Just like our first house floor plan and our previous house floor plan, many of you asked for the new house layout — so here it is. Floor plans are great for people who think visually; they show where walls sit and how rooms connect. We made this one with Floorplanner (a free floor planning … Read more

Clara’s second birthday party was a joyful mix of family, friends, sunshine—and worms (the theme was chosen because she loves looking at, drawing, and dreaming about them). It was warm, bright, and full of laughter. Here’s a look at how we pulled off a playful, worm-themed celebration. We used the sunroom, patio, and carport for … Read more

This is the story of a door that became a desk and then a pint-sized activity table. When Clara caught the coloring bug a few weeks ago, we realized she needed a proper surface for her creativity instead of the floor. A small, sturdy table would keep her comfortable whether she sat or stood while … Read more

As with our previous gift guides, we’ve gathered all three of our lists into one convenient post. Below you’ll find our annual categories, each filled with thoughtfully chosen items we genuinely love and, in many cases, already own. No products were sponsored or gifted for inclusion—these are honest favorites we’d recommend or are actually buying … Read more

Have you ever considered how you make decisions? People generally fall into two decision-making styles, often called maximizers and satisficers. It’s funny—Sherry and I each represent one of these styles, and that difference shows up in everything from choosing items for our home to planning our first international family vacation. This week we share what … Read more

There are countless decisions, measurements, plans (and reworked plans) involved in a kitchen remodel. It’s unrealistic to expect the whole process to go perfectly without a few speed bumps or course corrections along the way. Our renovation was no exception — you may have already heard about our huge tile miscalculation on our podcast — … Read more

Remember how I’ve been sneakily tackling makeovers at my best friend’s house and “sampling” her fridge while I’m at it? You may have seen her living room refresh already. This time we created a simple, cheerful homework room for her kids — and yes, we finished it just in time for the school year to … Read more

The perks of downsizing keep revealing themselves—most recently while we were shopping for curtains and blinds. The contrast between furnishing this home and our previous ones felt dramatic, and it highlighted some delightful freedoms that come with a smaller footprint. We also explored how past pandemics influenced home design, explaining the origins of things like … Read more

This week we tackled the challenge of choosing light fixtures that relate to one another without feeling overly matchy or dull. We touched on this during the podcast (the lighting chat starts around the 20-minute mark) and I promised to share some lighting combinations in the show notes. I then fell into a mood-board rabbit … Read more

*** This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below! *** Good news – the prize pot reached over $500! Even better news: random.org has selected our winner as… Karina (she notes that both teaching and learning to share is hard—just ask her kiddos). Congrats, Karina! Last week we mentioned our curator … Read more