On this week’s podcast we count down five top tricks to create better flow in any room so it feels larger and less cluttered. We also share a surprising financial upside to buying a beach house in poor condition (it’s saving us thousands). Plus, we talk about organizing items that annoy professional organizers and what they recommend instead. A listener also sent a great method for finally conquering a giant laundry pile. And yes — John confessed to some mildly creepy Facebook sleuthing that ended with him declaring himself a hero.
You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio — or listen to it below. Use this page to find links, notes, and photos we mentioned. 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
- While we don’t have a visual for the money-saving program we found, here’s a look at progress at the beach house. The rotted side (which revealed worse foundation issues than our initial inspection suggested) had to be removed and rebuilt. We’ll share a full post with details and photos soon.
Updates
- Following up on the holiday gift exchange themes from Episode #29, here are some quirky “What’s That Smell?!” gift ideas we’re considering this year:
- A collapsible popcorn popper for those who love the smell of fresh popcorn.
- A cute cheese platter paired with a stinky cheese for dramatic effect.
- Novelty breath mints with hilarious packaging.
- A themed book that sounds surprisingly good.
- Sweet-smelling soap or lotion we already enjoy.
- Sleek reed diffusers in frosted glass for subtle scent and style.
- A mimosa-scented candle for festive fragrance.
- Delightfully nostalgic markers that feel fun to use.
- Fragrant spices for the home cook who loves aroma-driven gifts.
- An eco air purifier (we’re tempted to get one for the car).
- Also not pictured: a scented storybook for kids, a smell-guessing game, and a gag gift we think the kids would love.
- During the laundry mountain update John and Megan recommended the book The Power of Habit as a helpful read.
What’s Not
- We referenced a Good Housekeeping article about organizing items that professional organizers never use. In contrast, organizers do like simple, practical items such as felt or velvet hangers, under-bed storage containers for seasonal items (not daily use), and clear plastic shoe boxes for visibility and easy stacking.
Take Five
- Here are related posts that expand on making your rooms feel bigger and more cohesive:
- Making flooring cohesive across connected spaces
- Choosing a whole-house color palette
- The virtues of a large mirror to open up a room
- Built-ins that draw the eye upward (including versions finished with molding)
- Choosing and hanging the right curtains to elongate windows
- Installing crown molding to create a finished look
- Our favorite larger area rugs to anchor rooms and unify furniture groupings
We’re Digging
- We binged a Netflix series called Glitch that we enjoyed — a strange, compelling show that’s not quite a zombie story but scratches a similar itch.
- Sherry recommended two calming reads: Chasing Slow and Hands Free Mama — both are about simplifying and being present.
Psst — looking for something we featured in a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to check? We keep a master list of everything we’ve been digging from past episodes to make it easy to find.
Check out the full line of HANDy Paint Products (including paint pails with magnets) on their website or at retailers where you buy paint.
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