Go Behind-the-Scenes to Get the Latest on Ben and Erin Napier

Erin and Ben announced that they’re expecting their second child, a baby girl, in May. The couple’s first child, Helen, was born in early January 2018. Erin opened up on Instagram about how she was able to keep the pregnancy quiet.

“By now, most of you know that in just a few weeks, we will be adding another little face to our home videos and photo albums,” she wrote. “Just like Helen did, her little sister has made it easy to keep her secret by being tiny even now, and I’m deeply thankful that we’ve had almost 8 months of keeping this our news just for our family and close friends.”

Ben also shared on Instagram how excited he is to see their family grow. “I grew up with built-in best friends. My 3 brothers and I speak our own language and know the dance when it’s time to move a piano into a house together. Helen will have that with her little sister.”

Erin’s unique designs on Home Town are at the forefront of a new design movement. It’s being called the “Grandmillennial” style by some in the design world. This aesthetic lives far beyond the white walls and minimalism that many designers have embraced in recent years. It is being fueled by millennials who are thrilled to score some of their grandparents castoffs. They restore and add new life to these classic pieces of furniture. In the above image, we see Erin painting an old lampshade so it matches the wallpaper. Yes, that’s a thing and we’re totally here for it!

Related: Ben and Erin Napier Renovate One of Laurel’s Finest Homes With This $140,000 Reno

You know when you find out somebody’s name and it just fits perfectly? That’s what we felt like when we discovered Erin’s middle name is Rasberry. It’s fresh, summery and full of goodness. We found this little tidbit of information on the University of Mississippi website. Erin attended Ole Miss, where she earned her degree in graphic design.

Related: Ben & Erin’s Latest Home Town Transformation Was Once an Abandoned $25K Bungalow

Ben and Erin are a friendly couple who have been shocked by some of the rudeness on social media. They have been advocates of making it a safer space. In a recent post to her Instagram account, which she calls her “cozy place,” Erin writes: “If you are thinking to yourself ‘well it feels good to say my peace, warts and all!’ go ahead and tap that unfollow button. People who feel that way have nothing in common with me and you’re not going to fit in here. I get to say who participates in what I share and if someone is cruel or critical, I block them. I guard my heart. I recommend you do the same, so we clean up this cozy photo journal we’re all trying to enjoy.” Amen.

Helen Napier was born in early January 2018, and she’s been keeping her proud parents on their toes ever since. A recent fall at a park sent little Helen to the hospital with broken legs. Erin has assured fans that her daughter is getting the best care and is healing well. Luckily children heal quickly.

Related: 12 DIY Decor Projects for Your Baby’s Nursery

When Helen was a baby she had the most perfect baptism, and on Father’s Day, too. As if the date itself wasn’t completely special, the couple had some pretty unique touches that made it that much more so. Helen was baptized by Ben’s parents for starters, and she wore a gown that Erin’s mama made from her wedding dress. “I think of Ben and of my Daddy today and realized this: Ben will be the standard against which Helen measures so much,” Erin shared on Instagram. “This measure of a man who is worthy, who loves her well, who is tough and tender.” Just cue the tears now.

Now that Helen is a bit older, she has a couple new friends. Ben and Erin have two Great Pyrenees doggies. They are Baker and Chevy, and while they are getting a bit older they can still snuggle. “He’s 12 and can barely walk now, but he can snuggle a little girl like you wouldn’t believe,” Erin posted on her Instagram account.

Erin and Ben have done such transformative things for Laurel that it was only a matter of time before they started branching out to other small towns across America. The couple announced late last year that they’re ready to hit the road and tackle their biggest project yet: helping an entire town in need of some TLC. In the six-episode Home Town Takeover they’ll pick a few individual homes to upgrade, as well as public spaces like parks, libraries, diners and rec centres.

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Ben and Erin have been married for over 10 years yet somehow it seems like they are still newlyweds, given the way they look at each other, help each other out, and build each other up… on and off the show. They’re almost too cute for words. “Thank you for the way you lead our family and take care of Helen and me, the way you hold my hand through every day. I still have a crush on you,” wrote Erin on the big day last November. Talk about #RelationshipGoals.

Related: 23 Tips To Creating a Dreamy Master Bedroom

For many people, having kids completely changes their outlook on life. That seems to be the case with Ben, who has made his health a bigger priority following Helen’s birth. He got “back on the wagon” after bringing his babe home and has trimmed down more than 50 pounds since. “Bringing Helen home and getting to experience those first few weeks with her and seeing how fast things change with children, it got my attention,” Ben told Today. “She was different every day and I want to experience as much of her life as possible. I want a long life so I can be there for Erin and Helen.”

Related: Scott McGillivray Reveals His Favourite Things to Do With His Daughters

Can we please just bottle up some of this couple’s energy and keep it for ourselves? With everything else they’ve had going on recently, Ben and Erin also published a book in the fall of 2018, Make Something Good Today. The memoir was lovingly crafted to help readers find the good in life and to celebrate the beauty of family and friends, something that is very much in line with the show and the Napier values.

If you’ve followed Ben and Erin’s love story, you know they met at Jones County Junior College, where they had crushes on each other from afar (their first official meet-and-greet was at a McDonalds). It’s only natural that the building holds a special place in both their hearts, so when they were asked to give a speech to the graduates there in May 2018, Ben reverse-transferred a few credits from The University of Mississippi and got his associates degree. “This is the place we met and started our lives together, so it feels nice to say I’m a Jones graduate,” he shared on Instagram.

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When you spend most of your time helping other people achieve the home of their dreams, we imagine it’s kind of exhausting to go home and do your own renos. Especially a kitchen reno, which as anyone who has been through one can attest, is one of the biggest. Yet Erin and Ben took the plunge, and we love the results. Their new space is warm, inviting and completely cozy, which as far as we’re concerned is how all kitchens should be.

In addition to being new parents, filming a TV series, and basically running all the things (Laurel Mercantile Co., for one), Ben also officially opened up The Scotsman General Store back in August 2018. Aside from getting your hands on some of Ben’s signature woodwork, the shop also sells everything from duct tape and flannel to glass bottle sodas and “fancy artisan marshmallows.” Sounds like there’s something for every kid and adult alike who walks through those beautiful retro doors. Whoever said that mom-and-pop shops didn’t have mass appeal?

While Ben and Erin would love it if you visited one of their stores, they have a few others stores they would recommend like Sweet Somethings, a bakery in downtown Laurel where you can get a sticky bun, cookie or ice cream cone. For a main course and some Southern food they like Pearl Diner which serves a killer fried chicken. There’s also mac and cheese if that’s your thing. Maybe when you are driving through town you will see some of their incredible renovations!

Related: Ben and Erin Help Their Longtime Friend With a Healing Renovation