Do you avoid certain household staples? We do — and many others do as well, to the point where experts suggest some items may eventually fade away. This week we explore how the modern home and its contents are shifting, which comforts we’ve decided are unnecessary (one is a little odd, heads up), and what we learned renting the best spring break house we’ve ever stayed in. We also share how we managed the stress of flying with kids, car seats, a dog and his crate — basically everything — and what we discovered we probably shouldn’t be storing in our garage.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen to it below. Use this page to check any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- We loved the HomeAway rental we stayed in Pompano Beach, Florida (just north of Fort Lauderdale). It wasn’t quite the five-minute walk to the beach the listing claimed, but we still highly recommend it — we drove and found parking easy and cheap.
- Many readers asked for more details, so we’ll put together a full post. In the meantime, Cap’s Place, the restaurant Sherry mentioned, is worth the trip — part of the fun is the short boat ride to reach it.
- If you want to hear about last year’s spring break in Cape Canaveral, check Episode #45. That Airbnb was enjoyable too, though it shared the property with two other rental units, so it was a bit less private.
- We didn’t get a photo of our entire travel pile (our hands were full), but here’s Sherry on the plane with her signature travel hair and nervous-mom face. Note one of our favorite travel teammates: Burger the dog, tucked in his carrier under the seat.
- Big thanks to Jordan Ferney from Oh Happy Day for the travel confidence boost the weekend before our trip.
What’s Not
- There are plenty of lists detailing items you shouldn’t store in your garage — it’s worth checking those recommendations before you stash things away.
- We own a cordless electric lawn mower that’s safe to keep in the garage when stored properly.
- Make sure your garage has a fire extinguisher if you don’t already have one on hand.
What Millennials Are “Killing”
Upolstered bed / night stand / pink pillow / favorite sheets — and more items from our home list
- A roundup compiled by Business Insider lists many items people speculate millennials are phasing out; it’s an interesting overview of changing preferences.
- The Washington Post examined how paper towels are replacing cloth napkins at many dinner tables, a small but telling shift in behavior.
- The “top sheet debate” has appeared in outlets like USA Today and BuzzFeed, and continues to spark strong opinions. For practical tips, Clean Mama recommended skipping the top sheet on kids’ beds to make morning routines easier — we took that advice and now toss quilts straight into the wash with fitted sheets, avoiding duvet wrestling.
We’re Digging
- We finally tried MarvelBeads after a friend gifted them. They were less messy than we feared and surprisingly fun — one bag goes a long way since the beads grow to about marble size.
- If anyone’s tried the Orbeez Foot Spa, we’re curious how it compares to the description online.
- For dark, page-turning reads we tackled while traveling, try The Couple Next Door, Final Girls, and The Girl Before. The Girl Before blends design and unsettling elements in a way Sherry appreciated; Final Girls is gripping and worth reading too.
If you want to revisit items we’ve recommended in past episodes but don’t remember which show notes to check, we’ve put together a master list of everything we’ve been digging from previous shows.
Special thanks to HANDy Paint Products for sponsoring this episode. For painting projects we like the HANDy Paint Cup with the brush magnet and the HANDy Paint Tray — both make rolling and moving around a room easier. You can find HANDy Paint products wherever you buy paint.
Thanks for listening!
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