Podcast: We’re Digging (Episodes 101 – 150)

Heard something in the “We’re Digging” segment of our podcast… but can’t quite remember which episode it was? Well, you’re not alone (heck, we can’t even keep all of the episodes straight) so to make it easier we’ve rounded them all up in one big master list for ya. Just scroll on down until you find it, plus you can click on any episode title to listen or view the full show notes. Happy Digging!

Note: Below are the items from Episode #101 – #150. Click these links to see items from Episodes #1 – 50, Episodes #51 – 100 or here for more recent episodes.

Episode #150: Changing Our Minds About Our House (Again)

• Sherry: The Corkcicle canteen that Sherry’s digging a couple of weeks ago in the show notes when she spoke about her love of True Lemon. Her Corkcicle is the canteen version, but they also have these classic tumblers, short tumblers, and stemless wine glasses.
• John: The Amazon Echo Auto that I recently got for half price thanks to the preview invitation I requested months ago. We’ve enjoyed having it in the car, especially for handsfree directions, adding things to our Alexa lists, and playing podcasts and songs.

Episode #149: What’s Next For Our Master Bathroom Reno

• Sherry: Her new practice of putting endearing photos of friends into her phone contacts along with using a heart emoji after my name, which help sweeten mundane, everyday texts.
• John: The Ryobi Inflator tool that I now own two of because we realized in addition to inflating bike tires and sports balls at home in Richmond, it also works so well for blowing up floats and stuff at the beach.

Episode #148: How We Keep Our Lives & Projects Organized

• Sherry: These are some other mirrors that could do the same trick of being large like a window and reflecting some light around too (especially if you strategically place them where your eye wants to see a window – check out the symmetry that ours creates in our bedroom): 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
• John: If you want some good historical non-fiction reading, I LOVED Dead Wake by Erik Larsson about the sinking of the Lusitania, and it makes me want to re-read his other more popular title: Devil In The White City.

Episode #147: Our Summer Of Living In A Smaller House In A Smaller Town

• Sherry: Here are the little paper True Lemon packets that Sherry has been using lately to end her La Croix and Hint habit (they’re only 6 cents per packet and don’t involve large bottles or cans!). We love that it’s super easy to keep some in the car or in our beach bag and use them on the go.
• John: Also please pour one out for my broke Apple Watch, which I dreamed about getting in Episode #119 and talked about loving in Episode #123 and Episode #128. I had a Series 3 watch with cellular and it was plenty good for me, so I won’t say I’d never grab another but I also have lived just fine without it since March.

Episode #146: What It Was Really Like Renting The Duplex

• Sherry: The Simple Happy Parenting book we both read this summer, which was a great way to re-engage with some of the simplicity and minimalism ideas we’ve been trying to practice lately. Also Simplicity Parenting, the book Sherry frequently re-reads (you may remember it as the book that motivated us to get rid of half of the toys in our house a few years ago).
• John: The $5 nylon kids’ knives we purchased for the beach house. They’ve got a long order time now for some reason, so we snagged these similar $7 knives to have here at home so we can keep up our kids’ involvement in dinner prep!

Episode #145: The Home Features People Wish They Didn’t Have

• Sherry: Before our summer break we doubled up, so Sherry’s digging Sabrina Soto’s new podcast “Redesigning Life with Sabrina Soto” which we’re interviewed on that week! Also she dug Orlando Soria’s Unspouse My House is such a funny and fresh series for HGTV.
• John: John’s two items were The Dropout from ABC Newspodcast, which tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes and how she duped the world with her healthcare startup Theranos. Also the WWII book Unbroken (it has over 25,000 5-star reviews and spent 4 years on the NYTimes Bestseller list!).

Episode #144: When You Don’t Even Recognize Your Own Shopping Habits

• Sherry: Boy Brow from Glossier that she uses to beef up her eyebrows.
• John: Our new label maker for the duplex. We snagged it for $15, and comes with a standard white label & black ink cartridge (we bought a couple of extras though).

Episode #143: So We Had Our First Guests At The Duplex…

• Sherry: The freezable grocery bag that we bought (in “Fresh Stripe”) to use as our beach cooler this summer after seeing my sister with hers. We love that it’s simple, affordable ($25), and the whole thing folds up to be stored in your freezer – so it’s always ready to use!
• John: The motion-activated puck lights we tried out in our coat closet. They aren’t the brightest lights in the world, but a 3-pack is just $18 and the motion activation works remarkably well (they turn off after a few seconds of no motion).

Episode #142: Our Kitchen Is Grosser Than You Think

• Sherry: The ice roller that she uses on days when her regular jade roller just isn’t enough (she says it’s for when she’s feeling extra puffy or didn’t sleep well). You literally store it in the freezer so the roller part is like a cold ice pack on yo’ face.
• John: Highlights Magazine and Highlights High Five (the preschool version our son gets). Our kids are also really loving the specialty Hidden Pictures books, we have the Pet Puzzles one shown above, but there’s also Adventure Puzzles, Playtime Puzzles, and Barnyard Puzzles.

Episode #141: When You See Another Blogger’s Home In Person…

• Sherry: Decorative mobiles, like the ones shown above and the one we put in the duplex to fill some negative space in one of the bedrooms, but didn’t want another picture frame.  1/ 2 / 3/ 4 / 5 /6
• John: The compact car battery jump starter that was highly recommended to us after we dealt with a dead car battery in the airport parking garage.

Episode #140: The Most Fight-Inducing DIYs Out There

• Sherry: The Thayer’s Facial Toner that Sherry has added to her skin & face care routine. It’s under $9 for a big 12 oz bottle, and she puts some on a cotton ball and wipes it all over her face every morning along with her other magic kitchen/face things.
• John: These SnapPower nightlights that we installed in the duplex hallway. And by “installed” I mean I unscrewed the old cover and screwed this new one on, just like a normal outlet cover. THAT’S IT. Can’t say enough good things about these.

Episode #139: Our Exterior Makeover Continues…

• Sherry: The Hunt A Killer subscription she got for her birthday. It’s an elaborate (fictional) murder mystery you get to help solve with tons of intricate clues!
• John: This SET game that’s a fun visual matching game that all ages of our family enjoys playing! Here are 3 examples of “sets” below:

Episode #138: Was Ikea Not “Good Enough” For Our Home’s Kitchen

• Sherry: The Throne of Glass series by Sarah Maas. As she mentioned in the episode, there is a prequel (The Assassin’s Blade) but she’s started with book one.
• John: The two books I read over Spring Break: Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown and The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware.

Episode #137: The Next Home We’re Taking On

• Sherry: My new go-to sunscreen for sensitive skin, Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid-Lotion Sunscreen.
• John: The StudBuddy stud finder that uses a magnet to help you be certain you’ve found a stud.

Episode #136: Maximizing House Joy (For Minimal Money)

• Sherry: Using the “Do Not Disturb” feature on her iPhone (it’s right near the top of your Settings). We have ours scheduled for nighttime hours, and it still allows calls from our “Favorite” contacts to break through. Even “Repeated Calls” can help anyone get through if they call twice within three minutes.
• John: The mini car trashcan we got to help us keep the inside of our vehicle a little neater. It’s all about having a system that you can stick to, right? So for under $10 we went for it. We got the all black one (surprise) and we store it in the passenger side door’s cup holder.

Episode #135: How Many Dollhouses Are Too Many Dollhouses?

• Sherry:  Ticket To Ride, the game we’ve been playing a lot lately (it’s the standard, grown-up, American version). There are also lots of other variations like Ticket to Ride: First Journey (for kids), Ticket to Ride Europe, Ticket to Ride New York, and even specific countries in Europe too.
• John: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a book I’m so glad so many of your recommended to me. Such a good (and educational!) read.

Episode #134: Where Have All The Family Photos Gone?

• Sherry: Russian Doll on Netflix (warning: the bad language starts right away). It’s funny, weird, intense, scary, and refreshing all at the same time. Also, each of the 8 episodes is only about 30 minutes, so it was the perfect quick low-commitment binge!
• John:  These window prisms that have been such a hit with our kids thanks to the rainbows they splay all over the kitchen every morning.

Episode #133: The Fascinating Ways Homes Differ Around The World

• Sherry: Donté Colley’s Instagram feed if you need a boost of confidence thanks to his fun, charming, and oddly motivational dance videos.
• John: The “Oh, Were They Ever Happy!”  book from my childhood that we recently tracked down for our kids to enjoy. It’s about house painting after all!

• I don’t want to give away the final image in the book, but here’s the house before the children decide to help paint it while the parents are gone…

Episode #132: Are We Sabotaging Our Sleeping Spaces?

• Sherry: Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, the latest from the author behind Big Little Lies as well as a few others that Sherry highly recommends, like What Alice Forgot and The Husband’s Secret.
• John: Our white faux wood blinds that we have throughout our home and our beach houses – especially now that I can order them to size without having to go in store and have them cut.

Episode #131: The Surprising Side Effects Of Going TV Free

• Sherry: These biodegradable floss picks she’s been weirdly into lately (found them on amazon – now they’re out of stock, but I found them here).
• John: Radium Girls, one of the book that I read during our TV free week.

Episode #130: Can Science Help Us Make Our Homes Happier?

• Sherry: Whimsical object that bring some more hits of joy to your house, like the ones above:  1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13
• John: Our driveway paved, including the portable basketball hoop my parents got the kids during Christmas sales.

Episode #129: When It Feels Like Everything’s Going Wrong

• Sherry: Shopping HomeGoods onlinevia the TJMaxx website here. And here are some of the things you can find there (which is especially helpful when you’re looking for two of the same thing, and can’t track down multiples in the store). 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19

• John: The outdoor smart plug ($29) I bought for the patio lights on our back porch. It was easy to set-up and even has two separate plugs that you can control separately.

Episode #128: Finding More Life In Less Stuff

• Sherry: My evening-time routine which includes my weighted blanket and Sleepy lotion from LUSH. And here’s my favorite organic caffeine free camomile tea.
• John: The Autosleep app that I’ve been enjoying to help me stay accountable with my sleep habits That’s not my data below (I wish I got to sleep until 9:13am!) but you can see how it mimics the rings in Apple Watch’s Activity app, and how it tracks your “sleep bank” and tells you whether you’re working off of a surplus or a deficit of sleep.

Episode #127: The Real Housewives of Airbnb

• Sherry: Marie Kondo’s Netflix series, Tidying Up, and the book that started it all.
• John: The new wireless phone charger & mount we got for our car (it’s $25). It’s still wired itself, but now we can just place our new phones into it & they automatically charge without having to wrestle a cord. We have it clipped to our vent, but it comes with an option for sticking it to your dashboard too.

Episode #126: Is Your Home Making You Grumpy?

• Sherry: A Court of Thorns And Roses, followed by A Court of Mist And Fury, and finally A Court of Wings And Ruin. (There’s also a box set if that’s your jam).
• John: Showerheads with H20Kinetic technology (again, not sponsored – I just really like the ones we’ve bought and can tell a difference). Most of these also come in multiple finishes: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Episode #125: A Tale Of Two Kitchens

• Sherry: Headbanz, our family’s new favorite game for everyone in the household.
• John: eBay coupons. We spent $4 buying a 10% off Bed Bath & Beyond coupon on eBay and it saved us $40 on an online check out!

Episode #124: One Small Space And Three Options (Help!)

• Sherry: That’s the 4-in-1 Patch Plus Primer that Sherry recently tried on our nail-hole-dappled living room wall. It totally did the trick for small holes and was extra convenient since it’s everything you need in one item.
• John:  Into The Water. It’s Paula Hawkin’s follow-up to The Girl On The Train and I was pleasantly surprised by it!

Episode #123: Baskets – Friend or Foe?

• Sherry: The Haunting Of Hill House, the creepy series we LOVED binging on Netflix recently. We finished it over a week ago and are still talking about it.
• John: My Apple Watch Series 3 with Cellular that I snagged on Black Friday for $325 instead of the $500+ I had originally planned to spend on the newer model. Also the the Breathe app I’ve been liking (it comes pre-installed on the watch).

Episode #122: If We Had To Make A House “Must Have” List…

• Sherry: The movie Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks The Internet
• John: Smart switches, like the three-way smart switch above, but I’ve also used the single-pole switches as well. You can read more about the smart home tech around our house and how we use it.

Episode #121: Do We Make Design Decisions Just For The Blog?

• Sherry: Peg “family portraits” from various Etsy sellers, including details like the shadow box, the swaddled baby, or pets with ears. Many also show examples of other “family” combos – siblings, couples, etc. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
• John: The $13 slim wallet I’ve been using for around a month now. It comes in around 30 different colors, but I got “Alaska Brown.” It doesn’t offer personalization, but some on Etsy that throw that in for free. Here’s the top right wallet ($20), middle right wallet ($25 marked down to $15!) and the bottom right wallet ($18)

Episode #120: The Big Fight We Had Over A Microwave

• Sherry: The new hair-clipper/trimmer that Sherry’s is using to up her DIY haircutting techniques.
• John: Our new printer that still fits nicely within the IKEA storage cabinet we got over 7 years ago to house our old one. I picked up the printer at Target, and here’s where you can learn more about the HP Instant Ink service we’re trying out

Episode #119: What Almost Derailed Our Painted House Makeover

• Sherry: Our new furniture line with Wayfair, these X-Back Chairs and the mixed-finish Cinch Table that has a metal base and the glossy white top. Also the Noble Dresser above, which was inspired by the vintage dresser in our bedroom that was handed down to us from my dad (he bought it secondhand for $100 decades ago – and we believe it’s from the 1920s). You should’ve seen his face when he saw this new one in person!
• John: The prospect of getting an Apple Watch. Is it worth me spending my birthday money on?

Episode #118: The Not-So-Calm Before The White Brick Storm

• Sherry: Get A Room With Carson & Thom, the design show that has been cracking us up. It gives you a great taste of the humor that’s been making it a fun watch, and the room reveals are great too.
• John: Dear Data, the book I’ve been revisiting lately. It’s really fun and beautifully designed, so it’s entertaining to just flip through or really dig into the data. And this is the journal version they recently released if you’re inspired to start a project of your own.

Episode #117: The Downside To Decorating One Room At A Time

• Sherry: The NordicTrack Treadmill we got for our bonus room (we’re considering it Sherry’s early Christmas present due to her newfound love of walking). She still much prefers her walks outside, but when it’s too cold or rainy she hops on here and turns on Housewives.
• John: The Slim Straight Fit Twill Pants in “moss” from Target that I’m wearing in the photo below.  They have detailing that’s kind of like jeans (think rivets on the pockets), but I also got these Slim Fit Chinos in dark gray that feel a bit more like dress pants.

Episode #116: How To Get More Style At Home With Less Stuff

• Sherry: These fall-adjacent nail polish colors that are helping to “soften the blow of the season” for Sherry (without the doodly tootlies):
  • Worth A Pretty Penne
  • Berlin There Done That
  • Chicago Champagne Toast
  • You Don’t Know Jacques
• John: Typography artist Becca Clason (@beccaclason) on Instagram. In the photos below she’s working with black beans, pennies, spices, and grains. Can you even imagine having that much patience???

Episode #115: The Trouble With Master Bedrooms

• Sherry: This clay mask she mentioned, which she mixes with her favorite apple cider vinegar. It’s 100% natural clay (with no additives or fragrances) and it’s apparently the “world’s most powerful facial.”
• John: Fall! Since Sherry declared her dislike of this season in this controversial Instagram post, one of us had to defend it!

Episode #114: Did We Almost Just Buy Another House?!

• Sherry: You probably don’t need to be told how to see the movie Crazy Rich Asians or how to read the nationally bestselling book trilogy (Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems), but we wanted to shout out the author – and all around super nice person – Kevin Kwan, who we were table-mates with during the Cincinnati stop of our 2015 book tour (more photos here).
• John: They discontinued my old trimmer (which I use here in Richmond) we ended up with this new trimmer/edger in Cape Charles. And below you can see the two new features I really appreciate. The foot pedal for switching from trimming to edging mode is so much faster than twisting the pole with your hand.

Episode #113: What You Don’t See In Photos Of Our Living Room

• Sherry: This jade face roller that Sherry bought (it’s currently sold out, but this one is extremely similar and also highly rated). And here’s an article from Elle about its benefits. To see Sherry’s jade face roller in action (and John’s response video at the end) check out this video on YouTube or in our Instagram Highlights.
• John: Our new favorite game to play with the kids: Tenzi (and yes, we’re using coasters to stack our dice). Our favorite variation is some combination of Tenzi Tower (where you have to stack your dice as you go) and Stealzi (where you can swipe your opponents’ dice).We also bought this “77 Ways to Play Tenzi” that suggests dozens of other variations. They also sell a Party Pack version with 6 sets of dice.

Episode #112: One Week Of Living “Furniture Free”

• Sherry: This is handleset that we ordered to make the uneven holes on the duplex front doors look normal. We got them in the dark bronze color
• John: The Slow Burn podcast We burned through Season 1 (pun! ha!) about Nixon’s resignation last month and the second season about Clinton’s impeachment is currently underway. It has been such a fascinating way to better understand these moments in American history.

Episode #111: Can Minimalism Be Cozy?

• Sherry: The three Third Love bras that Sherry has bought over the last two years and can’t stop talking about – a classic plunge, a strapless bra, and a fancy lacy one. They each come in different colors, but Sherry (unsurprisingly) chose the blackest/darkest option for each one.
• John: A Daily Beast article I was so fascinated by: “How An Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game And Stole Millions.” It’s no surprise that it’s been optioned already and will become a Matt Damon/Ben Affleck produced movie!

Episode #110: And Then The Bathroom Started Flooding

• Sherry: The Fitbit Alta HR that I surprised Sherry with along with this $12 rose gold band (just make sure to get the rose gold colored Fitbit, otherwise it won’t be the same color).
• John: Netflix’s Stay Here, which features Genevieve Gorder and real estate expert Peter Lorimer overhauling vacation rentals (like the Seattle houseboat shown below). The makeovers are awesome and the travel twist is fascinating. And also check out Making It on NBC (you can find it on-demand) if you’re someone who needs a fun lighthearted crafting competition in your life.

Episode #109: Just When You Thought The Diamond Door Saga Was Over

• Sherry: The DropStop pad that stops your phone and other things from falling in the crack next to your car seat. The package comes with two of them and they blend super well with our black seats. Best $20 we’ve spent in a while!
• John: The MagnetMount phone holder that I got suckered into buying through Instagram. Here’s a similar product from Amazon that’s HALF the price and comes with TWICE the number of mounts. It’s well reviewed too, so if I could go back in time, I’d grab this one.

Episode #108: Science Says These Rooms Are A Waste Of Space

• Sherry: My necklace that everyone keeps asking about (hers has a 16? chain, a .10 stone, and it’s white gold). You can see her wearing it a few photos below for Episode #105
• John: Stuck In The Stone Age chapter book for grade school reader because it has great tips for young story writers. It’s from the Story Pirates podcast, which I dug it back in Episode #98, so the story is based on one written by a kid!

Episode #107: Are We All Getting Sick Of Watching Big Renovations?

• Sherry: Nailed It! on Netflix, a hilarious baking show that will crack you up and make you feel better about your own baking shortcomings.
• John: Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson, the same guy behind another fave: The Kind Worth Killing. I was captivated by it, and it does weave in a little bit of real estate (there’s kind of a The Holiday situation that kicks off the mystery)

Episode #106: What’s It Really Like To Downsize?

• Sherry: Blogs! Specifically taking the time to click through to a blogger’s site when you see an article you’re interested in (instead of just reading through your feed reader or glancing at the caption on Instagram).
• John: The Amazon Part Finder search tool in the Amazon app (seen above). it’s not a flawless system, but if you’re totally clueless about what type or size of screw or nail you’re looking at – it’s kind of a fun way to figure it out!

Episode #105: Sherry Vs. The Bathtub, Duplex Edition

• Sherry:  The new mascara that Sherry discovered thanks to that helpful Target employee. It’s also on Amazon if that’s more your speed (the color she buys is “black” – surprise!). Sherry’s wearing it – and her Invisaglin – in our selfie above.
• John: The the inflatable stand-up paddleboard that I got for Father’s Day that we’ve been using the heck out of this summer. My favorite is when we all steal away to the beach around sunset and get to take wonderfully clichéd pictures like the one above. I also strongly recommend grabbing the electric pump. It’s a LIFESAVER. I

Episode #104: This Is How You’re Annoying Your Contractor

• Sherry: Long low-profile benches like the ones we swapped in at the beach house dining room to creates much better visual flow across the table. Above is a round-up of others we love (our is #1)  1 / 2 /3 / 4 / 5 / 6
• John: The true-crime book I’ll Be Gone In The Dark. I forgot to mention in the episode that it’s actually very similar to the Southern Nightmare podcast we suggested back in Episode #100.

Episode #103: Regrets From Our Beach House Reno

• Sherry: Photo prints from 527 Photo on Etsy, which has tons of beautiful travel photos for sale (an 8 x 10? print is only $30!). There are over 400 listings in her shop, so here are the ones that caught Sherry’s eye the most: 1 / 2 (this is the one we bought for our living room) / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
• John: The nerdy, fun podcast Every Little Thing. Personal favorite episodes are: How Old Is Winnie The Pooh?, Public Toilets: To Sit or To Hover, and How To Get Paid To Clap On TV.

Episode #102: Are Islands Ruining America’s Kitchens?

• Sherry: The SwimWays Spring Floats that we bought to bring to the beach, since it folds up to be such a compact size and doesn’t take much effort to inflate (only 10 blows according to Sherry). I feel like the graphic from their website abovce does a much better job of illustrating how it collapses.
• John: The Spot On Removable Paint Decals we used to figure out the paint color for the duplex shutters. They’re only about $1 per decal and it was such a smarter system than physically painting the samples onto the wall!

Episode #101: Should We Paint Our Brick House White?

• Sherry: These filling and energizing Barney Butter almond butter packs that Sherry has been downing around 3pm every day:
• John: The string lights we bought for our back patio (they’re called Fiet Electric 48ft Indoor/Outdoor String Lights – there seem to be multiple listings, so you may need search that again if this particular listing goes out of stock).

Looking for more of what we’ve been digging? Be sure to check out items from Episodes #1 – 50, Episode #51 – #100, or from more recent episodes. 

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