Life has been busier than ever for us – and there’s nothing like having a baby to confirm your true priorities. We’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately: what exactly are our goals? What are we working towards? Hoping to gain? The answer, we realized, was definitely not more blog hits or traffic or approval. Honestly we both feel unsettled by the idea of our blog growing any larger, and we look fondly back on the earlier days when we worked less, slept more, and spent more quality time with our family and friends. This little website of ours has already surpassed every expectation we ever could have had for it. So what are we chasing?
When Clara was born we were both blogging full time, but we had about a third of the traffic that we have now and we usually shared around one project a week amidst other home-related chitchat, family happenings, polls, reader makeovers, etc. It was one of the best times of our lives. We did less and had less, and we were completely comfortable. So in light of everything on our plates, this new baby boy, and a girl who’s growing up entirely too fast (cue the Armageddon music), we’ve decided to paddle back towards that.
We know this choice may directly correlate to fewer hits and therefore less income – and we’re ok with that. Sure, it’s a little scary not knowing where we’ll be in a few months or years (but we’ve never known that as professional bloggers anyway). We’ve made “risky” career choices before in the name of life quality – like leaving the NYC rat race and giving up steady salaries for blogging – but they’ve also been some of our best decisions.
Just like we did when we made those leaps, we’ve saved enough to help us sleep at night. We’ve also both left the door open in our previous professions, so even if this choice means we’ll eventually be taking on freelance advertising work again (which I did to make a living before we started this blog, and which John has dabbled with over the last few years) it’s a risk we’re willing to take in the name of bringing some balance back into our lives.
The good news is that our love of home improvement and blogging is burned deep into our hearts, and our to-do list is still a mile long. We have no plans to stop blogging anytime soon. We’ll still be posting our projects, planning, shopping, and other usual fare here regularly. But things will be noticeably different as we recalibrate our priorities (we think we’ll end up in the 3-5 posts per week range).
We’ll also be going back to sharing all of our family posts on Young House Love (sorry Young House Life). We’ve always had family stuff here – in fact some of our favorite (and most popular) posts are the personal ones about things like breastfeeding, Clara’s birth story, her photo project, this ridiculousness, and random facts about me and John. Between those types of posts always existing on our main site, and Instagram taking the place of the smaller family updates, Young House Life has felt less necessary lately, so we won’t be posting over there anymore.
We know some people will be relieved by this change of pace (many of you have encouraged us to slow down) or excited about the new looser style of posting, while others might decide to tune out – and we’re ok with that too.
We feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to make this choice. It’s not a decision that we’ve made lightly, and we realized that if we don’t seize it now, we may never have the chance to again. Teddy is our last baby and Clara is just a year away from kindergarten (how did that happen?!), so we want to enjoy this time with them instead of working our nights, weekends, and vacations away chasing some business goal we don’t even want.
We have no idea what the future holds, but even if the internet exploded tomorrow, we’re already so grateful for this amazing and completely unexpected journey of ours. This blog has surprised us in the most major of ways, and has led to some unbelievable experiences and opportunities, many of which we can’t quite wrap our minds around.
We still have big dreams for this house of ours and can’t wait to share how it evolves with you guys. But if you’ll excuse us, I have an almost impossibly tiny diaper to change and John’s off to buy some lumber again…
Elsa says
I just love you guys! You all have worked your booties off to get to where you are now, and seem like such genuinely sweet, hardworking, talented, and of course hilarious, people. This is truly one of the best, if not the best, blogs of any type that I have come across. So well written, honest, and organized, and a great balance of info. that is shared. You all deserve this time for yourselves! Unless you take the blog down completely, I will continue to read.
Joy says
Oh, bless you guys. I hope your life is just one big blessing from here on out. It’s so hard to find balance with little ones and work, especially when you work from home (or WITH your home in your case!). I hope you find a good routine and balance for your family and are just thrilled with it.
Browne Sebright says
You guys are absolutely fantastic! Honestly, as a college student, you’ve already done a world of inspiration for me in DIY-ing my Salt Lake City apartment. I’m so glad you guys have been here and even if this means less of you here in the future, I’m so happy for you and your family!
Ivette says
You guys enjoy your newly expanded family and the people that love your blog and little family will still be here. They grow up so fast. Staying home, and homeschooling my older son has given me perspective and the urge to slow things down as well.
Julie Vogt says
Noooooooooo! [stamping foot]
Am I the only one willing to share my selfishness honestly? I’ll miss the daily updates!!
Love you guys <3
Allie says
Although I’ll miss your daily weekday posts, I’m so happy that you guys are taking a step back. I never knew how you two did it all! I loved your show house project and all the other avenues you’ve explored. Cheers to new things and time with the family!
Janet says
Bravo!
Alison says
Good for you!!!
Roxy H. says
Congratulations on your sweet, healthy baby boy! And kudos for making deliberate choices on how you want to live your life. You will never regret spending time with your family. You’ll only regret the time you didn’t spend. And you never get those moments back. Once kids hit the 10+ age, time flies and each year they are more independent and spend more time away from home (school, sports, friends, etc.) These are sweet, sweet days to spend creating family memories and traditions and a strong life foundation for your kids. Good luck and enjoy!
Cindy K says
I’ve been watching you two. While I’m not your mother (uhem, I could be!) I’m here to tell you yes. Good decision. Stick to it. You were darn close to being over-exposed, and that never ends well for a blogger. Pace yourself for three posts a week, not 3 to 5.
Work smarter, not more. You’ve established your brand. I’ll bet you will barely see a drop in income even with a slower pace.
Carly G. says
So many lovely memories to come! I will always be a fan of YHL! :) Congrats on all your amazing achievements thus far!!
XOXO,
Carly
Marietta lyons says
You are so wise… I admire your decision to slow down, and reflect on the important things in life! The secret of happiness. I will always follow your blog!!
Cathy says
Congrats to you! It’s so easy to get swept up in the bigger and the more, especially when your own great work has created those opportunities. I think it’s wonderful that you were able to see it happening, recognize that “bigger and more” is not what you wanted, and make the decision to scale it back. My husband and I made similar decisions years ago in a different industry (law) and while some of our contemporaries are Masters of the Universe by now (and happy — so it works for them!), I get to pick my kids up from school, and my husband is home in time for an early-ish dinner most nights. That’s what makes us happy. Good for making the choices that work for your family! Love this blog, and will continue to love it at a scaled-back pace.
Ashley says
You’ll never regret this brave, beautiful decision. And we, your readers, will be here no matter what. Can’t tear ourselves away from your creativity, humor, and precious little ones. Enjoy every moment! God bless.
Pam says
Good for you! Enjoy every second because they grow faster than you imagine. My baby girl graduates college next month and my baby boy is thirteen, and while we have wonderful memories from the past, it seems like yesterday i was changing little diapers(he’s now taller than me). Do what you love!
Lila says
I always wondered how you kept up such a chaotic pace. I’m glad to hear you’re scaling back a bit. This is my favorite blog so I’ll definitely still be checking it so I don’t miss any updates. I was thinking of wallpapering an accent wall and I asked myself, “What would John & Sherry do?” It was answered in a post earlier this week :)
Please make sure all future lines (I’m sure there will be more) are carried in Target Canada. I keep writing it on their fb page, along with loads of others so hopefully it will happen!
Lindsey says
Best decision ever! I’m looking at my now 4.5 month old son and wondering where the time has gone — and I’m not trying to manage a business! I look forward to reading your posts whenever they come and will continue to use your ideas for inspiration in my own home :)
Hannah says
Good for you guys! You’ll never regret take time for your family. We moved back to our hometown and we’ve taken a hit to our paycheck but hubby is doing something he really enjoys now and hopefully it will pay off in a few years. I get to be a SAHM and he can take time off to be with us whenever he wants. Its a win-win!
Annie Dee says
It is exactly BECAUSE you make decisions like this that I will continue to be a devoted fan of whatever you do next; where ever you post. Thanks for what you do. I wish y’all the very best!
Pri says
Very nice decision! Congrats! I always will be here reading you guys, don’t matter the frequency! All good for you!
Silvi says
I love you guys and I will always follow your blog.
Enjoy your time as a family and give lots of kisses to the little ones.
Silvi
Leah says
I must be hormonal because I’m all teary reading this post. I started tearing up at that pic under the arbor of you and baby Clara. I’m so happy for you guys and I admire your choices!! Enjoy your kids, vacations, life, etc. I’ll keep following you!
Noelle says
AMEN! If I have a hard time keeping up with your posts (and I do), I can’t imagine how you guys create them all! Life is too short to spend it plugging away, especially if it turns a hobby/passion into …well, WORK. Money comes and goes in life, but we never get more time. Enjoy every minute with your family! I look back on the years I spent working in a call center at the expense of family time with sadness because I missed out on so much, but it was necessary at that stage in life. I’m glad I took the leap too and LEFT the customer service call center realm (guaranteed pay and benefits) to start my own company for property management. Its nice being the boss! One of the BEST perks of being the boss- you get to choose your workload. Sometimes less work means less pay, but more free time. And really, who can complain about that!
Jeanette says
So sad to see a little less of you guys, but so happy that you’re making such a positive decision for yourselves! Can’t wait to continue to follow along XO
Destine says
I’ve been a loyal reader for years, way before Clara was born. And I’m happy you guys are able to take a step back and enjoy life. Your readers will still be here. :) We love you guys! Congratulations on your sweet baby boy.
Meg says
I’m totally in your group of readers that like the loose style and less posts. I work ALOT, try to blog a little bit and take care of my husband and home which are my two favorite things to do and the less you post the better chance I have at keeping up! And I love keeping up because you guys have been so real and honest and are one of my favorite blogs to read.
Melissa @ Loving Here says
Good for you. As a still-new and not-bigtime blogger, I also struggle with figuring out exactly what the goal is for our little website. Its’ hard to find a balance between personal life and blog life. Thanks for an honest post, and an honest blog. Congrats on your new, beautiful baby boy! Teddy is awesome and we’re honored you’ve allowed us into your family all these years! Looking forward to seeing the new, more relaxed YHL!
Karla@{TheClassyWoman} says
I think this is a great decision! :) We can never redeem our time and you have already accomplished so much. I often wonder how on earth you do all that you do. As a mom of one baby girl, I know how hard getting even basic things around the house done. You will never regret this decision, time to soak in baby Teddy and enjoy Clara at this stage are precious. I like the idea of having everything back on the main YHL site. Simplifying our lives makes things so much more freeing and enjoyable. I for one am not going anywhere and am looking forward to your upcoming posts of projects and your sweet little family. :)
Melanie says
I have no doubt that you guys are doing the right thing. The more time that passes with my own child (22 months)the more I am thankful that our family made the financial sacrifice allowing me to work part-time. I will never regret losing out on a big account, or having the money to buy some fancy new thing the way I would deeply regret not having time for my son. The crazy thing is over that time period, my husband was able to find a better job that pays better, and where he works less hours. I swear you have to point yourself at the life you want (reprioritize)and it’s like magically things start moving into place. Cheers to you all!
Julie DeVoe says
AMEN! Congratulations. I too am working to stop glorifying busy in my life.
Terra says
Sounds like you are doing what’s best for your family. Good for you for making this difficult decision. I’ll definitely continue reading.
Rebecca @This Nest is Best says
I can’t lie…of course there’s a part of me that will miss having so many posts to read from you guys! But a bigger part of me is so, so happy that you’re assessing your priorities and making them happen. It is too easy to get caught up in what we’re “supposed” to be doing and forget what it is we really want to be doing.
Congratulations!
Andrea says
Congratulations. Life is too short and family is what matters most. Enjoy your beautiful little loves!!!
Mandy says
I’m so happy for your family and this big decision. You absolutely should dial it back and enjoy these moments. From a DIY standpoint, you were starting to make me feel guilty for not being able to keep up with you anyway! I can’t imagine that you would lose followers, your life is so relate-able and your writing style so casual and warm that I simply can’t see that happening. Congrats!
Jessica says
Way to go you guys!!! Best of luck!
Rachel Snodgrass says
If there was only one post a month i would still be anxiously awaiting it! You guys are more than bloggers to me, you are an example of what life should be – happy! And if taking more time for the kids makes you happier, it will just make the blog better! I love you guys so much, and have a place in my heart ready for Teddy and all his future antics:)!
Heidi says
Good for you guys!! What a tough decision to make but I am sure you will not regret it. I’ve secretly been wondering how you keep up with everything! I get exhausted just reading about all you do :)
Amelia says
Good for you! As a side note, I was always missing stuff on Young House Life, so I’ll be glad to see it all together!
abby says
I’ll always be a reader! Even the scaled back version. Enjoy the time!
Mrs. A says
Hooray! I completely understand where you are coming from. I quite a very demanding job (litigator) when my son was 2 years old to refocus myself. While the first year or so was tough, our family now has a better balance. Today, my now 6 year old is home sick with a stomach virus. While he recuperates on the couch, I am working from home. This is something I could NEVER do in my previous career. :)
I am so happy that you guys are still you – refocusing, reassessing and mostly concerned with your family and your happiness (rather than chasing someone else’s).
Looking forward to the family posts, the reader redesigns, and all the rest that makes your blog wonderful!
Shannon says
I loved your blog during your early Clara days! I’m so thrilled you guys will be moving toward some semblance of balance in your personal lives. Honestly, I don’t know how you’ve done so much for so long. I’ll be here as a loyal reader always. Cheering you guys on!
Heather says
Aww – I’ve never read your blog just for the house. I read it because I like how you talk about creating a home. You do a lot more DIY than I do (I’d rather live that part vicariously, thank you), but in the end it’s about making your house a place where you like to live, right? And in more ways than one. Congrats on your sweet new baby, and on your new resolution to work less and live more.
Lynne says
This is my favorite post ever. This explains exactly why I love your blog. I don’t craft. I don’t DIY. My children are in their 20s and 30s. But you are GENUINE. That is what caught my attention and has kept my attention from the first time I read here. Congratulations for being so wise, so young.
Alissa says
I heartily agree with so much of what has already been said, so I’ll just toss in my own additional “congratulations” to this pile of well wishes in this lovely corner of the internet. :)
Allison says
I just wanted to echo the sentiments that I’m seeing on the other comments…WOOHOO, y’all! I am way, way beyond thrilled that you’re choosing family over “work”. While I love (LOVE) your blog, I also deeply admire your dedication to your babies, and am blessed beyond words to see a family, for once, choosing things other than monetary gain. In the end, you’ll be wealthy in the things that matter: love, memories, happiness, etc. :):):) *happydance* for you all!!!!!
Karen says
Hi! I really wanted to tell you how happy I am for you (even though I am a little selfishly sad for less posts!!)! What a wonderful gift for your children!!
Lauren says
Go, go, go……away! Ha! Seriously, go for it! Congratulations on your beautiful son. There’s no way you’ll ever regret working less and spending more time with those babies. You have been more successful in the few years I’ve been reading your blog than most people are in a lifetime. It’s time to reap some of those benefits!
Whitney says
Way to go guys! I applaud you.
Maria says
I support you guys 110%..! God and family are priority. Sometimes we just need to stop focusing on the future and enjoy the blessings we already have. I’ll still be stopping by to see what’s new and hoping the best for your family. Congrats on the new baby! He is just precious.
Danielle says
Love this, love you guys, love your little family of 5 and home. While I will slightly miss my “OMG it’s 9 AM (CT) YHL has posted!” daily read, I will be sticking by you! This blog is the only one I regularly check in to daily since I found you about 6 months ago.
Enjoy your family time, I totally get it. The balance is something that I struggle with also, as a WAHM. (I work remotely for a large company).
Can’t wait to see what the future brings for you, I know it will be wonderful. :)