• Over 15 years ago, my husband and I thought we'd built the 3,000-square-foot home of our dreams.
• We added extra bathrooms, another bedroom, and focused on having tons of space for loved ones.
• Things didn't go as planned. Now, our home feels too big, and we regret some of our choices.

As millennials, my husband and I have long been aware that our likelihood of home ownership was abysmal.

After all, the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis was still fresh in our memories as we began designing our future. So, in 2009, when we got the opportunity to have our own home built, we went all in.

At the time, we were sharing a bedroom in my parents’ home with our 15-month-old, and I'd just discovered I was pregnant again. Talks of getting a house happened quickly, but it felt more like wishful thinking than something that would pan out.

However, when my husband and I looked into it, we were surprised to learn that we qualified for an FHA loan to finance a home.

We also found that home builders were relatively desperate to sell homes in order to offload properties they were saddled with after the housing crisis. This meant that the builders and their lenders were very accommodating of us as first-time home buyers.

Since we were taking the plunge anyway, we decided to build the house of our dreams — and we wanted to go big.

We had ideas for using a big house, but they didn’t quite work out as we’d planned

We chose a roughly 3,000-square-foot layout for our home and prioritized having lots of rooms.

Our home builder offered us a $15,000 upgrade credit that we used to add a powder room and an additional large bedroom with an ensuite bathroom similar to the primary.

The additions put the home layout at five bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths. Additionally, the house plan included both formal and casual dining rooms and a private office.

It may have seemed like a lot for our small family, but we planned to use the space and fill it with loved ones.

We were open to having more kids and planned to have my parents move in with us to help with childcare and share expenses. We also intended to have my grandma move into one of our extra rooms so we could help support her in her golden years.

Unfortunately, our plans didn’t work out as we’d expected. My grandmother died before the house was even finished. My parents only lived with us for about five years before moving full time into my grandmother's old home.

We did have a third child, but for years now, my husband and I have felt like we have too much house.

Although the extra bedroom with an ensuite bathroom was nice while my parents lived with us, it mostly goes unused now. Our larger home comes with higher utility bills, and there's no one else helping us to pay them now that my parents don't live here.

There's also a lot of space to take care of. For now, our children pitch in on chores to keep things tidy, but upkeep of our home lies on our shoulders.

Our oldest is now a year away from moving out for university, and I know our house will only seem bigger and emptier as the kids head off to college.

Sadly, some regrets can't be fixed with a bit of elbow grease

Looking back, there's a lot we could've done if we hadn't prioritized size and used all of that credit to make our home bigger.

For example, I'd love to have installed vaulted ceilings, but it feels far too late (and expensive) to make that change now. If we'd gone for a smaller house, maybe we could've had a larger back and front yard space.

It's easy to say the solution to our regrets is to downsize and trade our home in for a smaller model, but that's not for us.

Besides actively recoiling at the thought of ever having to pack and move again, staying in the home my kids are growing up in is valuable to my husband and me.

Also, I like knowing that our kids will be able to return to their childhood rooms whenever they want to, something neither my husband nor I can say for ourselves.

As much as I cherish the space that makes up our home, I can't help but have regrets when I think of upgrades we could’ve had or see an electricity bill.

My advice for anyone looking to buy a home is to plan for the absolutes. If you focus on preparing for contingencies instead of certainties, you might end up with something that doesn't serve your needs if they fall through.

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It's not food, it's not chewing tobacco and it's not gum — though it might look like it when you see it — but it is becoming America's new addictive obsession.

Why it matters: Sales of Zyn nicotine pouches are soaring, prompting the tobacco company that makes them to scramble to boost U.S. production to meet demand.

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The big picture: People are popping nicotine pouches into their mouths at games, at the movies, at the workplace, at home, at the store — it's America's new addictive habit.

• Celebrity Josh Brolin even admitted to using it while sleeping (which is not recommended).

How it works: Zyn pouches are placed between the gum and lip, gradually releasing nicotine over time.

• The pouches are discreet and don't produce smoke or odors like cigarettes.

Threat level: The product is addictive because nicotine is addictive.

• But it does not cause cancer since it doesn't contain tobacco, whose harmful chemicals are carcinogenic. As a result, advocates say nicotine pouches can serve as a safer alternative to smoking.
• Philip Morris International U.S. CEO Stacey Kennedy argued that nicotine is "misunderstood" and contains "cognitive benefits."
• "You have to be able to separate out the misconceptions of what causes harm — and nicotine is probably one of the most misunderstood compounds, because many people believe that nicotine is responsible for smoking-related disease, and it's not," Kennedy said in an interview.

Yes, but: Tobacco industry watchdogs say products that contain nicotine, such as pouches and e-cigarettes, can serve as a gateway to smoking, especially for teens.

• "Tobacco companies have a long history of lying to Congress and the public about the addictiveness of nicotine, so they're not a credible source of information about nicotine," Yolonda C. Richardson, CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told Axios in an email.
• "While those who smoke heavily and have been unable to quit may potentially benefit from switching completely to nicotine pouches, there is a concern that they may appeal to adolescents and other new users of nicotine, particularly through the way they are featured in advertisements," according to a synopsis of a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study.

By the numbers: U.S. shipments of Zyn pouches rose 177% from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2025.

• The company got 42% of its revenue from smoke-free products in Q1 2025 as it pursues its goal of one day ending cigarette sales — a stated objective that critics say is hollow given that smokers continue to deliver substantial revenue.
• PMI — which sells cigarettes outside of the U.S. but does not sell them here — still gets a majority of its revenue from smokers, but that's likely to flip soon as Zyn sales continue to grow. (PMI split off from Philip Morris USA owner Altria Group in 2008. Their deal called for Altria to sell Marlboro cigarettes in the U.S., while Philip Morris International would sell them in other markets.)

State of play: Sales could accelerate further after the FDA, in the final days of the Biden administration, authorized the marketing of 20 Zyn products following an extensive scientific review.

• Matthew Farrelly, director of the Office of Science in the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, noted in the FDA's announcement about Zyn's marketing approval that "the data show that these nicotine pouch products" are "benefiting adults who use cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco products and completely switch to these products."
• Now the company is adding a $600 million plant in Aurora, Colorado, to boost production.

The big question: Will the Trump administration be friendly to nicotine pouches?

• So far the new leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA have said little about their approach to tobacco and nicotine product regulation.
• An HHS spokesperson recently told Axios that the FDA's "position is centered on reducing the harm caused by nicotine addiction — particularly through combustible tobacco products like cigarettes — while exploring strategies to make less harmful alternatives available to adults who are trying to quit smoking."
• "Nicotine itself, while addictive, is not the primary cause of smoking-related disease and death. Those are caused by the thousands of harmful chemicals in combustible tobacco," the spokesperson said.
• The FDA is "working to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes to minimally addictive or non-addictive levels, aiming to prevent youth initiation and help current smokers quit."

The bottom line: Once you become aware of nicotine pouches, you'll start to spot people using them.

• Torrential rain and flash floods hit parts of central Texas on Friday.
• At least 24 people have died in the floods, and more than 20 children are missing from Camp Mystic.
• The National Weather Service said the Guadalupe River at Hunt hit its second-highest height on record.

At least 24 people have died after heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in parts of central Texas on Friday.

More than 20 children are also missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp along the Guadalupe River, which Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said had risen 26 feet in 45 minutes as torrential rain battered the region.

The National Weather Service said the Guadalupe River at Hunt hit its second-highest height on record on Friday.

The service said Saturday morning that rises were also beginning to occur on Lake Travis, and warned of "dangerous and life-threatening flooding and heavy rain" over Burnet, western Williamson, and northwestern Travis counties.

Here are some images showing the impact of the flooding and ongoing search and rescue efforts.

• I spent one night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, a five-star hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia.
• I slept in a Fairmont Gold room that costs about $725 per night.
• I left the luxury hotel wishing I'd booked a longer stay.

When I think of the Fairmont hotel brand, two words come to mind: historic luxury.

From Quebec City's Fairmont Le Château Frontenac to the iconic Plaza Hotel towering over Central Park in Manhattan, every Fairmont hotel I'd stayed in or gawked at from across the street had been reminiscent of a renaissance castle — until I spent one night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, British Columbia, in May.

"We're a lot more contemporary with a different demographic," a representative of the Fairmont Pacific Rim told Business Insider.

While Fairmont's heritage hotels give guests a peek into the past, the Fairmont Pacific Rim embraces modern luxury. The five-star hotel has won numerous awards since it opened in 2010, including being named the No. 1 hotel in Western Canada in the Condé Nast Traveler 2024 Readers' Choice Awards.

One lavish night in a $725 room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim swept me off my feet. In fact, I left wishing I'd booked it for a longer stay.

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President Trump said the U.S. will begin sending letters Monday to other countries setting a tariff rate on their imports.

Why it matters: After months of threats, Trump is abruptly re-escalating the trade war.

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• For businesses craving certainty, who've had a period of relative calm of late, the move could once again upset that balance.
• It also injects a new risk into financial markets that have largely moved on to a post-tariff world. European stocks, and U.S. stock futures, fell Friday as Trump warned the letters were coming.

Catch up quick: Trump told reporters late Friday aboard Air Force One that about a dozen letters would go out Monday.

• He didn't say which nations would be targeted, or what rates would be set.
• On Thursday, he said the rates in the letters would go into effect August 1 — and warned some could be as high as 70%.

Yes, but: The administration has used a similar tactic before — taking an aggressive posture on coming tariffs, but with a deadline just far enough out that trading partners could still bring last-minute offers the president would be willing to accept.

• Reports in recent days suggest multiple trading partners, including South Korea and Thailand, are scrambling to do just that.

Flashback: Trump set a new regime of sweeping global tariffs on April 2, only to pause much of it a week later.

• At that time, his administration promised 90 trade days in 90 days. Through the first 85 days, it made three — with the UK, China and Vietnam.
• In mid-May, Trump began indicating deals weren't really necessary, because the U.S. would simply send letters to trading partners in subsequent days setting a rate.
• He made the same threat again in mid-June, and once more late in the month, noting he preferred the letters as a simpler solution than complex talks with dozens of countries.

Between the lines: Though the tariff pause is due to expire July 9, some countries, like China and Canada, have separate deadlines later in the month or next month.

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated the deadlines are fungible and the goal is to be done with trade deals by Labor Day.

What we're watching: It's not clear how aggressive Trump intends to be with these new tariff rates.

• The Vietnam deal, for example, included a 20% rate — double the global baseline Trump imposed, but less than half what the country originally faced in April.

• I took my kids on a guided group tour across Italy.
• Visiting Europe with my teens was magical, and I didn't want to come home.
• I'd recommend Italy to families looking to try traveling abroad.

My husband and I visited Italy for the first time a few years ago on a Disney cruise, kid-free. Italy was so special, I returned home dreaming of returning with my teenagers. It took a few years, but this summer, we booked an Adventures by Disney trip — a highly organized form of group travel — and spent more than a week experiencing Rome, Tuscany, Florence, and Venice with our 17-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter.

I love traveling with my family, and we've been on some pretty incredible trips. But with responsibilities back home, I'm always ready to get back to the real world. As we walked through Venice on our last day in Italy, gelato cones in hand, I said to my family, "I wish we could stay a little longer, suspended in time just like this."

Preparing for our trip to Italy in advance made it go smoothly

I'm not sure if it was the specific trip we booked or Italy as a whole that captivated my family, but everything about the country fit our vacation style.

Before traveling, we spent a few months learning basic Italian and, since we'd received our itinerary in advance, we watched videos and read articles about things we'd do in Italy, from touring the Vatican Museum to seeing Michelangelo's David. Taking kids who felt familiar with Italian culture on a tour across the country made everything run smoothly.

We did touristy things, but I let my kids do teenager things, too

It was delightful to watch my teenagers experience the country for the first time. Little things felt incredibly rewarding, like watching them savor delicious pizza or learn to make fresh pasta by hand. Yes, my teens liked checking out important bits of Italian history and culture, but they also loved ordering different menu items from Italian McDonald's or finding Starbucks shops and trying new-to-them sips.

When my husband made a comment about them only wanting to do things we had back home, I reminded him that it's their vacation, too, and the way to get kids to enjoy travel is to let them pick some activities based on what they like.

There was something to do for everyone

Although our group tour consisted of about 40 travelers we were exploring the country with, we loved that there were periods of free time built into every day. On our own, we took my film-loving son to a movie at a Roman theater and saw my daughter squeal with excitement over shopping for clothes at Italian stores.

Italy felt like the perfect place to see sights and learn, but was also a wonderful spot to do things my kids were interested in, right down to the cat sanctuary we visited in Rome, located within the ruins of the spot where Julius Caesar was killed.

A group travel-style trip is perfect for a family's first time in Europe

My kids had been out of the US on vacations before, but mostly to places like all-inclusive resorts in spots like Turks and Caicos. I was nervous about taking them to Europe for the first time, and was glad I turned over the planning to a company like Adventures by Disney so I could enjoy the trip without worrying about logistics.

Everything on our trip was handled by our guides, who traveled with us and helped get everyone in our group safely to the next activity. Tickets for a tour of Rome's Colosseum or a walking tour of Doge's Palace in Venice were all part of the trip cost, as were fun activities like a pizza-tasting party and dinner at a medieval villa, complete with Italian folk music performers.

I wasn't alone in my appreciation for the itinerary-planning help: Every mom I chatted with on the trip said they'd booked it because all they had to do was show up and enjoy, rather than spending their entire vacation buying tickets, scheduling activities, and dealing with things that would inevitably go awry. Visiting a foreign country with kids can feel daunting, and doing so as part of a group travel experience with dedicated guides made all the difference.

Our trip was so successful, my teens already want to go back to Europe

My kids loved Italy so much that they're already asking when we can travel abroad next. Bitten by the European travel bug, they've asked about visiting countries like France and England.

Italy was the perfect jumping-off point for my teenagers, and the friendly people there (who graciously spoke English whenever they realized we were Americans, and were very patient with us practicing our Duolingo-learned Italian) were so kind to my kids. In fact, while I'm thrilled they want to visit other countries, I'd take them back to Italy again to try to recapture the magical time we spent there.

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