You guys have been curious about everything from how our concrete counters are wearing and how our refinished foyer grout is holding up to how our new blogging schedule is working for us. And since we’re not always great at updating you guys (blogging tends to follow an “on to the next thing!” pattern), here’s a big ol’ rundown, which marks the third one in this series (here’s our first one and our second one so you can check out if we covered other topics you’ve wondered about there).
Our Ardex-concrete counters: These guys have largely been awesome, and our sealer choice has made them even more durable than we expected. For example, we thought we’d end up with scratches/divots/marks, but after nearly two and a half months of use, there’s not a one! Not sure if it’s because we haven’t been chef-y enough (we tend to make pretty basic meals, and we hardly wield Top-Chef-sharp knives at all times) or just thanks to the two large wooden cutting boards that we keep on the counter (they’re where we place hot pots and slice things for the most part). We do hear that using the dark stain with the Ardex might show more scratches (we went au-naturale with ours) so that tip might help those considering that option.
As for staining, nearly everything we’ve spilled just sits on the surface and can be wiped away without issue (like how water beads up on sealed wood) so we have only noticed a few splatters (perhaps citrus?) that sat long enough on the counter to soak in and make subtle dark spots on the concrete that can’t be wiped off (below left). They don’t really bother us since the counter has that industrial vibe going on anyway. I did place piping hot tea on the counter and a very very very very vague ring of haze appeared (it’s nearly impossible to see unless you’re a inch away looking at the exact right angle), so we’re sure to use those cutting boards for hot things, and so far there haven’t been any others (below right).
The grout stain in the foyer: Still looks identical to when I applied this stuff back in early January. Even with semi-frequent moppings, muddy shoes/paws, and a whole lot of foot traffic, the grout is holding its own. And it was awesome to hear from folks who used this in spaces like showers many years ago who say theirs is doing just as well.
The appliance paint we used on our fridge: Our bisque-turned-white fridge pretty much looks the same these days, other than having a lot more magnets on it thanks to Clara. The good news is that the magnets don’t seem to scratch or peel the paint off at all, but we did notice a bit of a scraped area along the right side of the door. We think we were carrying something large like lumber and it must have brushed against that edge and scraped it. D’oh. So in summary: everyday use doesn’t seem to hurt it at all (even on the handles where we touch it all the time – or the doors where Clara drags magnets around). Just don’t scrape heavy stuff along the corners and hopefully yours will be in good shape.
Our new washer & dryer: LOVE it! We have been using these guys HARDCORE with a newborn in the mix, and we couldn’t be happier. You can read more about how/why we picked them here, but so far the washer gets things super clean and spins them dry a bunch so they’re only damp when they go into the dryer (bonus: less dryer time, and more encouragement to sun-dry things since they’re not emerging soaking wet). We also really like crouching less thanks to the washer being a top-loader, which is surprisingly handy with a baby in your arms.
Our pantry re-org: This food-storage upgrade has been holding its own. It’s not as perfectly organized as it was back in the day, but it’s such a huge step up from the old dark shelves and no-system-at-all issues it had before. We really like having the microwave tucked in there, and the door organizer and the hanging bread baskets are the MVPs of this makeover. We gained a lot more narrow storage (read: nothing can fall to the back and get lost) and that has been invaluable.
The game closet: This is what our little “toy library” currently looks like after a newborn came into the mix. No, Teddy hasn’t been playing with that stuff, but with a baby in my arms (or on my chest) most of the time, I don’t spend as much time helping Clara put things back in an über organized fashion like I used to (well, most of the time). But although it’s completely messy, all that mess is tucked behind that door – and for that I’m eternally grateful. Clara miraculously still follows the one-thing-out-at-a-time rule, which explains why this chaos isn’t spread out all over our office or living room instead of being contained to this closet. So ultimately: this closet has been a lifesaver. Even if it’s kind of a pit these days. And yes, that’s my Kahleesi wig on the floor. Clara is obsessed. It’s all sorts of hilarious.
Our fiddle leaf figs: There have been a lot of questions about these guys, so the answers are: they were $58 from Home Depot on sale, the red pot is from Lowe’s, and the little wheeled cart that it’s on is also from Lowe’s. I just water them once a week (deeply, usually around 20 ounces or so) and they seem to like indirect sunlight. The one in the corner of the office seems happy for the most part (below left). The other one seemed pretty happy in that other office corner, but when we got the shelves for along that wall I moved him into the dining room. BAD IDEA. Turns out he hated me for it. Not sure why (there still seemed to be indirect light in there, and I kept watering him the same way I always did). So yesterday I moved him into the corner of the kitchen (below right). It’s like a fiddle leaf fig hail-mary. I hope it works.
Our organic mattress: This mattress is half a decade old, and we have been really happy with it. We heard from others who had issues with dents from where their bodies are, but ours doesn’t feel pitted or dented after all this use, and it’s still nice and firm (we like a firm mattress, so we “built” this mattress to that specification).
Our Target hooks: You guys have been asking if we’ve used any of our hooks besides this picture hanger in our house. I put a mismatched group of white ones to use in the closet to hold all of the necklaces that were formerly tangled and crammed into a drawer in my night table. Now I actually wear necklaces! Also: necklaces hypnotize Teddy.
Our white & stained kitchen cabinets: The white painted upper cabinets and wood stained lower cabs are still doing well. It has only been about half a year, but so far, so good. The white isn’t too hard to keep clean (I occasionally wipe down a drip if I see one, or dust the ledges a few times a month when I remember) and the stained lowers have been good too (they hide more dirt and splatters, but I can’t figure out if I like that or if that’s a con, since at least with the white uppers I know they’re clean and a big glob of syrup isn’t blending in). Nothing has chipped off or bubbled or anything, which is nice. We definitely recommend good prep work (sanding, deglosser, etc) and good primer/paint if you’re going the painted route (it can scrape right off without those steps).
Our homemade terrarium: A moment of silence please. This guy is dead as a doornail. Womp-womp. Regardless of keeping it in the sun and using that supposedly helpful “activated charcoal” somehow this one went wrong. So let’s file this under Black Thumb Petersik.
Our Expedit changing table: So far this has been great. We have a big basket of diapers and the wipes are kept on top to the right of the pad. We both have been using it a lot (we even walk upstairs to change him there sometimes since it’s more comfortable than using the ottoman downstairs, where we set up a little station). We haven’t switched to cloth dipes yet (tried them but they’re still a little loose and I live in fear of blowouts these days) but I’m looking forward to seeing how the changing table works for those as well. We’ll probably store the cloth diapers in the same basket where we keep our disposables, and line the white trash pail with a wet-bag and possibly move that into the bathroom so we don’t have to bring diapers that we spray back into the room. Will keep you posted.
Our upstairs hardwoods laid with Elastilon: The hardwoods we chose and the underlayment choice of Elastilon have been awesome for the most part. Our wood floors themselves haven’t felt too soft or scratched/dented, even with a dog and a preschooler beating on them. As for how the flooring is laid, it hasn’t appeared to flex or have any gaps or anything after over a year of use (through extreme heat and extreme cold). The seams look just as good as they did when we laid them, and everywhere that had nice level underlayment feels super solid and nailed down. In other words, you would never know it was a floating hardwood floor instead of a traditional nailed-down version in our hallway, our bedroom, Clara’s room, or Teddy’s room. BUT… (here comes the but)…
… there’s one spot in the guest room where we think the underlayment wasn’t level and we WISH we had known that so we could have fixed it because now that area feels a wee bit bouncy. It doesn’t look janky at all, and guests have said they don’t even notice it when I confess how much that spot bugs us, but it doesn’t have that nailed-down super solid feeling like the rest of the floors do. Boo. But for the most part we love Elastilon, and our hardwoods. Just a warning to anyone using it: unlevel subfloors might make things feel a little flex-y and less solid.
Our scaled back blogging schedule: We’ve been really happy with our decision to slow down. As some of you have wondered, fewer posts have correlated to lower traffic and less income just as we expected, but the change has felt really good to us. I’ve never been a more hands on mom than I’ve been for the last two months, and I’m so grateful that I didn’t miss out on those moments in the name of one more project or one more post.
Do you have anything that you’ve tried and ended up loving or loathing? Feel free to share the gushiness (or the warnings)!
Psst- In the “oops that was a bad call” arena, you can check out this post, this post, & this post. Sometimes the best choice is elusive, but there’s something comforting about the whole if-at-first-you-don’t-succeed-try-try-again thing.
*This post contains affiliate links to things we have purchased and loved*
Sarah @ Sarah's Daybook says
I am so jealous of your mad organizing skillz!
Quick question relating to your book (again)- is it going to be projects like the last one, or something new?
Thanks
Sarah
http://www.sarahsdaybook.wordpress.com
YoungHouseLove says
Something new! We’ve been meaning to write a post about it now that we’re deep into shooting and writing. Soon I hope!
xo
s
Sarah @ Sarah's Daybook says
Ooohh! I’m excited!!
karen says
i think it’s children’s books!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh how we would love that someday! This one is in the same DIY/home category, but we’d love to write for kids down the line!
xo
s
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Thanks so much for the updates! I’ve been wondering how some of those held up as well. I cracked up at the wig in the closet. I was like “ahhh…a head!!!”
And now…a moment of silence for the terrarium.
Dusa says
Wow, I was just wondering about your bed: the CatMan and I are in the market for a new one and I was wondering how yours was holding up. Freaky coinky-dink!
And I was also wondering about your eco non-stick skillets (another “I wonder how those are holding up” moment as I stared at my pots and pans drawer).
Laura says
Nice to see that the concrete counters are holding up well! I’m trying to convince my husband they’re a good idea, and I’m hoping your testimonial will help make my case. ;)
Kelsey @ Ramblings of Change says
Love this little update – and reading about all of the changes + how they have held up gives me faith that we can put a more personal touch on our new apartment in month! LOVE the hooks with the necklaces.
Annie says
I was so excited to see this post! I’ve been shopping for a washer/dryer and wanting to know how you liked yours. And I’m so happy that you all are still so happy to be working less and enjoying your little ones more!!!
Heather P. says
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who uses the term “janky.” :-)
Heidi says
Thanks for all the updates – it’s always nice to hear your honest opinion about the things you’ve done. I sort of regret painting our basement this color after we remodeled it. Now it feels like it would be way too much work to go back and re-paint. Maybe I’ll have the energy in a few more years!
http://www.krusesworkshop.blogspot.com/2013/11/house-tour-basement-family-roombath.html
YoungHouseLove says
I think it looks nice Heidi!
xo
s
Susan in Colorado says
Thanks for the update.. I am sad there isn’t a new post everyday BUT I totally understand the need to take care of those kiddos and not being sucked into blogging/working… Have fun with them!
Katie Kerr says
I just wanted to say that I love your blog. I have read every post since I have found it two or three years ago. I super respect your choice to scale back. Yes I do miss the extra posts but I would have read five posts a day from you. It takes a lot of guts to choose family over fame, and money, which is a route you guys could have taken. So much praise and respect to you. I will keep reading until you stop. Which hopefully you don’t.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Katie!
xo
s
Nikki G says
Absolutely agree! Also, your choice to scale back for family made me love you guys even more (if that’s possible). Glad you are happy & at peace with your decision – happy bloggers make a happy blog, right? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Nikki!
xo
s
olivia says
I was curious about how some of these were holding up. Thanks for the update!
Laura @ Rather Square says
I’m really interested in how your kitchen has been holding up, so thanks for that update. We are looking to redo our kitchen in a similar way (painting/staining cabinets) down the road, and it’s been great to read along as you have tackled different aspects of yours (especially the open cabinet baskets yesterday and the pullout trash bin you made).
For us, we’ve been using our Ecobee smart thermostat for several months now, and are really happy with the results. It’s so nice to have this high level of information at our fingertips to know how our heating/cooling/humidity systems are functioning in our older home. I know you guys have a Nest – are you still liking it?
http://www.rathersquare.com/2013/12/tale-of-three-thermostats/
YoungHouseLove says
We hear such good things about the Ecobee too! We are still loving our Nest. Kind of addicted to seeing how many leaves we earn each month ;)
xo
s
Gretchen says
I got the same fig tree from home depot here in Richmond and mine started dropping leaves and looking droopy just like yours. When I took mine back for a refund they told me the plant was root bound and I noticed you still have yours in the original pot too – like I did. So maybe that is the case with yours too. If you repot them they should do better. That is what they told me anyway. Hope this helps. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Gretchen! Will google around about rootbound to see what they say. I thought someone else said they hate being repotted so I don’t want to traumatize! Haha!
xo
s
Amanda says
Fiddle leaf figs are in the ficus family and will drop its leaves if moved around or stressed by any other environmental changes. I’ve read that if you spritz the leaves with water while it is acclimating to its new environment, it lessons the loss but I’ve never tested it.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo
s
Rachel @ casamarcelli says
We painted our doors black. Tan or grey walls (depending on the room), glossy white trim and black doors. (See here: http://casamarcelli.com/2013/12/11/getting-a-handle-on-things/.) And, we love them. Well, kinda.
We love the color and the look, but we don’t like the paint. When we picked out the paint, I didn’t want the doors to look too glossy. So we opted for a satin finish instead of a semi-gloss. I read online that people said it worked just fine for them, so I thought we’d be fine. Nope.
The doors show all kinds of wear and scuffing now. So we bought more paint. This time in semi-gloss. And now we get to paint all those doors. Again. So thankful they aren’t paneled!!
Oh well. Live and learn.
And I love, btw, that you guys acknowledge things that didn’t go well. It’s encouraging to know we’re not alone in our “oops” moments! Lol.
Also, so happy that you’re enjoying your scaled back schedule and more time with kiddos!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, they look awesome though! Happy painting!
xo
s
Lisa E says
Thanx for the updates. I have the key hook and use it for bracelets in my closet. I might need another. Like that you used all different types. Really cute. Had to smile when you said the toy closet is completely messy. I don’t have children but I’ve seen messy and this isn’t it. And how sweet she is that she is still abiding by the one thing out at a time rule. Most would conveniently forget in a heartbeat!
YoungHouseLove says
She really is the best. And you’re right – that closet could be a lot worse!
xo
s
Nicholine Nikkel says
I’m curious if you ended up sealing the grout in your entry way and if so what you used?
YoungHouseLove says
Never did! We heard from a bunch of people who had luck without any sealer so we left it be (read: forgot about it and did other stuff – ha!).
xo
s
Rebecca says
If you want to try a terrarium with succulents again, use a vase or some other kind of container that has an open top. That way there will be less humidity build up, which they would probably like since they live in arid environments in nature. The terrarium that you have would be probably work great for a little fern or maybe an african violet. Love your blog! You guys are very inspiring.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Rebecca!
xo
s
Leah says
I completely concur! It looks like those succulents just had too much humidity. I made some little gardens in flat glass planter/tray things (from Crate & Barrel and made for floating flowers and such). My succulents love it, and it is simple for me to see when the soil is all dried out.
Lauren says
It breaks my heart on a regular basis that those YHL hooks aren’t available north of the border. Canada fail. (Just kidding, Canada is awesome, this is actually a Target fail)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Lauren! We’d love if they picked them up someday!
xo
s
Melissa says
I use my Target YHL hooks for necklaces too :) I have the blue octopus and blue large key and it is so perfect for my bedroom, near my vanity. I love that they keep my necklaces untangled and I can see how pretty they all are!
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet!
xo
s
Starr @ The Kiefer Cottage says
Our entire house full of floor is one big unleveled janky circus. Hills, valleys, cracks, soft spots, ridges, and holes. Just consider your one tiny flaw a “feature” of being in a not brand new home. I think of all the flaws in our house as character that keeps things interesting.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! I love Janky Circus. Best band name ever.
xo
s
Courtney C says
Hi Sherry and John! I couldn’t find an email address so I’ll just be leaving this hereeeeeeeeeee….
https://www.etsy.com/listing/157009186/large-table-runner-paint-chip-table?ref=sr_gallery_18&ga_search_query=table+artist+linen&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
I saw this on etsy and I immediately thought of you guys. It’s so weird and neat and I kind of love it. A paint chip inspired table runner. CHECK MATE! Etsy, for the win!
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!
xo
s
Katelin says
Just for the record, I LOVE that you’re posting less because that means I actually get a chance to read what you’ve written before there’s another post up! I may be the only one and also my opinion doesn’t really matter, but this pace suits me just fine ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Katelin!
xo
s
Amanda E says
So sorry to be the bearer of typo news but I figure you’d rather know than not. (If I’m wrong and this is obnoxious, PLEASE tell me and I’ll stop!)
1) Changing table section: Diapers loose not lose
2) Hardwood floors section: Preschooler not prschooler
Absence surely makes the heart grow fonder. I console myself with the idea that as those kiddos grow up and go off to school you’ll a) have more time and b) want more moolah to pad the ol’ college funds and you’ll come back to blog more often again! :)
~Amanda
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Amanda! All fixed!
xo
s
Kristen says
Thank you for describing the problem of an uneven subfloor! We installed tile in our entry way that ended up cracking. My hubby thinks he’ll be able to prevent this issue for the re-tiling project by adding reinforcement with plywood from below. You mentioned you wish you’d known so you could have fixed the problem – what method would you have used? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We might have beefed up whatever side was low with something (possibly removing the subfloor in that area and leveling it/replacing it with something else). We checked level nearly everywhere before laying Elastilon and it kept being perfect, but that one spot must have slipped by.
xo
s
Andrea says
Ahhhh! The hooks-to-hold necklaces idea is GENIUS, and why-didn’t-I-think-of-that? simple. I have a walk-in closet that is about to get a makeover.
Paige @ Little Nostalgia says
Two things.
1. I’m totally stealing that toy library idea when we have a kid. That’s brilliant and I’m glad to hear that she’s still into it.
2. We love that our white cabinets show food blobs, too! I remember sanding down our wood doors before we painted, and I was all grossed out by how sticky they were because all of the gunk just blended in. Gaaaaaaah!
Isabel says
Great post, so cool that you guys do this for us. At this point I think my biggest regret is using a sprayer to paint our front door and shutters since the paint is now bubbling up – UGH!!! I don’t know if it’s the sun or the paint application but the 2 other doors have not bubbled and I painted those with a brush. I also HATE the fact that they stick, which means the paint job is getting scuffed where the door sticks to the frame so I will need to do some repainting, even thought it’ll be kind of pointless. It’s amazing how much wood doors expand and contract with the weather!
I do love the paint I chose for the kitchen cabinets (Benjamin Moore); pricey but so worth it.
Just a tip on the fig leaf trees cause I’ve noticed the same with a plant I have that also likes indirect light. Even though it may like a bright environment, it may not like being directly in front of the window, especially in the hotter months, when the sun coming through burns them. And don’t feel bad about the cactii, I consider myself a green thumb but I have little success with them too. Frankly, I think the East is not dry enough for their taste.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Isabel!
xo
s
erin says
Hits: Painted cabinets in our condo that we rent out- have held up really well for the past 6 yrs even with renters.
Painted tile back splash-we painted over the time in our kitchen- it was a weird pinky beige color- used an adhesion primer- I was worried it would peel because I didn’t sand like I should have, but a year later it still looks great.
Miss- had our our bathtub re-glazed- held up great for 4-5 yrs, but it has gone downhill fast ever since with lots of peeling. Boo.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Stinks about the bathtub!
xo
s
Allison says
I am so with you on the bathtub re-glaze. It was a miracle! And then it turned into such a nightmare. (Ours only held up for about 2 years — maybe because it’s our only bath/shower and gets a lot of use.) We re-did the glaze once, but it seemed to peel even quicker the second time. Time for new tile and a new tub. Sigh.
Mary | Lemon Grove Blog says
I’ve been hard core looking for some fiddle leaf trees at Home Depot and no dice so far – I wonder if they still carry them? Definitely plan to grab 1 or 2 if I ever spot them though – love the look! :)
Anne @ Planting Sequoias says
I look every time I go, Mary– but no success yet, booo!
Megan Frank says
Me too!
Katie says
I noticed in your photos from the basket drawer post yesterday the the counter edge looked kind of yellow/greenish, but other pics the counters look gray. Do you have a photo of them you feel shows the true-to-life shade they turned out?
YoungHouseLove says
That yellow/green was just it reflecting the green trees outside (light shines through the sink window at certain times of day). So I’d say the ones in this post are true to life. It’s gray just like concrete.
xo
s
Alan Green says
Just a tip- if you spray the leaves of your plants with a spray bottle full of water, it will stop the leaves from drying out and turning brown. Great post again!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Alan!
xo
s
Liza says
How is your little kitchen table cactus bowl doing? Mine all died immediately. I, too, have a black thumb!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s ALIVE! One died inexplicably, but the rest are going strong! The whole “completely ignore them and water them once every few months” method seems to work for those.
xo
s
Sara says
Don’t feel bad about the terrarium. I wanted to make some for Christmas gifts a couple years back so I put one together early November to make sure I liked the way they looked. It was adorable. And dead by the middle of December:( I used the activated charcoal too.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man!
xo
s
Stephanie says
I just bought my YHL unfinished rail ledge and hooks to organize my necklaces because the previous system of cramming them into a bowl on my dresser wasn’t working. Painted it teal and just need to hang it on the wall, can’t wait to be able to starting finding my necklaces. Thanks guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds so cute!
xo
s
Mandy says
The changing table in our nursery was one of the hardest decisions before the birth of my now 14 month old – I, too, ended up with the expedit bookshelf! I love it. The storage underneath is perfect and even now that she’s bigger, she still fits perfectly on it; changes are easy – even the blowouts. I am still trying to figure out the best way to deal with our sprayed cloth diapers…right now, we are just throwing them in the tub beside the toilet. Look forward to seeing what you end up doing!
Lisa says
I love your blog and also love that you are keeping true to who you are and what you want. Not many people do that nowadays. It makes me want to support you more! Also for all the awesome DIY advice. You guys are the bomb!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Lisa!
xo
s
Sayward says
Dude, Pinterest had convinced me that I should fill my home with beautiful little succulents that I would definitely be able to keep alive…. False.
I can’t tell you how many succulents have died under my watch and how many dollars I threw away trying to be one of those effortless succulent people. Special soil, etc? Check. I felt like a failure and it would frustrate me to no end. I gave up when I realized that Hobby Lobby has wonderfully realistic looking faux succulents in the floral section. I put them in my little terrariums with no shame and never looked back. Now my life is fantastic.
I only wish I had jumped on this train sooner. Basically, I’m trying to toss some dead succulent encouragement your way. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. IT GETS BETTER!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! I love this idea.
xo
s
LeAnna says
I work at a florist/home garden shop. Succulents do not do well indoors. They need a few hours of direct sun everyday. They will be ok for a short time but eventually will die out. I can’t tell you how many people come in with the same issue of their succulents dying. Design magazines have done a dis-service showing these gorgeous succulent arrangements inside. I guarantee you they were there just for the photo shoot. It isn’t your fault you couldn’t keep them alive. Also, succulents need really good drainage so they don’t do well in glass containers, even if you have the charcoal. Plant them in a sunny spot outdoors and they will be happy!
Julie says
Love the updates on how things are working and have held up. I’m curious if you plan to do a baby stuff round 2 post and a day in the life with 2 kids? I love family posts and am interested to hear how things are with 2 kiddos. I have an 11 month old son and can’t even wrap my head around having another until he’s two!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’d love to write about that stuff! Maybe once we feel like we have our bearings again? Or does that never happen with two? Haha!
xo
s
michelle says
My 2 are 21 & 15.
FYI, it doesn’t ever go back to “normal” you just create a new normal :)
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like fun! I’m in ;)
xo
s
Stardancer says
GAH your kids are so cute. They really are starting to look more alike, now that Teddy’s filling out! They have the same expressive eyes.
Anna jonsgaard says
I appreciate that you guys strive for quality , I’ve done so many projects that looked amazing the first day… But did not stand the test of time. Or kids ! One project I’m extremely ashamed about : reupholstering my husbands favorite reading chair. The fabric alone costed $275 . It’s just sad.
YoungHouseLove says
That happens to us all Anna! Don’t despair. Even when you make a mistake you’re learning (either what not to do, what you don’t like, etc) and it’s getting you closer to things you love (and that last!).
xo
s
Kellee says
About your sad little terrarium…
If you want to try again someday – you know, when you’ve got nothing better to do :) – one plant (preferably a tough skinned succulent), some pea gravel at the bottom (no charcoal), and some regular indoor planter mix is the way to go – or at least that’s what worked for me. I fine misted mine with a spray bottle when I first planted it over a year ago and haven’t had to water it since – it is it’s own mini microsystem.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kellee!
xo
s
Christina says
I really wanted to blue octopus for our bathroom remodel. But I realized it’s a key hook, won’t work for towels. I was so sad. I’m still planning on buying the big key for our household keys.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Christina! We’ve seen people use it for towels as long as they have those little tabs on them to hook over the tentacles, so maybe that helps? We’d love to make large-hooked towel versions someday though!
xo
s
Melanie P says
I have it hanging in my daughter’s room, and it holds her pajamas and hooded towel. Granted, her towel is pretty thin, but it works just fine.
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that!
xo
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Emily says
We’ve been recoloring the grout in our bathroom and let me just tell you, that’s a lot of work! Our grout lines are SO thin that it takes twice as much work to get it off the tile. It is worth it, but taking forever!
Our flooring had dark grout and I’ve painted 3 coats of white grout colorant on it to lighten it up. I’ll be really happy when that project is finished – just one more section of the room to do and then we can let it cure and start using our bathroom again!
We picked snow white as the color of our grout b/c who doesn’t want a princess bathroom? When I picked it out, I thought that if you involved Clara in that decision making, you would have ended up with Snow White grout for the same reason. :)
YoungHouseLove says
So true!
xo
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Ashley says
How is your runner on the stairs holding up? I am considering adding one to our home, and I’d like to know how the Dash and Albert carpet and your installation technique are holding up to foot traffic/wear and tear. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Still great! We regularly vacuum it like the rest of the rugs in our house and we’re a shoe free household, so that seems to help.
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Donna Jean says
I would love to know how the honest diapers have been working for y’all. We are (almost totally) past the diaper stage and did all cloth (even training pants) for our youngest, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the honest diapers because I’m a birth doula and would love to have an Eco-friendly, non-chemically laden diaper option to recommend to those clients who want that without using cloth.
YoungHouseLove says
Really happy with them! We had a phase where there were a lot of leaks/blowouts, but we realized we were using them on the small end and went up a size and it immediately stopped. We get their bundles and they come right to our door. Very convenient, and the little prints are adorable. We’re fans.
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Leah says
Have you checked out Baby Gear Lab? There are several eco-friendly options that they suggest. In their rankings, Honest Co didn’t even end up that high in the eco-friendly stuff (tho I’ve heard nothing but good things from parents I know). I’m having my first any day now, and I’ve ordered three brands they recommended to try out. We want to do cloth, but our daycare just does disposable, so we will have to do a mix.
Also, diapers.com has good sales, so I was able to get the diapers for a competitive price there.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds cool! Will have to check Baby Gear Lab out. Love diapers.com for their sales too!
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Natasha says
I may have missed this, but where did you find that yellow patterned rug? Is it thick enough for a little one to play on? I have been looking everywhere for a nice thick one just like that! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from Pottery Barn a while back, but they no longer sell it. Maybe try ebay? It’s nice and plush (tufted wool).
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Joyce says
I noticed in your other posts that you linked you used some garden stools as side tables. How did you like them and would you still use them with 2 young kids. I have 2 kids and worry about something happening to the stools or the kids.
Thank you for your help and experience.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m addicted to them. Can’t stop buying them. They’re very sturdy so if a toddler leaned on them they’d most likely not move at all, or scoot a little forward, but I have never had one tip or anything. Hope it helps!
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Erica says
Does someone eat gluten free? Even if you don’t, as a celiac it sure is fun looking into someones pantry with some gluten free options! :)
YoungHouseLove says
I’m low gluten but not entirely gluten free. I used to get bad headaches and not overdoing it with bread and pasta makes such a difference!
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Ellen says
Terrariums can be tricky—I notice that you mentioned giving it a lot of light, and that might have been the problem if you kept it in direct sunlight, because the plants basically fry that way (because of the glass). If you ever give it a go again, you might try indirect sunlight, and not over-watering. Sometimes it takes a few tries with terrariums…but the artificial ones are pretty realistic these days and can make it look like you have a big green thumb!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Ellen!
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Ms. Weatherbee says
Great rundown! Very informative and helpful :)