It's Me or the Beanbag...Don't Answer That

We have this ridiculous (there, I said it) convertible beanbag thing leftover from our move. You might even recognize it. We used it to make the biggest softest bed imaginable for Jake. By all accounts, it did that!

Full disclosure: It also barfed foamy bits all over the car and house. It was also too high for Jake to jump up onto so now my back hurts. It also made it real tough to see out the back window. And now, it occupies a space in our new place.

On the other hand... Jake loves it. And, well, look at him!

The funny story behind this poof of furniture is that we TRIPLE stuffed it. Accidentally. When you order this thing, they offer to send you a second batch of stuffing should you want the marshmallow to be more firm. We accepted their offer. A couple days later, we get a delivery notification but no package. The following day we officially declared the package stolen and called the Company. They were very kind and resent the stuffing. Which arrived safely a couple days later.  Guess what arrived a few days after that!? Yep, the 2nd batch of stuffing.

Feeling like my masculinity was in doubt, I stuffed all 3 batches into the liner and then the case. See how that zipper looks like it's going to bust in that 2nd pic? Yeah. Masculinity restored.

3 Tips for DIY-ers

I love a good DIY project. For a guy that spends more time doing email than virtually anything else, some manual labor (especially if it's a creative outlet) is a welcome project. Here are 3 oft overlooked tips for folks who enjoy the occasional project and the stuff that comes with it.

Time it. Juuuust right. 

DIY projects are like homemade cinnamon buns: you've gotta let 'em bake before unveiling the goodness. OK, ok...horrible analogy. I agree. The literal explanation is even worse.

What I mean is: don't just jump right into the project! You've gotta let the buns bake for a few. It's about managing expectations. Be forewarned: should you make short work of the first project, you're only accelerating the second project (and third and ...) and increasing future complexity.

So how long should you wait before kicking-off the project? Here's my tried and true methodology. First, conservatively estimate the number of hours required to complete the project. Better to over estimate. Second, delay for that many weeks. Third, ta-daah.

Get it in Writing

David's first law of DIY states, "as project commencement nears, the value of verbal commitments to assist decline towards absolute zero." I'll even go one step further and identify a "verbal" for what it is: a bargaining tactic. These are high-pressure negotiation tactics used to pressure you into doing the project.

Verbals are like a 4-legged stool. Each leg of the stool represents a good reason to accept the project. When one of the legs is removed, the stool will still stand. Be prepared to identify and react to these (and other) dirty negotiation tactics.

Keep 'em Coming

DIY projects are an important part of one's identity. And it's important to do a project each quarter so that folks identify you as a DIY-er. This is a key to workshop bliss! Why? Because there are opportunities throughout the year when someone might be inclined to give you a gift. It's at these times that you should refer them to your wishlist of awesome-but-less-than-essential tools. Laser level? Electric sander? Portable jump-starter? Yes, YEs and YES!

I refinished a shelf over the weekend. The piece looks great and I had a good time doing it. Onto the next one! ...but not until Q3, of course.