It’s that time of month again: a look back at everything we tackled over the last few weeks, with all the links gathered into one easy roundup. We also slipped in a few new behind-the-scenes moments for fun. As usual, our projects ranged widely—from major kitchen work to office updates, some landscaping, and even a handful of Halloween crafts. Below are our month’s highlights presented as playful yearbook-style superlatives.
Most Destructive: Demoing the fridge cabinet, which officially launched the kitchen makeover and kicked off a long series of renovations.
Best Timing: Finally buying appliances at just the right moment, saving nearly $1,400 and keeping the renovation momentum moving.
Smartest Move: Swapping the locations of the fridge and pantry to improve kitchen flow—proof that thoughtful layout changes can make a big difference.
Biggest Removals: Removing our wall oven, its cabinet, some countertops, and the cooktop to make way for new appliances and a more functional kitchen layout.
Thriftiest Find: Great secondhand discoveries during our road trip to Brevard, NC, where we combined family time with bargain hunting.
Cutest Pair: Clara and her stuffed BFF “Gee,” all packed up and ready for the weekend trip—because every adventure needs a tiny travel companion.
Most Entertaining Cameo (Runner Up): A tie between Sherry & Katie’s infectious giggles and our quick Sprite-tastic cameo in the Q&A video from the Bowers’ visit to Richmond.
Most Unattractive Moment: The kitchen midway through electrical work, when wires and open walls made everything look messier than usual as we prepared for new appliances (see the update).
Most Labor-Intensive: Stenciling our office walls, which took Sherry several long sessions but delivered a dramatic, custom look that was worth the effort.
Most Likely to Feature Ceramic Animals: Our curated selection for Joss & Main, where we got a little giddy about dog lamps, quirky map art, and other decorative oddities.
Cheekiest Makeover: The office chairs, refreshed with green paint and bold new upholstery, bringing a playful pop of color to the workspace.
“Gone to the Dark Side” Award: Painting the bottom half of our office walls a darker grey to anchor the room and create a more grounded feel (more on that).
Most Playful Art: Our bright, sentimental DIY art for the office—a low-cost way to add personality and a visual break from work for just about $13 (details here).
Most Delightfully Messy: Clara’s finger-painting adventures that produced colorful, kid-friendly Halloween pumpkins in all the best messy ways (see them).
Spookiest Décor: Our mildly creepy Halloween touches—bloody candles, white wooden snakes, and green apples and gourds—that added eerie charm to the porch and home (photos and ideas).
Most Hair-Raising: A giant spider that momentarily disrupted our quick mum upgrade on the front porch—reminder that nature sometimes insists on starring roles (the story).
Most Open: The view of our front yard after removing the bush fence—suddenly the space feels brighter and more connected to the street (before and after).
Most Open (Runner Up): Sharing some of our kitchen decision-making, including plans for open shelving and other choices that helped clarify the vision (read more).
Most Grounded: Choosing new dark cork flooring for the kitchen—an affordable, warm option we found on sale (the full update).
Most Well-Rounded: Selecting penny tile for the backsplash, a classic choice that Clara wholeheartedly approved of (see the tile).
“The White Stuff” Award: Deciding against granite and opting for white Corian countertops for a clean, seamless look in the kitchen (counter choices).
Deal of the Month: Saving over $300 by buying cabinets from the ReStore instead of a big box retailer—a smart, budget-friendly move (how we did it).
Most Likely to Catch Flies: KB & SP announcing the return of the Pinterest Challenge, complete with exaggerated expressions and open mouths.
That wraps up our October highlights. Can you believe it’s already November? What did you accomplish last month? If you haven’t kept a running list of completed projects, use the comments to share what you finished—taking a moment to celebrate progress feels good before diving back into the next big task. As for us, the kitchen work continues: by this time next week we’re planning a large opening into the dining room, so stay tuned.
Psst—You can check July’s superlatives here, August’s here, and September’s here.
Pssst—We also announced this week’s giveaway winners. Check the original post to see if you’re one of them.