I promised more details about my visit with Katie Bower on Wednesday, after we embarrassingly shared that Katie B and I had been photographed together in a series of awkward shots (you can see the original photo series here and the backstory here). We always get asked a lot when we visit each other, so below I’ll share what we actually did, answer the usual questions, and post the photos Katie took while she was here.
Before I get to the itinerary, a quick note: Katie and I filmed ourselves answering the most common visitor questions—things like how we met, whether we’re real-life friends or just online pals, what we thought of each other at first, what surprised us, how our styles compare, what we like to do together, and whether our husbands actually get along. The video is a candid, giggly twelve-minute conversation full of terrible impersonations and lots of “like”s, if you’re in the mood for a behind-the-scenes look at two blogger friends being silly.
Highlights from our visit:
- Food and meals: We indulged in a handful of local favorites — Bottom’s Up, Q BBQ, and Carytown Burger & Fries — and enjoyed a few relaxed, home-cooked meals courtesy of our chef John in the middle of my torn-apart kitchen. Sharing meals is always the best way to slow down and catch up, and we had plenty of time to do just that.
- Kids’ activities: We spent lots of family time outdoors. We took a stroll by the river where Katie snapped some family photos for us, visited the playground for sandbox play, and even took Will along to Clara’s weekly music class where he fit right in. It was great to see the kids interact — a reminder that the visit was as much about family time as it was about blogging.
- Thrift and treasure hunting: Saturday morning brought yard sales and a wild first-time visit to a Goodwill Outlet, where items are sold by the pound in massive bins. Katie and I had never seen anything like it, and it felt like a treasure hunt. We also wandered through Carytown browsing thrift and consignment shops and made a shopping stop at the Stonypoint mall, which included a memorable moment when Jeremy and John ended up buying the same jeans.
- At-home downtime: Our kids’ nap schedules meant several stretches of quiet time during the day — Clara typically napped around one to two thirty, and Will often slept from two to five — so we used that window to synchronize blog work, swap ideas about future projects, debate paint colors, take short naps on the sofa, and catch up on life. Those low-key hours were surprisingly productive and restorative.
- Movie nights and TV bets: After the kids went to bed we rented a couple of movies — X-Men: First Class for the guys and Bridesmaids for the girls — and spent evenings watching and laughing together. We also got hooked on HGTV’s Bang For Your Buck and enjoyed betting on which rooms would score the most “bang,” turning TV time into a friendly little competition.
In short: it was a lovely visit full of good food, kid-friendly outings, thrifting adventures, productive downtime, and plenty of laughter. Katie even brought her photography skills and shot some beautiful, simple portraits of our family and our everyday moments. I’m so grateful for friends who feel like family, for pleasant weather that makes outdoor walks enjoyable, and for toddlers who keep life lively (okay, they’re technically toddlers now — sniff).
Were any of you hanging out with friends this past weekend? Did anyone get the strange feeling we were together while we were actually in town? One reader correctly guessed we were visiting each other while it was happening, which was eerie and kind of awesome — maybe they’re psychic, or maybe they spotted us out and about.
Psst — check out Katie’s lovely recap for her perspective on the visit; she even dug up our first email exchange. Love that lady.