Today we’re considering an expert theory that your childhood passions—especially those from around fifth grade—might point to what you’ll enjoy most as an adult. It was interesting to look back and see whether this idea rings true for us. We also admit a hiring mistake we made for a recent house project and explain what we’ll do differently in the future. Plus: turns out houseplants aren’t the air-purifying miracle they’re often claimed to be, and we share possibly the nerdiest decorating project you’ve ever heard of.
You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast app, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.
What’s New
- We’ll publish a post this week with more photos of our outdoor updates. For now, here’s a sneak peek of our new front path—you can also spot our widened front steps.
- Below is a photo from last fall showing the old aggregate path and steps more clearly. (There’s another sneak peek in the show notes for Episode #150.)
- We also referenced our advice and process for hiring contractors, subcontractors, and other pros—listen to Episode #68 for the full discussion.
- More episodes about working with professionals:
- Simple negotiating tricks: Episode #63
- Insider tips from contractors on being a better client: Episode #104
- Why contractors can be hard to pin down: Episode #109
Update On The NASA Plant Study
- In last week’s episode we discussed how plants supposedly purify indoor air, based on a widely shared NASA study.
- You can read the original 1989 NASA study in their digital archives. The report is an interesting historical piece—and yes, the phrase “squirrel cage fan” is delightfully retro.
- After the episode aired, many listeners pointed us to newer articles that argue the NASA findings don’t hold up in typical home environments outside laboratory conditions.
- On the bright side, other studies show that caring for indoor plants can reduce stress and anxiety, so plants still offer clear mental health benefits even if their air-purifying effects are limited in real homes.
The Rule Of Age 10
- The “Rule of Age 10” idea suggests childhood interests can indicate future passions. You can read the full Reader’s Digest piece and related books that explore changing careers or life direction later on.
- Reader’s Digest subscriptions are still available for readers who want more—Sherry would love to welcome anyone who joins the RD bandwagon.
- Below are some photos from our childhood archives that show how distinct early tastes can be.
- Here’s Sherry’s childhood room: painted clouds on closet doors, light blue trim she frequently repainted, a seal poster, a “pet net,” and tinsel tassels taped to trim corners. She even had airbrushed winking jeans she bought at the Jersey Shore—classic details that shaped her early creative tastes.
- I was apparently an early adopter of “room documenting,” taping 3×5 photos into crude collages I called “a panoramic representation” of my room. Shown are collages from my first dorm room and my apartment from the last two years of college.
- You can see the radiator shelf I mentioned in the collage above. Sadly, the painted top is hidden by clutter—apparently I didn’t bother to tidy up before photographing these memories.
We’re Digging
- We used a chalk line to mark joists under our new bathroom subfloor panels. Marking joists with chalk made it faster to find and hit them with screws. The string leaves a faint blue line that made alignment straightforward.
- Our chalk line is several years old; we linked to current, affordable options for similar models under $10 for readers looking to replicate our process.
- If you enjoy Elsie and Emma’s work or want more casual home-related podcasts, check out A Beautiful Mess Podcast. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, we also created a podcasting e-course that covers launching and producing a show—there was a limited-time discount we mentioned previously.
If you’re trying to find a past episode we referenced and don’t remember which show notes to click into, we compiled a master list of everything we’ve “been digging” across past episodes. You can also find all the books we’ve recommended on our Book Club page.
Finally, a big thank you to Annie Selke for sponsoring this episode. They ran a Cyber Sale offering 25% off sitewide for a limited period. For details, check their site and current promotions.
Thanks for listening!
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