I was laying in bed one morning, shuddering under the mountain of blankets (we not running the baseboard heaters upstairs this year) and listening to the mice chewing in the walls. I tell you, these walls in this old 1855 house are so thin. I can hear every critter that creeps around! Anyway, I was laying in bed, trying not to think of all the stuff I had to jump into that day, when I heard a lap-lap-lap behind the curtain. It was Livvy. She had hopped up onto the moldy windowsill and was lapping up the water condensation on the old windows. Eww.

We really need to renovate the upstairs soon. We got the windows (haven’t installed them yet) so those come first. I am chomping at the bit, though, with these walls. They are uninsulated and cracking. The walls get freezing cold all winter long, it’s painful to touch them. They develop condensation and the water drips down the walls, can you believe it?! I really need to insulate. I also need to rewire the place. Two bedrooms have only one outlet right now, and the lights for another two don’t work. All in good time. And once I finally renovate this place completely, I’ll probably turn around and sell it and go live in one of those easy-care manufactured homes, whew!

Have a great weekend, friends.

Find the Kitty Saturday

Original eloquence at New York Renovator.com. This content is copyrighted, so no stealing! Don't make me angry, you don't want to see me when I'm angry!

Where? HERE. Lovely Listing. It’s the latest “Cheezeburger” site. Like we needed another one. Egads, i waste enough time on the LOL Cats and LOL Dogs and “There I Fixed It” sites! LOL.

This one made me crack up.

Uh. FAIL.

Do you think anyone will notice the real estate photo has been touched up a little?

Are your eyes twitching, too?

THIS. IS. SO. COOL. But I live near the Adirondacks, so maybe it’s just a local “thing.”

I actually think this is pretty neat.

The caption read “Time to Purge.” Bwahahahha!!

see more Lovely Listing

Ah, the amazing things you can do with flexible tubing, lol.

OK I’ve wasted enough of your time, too. Some of these are pretty funny. MUST. GET. To. WORK.

Have a great week!

Funny!

Original eloquence at New York Renovator.com. This content is copyrighted, so no stealing! Don't make me angry, you don't want to see me when I'm angry!

Oh wait. I did install a window before– a brand new window. In the kitchen! How could I forget! It was only two years ago.

This was the original window in the kitchen. It was installed in 1972, when the previous owners remuddled the kitchen into an orange and brown 1970s funk extraordinaire. The window was wood with an aluminum frame. I had warped so badly that I could not open it. Imagine– the only tiny window in the entire kitchen and it’s stuck shut! Painful, indeed!

We removed the piece of junk in summer of 2010. What a glorious day.

I ripped open the wall (which was severely rotten from water damage) and discovered some water damage and poor remodeling from previous owners. They had cut into floor joists to fit plumbing pipes and the beam that held up this part of the wall was about as strong as swimming pool safety fences. I decided to rebuild the entire section of the wall.

It was my masterpiece. I built it to perfection. The window frame not only had to house the window, but it had to hold up this portion of the wall, which was sagging. I made the frame very sturdy.

This is one of the greatest sights for a DIY homeowner.

The running gag around the house was that a tornado could rip through the town and level every single house, but my window frame would still be standing.

I never got photos of us installing the actual window because it took the entire family to haul the thing into the opening, level it, shim it, and nail it down. As soon as it was up, though, Livvy hopped up for her inspection.

I installed trim in a Greek Revival design that reflects the rest of the house.

The new window gives off a lot of light. It’s glorious having such a bright, airy kitchen!

Of course, the new windows I just got for the living room are a totally different animal than this kitchen window. The new ones are vinyl REPLACEMENT window– the kitchen was a “new construction” window with nail flanges. For a vinyl replacement window, you have to fit the boxy frame directly into the existing window frame. I’ve never done it before. I’ve already done some studying and have watched some good videos about the process. *cracks knuckles* We’ll probably get the windows installed next week. I’ll be sure to let you know! We have to install a few on the second story of the house, so I would sure appreciate your prayers!

We Got the Windows!

Original eloquence at New York Renovator.com. This content is copyrighted, so no stealing! Don't make me angry, you don't want to see me when I'm angry!

1. Mercilessly throw away your unused and unwanted items.
Those old business suits from the 1980s that don’t fit you anymore? Get rid of them. Chance are you’re not likely to squeeze into them again, and even if you were you’d probably want something much more modern. Consider donating those old Tupperware containers, collection of floor lamps, and stuffed animals from your youth.

When it comes to children, avoid throwing away their things. The move is stressful enough for them, and kids become very emotionally attached to their possessions. So don’t throw away their stuff unless they really, really want to rid of it. Making the kids feel secure and relaxed is well worth the extra four or five boxes of old toys.

2. Purchase packing boxes.
I can’t believe that I, the Frugal Queen, am telling you to BUY boxes for you move! But I have moved quite a number of times in my day, and locating recycled boxes is very stressful, especially when you can’t find any. Many stores crush their boxes almost as soon as they get them, so if you get recycled boxes, you often have to rebuild them with glue or duct tape. In my opinion, your time is much better spent packing and preparing for the big move, not duct taping junky old crushed boxes.

3. Rent a truck.
If you have a lot of stuff, it is much, much better to rent a truck to haul your stuff. Everything is packed into ONE or two vehicles, which makes locating stuff so much easier later. Believe me, the last thing you want to experience is rummaging through minivan after sedan looking for the lost “binky” in some box or another. If you have to transport a vehicle, learn about the Car Shipping Process and get a handful of reasonable quotes from several businesses. A website like CarTransportQuotes.com can help.

4. Research your moving company.
If you hire a moving company, look them up online. Get references, call former customers. Get a complete picture of the company. There have been too many stories of people whose possessions were stolen or delivered in terrible condition from a lousy company.

5. Take time to relax.
Moving is tiresome, stressful, and exhausting. Make a schedule break and get away from the site for a while. For example, if you are going to spend one entire week packing and moving, schedule a lunch break at the park every day at 1pm, or go out to dinner every two days. These moments help to break up the monotony and stress of moving, and get you out of the mess for a while. I know, going out to eat is expensive– but moving IS expensive. Your mental and emotional health is just as important as Aunt Ethel’s dishes in bubble wrap, you know. You can opt to eat out at simple places, too– a burger joint or a pizza place. It doesn’t need to be expensive but it does need to be relaxing.

6. Invite friends.
If you have a large family or a ton of stuff, make your packing and move a community event. Invite a friend over, one each day. Friends and family can really help lighten the mood as well as lend an extra pair of hands. Make it fun, too– treat your friend or family member to a little lunch or dinner.

7. Give yourself plenty of time.
There is no stress like hurry. Give yourself lots of time to pack and move stuff. Prepare for unexpected things, too, like a rainy day or a sick kid or a delay with the moving truck. The extra buffer of time can really make a difference.

I hope these tips help you. Moving can be such a stressful time, but with a little TLC and preparation, you can make it into an enjoyable experience for you and your family.

How to Move With Less Stress

Original eloquence at New York Renovator.com. This content is copyrighted, so no stealing! Don't make me angry, you don't want to see me when I'm angry!

This morning, Livvy hopped onto my desk and sat in front of my computer monitor as she usually does 200 times a day.

Goofy seemed a little miffed. He trotted from his place at the back of the desk to oppose Livvy.

Humph says Livvy. I belong here, she says. Move.

Livvy 1, Goofy 0.

A glutton for punishment, Goofy made another stance to defend his territory.

WAP.

So guess who’s king of the desk now? I miss Goofy. He was a lot smaller and I could see the monitor when he was here…..

Livvy Meets Goofy

Original eloquence at New York Renovator.com. This content is copyrighted, so no stealing! Don't make me angry, you don't want to see me when I'm angry!