I recently learned that Ina Garten calls consumable presents “disappearing gifts” — items that bring joy without taking up space in someone’s home. The idea is simple: material gifts often create an unintended obligation for the recipient to find room to use, store, or display them. The easiest way to avoid that is to give … Read more

You know you’ve made an impact when people quote you in major publications or you’re interviewed on national TV. But what if one of your top Google results is “young house love toilet”? If that phrase led you here and previous searches didn’t turn up helpful details, this article will answer the most common toilet-related … Read more

We’re finally back on speaking terms with the basement. After a rough start — complete with a Drylok application interrupted by surprise mildew (you can read our original post about that drama) — we’re feeling relieved and accomplished now that the first major step toward converting the cinder-block dungeon into clean, usable storage is complete. … Read more

The 12 Best White Paint Colors Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray Benjamin Moore Simply White Sherwin-Williams Pure White Sherwin-Williams Extra White Can I get a kitchie kitchie ya ya da da? (Name that song.) We painted the kitchen. Surprise! We’d been flirting with this idea in recent Listy McListersons, and when Nonna offered to hang with … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – scroll down to see who won!*** To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we traded our usual home improvement and décor prizes for meaningful, handmade jewelry from Lisa Leonard Designs. Lisa Leonard creates each necklace, bracelet and pair of earrings with a personalized, handcrafted approach — cutting, polishing and assembling … Read more

You might as well call us Mr. and Mrs. Puerto-Retersik — we recently escaped for a few days to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in Puerto Rico. Puerto-Retersik may be a mouthful, but it sums up our perfect mini-getaway. After mentioning the trip on last week’s podcast, we wanted to share more photos and practical … Read more

We’ve learned that living here means spending a lot of time outdoors. Between break times for at-home learning when the kids run around, our regular s’mores sessions by the fire pit, watching neighborhood dogs from the front porch, and working or relaxing on the second-floor deck, outdoor living is a big part of our days. … Read more

Home improvement can be stressful, and it often sparks memorable disagreements. Today we look at which DIY projects most commonly cause tension between couples, share a recent staging project we completed together (including the things we learned), and highlight simple tips for getting a home market-ready. We also touch on lighting picks, skincare updates, and … Read more

We’ve shared a number of homemade cleaning recipes and talked about our housekeeping habits before, and now we’re back with a practical roundup of quick, effective fixes to leave your home sparkling fast. These tips are free if you have basic pantry supplies on hand, and every suggestion takes three steps or less so they’re … Read more

I don’t often get excited about JC Penney, but I just found an outstanding area rug for the living room. It features a striking honeycomb pattern and is made of real wool, which instantly elevates the space and gives a mature, refined feel. The price was exceptional—about $200 for a piece that looks and feels … Read more