People often ask how we keep our projects and our household organized—“Do you make lists? Use an app? Help me!”—so today we’re sharing the three everyday tools that keep us on the same page. Some are digital, some are old-school, but each plays a clear role in managing projects, purchases, and routines. We’ll also update you on the nearly finished outdoor shed refresh that nearly sent one of us over the edge (literally), and we’ll tackle the surprisingly divisive topic of whether people have a fixed “side of the bed.”
You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.
What’s New
- The photo above shows only the primer, but it gives you a sense of where our little shed makeover is headed now that we’re finally painting it to match our painted brick house.
- We considered spraying the siding, but decided hand painting with a brush and high-nap roller was more straightforward. The siding is textured, so brushing into each groove felt more reliable than masking and tarping everything for a sprayer. In the end, the time difference wasn’t worth the hassle of spraying.
- We still need to paint the doors (we plan to use Benjamin Moore’s Tranquility to match the rest of the exterior doors) and window boxes are on order. After seeing the beach house shed survive its window box, we’ve been itching to add them here too.
- Here’s a photo taken about a minute before I heard wasps buzzing under the dormer eave. Sherry joked it looked like I was just napping up there. Note: that blue-ish tone is just primer on the shed.
- We can’t wait to paint the doors, hang the window boxes, and share finished photos. Hopefully very soon!
Can We Just Talk About Sides Of The Bed?
- Apartment Therapy ran a fun summary of the uproar over couples who don’t have a fixed side of the bed each night, and some of the Twitter reactions are hilarious. It’s surprising how strong opinions can be about such a small thing.
- We want your take too—see the short survey below and tell us which side of the bed you sleep on (or if you switch around).
Listener Question: Keeping Life Organized
- If you’re interested in Sherry’s planner, she picked up an 18-month version that runs July through December and prefers the simple checkmark list layout because it encourages short, actionable lists. There’s satisfaction in physically checking items off a page.
- We use voice assistants to manage shopping lists hands-free. An Echo in the kitchen and Echo Dots around the house let us add items by voice from different rooms. Then, in the store we reference the Alexa app on our phones and check items off as we buy them.
- For project organization, shared Google Docs have been invaluable—especially during multi-site renovations like the beach house and the duplex. They let us keep notes, budgets, and punch lists centralized and easy to update before and during trips.
- We’ve used Trello in the past and enjoy its visual boards, but we never formed a lasting habit with it after a specific project ended. It’s a useful option if you prefer a kanban-style workflow.
We’re Digging
- We recently rearranged bedroom furniture to lean a large arched mirror on the dresser, creating the look and symmetry of a window. Large mirrors placed where the eye expects a window can reflect light and make a room feel more balanced.
- If you’re shopping for a similar effect, many large mirrors can provide that window-like presence and help brighten a room when positioned thoughtfully.
- For historical nonfiction, I enjoyed Dead Wake by Erik Larson about the sinking of the Lusitania; it made me want to revisit his Devil in the White City. Both are well-crafted reads for history fans.
- Tomorrow begins Aquatober for me (a month of switching to water to break a soda habit) and Walktober for Sherry (adding more walking each day). Small monthly challenges like these help reset routines.
- If you missed the Terri Sloppins outtake referenced in the podcast, it’s available on the Instagram stories highlight we mentioned in the episode.
If you’re looking for something we’ve mentioned on a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to click into, we keep a master list of everything we’ve been digging in past episodes, and we maintain a page with all the books we’ve recommended on our Book Club page.
Thanks to Grove Collaborative for sponsoring the episode. They were kind enough to offer a welcome set and VIP membership when signing up through their program.
Thanks for reading and listening!
*This post contains affiliate links*