Geek Girl Replaces Ceiling Fan, Somehow Doesn't Electrocute Herself

At long last, I've got our first video tutorial from the big house renovation! I've insisted on doing all the work in these myself, which has slowed us down a bit, ha. I want to prove that mere mortals can do this stuff, too, not just John - who I suspect was born with a cordless drill in his hand and an innate understanding of electrical wiring in his heart.

I actually changed out three ceiling fans for this video, just to get everything sorted in my head enough to teach you how. I've helped John change dozens of fans before this, but this was the first time I did everything on my own - and I gotta say, it's kind of a rush!

Quick Safety PSA: Old houses (and sometimes even new ones) can have some really funky wiring going on. Be safe, and always have an electrical tester on hand to double-check that the power is off after you flip the breaker. (I know I say the tester is optional in the video, ignore that.) If you see ANYTHING you're not sure of up in that ceiling box, stop and call in a professional. Please. The last thing we want is you endangering yourself or your home, and bad electrical wiring can be scary, burn-your-house-down stuff.

Fun Facts: John once melted a screwdriver on faulty wiring here in our own home (our breaker box failed, this should NOT happen), and another time I was blown back on my butt when SOMEONE flipped a breaker while I was still working. (coughcoughJOHNcough) So please, take your time, respect the wires, and make sure the power is off.

Right, now that I've scared the pants of you: this really isn't as intimidating as you think. I promise you DON'T have to pay a pro $200 to come change out a light or fan every time, because the wiring itself is surprisingly simple!

Enough chatter, here, let me walk you through it:

I hope this inspires some of you to grab some tools, and get to work! As always if you have questions, hit me up in the comments - John & I'll do our best to answer.

Friends & FOE: Mermaids, Puns, & TOM FRIGGIN' HIDDLESTON

When I'm not showing you guys what John and I are up to, I like to share stuff that will make you smile, or get inspired, or feel more connected to the community here.

In thinking about that the last few months, and how I could do it better, I realized some of my favorite stuff online is being shared by you readers, right there in my Facebook feed. So let's check in with some of the awesome, silly, nerdalicious stuff happening in FOE lately:

(Don't worry, I get permission to share first!)

 First up, Kelli has a new color-changing mermaid tail!

Look how it shifts from purple to green!


Seriously, how dreamy is this? I have two mermaid friends (besides Kelly), and every time I see them I feel like a kid in fairyland. How many people get to say they're friends with mermaids?

This post from Lindsay makes me want to bring a stuffed animal when I travel:

D'awww.

One of my favorite things is your convention photos, especially if you made your costume and/or get a pic with a celebrity! I've never done the celeb thing myself - and don't ever plan to - so I am living vicariously through posts like this: