How to organize and store household & DIY supplies (paint, lightbulbs, tools, etc.!)

9.15.2020

How to organize and store household & DIY supplies (paint, lightbulbs, tools, etc.!)

We got a great question from a member of our Facebook group recently: “What are the ways you organize and store house supplies? Paint, paint supplies, tools, light bulbs, etc.” This week on the Your Home Story podcast, we share how we do it plus best practices/tips, and cover all these types of supplies and more!

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Resources mentioned (includes affiliate links):

1. Lots of great information on how to paint by @rignellranch!
2. Healthy Home Expert interview with tips on indoor air quality (regarding what you store in your garage)
3. Paint Organization ideas
4. Vacuum seal bags for storing linens, etc.

You can find us on our blogs or connect with each of us on Instagram:
@suzannahstanley
@biggerthanthethreeofus
@yourhomestorypodcast

And you can join our Facebook group here to connect with other listeners and ask questions!

Listen here or in your favorite podcast app: iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, GooglePlay, or Overcast!

8.2.3

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1 month with Lucy! Plus 6 things I'm doing differently for baby #2

9.14.2020

1 month with Lucy! Plus 6 things I'm doing differently for baby #2

Lucy is a month old now! Time flew. Caring for a newborn is never easy, but in some ways this experience has been pretty different than my first month with Otto.

1 month with baby Lucy

Jason has been home with us the past whole month (starts back at the clinic today). It has been so huge to have his help. It's hard to care for a just-potty trained toddler and a fussy newborn who eats around the clock at the same time. I'm so grateful he's been able to be here helping with Otto. Mostly he's been hanging out with Otto while I feed, help to sleep, etc. Lucy. We've both been doing dishes and things around the house, but following week 1 when I was still recovering physically, I've been able to manage pretty well, too. 

It's funny, for newborn care I guess I just feel more confident, and I've been used to watching a toddler so comparatively it's actually a lot easier in some ways because she sleeps almost all the time. I've found myself thinking, Ha!, why did I think this was so hard before? Taking care of just a newborn is a piece of cake! Most of the time. Haha! 

I'm also just in a better place overall this time around... feeling more supported with Jason here, and my labor with Lucy was so much better, and just knowing what to expect... I am feeling much more confident in general.

But watching two little ones at once is not easy and I realize I'll need to learn some new parenting skills when Jason isn't around anymore!

Otto wanted to read to Lucy!

Day date (alone time plus baby) for my birthday

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Buying & selling on Facebook, Craigslist, in-person sales, and more!

9.08.2020

Buying & selling on Facebook, Craigslist, in-person sales, and more!

This week on the Your Home Story podcast we’re sharing what works well for both buying and selling secondhand home items direct from sellers (online or in-person). You can get some amazing pieces and deals!, but it takes work to find them. Plus, selling your used furniture, rugs, etc. can be a great way to get some extra cash to cover new purchases! We talk about using Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell groups, garage sales, and more.

Head to the podcast IG account and Ashley's blog this week to see some of our favorite FB/CL/used finds. And, check out my tips for shopping at estate sales here.

Some of my favorite Craiglist finds: first, most recently, this antique dresser I cleaned up and painted for Lucy's things (and future nursery).

Also, I love this $20 buffet that I painted!

Next, this vintage dresser. It's been a dresser in our townhouse and a TV/media stand at our last house, and it's one of the few big pieces of furniture we kept when we moved last!

Another favorite is this vintage rug!

You can find us on our blogs or connect with each of us on Instagram:
@suzannahstanley
@biggerthanthethreeofus
@yourhomestorypodcast

And you can join our Facebook group here to connect with other listeners and ask questions!

Listen here or in your favorite podcast app: iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, GooglePlay, or Overcast!

8.2.3

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6 essential breastfeeding tips: why I'm doing so much better the second time around

9.03.2020

6 essential breastfeeding tips: why I'm doing so much better the second time around

Lucy is just over 3 weeks old now and I know from last time with Otto that the first 3 weeks of breastfeeding were the hardest. Thankfully this time it has been so, so much easier—part of that is due to experience but I hugely credit a few products and tips I’ve been using this time around. I really wish I’d done these the first time!

Thanks to Silverette for partnering with me for this post!

Breastfeeding was important to me with Otto and I achieved my goals in some ways; he was healthy and grew just fine while being exclusively breastfed, and I nursed him until he was 19 months old (when I found out I was pregnant with Lucy). (Other good breastfeeding posts I’ve done: getting our room ready for a newborn and breastfeeding, my nursing/pumping setup, plus the easiest way to get your free breast pump through insurance, 4 tricks for making pumping at work easier, ultimate baby registry essentials.)

However there were some big stresses, too: in the beginning I had a lot of pain, cracking, and bleeding early on and nothing (creams, silicon circles, etc.) really helped other than walking around topless and waiting it out. Plus, my supply seemed adequate while I was home with Otto but once I went back to work I quickly found I made just barely enough and always had anxiety about if I’d pumped as much as the babysitters had fed Otto while I was gone. I didn’t pump enough, I now know (it’s so hard to take enough breaks at work!), and probably didn’t feed or pump enough early on to establish good supply.

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A big basement renovation!

9.01.2020

A big basement renovation!

If you’ve never tackled a large renovation before and are curious to hear what all goes into one, this is the episode of the Your Home Story podcast is for you. Luke and Ashley are chatting about their ongoing basement renovation sharing the truth about what they think they should have done, what taking things slowly has done for them, and where they are at in the process of the renovation (it's getting really exciting!).

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They covered:

1. Basement Bathroom Renovation Plans
2. Check out Ashley’s Basemen Pinterest board board for more direction to where they are headed with the space.

You can find us on our blogs or connect with each of us on Instagram:
@suzannahstanley
@biggerthanthethreeofus
@yourhomestorypodcast

And you can join our Facebook group here to connect with other listeners and ask questions!

Listen here or in your favorite podcast app: iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, GooglePlay, or Overcast!

8.2.3

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My birthday wishlist this year and forever: best coffee table books for styling interiors

8.31.2020

My birthday wishlist this year and forever: best coffee table books for styling interiors

My birthday is coming up, and I've decided from here on out for birthdays and Christmas I'll be asking for the same thing: beautiful coffee table books with inspiring interior or lifestyle images, that look beautiful styled on shelves or a coffee table! There are few things more relaxing than flipping through a big paper book of lovely homes and decor, drinking tea, time to myself... plus, they look so nice on a shelf, mantel, console table, etc. in my own home!

I've rounded up my 9 favorites - some I own and some are on my wishlist - for beautiful mostly modern traditional decor inspiration, lifestyle/entertaining, home organization, and more. You'll love these, too!

9 best coffee table books for styling interiors

Big, hardback books look so beautiful on open shelves, a bookcase, a side table, a buffet... anywhere!

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Here are my 9 faves--they have great content AND look beautiful as part of your decor!

1. Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating. This is a best-seller for sure and you'll see its spine in almost any styled shelf with coffee table books. It's also a fantastic book with lots of helpful decor principles from Lauren Liess, who always creates beautiful, unique spaces. I got this one from the library but should have bought it!
2. Down to Earth: Laid-back Interiors for Modern Living. This is Lauren's second book and features several different homes she's designed recently, so shows off several variations of her style plus how to get the looks. I own this one and love it!
3. Make Life Beautiful. This one is available for pre-order now and I'm sure will be so popular on Christmas lists. Studio McGee has an incredible story of fast, authentic growth in their brands; they share about their story plus how they create spaces for intentional, beautiful everyday living. Their spaces are high quality but also so livable.
4. Made for Living: Collected Interiors for All Sorts of Styles. Amber Lewis of Amber Interiors has finally written a book and I would buy it no matter what it was about, but this one looks gorgeous and useful, too! It's about layering and styling and features some of her most recent incredible projects. Also pre-order and will be on everyone's Christmas list this year if you don't already have it!
5. Pacific Natural: Simple Seasonal Entertaining. This one is also really popular on styled shelves, etc. by lots of designers, but looks so beautiful to read through as well. Dreamy styled picnics, organic tablesettings for outdoor dining, California vibes... it's full of recipes but also decor/party styling tips.
6. The New Southern Style: The Interiors of a Lifestyle and Design Movement. Also brand new/pre-order, this one looks so beautiful and fresh. It shows off 30+ homes of creatives and designers in the south and southwest (including Shea McGee, even) and talks about the changing style and culture of the south.
7. Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home. This is more than an organizing book... the ideas in it are more glamorous than your typical minimalist organizing guide, as well as high on function. She walks you through five simple steps and talks about home as a place for hosting as well as living practically.
8. Live Beautiful. This one includes design more on the high-end side than most of the others on this list, but features quite a few real homes of designers and others (like Jenna Lyons) that are really visually inspiring and exciting.
9. Old Home Love. This is the oldest book on the list but historic homes are timeless! This couple has so much experience renovating old homes and really keeping their charm.

Hope you enjoyed this list! Add to your wishlist or check back on this post for gift ideas this holiday season or for a design-loving friend's birthday or housewarming!

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