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…
karen @ Sugar Nest says
Sherry and John,
What a brave and smart move! I agree family comes first – you can blog for the rest of your lives if you want.
Those babies grow up fast – don’t miss it!
Love you two (four I mean!)
~karen
Stephanie says
You will never regret the decision to focus on family. Savor all the moments with each other…kids grow up so quickly! I’ll be a reader as long as you guys are bloggers :) Your family is beautiful.
Jeanie says
You all bring tears to my eyes!
You will be forever blessed by any decision that is best of your family and it sounds like you’ve made it.
You guys rock and I’m proud of you for this decision and for all the years of good healthy family quality examples for this present generation of young families.
My very best wishes to all on this life changing decision.
Enjoy them while you have them cause this grandma, LuLu, can attest to how quickly they grow and go on but the best part is they bring you back grand kids. It’s the best yet.
Rebecca says
I’m not going to lie, I’m a little disappointed that I won’t get my daily YHL fix, but as a mother of young kiddos myself, I applaud your decision. They are little for such a short time and you’ll never get it back, so it must be treasured now.
I can’t wait to see what you come up with for weekly pictures of the little guy. I’m into photography too, so it’d be cool to see a post on how to do an at home photo shoot of a newborn (I’m due in July and can’t afford to take my little one for professional photos, so I’ll be DYIing it with my DSLR).
elise says
I’m glad that despite all your successes you have not lost sight of your top priorities.
Selfishly I’m sorry you’ll be writing less, but it’s impossible not to agree with your decision given your reasons (incidentally, this was beautifully written).
Mypatsyann says
Hi, guys. That’s fantastic. Hope you are breathing a big sigh of relief. You are a good example to me. I need to have a little self talk, too…. About priorities, getting enough sleep, and what’s really important in life. My dad always says, “Ten/twenty/thirty/etc years from now, when you look back over your life, what will have been most important? That’s how you decide what to do today, tomorrow, next week…..”
God bless your sweet family!!!
Erin C. says
I love your little family even though we have never met. Thank you for sharing your lives with us. I will always be a reader!
Janet says
Yay! So very happy for you guys. Step back as much as you can and enjoy every second doing whatever it is that makes you light up inside – and right now that is undoubtedly snuggling those two (sorry three!) precious babes of yours. Good for you Sherry and John. Blessings to you and your family.
Sarah @ An Inviting Home says
Sherry,
Your post really encouraged me. I have been struggling with chasing certain things and finally realized I need to step back because everything I ever wanted is right here in front of me. I don’t know if this post would encourage you or just be another thing to take up time…so please feel free to skip over it. All that you guys have done has been an inspiration to so many.
http://www.aninvitinghome.com/2014/04/why-im-not-full-time-blogger.html
~Sarah
Clare says
I totally understand and do applaud on your decision. Definitely would do the same!!! Just had my first child few months ago, and am working full time outside of the house, I do miss spending more time with my little one! Your faithful readers will be here, and we respect you!
Anna says
Congratulations on your new bundle of joy. I’ve been an active reader for several years, I can’t recall exactly when but it was long before Clara was born. As a reader, and busy full-time working mom of a 13 month old, I am excited for the dialed back content. I honestly haven’t been able to keep up lately and have been trying to play catch up with all the new projects and events. I don’t know how you have been doing so much so quickly. I know this back to the old way of posting will help me love reading your blog again. Thank you for all that you do. You guys have inspired me to try many things that are now second nature in my own life such as cloth diapering, BLW, composting, natural cleaning products, etc. I can’t wait to see what is still to come.
Adrianne says
Congratulations! What a great choice. Family is so important and yours is so incredible!
Kait says
Even amidst all these comments, I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful reminder and inspiration to live life intentionally. It’s one thing to know how you want to live your life and what you want to get from it and give to it; it’s another thing entirely to make the changes necessary to make those priorities happen!
My family/work/life balance challenges are very different from yours, but thank you for this very important reminder. I wish you all the very best in the coming weeks and months as you make these changes! Enjoy it!
Sherry says
I love your blog! I find you to be the most relatable one out there. My husband and I bought a home that was built in 1751 and are doing all of the renovation ourselves. Your blog rings true to life for me in both your to do lists, budgeting, where you shop for materials etc. As someone who also works from home and recently also decided to scale back to find more balance with my hubby and 3 kids I think you’ll find that you will never regret scaling back to really appreciate watching your kiddos grow and have quality time together!! :-)
Christina says
Congratulations on the birth of your son, and well-done in determining that you can and ought to be having more family time. You are right in that it goes so quickly. No matter how successful you are in design or blogging or whatever, if you fail in your family life, you have dropped the ball big time as they are your greatest gifts/”accomplishments”/”rewards” in life. We don’t know each other, but b/c you mentioned that Teddy is your last baby, I am feeling a little free to throw out advice. Forgive me if I overstep my bounds, please, b/c I don’t want to offend and I do not pretend to know your intimate details. Any woman in her right mind will say, “no more” within a few months after a c-section. Any thoughtful husband will agree. Any mother of that woman will want to see her daughter pain-free, sleep-deprived-FREE, not overworked, etc. It is in our nature as moms to try to protect our kids so maybe we encourage our young or grown children to avoid that which makes us tired, gives us pain, overwhelms us. But remember, it gets easier and better so soon! I encourage you, if it isn’t already too late, to not make a permanent decision yet re: your fertility b/c you are in the throes of DIFFICULT right now. And don’t cut your hair b/c you are hormonal! :-) I have NEVER met a couple who regretted one of their children whether they had 1, 2, 4, 7, or 10, but I have had countless people tell me that they regret not having more. Maybe it is somewhat a need they feel to “confess” to me that b/c we have seven??? It is always weird when perfect strangers approach me and say they intended to have 3 or more, but two did them in. Hello! I don’t know you! And two did me in as well, so I can totally relate. Actually, having one was my hardest!!! But if you decide that Teddy truly is your last baby, know that maybe you can change your mind down the road. Our four biological kids were all c-section and I wished for death after each one. We have three adopted, and that is also a great way to grow a family, so just be open to it — maybe — b/c life always gets easier after recovery! Congrats again and God bless! (And please just chalk me up to a crazy if you feel I crossed the line! We never planned on seven…but it kept getting better!)
Sherri says
I’m so happy to see this post. I want your sweet little family to do well long-term. All the recent buzz was enough to keep my head spinning! Anyways, I’ve followed y’all for a long time & am not planning on going anywhere. One request – if y’all ever decide your blogging days are over, could you come up with a top 5 list of similar blogs for your readers? I know it’s not the same, but alas. Well, all the best to your family! Cheers!
Tristen says
Brilliant! Your new balance of priorities is a great message to other parents trying to juggle work and home. My little one is 7 weeks today and I understand not wanting to miss a moment. Enjoy having a little less work stress and many more snuggles, giggles and smiles with your two beautiful kids!
Lindsay says
Would you ever consider doing a post about how you determine your priorities or maybe how you draw the line between work and family? I know that’s very personal, so I understand if you wouldn’t, but I know a lot of my friends and I have trouble drawing the line between career goals and family priorities, so I think it might be something that other readers would enjoy too.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds like a fun post, thanks for the suggestion!
xo
s
Laura says
Family is the most important thing. Period. It’s so nice to hear that one, you have the opportunity to make this decision and two, that you’re making it. I think it’s probably one of the hardest and scariest (but most rewarding?!?!) that a parent can make. Congrats on a beautiful family and a successful career! YoungHouseLove emails will still be the most exciting ones I have in my inbox :) Thanks for that! Now I have to go… Augustine (my 8 month bouncing – literally – baby boy) is trying to eat the dogs ear.
xoxo,
Laura
Nikki says
I’m so glad you guys are finally slowing down. I remember reading what a typical day looks like and thought, you are too often attached to the computer!
This time is best spent with family, we’ll still be here to read the posts but every day is not neseccary! Congradulations on the birth of Teddy!
Gabriella says
Auguri dall’Italia.
Patti T says
I’m so proud of you for making that decision. Your babies are only young once so enjoy it!
Emily says
I’ll miss having a new post everyday and I couldn’t be happier for you to re prioritize your life! Congrats and I’ll still be here =)
Sonya B. says
Love your blog but completely understand your decision to scale back.
As a stay at home mom with children now 16 and 20 you will never regret spending more time for your family. With my son in college 500 miles away now I can only look forward to holiday breaks and summers. Enjoy those sweet babies!
Sarah says
Way to go!! I really admire the decision you’ve made to slow down. You’ve always been at the forefront of setting an example for your readers and this decision is no different. I hope it inspires more people to slow down a bit and refocus their priorities! Thanks for keepin it real!
Renee says
I know that was probably a tough decision for you guys, but I applaud your decision!! Family is absolutely one of the most important things in life and if you don’t take the time to slow down and enjoy it, you’ll miss it!
Congratulations on your new bundle and here’s to a life full of love and laughter! I look forward to the posts you do write and can’t wait to see what’s in store for you guys! Hugs!!
Chris says
Congrats to you for making your family a priority! My hubby and I made this same decision 29 years ago when our first child was born. I quit my job and have never looked back. Now our youngest is a senior in college and I joke that I’m still a SAH mom…haha! We found out that our life was much less chaotic with me being home and we also renovated three houses during that time and are in the process of building our 2nd new house (yes, we’ve done LOTS of the work ourselves!). When your children grow up, they won’t care about the things they had but they will care about the time you spent with them! Enjoy each other and your children…you will not regret your choice!
Niki Delehant says
That’s awesome! After blogging for two years (and I make zilch at it), I slowed way down. I realized that I was trying to keep up with everyone else (and spending way too much – on credit cards no less) to try and look a certain way in the world of fast fashion. I bought a house and changed jobs and it gave me a new perspective on what I wanted the content to be (mostly about fixing up each room in our house thanks to inspiration you guys gave me through your blog and because we bought ours three months after you). Focus on what you want and what’s important. Your readers love you and 3-5 posts/week vs. 7-8 won’t make a bit of difference in those that truly care and love your site and family.
Niki
Andrea says
great decision! you have many loyal readers who will continue to read and many enthusiastic sponsors will continue to buzz around you. well done.
Cathy says
Finding your posts in my inbox is just like finding Easter eggs in all the weeds (of emails that bring things to do!). Always a delight & gets my day started on a positive note. I can’t imagine anyone tuning out but then, everyone’s different. Contrary to what those people will think though, I think I’ll be tuning in even more! I think everyone wants balance in their lives and it will be fun to learn how you find this with 2 kids and a business empire (hee) to run. We have a 6 year old (everyone’s so right about time flying!) and we would love to have a second, so I’m thinking of it as peering into the future and what it will be like. :) Best of luck, you guys! And congratulations on the wonderful decision to put family first!!!
Lu says
Hi, I’ve never commented before despite having read your blog for the past 5 years but I wanted to say that I’m glad you’ve decided to take a step back and do what is right for you and your family. I hope that you are able to remain true to your decision and enjoy the extra family time this brings.
Kayla says
This is so refreshing to hear!! My husband and I are in a similar, but totally unrelated-to-self-employment-or-blogging situation ourselves. :) He’s working a job that’s made him travel 3 weeks out of the month and work 80 hour weeks. And while the money is nice, we’ve both done a little head scratching after stepping back to ask “what’s the point?” Monetary comfort is something we all wish for, sure, but how much do we really need???
I loved reading your blog back then, and I’m actually excited to know it’ll be headed back that direction. Of course, I don’t know you guys (even though we all totally feel like we do!! Haha), but your blog back then seemed more true to you. I love the personal posts thrown in!! Congrats on everything, and thank you for leading by example on this one. This is how I KNOW you’re some pretty cool people, all 5 of you now! ;)
Mary says
I love reading your posts but have never commented before. I know you won’t regret your decision and I will just appreciate them a little more when there are fewer. Family comes first, so happy for you and will be happy to hear about your new projects and the growth and love of your family!
Alba says
You completly deserve to live your lifes and enjoy your family time with those two wonderful babies that you have!
I’ll keep reading whatever you decide to do!
Kisses from Spain!
Monika Jansen says
I never ever comment because I know you get so many, but I just have to say congrats on making this HUGE and very difficult decision. I absolutely love your blog and will keep reading no matter how often (or not) you post!
Becca S. says
Thanks for setting an example for us all! I really don’t know how you stuck with the pace you were going, you are amazing folks, so dedicated to doing things the right way. Thanks for all you’ve put into the blog, and I couldn’t be happier to read less posts for the sake of your family.
April says
I read your post while waiting for an ultrasound on Baby #2 yesterday and tried my hardest not to get teary in the doctor’s office. Your pictures captured a sweet homecoming so well. Thanks for sharing them!
I also wanted to thank you for the way you have helped my own little family. My husband and I have had a whirlwind few years selling my single girl house, having a DIY outdoor wedding, buying a huge old historic house with a lot to renovate, finding out I was pregnant the week we moved in and getting that news once again when our baby was only 5 months old. I’ve learned so much from your posts–your advice has really helped me get our priorities together (especially learning to live with things and do small updates before a major change) and your easy tutorials have been so helpful and ultimately allowed us to spend less time on home projects and more time as a family.
Blessings to you all as you enjoy these days!
Angela says
Standing ovation. This will make it easier for me to keep up with reading all your stuff. I predict no change in readership and for it to continue to grow. Your family is precious and the best part of this journey. <3
kaley says
Last baby as in you don’t plan on having any more? That is such an intrusive question. But I really am curious!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve been on the “we’ll be satisfied with two healthy babies” train for a while (pretty much since the complications with Clara’s birth, although we weren’t 100% sure until more recently). With Teddy here we just feel complete :)
xo
s
Lucy S says
Well said, Petersiks! I wish you all the best, and look forward, always, to enjoying whatever snippets of decorating, DIY, life and kids and all the rest that you share with all of us.
MJ says
Good luck and God Bless. Obviously we love reading about your beautiful family and you give us all a gift by letting us do so. Take care of yourselves and that family. That always has to be number one.
Stephanie says
Beautifully written and well-said. So many of us need to do exactly what you are doing: re-calibrating based on priorities with a focus on what truly matters.
You continue to inspire us and we will continue to follow you.
Linda says
You guys are amazing and inspirational in so many ways. I’m sure the vast majority of us will be around as long as y’all give us the privilege of allowing us into your home and life-whether it’s once a day, once a week or once a month.
Your site is such a bright spot on the internet, which can often times be such a black hole of negativity. You’re not just a diy blog, you’re a shining example of a wonderful family, and I know I get more than just decorating and organizing inspiration (which I do!) but I also get inspiration for my marriage and parenting. I guess I just want to say thanks, and no matter what blogging direction your family goes in, it’s an honor to learn from y’all in so many ways.
Barbara says
Good for you!!! You won’t regret it. This sounds silly, but I was a little concerned about you – the workload, the exposure, the ‘lifestyle’ (for lack of a better word). It takes courage to swim upstream. My kids are now 28 and 31 and it feels like the middle of last week that they were where yours are now. Cliches stick around for a reason: Kids really are only young once. I am so happy for you! It takes courage to swim upstream. Congratulations on everything. xox
Angie says
Have you ever considered guest bloggers? Or maybe an intern to come in and write up a few posts a week for YHL? I bet you could get someone from a local college or highschool who would love the experience for the resume alone. Just a thought. BTW congrats on your new addition. He is gorgeous. I wish you all the best, and I’ll keep on checking in everyday even if there is only one post a week! You guys are part of my morning routine.
YoungHouseLove says
We think that hiring someone (or getting an intern) to do personal things (like comments, email, post writing, projects, etc) just doesn’t feel right for us, so we’re happy to truly simplify instead of expanding our “staff” and having someone else to manage and yet another hat to wear :)
xo
s
Kendall says
Best decision. Family first. Time flies. What a beautiful choice you’ve made.
heather says
Totally behind 100%! Your followers will still be here! Congrats on your newest addition!
Michelle B says
Best post ever!! Congrats to you both for making this decision. Enjoy those little nuggets while they’re still itty bitty. And enjoy each other as awesome parents and partners. Big hugs to you from Va Beach!!
Ashley says
Glad to hear this! To be honest, I enjoyed the days of the smaller blog so much more. I loved that you shared bits and pieces of your personal life as a reminder that you aren’t DIY superheros but real people. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for you guys. From one Richmond lover to another, best of luck and best wishes!
Katie {deranchification} says
* LIKE *