It's cold here in Northern Illinois, and as a fresh couple inches of snow covers the ground today following a near-60° warm-up just days ago, cabin fever is setting in as I think about spending some time outdoors when spring rolls around. I'm a big fan of lighting (my wife can vouch for my years of trial-and-error), and lately...
My wife and I have been intrigued by the idea of a neighborhood library for awhile - an interest piqued by the growing Little Free Library movement. Perhaps you've seen them around - little boxes or buildings placed in a yard, each encouraging neighbors to take a book or leave a book for their neighbors to enjoy. Until now,...
Updated to "Do Not Buy" Status: Our projector has malfunctioned after just three weeks of normal use. While we are awaiting a resolution (if any), in the interest of sharing my true experience, I feel it necessary to update this review. First the motion function failed, and three days later the projector was completely dead. As of this writing...
They say that one thing leads to another... and in the case of our home, that's absolutely correct. The entire #RockFatherRemodel Project was spawned by one major problem - a leaking bathroom that came through the ceiling of our family room/play room. That was just the beginning, as various components of that overhaul led to further projects, and as...
As we continue the #RockFatherRemodel project here at Rock Father HQ, many gallons of paint have been used, and color has been taken into careful consideration. While I wouldn't say that my wife and I have paid attention to trends when it comes to our colors, one on-trend choice (or a variation of it) has made Better Homes &...
It was nearly six years ago that we moved into the house that would become our home - the home that would become known as Rock Father HQ. Little Adalyn was less than a year old, and Finley was still about two years off. We weren't first-time buyers, but the decision to buy our first single-family home was one...
If you've been following along, you know that we recently completed our first truly major enhancement to Rock Father HQ (sans the garage door a few years back) - total home window replacement. With not a ton of information available online about the true reality of the process, my wife and I decided that I would document the experience...
As I posted earlier this month, my wife and I are finally about to start tackling some of the home improvement issues that have been lurking within the property lovingly dubbed, "Rock Father HQ." If you're just joining us, the basic gist is this: In 2010 we purchased a 1,300 sq. ft. home in Chicago's Northern Suburbs, a house...
It's time to start improving our home... and that means I'm going to write about it. That picture up top? That's Rock Father HQ. Pretty on the outside... but some evil lurks within...
When my wife and I bought this house five years ago, we knew that there were some issues. On the surface and in the listing, the house...
As we're experiencing record-highs here in Northern Illinois this week, my daughter and I have been seizing the opportunity to get outside and start working on our garden clean-up. After all, Spring is technically just a few days away. For those of you that are ready to get your Little Gardener ready for 2012, our friends at Melissa &...