We’re pausing our usual posts briefly to share a small but meaningful update: we’ve refreshed the sidebar. It’s a modest redesign, but since several readers noticed the changes we made over Memorial Day weekend, we wanted to explain what’s different and apologize to anyone who saw a bit of site tinkering while we were testing.
As I transition into being a full-time blogger and dad, one of my priorities has been to improve site functionality and tidy the design wherever my coding skills allow. It was even a resolution for the year. With that in mind, here’s a clear rundown of what changed in the sidebar for those of you who don’t read us in a feed reader and might not notice the new layout.
Change #1: A Second Tabbed Window — We consolidated several sidebar items into a second tabbed panel, similar to the search box in the top-right corner. This new box sits just beneath the search area and holds a few essentials, including some of our mug photos and the content that previously lived under the old Contact button.
Behind the tabs you’ll find a new Shortcuts section that gathers frequently asked questions (for example, “Where did you get that item in your home?”) and links to our most-referenced how-to posts. The goal is to make common answers and popular tutorials faster to access without clogging the main navigation.
We also relocated our Link Love blogroll into this tabbed area so it’s easier to reach without scrolling. And yes, there’s a little appreciation tab at the end we’ve affectionately labeled “Smooch” — a tiny way to say thanks for following along and being part of this community.
Change #2: New Buttons — Directly beneath the new tabbed window you’ll notice three refreshed buttons. Two are redesigned versions of existing links: one still leads to Burger’s blog and another to our House Crashing archive. The third button is brand new and links to a Flickr album of Clara pictures.
We created the Clara album as a simple solution for readers who enjoy daily baby photos but don’t want those snapshots to take over our main post schedule. This setup lets you get a quick dose of adorable without affecting the regular flow of content on the site.
Change #3: Clean, Uniform Boxes — The final change is mostly visual. I finally took the time to add a clean white box around each sidebar widget — things like the Twitter feed, Discount-O-Rama list, and “We’re Digging” picks — so the whole area feels more cohesive and easier to scan. It’s a small refinement, and while it might not be noticed by every visitor, it was a satisfying design win for me.
Altogether, the mini sidebar makeover is intended to make our site easier to navigate and to surface popular content more efficiently. We hope you find the changes helpful. If you have suggestions for further improvements, we’d love to hear them — just know that not every idea may be technically possible, at least not right away, given the bounds of my coding experience.
Please also tell us if anything looks off in your browser or on your computer. If a widget or button doesn’t appear correctly, details like your browser type and any active extensions can help us troubleshoot.
UPDATE: A few readers reported trouble seeing the new buttons. The buttons — like some sponsor ads — are delivered using a flash-based ad tool, so if your browser is running a flash or ad blocker it may prevent the Burger, Clara, or House Crashing buttons from appearing. Disabling the blocker for this site should resolve the issue. That choice was made to allow rotating versions of the buttons so visitors see a variety of thumbnails, not as a way to force ad views. Thanks to readers who helped pinpoint this behavior while we tweaked the setup.
Thanks for your patience during the update and for all the ongoing support. Go ahead and click the Smooch tab near the Contact area for a little virtual love from us — we really do appreciate every one of you.