When I hyper-focus on a task, I'm known to go ALL IN. And that's exactly how I approached the giant job of digitizing all of our old photo albums. We crowdsourced suggestions, took some deep dives into message boards, and Googled the heck out of it. From there, I narrowed our options to 5 photo digitization methods that we tested for quality, price, and speed. There was one clear winner for us, but also lots of other good ways to go about it (even free ones!), depending on your personal priorities. So I'm going to lay out everything we tried, and why we had a clear favorite.

Continue reading The Best Way To Digitize Old Photos at Young House Love.

Our big renovation project isn't anywhere close to done (it just started this week, and Sherry's sharing peeks over on Instagram in stories) but I've already embarked on another project that I've wanted to tackle for years: digitizing all of our old photos! It's arguably less exciting than our renovation, but I'm genuinely eager to tackle this long-overdue project. And since we're not the only ones who suffer from photo clutter, I plan to document my process for anyone else who is also interested in digitizing their photos. So I'll be testing out a few digitization methods, and sharing tips along the way.

Continue reading The Other Project We’re Starting… at Young House Love.

Every time I go to Europe for a week with just one carry on (and a purse as my personal item) I get asked for a detailed rundown of how that's possible. (There have been two times. That made it sound like I go every month.) But I've definitely worked out a packing method that allows me to travel lightly and have lots of outfit options that I love wearing.

Continue reading How I Packed Light For My Trip to Italy at Young House Love.

Got little bugs buzzing around your kitchen? Congratulations, you may have fruit flies! Don't fret. These annoying pests are pretty common but luckily, it doesn't take a lot of money, supplies, or effort to get rid of them. In fact, you can probably find everything you need in your cabinets! We recently had a fruit fly problem in our home (the first time in over four years here - we have no idea what brought them in). So I seized the opportunity to test 7 different methods of eliminating them. Yes, there were copious notes taken and even a spreadsheet. So today I'm sharing the best fruit fly traps and how to make them.

Continue reading How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies – The Best Homemade Traps at Young House Love.

We started using a homemade window cleaner last year and immediately regretted not switching sooner. Not only is it cheaper than storebought stuff like Windex, it also cleans better and without streaks! Plus, it only takes 2 ingredients (although more can be added). So grab an empty spray bottle and come see the light with us! That's supposed to be a clean window pun, btw...

Continue reading The Easiest Homemade Window Cleaner at Young House Love.

This simple method for cleaning a stainless steel sink is quite literally my favorite household cleaning task. I am not exaggerating. It is SO easy, SO simple, and SO SO SO effective. It requires no special or harsh cleaners and will restore your sink to its original sparkle within minutes. Sherry tried this method first and we have both loved using it ever since. I even taught our kids how to do it. But honestly, it's so satisfying to do that I usually keep it to myself.

Continue reading How To Clean A Stainless Steel Sink at Young House Love.

We love any excuse to buy more plants, and you may have heard they can improve your home’s indoor air quality. But before you blow your paycheck in the name of a healthier home, let’s dive deeper into plants’ air purifying powers. We’ll share which plants we recommend and what benefits you can actually expect from them.

We’ve heard for years about how plants act as natural air filters for your home. So let’s dive a little deeper, shall we?

7 Air Purifying Plants

If you just came here for a list, our favorite air purifying houseplants are bulleted below. The best part is these are all beautiful, low-maintenance plants. Many also appear on our best low-light indoor plants list too!

1. Dracaena (including Corn Plant)
2. Snake Plant
3. Aglaonema
4. English Ivy
5. Pothos
6. Bamboo Palm
7. Spider Plant

There are certainly more that could be included here, but we narrowed it to the ones that are most often cited by experts AND the plants that we think look best too.

Continue reading Best Air Purifying Plants at Young House Love.

Many people think pressure washers are complicated to set up, expensive to buy, or hard to control. But good news! They are none of those things. Pressure washing is an easy, affordable, and TOTALLY AWESOME way to keep your outdoor spaces looking fresh. So here’s a comprehensive start-to-finish guide for anyone who’s ready to get their pressure washing feet wet (maybe even literally).

We were a bit intimidated the first time we tried pressure washing nearly 10 years ago. The cumbersome gas-powered machine we rented for a day was so big it didn’t even fit in our car! So I TOTALLY understand anyone with PWH (pressure washing hesitation).

Our Favorite Pressure Washer

But that all changed when we found a GREAT pressure washer that’s super compact and easy to use – this electric pressure washer from Ryobi. Both Sherry and I use it regularly – and neither of us have any issues controlling it or having enough power to get every single task on our list done.

Continue reading A Beginner’s Guide To Pressure Washing at Young House Love.