Parting with clutter is never easy—especially when it’s your kids’ artwork, forts, or elaborate cardboard towns. This week we share a simple, reliable system we use to keep our home from being overrun by creative projects, while still encouraging imagination. The method works just as well for grown-ups and beloved objects. We also follow up on advice from a houseplant expert and revisit the guideline that recommends roughly one plant per 100 square feet for better indoor air quality, which inspired Sherry to expand our plant collection. Plus: what happened when we switched sides of the bed and the awkward consequences of moving furniture the wrong way.
You can also find this episode on your preferred podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher, or Spotify.
What’s New
- If you missed our earlier conversation with houseplant expert Carmeon Hamilton, check out Episode #149. She gives practical guidance for nervous plant parents that helped us feel more confident caring for greenery at home.
- We also reference the well-known research that highlights which plants help indoor air quality most, and the recommendation of approximately one plant per 100 square feet. A couple of accessible summaries and an infographic are easy ways to see the highlights.
- Sherry dug up an old post—our 2009 write-up on plants and indoor air—that’s short on photos but full of enthusiasm from the early days of blogging.
- Alongside familiar pothos and snake plants, we recently added a Fatsia japonica (the plant on the gray dresser in the photo above) and shifted philodendrons into new spots. Small changes have refreshed several rooms.
- Sherry also shared some favorite planters for different looks and budgets—practical options that make caring for houseplants feel easier and more decorative.
- She’s also compiled a list of favorite faux plants that look convincing and low-maintenance, alongside notes on real varieties that have worked well in our home.
Update
- Remember when we challenged ourselves to switch sides of the bed? That experiment and listener feedback are in Episode #151. The results were surprising and sparked a lot of good discussion about routines and comfort.
Well That’s Embarrassing
- The pocket door Sherry mentioned—pictured above—is the one that nearly cost her a finger. It opens into one of the duplex’s sleeping nooks (the rooms with the muraled walls). Next time we’re there we’ll try to capture the tiny ring indentation she left in the door as proof of how close that close call was.
Listener Question: How to Manage Crafting & Art Projects
- Our office features a large corkboard that serves as the main display area for the kids’ 2D artwork. We made it from store-bought cork squares—an inexpensive, easy solution that keeps beloved pieces visible without covering every surface.
- Each child has a big bin for ongoing projects, separate from smaller keepsake boxes we store upstairs for truly special pieces. The bins let the kids sort and rotate what they’re actively making, which prevents a paper pileup while still honoring creativity. (Yes, there is a current 90s troll doll fad at our house.)
- We talked about adding framed displays in kids’ rooms to create gallery walls where artwork feels showcased rather than shoved into a box. We use standard frames now, but in the past we relied on specially designed kids’ art frames that open from the front and hold an 8.5×11″ sheet—perfect for frequent rotating without removing pieces from the wall.
We’re Digging
- I picked up an impact driver that made installing new subflooring in the bathroom much faster and less back-breaking. There are similar, more affordable models that work well if you don’t need variable speeds.
- We also got involved with some local giving projects this month—collecting Thanksgiving meal items for a family and donating dog food to a rescue with the kids. It felt meaningful to involve them and showed how small efforts can have a big impact.
If you’re trying to find an item we’ve recommended in the past, we keep a master list of everything we’ve “dug” from previous episodes, plus a page with all the books we’ve discussed on our podcast Book Club.
A big thanks to Social Print Studio for sponsoring this episode. Use code YHL15 for 15% off your next order.
Thanks for listening—we appreciate you being here with us.
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