Things I've built, made, and figured out along the way.
A browser-based game that puts your market-timing instincts to the test. You're given a decade of real S&P 500 data — one year at a time — and must decide each year whether to stay invested or move to cash. At the end, your returns are compared against a simple buy-and-hold strategy. Spoiler: it's harder than it looks.
We ordered the kitchen from DIY Kitchens (diy-kitchens.com), who have an excellent showroom in Oxford and an equally awesome planner tool. Their aftersales support is second to none, replacing damaged items — including one that was definitely user error — incredibly quickly and at no charge. The first photo shows the kitchen as per the planner tool, and I think I got the final result pretty damned close.
A two-level patio finished in Egyptian limestone, with steps between the levels. So far the work has been mainly excavation and retaining walls. I've been getting Ava to assist with knocking up mortar and pointing my somewhat rough walling.
Due to difficulties with planning, we had to build a void in between my daughter's and our bedroom to potentially accommodate a staircase to the loft. Ultimately we were able to put the staircase elsewhere, so I cut a hole in the wall to house Ikea PAX wardrobes and built custom paneled doors.