A New View

Nearly five years ago, we put in new windows for the first time with a company. We were excited. It was fun to get new windows for the house and replace the original ones. But the process was a nightmare. Our first job was scheduled to start in the afternoon, and they didn't even arrive until about 2-3 o'clock in the afternoon. They didn't leave until 8:30 that evening. New windows? Yay. The install? Terrible. 

However, we did enjoy the new windows and ended up scheduling another batch later that year. This install was much better. I requested to be scheduled as the first job of the day, and we were very particular with the installers about details. After this second batch of windows, we were done for a while. 

The windows which have always stood out in our house were our living room windows. We had repainted the wood paneling on the inside when we purchased the house, but the windows stayed the same dark brown frame with grids.

The color difference provides contrast, but I've never liked the grids.  
If it were an actual pure black color, I'd be less likely to complain,
but it was the original dark brown/copper tone.

This year, we revisited the new window conversation. My husband had always said our bedroom was particularly warm in the summer - it was. We have a south-facing window in our bedroom and it would raise the temperature by about 7-8 degrees compared to the rest of the house in the summer. I think after this year, he'd finally hit his limits and wanted to do something about it. So we called three companies and got quotes from them on the same day. 

The first quote was from the same sales rep we'd worked with before, but he had changed companies. We figured we'd call him out and see what the new company was like. It was more or less comparable to our original company. We were feeling pretty good about committing with them but wanted to wait until after the other two quotes. 

The second quote was from the same company we'd worked with before (now with a new rep). I really just wanted to see how their prices compared to five years ago since the economy and pricing has changed drastically in the last few years. He came and left within an hour.

The third quote we scheduled was with a company that had "very expensive" windows. The sales rep we'd worked with before asked us what other quotes we were getting. We told him the companies and when this name was mentioned, he immediately said, "Oh, they will be double our prices." I took this into consideration as I knew they were not going to be the cheapest company. However, I wanted to see what they offered. 

When the salesman arrived, you could immediately tell it was on a different tier of company because he came dressed in a suit and dress shoes. He did his sales presentation, brought his sample window, and we went through more or less the same spiel as the other sales reps. When he presented the numbers, he did something different than the other companies. He gave his first number which was the "actual cost" of the windows, like MSRP. Then he told us he could apply this first discount, and another discount, and then gave us the final number. Yes, it was significantly higher than the other companies, but there were a few different points he emphasized in his sales pitch which stood out:

1. They use licensed installers to install their windows - I'm pretty sure this is a stretch because there is no "license" you obtain to install windows. He had used the examples of carpenters/tradesmen to back up this claim, but I don't 100% buy it. 

2. He talked about the quality of the window and the different parts involved to keep the window insulated. This, I liked. I saw the difference in their window compared to the other window samples we'd seen before as well as the other new windows already installed in our house. I even tried to bend/manipulate the vinyl in the frame, and it was definitely stiffer than the cheaper companies.

3. He sold the install as a "sit back and relax" experience. We are in the stage of life where this is what we want. I want to allow someone to come in, fix or change something for me, and I don't have to micromanage them to make sure they're doing their job properly. If I have to pay a slight premium for it, so be it. 

4. They accepted credit cards on the entire balance with no extra fees. This is huge in today's world because when I can earn credit card rewards and points on my expenses, it adds a huge benefit, even if the actual amount I pay is greater. 

He left us alone to discuss with each other for about 15 minutes. We both agreed, we liked the quality of these windows better than either of the other two companies. However, the number he gave us was much too high. So we discussed what our bottomline would be for us to sign with this company. We arrived at that number and when he came back, we pitched it to him. 

His response was, "Sorry, I can't do that. I've already given you as many discounts as I can." And we understood and let him pack up his things and get ready to go. Then, he stopped mid-packing and said he'd try to run the numbers again and see what he could do to get us our ideal number. He got really close. He asked if we could come up $83. Sure, we could do $83. 

So right then and there, we signed contracts for windows with the most expensive company we received a quote from not intending to actually buy any windows that actual day. I made sure he understood very clearly my expectations: smooth install. no payment until everything was to my satisfaction. best crew assigned to our job. He told us the windows would be ready in about 4-6 weeks, and he was actually right. Only 24 business days later, I received the phone call saying the windows we ready. We installed a week after that. 

I have to give it to him - most of what I asked for was completed without a hitch. Did we hit some bumps during install? Yea, we did. But that's almost always the case and should be the expectation. But I'm quite impressed with the sales rep and his overall demeanor. He handled everything very positively (even though he may have been secretly scowling at me through the phone). But any form of communication with me was made in a way to make me feel like I was the most important item on his agenda. And that is a special talent which even I do not possess. 

And let's not forget, we really love the windows. 

One of the six windows we replaced. These windows do not have window
treatments so it is actually refreshing to be able to see completely out with a well-blended
white frame to match the rest of the interior. 

So how did they perform on their original claims sold by the sales rep? Pretty good actually.

1. The installer - I don't know that he actually had any license, but you could tell he was knowledgeable and knew what he was doing. We had a one-person crew come out to install our six windows and he did it in about six hours. I'm impressed. For the quality of the install and to be able to do it in six hours, you have to know what you're doing and be deft. He did just that. So I'll give it to them - at least one of their crew is a competent installer. 

2. I already felt the quality of the windows on their sample, but once installed, still nice. I also was able to see the fit of the windows during installation, and they fit very well for the measurements taken. I have a feeling one of the previous window installs we did with the other company did not do a great job of measuring....

3. Honestly, the install was as close to a "sit back and relax" situation as it could have been. I don't think I can ever fully relax when someone is working in/on my house, but it was almost. I was able to get other things done and not feel like I had to constantly keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't cutting corners. And if you know me or have read my blog, you'll know we've had our fair share of working with contractors and the full gamut of "quality" that exists. 

4. It's true, they don't require completed payment until everything is done to my satisfaction. I've currently not paid yet because they have to come out and fix some things from the install. 

Everything in this experience has told me that spending the extra money to go with a different company instead of the cheapest one out there is worth it. This has been my mentality lately since having children because spending the time on extra hassles isn't worth saving the money. 

About the children....what were they doing for six hours while our windows were getting installed? Well, they wanted to play outside, but they didn't like the noise or want to be by the installer. So they moved all their "furniture" to the other side of the house and set up shop by themselves. 

They're so creative 😍

Subtle Reminders

The blog has been quiet lately because life has been crazy. I've been smirking at myself this entire year because in the middle of January, I distinctly remember sending one of my friends a text message: This year in 1/24ths over. And over the next few months I recalled this text with her a few times and the fraction kept getting larger and larger.

And here we are in the middle of November. The year is 21/24ths over. 

I was washing the dishes today after we returned home from school. The groceries went into the fridge, the laundry went into the dryer, and the kids were playing by themselves. My son was already outside playing in the backyard and my daughter wanted to join him. She came up to me as I was washing and told me she wanted to go outside. I told her to put her sweater on and she ran off to do so. 

After a moment of quiet, I called out to see if she was still getting ready or if she'd already ran outside. She told me she was getting her shoes on and within seconds, I heard the door open and shut. She's only five years old, but it's already happening. In my mind, I was picturing a teenager grabbing her things to leave and drive herself somewhere. Honestly, the feeling as a mother is exactly the same. I just got a sample of what is to come. 

After finishing the dishes, I cleaned up our back hallway which becomes the dumping grounds for everything when we come inside. As I brought the kids schoolbags back to the table, I happened to glance at the window and noticed a tear in the curtain. 

And just like that, I was transported back to being the mother of young children who are totally oblivious and unaware of their surroundings at times. I could almost guess exactly how this curtain came to be ripped and why the kids didn't even notice.

They like to climb on the window sill and look outside for fun. We have a table placed against the wall adjacent to this window. A portion of the table overlaps the window. It is very likely as they were playing by the window and the curtain that the curtain got shoved up against the corner of the table and tore without them even knowing it.

I'm not actually mad about it. These were the first curtains I ever bought for the house when we first moved in. They're nothing special to me. It is inconvenient that they're now ripped in the middle, but I'm not even going to bother replacing them. We also have extras anyway from when we replaced the window treatments in my studio. 

In a way, it was a nice reminder I still have little children in my house. And part of me would like it to stay that way a little while longer. 🥰

New Window Treatments

When we moved in, the windows in my studio had brown faux wood blinds. After we had the room painted, the brown no longer matched the rest of the room. We also encountered a problem where the blinds were difficult to let down all the way. This was due to the fact that the windows have trim about 1/3 of the way up the bottom of the window. This caused a discrepancy in width if you were to measure at the very top or at the bottom of the window. The person who ordered the previous window treatments did not account for this and simply measured at the top where they would be installed. As a result, you could never really get the blinds to come down all the way in a smooth, easy manner. 

The original blinds (and windows).

When I was teaching, I noticed the sun would angle in through two different windows depending on the season. In the fall and winter, the sun would come streaming in through the left window. In the summer, the sun would come streaming in through the right window. Sunset in the summer months are more of a northwest sun vs a southwest sun during the winter. My solution over the years was to hang curtains to avoid the problem of the trim and to block out the sunlight during the various months.

The curtains did their job...but didn't add much for aesthetics.

The curtains sufficed for a long time, however, they've always looked unkempt and messy. They also gave the room an illusion of taking up more space because of the puffiness of the curtains. 

This summer, I was enlightened to zebra blinds. I like to call zebra blinds the contemporary version of a roller blind. Roller blinds have been around for a very long time. In fact, there was a rainbow colored roller blind covering the window in one of our bedrooms when we moved into the house. That has also since been removed and replaced. I also realized we could hang the blinds with an outside mount instead of an inside mount. This way, we did not run into the problem of the varying widths from the window trim. 

I ordered blind fabric samples months ago and we had discussed which kind of fabric and color to choose for my studio. After a while, the idea got put on the back-burner because it was a lot of money. One day, I saw in my inbox an email from the blinds website saying they were running 45% off zebra blinds! Normally, their site consistently has them at only 25% off. I told my husband and he told me to get them. I had to rummage around the house and dig for where the samples went because I'd misplaced them for a few months. After successfully finding the samples and measuring the window, I placed the order. 

On the day the blinds were supposed to be delivered, I took my children out in the morning for a bike ride around the neighborhood. When we came back, my daughter alerted me to a tag on our front door. FedEx had come by to deliver but did not leave the package because it required a signature. I was disappointed, but I made a mental note not to leave the house the next morning. 

Later that afternoon, I saw a FedEx truck stop in front of our house. The delivery driver came back and delivered it! I don't know if they're actually allowed or supposed to do this, but it was nice of him to make a second attempt on the same day. We ended up storing the blinds for a few days before we could install because it was going to be a minimum two day process. 

The first day, we were going to uninstall the curtain rod, remove the curtains, fill the screw holes, and touchup the paint. The second day, we were going to drill new holes for the new hardware and install the blinds. Everything was going great on the first evening as we uninstalled the rods and took the curtains down. Then, we opened up our spackle to fill the screw holes only to discover it had molded.

I wish I could tell you this was rocky road ice cream...it's not

In order to get our project going and keep the timeline, we needed to patch the holes so we could paint over them and let the paint dry. That evening, I tried a new trick - toothpaste! For holes 1/4 inch or smaller, you can use a white toothpaste in place of spackle to fill screw holes. Because we had small holes and we were not going to be making new ones anywhere near the old ones, we had no problem substituting toothpaste to fill the drywall holes. 

Thankfully, our five-year-old can of paint was still good and did not go bad. We do store it inside in a temperature-controlled climate rather than in the garage where it can get excessively hot and cold. Google says latex paint can keep for up to 10 years when stored properly so hopefully we can double its longevity. After touching up the paint, we walked around the house in search of places on the walls to touch up. There were a lot more than I had thought. Between stains from contractors, crayon on the wall, pen on the wall, and scuff marks, we were able to use up most of the paint I poured out. 

I forgot how beautiful the windows are exposed, but sadly, it is not practical for what I need.

The next evening, we measured, drilled new holes, and installed the zebra blinds, and by we, I mean mostly my husband. I am super pleased with the final result. These blinds do everything I want them to. They let in light so it doesn't feel like a cave of a room, but they also block out a good amount of light so my piano doesn't get damaged and I can keep the glare out of the room during sunset. 

Much more streamlined and neat.

It was a little painful to have to move the furniture back in front of the blinds because I use a round table as a desk in the corner of the room. I am now browsing various desks/secretary desks to see what I could use to better fit the space and still meet my needs for organization, storage, and infrequent writing use.

How many of my students do you think noticed and said something to me? 😆

Gee-ko

 I have fond memories from last summer of watching geckos with my daughter. At the time, her bedtime was close to 10pm or later on some nights. I have no idea how she could sleep so late. She was waking up around 8 in the morning and napping for 2-3 hours, but she still wouldn't sleep before 9 pm at the earliest if that. Even now, my daughter sleeps 11 hours at night max.

With this late bedtime, we were able to watch the geckos come out after the sun went down. She was very amused to see little lizards crawling on our windows. Small geckos would somehow find their way into our house. My husband would catch them and let them out again. He's not afraid of picking them up. I'm grateful for this. One time, he caught the gecko and put it on her leg while I videoed her reaction. She was more afraid of the skittering movements than the gecko itself. 

She called them"gee-kos" with a long E, so we all started saying gee-ko.

Her bedtime has since normalized and she's in bed by 8:30 (although asleep is a different story). We haven't gotten to watch geckos together this summer. But last night after putting her to bed, I walked over to our window and took a look myself instead of continuing the rest of my usual nighttime routine.

I had noticed more geckos than usual hanging around the window as well as a good number of moths flying around or hanging around the window. I stood there for a while, watching, and then hubby came by and joined me. We stood by our window and watched the moths fly around and the geckos circle cautiously.

The predators.

The (un?)suspecting prey.

We stood and watched for a few minutes. I really wanted to watch a gecko eat a moth. And we did! But I didn't catch a picture of it because by the time I pulled out my phone to get a picture, he had devoured 95% of that moth. So we stood there a while longer to see if another one would get eaten. Sure enough, another moth was caught and this time I was ready!

Stuck!

This moth really tried to wriggle free. Unfortunately, he did not.

After watching for what seemed like about 10-15 minutes, we resumed our normal nightly routine, but I felt a strange sense of satisfaction being able to witness some geckos eating their fill for the evening. I would still never touch one with my hands, but watching behind a sheet of glass works great for me! We don't get to have a lot of "fun" these days between parenting a toddler and a baby and staying safe from the virus, but this was actually a lot of fun.