Rug Cuddle (With Us)

In this episode, we push back on the status quo—from building a custom family bed to co-sleeping work, to Kate opening up about what she’s stopped doing to please society (like shaving) and fully embracing aging, to be an example for our daughter. Tess might not have met her match from the podcast, but it did spark a fun night out with longtime friends—also single and ready to mingle—and led to a...

In this episode, we’re racing to finish our guest house before visitors arrive but an unexpected (and very unwanted) guest—mold—might just change everything. A caller sparks a conversation about the feng shui and Kate shares the rules she swears by to make a space feel as good as it looks—but things take a turn when Joey starts questioning her about the Somavedic under their bed… Meanwhile, Kate c...

You may have seen our viral outdoor shower transformation looking stunning on social media… and in this episode, we’re spilling the realiTEA of that project—including why Joey still showers in his boxers. We talk about everything from diets (we’ve truly tried them all), to turning your kids’ handwriting into custom fonts (credit to Sydni Moran), to Harry Potter fan fiction, and even a criminal who...

In this episode, we’re diving into the art of thrifting—as designers who furnished nearly our entire first apartment secondhand and now source one-of-a-kind vintage gems for our makeover videos. As we enter a thrifting golden era, we’re breaking down how to spot what’s actually worth grabbing, plus the unexpected items most people overlook (but make incredible kids' toys or gifts). What are your f...

In this episode, we get into the personality differences that cause most of our arguments—but also make us who we are. Kate opens up about what it’s like being a highly sensitive person, while Joey cannot wrap his head around why someone hasn’t invented a female urinal to fix long bathroom lines. We also give a shoutout to the Staples Baddie for fully embodying the creative weirdo spirit, and on o...

This week we’re sharing what we’ve learned the hard way from our four-year renovationship with our dream home (that Joey admits he might have ruined)… including what we’ve learned about when DIYing makes sense vs when it’s worth calling in the pros. Plus we’re diving into matrescence—the wild identity shift that comes with becoming a parent—along with brand bibles and our packing habits. Talk Dirt...

This week, we’re talking about what it means to be YouTubers raising kids in a screen-free home, the tensions of working online while limiting screens offline, and how we try to stay on the creating-not-consuming side of technology. Plus, a very special guest (MY DAD) with firsthand experience raising a screen-free kid (ME!!) weighs in. We also get into creative resilience - why getting better can...

In this episode, we’re romanticizing not sticking to traditional timelines and having kids later in life. We talk with Tess about freezing her eggs and why there’s no single right schedule for starting a family… though Kate did have to draw the line at Joey’s idea of having a surrogate baby at 60.Then we get into small ways to romanticize your everyday life, including an internet challenge that mi...

This week, Joey had a full girl-dad existential spiral after realizing he can’t actually protect our daughter from the male gaze, which turned into a larger parenting conversation about raising our kids to create systemic change. We also answer a listener question about Kate’s uncanny ability to design spaces that feel perfectly personal: design intuition, empathy, or maybe some inherited psychic...

This week, we revisit the decisions that changed everything — from starting a YouTube channel when no one took it seriously to Tess walking away from her engagement (3 rings later!?) We unpack what sixteen years online has really meant: growing older on camera, deciding how much of our lives (and our kids’ lives) to share, facing imposter syndrome, and pushing back against algorithms and AI with c...

This week’s rug ramblings jump from raising emotionally healthy boys to defending co-sleeping to discovering the internet is rating Joey’s feet. Kate flips through the “journal ecosystem” that keeps her productive, fuels her creativity, supports her mental health, and yes, includes cute charms. We also have a breakthrough moment when Joey finally understands why BookTok loves spicy romantasy novel...

This week we cuddle up and get chatty about how to stop your kid from swearing when, honestly, it’s kind of hilarious. Kate gets real about her creative crash outs, and we take your call-ins on Waldorf school and Taking Five — the movie we met filming that now feels like a total fever dream. Tess joins us to unpack her current dating strategy and the spicy books she and Kate are devouring… while J...

Kate and Joey like you’ve never heard them before! 18 years together, running Mr. Kate and two kids later, we still have so much to talk about including keeping the spark alive with what…choremance?!, comparing our wildly different algorithms and what’s in them and sharing what we’ve been dm’ing each other lately. Kate names her Creative Spark of the week, taking inspiration from the analogue bag...

Rug Cuddle (with Us) is a cozy, funny lifestyle podcast about living a creative life in the real world. Hosted by Mr. Kate (aka Kate Albrecht), known for helping millions tap into their inner creative weirdo, and her husband Joey Zehr, who brings the practical to the whimsical—keeping the glitter out of the engine—Rug Cuddle (with Us) explores creativity, relationships, parenting, wellness, and mo...