On this week’s podcast we share five favorite strategies to improve flow in any room so it feels larger, more open, and less cluttered. We also reveal a surprising financial upside to buying a beach house in poor condition — a benefit that’s saving us thousands — and we discuss which organizing products professional organizers avoid and which alternatives they actually recommend. A listener chimes in with brilliant advice for conquering a towering laundry pile, and John tells a slightly eerie Facebook-stalking story that ended with him feeling like an unexpected hero.
You can download the episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio, or stream it from the player on the episode page. Use this article to find links, notes, and photos mentioned during the show. Note: if you’re reading in a feed reader you may need to click through to see the audio player on the original post.
What’s New
- While we don’t have a visual for the money-saving program we mentioned, here’s an update on progress at the beach house. The severely rotted side — which revealed more extensive foundation damage than our initial inspection indicated — had to be removed and rebuilt. We’ll share a full renovation post soon with photos and budget details.
Updates
- Following up on the holiday gift-exchange themes we discussed in Episode #29, here are some playful “What’s That Smell?” gift ideas we’re considering this year. This quirky mood board mixes nostalgic and humorous scents and small gifts that make people smile:
- A collapsible popcorn popper for popcorn lovers
- A small cheese board paired with a stinky cheese
- Novel breath mints with funny packaging
- An on-theme book that looks surprisingly good
- Fragrant soap or body lotion
- Sleek reed diffusers in frosted glass
- A mimosa-scented candle
- Nostalgic markers for creative kids or adults
- Fragrant spices for home chefs
- A compact eco-friendly air purifier for small spaces
- Other small ideas not pictured include a scented storybook for kids, a smell-guessing game, and a gag gift that kids tend to find hilarious.
- Also mentioned during the laundry update: the book The Power of Habit, which offers practical strategies for habit change and managing recurring chores.
What’s Not
- We discussed a Good Housekeeping piece listing organizing items professional organizers say they never use. Many “trendy” organizing gadgets end up collecting dust.
- Instead of gimmicks, pros recommend practical options: felt or velvet hangers to protect clothing, under-bed storage containers for seasonal items (not everyday use), and clear plastic shoe boxes for visible, stackable shoe storage.
Take Five
- If you want more reading on creating visual flow and making small spaces feel larger, check these related posts:
- Making flooring cohesive across rooms to create continuity
- Choosing a whole-house color palette to unify connected spaces
- How a large mirror can amplify light and depth
- Built-ins that draw the eye upward and give a room architectural interest
- Tips for choosing and hanging curtains to enhance perceived ceiling height
- Installing crown molding to finish a room and visually expand it
- Choosing a larger area rug to anchor furniture and make a room feel proportionate
We’re Digging
- On the entertainment front, we enjoyed the Netflix series Glitch — an engaging, genre-blending show we binged recently.
- For calmer, reflective reading, Sherry recommended Chasing Slow and Hands Free Mama, two books that encourage a gentler, more intentional pace of life.
If you’re looking for a quick reference to past recommendations we’ve loved, we keep a master list of everything we’ve been digging from previous episodes so you can find older favorites easily.
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