Today we explore an expert theory that your childhood interests — especially those from around fifth grade — might reveal what you’ll love doing most as an adult. We took a look back at our own early passions to see how well that idea holds up. Along the way we admit a hiring mistake we made on a recent home project and explain how we’ll approach hiring professionals differently going forward. We also revisit the much-circulated NASA plant study to clarify what it really says about indoor air quality, and share one of the nerdiest decorating projects we’ve ever tackled.
You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher, and Spotify.
What’s New
- We’ll publish a full post this week with more photos and details of our outdoor updates. For now, here’s a sneak peek of the new front path and the slightly widened front steps.
- Below is a fall photo that shows the old aggregate path and steps a bit better. You can also find another sneak peek in the show notes for Episode #150.
- We referenced our process for hiring contractors and subcontractors in this episode. For a deeper dive, listen to Episode #68 where we walk through our step-by-step approach to hiring pros.
- Other related episodes worth checking out include:
- Episode #63 for simple negotiating tips.
- Episode #104 for contractor insights on how to be a better client.
- Episode #109 for why contractors can be difficult to pin down and how to manage that.
Update on the NASA Plant Study
- In last week’s episode we discussed the popular claim that houseplants significantly purify indoor air, a claim often traced back to a 1989 NASA study.
- That original NASA study did show that plants can remove certain contaminants under controlled laboratory conditions. However, more recent reporting and research suggest those results do not translate directly to real-world homes. In typical living spaces, the air exchange and volume are so different that the air-cleaning effects of a handful of houseplants are negligible compared to ventilation and filtration systems.
- The good news: even if plants don’t dramatically improve measured air quality in most homes, multiple studies and reviews find that caring for indoor plants can reduce stress and improve well-being. For many people, the mental health and aesthetic benefits alone make houseplants worthwhile.
The Rule of Age 10
- We discussed “The Rule of Age 10,” the idea that passions and tendencies you noticed around age ten can be a useful indicator of what you might enjoy later in life. A Reader’s Digest piece and a book exploring career and life changes later in life both dive into this concept in more detail.
- If you’re curious, consider flipping through Reader’s Digest and the related book to see how early interests can re-emerge and inform adult choices — whether that means a new hobby, a side business, or even a career shift.
- Below are some childhood photos that sparked our conversation — from painted closet doors and homemade tassels to airbrushed jeans and early attempts at documenting rooms. It’s fascinating how those small details foreshadow later tastes and pursuits.
- Sherry shared photos of her childhood room — painted closet clouds, light blue trim she frequently changed, a seal poster, a “pet net,” and tinsel tassels she taped to trim corners. Those details revealed a strong early interest in decorating and playful design.
- I also shared crude collages I made to document my living spaces — what I called a “panoramic representation” of a dorm room and later an apartment. Those early habits of documenting and arranging spaces turned out to be a throughline in our lives.
- In those photos you can spot the radiator shelf I made and the painted “math-y” top that later disappeared under clutter — proof that passion for making and customizing often outlasts tidy presentation.
We’re Digging
- We demonstrated how we used a chalk line to locate joists when installing new bathroom subfloor panels. Marking joists with a chalked string made it fast and accurate to place screws in the right spots. The string leaves a faint, straight line that’s easy to follow when it’s snapped taut.
- The chalk line tool we used is an inexpensive and durable solution for this kind of layout work. A basic model works well and typically costs under $10.
- If you enjoy home and lifestyle podcasts, we recommended A Beautiful Mess as a great complementary listen. For anyone thinking about starting a podcast, the hosts produced a podcasting e-course that covers the basics of launching and producing a show.
If you’re searching for topics we’ve covered in past episodes, we maintain a master list of everything we’ve “been digging” across the podcast archive. We also list all recommended books on our Book Club page for easy browsing.
A quick thanks to Annie Selke for sponsoring this episode. They’re running a Cyber Sale offering 25% off sitewide, starting Friday, November 22 and running through December 6. Visit the Annie Selke site and use the code or link they provide to see sale details.
Thanks for listening and reading — we appreciate you following along as we dig into past passions, home projects, and the little discoveries that shape how we live.
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