An infestation is the kind of thing that can make you leave your home for a few days — and we’re sharing the whole, itch-inducing story here. We explain why we had to get out of the house, how we solved the problem (it ended up being less painful than we feared), and what we learned along the way. We also air some strong opinions about front doors and borrow a clever idea from a luxury hotel to elevate our beach house. To top it off, in honor of our 100th episode, we welcome a very special guest.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen via the embedded player below. Use this page to follow any links, notes, or photos we mention. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- That photo shows our temporary “quarantine” area in the bonus room after we discovered the pest issue. This shot was taken after we returned from our impromptu trip out of town to let the treatments work, so it looks relatively calm compared to the hectic scene when everything was first piled in there.
- If you want to read about my earlier NYC bed bug experience that I referenced, here’s a post about how awful it was. Below are a couple of photos from that episode: my clothes stored in sealed bags and me wearing the “sleep uniform” I adopted that summer to avoid bites overnight. Also, behold the curtains made from black flat sheets — proof that Sherry married me for my design sense.
Can We Just Talk About
- Front doors. The options in big box stores are often either overly ornate or oddly modern, with very little that feels classic and simple. This is actual footage of Sherry giving the in-stock doors some serious side-eye — lots of wild choices, but few that suit a timeless aesthetic.
- We stumbled across some extremely intricate door designs while hunting for a diamond-paned option we thought would be easy to buy for the duplex. Who knew a door with a carved bear family would be easier to find than a simple, classic paneled door?
- In case you missed it on Instagram, here are Amy and Sherry with the door Amy kindly drove from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, through Richmond on her way to her daughter’s soccer tournament. You can also see Sherry with the same door in front of the duplex in another post.
We’re Digging
- On the nightstand you can see the Big Red Rooster sound machine we bought for each bedroom at the beach house. It’s compact, around $15, and offers a variety of soothing sounds — a simple, inexpensive way to improve sleep while traveling.
- For true crime fans, we’ve been captivated by Southern Nightmare, a podcast about events that took place locally in Richmond in the 1980s. It’s gripping and well-produced.
If you’re trying to find something we featured in a past episode but don’t remember which show notes to open, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from prior episodes.
We’re also grateful to Grove Collaborative for sponsoring this episode. New members who sign up at Grove.co/YHL and spend their first $20 receive a free Mrs. Meyers cleaning set and a two-month VIP membership.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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