In honor of Halloween, we’re sharing a strange event that happened at our beach house — something we genuinely couldn’t explain for months. Even I, usually the skeptic, found myself asking, “How did that just happen?!” We also talk with author Miranda Anderson about the year her whole family undertook a shopping ban and how that experiment brought greater gratitude, patience, and a new sense of adventure to everyone. Plus: an update on our bathroom renovation (yes, it’s getting real — and messy) and a tool that’s helping keep our sanity through the process.
You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.
What’s New
- Here’s a look at the current state of our bathroom after this week’s demo so the professional plumbers and electricians we hired could do their work on Thursday and Friday.
- Everything went remarkably smoothly, so now the focus is on rebuilding. Next up: prepping the floors and shower walls for tile.
- If you’re curious about acting as your own general contractor (often abbreviated “GC”), there are helpful resources that explain what’s involved versus hiring a contractor to manage the whole project.
- We’ve also covered working with contractors in past episodes — selecting a contractor, tips for successful relationships from contractors themselves, and navigating estimates and bids — which can be useful if you’re managing a renovation.
Our Haunted Room?
- This is the middle bedroom at the beach house we mentioned — photo taken mid-makeover, not during the summer when the “haunting” occurred. You can spot the attic access door on the ceiling toward the top of the image.
- We’ll share more about the board-and-batten treatment we installed here in a separate post later this week, complete with photos and details.
Miranda Anderson, More Than Enough
- To learn more about our guest Miranda Anderson, visit her website or follow her on Instagram at @livefreemiranda. Her work centers on practical minimalism and creative living.
- Her book, More Than Enough, explores her family’s year of “practical minimalism,” detailing why they did it, where they struggled, and what they gained. The book is available through her site and retailers.
- Miranda also runs a 5-week “Live Free From Clutter” e-course; she sometimes offers discounts and has limited enrollment, so check for the next session if you’re interested.
- She hosts the weekly podcast Live Free Creative, which covers topics ranging from family and finances to marriage and home life. If you want deeper dives related to our conversation, episodes to consider include practical money perspectives, optimism, decluttering beyond popular methods, renovation advice, and handling setbacks — plus an introduction to her book in podcast form.
- During our interview we referenced a few of our older episodes, like the conversation with Cait Flanders about her Year of Less and Myquillyn Smith’s idea of becoming “stuff managers.”
We’re Digging
- My wet/dry vac is several years old and has been great for large cleanup jobs in the bathroom demo area. For smaller or more portable needs, there are compact models that reviewers recommend for quick cleanups or car interiors.
- We’ve also been listening to the podcast The Clearing lately; if you’re curious, there’s a trailer you can watch below.
If you’re trying to find something we discussed in a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to open, we keep a master list of topics and items we’ve been digging across episodes. We also maintain a Book Club page with every book we’ve recommended.
Finally, a big thank you to Social Print Studio for sponsoring this episode. You can save 15% on your next order with code YHL15.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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