August 30-Day-Challenge

Even though I'm still a little disappointed in myself for not completing the entire July challenge - no wait, scratch that - even though I'm disappointed in not completing EITHER of the July challenges, I'm happy that we've identified a challenge for August AND already done some really tedious and hard work to get it underway. Since our original plan for June was to begin cleaning out the future pub shed, but we were diverted into repairing the damage from the flood, we are back to our original June plan here in August.

Lucky for us the first day of the month was on a Saturday. And not just any Saturday, a Saturday that we were going to be home! (OK, not for the whole day - I had to work in the morning on the San Juan's and then we attended one of Big Lil's soccer games.) So as not to alter any positive cosmic mojo of this favorable coincidence, even though it was sweltering - at least by my standards - we got right to it when we got home.

First things first we needed to get all the stuff out of the future pub shed. The problem? Where to put it all. We moved all of my bins of party supplies, and holiday decorations, and canning jars, and random junk I can't seem to get rid of to the back porch where I could start going through it all. No sense in continuing to store things I don't want anymore, even if it would be easier for now. I sent my old business partner Brie'n a text to see if she wanted all of our old wedding planning paraphernalia. She agreed to go through it and keep what she wanted so I set that stuff aside for a trip on another day. The bins also needed a good washing. Years of being in a garage that is not airtight had done a number on a few of them. Needless to say there were many spiders, beetles and other varmits that are now homeless. We got a few more pieces of OSB for the attic to make room for better organization and easier access, as well as a more equalized weight distribution across the trusses.

We devised a plan to clear a lot of the stuff out of the well house. I chatted with the Wasbund about bringing over a few loads of stuff that has been sitting out there collecting dust (and mouse skeletons). Since he was cool with that we packed up the M4 and the Pilot with as much as they would carry. After one trip with both vehicles, another fill on the truck and additional trip over to drop it off, we decided we were done with that particular task for the moment. We had successfully moved enough stuff to make room for some of Myko's tools, some metal storage cabinets that had been in the future pub shed and the paint for the house.

While Myko cleaned out the cobwebs, sawdust and other gross stuff out of the wellhouse and started moving stuff over, I started going through my bins. I found stuff for little boys' & girls' birthday parties (think I'm going to give that away), a bunch of Easter baskets (really I should've taken a picture of all of them) and many, many other things I haven't seen in a long time. Some of it I decided to part with. The rest I want to keep. The house is big, and there's a good amount of storage. While I don't want to be labeled a hoarder by any means, I don't see the point in tossing something that I'm wavering on the decision to ditch or not. Might as well keep it and see how I feel the next time I see it. I found a few things that we decided would fit well on the new bookcases.

That more or less filled our weekend with the exception of a haircut for Myko, a couple of Big Lil's soccer games and some lunch. There is still a TON to do but we have made a tremendous amount of progress in only two days. We are feeling much more accomplished already. It's a great feeling.

Committing too much

There comes a time when you have to admit that you've overdone it; that you've committed to too much. For anyone who is ambitious you will know the feeling. How many of us work, and then commit to our kids to take them somewhere, and commit to the school that we will volunteer, and commit to a community organization that we will help with the food drive/bake sale/bazaar/fair/etc? Learning when to say when is a skill that must be developed. And neither Myko, nor myself, have mastered it yet.

We've had this goal to complete tasks within 30 days. To challenge ourselves to get projects done by establishing a deadline. And, while the experiment hasn't been going on too long, we've been pleased with pushing ourselves and meeting (almost) those goals. Of course, like any goal in life, you have to be willing to concede to life; to modify your own expectations and goals to accommodate the things life puts in front of you. Life (i.e. kids, colds, traffic, work issues, broken appliances, lack of sleep, etc.) can get in the way of your goals. And this month, it did.

Our July 30-Day-Challenge was cut short already by the overrun of the June 30-Day-challenge. In spite of that, we were determined to make a small goal for ourselves for July and get something done in two weeks. In fact, we decided to do TWO things: 1) Complete the pantry repair (which was damaged as a result of the hot water heater busting), and 2) Work out 3 times a week and make a meal plan.

I'm still confident that we can achieve one of them, but I am resigning myself that both are not going to happen. First, for the pantry, I still haven't ordered a second box of flooring for the pantry (we think we have enough but aren't sure). Second, there are simply not enough days left in this month to prep, execute and complete the pantry repair. Both of us have been ultra busy and stressed out at work leaving us little energy to do much in the evening other than the standard necessities (which are no small feat in their own right) - laundry, ironing, cooking, cleaning up the kitchen, getting ready for the upcoming work day.

Our health challenge, on the other hand, is still attainable. Last week we walked or worked out at least 3 times (Myko far surpassed that). Before the 31st we will be able to fit in three more bouts of exercise and I am committing myself to making a meal plan; to scouring Pinterest and any other recommended sites to find healthy, delicious recipes. I've already done some on the fly but I would like to have a written plan so that it is easier to stick to. Removing the age old question, "what are we going to have for dinner?" will help my stress level, will allow me more time to be at home and less stops at the grocery store after work and will keep us from defaulting to something easy that may not be as healthy.

It's extremely difficult to set a goal and not meet it, at least for people like us. But I've got to adjust the focus on what we have been able to achieve - some relaxation, time with our kids, travel, keeping up the regular chores - instead of the one thing we haven't.

I'm excited at the potential for next month. A WHOLE month to work on yet another goal. Now we just have to determine what it will be.

Stand-Up Desk Experiment: 90 Day Report

A year and a half after returning to corporate America and working in a cubicle, I was stir-crazy and ready for a change. I knew that sitting for 8+ hours at my desk, sitting in traffic for another 2 to 4 hours and then going home to sit on the couch for another 3 to 5 hours before going to bed was a recipe for all kinds of health problems. Sure,

I went to the gym 5 days a week and would run or hike on the weekends, but I knew that this would not be enough to mitigate the long term effects of this sedentary lifestyle. 

I had occasion to discuss my concerns about all of that sitting while meeting with an orthopaedic surgeon relating to a shoulder injury I had sustained in October. He raved about the benefits of a "Stand-Up" desk (more precisely, he talked a lot about the negative health consequences from so much sitting at a traditional desk). The benefits of a stand-up/sit-down work station went well beyond just augmenting my physical therapy to rehab my shoulder. He wrote a note to my employer stating that I needed a stand-up/sit-down work station as part of my on-going physical therapy.

The bad news: Insurance doesn't cover the cost of a stand-up desk (prices range from $350 to $5000) and my employer was only willing to re-imburse me $150 of the cost. I was not prepared to drop a couple grand on a new desk without doing some homework.

I decided to start with an Ikea hack (I love re-purposing Ikea swag). I took some measurements and found that I needed something to raise my workstation 18 inches or so in order to achieve the proper ergonomics. I purchased a display cabinet (now discontinued) that was 42" wide by 17" deep by 17" - 19" tall (adjustable legs). [It's important to note that, while the model I purchased is no longer available, there are tons of similar items that come and go from their catalog.] The TV display case fit perfectly atop my existing cubicle workstation.

This closely resembles the item I purchased on clearance for $35.00

I knew that I was not going to be able to stand all day (and, in fact, it is not recommended that you stand 8+ hours each day as this also present certain health concerns). I brought in a tall shop stool I had in my workshop for those times that I would want to take the load off my feet. 

The first few days were rough: I could go about 30 minutes standing before fatigue set in and I needed to sit down. By Thursday of that first week, I was able to go up to an hour and still focus on my work without thinking about my feet or my back. The discomfort of sitting on the shop chair lent itself to my standing for longer periods (ugh, not as comfy in my office as it is in my workshop). 90 days in and I can easily go full 2 hour periods without complaint.

I am not a doctor so I won't talk about how studies suggest that standing reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes or other metabolic problems. Also, It is not likely that I would ever become obese, so there's no sense in saying that I benefited in this regard. Click here for an article that offers more discussion on these topics. 

I can say, however, that I have cured one major issue that many folks that work shitty desk jobs suffer from: falling asleep at my desk. I find that I am much more present in my work and engaged with my co-workers.   

In the last few weeks, I have begun adding a few wrinkles into my routine by standing on my tippy-toes for 60 seconds at a time or doing squats while I am waiting on hold for a customer. I will also stand with one foot on top of a box for a few minutes or just lift my leg into the tree pose. 

All in all, I am pleased that I followed my doctor's recommendation. I am ready to move forward with investing in a more long term solution. The two options are (1. A desk that raises and lowers or, (2. A stand-up height desk with a drafting chair that raises to the height of the work station. 

I will be going out and testing some of the products that are on the market in the next few weeks and report back my findings. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried or is in the process of converting to a stand-up/sit-down workstation. Leave a comment with your story or any suggestions.

-MyKO

July 30 Day Challenge (the rest of the month)

The idea of these 30 day challenges came from a media outlet who was challenging its listeners to commit to a 30 day challenge and post on social media along the way. Myko and I talked about it on our way home from the Tri-cities, crossing the pass actually, and decided since we are both goal oriented people we would take something on. In even just 2 months we have accomplished a LOT and there is certainly more to come. There is something motivating about setting a goal and not letting yourself down - because really, who are you letting down when you're talking about a project at your own house or a new weight loss plan, other than you? It does help tremendously for both of us to be on board. Accountability accounts for a lot of the time spent after work, when you're tired and the couch is calling your name. Having someone else to "answer to" helps move the project along.

Our last project was decided and started, and then ultimately changed by circumstance. While we are excited to get started on the pub shed, a flooded house is an emergency that cannot be ignored. In the end, despite missing our deadline, that half of the house looks fantastic. They are two rooms that do not get much use but perhaps their more inviting nature (clean from top to bottom with a few new features) will inspire us to spend more time over there.

As we were putting the final shelves on the bookcases we started discussing the next 30 day challenge. The question was do we start a new 30 full day challenge now? Or do an abbreviated challenge and start fresh in August. Since it's easier to track the deadline on a month-to-month basis we decided July's project should be short & sweet. Of course, it's us, so there's no easy challenge involved. We decided to take up 2 challenges for the remaining time this month:

1) Finish the damage the flood caused in the pantry.

2) Focus on our health and wellness

#1: For our house project we have some minor repairs to be completed in the pantry area where the hot water heater sits. The bottom section of the drywall was damaged in there. The repair itself should be pretty minimal. But since we are in there, and are trying to complete some unfinished projects, we are going to install flooring to match the kitchen in the rest of the pantry, add some paint to freshen things up, and reorganize all the stuff kept in there. Since the big freezer used to sit in that space (and ultimately hid the hot water heater failure) it will be finding a new home in the garage. So there will be some new space to be rearranged and utilized in alternative ways.

#2: While Myko is a fitness fanatic - enjoying time in the gym, moving around, doing push-ups - I'm just the opposite. While I enjoy getting out and being active, I tend to have a hard time motivating myself. And for some reason, old age I guess, I've noticed changes in my body where I used to be able to get myself into gear for a bit, eat a little bit better and like an instantaneous result, I would feel and look better. So I've asked Myko to spread his joy of working out and help me along the path to get in better shape. (Especially since we are going to Hawaii in November.) I've asked for some strong encouragement - which will probably lead to me abusing him to some extent with my whining and complaining - to help me keep on the path to feeling better about myself.

We will start by committing to 3 workouts per week and developing a meal plan. Meal plans I can do. I love having the week's meals planned and shopped for. I've found that for most of us it's figuring out what to eat that's the major hurdle in eating healthy and staying away from fast food. And honestly, I'm not much of a sweet fan; if chocolate didn't exist it would be no skin off my back (sacrilege I know) so cutting down or out on those shouldn't be too difficult.

I prefer fresh fruits and veggies. Ultimately if we lived near Pike Place Market I would never have groceries in the house. I'd just make something from whatever fresh stuff I could find at the market. I made this breakfast for us on Sunday morning. (Sorry, it was so good we had eaten half of it before I thought to take a photo.)

If you are interested in the recipe I will have it on it's own post. Breakfast was delicious, by the way. And took less than 15 minutes start to finish.

The workouts will be up to Myko. I will commit to doing whatever he suggests, no matter how much whining and irritation I will be exhibiting. (Look, I know myself too well). Last night at 9pm we went for a walk. I was not irritated about going on a walk, but rather the dogs going berserk and running off. I had packing and other things to do though and this delayed my accomplishing those tasks. I've never been very good at putting myself first. But I'm learning. I bought us jump ropes. It's a start, right?

I'm told there will be a weigh in. UGH. Maybe I can convince him that measurements are more my speed. I don't own a scale anyway. I understand measurable results but really I just want to get back into my old pants :)

Right now I'm on an airplane 10,000 miles in the sky. Drinking my water and eating the salad I packed for myself (did you know you can bring food with you through security?) and a fruit and cheese platter. You should know I packed my running shoes and workout gear. I know that even though I'm out of town the calories still count.

- Birdy

Another 30-Day challenge is in the books

Today marks the belated completion of our second 30-day challenge. Not only does it feel great to finally see the vision come to life, but it’s nice having the whole house back in order.

The floor looks great and the built-in bookcases are amazing. I can’t wait to begin our scavenger hunt for rare, interesting and discussion inspiring objects from around the world to fill this new space.

 

While we didn’t complete our challenge within the 30 days, the end result was worth the extra time and effort. I never would have imagined that a laminate floor from Lowe’s, a few Ikea bookshelves and some clever engineering would come together so well.

.We can hardly wait to begin the next challenge. Next up…?

-MyKO  

June (and now July) 30 Day Challenge: Part III

Of course two days later IKEA had the bookshelves we drove all the way down for so I picked them up when the store opened. Warning: the packages are HEAVY. Luckily I'm stubborn and a little bit strong so after some jimmy-ing around I got them in the Pilot. Which leads me to another question: why, boys, when you are walking by a woman clearly struggling to pick something up (not only because they were heavy, but also because they are on a cart that moves in all directions), do you not only walk on by, but slow down to watch, and not offer to help? Is our society so afraid of offending someone that common decency has been lost? I'm not a girl that likes to ask for help. And usually I can do whatever it is on my own. But that doesn't mean it isn't nice when someone offers. Let me tell you, "no thank you," but don't just stop and stare.

Ok, I digress....

So I've looked at a million pins on Pinterest about making the Billy bookcases into "built-ins" complete with instructions and tips & tricks. And while I will tell you that I am so pleased with how they look and I can't wait to get to the point I can put things on them, it took plenty of creativity on our part to put them together and fit them around this doorway.

The flimsy backing that comes with the bookcases just didn't seem like they would be adequate to create that real built in look. We found some wainscoting at the hardware store and decided that would give the bookcases an extra detail.

They come pre-primed but we needed to make sure that they would match the IKEA white of the bookshelves. After searching the ol' interwebs low and behold someone else had done something similar and had already found the magic paint formula. We headed to the Sherwin Williams store and showed them a photo on my phone of the label.

We decided to stir in one of those additives that helps remove any brush strokes or roller marks so that it would end up looking more like the finish on the bookcases. When we were in Sherwin Williams we discussed buying a bottle. But there was one at home, so why buy more. Uh yeah, that was a mistake. The stuff at home did not mix in well and ended up leaving tiny grains of the product all over. So, Myko sanded down the wainscoting. And then we had to run all of the gallon of paint through cheesecloth. Ugh.

In addition to the wainscoting for the backing of the bookcases we also decided that we should  re-paint all of the chair rail, the base trim, and all the trim for the bookcases. But first I had to remove all of the nails and caulking from the old pieces that we are going to re-use.

I should mention that all the while we have been working on this project Washington state has had the hottest June in recorded history. Every day has been in the 90's. And if you're from the great Pacific Northwest like I am, that weather is NOT welcome. I mean I love the sun, just not the heat. I know I shouldn't complain but damn it's been hot.

There were several modifications we had to make to the bookcases. While I was removing nails and caulk Myko was busy modifying the cases to work for the space. To attach the backing we shaved down the back of the bookcases.

Once the wainscoting was repainted and cut it was ready to be attached to the bookshelves.

The remaining process of fitting the bookcases around the doorway and determining what other cuts or modifications to make really took a long time. Luckily we are clever and between the two of us we figured out where cuts needed to be made, where to attach the two Gnedby bookcases together and what pieces of crown or trim we would need and their lengths. After making numerous measurements we created a shopping list.

REMEMBER: MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE!

Just a little friendly advice......

After all of the cuts were completed we put the bookcases in place.

While I continue to tell myself I'm going to put these posts up the same day that we do the work I am constantly failing myself. So this post is playing catch-up. Most of this work was done over the coarse of a number of weeknights, slaving away after we got home from work.

Now it's getting close. Hopefully I will get another post in here between now and the ultimate reveal. It's always the little stuff that takes forever but really makes the job get done right. And, of course, who would be satisfied with anything done half ass? Certainly not me.

Storing Paint

In the midst of our latest 30 Day Challenge there was quite a bit of painting to do. The flood in the house necessitated some of it: the touch up around the baseboard and painting the new trim. In my opinion, however, there's no better time than the present to fix up all the rest. I mean, while the house is a mess already, and the room is completely empty, why not touch up all the things that need to be done. No more noticing that nick in the wall where the kids dropped the dining room chair backwards, or the random screw and nail holes that have been left open as decor changed.

The last time this room was painted was in 2007. Of course we had some paint left over. I thought I was being clever by writing on the top of the paint can where that particular paint was used.

But despite my efforts the paint can labels start falling off, the lids got rusty and the labels begin to fade. Myko laughed as I got progressively more irritated trying to pry off the old rusty lid. (Note the fraying of the edges of this paint can lid!)

Years ago I was surfing Pinterest and saw the idea of keeping the remnants of paint in a glass jar. Not only can you see the paint color easily, they are easy to shake to mix and take up much smaller space to store.

While I don't consider myself to be a hoarder, I do save useful things; things that I always pledge to do some project with (i.e. 10,0000 corks.....wtf do I have those for again?!?). As we near completion on the June 30-Day Challenge I have had to open a number of these old paint cans. What an opportunity to finally enact my plan to store my paint in glass containers.

Just so happens I have been stockpiling old Ragu jars. (No, I do not usually make my own spaghetti sauce. Why start from scratch when you can doctor up ol' Ragu with such ease).

I have removed (most) of the label from these jars as we've used them and run them through the dishwasher so they are sanitized. Next step, pour in the paint.

Now, because you are going to throw away the original paint cans (I hope. What else are you going to do with them? Wait, don't tell me, I might start keeping those for some future project too....) you need to devise some way of identifying the paint you have in the jar. While you could easily scribble with a Sharpie marker on the existing lid, if you're going to the effort to organize and make your paint supplies look nice, why not print a label? Not only does it cover up the remaining glue and/or pieces of the label that was difficult to remove, you can add much more information than you could fit on the lid.

I used to co-own a wedding planning business and had these labels around the house. You can find them at Onlinelabels.com. This particular label is intended for a wine bottle sized label, but I just trimmed them down to fit my Ragu jars. I included on the label where I used the paint, the type of paint it was (information on the can) and the color. I went one step beyond and looked up the online paint chip so that I could add the number of the paint color. Valspar paint has an online paint chip menu that is searchable.

Once I had the labels printed, I trimmed them down to fit on the jar where the label had once been. This covered all of the leftover glue and pieces of label I didn't take the time to scrub off. Affixing them was a breeze (although being a perfectionist I'm a little disturbed by the wrinkles that are inevitable when you are placing a sticker over an uneven surface). I'm also tempted to apply a layer of clear contact paper or packing tape over the labels to avoid any staining, discoloration, or other damage to the label (the whole reason why I went this route in the first place).

Since the lids advertise for Ragu, and thus are not in line with the jars new purpose, I had to figure out what I was going to do to cover them up and make them useful. I had a can of chalkboard paint in the garage and decided that I would give them a coat.

The paint went on quick and the coverage was excellent. It was very hot out when I spray painted them so they dried quickly. However, upon trying to write on them with chalk they were easily scratched. I would wait a full day or two before marking them so that the paint can really cure.

I'm not exactly sure what I would write on the lid. Perhaps the last date that I used the paint just so that I would know how long ago the paint was still good.

I'm inspired to continue to store the paint this way. It may be some time before I have all of the paint cans converted in the garage but certainly I will start doing this can by can from here on out.

June 30 Day Challenge: Part II

Sunday morning we took off early to get to IKEA when they opened. We spent a great deal of time daydreaming with Big Lil about the possibilities her room holds, and another chunk of time exploring the possibilities of all of the bookcases IKEA has to offer. 

We finally decided on a lineup that would fit around the doorway most efficiently and with the most style. We decided two wide Billy bookcases and one half size would span the walls nicely and then 2 Gnedby's would make for some extra display area above the Billy's. Off we went to the warehouse......to find they didn't have any in stock!!! Ugh!

By this time we were hungry and cranky. We wasted almost an entire day with these bookcases and came home after driving a 3 hour round trip empty handed and no work done on the challenge. 

Gotta roll with the punches though. There's rarely a project that ever goes without a hitch. I mean, this whole project is because of a hitch in our plans so, oh well. There are more days in the month...

June 30-Day Challenge: Part I: Replace Water Damaged Floor

Fresh off of finishing the first 30-Day Challenge in May installing the new deck, this happens:

It's never a good thing to wake up, walk downstairs and when you reach the bottom step hear "Squuiiiiish" beneath your feet. 6am on Monday morning. It instantly changed our plans for our June 30-Day Challenge. And June was already going to be a tough challenge because we have a lot of things going on this month and won't be available to work on the house for at least three weekends. 

So we began ripping up the floor, calling the insurance company, researching a new hot water heater, making materials lists and developing a plan. After a small breakdown on Birdy's part, and some much needed cajoling to look on the brightside from Myko, turns out this isn't going to be SO bad.

There is damage to the living room floor, the dining room floor and the floor in the pantry.

We purchased and installed the water heater the same day the burst happened since we couldn't go too long without water. The new water heater is awesome, by the way. It's amazing that we can take multiple showers in one time period now, or that we don't have to choose between shaving our legs and washing our hair! We couldn't start on the flooring for another week or so because we had already made plans to take a short vacation to San Jose. So, we set up the blowers and let everything dry out.

The next weekend was set for the floor. We kind of thought that it would take both Saturday and Sunday to install the floor. First we had to get the few other things that we had left in that room out so that we had a clear workspace. Myko got the freezer out to the garage without too much problem. We started laying the floor in the dining room.

First we had to install the underlay foam padding.

This went down pretty easy. We used packing tape to secure all of the seams based on some advice from a number of different websites. The we started installing the actual flooring.

Even only 2 rows in it was exciting to see. The flooring really fits the personality of this house, a house that is farm style on some acreage in the woods near the river.

After we completed the dining room we needed to move the piano so that we could complete the floor. This task was NOT easy and ended up taking more time than we had hoped.

Luckily we hadn't thrown away the old pergo yet. It made this job possible. We used it as runners so as not to damage the new floor. Now the piano sits on the back porch outside the dining room awaiting pick up from its rightful owner.

Before we finished covering the subfloor with the foam we wrote a little note in case we, or the next owner's of this house, ever pull up the floor again. Just a little way to add our own embellishment and everlasting touch to this house.

Time to complete the underlayment. While Myko completed the special cuts around the door frame between the two rooms, Birdy finished taping and securing the foam. (Birdy swears she's going to do hair and make-up next time.)

It looked as though we just might finish this whole floor in one day! We work pretty well as a team. It is helpful to have the pieces ready to go and already laid out in the right direction. We got very good, very fast at the process of picking pieces, deciding on lengths, cutting and installing.

 All that was left was some special fitting around the pop out in the front of the room and the space in front of the stairs.

The last couple of pieces to be installed......

And the floor is in! It looks absolutely gorgeous and really does go well with the house. It was really easy to install and looks like it will stand up to a pretty good beating.

There is still a whole lot of work to be done (and not a lot of time to do it in). Fortunately, although it was a full day of draining work, we were able to get the entire installation done on Saturday leaving us Sunday to start on another part of the process.

Off to IKEA in the morning!

30 Day Challenge - June 2015

We were so pleased with ourselves having completed the deck in 30 days, even among many other things going on, that we decided to pose a 30 day challenge to ourselves EVERY month. At noon on Sunday (the last day of May) we had completed the deck. We ate lunch and thought, "Why not get a jump start on June's challenge!?!"

Out we went to begin working on the garage. A mess of a place that needs a lot of work but has a million possibilities.

 Scary, right? This building has been a place to throw things when they weren't wanted or needed in the house. Originally, it was a sad building that could hardly be imagined usable. But Birdy's Wusband had shored up the walls and made it a viable building - siding, new roofing, new doors. Although it still needs a lot of help.

First things first, we need to get all the stuff out of there so that we can rip down the rest of the old drywall, enclose the entire building and get ready to run electrical.

Oh, and then there's this stuff out back. Also needs to be removed to shore up the back wall to install siding. It's country living folks....

 We productively sorted through trash, stuff that would be better used by someone else, and organized the many "just throw it in the garage" trips that had been made over the years. We probably spent a good 6-7 hours that Sunday afternoon on this project.

And then, Monday morning, THIS happened:

Apparently water heaters don't last forever? A fact that is well known, but rarely a thought that crosses your mind on a daily basis.......until water comes squirting up through your floor boards. And so June's project turns from preparing the garage for it's new life to repairing the damage from a flood. Not exactly planned, but somehow, when forced to face the bright side of things, will probably end up being another opportunity to work together, have some fun and enjoy the fruit of our efforts.

The 30 day challenge - May 2015

It's funny how your perspective on time changes from child to adult. As a child a month seemed like an eternity. As an adult a month slips by with a blink of an eye. Challenging yourself to do something, anything really - no matter how big or how small, is always the first step in accomplishing something. Without a deadline though, there's hardly a project, a shopping list, or an appointment that gets made in a timely fashion. It is so easy to let these things slip through the cracks when life gets in the way.

So we were reading something on the internet that put forth the 30 day challenge. Here are the rules:

1) Decide on something you want to accomplish
2) Get it done in 30 days

Pretty simple, right?

There was space and encouragement to post progress on their website (though we never actually got to doing that). Many people were looking to get healthier, exercise more, or some other sort of self improvement. We chose to apply this concept to those things you always talk about but have a hard time starting, and then finishing.

Project #1? Rebuilding the deck outside my bedroom that was taken out in a windstorm 3 years ago.

We started with a foundation of a basic frame but that was about it. I had some reclaimed wood that was in the garage that was intended for this project. First things first though, we needed a to-do list. Using Wanderlist we created a list of the things we needed to do and buy to get this deck built. It's kind of crazy when you really break down each step of the process how intimidating it can be. But the act of crossing things off a list always brings great satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. Besides, you don't want to forget anything.

We needed material. Measurements were taken and a parts list was made. A parts list that, because we were out and hadn't originally intended to go to the hardware store, got left at home. Luckily, Myko had enough forethought to have already loaded it into the cart at Home Depot (so that we could accurately estimate cost of the project)  so we used the Surface to gather the materials we needed for the project.

So began the process of preparing all of the boards. New deck boards needed to be sanded and stained. Re-purposed deck boards needed to have nails removed, a swipe of a rag to clean off the cobwebs, then sanding and staining. We did all of this portion of the project on the weeknights because we are busy folks. We were actually out of town for 8 of the 30 days (it was actually 9 but there are 31 days in May so I won't count that one) of the duration of this project.

The railings had to be measured, sized, all parts cut and assembled. They also required sanding, putty-ing of nail holes, priming, caulking and painting. Luckily Myko knows his way around a saw and a nail gun. Otherwise this 30 day challenge would've been a 365 day challenge! After the railings were assembled, sanded, puttied and primed, we began to assemble the deck boards on the frame.

Only minor injuries occurred.

The existing two posts needed putty and sanding. 

We continued securing the deck boards to the frame. Cuts had to be made to account for the posts.

Then more sanding, caulking and painting. Neither of us like to paint. But we had a goal and we were determined to meet it. Once the posts were painted, we hit the rails and the posts that hold the entire deck up.

After final cuts were made to the edging of the deck boards, stain was applied.

Myko spent the morning (while Birdy was off watching her kiddo play paintball) putting all of the railings together and securing them to the posts.

A final putty, sand and coat of paint was necessary to finish up the railings while they were in place. We also had to touch up the house paint where the old railings had been ripped off since they didn't match up in the exact same places. To help finish off the final presentation a thorough washing of the slider and outside floodlights was in order.

Last step, clean up all of the dust, make sure everything was just right, and apply a layer of varnish on the deck boards to help coat and protect from the weather, as well as making them shine!

Honestly, there were times we weren't sure our deadline would be met. But we made it. Despite numerous other things taking up our time - time out of town for Birdy's business meetings, countless baseball, soccer & volleyball games/practices/parties, dentist appointments, we ran the Color Run one Sunday, bowling & fun with the kiddos, end of school celebrations, evening work meetings and Logan's birthday - we built an entire deck within 30 days. And we didn't skimp on anything, even when we were both tired and really wanted to skip a step. It always pays off in the long run to do a project right and we stuck to that.

We enjoyed this challenge so much that we intend to have a continuing 30 day challenge every month. Next up: Clean up the outbuildings. Which we actually began upon completion of the deck. (It was only noon on a beautiful Sunday, why wait?!?!?!)