It’s never fun to get a call telling you to tear down something you spent an entire weekend building — and that’s exactly what happened with our beach house bunk beds. This week we’re sharing the behind-the-scenes story of how we handled that setback and the fixes we made. We also spoke with Matt Paxton, one of the extreme-cleaning experts seen on the A&E series Hoarders. Matt explains why hoarding develops, how friends and family can help, and the practical strategies he uses to keep his own home organized. Sherry dives a bit deeper into some of her curiosity-driven projects, I’m obsessed with a particular non-power tool, and the whole family got a good laugh over a recent game-related discovery.
Want to listen to the episode? You can find it on your favorite podcast platform or stream it from the show’s page. Below you’ll find links, notes, and photos referenced in the episode — plus a quick summary of the highlights we discussed.
What’s New
- The photo above isn’t the new window we installed, but it shows the general style and scale. The window that caused the issue wasn’t obviously small, which is why it slipped through until the final review.
- If you want step-by-step details about how the bunk beds were constructed, we posted a separate project write-up describing the full build process, materials used, and lessons learned.
- We’ve also shared more about the hurdles we encountered with the historic review board and the duplex project in a dedicated post, plus an update in a recent podcast episode that covers additional renovation details.
- Sherry’s conversation on a popular lifestyle podcast is worth a listen if you’re interested in her process and how she approaches creativity and home projects.
Matt Paxton, Extreme Cleaning Expert from Hoarders
We chatted with Matt Paxton about his experience helping people reclaim their homes. Matt emphasized that hoarding is a complex, often long-term condition that usually requires support beyond a single cleaning session — including mental health treatment, compassionate guidance, and ongoing systems to prevent relapse.
- Matt now works with families to clean, organize, and create sustainable systems for living spaces. He also wrote a book that shares stories and practical advice from his career helping others.
- We included a short highlights reel in the episode to show some of the types of extreme situations he’s encountered over the years and the strategies he used to address them.
- If you or someone you know struggles with hoarding, it’s important to seek professional help. Treatment resources, mental health professionals, and community support groups can all play a role in recovery.
- For more practical cleaning and organizing tips in podcast form, check out a few past episodes from the show that focus on professional organizing methods, beach house renovation challenges, and ways to make cleaning less painful.
We’re Digging
- One tool I keep reaching for is the bar clamp — they were indispensable on the floating shelf project and again during the bunk bed build. Sturdy clamps make a big difference when you’re gluing, screwing, or aligning large pieces.
- I use a 12″ set that’s affordable and reliable for most DIY tasks. I also have a second style that I use less often but still find useful for specific situations.
- We also talked about a family favorite TV game show that makes us laugh. There’s a lot of physical, goofy fun in the challenges, and watching the contestants tackle ridiculous tasks has become a shared pastime for us.
- If you want a refresher on projects and products we’ve explored across episodes, consult the show’s master list of “we’re digging” items, which gathers everything we’ve recommended or tested over time.
Finally, a thank-you to our sponsor for this episode. They’re celebrating a special day that supports girls’ empowerment through charitable efforts and in-store events. We appreciate partners who align with causes that matter and help raise awareness through everyday actions.
Thanks for listening and following along — we’re grateful for the community that sticks with us through the projects, the detours, and the laughs.
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