Our Story
We never set out to build a business.
We simply wanted a way for me to stay home with our children. What started as writing lesson plans during nap time slowly turned into something much bigger than we ever expected.
Hi, I'm Lauren.
Before Built & Bound was ever an idea, I was a teacher with a dream of staying home with my children.
When my husband, Austin, was in college and working part-time at our church, that dream didn't exactly fit our budget. We knew it would require a lot of creativity—and a lot of faith.
So I started building.
During nap times and late nights, I began writing educational curriculum and sharing it online. What started as a small way to help support our family slowly grew into something much bigger. More curriculum became workbooks. Workbooks became planners. And eventually, they became books that found their way into homes and classrooms across the country.
As our family grew, so did the inspiration behind my writing.
Some of my favorite books were born from moments our own children walked through. When our daughter struggled with food allergies, I wrote a story to help children understand allergies with kindness and confidence. When one of our children faced surgery, I wrote the book I wished we'd had to prepare them. Other books grew from conversations about grief, feeling left out, eczema, becoming a sibling, and the everyday moments that shape childhood.
Every book begins the same way—with something our family lived first.
Around that same time, Austin and I decided to build a small garage apartment behind our home and list it on Airbnb. Between guests, I'd carry a sleeping baby in a wrap while my older kids "helped" me clean and reset the space for the next family arriving that afternoon.
Looking back, those little turnovers became the beginning of another passion.
One property became another. Then another. We learned how to renovate homes, design spaces that welcomed families, and create places where people could gather and make memories together. Somewhere along the way, I realized I loved the design process just as much as hosting.
Today, our family owns and manages multiple vacation homes throughout Texas, and every one has taught us something new about creating beautiful, functional spaces.
Built & Bound brings all of those passions together.
It's a place where you'll find the books we've written, planners and educational resources we've created, vacation homes we've designed, renovation projects, DIY tutorials, and the products we genuinely use and love in our own homes.
At its heart, Built & Bound is about building things that matter.
Whether that's a book that helps a child through a difficult season, a planner that brings order to a busy life, or a home where a family creates memories they'll never forget, my hope is always the same—that something we created makes life a little more meaningful for yours.
Welcome. I'm so glad you're here.
Why "Built & Bound"?
The name Built & Bound reflects everything we love creating.
Built represents the homes we've renovated, the businesses we've grown, the resources we've created, and the life we've worked hard to build.
Bound represents the stories that connect us—the books we read, the planners we fill, the memories we write down, and the relationships that hold families together.
Together, they tell the story of a life that's thought
fully built and meaningfully lived.