Happy Friday + Links 6/23/17 (I need your input!)

Happy Friday! It's officially summer (!!!), which means all my produce and lazy day dreams are about to come true. The boys and I will be sampling raspberries off the vine and arugula fresh from the garden and we won't be sorry about it. Not one bit. Someday the Farmhouse will have a well-placed hammock tucked back in the trees and an oversized swing on the porch, but for now, large blankets on the lawn covered in books and picnic fare will have to do! What are your dreams for summer? Before I get into the links today, I wanted to ask you a favor. Tell me what you'd like to see more of on this blog. I'm guessing that if you're here, you like old homes and renovations - and I'm not planning to change any of that core content - but what else are you interested in? Would you like to hear more about Garrett and my experiences as landlords, Airbnb hosts, or early 'retirees'? Are you curious how we fill our days when we're not flipping a house, wrangling our boys, or filming a pilot for HGTV? Maybe you'd love more information and tips on the financial side of rentals and what it takes to retire young? And what about our country lifestyle and wild kids. Are you interested in any of that? Or perhaps you've been hoping for something else entirely. I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment here or reach out on Instagram or send me an email. Thanks in advance for being awesome :)

There was so much good stuff on the internet this week, so let's grab a cup of coffee and jump into it.

I changed my Instagram username to thegritandpolish. I know, groundbreaking stuff.

What a great, honest podcast from Chris Loves Julia this week. I love hearing about what goes on behind the scenes on blogs, and I'm not surprised in the least to hear that it takes two full-time people to keep a blog like CLJ running.

This Scandinavian home has all my heart eyes.

A moody picture of Wilder's birthday cakes that didn't make it into last week's recipe post. Sometimes I spend hours taking and editing photos only to realize that they don't fit the feel of the blog. Ugh. Sidenote: I had a piece (or two) of each cake and they were delicious. Second sidenote: #eatingfortwo, at least that's my excuse for another few weeks.

We have mosquitoes at the farmhouse. So. Many. Mosquitoes! So this cute candle just might be the ticket.

How a family of 4 eats for $150 a week in Waco Texas. I ate up this food budget diary...no pun intended. I'm strangely (or not so strangely...?) always interested with people's spending habits, especially when it comes to grocery budgets. Yeah, a little strange...