It’s time for some annual goal-setting — nothing motivates like a public declaration. Let’s get to it.
Goal #1: Embrace the Crazy (aka Be Flexible)
After five years of blogging and more than two years doing this full time, we’ve learned that no two days are the same. This coming year promises to be the busiest yet: a book release, a multi-city book tour, and a few surprise projects we can’t wait to share. With so much change on the horizon, our main objective is to stay flexible and avoid clinging to any notion of “normal.” The less we stress about keeping a rigid routine, the more present and excited we’ll be for everything that unfolds. And of course we’ll share the details along the way.
Goal #2: Smorgasbord It Up
Looking back through the archives, we noticed how our earlier posts offered more variety. Over time we fell into routines and leaned on the familiar. This year we want to bring back the eclectic mix that made the blog feel like a true reflection of daily life — not just a nonstop stream of projects. Alongside the usual lineup of projects, giveaways, and reader transformations, we plan to add more of the following:
- House crashings and real-life makeovers
- Window shopping and inspiration finds
- Budget-friendly blooms and affordable decorating
- Fast, free, and easy upgrades
- Advice-seeking posts that involve readers and their ideas
- Table setting and entertaining inspiration
- Holiday decorating and seasonal touches
- Mood boards for styling and planning
- Using and tweaking what we already own
- Round-ups and top-ten lists
- Road trips and travel-related adventures
- Random off-topic chitchat — often our favorites
This varied approach feels more authentic to how we actually live. Sharing two or three project posts a week has been a sustainable pace for us and helps prevent burnout while keeping the budget intact. So expect a mix of old favorites, new experiments, and the occasional spontaneous post that shows the full, messy, delightful breadth of life behind the blog.
Goal #3: Less Typey-Typey, More Lifey-Lifey
Finding balance and trimming long, wordy posts go hand in hand. We’ve tried to slow down the rambling in past years, and while we’ll still write longer pieces occasionally, we plan to favor clarity and brevity when it makes sense. Some of our best posts are short and focused — and many blogs we admire do the same. This year we’re committed to delivering a mix: concise, useful posts alongside the longer, deeper stories you enjoy. Hopefully the third time’s the charm.
Goal #4: More of You
We want to include more readers in the life of the blog. Whether that means visiting more reader homes, sharing how you live in your space, or creating interactive content that invites your voice, we want to build a warmer, more connected community. Our home is your home — come on in and get comfortable. We’re excited to meet more of you in person as the year unfolds.
There they are: four goals that might not all be accomplished perfectly, but we’ll give them our wholehearted effort during year six of blogging. Each year we revisit previous goals to see how we did and learn from the results. Here’s a summary of last year’s intentions and how they turned out:
Last Year’s Goal #1: Find Balance
We aimed to avoid pouring every ounce of time, money, and energy into the house and the blog so that life, savings, and family time didn’t fall by the wayside. We made some progress — we even took our first break from blogging — but balance remains a work in progress.
Last Year’s Goal #2: Not Drone On in Every Post
Less wordiness was meant to support better balance. Progress here has been inconsistent, so it’s on the agenda again this year.
Last Year’s Goal #3: Bring Back Before & After Inspiration
After missing reader makeovers, we brought them back and enjoyed seeing those transformations inspire the community. That goal was a success and reminded us how motivating before-and-after stories can be.
Last Year’s Goal #4: Be Secure in Our Own Bloghood
We wanted to be comfortable that not everyone will love every post, and to blog more confidently. After five years, we’re finally finding our groove and blogging with less second-guessing.
Last Year’s Goal #5: Be Grateful
This goal was about perspective — remembering that this work is a dream job despite the stress. We tried to pause, breathe, and appreciate the opportunity, especially during hectic book and life moments.
Last Year’s Goal #6: Try New Things
We promised to stay open to unexpected ideas and projects. We wrote spontaneous posts, tackled new challenges, and even spent weeks shooting book photography — messy and memorable in equal measure. We plan to keep embracing that spirit of experimentation.
Before we sign off, a big, sincere thank you: you make this possible. Your support lets us do what we love and keeps us motivated. We’ll be sharing book tour details soon and hope to meet many of you in person. You truly make our days brighter — thanks for being part of this journey.
Note: Images credited in original post.