We were both surprised by what happened when we went completely without television for a week — especially Sherry. In this post we share what we learned, what was hard, and a few side effects we didn’t expect. We also talk about how the experiment might change our viewing habits going forward. On the home front, we tried a new method for picking paint colors to resolve a wall color dilemma at the beach house. Sherry also gives an update on her Invisalign “tooth jail” saga, and I indulge my nerdy love of pairing paint with geography.
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What’s New
- Here are some of the pink swatches we tested for the beach house living room. Sorry the photo isn’t perfect — it was a quick phone shot on a cloudy day. The removable vinyl paint color decals we tried were from Clare; we picked them up during a discount promotion so they were free. Typically they’re inexpensive and make it easy to test colors on the wall without committing to full paint samples.
- We first mentioned our interest in Clare paint during an earlier episode last summer, which gives more context about why we wanted to try decals instead of full sample cans.
- The three colors we tried were Wing It, Baby Soft, and Rosé Season. Looking at the photos now makes me wonder if the camera flattened or changed the hues — in person it was clear the tones didn’t pair perfectly with the existing chimney and gray trim.
- We also ordered sample decals from Backdrop, another online paint company, and received a package a few weeks ago. We tested four decal samples: Harajuku Morning, Rose Quartz, Modern Love, and Not So Delicate.
- We didn’t photograph every swatch on the wall — one was clearly too dark so we didn’t bother — but the set gives a fair sense of how we’re balancing color choices with the chimney’s undertones and the room’s gray trim. It’s a tougher decision than it looks.
- We haven’t shared a great photo of our new couch in the beach house living room yet, but it’s the Mellow Sofa from our furniture line. It sold out quickly, which is exciting, and we’re working to restock it.
- Previously we used DIY paint sample decals at the duplex to pick a color. That process requires buying paint samples and applying two coats to decals yourself, so it isn’t faster or cheaper, but it’s very effective for choosing a color with confidence.
- For anyone following Sherry’s Invisalign updates: if you missed earlier posts, we’ve documented the process over several episodes — from getting them back in 2016 to adding elastics in 2017 and an extended “tooth jail” period in 2018. Those entries trace the ups and downs of treatment and the small annoyances that make for good storytelling.
State Your Colors Quiz
- Sherwin-Williams offers curated paint trios through their “State Your Colors” collection, which can be a useful starting point when you want coordinated palettes. As a fun aside, my suggestion of “Chesapeake” for Virginia turned out to be listed as an exterior stain color, and Sherry’s offhand “made-up” Dogwood White wasn’t far from an actual Sherwin-Williams shade called White Dogwood that leans pink.
TV-Free Week
- The idea for a TV-free experiment came up during a conversation with Joshua Becker, and we decided to try a full week without television. The experiment revealed a few surprising benefits: increased family interaction, more board-game nights, and a clearer sense of what we actually miss (and what we don’t).
- We’ve been playing a lot of energetic games with the kids during the TV-free period — Happy Salmon, Life Jr., and Tenzi have been huge hits. Removing TV created space for short, lively sessions that everyone enjoyed.
- We’ve written before about cutting cable as a way to simplify and save money. Ditching cable saved us roughly a thousand dollars a year and forced us to pick and choose which shows were worth subscribing to. That experience made the TV-free week feel less radical and more like a useful reset.
We’re Digging
- Our furniture line is currently on sale at Joss & Main, so if you’ve had your eye on anything, now is a good time to grab it. It’s been entertaining to see the unique product names they used for the pieces.
- During the TV-free week I read the book Radium Girls, which was both engrossing and infuriating. A chilling detail from that story is how workers were told radium was beneficial as they handled it, even putting it in their mouths while painting luminous dials.
- If you’re into eco-friendly flossing like Sherry, she’s been using biodegradable floss picks she found online. They’re one of those small swaps that feel good to make when you can find a reliable option.
If you want a quick reference for items we’ve recommended across episodes, we keep a master list of everything we’re digging and a Book Club page with all the books we’ve discussed. Those pages are handy if you’re trying to track down a past recommendation or episode.
Finally, a note of thanks to Agility Bed for sponsoring this episode. During their Presidents’ Day sale, they offered a promo code PRESIDEN T for a discount on mattresses along with a free pair of memory foam pillows — a timely reminder that mattress deals often come around during holiday sales.
Thanks for reading and listening. We appreciate you following along as we try new experiments, test products, and share the small, honest updates from our homes.
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