m busy.) I am often asked “How do you do all that you do???” The person asking the question usually has a wide-eyed look and typically shakes her head in disbelief, most likely because she thinks I’m certifiably crazy for taking on as many things as I typically do. The question makes me very uneasy because honestly–though I am proud of my own accomplishments–I am not the type of person to toot my own horn in the company of others. Still, I am always flattered and I smile, thank them for asking,…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Fun in Chicago, I've Got Mad Skillz, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Pretty Pictures, Proud Moments, Shameless Promotion, Something That Could Change Your Life, Spreading the Bloggie Love
About Last Night
I’m having a little trouble. I can’t really wrap my head around the whirlwind that was LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO last night. I can’t keep using the word “amazing” and expect that 1. People will continue to take me seriously 2. People will believe that yes, I’m a writer …but the fact is, everything about this experience (well, not everything: there were a few snags in the planning process but everything shook out in the end) WAS amazing. I tend to be long-winded (or whatever that is in terms of writing), and although I can think of thousands of things to report to you about last night, I think…