Tag Archives: home improvement

I have to say that I really like the Honeywell WiFi thermostat

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Joel

Nine years ago when we moved into our townhouse, I was appalled by the ancient thermostat located in a far, obscure corner of our living room. I hired an HVAC company to install a newer Honeywell programmable model in the … Continue reading →

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Update on our big move

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Joel

We have only about a week to go until closing on our new house. In the midst of all the packing up our belongings,  cleaning up the house, getting our new mortgage approved, finding movers, buying new furniture, and moving utilities, we … Continue reading →

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Like two archeologists, Josh and I found ancient patio brick on our property

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Joel

If I am not cleaning or making improvements on the inside of the house, I’ve been working hard on the outside landscaping, or fixing stuff in general. At times, I’ve had to enlist the kids also, just to make them … Continue reading →

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Added a jig saw to my collection of power tools

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Joel

We recently purchased a new kitchen sink, and hired plumbers to come install it. Halfway through the job, the plumbers discovered the new kitchen sink wouldn’t fit the prior kitchen sink opening in the countertop. Now what? Two options: Hire … Continue reading →

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I ‘MacGyvered’ a way to secure our backyard gate before a storm

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Joel

I haven’t had any luck yet installing / replacing the gate handle. We had a storm with heavy winds coming through this evening, and I was worried our gate flapping in the breeze might do a number on hinges. But … Continue reading →

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We bought a Little Giant 26′ ladder

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Joel

We bought a Little Giant 26′ ladder recently. It arrived without a scratch, but you wouldn’t think so by looking at the condition of the box it came in. Yeeesh. So what do I think of the ladder? The good … Continue reading →

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It’s been a long time coming, but the Ipes are moving

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Joel

It doesn’t feel like it at times, but we’ve been homeowners here in central NJ for nine years. Nine years since we started toting our infant son Joshua around in his car seat to hang out with real estate agents … Continue reading →

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We finally got our closet doors

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Joel

Back in late January, we redesigned and completely remodeled our hallway closet. The only component missing were closet doors, but we figured that I could go buy them at Lowes, and install them myself. Sadly, easier said than done. At … Continue reading →

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Brand new (and almost finished) hall closet

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Joel

Our main hallway closet has been bothering us for a long while — it’s never been quite well organized. I’m sharing this tidbit, because I’m certain that many other families have encountered the same lack of organization issue. We’ve recently … Continue reading →

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The end of my two week vacation

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Joel

Today is the end of my two weeks of vacation. I haven’t had two weeks like this since 2004 when I went to India. Oh, I’ve taken 7 – 10 days off in the past here and there at the … Continue reading →

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