Every year we publicly proclaim a few of our resolutions in the hope that it’ll light a fire under our arse (arses?) and help us “get there.” So without further ado (except for this gratuitous Clara picture) here they are…
Resolution #1. To be more bold with our decorating & renovating choices. We want to embrace color and contrast and just have fun without worrying that we’ll mess up. Mistakes are always when we learn the most about a project or our style, so we’re going to welcome them with open arms. And we hope to do our best to resist always going with the “safest” decisions in favor of taking a few chances and diving in with both feet. Wait that doesn’t make sense. Jumping in with both feet? How about cannonballing? Sounds good to us. It probably means there will also be the occasional belly flop, but we’re ok with that too.
Resolution #2. To find balance. We’re going to try our darndest not to fall into the trap of putting all of our time, money, and energy into the house to the point that we have no life, no savings, and Clara is trapped in our casa for her entire childhood. We’d love to remember to plan family trips (we haven’t been on a big vacation since our honeymoon three and a half years ago other than some low key road trips and family beach weeks) and just take time to enjoy visits to the park and the zoo and the occasional meal out. Since the internet is 24/7, sometimes it’s hard to resist working nights, weekends, and even on vacation so we hope to get a handle on that. Now that we have a wee one, some healthy family-friendly balance seems like a good idea.
Resolution #3. To save more money. We’re already pretty frugal (ok, we’re total tightwads) as you can see here, but we’d like to learn more ways to squirrel away cash for a rainy day (or retirement, or the college fund…). For example, we have no idea how to coupon. But now we’d like to learn the act of couponing (but by no means will we take it as far as the people on that TLC special). Yesterday we gave it a whirl and ended up saving $19 at the grocery store. Not bad for two people who had no idea what they were doing. So we’re ready to learn more. From virtually loading our Kroger card with online coupons to buying the Sunday paper for the insert and even printing out online coupons when they’re something we actually buy, we’ll give it a try. And we’ll share how it goes if we happen to get the hang of it.
Resolution #4. To take the people-pleasing thing down a notch. As we mentioned during our blogiversary, “after three years we’ve learned that it’s impossible to please 100% of the people 100% of the time.” Gone are the days when we could write about whatever was happening at our house without someone (usually in the nicest way possible) telling us what to change. Like that we should post less or more, do bigger or smaller projects, share more or less family stuff, do more or fewer mood boards, etc. Basically, if we listened to everyone who told us how to alter YHL for the better, we’d pretty much have to scrap everything. And we might be crazy, but we like how we blog! It has gotten us to where we are today. Over two million hits a month is crazy (ok, mind-blowingly insane) to us.
We actually really enjoy sharing real-time diary-style entries about what’s going on as it occurs (the good, the bad, the ugly, and the average day-in-the-life stuff) along with whatever inspires us – just like we did back in 2007 when this whole adventure started. One week we might be flying along and the next week we may be as slow as molasses – but hey, that’s real life (with real budget constraints, snafus, & timeline challenges). There’s always HGTV for those 30 minute makeovers, so we’re all about the stuff in the middle. In the end, we know that as our blog continues to grow and evolve, some people will like it less while others may enjoy it more. Which is completely ok.
Resolution #5. To teach Clara a few key home improvement and decorating terms. Like “phillips head screwdriver.” And “cohesive.” Can you image how cute a toddler who says things like “keep it cohesive” would be?
Or is that just my sick fantasy? My dad taught me the word “dehydrated” when I was a tiny tot and I’d walk around saying “I’m dehydrated” instead of requesting water or juice like the other kids in daycare. So dramatic. And I can just picture Clara pointing around the room and saying “drywall,” “hardwoods,” and “baseboard” instead of “wall” and “floor.” Could be funny…
Pssst- Check out our weekly photo project featuring the beanette here.
Pssssst- Peep one more (kid related) resolution over on BabyCenter. Any good faux curse suggestions?
Harmony says
I remember you mentioning some months back that you had a new system for dirty cloth diapers that you were going to share, and I’m wondering if you’ve done that post and I just missed it, or if it is still to come. I’m trying to get a nursery set up and I want to steal your good ideas for the dirty diapers ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Harmony,
Here’s that link for ya: http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/diaper-tins-out-wet-bags-in/
xo,
s
susan says
Because of you two I redid my bathroom, kitchen and dining room. You inspired me to try different things and to hang my drapes high and wide. I had FUN reading your blog all year long. A big thank you and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!! susan
CTDC says
Great resolutions. For every critical comment you get on this blog, you get hundreds of positive ones and many more people out there who are liking the blog but not commenting. So I’m glad you’re gonna keep doing what you’re doing and just be yourselves. That’s why people love this site and keep coming back. And you always handle the critical people/people asking questions you already answered in your post with such grace.
andrea p says
Happy new years Petersik family! Thank you for a 2010 full of inspiration and fun!
Speaking of inspiration…I would love to see a post of “new house inspiration photos or moodboards” that you have saved…i love me some eye candy!
xo
KTmurphy says
Clara is delicious!!!! Happy New Year!
Erika says
Good luck on all your resolutions. We started “serious” couponing almost a yr ago and so happy that we did. This year alone we save over $3,000 just by using coupons. If you get the chance check out the Hip2Save.com website. She’ll break it all down for ya;) Good luck and can’t wait to see what you all do in 2011!
Sparrow says
Although you don’t need my approval (resolution 4!!), I think this blog rocks, all the time. You guys seem authentic about everything you write about, which would keep me interested even if you decided to switch to writing about nail-clipping habits or whatever.
Re: couponing – I’m surprised you guys aren’t all into it already! It’s super habit-forming, especially when you can stack coupons and store sales. There are plenty of sites that let you know when local stores and coupons match up, so you can get stuff for free! And hoard, if you’d really like to be on TLC. ;-)
Kate says
Best pic of Clara EVER. So cute!!!
Totally hoping for “#6 Bring back customer mood boards…” ;) Miss them dearly, but I know your hands are full. Someday maybe???
Happy New Year!
YoungHouseLove says
We never say never so it’s always a possibility!
xo,
s
Karen says
I always feel I’ll do better with couponing each year and I do pretty good :-) A wonderful site to help in that area is hip2save.com Also CVS is a wonderful place to get free deals, after you learn their extra bucks system. If you need any help, just e-mail me – I’d love to help :-)
Blessings in 2011
Julianna says
i LOVE how you guys blog!!! who cares what those haters say!
happy 2011
TiffanyM says
I use the http://www.Swaggrabber.com for the coupons and deals! They have weekly match ups and posts of good deals :D
Good Luck in 2011
Dana says
Love the resolutions, and so happy I found YHL this year! Happy New Year! :)
Janet says
As for # 4, I love your blog just the way it is! You’re always cheerful, optimistic, creative, and kind, and you’ve given me all sorts of inspiration over the last few years. My husband and I are in almost the same stage you are–newish house, decorating and home improvement projects on the cheap, baby on the way at the end of March…It’s great to know we’re not alone! So, thanks and happy New Year!
Hannah says
My uncle wrote that Bill Cosby quote in one of my and my husband’s guest books at our wedding. (We did little notebooks at each table.) It’s a great quote and a great motto to live by. It’s a refreshing feeling when you stop catering to others all the time. It’s something I’ve been trying recently too.
Ana says
@ Dana: My parents (in Texas) put in the tiles that look like hardwood about a year and a half ago and they love them. They’re in the main living area so they get a lot of traffic. Plus my parents have 2 dogs so durability was a big factor in their choice.
One key thing you have to do, though, is to buy coordinating grout from a tile store (which has many more shades available than your average big-box store). Find as close a color match as possible to the tile and the whole installation will fool everyone into thinking it’s real wood.
Another thing (if you’re going to DIY) is to plan out where the grout lines will fall. You need be careful to stagger the tiles (since all of them are the same size) to mimic the look of wood floors. And definitely shop around. My mom and I went to about half a dozen stores and she was able to find a good deal on tile and installation (for the same price as just the tile at some places).
Rebecca says
Best wishes to you and your family this New Year! I’ve want to let you know that all your work doesn’t go unnoticed and I think y’all are great. I’m an Interior Designer- turned stay-at-home-mom, here in Denver and check up on ya daily. I think you’re doing an AMAZING job and wish you the best w/ your New Year’s resolutions! Balance w/ a family and home renovations certainly is key and in my resolutions too. Thanks for your daily dose of inspiration- Much love!
cheep3r5 says
Happy New Year!!!
OT a tiny bit. Not trying to be a saleperson, but everyone thinks finances in the new year…like me. =)
For those who are not yet frugal or those wanting to be more frugalicious, I found an app for my Droid that simulates the envelope budget method. I can do it without needing to connect to my bank. Bonus! It can synchronize on two or more phones, so two or more spenders are always on the same page. I am not a sales person just someone who has resolved to get our household budget under control.
Easy Envelope Budget Aid, an online envelope budgeting system for Android, mobile Web & the Web.
https://www.eebacanhelp.com/login.php
PS second the Mood Board revival. Loved seeing those – like surprise presents every now and then. =)
Beth@Just{Heart}It says
Oooooh! I’m with Kate on that #6 resolution!! :-)
Emily S says
Someone probably already said this, but on Jay Leno last night (a rerun), he went to some houses visiting random people for the holidays and one of the families had a little girl, 2 or 3, I guess, who was soooo cute! Clearly her dad was a mechanic of some sort, because she just kept naming all these tools and car parts… “that’s a Phillips”… “that’s a piston”…. She was adorable!
Brandi @ GiveSomeHAPPY says
Happy New Year Petersik Family! It has been a true delight following your blog over the last year. I hope 2011 brings you even more new projects, crazy-fun family adventures (with Clara and Burger) and many joyful moments you’ll remember in years to come.
Love the photo of Clara – so cute. Just curious but what do you do with all the fabric once you’ve taken her photo? Future project, maybe?
Have a wonderful New Year!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Brandi,
We’re saving all the fabric for a big project when Clara’s a year old. Not sure if it’ll be a quilt or a fabric bunting or one of each or something else entirely. Time will tell!
xo,
s
Nancy says
I agree with your #2 for everyone! Since we bought our new (old) house, everything has been saving money for something for the house. I realized that we haven’t taken a real vacation in over a year. I remember reading a study that came out this year that having more stuff and more money doesn’t make anyone happier. For example, taking a trip vs. buying a new TV. I always remember our vacations with family and friends with the fondest of memories no matter how fun or horrible they were! My resolution is to save money for a vacation with the hubby too.
Kristen says
Best wishes to all of you for a happy, healthy, home-improving new year! I love your blog, and I couldn’t care less how you blog, as long as you do! I hope you guys get to take some vacations – I think we can all live without you for a few days in order for you guys to get some down time – and experience new things!
cheep3r5 says
PS Looking at the new house pics, I know absolutely that particular house was supposed to be yours. The floors, the layout, the space. Perfect. =D I am so excited to see what happens in 2011. Please have a safe, happy healthy new year. Your huge fan in a tiny town.
H.
Kathy says
I was not only entertained by your resolutions post (the “I’m dehydrated” dramatic child story is so funny), but I can relate to your goals–except in a different context. Most of us should follow suit re: not trying to please everybody. It’s stressful and doesn’t make a difference to try. As a teacher, I can teach two classes exactly the same way, but inevitably there’s one class that thinks I’m a rock star and another that despise me! Haha…. I just can’t believe that YHL would ever get criticism; iat’s a great blog—so well written and entertaining! Happy New Year!
laurajane says
I love Clara- she’s so adorable and looks ready to party!!!
Hope you have a great NYE
Lauren @ Beautiful Fight says
Cute idea about teaching Clara about “drywall” and “baseboards”.
Stephanie says
I just started following your guys’ blog and I absolutely love it all! That’s so funny you mentioned the TLC extreme couponing show, I have been talking nonstop about it since I saw it, I was in awe!
I hope you have a wonderful new year, I look forward to reading more of your blog!
betsy says
wonderful resolutions, it’s easier to keep them when humor is added, so well done! I applaud you for #4, the best response to critics is “Obviously we are doing SOMETHING right!”, I am loving the real-time updates, so keep doing what you are doing. I am very interested to see how couponing goes for you all (and a little surprised you haven’t done it yet!).
PS: loving Ed, the new duvet, and bedroom color scheme. Happy New Year!
Sayard says
I thought coupons were stupid until we bought a house, now everyone calls me the coupon queen but we SERIOUSLY save SO much $$. The best trick I’ll give you is we buy a lot of our coupons off eBay. You can buy 10% off coupons to Lowe’s on eBay and use them at Home Depot too (they accept competitor coupons).. so if you’re spending $50-$100 or more.. it seems totally worth it. Also retailmenot.com is a great site for coupons, you’ll be impressed with how much you save!!
Angela S. says
I love your blog style too! I love seeing how people attack various decorating tasks in different ways. Sometimes it’s not the way I’d necessarily do it, but other times I realize how good of an idea it was and how much I’m an idiot for not thinking of it first!
I can’t wait to see the remodeling and decorating you guys have planned. Keep up the great work!
Kaz in Oz says
Happy New Year guys!
Love #5. Our boys are now 5 and 7 and definitely know their way around a toolkit, they even know to ask for the size of the srewdriver.
Definitely take some time for you. We are about to leave the 2 working parent life with big mortgage in the city for the single income (mine) renting life in the country while hubby studies for fulltime ministry. Less complicated and no long commutes for work – if you rule out my 200km drives to visit my patients.
My only resoluation is to be punctual. If that involves getting up evey day at 5am so I can fit as much in as possible (like I am today) then so be it.
Love from 2011 – we are already there!!!
Care says
You guys really have about the most beautiful little girl I’ve ever seen! Soo sweet!!
MaryB in Richmond says
You wrote this blog post entirely wrong. Here, let me tell you what you should have done:
Heh.
One time Elliot said to me “Every time a grownup talks to me, it ends up being a lecture.” I whipped around at him and said “Sit down right there young man and you better listen to me.”
And he sat right down, totally cowed and ready for his lecture, and I laughed so hard I cried. Eventually, grudgingly, he admitted it was pretty damn funny, although he pointed out that his initial reaction was resignation.
Heh. Good for you guys, of course; I love all your resolutions!
Kara says
I have been couponing for about a year and a half now and have been blown away by how much you can save by matching coupons with a store sale…and stocking up when the price is right! I never knew a store could actully pay you (better than free) to take items off their shelves. I will never go back to my old ways of shopping. Plus, it has given me an opportunity to donate many items to shelters and foodbanks. Both of which I was never able to do while paying full price for items. Although the TLC show shed some bad light on the process (looked more like hoarding than saving money for your family and donating what you don’t need)…it did show what types of savings you can expect when using your coupon at the right time, matched with the right sale.
Here are my favorite coupon blogs to follow:
http://www.thekrazycouponlady.com (make sure you check out the 10 days to becoming a krazy coupon lady in the beginners tab)
http://www.hip2save.com
http://www.moneysavingmom.com
Happy saving!
Erin says
You guys do great! Resolution #4 should include doing just what YOU want.. but wait, that’s me sharing what I think you should be doing.. oops!
Love the idea of teaching Clara such words, my brothers first sentence way back when was “I need my hammmaaaaaa(er, hammer)”
I’ve gotta get on this saving money/ couponing thing too. And you mentioned in your previous post that you googled around for a discount code. Is it often you can stumble upon those?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
We have found that if you google the name of the store and the term coupon code (ex: “west elm coupon code”) a ton of them pop up and we try plugging them in until one does the trick. We have about an 80% success rate with the ones we find working, so it’s definitely worth a quick search!
xo,
s
Anna says
Love your blog – and I just had to comment as a reading teacher that your #5 resolution is awesome! Not only cute and funny, but actually super important. Kids acquisition of vocab before the age of 3 is crucial. (It sets the stage for them to be able to acquire a more extensive vocabulary later on, and helps with reading, etc.) So many people try to use baby talk with their kids, when actually, we should be doing the opposite. So have a blast teaching your tot all things home improvement :)
Briana says
OMGz I LOVE couponing! I don’t actually do it anymore (AmazonFresh & Pike Place are just too much heaven to take the time to coupon again) but right around this time last year we managed to score $500 worth of household products (think body wash, shampoo, toilet paper, dish soap, deodorant, etc) for a net profit of 8 cents. Yes, they paid us to take all that stuff! And we’re still using it! We’l probably use the dish soap for the next five years!
Find a system that you like and make your lists (Sherry- another reason for lists!) and go on a mission. http://www.superjenn.com is a friend of mine and she was the one that coached us through learning how to coupon. She’s incredible at it and donates all sorts of stuff to charity by couponing too!
Good luck with all of the resolutions, it sounds like you’ve got a lot of people here to encourage you as you go!
(PS- my first non-contest entering comment! yay!)
(PPS- we bought 3 Billys last night for our living room and I really wanted to call you with my glee because I feel like we are friends. <3 the blog!)
Erin N says
Couponing is the best thing ever!!!! I’ve become more and more of a couponer in the past year, and it has saved us a ton of money. And you totally don’t have to be like the people on tv. A GREAT resource for me has been http://www.hip2save.com … she’s an awesome blogger, and she really explains things well. She tells you what coupons to use on what items to get it for cheap cheap cheap! It’s saved me a ton of time, because couponing can get quite time-consuming if you let it.
And way to go with following your heart and doing what you want with YOUR blog! It’s yours, do what you want! :)
Ashley says
Totally unrelated to this post…well kinda…but is that some reddish brown dare I say it HAIR that I see growing for dear Clara???
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! She’s finally sprouting some wispy hair! It actually looks blond in person, but we can’t tell if it’ll be platinum (like John’s when he was a baby) or dirty blond (like mine was). So cute.
xo,
s
Janet says
Laughing at #5. At his 18 mo checkup, the pediatrician asked about my (now 8 yr old) son’s fine motor skills. When I mentioned that he could use a phillips head screwdriver (and knew the name), he decided he was right on track. Trust me. It comes in handy. We are also moving this week, and the aforementioned son had numerous things taken apart via drill before I could turn around. What a champ. You’ll have fun teaching Clara these things now, but you’ll really love it later!!
Sugar Cookie says
My parents taught me the word “biodegradable” when I was little and people thought it was hilarious when I would say it. So funny that my folks aren’t the only ones teaching their kids big words!
(My parents also own an x-ray company, so when my younger sister hurt her heel, she told people that her calcanius hurt! Too funny!)
Erika says
Happy new year! And they sound like great resolutions. Good luck with those.
I’m giggling at you wanting to teach Clara work lingo and other long words. We are the same here. We managed to teach our eldest to say supercalifragilistic when she was 3 and now at 4 has also added bovine spongiform encephelepty (BSE)and anti disestablishmentarianism. I can just imagine your daughter in years to come with similar big words tripping off her tongue!
Liliana says
Here’s a site you might find very useful:
http://www.smartspendingresources.com/
~ L.
Alisha Landreth says
That is so funny you mention the Coupon show. My hubby and I watched it the other night. We are fascinated on how to do this nifty trick. Maybe not to the extent of the select few with a stock room. But we’d like to make it out of the grocery store spending only avg. of 10-20$ a week. Right now it’s about $65-75. Then we could use the rest to pay off the rest of our debt and help build furniture from ana-white that we’ve been drooling over for a couple years. Good luck on all the resolutions. I like hearing ones that aren’t in the ordinary.
Happy New Year!
renee says
love you guys!
Rachel says
These are great. I’m so excited to see the ways y’all use color in your new home! As a daily reader who rarely (OK, pretty much never) reads the comments, I was surprised by some of the things you said in resolution #4, namely that YHL is criticized in such a way. I personally love your writing style and blog posts and am looking forward to reading more in 2011. Keep up the great work (but y’all definitely deserve a vacation)!
Cathy says
Resolution #4 DON’T change a thing. I love, love, love, your blog and I’m looking forward to whatever you do next. Happy New Year.
Cate says
Haha at #4…. why are people telling you what you should and shouldn’t write about?! That’s insane… unless you ASK people, they shouldn’t have any say in it. I love what you guys write, but I’d still read it if you wrote more about say.. Clara, and less about painting. Or the other way round… I read your blog for the style of writing just as much as I read it for the content and topic.
Taylor says
Ah, balance… totally relate to that! Blessings on your efforts, and check out thegrocerygame.com for THE best method of grocery couponing ever (got us through 18 loooong, lean months of unemployment).
Lauren says
I taught my little man how to say “water displacement” while he was taking a bath one day. He used that phrase correctly from about age 2-3. Can he tell you what it means today? Only if I remind him…btw, he’s 5 as of yesterday.