u/Beginning_Show7066

Hi!

We’re currently fostering a Ridglan pup and think we might be about to foster fail. He’s a sweet, sweet boy and seeing him start to trust and come out of his shell is so special. The only issue is that he’s 10 months old! They initially told me he was between 1 and 3 but after a few days I said I’m pretty sure there’s an adolescent in there because he’s all energy and goofiness. And so there was!

My other lab beagle came to us at 1.5 and has always been so gentle and compliant. This new guy is not. And he has zero idea how to be in the world yet.

We always intended to get another beagle but I probably wouldn’t have chosen such a youngster! But here we are. With this sweet boy in our home.

So tell me. How crazy are they at this age? Can I handle this?!

PS. We’ll be working with a behaviourist who specializes in lab beagles to support him too.

Hi!

We have inherited some expensive but unbearably annoying surfaces from our previous homeowner and after 3 years of sucking it up I’m ready to rip them out.

I think the previous owners were into expensive aesthetics but not so much the practical use. We have a very small, dark basement level kitchen. They installed dark limestone counters which not only suck up the light and show every crumb on the surface, but also get stained and scratched by everything. We had them refinished and sealed a few months ago and they already look awful. It‘s not characterful patina, it’s splash marks and ring stains.

Same for the checkerboard marble floors. They are impossible to keep looking clean. They stain and scratch so easily. The large checkerboard pattern is also completely visually overwhelming in the space. They also installed a mirrored backsplash which I guess was to help with the light moving around the space but actually has the effect of reflecting anything that is sitting on the counter which makes everything look twice as messy. As well as giving you a constant reflection of your midriff. Which is really not what I’m looking for at this stage of life.

I’m really at the very beginning of this process so really looking for any guidance. Materials and designs for floors, countertops and backsplash that help with the light, but are relatively easy to maintain. We have kids and dogs and we cook a lot so I can’t be holding my breath every time someone brings citrus or vinegar into the room - which is our current situation!

Appliances, cabinets and layout are fine. It’s just the damn surfaces. Our home is old and quirky. An 1840s townhouse with lots of original features in the rest of the house and we lean into colour and character.

Anything you love? Anything you wish you’d avoided? Any tips and tricks? Budget is relatively flexible so happy to start with aspirational and work our way down!

On that note we also have a copper sink that requires as much tending as my children so maybe we take that out too while we’re at it.