Blogging is sort of a funny hamster wheel because we’ll do, buy, install, or build something, blog about it, and then we’ll move onto blogging about other projects, purchases, and updates. So it means we’re not always great at keeping you posted on those older things that we’ve already talked about since we’re so busy sharing new stuff. Which explains why we get update requests for things in our archives all the time. So here’s a big ol’ collection of them for you guys, which marks the second one in this series (here’s our first one from a few years back, so you can check out if we covered other topics you’ve wondered about there).
Our Nest Thermostat: This is the most asked about item in our entire house. And the short answer is: we still love it. More than ever. Not only does it save us money, but the features that we mentioned back in July in the original post (how it can sense when we’re away and shut itself off to save energy, how it adjusts to know our schedule – like warming the second floor when it knows we’re up there, and how we can raise or lower the temperature while laying in bed on our phones) are all awesome. It’s one of those life-updates that you notice every day and feel sort of fancy about while also being really practical and convenient.
It’s hard to quantify how much we save with it since we got it just a few months after our move, but our Nest indicates that we’ve saved more energy than 70% of other Nest users in Virginia (so it’s nice to know that even among fellow Nest users, we’re in the top 30% for energy conservation). The auto-away feature alone has been awesome for us, because we used to have to program our thermostat to heat or cool less if we were going away for the weekend and now it not only can sense that we’re gone and go on “auto-away” mode on its own, it can even do that on days we’re running around all day doing errands. We also really like that we can kick it on from the car (so if we’re coming back from a weekend trip and realize the house might be cold since it knows we’re away, we can turn it on from afar, so it’s warm when we walk back in). In summary: Still truly, madly, and deeply in love.
Our Outdoor Plantings: Whelp, the big holly trees that we splurged on for the most privacy are doing gangbusters (they’re big, healthy-looking, and no deer dares to eat them)… but the funny thing is that when we mentioned that we also got a smaller privet bush a bunch of people warned us that it was super invasive and they wouldn’t recommend it since it can self-seed and sprout up everywhere. The hilariously ironic update is that it’s toast. Completely eaten by deer. It was a veritable buffet. Thankfully the plants came with a one year warranty (even for deer-eating, since they sold this as a deer-resistant variety), so when it gets a little warmer we’ll dig up its skeletal body and bring it back to the store in exchange for something that should work better (most likely more of those awesome holly trees). In summary: The privet is done-zo, but the holly is still living la vida loca.
Living With Stairs: We also get asked how we’re liking life with stairs (usually from fellow ranch-owners who are considering a move to a two-story home). The adjustment was actually pretty easy, and we’re happy to report that life with stairs has been awesome. We never knew we were two-level people (we truly loved one-level living for 7 years), but the main upgrade is that when people come over we only have to run around tidying up the first level since everybody usually stays down there (so there’s a 50% shorter mad-dash when people are on the way).
There’s also only a half bathroom on the main level (we had three full baths in the main level of our last house, so I was cleaning three showers/tubs). Here we have 2.5 baths, and I love that the commonly used main-area bathroom is just a half-bath for faster cleaning. We’ve also noticed that the way we live in the house feels a little more separated, in a good way. We rarely have laptops anywhere near our bedrooms, which was a stark contrast from the layout of our last home (the living room was right behind the bedroom, so there were only a few steps between our “work” and “relaxation” zones). It’s nice to have more of a division here. In summary: Stairs, we ain’t mad atcha. We actually kinda love you.
Living With Old Appliances After Having New Ones: We also get questions like “is it hard to go from living with nice new appliances to using older ones again?” So far living with the old fridge, stove, dishwasher, and laundry equipment hasn’t been bad at all. They work and they do the job. Maybe it’s just our personality (since we’re used to living with not-perfect stuff for years as we slowly work to upgrade them) but they don’t seem to bother us too much, most likely because we’re comforted by the knowledge that they’re not forever (this too shall pass, old dishwasher). Except – bam! – this week our washer broke. Boo! So we’re waiting on a repair guy after taking the entire thing apart ourselves, only to discover two rusted bolts that we need to remove to get to the blockage along with a detached belt.
The annoying thing is that those bolts and broken belt are just too far gone (the bolts are rusted and we think the belt might indicate a motor issue) for us to deal with them ourselves without fearing the worst (giant leak, breaking the entire thing, etc) – hence the repair guy who is coming later today. It’ll hopefully only be around $75 to repair it, which we still think makes more sense than getting a new one at this point (we’d rather save up more for a truly awesome washer someday – and get a great deal – than rush to buy one right now out of desperation). Of course if he comes out and says “this thing is done” we’ll switch into “guess we’re getting a new one” mode. We also would eventually like to upgrade to a gas stove, so that’s exciting to daydream about. In summary: The washer is bugging, but the rest of the gang is cool for now.
Our Rejuvenated Wood Floors: Folks also ask how our little cleaning/sealing treatment has been holding up in the office, dining room, and living room downstairs – and we’re happy to report that seven months later they still look pretty much exactly the same. In summary: No complaints.
Nikon D3200: We’re still very happy with our accidental camera update. That post actually has a lot of info about the camera (both in the post and in the comment section) so you’ll want to check that out if you’re thinking of getting one. We’ve loved it pretty much for all the reasons we called out in that original post (like the video capabilities, the auto white-balance, etc). In summary: Cheers to you, D3200.
Living Without A Proper Two-Person Office: We haven’t loved not having a functional two-person workspace. The way it works now is that John is at the desk in the office with all of his stuff spread out, and I usually work from the kitchen table (which means clearing my stuff-spread off regularly for meals). It hasn’t been torture (I don’t rage at the kitchen table three times a day or anything) but we’re completely aware that it could be a lot more efficient. So we’d love to build systems into the office to make it a lot more functional, and get me out of the kitchen. We’ve actually been researching a few things and sketching out some plans – so we hope it’s on the agenda soon-ish (maybe after the nursery is done). We’re totally guilty of putting it off because it’s not terrible and it seems like a giant mountain to climb, so quick let’s look the other way for one more month… In summary: Not the worst thing that ever happened, but not ideal.
Open Shelving In The Kitchen: We still get a lot of questions about how we like living with kitchen shelves, and the short answer is that we still love them and marvel at how easy it is to grab a plate or unload the dishwasher (hence adding them into this kitchen as well as our last one). We actually expounded upon their virtues in our last update post, so you can read more details right here on that subject. In summary: Open shelves, we just can’t quit you.
Our Restoration Hardware Outlet-Steal Of A Table: Since our kitchen table has a raw look to it, people have asked if we’ve had issues with staining over the last four months or so of everyday use. The crazy thing is that even through grape juice spills and a giant soy sauce explosion, it still looks great. We’ve also never had issues with water rings or anything soaking into the surface, so I can only explain it as having some sort of invisible matte wax that seals it (it’s definitely not anything glossy) so it’s more protected than it looks. In summary: So far, so good.
Our Karlstad Sofa: Once again, we get a whole bunch of “how’s Karl? still love him?” questions, and the good news is that after years of living with a kid, a dog, and two couch-flopping adults, Karl is awesome. We’re really happy with the comfort factor, how the cushions are holding up, and his general overall appearance. I truly believe one of the biggest helps has been our choice of the dark sivik gray cover. It’s crazy durable (almost like denim) and Burger’s little nails can’t get into the tightly woven fibers and pull anything, which has been awesome. It’s also machine washable, which has been really handy. We mentioned Karl in our original update post as well, so you can read more about him here. In summary: Karl takes a licking and keeps on ticking. And is sort of a member of the family at this point.
Stenciled Bathroom Floor: We get questions like “is it peeling or flaking after everyday use?” and the resounding update is: huzzah, the floor still looks mint! Even with Burger tapping around it a million times a day with his claws (he loves having his crate in the closet) and us walking in and out to get ready in the morning and at night – the sealer that we put on seems to have done us right. We even got a few drips of paint on it while painting the nearby bathroom, and those popped right off when they were dry thanks to the clear top-coat. In summary: Get on with your bad self, stenciled floor.
So there you have it… a big ol’ brain-dump update. What do you guys have in your house that has either rocked your world or let you down? It’s awesome to hear about stuff that you love – and to learn from your “don’t go there” warnings.
Psst- In the “previous mistakes and tweaks” category, you can check out this post, this post, this post and our first update post. We definitely don’t always make the right calls, but there’s something pretty comforting about course correcting as you go (it tends to work out pretty well in the long run for the most part).
Jessica says
It’s not the stores fault that deer ate your plant. The fact that the plant died because of that shouldnt fall on a retailer. We all end up paying when people take improper advantage of retail warranties.
YoungHouseLove says
The nursery folks who helped us choose plants told us these were deer-resistant shrubs but if the deer went rogue and ate them that we could bring them back for something else that would work better. We love local nurseries for their commitment to customer satisfaction and finding the right plants for the right places! I think any way you cut it if a plant dies it’s probably not their fault (ex: if you don’t water it, if it freezes, if there’s a drought, etc) but it’s so nice of them to offer to take back things that don’t survive, and especially to call out that if they say it’s deer resistant and deer eat it, they’ll stand by their word and trade it out.
xo
s
Marianne in Mo. says
Jessica you have a valid point, but as someone who once worked in a nursery, I can attest that they get shipments sometimes that have unknown issues which can show up later. Unless you buy from a grower, the plants you get come from just about anywhere. Consumers don’t realize that. And you can’t rely on tags on the plants either. Know your zone, do soil testing and research. A great source for local info is either an extension service or your botanical garden.
Susan says
Thank you so much for your “update posts”. How you guys feel about and rate your decisions/purchases down the road mean a lot to me. I have a hardware question — I want to swap out some drawer pulls on a dresser/chest and I know you have done that. Have my eye on a pair from Anthro, but they have a very loooong screw that’s attached and I’m not sure how comfortable/safe it will be having that screw stick out (at least an inch) inside the drawer. Will the blankets I keep in the drawer pull on the screw? Will I hit the screw every time I put my hands in the drawer? Please HELP! (Thanks!)
YoungHouseLove says
I would use a simple little manual hack-saw (they’re a few bucks at Home Depot) to cut down the screw so it’s not crazy long (you can even file the edge so it’s smoother and hopefully doesn’t pull things). Hope it helps!
xo
s
Heather says
Looks great! My love/grr in our house are the wood treads on our stairs. Let’s face it, I love wood flooring/stairs in a house. This is by no means a shocking revelation. I don’t regret having wood stairs for a second. The shocking revelation came at how much damage dogs can do to wood stairs when they aren’t used to them (and visiting dogs who have very long nails and skid up and down them like an ice rink). The dogs got used to them, but the damage had been done. Needless to say we bit the bullet and got carpet treads. Someday we’ll refinish the stair treads, but for now we’ve done what needs to be done. I wrote about it on the blog recently if anyone is having the same issue.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that stinks! Thanks for sharing the tip!
xo
s
Sarah K. says
Every time I see your beautiful kitchen table I melt a little bit inside! Is that weird? Just had to share!! Love your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sarah!
xo
s
Karen says
FYI- you guys are getting a popup ad for a survey about tuna fish. Just thought you would want to know.
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry about that! Thanks for the tip, Karen! A bunch of others have told us about that and we put in to have it blocked. Hope it’s gone soon!
xo
s
Marianne in Mo. says
Love hearing updates like this, thanks! We built our home 7 yrs. ago, and I had dreamed of a fancy, jetted corner tub. Now, I would pull that sucker in a second if bath crashers ever came my way! Can’t extend my legs flat in it, takes up the whole tank of water to fill, and is a pain to clean. Never again! Also would love to get rid of the microwave/hood/vent over the range, and have gas range. The fan on the vent/microwave is so loud, I never use it. So, steam builds up on the front, and eventually drips into what I’m cooking…eeeww! It’s a GE profile micro/convection (don’t like the convection either). Just shows that there are always regrets, and some dreams should remain dreams I guess! That’s life!
BTW, what kind of mattress did you get?
YoungHouseLove says
So good to know! As for our mattress, we have a Savvy Rest one (it’s eco, made of 100% natural latex). Very comfy!
xo
s
Leah says
Google just bought Nest for $3.2 billion. So let us know if you start getting ads for sweaters and boots when you turn up the temp ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha!
xo
s
krys72599 says
Running out the door so I can’t read through the comments, but don’t you have a desk area built into the kitchen? If you can use a small desk in the office like John is doing, why can’t you use the same space in the kitchen, rather than spread out over the table? I’m personally a spreading kind of person but I’m trying to train myself to use a small desk…
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I’m a spreader, and that desk area is pretty small and broken up into two different levels. But most of all I like a window view over staring at the wall all day – and by sitting at the table I get a nice backyard view along with a view of Clara playing in the living room, so it’s oddly convenient in that aspect.
xo
s
heyruthie says
I love these posts. Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Of course!
xo
s
Jane says
Sherry,
Karlstad question. I noticed in your current house you reconfigured the Karl without the corner unit ? So can you just attach the arm rest to end where the corner unit is supposed to go ?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we chatted about how we retrofitted him here if that helps: https://www.younghouselove.com/2013/06/honey-i-shrunk-the-sofa/
xo
s
Jane says
Awesome. Thanks!
Lindze says
Great post! I actually reference your camera post rather often… last night even! Appreciate the tips and info. Keep it up! :)
Jessica says
Thanks for the update and for what it’s worth you guys can feel happy knowing that you are the reason why we:
A) Did not make the mistake of going the Bona route on our floors. I’d read a lot of the negative reviews, but still figured to give it a shot. We ended up getting the Rejuvenate instead after your post and are very happy that it has held up against two dogs (and one of them was potty training!)
B) Got a Nest thermostat ourselves. My hubby had been asking and I wasn’t sold until your post and I saw the $100 rebate in the store. Bonus for us: our energy company sends us a report on how we compare to our energy efficient neighbors and we are always ranked better! And – have you seen the new Nest smoke detector? One wave of your hand and it stops beeping and it will send you an alert to your phone if it senses something wrong!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jessica! I’m so glad! As for the new Nest smoke detector, it sounds awesome. John is eying them. Hard. Haha!
xo
s
Lydia K says
We bought two Nests back in November, and while they’re still “learning” we’re already seeing results in our power bills. Love seeing the little green leaves that pop up when you make a smart temp decision :)
YoungHouseLove says
YES! The green leaf is addicting!
xo
s
Stacy says
I really hope you don’t have to replace your washer. My husband and I bought our new home in August and it came with all these beautiful stainless steel appliances. What a headache. Our stove died the week before Christmas and I was having out of town guests for the holiday. Our microwave is on its last leg, as the handle broke off and it makes a funny noise when it is running and doesn’t heat up food like it should. Our dishwasher doesn’t actually clean anything. We have tried switching our detergent, cleaning out filters and moving things around to make sure everything is getting hit. Currently our fridge is the only appliance that works the way it should. We had someone come and service our stove but they said it would cost $800 to replace the broken part – which was the motherboard. Our new stove, because we wanted a double convection oven, ended up costing twice that so we are glad we saved the money to have it fixed. We were told most appliances that were purchases in the late 90’s, early 2000’s were only built to last about 10 years. They are starting to build them better again but it took a few years of poor reviews for companies to get back on track.
Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, what a pain! So sorry about that Stacy!
xo
s
Kelly says
I know this is random but I’ve been searching your archives for info on your fireplace update in your 2nd house. About building it up and tiling, etc. Am I totally missing it?
thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Sorry it was hiding from ya! Here’s the after post, which should have links to the prior steps in there too :)
xo
s
Kathi says
Hi, Love you guys, your transparency is refreshing. I have a concern actually. I’ve noticed the floor length chalk board in the office isn’t securred to the wall. I’ve heard horror stories of things like this falling on small children and hurting or even killing them. God forbid. I certainly don’t know how heavy it is or if there is a possibilty to hurt Clara or your future baby. Just wanted to mention it to you. Thank you for all your hard work, I look forward to seeing your email everyday.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kathi! We actually do have that anchored to the wall so it’s Clara-safe (here’s a post about the system we use for leaning items so they can still lean while being secured).
xo
s
Laura@SneakersandSpatulas says
This fall we finally splurged on very expensive bamboo flooring due to its durability factor. They are very dark in color and I have been so disappointed in the scratches that have occurred. They aren’t deep scratches, they appear to be in the top part of the floors, like the glossy coating part. Even our Dyson vacuum makes scratches on it so we can’t even vacuum them anymore and now have to swiffer, etc. to try to avoid more scratches. We also have a dog which we think adds to it. It is so frustrating and upsetting to keep getting scratches on our expensive floors.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! That stinks!
xo
s
Amanda says
We have the Ecktorp sectional couch from Ikea for 8 years, which we bought off someone from Craigslist so it has to be older. It just now starting to loose shape in the cushions but I would say that its fufilled its duty.
Also, we have the Nest thermostat and just got the Nest smoke detector. We love that you can control everything from your phone!
Ana from Portugal says
OK, I have to ask this, because everytime I look at it, there’s something that just doesn’t feel right…
Don’t be sad, it’s not a criticism, but do you still LOVE the drumshade in the kitchen? I mean, the wicker lamp is awesome, the sink light is beautiful, but to my eyes the drumshade does not look as fab!
Does it look really good up close?
:)
YoungHouseLove says
I think we’re with you, Ana! That’s the one light that we think might someday end up in the bedroom over our bed or something (we love the shade itself, and it’s really pretty in person, but the placement in the kitchen doesn’t have us 100% sold). For now we’re sort of holding off on the final judgement since the whole room (floors, counters, etc) is still in progress.
xo
s
Ashlee says
Do you have any problem with Burger changing your status from Away to Home on your Nest? We bought ours when we moved (thanks to you!) but I turned the auto-away off because I noticed it kept coming back on during the day, we have a small chihuahua but she sleeps on the back of the couch so I guess the 1-2 times she jumps off during the day was triggering that we were home? (I also had to deactivate the motion detector on alarm after the 3rd time it went off while at work. (She might be doing it on purpose…silly Chihuahua!)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! We haven’t ever noticed him triggering it (in general ours is underactive, so it wrongly thinks we’re not home occasionally (so we might walk by to activate it in those instances) but it doesn’t usually trip on when we don’t think it should – from Burger or otherwise. Maybe because he’s such a sleepy guy and doesn’t move very much? Haha!
xo
s
betty says
I have 4 dogs, one is a goldendoodle the size of a mini horse, and not even he triggers our nest! weird!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork says
I love this post! I can totally see how you just get used to living with things once you’ve blogged, but this has been one of my favorite posts of yours! It’s great to know how things work out long term. Thanks for sharing!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Stephanie!
xo
s
L says
Thanks for the update on the wood floors! Based on your last report, I am planning to Rejuvenate the wood floors on the house we have under contract (before we can move any furniture in!), so I’m glad to hear they’re holding up well!
Katie Rose says
Since you sort of mentioned it when discussing stairs and bathroom maintenance…I would be super interested in a post about your family’s cleaning schedule! I moved into my first place 6 months ago and cleaning is probably my biggest issue! Usually I just leave stuff (like the floors) until they are noticeably in need (gross, I know). Wish I was born with the “love to clean” gene but alas I was not!
I am currently trying to come up with my own schedule and wonder how you juggle it with all your projects and commitments. Maybe covering how often to do certain things and the best way to go about them. What are your duties and what are John’s? Does Clara have any “chores” yet where she can pitch in?
Just an idea!
YoungHouseLove says
That would be a fun post! Thanks for the suggestion!
xo
s
Katie says
Love this post idea!! I do have the clean gene (nothing better than a fresh clean house) but I don’t have the best cleaning schedule between a baby and full time job. In comments you have always said you clean as you go, which I do too but I’ve always been curious about when you take on larger tasks (bathrooms, floors, air vents, etc.)
Evelina says
I love these update posts!! Couple other update-related questions: Do you still have Ed the Bed? and do you have a vacuum (regular and handvac) you love? We are on the hunt for a new ones and need help!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, Ed the Bed is still going strong in our master! As for our hand vac, we have a Black & Decker one we got when our Curve finally kicked the bucket after years of faithful service. Wish I knew the model name, but the brand is Black and Decker and it has a maroon head.
xo
s
andrew says
My father in law does appliance repair and doesn’t live but five mins away from y’all if you need a good honest repair or opinion on the remaining life span of your washer. He of course always takes care of us and our friends whenever the need arises. Sunday he had to fish one of my 2 year olds socks from the pump in the washer.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet! Thanks so much for the tip Andrew! We’ll email you if we need his help!
xo
s
Alexis says
Have you invested in the Nest smoke detector yet? It’s amazing!
YoungHouseLove says
Not yet but John has been eying it like woah. Haha!
xo
s
Meg says
With your Nest does it account for Burger still being in the house on the auto-away feature? I’ve heard/read great things about it, I’m considering asking for one for my birthday actually. I’m worried that since we live in Chicago during the winter it gets really cold, and I feel bad leaving our little pup (also Chihuahua) home alone in a house that will think it can turn the heat down. Thanks, Meg
YoungHouseLove says
Burger is crated when we’re not home (he actually prefers that when the house is empty and will go in there and stay even if we don’t close the door) so he doesn’t seem to trip the feature when we’re gone. His crate is full of blankets with a giant pillow in the back and a blanket around the outside of the frame, so it’s like a little heat-box, which also might be why he loves it! Haha! I would definitely over-ride any auto away for your pet if you live in a super cold climate and worry he’ll be uncomfortable though! That should hopefully solve it.
xo
s
Sarah says
Haha, I couldn’t help but think of Miles Finch from Elf when I saw your Nest photo…. “I need the interior of that car to be 71 degrees EXACTLY”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Jen says
Question… Sorry if I missed this already. Why didn’t you bring you washer and dryer with you? I understand the other appliances but that one I was wondering about.
Have a great day!
YoungHouseLove says
In our area those usually convey with a house, especially when you’re selling it as “turn-key” (meaning someone can move right in without lifting a finger). So the lower prices of homes that are fixer uppers (complete with old appliances) can be made up by selling a turn-key house with that stuff in there instead of taking it with you and taking a lower price for your nice fixed-up home. Essentially, the lower sale price we got on our fixer upper by also selling a turn-key house makes us feel good about investing some of the money that we saved into new appliances here, if that makes sense.
xo
s
Corinne says
Your post about the Nest got me looking into it, and I have to say, it was worth EVERY penny. I got mine maybe a month or so after the post went up. The auto-away mode is definitely one of my favorite things about it, but I’m also a huge fan over the “popsicle” mode, where the system shuts off the compressor and just runs the fan, based on humidity levels in the area. I called my parents in a huge burst of excitement over that one! I’ve noticed a difference in my electric bills from the same time last year, so no complaints from me.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! It’s addicting right? We need to start a fan club.
xo
s
Lisa says
Thanks for the rec on the Nest – need to get one for our beach house. And while I’m at it we need new flooring in the beach house and I’m thinking about copycatting ya’lls upstairs solution. And the open shelves. And the tuxedo cabinets.
I’d say I’m a stalker but I’m not the only one . . .
Keep up the (inspirational) awesome work!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lisa, you’re so sweet! Good luck with everything!
xo
s
Leslie says
Thanks so much for the update. I was actually wondering the other day if you were still happy with you mattress? I’m thinking of upgrading to a king sized one and wanted to see if you’re still as happy with as you were a few years ago. You two are so inspiring!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Leslie! We are still very happy with our bed. It doesn’t have any low parts or sunken spots and it’s nice and firm!
xo
s
Catherine says
Have you guys heard of Bemz? They make slipcovers for Ikea furniture, making it look very un-Ikea-like. I have a linen slipcover for my Karl that goes to the floor; now it just looks like a streamlined linen sofa. No one believes that there’s an Ikea couch under there. And, it’s machine washable. I swear I’m not a spokesperson, but thought you’d appreciate that your Karl might have a whole other life in him.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome! We hear great things about Bemz!
xo
s
katalina says
Plant question. I am surprised the plant nursery said a Holly tree is deer resistant.
During the blizzard, I noticed what I thought was dry dog food circled around my Holly tree. I have motion activated back light –so they probably were like– yep right house and appetizer tree!
By the way I do not live near the woods like you do but with one of the few houses that is not fenced i get every lost cat, dog and deer in the neighborhood.
And yes the deer ate my Holly tree!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! We knew hollies were ok in our neighborhood because many of our neighbors have them and we actually have a big holly tree/bush next to our garage (it was planted maybe 15 years ago) and the deer never touch it. It has crazy spike-y leaves, so I can’t imagine swallowing them. You have some pretty brazen deer!
xo,
s
evie says
Your NEST thermostat is freaken adorbs! I definitely need one of those!!!
Karla says
Great post!
I have an odd question relating to your washing machine. I read in previous comments that you are doing cloth diapers again after use of seventh generation diapers. My question is, do you think that only fixing your current washing machine will be sufficient enough for cleaning your diapers and making sure they are actually sanitized? Or do you think cloth diapers may prompt you to purchase a new washer sooner? Just curious, because we are considering CDing but have an other make/model W/D and wondered if it would be worth replacing them first.
YoungHouseLove says
I think we’d love to at least hold out for a labor day sale (assuming this washer can be saved) so I don’t think we’d put off the upgrade for 2 years or anything, but we hate being rushed into picking something this weekend if there aren’t any good deals – ya know? We certainly loved having new washers for the cloth dipes and it would probably clean them better (and beat them up less).
xo
s
Karla says
Thanks for the reply and I totally get what you mean about just buying one this weekend! :)we’re definitely waiting for a sale as well. I hope yours can be fixed!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Karla, you’re so sweet!
xo
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Krista says
John needs this calendar:
http://caravanshoppe.com/product/ride-along-2014-calendar/
It’s all about BICYCLES!! And Clara would love to play with this company’s OlliBlocks. Discovered these gems and thought I would pass on the info. to you.
Cheers!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo
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Laurel says
We’re seriously considering the nest for our place and my parents, especially after your good reviews! I wondered how consistent your schedule was? My mother is a nurse and her schedule changes every week and every month with absolutely no consistency to when her days off are. I know that auto-away is supposed to compensate for that, but they have a big rambunctious boxer who stays inside when it’s cold and their gone. I’ve heard that dogs often trigger the thermostat to turn back on. Any thoughts on either of those things?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, there’s another thread a ways back where someone said their dog triggers it (Burger doesn’t trigger ours, but maybe he’s too small or it has to do with where you install yours?). The person under that thread had a bunch of pets (including a horse sized dog) and she said her pets don’t trigger hers – so I really think it might vary by where you place it. You can over-ride that and set it to do what you want though (it only goes rogue and changes things when you don’t have pre-settings arranged) if that helps! As for a consistent schedule, ours is about as inconsistent as it gets, and after a while ours figured us out and adjusts using the sensors when we’re being unpredictable.
xo
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Village of Pineford says
Wow, your painted floor is gorgeous! I can’t believe it has held up so well, but the clear coat is obviously a MUST.
Lindsay says
Wuzzup guys! Haven’t been here in a long, long time – since before you announced le bebe! Congratulations!! I read some of the comments about you photoshopping your bump out….I’m so sorry you had to deal with that :( The house is looking great and I love love love the wire chairs you found! I’ll be checking in more frequently now – I missed you guys! I know, I know, you missed me too ;)
Ann says
I ripped out my cabinets and replaced them with open shelving not to long after you did it in your last kitchen… and have not regretted it for a single moment! They opened up the space so much, look great, and are commented on by almost everyone that sees them. One of the best decisions I ever made and am still in love with!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing Ann! Congrats! I love when updates are so completely worth it and you’re still in love way after they’re done!
xo
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Laurie says
Excellent update! Good to know about the stenciled floor because I really love how that looks. I keep looking around for a place I could rationalize the same treatment.
Julie says
It’s fun to hear “the rest of the story” from your adventures. When we built our house I wanted a butcher block kitchen island since I make all our bread and use loads of fresh veggies that need cutting. I knew I would be cutting stuff constantly. When it came down to it, I decided against it because my island is gigantic. So I made a compromise and had a portion of the granite cut out and have a large butcher block area. It’s 25″x38″. Right under that space are my pull-out garbage and recycle bins. So when I’m cutting off the ends of celery, or carrots, I just wipe it right into the garbage can. I cannot tell you enough how much I love this part of my kitchen. It is so handy, so useful, so convenient. We used maple for this application. We have been here over 12 years and it looks as good as the first day we put it in. I keep it oiled with butcher block oil. I can say it is my favorite feature in the kitchen.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds so awesome Julie! What a smart feature to incorporate!
xo
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Michele says
Love the update! Going to more seriously look into the Nest now. Wahoo!
Meg says
We bought a Karl in the same cover after checking in with your review and are also very happy, especially for the price!
I know you guys are big rug people, but it hasn’t been in our budget yet and we’ve gone the FLOR carpet tile route. I’m obsessed! And they are coming out with better and better designs.
YoungHouseLove says
We love Flor! We had some of those in our first house’s separate entry basement and they held up like crazy!
xo
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Kellie says
Hey Guys! Great post! Just a quick heads up, even though I know you guys are pros…our dryer went kaput and I actually found an almost brand new one at an estate sale here in St. Louis. If something happens, I would check estatesales.net (which you will also get hooked on – oh the pictures!!). It was $150 and I talked them down to $100 because I had to find someone to help move it and it wasn’t in an easily accessible place to move it. Also, the 2nd/3rd day of the sale are usually half off days…It may not be super cheap but it is still better than having to splurge when you aren’t ready which is exactly where I am because we don’t want to get new appliances until we finish off our basement!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! Love that tip!
xo
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jenna says
This is all very good but the update I’m most looking forward to is the grout thingie you did in the foyer/front of house. I know more time needs to pass before you can qualify the grout touch-up, but man, that stuff could be LIFE CHANGING.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jenn! We heard from a bunch of fans on that post who said it was holding up well years later (some even in wet environments like showers) so we have high hopes, bu we’ll keep you posted either way!
xo
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Jerrika says
Do you have a post planned for 2014 new years resolutions? And/or an update on how 2013 resolutions went?
YoungHouseLove says
We talked a lot about our goals during our blogiversary (in late Sept) so we thought it felt repetitive to revisit that this Jan, so we think we’ll just leave the goals for that week each year when we get personal about a lot of business/blog/personal stuff :)
xo
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Alicia says
Do you have any plans to get the Nest Fire Alarm?
YoungHouseLove says
It does look pretty awesome! Not sure if we’ll spring for it just yet, but we hear great things!
xo
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Brandi from Bloomington says
I don’t know your layout so this might not work. Do you have another table and chair like John’s? Could they go back to back so you would face each other as you work?
YoungHouseLove says
I wish we had two of those desks! I love that thing! My plan is for that to end up in the guest room as a sewing/craft table for me (since I’d love to get use out of that room when guests aren’t in there) and then we’ll build some larger double desk system with tons of cabinetry in the office, so I think we’re just putting off everything in the office until we’re done with some other projects and then we’ll shift the focus to that room.
xo
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