Can we go a whole month without buying anything we don't need? That's the challenge we've handed ourselves as part of a self-imposed month-long shopping ban. So this week we're sharing how we were inspired by Cait Flanders' "Year of Less" and how we're adapting her rules for our own lives. Plus, the duplex renovation is (finally!) racing along and we're answering some of your top questions about it. Also, how filming our April Fool's video was even more embarrassing than it looked... and why a makeover show is giving Sherry hope that it might actually heal the world.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-93/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

Do you reject certain "household staples?" We do! And it turns out a lot of other people do too - to the point that experts are saying they might someday disappear. So this week we're breaking down how and why the typical home (and its contents) might be changing, along with revealing what modern comforts we've deemed unnecessary in our house (one of them is weird, I'm warning you). We're also sharing how we found the best spring break home we've ever rented, and how we navigated the stresses of flying with children, car seats, a dog, his crate - essentially ALL THE THINGS. Oh, and it turns out we're storing lots of stuff in our garage that we probably shouldn't be.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

This week we're talking about when you should undo a personal or customized change that you made to your house that might turn off potential buyers (and when we'd recommend leaving it the heck alone). We're also getting into store returns and how they're changing, because the ability to return decor items that don't turn out the way you hoped is a great safeguard... but did you know that some stores may be cracking down on that practice? Here's what we learned about the policing of returns that's going on behind the scenes, and what a DIYer can do to avoid getting their account flagged. We're also recapping our trip to a blogging conference in Austin, John has an a-ha moment regarding something you sleep on, and Sherry gets a personal call from a celebrity that kinda makes her year.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-91/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

We all know that deflated feeling when you've lost your mojo for a major project or renovation. So how do you reignite that excitement or energy you had for it in the first place? We've struggled with this at the beach house lately, so we're sharing five tips for combating project fatigue. Plus spring is a big time for home maintenance, so we have an easy way to guarantee that you'll never forget about routine tasks again - plus a new trick for barreling through those other little lingering projects our your to-do list. We also share how we rediscovered a date night idea, and why we're getting called out for fueling a despised decorating trend.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-90/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

Could you put your wallet on lockdown for 365 days? Sherry shared the story of a woman who did, including why she took on the challenge, the few exceptions she allowed to make it possible, and how it's inspiring us to adjust our spending... and maybe even try out a ban of our own. Plus, how much should you involve your kids in the design of their rooms? We share some tips and tactics for keeping everyone happy in the process, so the result is a room that they love (and that you also like to be in with them). Plus, the paint colors that will help your home sell for more money (some of them surprised us!) and a DNA test that led to a humbling personal discovery.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-89/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

Doorless bathrooms? Toilets behind glass walls? Showers and tubs just sitting in the corner of the bedroom? These "open concept" bathroom trends seem to be showing up more often, and they're alarming to some and exciting to others. So this week we attempt to understand what sparked this growing trend, and we explain where we land on the bathroom privacy spectrum. Also, Sherry concocts a new date night idea for DIY enthusiasts and John recaps how a few months off of social media has affected him (for better and for worse). Plus, how our very own half-bathroom installation went terribly, terribly wrong.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-88/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

It's never fun to get a call saying that you have to tear down something that you just SPENT AN ENTIRE WEEKEND CONSTRUCTING, but that's exactly what happened with our beach house bunk beds. So this week we're sharing what went down behind the scenes, and what we did to get around it. Plus, we're talking to Matt Paxton who's one of the extreme cleaning experts from the A&E show Hoarders, and he sheds a ton of light on why people hoard, how you can help someone who does, and what tricks he has picked up for keeping his own home in order. Sherry's also diving deeper into the woo-woo waters, John's loving a certain non-power tool, and our whole family is cracking up over a recent game-related discovery.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-87/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

We're getting personal this week, and sharing some early setbacks and hard choices that almost steered our lives in a totally different direction - no houses, no blog, even no marriage! We also dive into how some failed attempts at making over a certain area of our home led to us giving up and calling in the pros. Plus, an easy way to up your drawer organization game, and a tool that makes nearly every project easier.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-86/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

This week John's fessing up to a design choice that he insisted we make in our beach house kitchen, but we now realize was - shall we say - misguided? Thankfully it's not too hard to undo, so we're explaining our change of heart, and what we're doing to fix it. There's also a polarizing design "trend" that we've been asked to weigh in on, so this week we're sharing our take and why we think it gets people so worked up (this trend literally can make people get rage-y). We're also sharing some secrets for recreating that super cozy, uber luxurious bed you see in the pages of magazines... and why there are some bed-making tricks that are best left to the pros. Also, does Young House Love have a board game?

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-85/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.

We don't always see eye-to-eye on our projects and decorating decisions. In fact, we're stuck in the midst of some pretty "active" home arguments right now. So in honor of Valentine's Day, we're sharing everything we love about each other. Just kidding, that would be boring. We're walking you through three of our home-related disagreements and how we're planning to work through them - hopefully without too many hurt feelings (although Sherry's pretty heated about one of them already). We also cover a whole slew of updates, from the historic review board's verdict on our duplex roof proposal to Sherry's never-ending Invisalign saga. And most importantly, we answer one of the most common questions we get: if our neighbor still thinks Sherry is named Laura. Plus, our new favorite solution for wrangling shampoos and soap in the shower, and one of us falls hard for something shiny.

Be sure to check out younghouselove.com/podcast-84/ for notes, links, and photos from this episode.