295. How we’re managing sleep, room sharing, house progress, and large family life in this busy season + more Q&A!

Jun 24, 2025

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Life is full right now—between preparing for a new baby, building our dream home, and navigating the everyday rhythms of raising a big family. In this Q&A episode, I’m sharing how we’re handling baby sleep, toddler bedtime battles, room sharing, and pool days with non-swimmers—plus a few thoughts on off-grid readiness, Instant Pot meals, and how I’m embracing this once-in-a-lifetime season, even when it feels overwhelming.

In this episode, we cover:

A real-life update on what it’s like building a house with toddlers (hint: it’s not relaxing)
Thinking about generators, drafts, and wood stoves… and what we’re actually prioritizing
Why I love heating with wood—and the cozy setup we’ve included in the new house
My kefir theory on baby gender (just for fun!) and whether we “tried” for a girl
Navigating toddler bedtime battles and deciding when to hold the boundary
My thoughts on babies and toddlers sharing rooms—and what’s worked for us
Taking non-swimmers to the pool: how I manage it and when I’ve felt too outnumbered
Where I land on sleep training, co-sleeping, and why I never feel like an expert
Why having another baby girl doesn’t really change our bedroom plans—for now
Our choice to go with cedar lap siding and lean all the way into that vintage feel
Why I’ll never be without an Instant Pot (especially on a busy, unplanned Monday)
Processing the highs and lows of building a dream home while preparing for baby #9

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Try my Instant Pot beef carnitas for a quick from-scratch weeknight dinner!

Join my FREE masterclass to learn my 4-step framework for making money on YouTube

Master the rhythm of sourdough with confidence in my Simple Sourdough course

Gain the sewing knowledge and skills every homemaker needs in my Simple Sewing series

Turn your content creation dreams into a profitable business with my YouTube Success Academy

Keep all my favorite sourdough recipes at your fingertips in my Daily Sourdough cookbook

CONNECT

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.