Every year we publicly proclaim a few of our resolutions in the hope that it’ll light a fire under our arse (arses?) and help us “get there.” So without further ado (except for this gratuitous Clara picture) here they are…
Resolution #1. To be more bold with our decorating & renovating choices. We want to embrace color and contrast and just have fun without worrying that we’ll mess up. Mistakes are always when we learn the most about a project or our style, so we’re going to welcome them with open arms. And we hope to do our best to resist always going with the “safest” decisions in favor of taking a few chances and diving in with both feet. Wait that doesn’t make sense. Jumping in with both feet? How about cannonballing? Sounds good to us. It probably means there will also be the occasional belly flop, but we’re ok with that too.
Resolution #2. To find balance. We’re going to try our darndest not to fall into the trap of putting all of our time, money, and energy into the house to the point that we have no life, no savings, and Clara is trapped in our casa for her entire childhood. We’d love to remember to plan family trips (we haven’t been on a big vacation since our honeymoon three and a half years ago other than some low key road trips and family beach weeks) and just take time to enjoy visits to the park and the zoo and the occasional meal out. Since the internet is 24/7, sometimes it’s hard to resist working nights, weekends, and even on vacation so we hope to get a handle on that. Now that we have a wee one, some healthy family-friendly balance seems like a good idea.
Resolution #3. To save more money. We’re already pretty frugal (ok, we’re total tightwads) as you can see here, but we’d like to learn more ways to squirrel away cash for a rainy day (or retirement, or the college fund…). For example, we have no idea how to coupon. But now we’d like to learn the act of couponing (but by no means will we take it as far as the people on that TLC special). Yesterday we gave it a whirl and ended up saving $19 at the grocery store. Not bad for two people who had no idea what they were doing. So we’re ready to learn more. From virtually loading our Kroger card with online coupons to buying the Sunday paper for the insert and even printing out online coupons when they’re something we actually buy, we’ll give it a try. And we’ll share how it goes if we happen to get the hang of it.
Resolution #4. To take the people-pleasing thing down a notch. As we mentioned during our blogiversary, “after three years we’ve learned that it’s impossible to please 100% of the people 100% of the time.” Gone are the days when we could write about whatever was happening at our house without someone (usually in the nicest way possible) telling us what to change. Like that we should post less or more, do bigger or smaller projects, share more or less family stuff, do more or fewer mood boards, etc. Basically, if we listened to everyone who told us how to alter YHL for the better, we’d pretty much have to scrap everything. And we might be crazy, but we like how we blog! It has gotten us to where we are today. Over two million hits a month is crazy (ok, mind-blowingly insane) to us.
We actually really enjoy sharing real-time diary-style entries about what’s going on as it occurs (the good, the bad, the ugly, and the average day-in-the-life stuff) along with whatever inspires us – just like we did back in 2007 when this whole adventure started. One week we might be flying along and the next week we may be as slow as molasses – but hey, that’s real life (with real budget constraints, snafus, & timeline challenges). There’s always HGTV for those 30 minute makeovers, so we’re all about the stuff in the middle. In the end, we know that as our blog continues to grow and evolve, some people will like it less while others may enjoy it more. Which is completely ok.
Resolution #5. To teach Clara a few key home improvement and decorating terms. Like “phillips head screwdriver.” And “cohesive.” Can you image how cute a toddler who says things like “keep it cohesive” would be?
Or is that just my sick fantasy? My dad taught me the word “dehydrated” when I was a tiny tot and I’d walk around saying “I’m dehydrated” instead of requesting water or juice like the other kids in daycare. So dramatic. And I can just picture Clara pointing around the room and saying “drywall,” “hardwoods,” and “baseboard” instead of “wall” and “floor.” Could be funny…
Pssst- Check out our weekly photo project featuring the beanette here.
Pssssst- Peep one more (kid related) resolution over on BabyCenter. Any good faux curse suggestions?
Stacy says
Love the goals! Don’t change a thing about the blog, I love it!
I am an avid couponer and even teach a couponing class, if ya’ll ever make it to central WV let me know and you can come for free, I remember reading one of you has WV family.
Once you get started it is addicting, I play “the drug store game” and haven’t paid more than $1 for: soap, shampoo, razors (yes, name brand), body wash, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deoderant…ect in a really long time. Most of the time I get it free! My blog is more of a hobby and WAAAAAYY less cool than yours but I often share my couponing endeavors: http://confessionsofafrugalmom.blogspot.com/
Emily says
Don’t change a thing about your blog/blogging style! You guys are great, and real, and really funny. When you try to “commercialize” etc, it gets…you know what I mean. Information heavy, boring. You guys have the it factor and people are watching (er…reading?), so do what you do and ignore those sayers of nay!
Jennifer says
Something that has helped me HUGELY with the whole couponing thing is http://www.thegrocerygame.com. It is a small fee ($5.00 for three months), but you pick your store, and you will have a list of all the sales, advertised AND unadvertised, as well as the best coupons to use. I easily save $50-80 per shopping trip! Good luck with your resolutions!
Michelle says
I LOVE your blog and always look forward to the next post. In regards to resolution #2, the best thing I ever did when my kids were little was join a mommy group. It got me out of the house, talking to other moms (I was a stay at home mommy), and later my kids made their very first friends. Wishing you a very happy and healthy 2011!
LauraC says
You guys are great. Super resolutions. It’s kinda amazing like you read my mind or something, ’cause back awhile I’d been thinking how your planned posts were a little less exciting than the earlier blog I’d read, then you posted on your blogiversary about being more “real time”. And lately I’ve worried about you being stuck at home too much and here now you are resolving to get out more! Anyway, I haven’t been commenting much lately, but I am still one of your super supporters. Love you guys!
And guess what? I switched to cloth diapers the beginning of this month – LOVE them. Didn’t understand how excited you were to use them until I got them and I STILL get a happy feeling using them. I got the same ones you have, the last straw for me was finding out a college friend used them too. Thanks!!!
Michele Daggar says
Happy New Year Petersiks!! What a great one 2010 has been for you guys. 2011 will be even happier once Miss Clara begins walking and talking. It’s so great to hear what your children have to say! We taught both of our kids to say “condensation” when they were toddlers. So much fun!
Regarding your “let’s save more money” goal, I can’t imagine what’s left for you guys to do. You are my money saving gurus! Seriously, how do you guys resist things like 75% off Target Christmas decor? I went to Target today for cat litter and laundry detergent and came home with a bag of Christmas ornaments and towels. It’s so hard to turn down things when they’re priced at .25 and .50. Honestly, where do you get your willpower? Please share your secrets!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Michele,
I really think it comes from living in tiny shoebox sized apartments in NY and not having space for lots of things. So even if they’re in a box marked “free” on the side of the road, we’d pass up deals because we learned that storing them was still a “cost” in our tiny apartments. Even though we’re not in those apartments anymore, I think it set a nice little internal dialog that clicks on and says “so what if it’s 20 cents, do we need it and will we use it.” Of course sometimes we slip up and go for a sale item because we just can’t resist it, but we really do try our best to stick to only buying things on sale that we’d pay full price for. That’s a good barometer if it’s worth the money and the storage space.
xo,
s
Tracy says
Great resolutions!!! Enjoy the new house and take it day by day! Take time to let it settle and throw a party in it (or a small gathering) to give it some life–a friend of mine says your house needs a “christening” (so to speak) of life, so invite some friends over and just enjoy!
Thanks for sharing your lives with us!
Jane says
check out http://www.mojosavings.com and hip2save.com they both give out all the coupon deals. Every week they put out the best deals for target, walgreens, etc. Free and totally worth it. I have saved sooo much money since starting couponing last year. For instance, I never pay more than a $1 for cereal (including kashi and bare naked)
Emily says
My dad’s immediate reaction to your teaching Clara home improvement terminology: “They might get a surprise when she tries to say ‘Sheetrock’….” ;)
Naomi says
I think y’all are great! People really tell you to blog less and do more? And vice versa? Sheesh.
Can I throw out a piece of advice, however? Don’t feel obligated to save up for Clara’s college education. There’s grants, loans, and scholarships for that. There aren’t, however, any of those things for retirement.
So there’s your completely unsolicited advice from me for the year. ;o)
Have a happy, blessed, and lovely New Year!
brandt @ New House On The Blog says
I totally agree with #4 – the problem sometimes with the internet (and especially with what you’re doing) is that you’re very open about your personal life, but sometimes it’s easy for others to make comments without having to say it to your face. So bravo for you!
And concerning couponing, you’ve got me intrigued. We’ve got Krogers out here in Michigan, including the Kroger cards (which is a right-of-passage when you get your first set of car keys at 16 or whenver, you gotta slap that Kroger card on there!) But I didn’t know you could load it up with coupons! I think that just blew my world! I’m totally on it.
Samantha @ Mama Notes says
Love your little girl! How precious! :) My blog is the same way ( I think a lot are) people either love something or hate it. You can’t please everyone! In the end you have to do what YOU want and what works for YOU. :) Happy 2011!
Eileen says
Just wanted to take a sec to say thanks for a great year :) You guys are an awesome resource and inspiration for life & style not only for me, but to a lot of readers that follow your blog. I hope that you obtain all your goals that you set for this new year. Cheers!
Andrea says
Hi from Warrnambool, Australia. love your resolutions. recently found your blog…clicked through from somewhere I can’t remember….totally inspired by your blog in so many ways. THANKS!
Fernanda says
Different people, different countries and same resolutions!!Here in Brazil, I’m also trying not to worry that much with my home improvements and to save as much money as I can. For the last couple of years, I worked hard to improve my house and now I’m tired and pennyless. So, I’ll save money, establish a time of the year to spend it on the house and enjoy my free time. Best regards!!!
Kristin says
I am so inspired by your resolutions. I was thinking of something really boring like “drink less soda.” I have a 4 month old, and we have a fixer upper, so I am in love with your site. You’re blog is amazing.
I started couponing myself a year ago and have really saved a huge amount of cash. My thoughts are if I save money on boring things like shampoo and pasta I can splurge on fresh fruits, veggies and other healthy things for the family. I started a stockpile of regularly used items that I got practically for free so that after I had the baby I didn’t have to go shopping except for perishables.
Cortney says
Hey guys! New to your blog but from what I see just keep doing what your doing, be yourselves, and keep it real… whoops more advice sorry! You should check out moneysavingmom.com for tips on how to coupon and she reg post great deals. I learned a ton and you can save a bunch! I used to shop rite aid and would actually make money just buying essentials. As long as you keep it in perspective and stock up free and low cost products you actually use. Sounds like u already know that tho. Good Luck!!! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Raelynn says
Happy New Year to your family. And eww to those who seem to think it’s ok to tell you how to blog…I love your blog just the way it is!!
brooke schaefer says
The coupon show was a little bit creepy, but it did make me think that it would be great to get $600 for $5. I can’t wait to see the bold new choices in the house
Ashley says
Couponing is so much fun! I have a whole folder in my google reader that I loaded with sale blogs and quickly read through once a day using the handy “j” and “k” google reader features, stopping and starring the ones I want to follow that week. moneysavingmom, frugallivingandhavingfun, mamacheaps, dealseekingmom, and couponersunited are some good ones! I started in November of last year and haven’t paid for toothpaste, toothbrushes, or razors since. And you are right! That show on TLC was very extreme. I probably spend around 2 hours a week total reading and planning. The shopping goes very quickly once you get the hang of it! I can’t wait to hear more about what you think!
lara says
i’m so excited you are starting to coupon! it’s a favorite passtime of mine. my favorite blog, other than yours of course, is hip2save.com. she does a great job showing coupon deals and online buys as well. i saved a lot on our 3 year olds xmas gifts by getting the deals from her posts! wish you well, and can’t wait to hear more about your coupon escapades!
Jean says
Hey, don’t change anything about the way you blog. I love it just as it is.
2010 has been my year of learning how to use coupons and now I’m a total convert. I never go shopping without coupons; you’d be amazed how much money you can save. I wrote a couple of coupon “primers” on my blog if you want some tips about how to get started: http://yikesmoney.wordpress.com/2010/05/24/learning-to-be-coupon-smart-part-2/ and http://yikesmoney.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/learning-to-be-coupon-smart/
Good luck! Happy 2011!
Jen says
Regarding the saving money goal….years ago there was an ad that I copied and kept in my wallet (and still have the original ad on my bulletin board at work) but it simply said….
Sometimes 30% off means paying 70% for something you don’t really need.
A good mantra for anyone trying to curb spending. Just yesterday at Target I had this statement running through my head while looking at clearance items. The only things I left with that day were two 2011 wall calendars for my teenagers rooms that were 75% off and set me back at total of 50 cents.
Krystal Lee says
nice resolutions! i especially love number 4 :) good luck with everything in the new year, and thank you for the inspiration you give.
http://krystalleeart.blogspot.com
Kim says
This comment isn’t related to this particular post but THANK YOU for talking up West Elm. I have never heard of it before and after you guys mentioning it several times I checked it out. Awesome!!! It’s SO for me!
Jennifer Thorsell says
I didn’t know “couponing” was a verb either until this past summer when a fellow mom let me in on all the deets.
http://www.southernsavers.com WILL change your life! Devote an hour or so to really sit down and read through the site.
Lastly, one of my favorite ways to save a bundle on groceries (besides coupons) is to use my CVS coupons- you know, those ones at the end of your receipt that say ‘Save $15 off your next purchase of $75 or more’? Yeah, those ones that I never actually use at CVS b/c I rarely spend $75+ there… well, my grocery store accepts those! They will take the $15 off my order. Most cashiers don’t know, but it’s worth asking the managers about it.
HAPPY New Year, guys!
Jennifer Thorsell says
^^P.S.
Southern Savers is great for those of us down here in the southeast :)
Larissa says
Love you guys. Love the blog. 2011 is going to be a fantastic year for you!
A few years ago my resolution was to give and receive more hugs – I’m not very touchy-feely. That year I met my husband and was welcomed with open arms into his Hispanic family. So much hugging! It was the first time I felt like I truly accomplished my New Year’s resolution.
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
Happy New Year YHL! Can’t wait to see what you bring to the table (blog world) in 2011.
Regarding #2 I think like any job that anyone has, you should make hours for YHL blog time (9-5). Whatever hours work for you of course, then go “home” and do whatever else you would do if you didn’t work from your home. We all love what you guys do, but you need your own life and your own time. Hope you can find a balance that works for you and your family.
Mandi says
I say go for it with the creative words with Clara :) It’s my husband’s life goal to do the same thing with our 2 year old. A couple of weeks ago she told a sales clerk her name is Mr. T :)
Rena says
Couponing is addictive and fun. I use to go out and buy another Sun paper if there were lots of good coupons that day. Fortunately one of my daughters has followed in my steps – I think it is like a game for her. She has a coupon and consumer info blog and she lives in the West End of Richmond. http://www.couponclippinmommy.com/
Steph says
#4 is perfect, the reason you guys are so popular is because of the natural way you write! I look forward to every post, be it house- related, Clara, Burger, or even updates on the activities of one Vanilla Ice! Happy New Year from Australia and good luck with your resolutions :)
Heather says
You guys are probably already aware, but I was just on my Blogger Dashboard list of blogs that I follow, and I noticed that your blog name is listed as “SUSPENDED”. The links for the posts and everything are working fine, though. Not sure if you guys knew that or not, but thought I would mention it.
Also, Happy New Year!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Heather,
So sorry that happened to your feed. It occasionally happens to people randomly, but if you unsubscribe and resubscribe it should fix it for you. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Twisted Cinderella says
LOVE the resolutions! I hope you had a lovely Christmas! Happy New Years! Here’s to a fabulous new year!
Twisted Cinderella says
LOVE the resolutions! I hope you had a lovely Christmas! Happy New Years! Here’s to a fabulous new year!
Alyssa says
Great resolutions, best of luck to you with all of them:) I’ve been following for a few months now (I’m the one who has the son born on the exact day as Clara, don’t know if you read my comment saying that a while back!) great blog, I look forward to reading it each day and am sad when there’s no new post to read:( the new house is amazing can’t wait to see more. Question: I have an island which is in the middle of my kitchen and I have an open floorplan, I need help with a centerpiece for my island. Any suggestions? I thought maybe you’ve considered this since you’ll have an island soon:) because of the open concept I don’t want anything that will obstruct the view and I usually have something for the holidays but nothing in between…any thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
A nice big glass hurricane or faux clam shell fruit bowl would be fun. Especially with a few pretty glass pendant lamps hanging overhead. Oh and Clara sends a big wet kiss to your same b-day son!
xo,
s
eileen marie says
Just saw a blurb and quote about your laundry room (in the old house) in The Nest!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Thanks for the heads up!
xo,
s
Susanba says
All excellent! When my older son was two and change I taught him to say “Stop antagonizing me!” to my husband when he bothered him with whatever. High entertainment value for all!
Torey says
Don’t know if someone mentioned this already, but Target and Walmart do price matching on print advertised items from other stores. I’ve heard Target is a little trickier (since you usually have to have the ad in hand), but at Walmart you just tell them the price and they match it (for groceries, tolietries, paper products). You don’t even have to have the ads with you and it saves a lot time (and money) since you can take advantage of other stores “loss leaders”. However, I have heard that if you are hardcore about coupons you can sometimes save even more if you stick with a grocery store that issues catalina coupons and allows you to stack manufacturer coupons (and if they double) you are really gonna save some money.
shorty says
I like the blog just the way it is! You guys ROCK!!
Melinda J says
My 20 month-old son received a toy cordless drill for Christmas and I’m over the moon about the fact that it reverses! It came with different screwdriver tips and we wasted no time explaining the differences between a flathead and phillips head screwdriver!
I’m a math teacher and my husband is a science teacher, so he is also getting vocabulary from those areas of our lives. Most recently he was trying to buckle his own seatbelt in a shopping cart and he had the plastic parts skewed in relation to each other. It wasn’t until I noticed an odd look from another mom that I realized I used the phrase “plane of motion” in helping him align the parts, LOL.
Rachel says
I second the post about southernsavers.com! She breaks down top deals each week at a number of stores & tells you exactly where to find coupons (including direct links to online printables so you don’t have to do the hunting). She also has tutorials to help you understand all the lingo.
I went from “Coupons? Embarrassing!!” to carrying a HUGE three ring binder full of coupons everywhere I go. I have saved almost $3,000! Maybe my resolution should be to see if I can do $4,000 next year. :-)
PS hip2save.com is great, too. I use her more for fun things…like the awesome wrapped photo canvases I’ve gotten for just the price of shipping…& a free wedding album!
Jenne says
I would totally recommend Jill Cataldo for your couponing education. She was actually initially contacted to appear in the TLC special but wasn’t extreme enough for the producers. Her system really works – a very good friend saved just about $3700 last year. I’ve been following her blog sort of haphazardly, but my New Year’s resolution is to take her class (DVD available for those who don’t live in the Chicago area) and really follow the steps to save more in 2011. Good luck! :) (I don’t work for her or anything – just helping to promote local people who are making a name by helping others.)
Kate says
I am just starting my life as a “grown up,” job, house hunting, wedding planning, etc. Your blog is very inspirational for me. I get ideas for everything from backyard wedding details to (future) house renovation/design ideas. Thanks for all the DIY and simple,happy life pointers! Happy New Year!
Rebecca Foxworth says
Couponing? You Tube to the rescue. I highly recommend starting with CVS…they’re super easy (and carry a lot of organic skin care products). If you need help, you can message me on Facebook. Oh, and please know when your stash is “enough”, and donate the rest (for the rest of Joanie’s story, you can search for her Krazy Coupon Lady stuff on You Tube, and you’ll see that she donated 300 pounds of food to a local foodbank, now that’s how this couponing thing is supposed to work)!
Claudia says
First off, congrats on your new house! I’ve been a follower of this blog since about 4 years ago when my husband and I moved here to Sydney, Australia and I was looking on the web for ideas in decorating/setting up a house. I have been a fan ever since and your blog is a MUST read for me at bedtime. :)
Just wanted to drop in and say that I love your resolutions! I’m not much of a resolutions kinda gal, but yours are uber practical and achievable. I feel inspired about balancing time with family (we also have a baby – Eleanor, 5 months old). Thanks for always making homemaking interesting. Happy New Year! :)
Nadine says
A very Happy and Prosperous New Year to the four of you. You young people are an inspiration, and part of the reason why I’ve come out of a 10+ year slumber to finally do something about my house. Thank you.
Jessie Marie says
Wonderful resolutions! As for using coupons more, there’s a couple iPhone apps that are very useful! My favorite is qponomics which let’s you search for coupons that local places have posted. You just pull it up on your phone, and show them the barcode when you check out and you can save a lot of money! Good luck! P.s. I love your blog! I redecorated my room finally after finding inspiration from you! Happy New Years, can’t wait to see what this year brings!
Rose says
Great resolutions guys…..my resolution is to be more like you guys in many ways but most of all to be authentic….
BTW in Australia we don’t have couponing? Imagine getting free groceries? We just have weekly specials and I am great at shopping the specials….but still….sounds like a great challenge..and maybe when it shows amount saved on receipt you could straight away put this amount into savings…
Carolyn Hammer says
My 28 year old daughter told me about your blog and I subscribed to it because I think it is a GREAT blog and you two and your projects are so interesting! I have recommended your blogs to other 50-something moms who also love it. Just wanted you to know that you are appealing to a wide range of age groups. I think your blog is PERFECT just the way it is and I look forward to reading it every morning.
Keep up the good work!