Update: We hoped to have a Thursday post for you guys but this week didn’t go as planned. So sorry!
Update #2: We’d love your thoughts on this thread that popped up on this post. What are your opinions about smaller posts when we can’t write something juicy? Skip them and just own that we can’t post that day with a little update like this one, or would you rather see something small instead of nothing (like a quick organizing update, a Reader Redesign, a dilemma we’re debating, etc)? Thanks for the feedback!
Curtains can make the room. And pillows, well, you can never have too many (at least according to my pillow obsessed wife). This week someone’s going to win $500 to spend at Martha & Ash, a family business that’s focused on fabric goods with quality and craftsmanship. You can splurge on pillows, dog beds, or score yourself some custom drapes, like a striped or two toned option in your choice of over 25+ colors.
Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter (it might take a second to load, but it should eventually pop up below this paragraph). This giveaway is available anywhere in the world!
Julie says
I love the more content heavy how to posts way more than the quick posts. I’ve actually used those posts as an informative confidence booster before I started DIYing in my home. Without those posts, I may not have refinished furniture or installed a backsplash. That being said, I know you can’t do a major DIY every week with a family – that’s nuts!! I love the laundry room reno – it’s got me checking out ikea cabinets for our workroom in our garage!
Courtney says
I appreciate a daily post – big or small – but understand when a sick day, bereavement day, vaca day, is needed.
Miranda says
I love Young House Love…. For many reasons, but all of them stem from connecting with and smiling with the petersiks:) all 5 of you!! ??
I read as much as I could before quitting and scrolling to comment that I understand a lot of all that was said! And I think a Mallory above said “we just miss you” or something of the sort… And that may be the most truth!
You are doing what you need to for whatever reasons and that’s the grown up stuff of it ???? blessings!
Katherine says
Hey, I know there are a million comments, but I wanted to add some more–
I don’t care how many times a blog updates per week, but I do like knowing when that will be. When I go to a blog expecting an update and I don’t see one, I get a tiny hit of disappointment, the same as if a friend had called to say they couldn’t attend something we’d planned.
Smaller posts are great: my favorite thing to see is you making things, no matter the size of the post.
Because you haven’t pulled back quite as much as I was expecting, I thought I’d suggest pulling back a bit more (maybe to 3 days a week) but being consistent with posts on those days.
candace says
I’m a long time reader and huge fan! I’ve always found your mix of content enjoyable from the meaty technical tutorials to the small craft projects to organizing, holidays and family stuff. You always do a great job and I don’t mind the “slower pace” you’ve decided on for now. I say “slower” but frankly I’m ALWAYS amazed at how much you accomplish while juggling raising littles! Just keep doing what *you* think is best – I’ll be a supporter regardless!
Jill Arnold says
I never leave comments, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciate and enjoy your blog. I love your projects, your pictures, and your personalities. It isn’t an easy job to open your home and family to critique and criticism and I hope you weather this bout. I know you are running a business, but frequently our jobs are extension of ourselves. You have a lot of change going on in your family and I am not surprised that things have had to slow down in your blog to compensate for those changes. I actually feel relieved that another family has chosen to reflect on their family and work lives and made a sacrifice in their work for the benefit of their family. It reassures me that a similar choice in my own life isn’t out of the ordinary. Again, thank you for sharing your house and life with us.
Barbara W. says
We had a business for many years and found there are some people who jump at the chance to share their deep understanding of how to run your business. Most likely she has never been a business owner herself. She offended me when she used the word “cheap” to describe your taste in furniture. I WISH we could afford what you spent on the outdoor furniture. I am old enough to be your mother and I love your blog, I check it every day. I miss you when you are not there…but I get over it. As a previous business owner that worked round the clock everyday of the week, I appreciate that you have to make schedule changes or you burn out. I think most business advisors would advise that type of a change. Hang in, enjoy the journey!
Em says
A lot of people are saying “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read anymore.” The thing is, I think we all DO want to keep reading. How great is that instead of just “not reading” anymore, people are making suggestions as to how they can keep and grow their readership. Everyone commenting cares and wants to help, or they wouldn’t take the time to comment. Critical comments might sting a little, but sometimes they’re even more helpful than positive ones.
Deese says
Hi John & Sherry (and Burger, Clara, & Teddy!),
I love your blog! I have been reading since the den brick painting at the first house :)In the beginning I read your blog whenever I found the time, but over the last 4 years I starting checking your blog every day you update like I’m tuning into my favorite prime-time show. My wife calls you guys my “other family”. I actually feel like I know Clara and Burger more than my human Nieces and dog-Nephews. I have seen both of them grow up and watched more videos of them than time spent with my family (who sadly only live a mere 3 hours away, but it’s never easy to schedule a visit and they don’t have a blog to keep us connected).
You guys actually inspired me to start a blog about making our rental house work for mine and my wife’s taste. That didn’t last long. Seriously blogging is hard! But we are trying again with a new blog since we bought a house. At first it was ok, I did some recipe posts and then life got in the way. I have no idea how you guys have kept it up for so long…in my opinion you guys are still going strong!
Every post, with the exception of the giveaways, has been interesting and helpful to me. All the technical posts have been awesome, the decorating tips inspiring, and the family posts adorable. I love that you guys post on a schedule. I aspire to do the same one day. But at the same time I follow quite a few blogs that don’t do that. Joy the Baker has gone weeks without a post, as has Dana from HouseTweaking and I am still a loyal, avid reader. So I truly wouldn’t care if you only posted randomly. I just like hearing from you guys and learning from your experiences.
I can’t imagine how difficult it is to balance all that you do. I can’t even post more than once a month or so, and I only have one job, one wife, and nine cats… :)
I think it is so cool that you ask what we readers want. But at the same time, you guys know what is best for your family and sanity. Sadly, we all know it’s not possible to make every single person happy. There will always be someone wanting more decorating and someone else wanting more technical stuff. Even if you posted 4 times a day 7 days a week someone would complain. Also don’t worry about your blog changing, it only makes since that it would grow and change with your new home and your new family. The content changing isn’t a big deal to me, because I know that all the little juicy decorating tips will be in your next book…and goodness knows I need the technical things right now, homeownership is hard! :)
My advice is to write what makes you happy. To post things to inspire and help us like you always have. Don’t stress the small stuff! There are 1000s of others like me who will always be around. We will read your posts, buy your books and creations (love your Burger inspired hook!), celebrate your families milestones, and wait patiently for that next renovation or room to be finished. We will simply be here to support you guys in anyway we can, without complaint or expectations.
I’m stopping now. Goodness knows you have a million other comments to read!
:)
Deese
Katie B. says
I wasn’t gonna say anything, but since you asked… :)
I do miss the “lighter” projects! While I’ve enjoyed watching these larger projects unfold, I personally am not “into” them. I scan through them, but I don’t look forward to them the way I looked forward to you spray-painting dining room chairs or making cool framed art out of a thrift store find or figuring out layouts for rooms and spaces. I’d definitely love to see more of those posts come back in addition to the lengthier technical posts.
Even though I am not really into the technical posts – I think they’re some of the most detailed, helpful posts out there for home improvement DIY-ers. I definitely wouldn’t stop doing them.
And as for giveaways… you have too many people entering and too few people winning. I was all about entering at first (not that I have to win), but now it just seems pointless… I don’t even look at them anymore.
Katie B. says
Oh and P.S. I think this is the best DIY/home/fun/family blog EVUH!!!!!!!!
Just wanted to make sure you knew I am still a happy reader. :)
Katie says
I would love to see an increase in smaller posts, even if that means the big DIY projects/posts take longer. For example, I would be interested in hearing about how you organize your family photographs, your craft project ideas for toddlers or little kids, and any family advice about making the transition to two kids that you’re willing to share.
I would appreciate shorter posts even if they might be similar to things one could find on Pinterest, because you guys would be filtering and curating that content and after years of reading your blog I trust your judgment, style, and expertise.
I also want to thank you for putting yourselves out there, and for providing an example of prioritizing work/life balance and family time. It’s hard for all of us, but most people just have their own stress/guilt to contend with, instead of thousands of readers who have strongly-held but contradictory views on what you should do! I have been really impressed with the frequency of posting (not to mention building an entire room from scratch!) since Teddy was born.
Mary says
Long-time reader.
I miss the daily posts.
I miss the family/blog mix.
Life changes, people change, people’s tastes change, reader’s
tastes change, not every project is “new” anymore. It’s life.
Do you still love this platform?
Readers are always going to be invested in you guys. We have been
through a lot together (in a non-creepy way!).
People still come here, even if they wish it was different/like years past.
That says a lot, regardless of the tone of some of the comments :-)
This is the first blog I check each day :-)
Kara says
I’m late to this party, but I had to leave a comment because… yikes, some of the comments here are so uncalled for! I love this blog because you all seem like a great family with a great business… so haters to the left, as far as I’m concerned. I check in on about 5 blogs regularly, and this is the only one that has ever had a blog post every day! Most others post 2-4 times a week. People who are demanding posts every day and insinuating that you are lazily resting on your book/target deals are CRAY. Just because it’s your business doesn’t mean it’s your LIFE! I do think a balance of big technical projects with little tweaks/personal posts would be fun, and possibly a little less intense for you, but that’s just my two cents. you do you, yhl, you do you :)
Andrea says
It’s kind of interesting to me that the winners of Apartment Therapy’s blog contests tend to scale back once they’ve won — YHL, Emily Henderson, Manhattan Nest, Little Green Notebook, Vintage Revivals. (yes, I need to get off the Internet.) Wonder what fuels that coincidence?
Quick response to your question: the blog’s earlier diversity and liveliness has fallen off, for sure. And it’d be fun to see you guys branch out and explore more: a lot of your decorating looks the same. That said, you have two very young children, and I know that both of mine were in kindergarten+ before I felt I could bring any real excitement or ingenuity to my career again!
I appreciate a lot about this site, have for a long time, and will continue to read. Lots of luck in finding your path forward. Wishing you the best and hoping you’re starting to get some sleep.
Serena says
I’m a longtime reader as well, since your first house, and I bought your book, but I’ve rarely commented. I’m not sure exactly what sort of thoughts you were looking for when you posed the second question–were you really looking for just thoughts on smaller posts mixed in or were you looking for more bigger picture thoughts–but you have certainly gotten a whole range of comments.
I can’t put my finger on exactly why I have followed you all these years. You were probably the first DIY/home blog that I came across, I am about the same age as you, and your writing style was fresher than what you see in magazines. You seemed very approachable. Your first house style is much more in line with my own style, and I did disagree with many of your design choices on your second house, but I still regularly read because you were so likable and you made home design so accessible.
Likewise, I’m not exactly sure when I started to question why I continued to read. I feel like your response to commenter’s suggestions or questions can be dismissive. Of course, I understand how annoying it must be to have so many second-guessers out there, but why have so much comment interaction then? I know that there are many readers who felt a little betrayed by your delayed reveal of your purchase of your current house (e.g. the whole of GOMI it seems), but to be honest, that didn’t really bother me. Or I guess the idea of it is fine with me on its own, except that it doesn’t mesh with your public stance on transparency when it comes to the blog — real-time blogging, no swag, etc. And I truly do not mind reading about your kids and your personal lives on this blog. In fact, I think that’s part of your appeal. As much fun as it is to watch your houses change, you aren’t the authority on DIY, you aren’t Martha Stewart, and you aren’t design professionals. You have hooked so many people because you are so accessible and so relatable, not solely because of what your house looks like. That being said, your design choices do matter. And despite the fact that of course you cannot please everyone, I don’t think that you would have the wide following that you have now if you had started out doing what you’re doing now at the age/stage in life you are in now. I don’t expect to like everything you do–being accessible does not mean being identical–but I don’t think that the quality of your work has increased. And maybe the other things–the dismissive response to commenters and the lack of consistency in your policy on transparency–chinked away at my engagement, the true problem for me is the quality of your work. I was hoping that after experimenting with a younger, more cost-conscious style in your second house, you would reach a balance in your current house. I’m not in the stage in my life where I always need to find the cheapest solution, and while I recognize that you have bought a few more expensive items recently, overall I have the feeling that you continue to do that. I am also in my forever home, and I’d like to see how to take a modern, young sensibility and translate that into a sophisticated, quality home, even if the result is not exactly what I would have done, and I don’t see that happening right now.
I guess all of that leads up to my point (and I swear I am getting there!), which is that the number of posts, or whether they are full of technical, meaty DIY details or small crafts, isn’t what you should be asking about. I think you once said something about continuing to do what got you here, and I wholeheartedly agree with that, but maybe you need to think bigger about what that really means. What got you here (in my view) is that you were doing so much more than most couples your age but still within a somewhat reasonable budget (e.g. I’m not sure how many people in their 20s can hire out a complete kitchen remodel, but that was balanced out by the fact that it was a tiny kitchen). You made things that seemed out of reach for someone in their mid-20s in a starter home appear totally feasible (e.g. the bathroom gut, the conversion of the dining room, that amazing family room). You weren’t the norm for people that age by any means, and you shouldn’t try to measure yourself against the norm for people in their early 30s with two kids now. And I don’t agree that you need to get rid of all your child-centric content. Yours is a family home, and I am interested in all that goes along with that, from organizing kid things to safety concerns in doing DIY when you have little kids around. But I’d like to see you be more open to feedback and other ways of doing things, maybe a little more willing to admit that you make mistakes (this keeps you relatable!), and maybe place a little less emphasis on how hard you are working all the time. I get that working with two kids at home is hard, but when I come to your site, I want to be encouraged, not reminded about how difficult it is to balance kids and career.
I appreciate your call for feedback. I am encouraged that you seem to genuinely care what we have to say, and I really respect that you are allowing so many negative comments to be posted.
Jo Devoy says
Hi guys,
Love the website, it has changed since I first started following it (way back in the early days of the first house)… I loved the simple blogs, the ones that told me about simple ideas and changes, how you organised your wardrobes, wrapping station, uses for drawers in the kitchen, little ones that give me good ideas. I totally get that with two small kids and a book being prepared that there’s a lot of stuff going on but I’d def appreciate some more variety even while you’re doing big things (like popping in a new room :) but give me some more ideas to do simple things… If you don’t mind! ;)
Yup – variety please! But love you guys and have loved watching you develop and change!
X
Jo
Theresa says
I also agree with Luke but here’s my 2cents:
short posts are necessarily “filler” posts. I really like the small ones like “this is how we decorate our bookshelf” or “what be bought from Goodwill” type things. I LOVE those. I was a little sad you didn’t do a posts just about decorating the laundry room actually. Those posts are small but really great. Miss those but still love your blog!!!
Katie says
Personally, I disagree with a lot of these people. I am one very happy reader! I enjoy checking the blog on a daily basis. If there is a post, I read it, often discuss it with a friend who is a fellow reader, and yearn for the days when I have my own home to decorate. If there isn’t a post, I close the window, and somehow make it through the rest of my day ;) I agree that the blog has been very “tutorial-heavy” lately, but think that’s natural when adding an entirely new room to your house! And if my husband and I ever find ourselves in the same boat, we’ll know where to turn first. I noticed another commenter said you guys were a “trusted brand” and I completely agree. Personally, I love your writing style. Today’s post (Come Pet Our Tile: The Musical) had me laughing out loud in several places (namely the “turn on some R&B and bathe in a tub full of under cabinet lights” line). I think it’s wonderful that you’re still so dedicated to your work and your readers while raising two young children. Keep up the good work!!
Marybeth says
First of all, I love how you can get immediate, useful information from your readers! It’s a great community of people who, for the most part, are offering heartfelt but honest advice with your best interest in mind. Pretty awesome.
I am definitely all for the small updates! I miss seeing your house! Also, I really love House Crashing! I have no idea how time consuming those posts are, but they are a lot of fun to look at. I remember scanning through old posts and seeing great finds you’d come across at Target or maybe a local thrift store. I like those posts, too.
No matter what you choose, you’ll find your way as you always do!
Amanda says
Gotta chip in now that I know this conversation is happening. Missed it last week because I was out of town and not near a computer. I AM disappointed when you guys don’t have a post at all, but I still think you’re doing WAY better than most bloggers out there. I’m seeing a LOT more sponsored posts on everyone’s sites than usual and it’s killing me. A lot of the blogs I’ve found via the forum only post two or three times a week and most of their posts are sponsored or giveaways, which are both crap (IMHO). You have done a nice job of keeping that to a minimum. The weekly giveaways are okay since you do a fairly adequate job of sharing meaningful content all other days of the week. I have come to expect the contests and even enter a few. I know you’ll do your best and I’ll support whatever you decide to do! It’ll pick up again when the kids are older and don’t require so much time. :)
Emily says
I think the frustration from many readers comes from not knowing when new posts might go up. I know I click every day (a visit I am sure is counted in your traffic numbers that you use to attract advertisers and therefore revenue) but when I don’t find new content I am disappointed. I know as a reader, I don’t pay you directly, but it is my visiting your blog that provides others the incentive to pay you. This is the same as the TV commercial model. The only difference is, I feel like I’m tuning in to watch a show but there isn’t anything new. If I knew when posts would go up, similar to how we know when an episode is a rerun, then I would come on those days. For example, if MTW will be new posts and Th will be a give away, and F has no post, I’ll come by MTW and use the other days to surf elsewhere. However, I’m certain keeping us in the dark does help to keep numbers up and numbers equal revenue.
All that being said, I love the blog, and I have been a steady reader since almost the beginning. I’m sure I will keep clicking every day because I enjoy what I find when it is new. Jon & Sherry, you keep doin’ you. As T.Swift says….Haters gonna hate hate hate.
marissa says
As a mom who has two little ones similar in age to yours, I have to first say I find you both amazing! Although awesome and so worth it, little kids are very time consuming, and I greatly respect your commitment to both your family and your work/home. The fact that you are able to care for them, make improvements on your house AND find time to photograph and post about them while running your own business is incredible. I am disappointed to see others be anything less than encouraging to you both. This blog seems to be so successful because it chronicles what you are passionate about. It has always felt very real and relatable to me, and continues to do so! My husband and I are also tackling major overhauls on our house and even if I skim the details, I love that they are there for reference at another time. I often look through archives when we are tackling a new project. If (and really I mean if) you are excited about sharing smaller posts about life with kids, organizing, purging, decorating, etc. I love to read those too! Above all else, please know that you are adored and appreciated by so many. (and your posts are a such a welcome treat during nap time! : )
Lindsay says
I don’t think you can discount the “people like to look at pretty, vibrant things” effect. H3’s color palette is SO grey. I think muted is okay but paired with less-than exciting renovations the blog just feels so blah now. You guys need to do your kitchen (or something BIG!) and scale back the technical writing/step-by-step tutorials.
Your niche is the wow effect of a room re-do and getting people motivated off their butt to do something. A grey laundry room after (what feels like) 100 other grey rooms is not inspiring.
In the age of tumblr and moving gifs, it just feels like your blog is stagnant and somewhat stale. Not meaning to be harsh, but just trying to share how it feels on this end. It feels really, really grey and morose from here.
I hope you can turn it around, this used to be a daily fixture for me!
Jessica A says
I started reading the blog 3 years ago when I bought my own fixer-uper & was totally clueless. I had replicated MANY of the projects featured. I love your style, while it’s not exactly mine I still appreciate good design. As a working middle class family I could never afford anything high end in my own home so I appreciate that you use Ikea, home goods & Craigs list scores. I can realistically do that myself.
I hated your book but I still bought it because I love the blog. It looks nice on a coffee table if nothing else so I feel fulfilled. Lets be honest, i’ll probably buy the next one too even if it’s worse then the first.
Robin says
Loooooongtime reader here, I’ve been reading since the kitchen makeover at the first house. You are and have always been my favorite blog, the only blog I check every week, without fail. I took a new job last winter and my schedule has gotten crazy hectic lately, so I guess the reduced posts haven’t bothered me as much as they have others. That said, I do miss hearing from Sherry more often. I love her tone of voice, humor and pop culture references. (I love your posts, too, John!)
I understand that you are creating a book and that is perfectly fine and we can certainly forgive a few hectic weeks. (Heck, I would send you off with a tearfully grateful kiss if you decide never to come back to your blog, you have given us all so much, and I for one am grateful.) I guess I would say that it might be a good time to think about whether YOU GUYS want to return to the old style (more posts, varying lengths and subjects) or if you want to let it go for a new style. This is your job and it should make you happy and proud. More projects (maybe even more books or something even bigger!) will be headed your way, so maybe structuring the timelines on those so you have the time to do what you want here on the blog is good. I don’t think you need advice from me, but since you asked there it is. Follow your instincts and do what you think is right with purpose and intention. We love you and we’ll keep coming back.
Oh, and don’t listen to the haters. (You’ve always been good at that one, though!)
Julia says
You can’t please everyone!
But since you asked for our thoughts:
-I would rather have a quick little post than nothing
-I love that your blog has always included both large technical posts mixed with short simple family/decorating posts- keep a balance of both!
-Reader Redesigns and House Crashings are awesome!
Thanks for soliciting our feedback.
Ali says
???? I LOVE you all and your blog! ????
P.S. I’ve been a reader of your blog since your first house before you changed your blog’s name. I’ll continue to read as long as you write!
– Ali
Ali says
Sorry…oops! I posted little pink hearts but, the icons showed up as ???
Bummer ! :(
– Ali
Ali says
No question about it I LOVE your blog!
I put little pink heart icons on my prior post and it showed up as ??? Question marks….oops!
– Ali
KGreen says
Hey J&S….
I am a frequent reader but have never commented before. I was a bit hurt on your behalf with some of the comments…I am a mom with small kids and have also had to consider re-evaluating priorities, stepping back, and the ever so hard art of saying “no”. So, with that said, you are absolutely ok to post, not post, or limit post or whatever …this blog is a reflection of what YOU want to share. Kids come first and those first 6 months with a baby are HARD. Do what you feel comfortable with. That also includes YOUR HOME. You live with what you do. Do what YOU enjoy. You can never make everyone happy, some people just like to complain, and even though YHL is a business, an invaluable professional lesson I learned was to never manage to the exception (namely, people who just complain). But, it may be worth considering more deeply what direction you want YHL to take – do you want to move to things like product lines, books, etc? Are you spending most of your time focused on the direction YOU want to go, or are you getting distracted by things that don’t fit those goals? Are you spread too thin? Is maintaining your readership a key priority, or are you ok if the blog starts to dwindle a bit? Do you want to share your family life – with what angle and perspective, do you want to slow the pace of projects (lord knows I would)…think of those things and march forward with no concern for those who are negative, but with concern for how that might affect your business side. Another idea – many of your readers, like me, have grown – perhaps in a family way or in taste or home projects etc. It might not be a bad idea to put out a poll to your readers so you can see what they are interested in and where that overlaps with your goals. How does YHL move forward where there is overlap so it continues to be an interesting read for your audience. Hope that helps. I will continue to read.
Hannah says
John and Sherry, I’ve been reading this blog since my sophomore year of college (I’m now one year out, in my first place, ah!). I have hardly ever commented (except maybe once about my approval of John’s glasses) but really wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the work you put into this blog.
It’s easy for people to sit and poke from a desk, to say you “owe” us this many posts a week and that you should be doing this (not that), and so forth. Please keep doing what you’re doing. Build and make the house you want, not the house people are expecting/demanding you to show them.
I don’t read this blog to fill a Pinterest board with unachievable decorating ideas, but to see something tangible and real and friendly and realize that yes, I could actually do that myself.
Thank you for giving me that, whether it be one post a week or five. You two are spectacular & I hope you know that.
C says
Carole bought up the show house today, as several others have…that’s where I can pinpoint the downward spiral as well. I’ve been wanting to talk about it for awhile, so hopefully you take this as some more constructive criticism on that project.
To me, their whole attitude during the show house was terrible and completely unprofessional. Yes, I’m gonna tell it like I saw it. I was literally embarrassed for them every time I clicked a new show house post. It was a volunteer project /or for charity, right? That didn’t seem to matter to J&S, because every show house post seemed to be soiled with complaints in one way or another. They complained the WHOLE TIME–about work, time, driving, everything…made it out to be SUCH. A. CHORE. …I mean what a TURN OFF for the reader. Gasp–yes, people do have to work late sometimes…and OMG it’s dark out already but we still have to go do some more FREE SHOPPING at Target; And then you mean we have to go set up ceramic tchotchkes the very next day? The horror. And grrr, now we gotta take some of our OWN books over there for the shelves. It was endless. It’s like they wanted a medal or something.
All the while, the show house provided HUGE CONTENT for the blog for WEEKS. You would think they would be THANKFUL for that fact, right? I know I sure would be if I had a blog. TONS of extra content right there in front of you…and lining your pockets. Do not think for a second they would have done it if they were really loosing time or money–they made BIG BUCKS off the show house, and they know it. Again, some honesty and humility would be nice.
Obviously the reason J&S seemed entitled to lay their complaints on extra thick–was the fact that they were ‘volunteering’ for this one. Key word and key excuse to really let the complaints fly. …Look at us, we’ve slaved away, it sucked so bad…but we did it all for ‘free'(NO), now give us your praise that we are awesome people. Not how it works. You’re not gonna get praise for ‘volunteering’ if you COMPLAIN the whole time..and later use it for blog revenue anyway. They just come off as selfish and self-serving. Seriously, why can’t J&S just bite their tongues and keep it to themselves? Is it really necessary? They are two grown adults–HAVE SOME GRACE. The complaining in general–the minute-by-minute breaking down of your time wasted–It doesn’t get the sympathy you want from the reader. Quite the opposite…it just looks childish and unprofessional.
And the WORST thing about it?–It gives readers such a SOUR TASTE who were maybe contemplating doing some volunteer work like this IN THEIR OWN LIVES. Did you think of that? The over-the-top whining about all the grueling work is sure to turn people away and sure to make them think twice taking on a similar project. I for one just felt yuck/guilty during the whole show house, like an accomplice or a stander-by to a train wreck…if that makes any sense.
Most people have it so much harder than J&S, believe me. They should be ridiculously THANKFUL for the literally once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they have, the ability to earn so much money without having to leave home for work, literally getting PAID TO FIX UP YOUR HOUSE. I feel like they are loosing sight of this, and I feel like the complaining needs to stop asap, especially for volunteer work.
Oriah says
I agree. Well stated.
There was a photo/post of them at target with two or three full buggies of junk and it just left me feeling irritated. I couldn’t put my finger on why. I think maybe it was because they used to portray a “groovy/green” facade that was completely blown by the blatant disposable consumption.
Karen says
Oriah, I think that was because it all seemed so unplanned. They could’ve been saving knick-knacks, art, and just interesting things that caught their eye the entire time they were planning the house, and even stored them in their huge “bunk room”. Picked things up as they went long. It was just more of their lack of planning.
C says
Yep Oriah, that’s another important issue that I’m sure was in the back of many reader’s minds. That image was so weird in a lot of ways; speaks volumes about their new priorities. I totally felt the same way…just really ick.
Tanya says
Wow, C, were we reading the same posts? I ~never~ saw any complaints, only honest sharing about stressful deadlines. And they were very honest about saying that they HAD been saving things, but never realized (this being their first job of the sort) just how much “stuff” it takes to make a house look lived-in.
I am not getting from your comment that you understand how deadlines work. It wasn’t that they get paid to decorate shelves, it was that it had to be done by a certain date, and they were down to the wire. I freaking get paid to design party decorations for a large company, and it sucks big time when a client that rhymes with HallFart wants something well-designed and wants it yesterday, and we race to make the deadline and put our lives on hold.
It does not matter how creative or not creative it is – stress is bad deal no matter what you do. My job before this one was in fashion business, and it was creative as hell, and I had to quit it before I became the third person in the company in 2 years to go through a mental break-down. The burnout is a real thing, and something creatives have to watch out for.
I guess it’s true that people judge others through their own mind-filters and pick out things they can relate to – I saw the stress of wanting to do the best job and still make the deadline, and you appear to have gleaned from those posts something totally different.
Liz Armitage says
Tanya, those deadlines didn’t just jump up out of nowhere. They knew the rough timeline and schedule, or at least they should have. Maybe not the exact hour and minute, but enough that they could have picked up a few things here and there, or browsed Ebay and Etsy for some one-of-a-kind items. Granted that Sherry was pregnant at the time, but with the abundance of online retailers the last-minute dash to Target was inexcusable. If her pregnancy was that much of a limitation, perhaps the graceful thing to have done was to bow out this time around and try again at a later date.
Bridget says
I would love more little posts…it feels more “real life” then. And I have time for lots of short/simple posts over more technical gigantic posts usually.
Kelsey says
While I often believe that less is more, I am not sure that theory applies to running a business.
I know I get excited when there is a new post, so the anticipation that I feel when there hasn’t been one in awhile… That’s okay. It’s a reminder to not take things for granted and to enjoy the posts more because of that.
I too, appreciate and enjoy the mix of family/diy and especially liked the smaller projects and other house tours.
Do what feels right to you two – as both parents and business owners.
Oriah says
I feel like i should add one more comment in response to what appears to be a somewhat common theme. It seems like ya’ll are getting a lot of comments about not developing new skills and i have have to disagree with that. I think John has developed a lot of new skills. I think that separates the readers from Sherry and makes her somewhat superfluous. For a long time, it’s grated on my nerves that it seems like John does everything and Sherry complains about being “so busy.”
I was a single mom and put myself through nursing school when my son was 1yo. After that, i worked full time, purchased a home, did home improvements, and still managed to cook dinner and wash the laundry without ever putting my son in daycare.
We’re all busy and it’s a turn-off to hear someone who gets to dictate how they spend ALL their time complain about being “so busy” with the same stuff that i do in my “spare time.” It creates a distance between ya’ll and your target audience.
Amy says
I’ve read your blog for quite a while now and I’ll just say that you can’t please everybody. I’m probably not going to be interested in posts about replacing a door but if I Googled how to do it and your blog came up then I’d definitely use your instructions. You guys are nothing if not thorough.
That said, I imagine that priorities have to change as your career and family changes. You have to do what’s best for your family and while changing things up is a risk, keeping things the same and completely burning yourselves out is worse I think. I never expected you to keep up with the pace of postings that you had a few years ago because it’s a lot. If you get opportunities to continue to write books and design housewares that’s an awesome opportunity to do something you love. I’ll visit regardless :)
Katy says
I have been reading your blog for about 2 years now, I loved it then and I love it now! Your honesty and realness is what makes your blog so refreshing. I enjoy both the longer posts and the shorter updates, esp the crafty ones. I also like that many of your fittings/furniture etc are able to be found, purchased and styled by the average family. I dislike the blogs that show you amazing homes but the pricetag is out of the average persons price range.
Keep up the amazing work, and enjoy taking time with the kids while they are young!!
Brittany C says
After reading many of the comments, I find it funny when people say your ONLY job is writing this blog. Those people forget that you’re also writing a book, designing for a book, working on collaborations, and doing a ton of other work-related things in the background! I don’t doubt for one second that you’re putting in well over 40 hours a week on work.
I really admire you for being so open to receiving feedback. It can be tough to ask for feedback and even tougher to receive it.
As far as my preferences, I’d love to see a small post when you don’t have time for a juicer one.
Andy says
Like so many others I appreciate that you now have over 1700 comments to read through but I just couldn’t resist. I am a Mum of 3 kids ranging in age from 9 to 2 1/2. I remember those days of exhaustion when they are very little babies. You don’t go into detail about Teddy’s sleeping but my younger two NEVER slept and I tell you what I was forbidden from using anything DIY related during the first year and a half after I had him because I was down right dangerous from sleep depravation. Was I sad when you guys said you wouldn’t be posting as much? Yup, did I understand YUP!
I HATE sponsored posts, the “oh I just love such and such brand because they are so awesome and they are paying me to say this” but what I do love is your reviews of tools you bought and use and love, very helpful but they don’t ever SEEM like a review if that makes sense?
Like many others I was suckered in by the DIY, but stayed for the writing and the peek into your lives. I love that you guys share the kids achievements with us, I love seeing HOW your home works not just the projects that you do. I actually found your blog about half way through your first house remodel and then read through all of the archives and have followed along ever since, you are doing great.
Sara Richins says
You’vemhad a lot of feedback, so I’ll be brief. I’ve noticed I come to the site less often. The things that draw me to the site are:
1) reader redesigns- i love the variety.
2) inexpensive ideas- a lot of the things you’ve done in your new home are more expensive than the ones you did in your previous home and so are harder to gain insights into how to make a home nice without breaking the budget.
3) you exhibit a genuine personality. It is easy to feel connected to you guys.
4) the small projects are useful since we are not in a position to own a home but need to liven up a room. Again, budget-friendly is what makes the site useful.
Susan says
I love your blog. I like the meatier posts, personally, and am willing to wait a bit for them. We are in the process of major renovations in our house on a fairly tight budget (just took at a load bearing wall recently with the help of a contractor friend). The posts about framing, tiling, painting, trim, etc are right up my alley.
A have a few things to say about the negative comments regarding cutting back on post frequency and the “excuse” of family. It is true that this blog (and the offshoot jobs from it) are essentially your jobs. However, it is also true that the blog is no longer the only piece of that. I think that’s one thing people forgot. You are doing book work and other related projects, which you did not have when the blog was young (and less widely read). The scale of the thing also takes more time to curate (including the sheer volume of comments/responses). I’m not sure people really take that into consideration. Would I love more frequent posts? Sure. But I also love the ones you do post, and it seems like you are taking on larger projects (like the laundry room), which take more time.
With respect to the “excuse” of family – more power to you. I, for one, love seeing posts about your family, and about the projects related to family photos, recurring photos of little ones, etc. Finding the right work/life balance can be really really hard. I would work part-time to spend more time with family in a heartbeat if it were feasible. I think lots of people would. If you can find a balance that feels good and keeps an adequate portion of the reader-base happy, do it. I would.
Lindsey says
Keep doing what you’re doing! You guys have fabulous taste, and I look forward to checking in daily. I do appreciate more before/after posts more than I do the in the middle posts, but it helps keep us hooked waiting to see the final setup! If I were you, I would take the harsh criticism I see in these posts as a positive – people want to check in so much that they are actually angry because you didn’t post something one day!
Sarah says
Hi guys, I’ve never posted before, but I just wanted to send you some love from down under! (Australia that is…) I think smaller posts are a great idea, but I also think it’s kinda nice when I pop over to YHL and see that there hasn’t been a new post, cos I know you’re probably having some nice family time or a well deserved rest (or just super busy with something else!) And also thought I’d put the idea out there – 2nd book tour in oz? think about it… :)
Meghan says
Hi guys! You are too sweet! And hilarious- I think you won the Christmas Turkey with your latest post title- Come Pet Our Tile: The Musical- I let out a strange hushed cackle since I didn’t want to wake the baby! Anyway- do what works for you because you can’t please everybody. Nor should you try to please everyone. Granted, I’ll probably love anything you do be it small “fun” posts or technical work. I’m always saying to my husband “I’ll search YHL for it!” Anyway- to quote the anniversary card my parents gave us- keep on doing what you’re doing because it sure seems to be working for you :-)
CS says
I am a longtime and nearly silent reader. I think I’ve commented one other time ever, to say how much I appreciate the work that goes into responding to so many questions. This post and Thursday’s post have been weighing on my mind today, so I just feel compelled to comment. I almost have that feeling like in middle school where a small but vocal group (bullies, almost) can gang up and give the impression that ‘everyone’ feels a certain way, when most people are perfectly happy and neutral. It just almost feels like I’m witnessing some kind of web bullying and I feel uncomfortable with it. Not only is it disrespectful to you and often phrased in a mean-spirited way, but it’s also disrespectful to many long-time readers who come here for a happy, relaxing, inspirational read and are instead deluged by negativity. When I saw there was no post on Thursday, my first thought was, “Oh no, I hope everything’s okay.” Everyone needs a day off every now and again. And I think the content has been extremely thorough and quality. Just wanted to add my voice to the quiet many who read often but aren’t as vocal.
Jessica says
I agree, CS! I did not automatically assume that they were complaining about saying they were “so busy” and not posting. I was immediately worried that something had happened to their friends/family! I hope that is not the case and that they got a nice weekend off. Good call!
Sri says
Dear John & Sherry, thank you for caring about us as your readers. I think asking for feedback was bold, courageous, wise and fruitful. I’ve read as many of the comments as I could to get an idea of what others are thinking and feeling. Overall it seems as though an overwhelming amount of people miss YOU, and I’m in agreement there! What drew me to your blog and what has kept me coming back from more is you two. Your unique voice and evolving decorating style is an inspiration to me. I think that this thread has proven that you two already have all the ingredients for an incredible blog, because people are asking for you to ‘bring back’ a number of varied and sought after post genres. I am unsure as to why you’ve decided to cut back posting (and don’t plan on making guesses) and at the same time respect that you are the ones that are responsible for setting the direction for your business. As a huge fan of your work, I would love to see you both continue to flourish as bloggers, and from my perspective that means daily posts – and a return to those left behind genres that your readership has asked for here. I’m also aware that blogging may not be where your work focus is for the future, and if you’re moving on to other things then I wish you all the very best in your endeavours, and am thankful to have shared in your journey to this point. xx
andrea says
I have been reading the blog for several years and I miss seeing content about ya’ll as a family, baby posts, cleaning, organizing, crafts, cloth diapers, strollers etc. Sometimes the full house renovation posts get overwhelming! :) Either way, I check the blog every day!
Ashley says
long time reader here! have followed your blog for a few years now. I find myself agreeing with feeling a disconnect with your blog since the arrival of your cute son, Teddie. My husband and I are a work from home duo who welcomed our 3rd child into the world earlier this year. In order to do what we love, we had to hire a third person, to help manage our business so we can CONTINUE to do this job we love. And regardless or not, this blog is your bread and butter. I sincerely hope you stick around and figure something out that can work out with your family/work life. It IS tough, no doubt about it. I love your work ethics and genuine personalities so please keep that up! Anyways, just my two cents worth!
Tracey says
Hi Sherry and John – you’ve probably had more than enough feedback – but I’ve been reading YHL since just before you left House 1, and your blog remains first blog I read each morning – so I feel a bit invested and need to share my thoughts … which are, whatever you do is absolutely fine, it’s your blog. I don’t pay a cent for the privilege of reading the enormously generous content you share … some stuff I devour, and other stuff I skip. If it stops being relevant and interesting to me, it will just be time to move on (though I’m nowhere near that stage).
I think you’ve got a fab model that works for your family as a business. I fear all the feedback you’re getting might result in you feeling you have to cater more to your audience … but you knew numbers would fall away with the recent changes, and you were courageous enough to name it … so I say just keep doing things the way that work for you (in line with your vision and future hopes for the blog) – you’ve been getting it right so far.
Melissa says
Y’all can do no wrong in my book! I usually check in every day! If I had to pick I would always choose a post over no post but truly I just want whatever works for you. I love watching your family grow and your home style evolve. I will be following no matter what you decide! XO Melissa from Nashville, TN