Every year we publicly announce a few resolutions in the hope that committing them out loud will actually move us forward. So, without further ado (and aside from that gratuitous Clara photo), here are our goals for the year.
Resolution #1: Be bolder with decorating and renovation choices. We want to embrace color, contrast, and riskier design moves—more experimenting and less fear of making mistakes. The truth is mistakes teach you a lot about a project and about your personal style, so we plan to welcome them rather than avoid them. Instead of defaulting to the “safest” option every time, we want to take a few chances and dive in headfirst. That might mean some surprising successes and the occasional belly flop, and we’re okay with that. Taking creative risks will keep the process fun and help our home evolve in unexpected and meaningful ways.
Resolution #2: Find better balance between work and family life. We need to avoid sinking all our time, money, and energy into the house at the expense of life outside it. We want to schedule family trips and make room for simple pleasures—park visits, zoo days, and the occasional meal out. Since the internet makes work available 24/7, it’s easy to fall into the habit of working nights, weekends, and even on vacation. Now that we have a little one, establishing a healthier, family-friendly rhythm feels essential. We want to be present for Clara’s childhood while still making progress on projects, so finding that balance is a priority.
Resolution #3: Save more money and be smarter about everyday expenses. We’ve always been fairly frugal—admittedly tight with some things—but we want to learn more ways to build savings for emergencies, retirement, and Clara’s future. Simple steps like taking advantage of store loyalty programs, using coupons when they make sense, and printing or loading online coupons for items we actually buy could add up. We recently tried couponing and saved $19 on one grocery trip despite being total beginners, which felt encouraging. We plan to keep learning practical, sustainable ways to save and will share our experiences along the way.
Resolution #4: Dial back people-pleasing and stay true to our voice. Over time we’ve learned it’s impossible to satisfy everyone. Since we started blogging, feedback has ranged from suggestions to outright directions about what we should post and how we should run the site. If we followed every single recommendation, we’d lose the core of what made this blog our voice in the first place. We love sharing honest, diary-style updates—what’s happening in real time, including the wins, the setbacks, and the day-to-day. Our content varies from fast progress to slow stretches, and that’s okay—it’s reflective of real life, budgets, and timelines. As our blog grows and changes, some readers will like it less and others will like it more, and that’s fine. We prefer to stay authentic rather than try to please everyone.
Resolution #5: Teach Clara some basic home improvement and decorating terms. We think it would be adorable—and practical—if our daughter picked up a handful of useful words like “Phillips head screwdriver” and “cohesive.” Imagine a toddler saying “keep it cohesive” or pointing out “drywall,” “hardwoods,” and “baseboard” while learning about the spaces around her. It’s a lighthearted goal, but also a fun way to introduce her to the home projects that are part of our life.
We’ll keep sharing the highs and lows as we pursue these resolutions. The aim is to be bolder creatively, smarter with money, kinder to ourselves when it comes to outside opinion, and more present with family. Above all, we want to enjoy the process—whether that means confident cannonballs into new projects or learning from a few belly flops along the way.
Pssst — check out our weekly photo project featuring the beanette.
Pssssst — there’s one more kid-related resolution on BabyCenter. Any good faux curse suggestions?