Anyone who knows me is usually surprised to learn that I now have—and sleep next to—an actual cat. I can hardly believe it myself. I’ve had a lifelong cat allergy that I’d describe as fairly severe; once, while pregnant, it almost sent me to the emergency room. Yet today we have an indoor cat and, … Read more

John and I have realized that our Florida road trip has given us an unexpected new perspective on houses. We’ve been loving the new place—nearly two months after moving I still find myself going up the stairs and whispering, “duuuuude, we have a second floor”—and with every wall we de-wallpaper and paint we feel more … Read more

#FAIL I wish that hashtag referred to a cheeky internet meme, but this time it describes our deck footing inspection. We scheduled the inspector to check the six holes we dug for footings, assuming he’d only verify the locations, widths, and depths. Simple, right? We even went a bit further and attached some ledger boards … Read more

This being our second time through the baby phase, we feel a bit wiser and more prepared. We can keep the things that worked well with Clara and make small improvements where newborn items or routines need tweaking. Every child is different, so some things that worked before may not this time — we’re ready … Read more

When Sherry made mood boards of gifts for kids and women, readers asked for a guys’ gift version. I’m not one to refuse a request, so after some effort I pulled together a dozen picks that would make solid additions to a holiday wish list. They won’t suit every man, but they’re items I’d happily … Read more

The other day I started thinking about how people store their jewelry. I bought a ceramic egg crate from The Container Store about five years ago, and it has been my jewelry box ever since. It’s great for my modest collection — I’m mostly an earring person and usually keep no more than a dozen … Read more

A little bit of us is always envious of a proper entryway in a home, since both of ours open straight into a room. With plans to add board and batten in our hallway someday, we especially love Jenna Sue’s lovely foyer makeover. Here’s her note: We’re in the middle of countless projects at our … Read more

Our coloring book has been available for a few months, and we realized we haven’t shared much about how it was made. We hadn’t expected to create a coloring book, so being part of the process was a surprising and fun experience. In case you missed earlier posts, Color at Home is an 80-page adult … Read more

Believe it or not, we’ve lived in our new house for over six months now. Half a year. That felt like a good milestone to review the goals that motivated our move and downsizing, highlight what met or exceeded our expectations, and outline the biggest challenges we’ve faced along the way. This recap is long … Read more

We’re thrilled to share the finished built-in bunk beds in the small bunk room at our beach house. The room is only about 7 feet wide, but by building custom wall-to-wall platforms we made room for two Twin XL mattresses. The bunks quickly became the kids’ favorite place to sleep, play, and hang out. I … Read more