Life has been busier than ever for us – and there’s nothing like having a baby to confirm your true priorities. We’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately: what exactly are our goals? What are we working towards? Hoping to gain? The answer, we realized, was definitely not more blog hits or traffic or approval. Honestly we both feel unsettled by the idea of our blog growing any larger, and we look fondly back on the earlier days when we worked less, slept more, and spent more quality time with our family and friends. This little website of ours has already surpassed every expectation we ever could have had for it. So what are we chasing?
When Clara was born we were both blogging full time, but we had about a third of the traffic that we have now and we usually shared around one project a week amidst other home-related chitchat, family happenings, polls, reader makeovers, etc. It was one of the best times of our lives. We did less and had less, and we were completely comfortable. So in light of everything on our plates, this new baby boy, and a girl who’s growing up entirely too fast (cue the Armageddon music), we’ve decided to paddle back towards that.
We know this choice may directly correlate to fewer hits and therefore less income – and we’re ok with that. Sure, it’s a little scary not knowing where we’ll be in a few months or years (but we’ve never known that as professional bloggers anyway). We’ve made “risky” career choices before in the name of life quality – like leaving the NYC rat race and giving up steady salaries for blogging – but they’ve also been some of our best decisions.
Just like we did when we made those leaps, we’ve saved enough to help us sleep at night. We’ve also both left the door open in our previous professions, so even if this choice means we’ll eventually be taking on freelance advertising work again (which I did to make a living before we started this blog, and which John has dabbled with over the last few years) it’s a risk we’re willing to take in the name of bringing some balance back into our lives.
The good news is that our love of home improvement and blogging is burned deep into our hearts, and our to-do list is still a mile long. We have no plans to stop blogging anytime soon. We’ll still be posting our projects, planning, shopping, and other usual fare here regularly. But things will be noticeably different as we recalibrate our priorities (we think we’ll end up in the 3-5 posts per week range).
We’ll also be going back to sharing all of our family posts on Young House Love (sorry Young House Life). We’ve always had family stuff here – in fact some of our favorite (and most popular) posts are the personal ones about things like breastfeeding, Clara’s birth story, her photo project, this ridiculousness, and random facts about me and John. Between those types of posts always existing on our main site, and Instagram taking the place of the smaller family updates, Young House Life has felt less necessary lately, so we won’t be posting over there anymore.
We know some people will be relieved by this change of pace (many of you have encouraged us to slow down) or excited about the new looser style of posting, while others might decide to tune out – and we’re ok with that too.
We feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to make this choice. It’s not a decision that we’ve made lightly, and we realized that if we don’t seize it now, we may never have the chance to again. Teddy is our last baby and Clara is just a year away from kindergarten (how did that happen?!), so we want to enjoy this time with them instead of working our nights, weekends, and vacations away chasing some business goal we don’t even want.
We have no idea what the future holds, but even if the internet exploded tomorrow, we’re already so grateful for this amazing and completely unexpected journey of ours. This blog has surprised us in the most major of ways, and has led to some unbelievable experiences and opportunities, many of which we can’t quite wrap our minds around.
We still have big dreams for this house of ours and can’t wait to share how it evolves with you guys. But if you’ll excuse us, I have an almost impossibly tiny diaper to change and John’s off to buy some lumber again…
Katrina McElhinney says
This post makes my heart so happy. I promise I will keep reading your blog and I am sure I am not alone. You have a beautiful family and time goes by way too quickly so try and enjoy every minute of it. Also I love the family posts so I am excited to see they’ll all be in one place.
Heather B says
I have been a reader for years and years, and years and years from now even if you are only posting once every month, I will still be a reader … and your post today is just one of the many reasons why. Of all of the posts I have read over the years, this is the very first time I have commented, but I couldn’t not say: well done. The days are long, but as you’re finding … the years are short. We’ll still be here day in and day out, but there will come a day when Clara and Teddy will take their roots and find their wings. The time is now. Cheers and best wishes to such a lovely family. XO
Grace C says
Your blog is the only one I read every single day and I just want to say that I have rarely ever left a comment before. I want to say how much I support your decision to cut back so you can do more with your family. I have always felt it a bit odd that you had a separate Young House Life site. The reason I started reading your blog was because of the whole package of who you guys are – balancing home, kids, life, renovation, etc. I so much appreciate your blog and I think with fewer posts, you will be able to make it that much more full. No pressure or anything like that. We have 2 kids and already they are growing up so fast. I will definitely miss not seeing a new post every single day but it will make me look that much more forward to it when you do post. Congratulations on your new baby and I thank you guys for sharing so much of your life on your blog.
Kay says
Random metaphor to tell you how much I approve of this (not that it matters, but still, well done you guys!)
This year, in an attempt to cut back on unnecessary spending, I went from getting a coffee shop latte everyday to getting a latte once a week. And that one latte is kind of the highlight of my week. I look forward to it and I appreciate it and I savor it.
I look at your decision the same way. I will look forward to your posts and savor them when I see them in my reader. Lots of blessings to all of you!
essie says
Good for you guys! Many moms get a few months off for maternity leave, and some dads get paternity leave too for a few weeks – months. It’s hard to create that uninterrupted time with your alternative careers (I, too, didn’t get that luxury as a work-at-home mom). Even if your numbers take a hit, I can’t imagine the readership not growing again when y’all decide to come back full force. Your little ones are incredibly blessed to have such thoughtful and intentional parents.
Sarah says
Love you guys even more for this! I’ll definitely be sticking around, and less to read in my blogroll is a-ok with me! Love the sweet photos. :)
Katie S. says
As much as I LOVE your blog, I am so excited for you as you start to slow down. A mother myself I totally understand the need to stop and smell the roses with your kids. Cheers to you!
Meg says
Three words for you guys. Yes, yes, yes. Oh, and ENJOY!!!! Xo
Sherry says
You two are so smart. Great decision!
Steph Nelson says
Good for you!!
I’ve been working from home for about 6 months now and it is close to impossible to turn work off. I can’t imagine how even more that problem is when your work IS your home/life.
I love your blog and you guys and I’ll always be around no matter how often or not that you post.
I LOOOOOVE that last pic of Clara and her look of wonder.
PS~Time flies no matter what and it only gets worse and worse (I’m 45)
Joanna says
Awesome! Insert fist-bump here :) A decision you surely won’t regret and for us faithful readers/supporters of YHL, we’ll still be reading! Congrats and all the best to the four (er, I mean FIVE) of you!
Amy says
Something that I’ve been told since I’ve had my son two years ago & something I’m sure you’ve been told, too, is you & John have to do what is best for YOUR family. And what you just posted about today, Sherry, seems as if you & John know what is best for your family. Excited to continue on this journey with you & your sweet family of 5 {Burger, too}! :)
Anne says
I know this was not an easy decision for you all. I completely understand and fully support you. I left my “normal” job a year ago to work weekend nightshifts as a bedside nurse so that I could be home with my daughter more. Some days I think I’m crazy, but then I look at her and realize how quickly she’s growing up and I know without a doubt that I made the right decision for our family.
Enjoy the extra time with your sweet babies. And I look forward to posts in the future, whenever they may be. Oh, and I can’t wait for to go see the show house :) Layla Grace pinned your pictures–ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!
Christina K says
I absolutely support this decision! And I can’t wait to see the new flow around here. :) Hug those beautiful babies of yours!
jan says
“To thine own self be true” ……..
I’m glad that you know what is right for you and your family and have found this out early!
I hope you will keep laser focused as you move forward :)
Susan says
Oh, man, he is SUPER cute, even if he doesn’t sleep. :-) The six or so months after our second was born was a time of massive reprioritization for us, too. Definitely a lot of risks, but we’re happy a year later. I’m glad you’ll be slowing down a bit, you’ve been doing so much recently.
Jessie says
I needed this post today too! About to make a “risky” career move in the name of family too! I applaud you for this choice and will ALWAYS be a reader and huge fan of you both as wonderful humans I’ve never met!
Jenna says
Cheers to you!
And seriously, get a miracle blanket swaddle. That and friends bringing meals are the only two things that kept me sane the first few weeks.
http://www.miracleblanket.com/
Sara Richins says
One of the things that has kept me coming to your site was that I sensed a connection to your values: you value family, frugality and debt-free living, and even as you share your home in a public way, you demonstrate modesty and humility. It is so important to continually take take to reevaluate the direction of one’s life and make sure to live consistent to your values. We, too, are having to make some big adjustments now that we have a 21-day-old little boy at home besides our two girls.
I hope this means there will be more Reader Redesigns or House Crashings! I love to see how people deal with unique homes and see a variety of styles, but I have chosen to only follow this DIY home improvement blog since I don’t have time for any more.
YoungHouseLove says
We love sharing those, so they’re definitely going to be in the mix!
xo
s
Aoife says
I’m so happy for you guys. I think it’s a great decision that you won’t regret! I kind of thought ye were crazy to be working so hard in the run up to the birth – no way I could do that! I’m back to work on Monday after 6 months maternity leave and I can’t believe it’s over already! They are only small for such a short time and it flies!! Enjoy your beautiful kids and each other.
Kelly says
3 words… GOOD. FOR. YOU.
3-5 posts seems a bit much even! We won’t be offended :) The general rule in our house goes like this: God first. Family second. Everything else follows.
Jessica says
congrats on your little man! he is so handsome! enjoy that beautiful family of yours and post updates when you have the time. i will continue to read every post that you put up. as a mom of two kiddos myself, i know just have fast they grow up. soak up every experience with that baby and don’t feel pressured to keep your blog on a schedule. i think all of your loyal readers will still follow along with you every step of the way even if we don’t get to hear from you daily!
Addie says
I have to say I will really miss the daily posts, but I’m glad you are taking the time to enjoy yourselves! Reading your blog has done so much for me– it’s really inspired me to DIY more, and I’m loving how much more empowered I feel. I just spent days planning and executing landscaping in my formerly barren backyard, and though it was hard and I got tired and sore and VERY dirty I haven’t felt this good in a long time! It helps that my 13-month-old thinks it is the most fun ever.
But I’ll definitely keep checking in here, and hope you enjoy spending time with your amazing family!
Laura says
I have “loved” you guys (sounds so strange, but love really feels like the most fitting word here) since the time I found your blog and read the whole thing in a weekend about 3 1/2 years ago. You have honest to goodness changed my belief in my own abilities and my desire to learn more.
Reading this announcement, I can say, without a doubt, that I’ve never “loved” you more. I so greatly respect the decision you are making and am glad to hear that you’re toning things down and tuning into what really matters.
I won’t stop following until your last post has been written.
Christy Niebaum says
This is great. As a fellow parent who struggles with work/life balance, I really admire you guys. Thanks for sharing however much of your lives you have time to share and continuing to be an inspiration to the rest of us parents and DIYers.
Much love! <3
Michelle says
Good for you!
My oldest is about to turn 21 and I keep thinking how did that happen. Time goes by so fast enjoy your little ones.
Your family is adorable. Love the pictures.
AshinMT says
I have been a long time reader (your first house)but never commented, regardless you have remained one of my favorite daily blogs. Im consistently telling my husband who is less (see: none) of a blog reader than I that “we can totally do that, they have a step step post on this on YHL!” as we dive into home improvment on our first house. I of course will miss your more often posting, but will by no means not continue to check daily. I think the choice to enjoy your family is why you have been and will continue to be so successful in the crazy blog world; that you have roots. Congrats on Teddy!
Best, Ashley
Katie says
Y’all are amazing!! I love that you share things in real time and if that means less posts because your projects are happening at a slower pace then that’s awesome. I hate to think of the stress involved when trying to get a project finished so it can be blogged about by a certain point. Good for y’all for making this hard decision! Thank you for always being so honest and real!
Tara says
I can’t imagine tuning out. I honestly don’t know how you guys keep up with all of it and I totally get why you would feel the need to pull back. Everybody has to do what is right for them and that is obviously going to change over time. If people don’t like it, tough cookies.
Kerrie says
Totally support and understand this. To take time to stand back and really take in and enjoy everything you have right now is something more people should do. I’ll still be here and I’m sure most others will too.
Sally says
Possibly one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. Enjoy your family time, it flies by way too quickly. Best of everything to you all x
Lynn says
I love that you are realizing early in the game how quickly time passes! Your blog is one of my favorites. Enjoy the time you have…Your blog is an inspiration in many ways!
Jess says
Good for you! So excited for the new/old blog!
Pamela F.B. says
I applaud your decision to slow down. Life, time is precious and we only get one shot at it. Enjoy…we’ll still be here, learning from you, laughing with you and cheering the Petersiks on! God Bless!
Dana says
the internet and blogging will always be here, babies grow up way too fast! glad you both have this perspective. I’ll miss all the posts but Clara and Teddy will be forever thankful. Y’all rock!
Lesley says
Very happy for you. I remember commenting a long time go when you mentioned cutting back that I would still keep reading and thought you should definitely slow down. As a reader, sometimes I find it hard to keep up with all the posts while I am trying to have quality time with my family. I admire the work you have done on your blog but really admire you more by taking care of your family first. There is nothing more precious and money isn’t everything. I will continue to follow your blog even if it was one post a year.
Larissa says
So, safe to assume there won’t be a post tomorrow? Just kidding, don’t answer that!
Meghan says
Yay! Good for you guys! I am happy because I love you guys and never miss a post, but my life is getting busier too, so this is good for me too :-)
Katrina says
YES. You’ll never regret putting family first :) of course I’ll still be reading whatever you have time for :) God bless you guys!
Audrey says
That last picture of Clara looking so excitedly at “her baby” Teddy brought tears to my eyes! I can’t wait for my daughter Abigail to become a big sister one day. You guys totally deserve to take a step back and enjoy those two precious kids! Congrats!
Lisa says
This right here? I think this is my favorite post by you guys. Ever. I’ll be honest, my interest has been waning the last year or so. I can be hard to feel connected with so much going on and “secret projects” you are unable to share obviously tying up some of your attention. But THIS I can relate to, and I respect the hell out of you for recognizing it and making that choice.
What good is success if you can’t enjoy your quality of life? And how much is really “enough”? I think a lot of people miss out on a lot of joy in life by not knowing when to stop, or reel back in. I think you guys are going to be great and so happy you did this. Good for you! :)
Rachel says
Congratulations on Teddy & unified clarity about your career/family goals. I’m excited for y’all!
Britt says
Awesome! I have 3 kids, and as much fun as it is for me to read your blog, I was seriously wondering, “How in the world do they juggle all this and still find time to eat/sleep/ live???” Congratulations on your new sweet baby boy. Enjoy!
Bonnie says
Good for you, guys. I think combining the sites is a great idea. I, for one, don’t come here just for the DIY. I come for the whole Petersik gang. I’ll be glad to see it all combined. Best of luck in cutting back! :)
shiguzman says
Your priorities are in the right place. But as long as I have been reading your blog, I can bet you will keep in touch with all of us, because we are a long distance family of yours… God bless Clara and Teddy. Take care of yourself and take naps as much as you can. Big hug.
Dawn says
Been a dedicated reader for 6+ years and don’t plan on going anywhere! YHL forever for this girl. Enjoy your family time!!
Christine says
“HARRY, WE’VE REACHED THE TOP!”
I think it’s safe to say you two conquered the blogosphere. You got as big as a blog could possibly get without hiring a staff and losing that homegrown feel that all your readers love.
Kudos to you for making the choice that’s best for your growing family. I can’t even fathom what an effort it has been to achieve all that you two have. Your work ethic is unbelievable. Sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. I doubt you will lose many readers. I will certainly still be reading!
Jackie says
I’m so excited for this change! I’ve read your blog for a few years now and I always wondered how you managed to do it all. Even when I read your “day in the life” type posts of how your hour-by-hour breaks down I wondered how you had time to relax? go to the park? go out to dinner as a family?
I’m so glad to see you guys are slowing down! When you guys were doing the book I was like, “How are they doing a book, doing this site, and doing updates on their house?!?!” And then over the last few months I wondered how you were doing your house, doing that other house, running the website, and being pregnant?
I hope your able to get a better balance on things. And I love that you’re gong to put “family” stuff back into this blog. Hopefully that’ll help take some of the stress off of your shoulders. <3
Louisa says
I applaud the choices you are making! When you look back at this time in your lives you will be so thankful that you took these steps to slow down and focus on your beautiful kids. I look forward to all your posts and 3-5 per week sounds like a good fit, plus we always read back in old posts to get ideas and advice for our own home DIY projects, and people will continue to give your blog traffic not only for your new posts, but also your thousands of past ones!
Fernanda says
What can we say? Wish you luck and also feel grateful by the chance of having followed such an amazing blog. I am very far away from you – in Brazil – but I’ll still be here to read your updates.
Best regards,
Fernanda