It's Raining Terribleness

That title is not far from the truth when you're experiencing the take-down of insulation. This post is going to be long, because it was an epic project that takes many words to fully describe. 

Of the projects we've tackled so far, here'd be the top 3 worst:

3. Sanding Drywall when Patching Walls - So Dusty, this is a tie with Buying Closet Supplies
2. Patching the Ceiling - So Impossible
1. Taking down insulation - Everything Evil in the World

Mind you, we haven't done that much yet, but this was terrible, awful, horrible, the pits. 

Here's the basic rundown:

We decided to tackle this one without the help of family/friends just because it was a small space which didn't allow for much more than two people. Also, we knew it was going to be a frustrating job and didn't want to lash out at loved ones. We didn't know what we were doing, but sort of hashed it out in the week leading up to it and came up with the method we ended up using.

The Gear

• Long Sleeved Shirts
• Masks
• Safety Goggles
• Pants
• Socks
• Shoes
• Hoodies (added later)
• Huge Garbage Bags
• Scissors
• Shovel & Dust Pan
• Step Ladder
• Tarp

You can't see it, but we're still smiling.

Once we were dressed and ready, we went into the bathroom with enthusiasm. This died very quickly. 

The horrors!

The Method

Team Member A would stand on ladder and gently pull vapour barrier down in chosen region. Team Member B stands with garbage bag opened, attempting to catch the majority of fallen debris. 

We also had a tarp spread across the ground to prevent grossness from falling through to the basement and provide ease of cleanup. 

This actually worked surprisingly well, most went into bags and saved us some clean up time, the rest landed in eyes and hair. We took turns being person A and person B, with myself being A for the most part because I sucked so bad at B, I'd always look down and close my eyes because I hate stuff falling at my face, which didn't provide the best catching accuracy. 

No, this is not a "Before" photo. This was AFTER we cleaned most of the wood shavings up.

The Twists

That method will hopefully run smoothly for most people, and it did for us too except for a few twists that really threw our method off track.

First: When we were about halfway through the sawdust insulation removal, we noticed a build up of white powder in the section of insulation that had been bulging below the joist when we had taken down the ceiling a while back. I was concerned about it, and so we did some research online before going on to that section. 

Our best guess is that it was sodium flouride, which has been added to sawdust insulation to help with fire protection and deter intruders of the rodent variety. It's toxic if ingested, but didn't seem too worrisome if inhaled and we were wearing masks. Taking that section down was the worst, the powder seemed to be really heavy, a cloud of dust would make it so we couldn't see at all so we'd quickly get out and close the door to wait for it to settle so we could go back in and keep going. 

The breakdown, from bottom to top: drywall (already gone), vapour barrier, wood shaving insulation (mixed with suspected sodium fluoride), batts of fiberglass insulation, blown fiberglass insulation.

Second: After the sawdust insulation, there were batts. This part was tricky, because they run perpendicular to the joists, with blown insulation on top, so it was pretty hard to gain control. We wore hoodies tightened to just allow a hole to see, which made it really hard to breath and really, really hot. We were close to giving up at this point because we'd been working for hours, were tired, and it was really hard. We made it about 3/4 of the way, and Philip finished up the second day while I dealt with strep throat (still dealing with it, but close to normal-ish today). 

Ready for action!

"Should-ing" On Ourselves

Our pre-marital counselor taught us this term, and it's cleverness has stuck with us. (Read it out loud if it doesn't make sense.) There are a couple of things that we should have done during this project, having 20/20 hindsight. We'll share them here so that you can implement them if you ever do a similar project.

1. Wear closed goggles. Sawdust is not fun to get in your eyes, we both put eye drops in the next two days and had swollen eyes from dust getting behind our glasses.
2. Wrap your hair (or cut it all off first). If you have more hair than Philip's buzz cut, wrap it with a plastic bag. I had to shampoo three times and still had saw dust in my hair. I probably had over 100 pieces tangled in my pony-tailed hair - doesn't make for a refreshing after hard work shower. 
3. Have a good imagination. The only way to get through the blown insulation shower that comes with taking down insulation is to be Team Member B and imagine that it's non-edible cotton candy falling, it makes the experience almost gleeful. Philip was up on the ladder disgusted by how much fluff was falling down and under my mask I had a huge smile just because of how much pink was falling all around me. 
4. Be prepared for mystery substances. Wear a respirator or check ahead of time if there are any questionable things, or give yourself enough time to back away and get a professional when there is a weird white dust that might kill you. We probably could have seen that white dust ahead and looked into it, instead of having a last minute panic attack that could lead to a spousal dispute. 
5. Wallpaper something before tackling this project. That, or pre-schedule a marital counselling session. You'll need to be as strong as ever with your spouse before showering your marriage in toxic substances, sawdust, and fiberglass. 

What's Next

Now that we've got our insulation out, here are the next couple of things that need to happen:

1. Put up new vapour barrier
2. Drywall the ceiling
3. Have new insulation blown in

Have you taken down insulation recently? Did you love it as much as we did?

Window Shopping Wednesday: Wardrobe Update

I don't know what it is, but I'm having a serious craving for a wardrobe upgrade. When I look in my closet in the morning I'm not seeing anything too exciting. It could be because Winter clothes have been out way too long and the switch to Summer will be enough to make my closet pleasing again, but I think I could use a few new items. 

Yesterday I started making a list of clothes to start keeping an eye out for. 

Jeans - I only have one pair right now and I don't care for them so have mostly been sticking to some of my more legging type pants.

Flats - Right now I only have one pair of nice flats, and since Philip is a bit shorter than me it would be nice to sell some of my fancy heels and trade them in for something more practical (getting old). 

Shorts - Again, only have one pair. I used to hate shorts and so I resisted buying them but I've started liking them a lot more and could use another pair.

Blousey Tops - I'm going crazy for these, so stylish and put together but super comfy. 

Blouse from The Gap. 

Cardigan - My Christian school upbringing and dress code has somehow managed to crush the idea that shoulder skin is scandalous into my brain and so I could use an extra cardigan to wear with some of my Summer tank tops. 

New Glasses - Getting tired of this pair, so going to make a visit to Zenni Optical soon, eye appointment next week and then with perscription in hand I can find a more stylish pair.

Glasses from Zenni Optical...I'm not sure if these are the ones I'll get, but something like this maybe?

Headbands - My headband feels like a vice on my head sometimes it is so tight, could use a couple more that are maybe a bit more cozy (is there such a thing?).

There's one more item that I don't need at all, but will likely buy. I go crazy for dresses, especially Summer dresses. They're so beautiful, comfortable to wear, and can be dressed up or down. The Joe line of Spring/Summer dresses are amazing this year! I haven't tried any on yet, but when I do, I have a feeling a couple might land in my cart unexpectedly. 


Where do you normally shop for your closet staples? You'll likely see me browsing Joe at Superstore (cheap and cute), The Gap, Espirit, and The Bay, oh and of course Winners. I certainly like to check out more interesting stores like some of the shops around Osborne (Hush, Out of the Blue), some other stores in the mall like Dynamite, Aldo, Forever 21, BCBG. Hopefully I'll be able to carve some clothing allowance out of the kitchen savings because I'm feeling a little stir crazy with my wardrobe right now. Yesterday I went through one drawer and got rid of a few of the more tattered or disliked items, making room to see the items that I actually like to wear. 

Have you been feeling tired with your wardrobe come Spring also or am I alone in this?

Would You Tues: Earth Day

After a strep throat-induced sabbatical, we're back in action. The throat is still a bit sore, but I'm officially on no pain killers right now after my first night without them in a week. Strep throat is for sure the worst non-lethal sickness I've had. 

Anyway...moving on! 

Yesterday was Earth Day, and so I thought an Earth Day themed Would You Tues would be in order. 

What will you implement this year to take better care of the Earth?
a) Homemade or natural house cleaners
b) Recycling - behind the times a little
c) Plant a tree
d) Bike to work once the snow melts

As for us:
- Philip takes the bus to work
- We recycle, and with the DIY trend that's coming up, lots of us are searching thrift stores for great finds instead of buying a new product. 
- I'm hoping to keep up a small vegetable garden
- I'd really like to try some natural cleaners

Happy Earth Day!

Would You Tues: Destress

We're about to dive head first back into our bathroom renovation after a very long break, and we're wondering...

What do you do to unwind during/after a major renovation project?

a) When I'm planning a renovation, I save enough to do the project, and to go on a vacation afterwards.
b) Watching Baby Mama with a bowl of popcorn is all I need.
c) I start my next project because I'm not tired at all.
d) Get outside for a jog, or if it's too cold do 100 push ups. Get the blood pumping to give energy for my next feat. 
e) I hire people to do all of my projects so that I don't need to destress. 
f) Fill in the blank with your own creative/unique answer.

This question got me thinking, so I have one more for you...

How long is a good "unwinding" period between major projects?

a) One Week
b) One Hour
c) One Month
d) One Year

Philip & I have learned to prioritize and ignore some of the pressure that comes our way when it comes to renovating. Anyone who has ever delayed a project knows how frustrating it can be when everyone and their talking kitchen sink is asking about your progress. Sometimes we decide to put social activity or church commitments ahead of our renovation, sometimes we make a lot of head way in a week, it just depends on where we're at. Our bathroom took a long break firstly because of Philip's commitment to our church dinner theatre, and then because of the snow causing issues that forced us to wait for warmer weather. To be honest, I'm a little bit glad we got to wait because it gave us some downtime to plan out the project better and to take a break because before the bathroom we'd been working on a lot of things at once. After the bathroom, there's talk of us tackling the kitchen - one of the biggest renovation projects people tackle. The second question here was birthed out of my thinking of how long we should wait between bathroom and kitchen. I suppose we'll decide based on how crazy the rest of our bathroom renovation is and how long it takes, how tired we are, and what our Summer looks like. 

Give us your feedback in the comments, Facebook, or even by shooting us an email (cassondra.wiebe@gmail.com). We love to hear from you and hope that these weekly questions can help us to learn more about our readership, and for you to get to know us a little bit more personally also. Have a happy Tuesday!

More Money Monday: Step 2

Step 2: Launch Your Debt Rocket

NOTE: This is the fun part. This is the part where you get to dream about what you want your life to look like. So if you've gotten rolling on Step 1, this is a sweet reward for your continuing efforts.

Everybody's done cheesy goal-setting exercises before, so it might seem somewhat lame to yet another one just because we said so. But this isn't going to be cheesy because this isn't a goal for your eighth-grade basketball team and this isn't a goal for drinking eleventeen glasses of water a day because Dr. Oz said so. This is a goal for you, for determining what you want your life to look like, and how you can set yourself up financially to make that possible.

Here's a free printable for this exercise, take some time either on your own or with your spouse or fellow budgeteer to sit down and answer the questions. When you're done hang it somewhere visible to you daily as a motivator and reminder.

Keep your answers as direct and concrete as possible. This makes them more measurable and understandable. And a big hat-tip to Dave Ramsey, whose Debt Snowball is a big inspiration for this piece.

First question: "Understanding the richness of my life isn't determined by my bank account or my toys, is there one luxury that I dream of having?"

This is your dream, your aspirational goal. For Carl and Ellie Fredricksen, it was moving to Paradise Falls. For Cassondra, this would be going on regular vacations. For Philip, this would be owning a hot tub or building a media room. Maybe for you, it's having built your own home, paid off your mortgage, sent your kids to college, and/or having built a dozen freshwater wells in Africa. (Sorry, was that a Jesus Juke?)

Second Question: "What are all the obstacles standing in my way of acquiring that one luxury?"

This is your Debt Universe into which you’re launching your Debt Rocket (we’ll kill this metaphor yet!). Here you get to list all your debts (from smallest to largest) and how much you’d need to save to reach your version of Paradise Falls.

A quick word on owing money: Debt is a the single biggest threat to your financial future. And while home ownership might necessitate a mortgage, there's other debt like student loans, car loans, and credit card debt (especially credit card debt) that can kill your dream before it even gets off the ground.

On top of that, debt is expensive. Add up all your debts that are not your mortgage and multiply them by the annual interest rate. For example, if you've got $2,000 worth of car loans at 6% interest, that's $120; if you've got $900 of credit card debt at 28% interest, that's $252/year that you're paying that you won't have to anymore!

So list all your debts, how much you’d need to save to achieve your dream, and get ready for...

Third Question: "What are 3 things that we can do without, starting today?"

Say hi to your Debt Rocket Boosters!

“Wait,” you say, “didn’t you say at the top that this was supposed to be fun?”

“Yes,” I respond.

“Well, I’ll admit the first question (deciding what my aspirational goal is) was fun,” you continue, “but then you had me write down all my debts, and the amount of money I’d need to save, and that wasn’t so much fun!”

“Uh-huh,” I respond.

“And now!” you exclaim. “Now you want me to give up stuff? How is that fun?”

“I admit it’s not all rainbows and lollipops,” I acknowledge, “but bear with me here.”

Look at your aspirational goal. How cool would it be to get there? Very cool. Popsicle Pete-cool. So this is fun, because we’re giving up things that are less cool than your ultimate dream, in order to get you to your ultimate dream faster.

So come up with a plan to put extra money against your debt. Write down "Give up my morning coffee from [insert your coffeeshop here]." Add it up for a year: even just $3 every weekday for coffee adds up to $750/year!

Or write "Cancel our cable TV service and switch to Netflix.” It’s easy to drop $50-$100 a month on cable, but Netflix has tons of shows you can binge-watch to your heart’s content for only $8/month (with a freebie to get you started). Even if you’re on the low end of cable TV costs, you’ll be saving over $500/year with this switch.

For us, a few things we’ve sacrificed include Philip driving to work (he busses), cable TV, and a few games’ worth of our Blue Bomber season seats. With those three changes, a conservative estimate suggests we save about $2500/year. It’s not easy, but when I remember that we’re $2500 closer to soaking the winter blahs away in a hot tub or one day having a “Winter Cruise budget,” it’s a lot easier to stomach.

So what’s your aspirational goal? What are you giving up to get there? Make note of it in the comments so we can all cheer you on!