So much has happened since we last picked up the podcast mic, so we have a jam-packed show to catch you up on all the things. We’re talking house updates, embarrassing stories, renovation plans, and we even worked in some bad metaphorical diagrams (because describing graphs and charts you can’t see always goes over well in an audio format). We’re also diving into how house projects have slowed down around here, the remaining projects on our list, and how our attitude towards having less on our to-do list has changed pretty dramatically over the years. Plus an impromptu musical exercise that captured our family’s contentment for living in a smaller home, and why Sherry can never show her face in one Florida city again. Also, a fun holiday game and the TV show we’ve been dying to tell you about.

You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast listening app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Continue reading #182: A Big Catch Up Holiday-ish Special (Surprise!) at Young House Love.

There were two houses in our neighborhood that we seriously considered, and today we’re sharing a truly random occurrence that involves the house we didn’t buy. We’re also sharing what we learned from our astrocartography readings. What did the stars say about our move to Florida? Were our readings dead-on or completely off? And what random sentence about a certain mammal made Sherry extremely excited? Plus the tale of a simple outdoor project that took months longer than it should have and the purchase that made us change our tune about outdoor furniture. Also, Sherry did something embarrassing again.

You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast listening app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.

What’s New

• Here’s a look at our new fence that we had installed between us and the house that’s being constructed next door (plus a peek at our small exterior shed – which you first saw in this outdoor before & after post).

Continue reading #181: How The Other House We Considered Came Back Around at Young House Love.

The sudden boom of video conferencing in all of our lives is giving us a new window through which to view our homes (and the homes of others – from coworkers to celebrities and news correspondents). So what does your Zoom background say about you? And what lengths will we go to when it comes to altering them to make sure nothing weird gets seen by everyone else on the call? We also realized in hindsight that a family trip earlier this year had a pretty major effect on our decision to move to Florida. Plus we explain the big shiny object on our kitchen counter – and Sherry divulges an embarrassing story from her NYC days that she might never live down.

You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast listening app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Continue reading #180: Decorating In The Era Of Zoom at Young House Love.

The perks of downsizing continue to show themselves, including a recent realization we had while shopping for curtains and blinds. It was a pretty dramatic contrast of how shopping for this house is different than our previous ones, and it highlighted some exciting freedoms that come along with that. We also take a look at how pandemics of the past have shaped the way our homes look today, including the origin of things like powder rooms, white kitchens, and higher bed frames. Plus, what we really think of our fancy new Frame TV – and can your birthday really help you pick the right plants?

You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast listening app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Continue reading #179: A Funny Byproduct Of Having To Buy Fewer Products at Young House Love.

We’ve been in our new house for one whole month, and there are definitely some things that are shaping up differently than we had pictured. So today we’re sharing why some house projects have been easier than expected, but getting settled in a few other ways took some turns we didn’t anticipate. We’re also diving into the history of three popular and persistent design trends – like the true origins of subway tile and why the fiddle-leaf fig isn’t a recent phenomenon. Plus, a curtain hack that Sherry secretly tested out for an entire year, and what happens when Alexa commands get lost in translation.

You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast listening app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Continue reading #178: Settling Into Our New House: Expectation Vs. Reality at Young House Love.

Today we’re talking about how it has been as a family of four who is sharing one bathroom, and what plans we have for adding onto that number down the line. And while we’re on the subject (this podcast always seems to turn to bathroom-related things…) we look into the uniquely American obsession with bathrooms and learn why the heck in the past 50 years the number of them per American has DOUBLED. We also finally have real beds in our house after weeks of sleeping on mattresses on the floor, and it feels good! So we’re sharing how they each serve different functional purposes in our smaller house. Plus, we learn what decor styles are the most popular in each state and we bring our Instagram conversations around Black makers & voices to the podcast.

You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast listening app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Continue reading #177: Bathrooms: A Slippery Slope? at Young House Love.

We’re in Florida (!!!) and we’ve got LOTS to tell you about all that went down on our moving day and throughout our first couple of weeks in our new home. We’re covering a lot of ground, like how we made the 13-hour drive feel faster, which of our moving predictions from our last episode came true, and what we really thought about using those travel pee bags. Plus, getting unpacked and settled into a smaller home has presented some challenges that we didn’t anticipate, so we’re sharing what those were, and why they’re giving us a whole new appreciation for this part of the downsizing process. We’re also recapping what items we overpacked (even after leaving around 50% of our belongings behind when we moved!) and why those “extra” things aren’t working in our new house. 

You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast listening app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Continue reading #176: The Part Of Moving To A Smaller Home We Didn’t Expect at Young House Love.

While we’re getting settled in our new house in Florida, we’ve got one last episode for you that we recorded in Richmond. In fact, we took a moment as “Past John & Sherry” to make some predictions for what our moving day might look like, along with our hopes-slash-fears for our first night in our new home. We’re also talking about temporary, affordable, and easy-to-change decor ideas that are great for renters and homeowners alike, thanks to interviewing an expert on the subject named Medina Grillo. She was full of smart solutions and also took the opportunity to bust some myths about being a renter. Plus, the Instagram account that has us in stitches, and what we’re bringing for our kids on our 12-hour drive to Florida.

You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast listening app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Continue reading #175: Our Big Move Is Officially Underway (& We Have Some Predictions) at Young House Love.