Day 4: Replace Thermostat

Last summer we had this great idea...we would replace the old thermostat that the house came with, and get a programmable one....maybe even save a little money.  We did some research, went out and bought one, and then put in the garage....never to think of it again.  Until today. We ran out of heating oil today...which was a bit of a shock, since we just had 100 gallons delivered only 15 days ago. So, while we waiting for our oil delivery, Matt suggested that we install the new thermostat...why not, we don't have any heat right now anyway.  This started as a two person job...for about 10 minutes...then I took over (as I think Matt wanted to happen) and finished the installation.  

Now, because my house likes to make things difficult, the old thermostat hung vertically, and the new thermostat needed to be hung horizontally....which means not only did we have to cut the power (the box was not labeled with which circuit was for the furnace), but now I had to once again repair a hole in these wonderful horse-hair plaster walls!! So, hours of plastering, drying, sanding, and painting later...we finally have our new thermostat....and the best part, it works! I wasn't sure if I could actually properly install a thermostat, but I did it!!  Project 4 - Done!!

Old & Inefficient Thermostat

Again the horse-hair plaster needs to be repaired

New & Efficient Thermostat
(ignore the uneven walls - I will never have smooth walls - stupid horse-hair plaster)

Day 3: Re-Attach Dishwasher to Countertop

So, after yesterday’s mess, I needed a quick and easy project for today. We have a running list of things that need to be replaced or repaired, but because they don't actually interfere with our daily lives, they never get done.  Today's project was on that list. We remodeled our kitchen about 2 years ago, and installed a new dishwasher. Soon after, the screws holding the dishwasher to the countertop fell out, and it's been detached ever since. I hadn't noticed until I was fixing this issue, that the dishwasher has slide back about 2 inches over the last 2 years...that has also been fixed. So here it is, my small 15 minute improvement of the day...our dishwasher has been put back to it's proper place, and is now re-attached to the countertop.  Project Three - Done!!!

Before: See the gap & the bend part (not good)

After: No gap & attached

Day 2: Clean & Organized Kitchen Counters

Ok, I have to admit, this is one of the messiest spots in our house...the kitchen counters always seem to accumulate junk at an alarming rate.  I wanted to not only clean the counters, but find a way to organize it so that (in theory) they could stay clean. (Please note: I can't believe I'm actually sharing these before pictures!)

Smaller Counter (Before)

Larger Counter (Before)

I honestly thought that this would be an hour long project...however, fate had other plans. I started by clearing off the small counter, easily done; then I started to clean off the larger counter, again easily done. The problem came when I started to organize. First I had to figure out where to put Hoppy (our tree frog), then after I decided to move Hoppy, I had to move the refrigerator to install an extension cord (insert story about breaking the outlet and needing to repair)....

Finally, after installing not one extension cord (incorrect plug type) but two, I was able to "start" my project of the day. I have to say, I'm happy with the way it turned out. I have bins for mail & school work that once full can be sorted (in theory), and I have a small containor for "junk" to keep it off the countertop (which is sadly almost full on day one). I also moved my cookbooks to the other countertop (closer to the stove) which makes much more sense.  Although there are some things that I could still make changes to, I am happy with the result.  Project Two - Done!!

Smaller Counter (After)

Larger Counter (After)

Day 1: Repair Holes in Dining Room Wall

Let me first start by saying, that I have actually done a project each day...I just haven't posted them yet. So, I'm going to try really hard to post each project I've done.

We have had a several small holes in our dining room walls (thank you horse-hair plaster) for, I'm going to guess at least 2 years now. All of the holes have been spakled and sanded, except one....and none of them have been touched-up with paint.  Today was the day, I decided that it may be a small improvement, but it would be an improvement...and a perfet start to my challenge. Now, the walls are still not perfectly smooth, and they never will be (again, thank you horse-hair plaster)...however the holes are repaired and all of the touch-up painting has been done. Project One - Done!

Uncompleted Hole Repair

Repairs Completed
 (ignore the dark spot, it wasn't dry, but I was losing light for photos)

Completed Project (again, ignore the wet paint - I'm impatient)

30 in 30 (I hope)...

First of all, I need to make a note about the previous post....I apparently never published it, and so I ended up sharing my January crafts at the end of February.....so very sad. On to my new post, which by the way, I will be posting immediately. 


I've issued myself a 30 day challenge; each day I will do something for my household to improve it in some way. It may be a small repair, a project, or a craft to add to my decor...but everyday I'm gong to improve my house!! I haven't figured out all of the details yet, like do weekends count, how small is too small, and I really going to share all the awful parts of my house on Facebook....but, I have to jump on an idea when the inspiration hits...otherwise, it may never happen. I'm also hoping that by listing my goals, I may actually follow through on them, unlike the goals in my head that are so easily forgotten. So, wish me luck....

Maybe it's not a bug, maybe it's a virus...

So, I can't get rid of this craft bug...not that I want to...but it usually doesn't stay around for this long. I don't really have a lot of decorations for holidays other than Christmas (which we host  at our house), so I've been trying to craft what I'm missing. The general theme in January was snowmen, here's what I came up with:

Window Hangings

Close-Up

2x4 Snowman

Is life easier when the kids are needy...

Have you ever had one of those days...

Today my husband has to work, all day and all night...the kids are completely occupied & playing nicely together. I have nothing but time...yet I haven't been able to accomplish anything on my to-do list. At first I had planned to catch-up on the cleaning I previously ignored, but when it became apparent that I wan't going to do that, I thought maybe I would switch over all of the holiday decor from winter to Valentine's day. Well, it's obvious I'm not going to be doing that today either. Maybe I'll take some time for myself, catch up on some scrapbooking...but, that requires getting out my stuff and clearing off the table.
Most days I dream about not having to do anything, just being able to sit for 5 minutes without being interrupted....and now that it seems my dream is coming true, I'm stressing out. Who does that?? I don't even know what to do with all of this down time, I have so many things I want to do, I can't decided which to do, I want to be productive, but I want to relax...I think I've gone and lost my mind.