Posts By John Petersik

It’s our first episode of 2020 and WE BOY DO WE HAVE NEWS! We’re excited to share it because it not only means good things for us, our friends, and the duplex itself, but it’s also connected to our continued efforts to simplify, and it involves a twisty tale of switching tables with a stranger. We’re also sharing a special gift that we gave this holiday season that can help your family honor a loved one. Plus, a check-in on our bathroom reno progress, the Instagram account that keeps us laughing, and our favorite geography-based game we’ve ever played. What’s New Our Big Duplex News Game: Weird Town Names We’re Digging If you’re looking for

Have you ever thought about your approach to making decisions? It turns out that humans tend to have two distinct styles (and they even have fancy psychological terms to go along with them). The funny revelation is that Sherry & I each exemplify a different one. So this week we’re sharing what we’ve learned about each type of decision maker, and how it can impact everything from how we choose items for our home to how we booked our first international family vacation. We’re also outlining five ways you can refresh a room without spending ANY money whatsoever. As in zero dollars (Sherry would add a “holla!” right here). Plus, the new kid-friendly kitchen activity

After hundreds of submissions from Australia to South Africa, we’ve rounded up some fascinating (and extremely charming) ways that you guys dress up your homes all around the world to celebrate a variety of holidays. We loved hearing about everything from colorful Diwali decorations in India to elaborate Nativity scenes in Colombia, along with a wide range of tales about who brings the gifts (Santa isn’t the only game in town!). And we realized there’s one common theme that ties pretty much every holiday together across the globe! Plus we’re sharing the painful wrench that was thrown into our bathroom progress, and why we need to have a word with Taylor Swift. Oh and the

Don’t we all want mo money without mo problems? Today we’re talking with personal finance expert Tanja Hester about how value-driven spending and setting a “money mission statement” can help you reach even your biggest financial goals – whether you’re saving up for a home in your dream neighborhood, a big renovation, or even early retirement, which Tanja herself has accomplished. She’s sharing easy ways to trim your budget, painless ways to put more in the bank, and why she thinks most of us have more financial freedom than we think. Plus, we’re discussing a new holiday decorating epiphany that Sherry recently had (oddly enough it was inspired by Halloween and not Christmas) and why

It’s no secret that house projects can be stressful. Sometimes REALLY stressful. So today we’re sharing three ways we’re keeping a handle on it during our bathroom renovation, especially around common stress points like broken budgets, creeping timelines, and decision fatigue. Plus, how you can you stop second guessing yourself! We’re also spilling the details about a part of this renovation we haven’t mentioned much, which oddly enough happens to be one of the things we’re looking forward to the most. We also have some holiday life hacks for you that were submitted by our listeners and why part of Sherry’s childhood has come back to haunt us (in the best way possible). What’s New

Today we’re exploring an expert’s theory that your childhood passions (specifically around 5th grade) could hold the key to what you’ll love doing most as an adult. It was fascinating to take a look back and see if the idea really held up for us. We’re also confessing to a mistake we made when hiring a pro for a recent house project and sharing what we’ll do differently from here on out. Plus it turns out that plants aren’t the powerful air purifiers we were promised, and the nerdiest decorating project you’ve ever heard in your life. What’s New We’ll have a post this week with more photos of all of our outdoor updates, but