Podcast: We are Digging (Episodes 51 – 100)

Heard something in the “We are Digging” segment of our podcast… but cannot quite remember which episode it was? Well, you are not alone (heck, we cannot even keep all of the episodes straight) so to make it easier we have rounded them all up in one big master list for ya. Simply scroll on down until you find it, plus you can click on any episode title to listen or view the full show notes. Glad Digging!

Note: Below are the items from Episode #51 – #100. Click these links to see items from Episodes #1 – 50, Episodes #101 – 150 or here for more recent episodes.

Episode #100: So We Had to Quarantine The House…

• Sherry: The Big Red Rooster sound machine that we picked up for each beach house bedroom (it is that little white box right there on the nightstand). It is only $15, all the sounds are good, and it is pleasant and compact.
• John: If you want to add another true crime podcast to your queue, we have been captivated by Southern Nightmare, which took place right here in Richmond, VA back in the 1980’s.

Episode #99: Our Latest (And Grossest) Home Experiment

• Sherry: @CheapOldHouses on Instagram for plenty of fixer upper eye candy. Everything is for sale and less than $100,000!
• John: The $19 Goodfellow & Co Linden shorts from Target. Simply be aware that Plenty of their shorts share the “Linden” name, even some in distinct materials or waistbands (one is in fact drawstring). I ordered the 9? inseam versions in Slate Blue and Williamsburg Navy (shown at right below). I thought the latter was gray, but it was in fact a seersucker fabric and NOT made from a stretch material, so I am returning it. But I truly like the slate blue ones – and as predicted, I picked up a second pair.

Episode #98: Why Some Houses We Designed Never Saw The Light Of Day

• Sherry: The clothes she got from Old Navy lately, including some of those non-black items (gasp!): 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
• John: Story Pirates, that adult-friendly kid podcast that we are loving.

Episode #97: What We Learned (And Saved) From Our Shopping Ban

• Sherry: Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, the latest in a series of “decor thrillers” that she’s read and enjoyed.
• John: The assortment of 3M Command hooks, especially the fancy little broom grippers (aka: robot hands) and black metal hook we used to tidy up our mudroom cabinet at the beach house.

Episode #96: Our Complicated Relationship With Stuff

• Sherry: This eyebrow pencil that Sherry is feeling especially affectionate towards throughout these shopping-free days. (I am told they also come in other shades like blonde and dark brunette – so I now officially know more about eyebrow pencils than the average husband I think).
• John: Undercover High, you can watch full episodes on the A&E website. You simply have to sign in with your cable provider (ours is Sling these days since they now offer more channels we like than PlaystationVue – you can read more about how we cut the cable here).

Episode #95: Our House Is Too Big. There, We Said It.

• Sherry: The necklace Sherry ordered for her mom for Mother’s Day to represent her 4 grandchildren. They also sell a version with two big birds if you want to represent two parents or grandparents instead.
• John: The Pocket Hose that wowed me as a solution for watering plants at the beach house. Did I oversell how magical it was? Likely. But I am truly impressed with how light and straightforward it is to store when it is not full of water, which is simply what we needed out there.

Episode #94: Simply When The Duplex Was Going So Well…

• Sherry: The Aquabeads our kids have been using like crazy. Our son got the $15 Beginner’s Studio for his birthday and word from a family member is that our daughter now has the $25 Deluxe Studio coming her way for her birthday. It will be pleasant for them to have separate stations to work from (right now they have to take turns) and we might still snag the $20 refill pack at some point.
• John: The meticulous artwork of @kmsalvagedesign on Instagram. She sells prints of her work on her website, and I feel like they’d look strong alone or in a big gallery wall.

Episode #93: One Month. No Superfluous Shopping. Can We Do It?

• Sherry: The Queer Eye reboot on Netflix that has Sherry laughing and crying and clapping.
• John: Large outdoor planters, especially ones like we have (#1 in the mood board above) that you can simply pop a low-cost fern into for some instant greenery. Here are some more of our go-tos: 1 /2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

Episode #92: The Household Staples We Never Buy

• Sherry: MarvelBeads, which have kept our kids surprisingly busy and are surprisingly not that messy (especially if you store each batch in a small tupperware with the lid open so it does not get moldy).
• John: The books we have both been reading on our recent travels: The Couple Next Door, Final Girls, and The Girl Before. Warning: they are fairly dark!

Episode #91: When Is A House Sale You Made Bad For Resale?

• Sherry: Cameo, a website where you can order personalized messages from celebrities (well, “celebrities”). John got Sherry a birthday message from Countess LuAnn from the Real Housewives of New York City and she still screams every time she listens to it.
• John: Mail order boxsprings that you assemble yourself, like this metal boxspring/foundation we lately ordered for our guest room. It is more affordable than some store-picked up ones (which cost extra to deliver) but these came shipped from Amazon for free. Pictures below is a wooden one we had previously, but since went into our bedroom

Episode #90: What To Do When A Project Starts To Suck

• Sherry: Rothy’s shoes, which Sherry raved about feeling like socks. They also come in a round toe option as well. I am relieved to report that they do not look like someone put their foot into a Desani bottle, and it is also fairly cool that they are machine washable.
• John: Going on double dates with friends!

Episode #89: A Year Without Shopping

• Sherry: Restored By The Fords on HGTV, featuring brother and sister team Steve and Leann Ford (above) because of their bold and intersting spaces that are not like everything else we’e seeing on HGTV these days.
• John: Wohven, the t-shirt subscription service we mentioned. I have been fairly impressed with the quality of them (versus what I typically wear which is typically Target, Old Navy, or free shirts from the various races I run). You can choose the size, the neckline (crew or V-neck), and plain ($9) or graphic tees ($11). Below are some samples of their designs:

Episode #88: Whatever Happened To Privacy In The Bathroom?

• Sherry: Little, analog tabletop clocks like the pink clock that we got for our kitchen and others that promise not to tick loudly, like those shown below: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
• John: This fascinating (and terrifying!) article about a nightmare roommate, that is quite reminiscent of the Dirty John podcast we dug back in Episode #69.

Episode #87: Lessons From The Messiest Homes In America

• Sherry: Ellen’s Game of Games which is a strong family-friendly show that we all enjoy.
• John: Trigger bar clamps (seen in action above during this Hands-on floating shelf project). Mine are the 12″ Irwin bar clamps (the four-pack is about $22) which seem to be one of the better deals out there. I also have these Irwin clamps, but I use them less frequently.

Episode #86: How Our Life Together Nearly Did not Happen

• Sherry: The 5-book Selection series that Sherry is gaga for (marked down from $49 to $29).
• John:  This kit from Home Depot includes the Ryobi ONE+ Drill, battery, and charger. Or if you’ve already got a battery, Amazon has the drill alone for around $40. Also, this the 31-piece drill and drive bit set that I keep handy too. It is less than $8!

Episode #85: What We Got Wrong In Our Beach House Kitchen

• Sherry: New (to us) scenets of Mrs. Meyer’s including Iowa Pine and Basil, specifically the basil hand soap and dishwashing liquid. And the even though Iowa Pine is “limited edition” we still found it on Amazon (here is a sampler pack or a 6-pack of hand soap).
• John:  Exploding Kittens (and the Imploding Kittens expansion pack) as well as Bears Vs. Babies, which are board games we have been having lively playing with as we research making our own!

Episode #84: Things We Cannot Agree On Lately

• Sherry: Crystals! Including thoes shown above, some of which came from a local shop but many she picked up on Etsy from shops like this one, this one, this one, this one and this one.
• John: Ikea IMMELN shower baskets that we now own four times over (plus a pack of these hooks) to hold shampoo, soap, and other bath stuff in our showers here and at the beach house. They’ve been incredibly reliable (knock on wood). Much more so than the ones we grabbed at Target one day (specifically this one, which crashed to the ground in mere minutes)

Episode #83: The Loophole We Found In Our Duplex Delay

• Sherry: Extra-long shower curtains, like this extra long 8-foot shower curtain (96″ x 72″) and extra long liner we have in the 9ft ceiling-ed bathroom above, and the 7-foot shower curtain and a 7-foot curtain liner that we use anywhere with 8ft ceilings.
• John: The Guided Runs on the Nike+ Run Club app (specifically the “Deuces” and “Rhythm And Roll” speed workouts). Also, CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT OREOS!

Episode #82: What It is Truly Like To Live In A Compact House

• Sherry: Letterboards, specifically this pink letterboard we got for the beach house (it is 10″ x 10″ from Felt Like Sharing on Amazon). Ours is the “Light Pink” version, but they’ve got a bunch of others – like seafoam green and white.
• John: The smart bulb starter pack that I got for Christmas, which included two white bulbs and the hub – which makes it much less pricey than the White & Color Ambiance bulbs (the can be any color and any tone of white) or the White Ambiance bulbs (which can be any tone of white).

Episode #81: …And Then Our Pipes Froze

• Sherry: Large-scale accessories, like the large-scale fake fern that solved a cluttered-looking console in our dining room. Above are some others she’s loving lately: 1 /2/ 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
• John: This Is Where You Belong: The Art And Science Of Loving Where You Live, a fascinating read about why we enjoy (or can learn to enjoy) the cities and towns that we reside in.

image source

Episode #80: How We Knew It Was Time To Move

• Sherry: The show The Sinner, here is where you can find it on Amazon (the whole season is $15). The USA site has the first three episodes for free if you want to test drive it first).
• John: The new 55″ Smart TV we picked up which has Roku built right in. We mounted it using this mounting system (which was a well-timed hand-me-down from my aunt) and used this cord in-wall system to snake the power cord through the wall.

Episode #79: A Dateline-Worthy True Crime At The Beach House?!

• Sherry: This weighted blanket that was a Christmas present from John. It looks like the prices have gone up since we purchased it before Christmas, but I got her the 48 x 72″ size in the 12-pound weight (it is supposed to be around 10% of your body weight) in the Gray Rhombus cover.
• John: That is me above, sporting my especially sexy laser enhancing safety goggles that make my laser lines much more clear while cutting wood. I am not sure what brand mine are (they came with my saw), but this $8 DeWalt pair would do the trick.

Episode #78: How We (Mostly) Pulled Off A Minimal Christmas

• Sherry: Stripped on Bravo, the show that is a surprisingly fascinating social experiment. I will link to one of the Stripped promos so you can see it for yourself. Everything’s blurred, but it is still too NSFW to embed here – ha!
• John: What Do You Meme?, a game that we had tons of (grown-up) lively playing with some friends over the holiday. If you are a Cards Against Humanity fan, we highly recommend it! Above is one of the card combos that had us cracking up

Episode #77: Sherry Vs. The Bathtub, Beach House Edition

• Sherry: The LED Streetside Brightness Cordless Window Candles that we have been enjoying for two Christmas seasons so far (and simply brought in ’em to the beach house too). They are SUCH AN UPGRADE from the plug-in ones you have to turn on and off all the time – plus, look ma, no cords! We enjoy that they are fully auto-pilot after you turn them on for the first time each season (it makes going to bed so much faster than running around to every window half asleep).
• John: Spotify, for music discovery and creating playlists, but also because now you can listen to our podcast on Spotify!!!

Episode #76: So About That Beach Duplex We Picked up…

• Sherry: The Divided Turntable we used to make some of the cleaning supplies that were getting buried in a basket under our sink a whole lot easier to access. Also, this Cabinet Lazy Susan that we use for Sherry’s morning routine stuff downstairs, like vitamins and that apple cider vinegar that she smears all over her face with cotton balls every morning.
• John: The quirky/hilarious podcast Heavyweight including these episodes: Gregor, Milt, or Kenny. And Sherry’s go-to so far has been Isabel.

Episode #75: It is The Most Clutterful Time Of The Year

• Sherry: The Amazon Echo we picked up on Black Friday along with this $40 smart plug we scored as a $5 add-on with my order. We used the plug on our Christmas tree, so you can see it in action in this Instagram video.
• John: If you want to score some throwback books for your kids, here is a bunch of Goosebumps sets that are truly low-cost. They’ve also got similar sets for like Boxcar Children and The Babysitter’s Club if you are looking for something less spooky.

Episode #74: The Big Fight We Had Over A Fridge

• Sherry: Holiday cards from Minted, thanks to their free receipient address printing. Above are some designs we are loving this year (we ordered #4!): 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
• John: The $40 personalized page-a-day calendar from Social Print Studio that I cannot stop recommending. We are already gathering photos to make a batch of 2018 calendars for the whole family.

Episode #73: The Secret Power Of Mistakes, Setbacks, And Nearly Getting Sued

• Special episode so no “We are Digging” this week!

Episode #72: Welp, There Goes The Living Room!

• Sherry: Bed risers, like these sturdy six inch versions that we have used in the beach house to create more hidden storage and give the beds a more comfortable height (extra long 18″ bed skirts we also helpful).
• John: The Five, the British drama/mystery that we lately watched on Netflix that is especially good and full of twists and turns!

Episode #71: Why You Do not See Childproofing Stuff In Our House

• Sherry: The Old Navy shirt that she ended up wearing on Rachael Ray (and here is the Target shirt I wore)as well as the alternate top she picked up simply in case and the leopard print sweatshirt she got for around the house.
• John: Our new go-to LED bulb (pictured right below) that looks MUCH better in exposed bulb fixtures since it so closely resembles an Edison bulb – without that especially yellow/orange tinted light. You can see the difference between it and our old go-to soft white LED bulb (below, left – which are still a strong choice for enclosed fixtures).

Episode #70: The Craziness Behind Our Rachael Ray Show Appearance

• Sherry: Some of the strong wall hanging options Target has lately, including the four above that we have purchased: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
• John: All of the spookily over-the-top Halloween decorations blogger Brooklyn Limestone does every year: Eternal Rest Motel (2017) / Brooklyn Witch Supply (2016) / Twisted Charlotte’s Web (2015) / Ghostbusters (2014) / Sharknado (2013) / Wizard of Oz (2012) / Insane Asylum (2011) / CarnEVIL (2010) / Climbing Skeletons (2009) / Infested (2008)

Episode #69: The Upside To The End Of Fixer Upper

• Sherry: Lively kids bedding from unexpected places (we typically shop Target, Pottery Barn Kids, and Land of Nod – but there is plenty of cool stuff in spots like Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, and Etsy too! Above are some of our go-to finds: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
• John: The Dirty John podcast that we have both been loving. Both of our mouths hung open for a good ten minutes during the 6th and final episode. So captivating.

Episode #68: There is No Shame In The Fake Plant Game

• Sherry: Fake plants, like the ones shown above:
  1. The gingko leaf branches we have in our foyer & kitchen
  2. The evergreen shrubs on our front porch
  3. The magnolia garland that we picked up with the ginkgo branches (cannot wait to bust it out for Christmas)
  4. Sadly the faux fiddle leaf figs we have are no longer sold, but we have heard good things about this CB2 option
  5. Some other bloggers also swear by these eucalyptus branches
  6. This potted succulent is strong for a tabletop or a bookcase
  7. Here is another fiddle leaf fig option we have seen that people rave about
  8. These are those paper flowers that our friend makes locally. We have purchased some light pink ones and she’s constantly updating her collections, so warning: they are addictive.
• John: The “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature on the new iPhone iOS 11 update (and here is a handy guide from Apple on its capabilities)

Episode #67: What We Regret About Our Previous Home Renos

• Sherry: The Good Place, a hilarious sitcom that you can binge Season 1 on Netflix and catch Season 2 airing right now on NBC (do not skip Season 1 though! Season 2 will not make any sense!)
• John: The $90 Ryobi ONE+ Cordless Hybrid Trimmer/Edger that I picked up for use at the beach house (and around our own home). I enjoy that the “hybrid” part means it can plug in if the battery dies.

Episode #66: Are Meal Delivery Kits Truly Worth It?

• Sherry: These storage bins that we have been using to wrangle our snack cups of guacamole & hummus. The bins come in three sizes (we have the “Medium” ones). Here is another good option in case those go out of stock.
• John: IFTTT is an app (it stands for “If This, Then That”) that does plenty of lively and useful things by connecting your web accounts and smart devices (a sampling of them are showing bel0w). And it is all FREE!

Episode #65: When Multi-Purpose Rooms Drive You Multi-Shades of Crazy

• Sherry: Salt lamps, like this set of 2 large lamps (one for our living room and one for the office – seen below) and these salt lamp nightlights for each of the bedrooms and our kitchen.
• John: The Kobalt 40-Volt Medium-Duty Blower (I purchased one without the battery though, since I already owned a couple) for swift and straightforward clean-up.

Episode #64: How We Paid Off The Mortgage On Our House (!!!)

• Sherry: Decorative shelf bracket, like those shown below, as an straightforward way to add function to a wall (especially when you do not want to simply hang another fame): 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
• John: The OXO Tot Tub Drain Stopper that we use to remedy our old not-capable-of-holding-water tub drains.

Episode #63: Let us Talk About Money & How To Spend It Smarter

• Sherry: Mermaid Fabric, like this one, this one, and this one, which we spotted in the wild as some abstract art meets keep-kids-hand-busy display at a jewelry store in Cape Charles (shown above). Such a smart craft idea for a kids room!
• John: The Shrunk’s Inflatable Toddler Mattress that we use for traveling. We enjoy its compact size, the included air pump, and the fact that it has not ripped or leaked in nearly 4 years of use.

Episode #62: What The New Owners Changed In Our Old Houses

• Sherry: Bai, her new go-to coconut drink for a boost of natural caffeine
• John: American Fire, an remarkable non-fiction book about a long line of arsons on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, simply north of our beach house a few years ago. It is like true-crime, plus weird romance, plus social commentary all wrapped up into one well-written tale.

Episode #61: How to Conquer Paper Clutter (Once And For All!)

• Sherry: The 3M Command “velcro strips” that we use to keep our gallery walls straight come in plenty of sizes (see below). We like the multipack, and frequently cut some of the larger ones vertically to fit behind our frames so we get two for the price of one.
• John: The Big Sick, which is the ideal date night movie (even the trailer is hilarious). It is likely leaving theaters soon, so hurry!

Episode #60: Game-Changing Organization Pointers From The Pros

• Sherry: The Arhaus and Williams-Sonoma Home catalogs, which are so packed with inspiration they are practically free design books
• John: For those disappointed that our novelty sock venture was not real, Say It With A Sock to fulfill all of your sock-of-the-month needs. It is mom approved!

Episode #59: The Renovation Rollercoaster That Brought Sherry To Tears

• Sherry: This hilarious Real Housewives recap podcast that is hosted by two comedians, including Casey Wilson of SNL and Glad Endings.
• John: The $30 Ryobi Area Light we picked up right before heading to the beach house to assist us tile after hours without electricity. The USB charger to keep our phones alive was the MVP.

Episode #58: Why We Stopped Sharing Our Kids On The Internet

• This was a “Special Episode” so no We are Digging this week!

Episode #57: The Home Design Choices That Drive Us Crazy

• Sherry: Liane Moriarty’s books, like Big Little Lies (which they lately made into that HBO series). Sherry’s go-tos are in fact What Alice Forgot and The Husband’s Secret, and she’s got Truly Madly Guilty and The Last Anniversary on her to-read-next list.
• John: Grammarly, which is like spell-check but for grammar and comes a free extension/plugin for yoru brwoser OR simply copy and paste your text into their website.

Episode #56: The Big Mistake We Made Selling Our House By Owner

• Sherry: Havaiana’s Freedom Sandal and Flash Urban Sandal which look more like sandals but they feel like flip flops.
• John: This hose reel that we got to at last wrangle our garden hose in the backyard (and we repurposed the old hose pot as an actual pot for a fern)!

Episode #55: What is Feng Shui? And Are We Screwing It Up?

• Sherry: Black one piece bathing suits that she tried on during her hunt. #1 and #6 are the ones she ended up keeping, and she shared a few notes for other small-headed short gals in the graphic above. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
• John: This plain, close-fitting baseball cap that I am sporting these days. I got it in navy (it does not look as “distressed” as it does in the sales pic) but will likely go snag either the black or the green one too.

Episode #54: What We’d Change About Our $4000 Backyard Wedding

• Sherry: Four couches that Sherry is imagining in our living room (not necessarily in these colors): 1 – Andres, 2 – Harmony, 3 – Shelter, 4 – Antwerp Slipcover
• John: A new backpack to upgrade our worn Jansport. Here are some of the bags we have our eyes on: the Rickshaw bags (1, 2) are a little pricier, but may feel more polished than the billboard vinyl versions from Rareform (3, 4).

Episode #53: The Curveball That Blew Our Beach House Timeline

• Sherry: Above are some of the Ikea products that we are glad to see on Amazon (heads up: prices are sometimes higher than what you’d find in Ikea stores, so this is truly best used when it is not straightforward to get to an Ikea in person): 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13* / 14 / 15
  • *Meatball sauce not to scale (ok, neither is anything else) UPDATE: We learned after this podcast went live that Ikea released a statement saying these are 3rd party sellers, and not Ikea (despite being listed as “sold by: Ikea” on Amazon). Bummerssss. They did say they are exploring the idea of selling on Amazon in the future though, so here is hoping!
• John: My Father’s Day present of having two neighborhood kids spread my mulch for me so I did not have to!

Episode #52: Six Phone Calls That Saved Us $1500

• Sherry: Watching YouTube videos with the kids on the big TV, namely kid-friendly and still grown-up-worthy stuff like OK Go music videos (fav: the gravity-free plane video), Pentatonix (fav: Daft Punk medley), Walk Off The Earth (fav: Shape Of You/90’s Mash-Up), and Rosanna Pansino’s Nerdy Nummies (fav: Lego Marshmellow Pops)
• John: The traditional fabric hammock (below) we picked up that lives permanently (well, at least for the summer) in our backyard. It easily fits two adults… but does not come with any defense system against little brothers wielding big inflatable balls. Also, the double camping hammock that a friend gave us and an outdoor swing we are excited to add to the mix.

Episode #51: Why We Want To Tear The Deck Off Our House

• Sherry: Tsh Oxenreider’s At Home In The World, which has given us the travel bug. You can also follow her on her journal, The Art of Plain, and her podcast, The Plain Show.
• John: Wet saws, my enjoy of which has been rekindled thanks to my aunt’s backsplash project, so below are some links to mine and a few others you might want to consider if you’ve got a tile project (or ten) in your future.

1. Ridgid 7″ Wet Saw with Stand, $297 – This is ours, and we enjoy the sliding cutting tray, stand, and laser sight.
2. Skil 7″ Wet Saw, $83 – This is similar to the starter saw we used for years. It’ll get the job done, but the low price makes it fairly basic in terms of features.
3. DeWalt 4 3/8″ Masonry Saw, $128, – This portable saw is smaller and would work strong for larger tiles, but requires a steadier hand.
4. Kobalt 10″ Wet Saw with Stand, $499 – The higher price on this puppy gets you features like a larger blade, a collapsible stand, a bigger work surface, and a spray guard.

Looking for more of what we have been digging? Be sure to check out items from Episodes #1 – 50, Episode #101 – #150, or from more recent episodes.