My half-joking answer to many questions or compliments on my solution for something in my home is to grin and say, "Really, I'm just lazy!" 😉 Maybe "lazy" is the wrong word, but you're intelligent readers who know what I mean. If there's a better, faster, more efficient way to do something, why wouldn't we want to do it? Work smarter, not harder!🤗 At this phase of life, time in a fresh, clean room to…
Our first post about this can be found here. Did you know that one of the top 3 reasons we started this blog and business was because our dream was to one day be able to work from anywhere in the world?! 🌍💻 And while it didn't necessarily happen quite the way we imagined it would (our imaginations were already hazy around it because when you have what feels like a Big Giant Crazy Dream,…
Yes, that title is correct. We came to India for the food. But who knew that this love for Indian food would be what gave us the richest cultural and interpersonal experiences in India? My first taste of my favorite type of food was all thanks to my women’s rugby team in England. I was 19 (just a young lil' thing!) and studying abroad in England. One day after practice, our uber-social-butterfly team captain announced…
On our way from Africa, we did some "island hopping" between Madagascar, Reunion Island, and finally Mauritius for one final week before India. It was a good thing we did this, because we were still recovering from the "Mystery Jungle Virus" we got our last week in Madagascar! And Mauritius was the perfect laid-back place to do that. But first we had a stopover in Reunion Island... which was lovely! Going from a super-remote spot…
"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." During a conversation with my daughter about our post on Madagascar, this is what I laughingly suggested should be the intro for this post. Why? Madagascar has some of the most fun memories and quite possibly our worst memory from our two years of living abroad and out of suitcases.😅 But first things first...let's talk about why we decided to visit Madagascar after…
For some reason, I suspected we’d really like Namibia (hence the reason I added it to our several months of Africa travels)...and that suspicion proved true! All I'd seen years ago was some photographs of some sand and dunes in the interior of Namibia, and that's all it took. Why? Because it looked unique. IF I am going to traipse around the world (esp with children in tow) exploring new areas, there had better be…
Since we had expected to be exhausted after our prior months traveling through East Africa (from Rwanda to Namibia, you can see those HERE)... ...we planned ahead and rented a place outside of Cape Town (South Africa) to rest, recoup, and leisurely just "live" for a good long while! Growing up, whenever I saw pictures of this area of South Africa (usually with The Twelve Apostles mountain range or Table Mountain in the background!), I…
Looking for the #1 banquette seating with storage (or without) for you? From built-in banquette bench designs to small or modern options, I've narrowed it down here to 12 options to help you choose the one that solves YOUR exact unique need!🙌 All banquettes are not created alike! (Nor should they be! ;) ) Feeling overwhelmed with which type to choose for yourself? I'm here to simplify it for you!🤗 First, you must understand the…
Do you NEED floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for your room(s)? A tall built-in or even cleverly-done DIY bookshelf can solve a heap of visual AND functional problems in your home! How? We'll show you! To Bookshelf vs not To Bookshelf, that is the question!🤓 Bookshelves are can add warmth and depth, but they're also notoriously busy and cluttered-looking. Yet people continue to build them, want them, and search online for examples of where a bookshelf (or two,…
Looking for the cleverest problem-solving solution for your awkward living room layout with fireplace? Even if it's a corner fireplace, as a professional layout expert I'm here to help you figure this out once and for all! :) 💪 Not all living rooms with a fireplace are laid out in the magical dimensions that dreams are made of!😅 (In fact, most living rooms are not the perfect fit for the people living in them!) How…
Heyyy, you found us!🤗 It’s so fun to meet you! We’re Jess & Matt, a husband-wife team helping you create smart spaces that free up your time & enjoyment! We help you work smarter (not harder) + gain 100% confidence in every home decision you make! 👉Who’s “The Brain” & who’s “The Brawn”?
Get our Home Design Mini-Guide for FREE today when you join our 300,000+ followers for new tips + ideas!
Join below for FREE access to your free printables!
Join us for FREE design advice + get our Design Focus Mini-Guide for FREE!
If you have a question on your order, reply directly to your Order Confirmation email for the fastest response!↩️
