Ep. 12 Oh, the Enneagram? It’s Awesome!

My friend and Enneagram coach Leigh Kramer visits Sorta Awesome today as guest co-host. Most of you know me as a big Myers-Briggs geek, but what you may not know is that I TOTALLY dig the Enneagram system, too! Before we get into personalty types, we share our Awesome of the Week (Leigh’s revolves around a secret haunt in Nashville known for celebrity and ghostly appearances, and I share what recent event made my whole body completely flush). Then Leigh explains the Enneagram system for us which leads us to talk about why people resist discovering their type. What does this look like in relationship? In friendship? In major life events? Tune in to find out!

SHOW NOTES:

1) From Leigh’s blog at http://www.leighkramer.com/
Let’s Enneagram it Up!
Beyond the Road Less Traveled By

2) Enneagram Institute (Leigh is a 4I am a 9)
Richard Rohr’s The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective
The Wisdom of the Enneagram, Riso & Hudson

3) Leigh Kramer, yourenneagramcoach.com
FAQ page with more resources

Find Leigh on her blogTwitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Feedback on today’s show? Sign up for the show’s mailing list at tinyletter.com/SortaAwesome or leave a comment below (click the date link). And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook! You can find me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 11 Ready, Set, Summer!

Kelly is here for Episode 11, and we are talking all about summer! In this episode, we start as always with Awesome of the Week. Then, we each share our top summer finds - recipes, activities, treats, and more! Later in the show, I beg advice from her on how she handles screen time and scheduling in the summer. We would love to hear about your top summer finds, too! Find us on Twitter @SortaAwesomeMeg or in the Facebook Group: Sorta Awesome Hangout

SHOW NOTES:

1) Dude Perfect 

2) Mastrad Ice Pop Molds

3) Cajun Turkey Burgers

4) Talenti Gelato

5) Kelly’s favorite summer skirts at Athleta

6) Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street

7) The Style Scout: The Only Five Steamy, Dreamy Beauty Looks You Need for Summer; the Style Scouting Podcast

8) Buzz Feed: 29 Dollar Store Finds

9) Megan’s favorite Peppermint essential oil

10) L-Theanine

11) MomentQustodioCurbi

12) unlimited screen time at Narrowback Slacker

Find Kelly on her blogTwitterFacebook, and Instagram!

As always, thanks to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut! Find more from Progger at Proggermusic.com

Feedback on today’s show? Sign up for the show’s mailing list at tinyletter.com/SortaAwesome or leave a comment below (click the date link). And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook! You can find me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 10 Being An Adult in LA: film school, self-care, and fans who want to be friends

tumblr_inline_nr93s99RP11tpy7v1_500.jpg

Episode 10 is all about our Hollywood Housewife, Laura. After we share our Awesome of the Week, we dig into some listener questions that are just for her. She gives us the scoop on getting started in the film industry, shares her thoughts on the line between her readers and her friends, and describes the once-a-year ritual that strengthens her as a person.

SHOW NOTES:

1) Crime Writers On …    

Vincent Bugliosi on Amazon

2) The Bullet Journal System

Examples of Bullet Journal on Pinterest

Bullet Journal Junkies Facebook group

the journal I found on Amazon

(Pics of my own coming ASAP!)

3) hollywood housewife: how to listen to podcasts 101

4) Jeff Tremaine on IMDB

Find Laura on her blogFacebookInstagram, and Twitter!

As always, thanks to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut! Find more from Progger at Proggermusic.com

Feedback on today’s show? Sign up for the show’s mailing list at tinyletter.com/SortaAwesome or leave a comment below (click the date link). And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook! You can find me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 09 Voxer & Viral Videos & Oh So Much More

Rebekah from SimplyRebekah.com - our pop culture guru - joins us today as co-host. We cover so much ground in this episode! Everything from pregnancy announcements (the lame to the extraordinary) to the app that changed everything for how we keep up with friends. Also up for discussion? Oil pulling and No Poo also get some air time along with our thoughts on navigating boundaries in the entertainment we consume. SO MANY THOUGHTS. Better go ahead and hit play, right?

SHOW NOTES:

1) We Can’t Stop … Having Babies

Megan’s twins pregnancy announcement

2) Voxer

3) Oil Pulling :: How to Use Oil Pulling for Oral Health (Wellness Mama)

4) No Poo posts at Red & Honey and One Year After Quitting Shampoo: A No-Poo’ing Update 

Find Rebekah on her blogFacebookTwitter, and Instagram

As always, thanks to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut! Find more about Progger on their website and at BandCamp

Feedback on today’s show? Leave a comment below (click the date link) or find me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram! And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook!

 

Ep. 08 A Mantra for Moms

Episode 08 is different! And I feel nervous!

This episode is me flying solo. I had something on my heart that I wanted to share with you, and Mother’s Day weekend seemed like the perfect time to offer this little gift to you. And since I know many people will have lots of plans in the next few days, I made this one nice and short for you.

One announcement of note - we now have our own space to hangout on Facebook! Join us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout group on Facebook to have the chance to share your own Awesome of the Week and tell everyone how you would have answered the listener questions from each episode. I hope you’ll join us there!

As always, thanks to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut! Find more about Progger on their website and at BandCamp

Feedback on today’s show? Sign up for the show’s mailing list at tinyletter.com/SortaAwesome or leave a comment below (click the date link). Find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 07 Baby-Making & Art-Promoting

Episode 7 is a Kelly show!

Yes, my lovely friend Kelly Gordon of LoveWellBlog.com is back in the co-host seat. In non-recorded-non-podcast conversations with Kelly, we spend a lot of time giggling and a not small amount of time being serious. That’s the way today’s show is - plenty to laugh about before we answer some somewhat tough listener questions. 

SHOW NOTES (available at SortaAwesomeMegan.tumblr.com):

1) Periscope and some of Megan’s favorites on there:

Jon Acuff

Amanda Muse

thatblondegirlmandie

Mashable

World Vision USA

2) Kelly’s flowers!

3) All about the ENTP

4) Spirit-Led Parenting: From Fear to Freedom in Baby’s First Year

5) Robin Plemmons

6) Madeline L’Engle’s Walking on Water

Find Kelly on her blogTwitterFacebook, and Instagram!

Feedback on today’s show? Sign up for the show’s mailing list at tinyletter.com/SortaAwesome or leave a comment below (click the date link). Find me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 06 TriBeCa & OKC & Hollywood Kids

Episode 6 is a Laura show!

Our Hollywood Housewife is in New York City this week, so while she’s there, we talk about the TriBeCa film festival, the Oklahoma City bombing and memorial, and what it’s like to choose a school in Los Angeles. Plus, a few ideas on what to do with all those Instagram pics!

SHOW NOTES:

1) Oklahoma City Bombing

2) Former President Clinton’s visit to OKC

3) OKC Memorial Marathon & The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

4) TriBeCa film festival

5) Angry Sky, The Birth of Big AirBeing Evel

6) Laura’s IG stream
Hollywood Housewife posts on chatbooks & artifact uprising
minted
postagram

7) Hollywood Housewife: how to listen to podcasts 101

8) Hollywood Housewife: finding a preschool in los angeles

Find Laura on her blogFacebookInstagram, and Twitter!

Feedback on today’s show? Sign up for the show’s mailing list at tinyletter.com/SortaAwesome or leave a comment below (click the date link). Find me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 05 Erin Odom & Secrets to Sanity at Home

Many of you may know that the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle sale launches today. Erin Odom (of thehumbledhomemaker.com) is one of the co-founders of Ultimate Bundles, and I wanted to invite her on the show to talk shop … er … to talk home, I suppose.

Shortly after my twins turned a year old, Erin shared an incredibly simple piece of advice for managing the home with little ones underfoot, but that simple secret absolutely saved my sanity for many months to come. Erin and I talk about that advice she gave me, and then we talk about how the bundle business grew into what it has become today. Finally, she explains what all you can expect to find in the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle 2015. 

Click this link to listen to Episode 5 of Sorta Awesome featuring Erin Odom!

SHOW NOTES:

1. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Marie Kondo

2. Dear Mom Who Can’t Afford Organic Food

3. Just click on that pretty pic and it will take you straight to the UHB site where you’ll find EVERYTHING you need to know to purchase a bundle for yourself!

(That link is my affiliate link. That means if you purchase a bundle after clicking on my link, I’ll get a few bucks for the sale. It costs you absolutely nothing extra to buy the bundle through my link and it’s a super simple way to support the podcast! Click here for all the fine print and click here to read the FAQs of this sale.)

4. Controlling the Spin Within

Find Erin on her blog, Facebook, and Instagram!

As always, thanks to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut! Find more about Progger on their website and at BandCamp

Feedback on today’s show? Sign up for the show’s mailing list at tinyletter.com/SortaAwesome or leave a comment below (click the date link). Find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

Ep. 04 Awesome Podcasts & Books for Babes

SHOW NOTES:

We have a TON of links this week, so I’m keeping the commentary brief:

Afterbuzz’s TV’s The Bachelor After Show

Rob Has a Podcast

LOST Rewatch Podcast

The Popcast

 

Some of Megan’s current favorites

Rewatch

How to Do Everything

Start-Up

First Day Back

(See the full list here)

Some of Rebekah’s current favorites

This American Life

Longest Shortest Time

Spilled Milk

How They Blog

Inspired to Action

Books for Toddlers

Anything Sandra Boynton (we especially love Moo Ba La La La and Dinosaurs to Go)

Dr. Seuss collection

Pete the Cat: I love my white shoes (video), Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Llama Llama books

Red Truck

Maisy

Find Rebekah on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

As always, thanks to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut! Find more about Progger on their website and at BandCamp

Feedback on today’s show? Leave a comment below (click the date link) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 03 Meet Kelly!

You’ll be happy to know this is the first episode in which I get to prove I really am only sorta awesome - not fully awesome. In the opening minute of the show, I mistakenly refer to this as episode two of the show, even though it is, in reality, episode three. Viva la sorta!

That doesn’t dampen my excitement about this episode at all, however, because I am so thrilled to introduce you to the third regular co-host of this incredibly awesome team! Kelly Gordon of Love Well is one of my long-time blogging friends, and she is all kinds of awesome. I am so thrilled that she said yes to joining me in this project.

Today, I manage to stretch Kelly’s five minute life story into ten minutes (at least!) because I cannot stop asking her questions about her life, particularly about the years she worked as a local news producer. She shares about the challenges of solo parenting along with the one thing she is always talking about, a topic that I got quite a kick out of. All of that and - as always - we share our Awesome of the Week!

Show notes:

1) What my first blog looked like when Kelly and I became friends. (Oh, 2007. Bless your heart.) 

2) Kelly and I are both ENFPs married to INTJs - a Myers-Briggs match that is a lot of things but never boring! (Don’t know your MB type? We talk about it a lot around here. The 16personalities.com test is my current favorite of the online version of the tests.)

3) Here, let Ariel illustrate why this episode is almost an hour long!

4) I’ll happily confess to being a BIG fan of Stitch Fix! Click here to check it out for yourself if you haven’t already! 

I kept trying to get a good picture of my new top but it never happened. You can find better examples than my clumsy description  here and here.

5) Kelly, for this gift of inspiration, we thank thee! Chipotle-Glazed Meatloaf with Sweet Potatoes.

And yes. Yes! I HATE CILANTRO. Don’t try to change me. It’s genetic

6) Finally, if Miss Pretty doesn’t just look like the loveliest archetype of a California girl, then I don’t even know what:

Find Kelly on her blogTwitterFacebook, and Instagram!

As always, thanks to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut! Find more about Progger on their website and at BandCamp

Feedback on today’s show? Leave a comment below (click on the date) or find me on Facebook or Instagram!

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, I'm Megan Tietz and this is sorta awesome.

In this episode, I'm introducing you to the third member of the regular co-host team for sorta awesome, my very dear friend, Kelly Gordon of lovewell blog.com. Today, Kelly explains how she became the voice. In the ear of local news anchors, as well as her secret to perfect meatloaf. Every time later I ask her what one thing she's always talking about, and her answer is so surprising.

I literally laughed out loud. All of that [00:01:00] and more plus our awesome of the week, coming right up on episode two of the sorta awesome podcast.

Hi, Kelly. How are you? I am so good. It is so good to be here with you, Megan. Yes. I'm so excited. I am so excited. We are finally sitting down and recording this first show together. I am too. And I just am a little giddy, honestly. Yay. To see all of the magic that you've already come up with. So there's a lot of magic.

I can't wait for it to finally, Yes, used to go to iTunes and then the magic can be spread to the world. That's right. Yes. Okay. Well, just to give everybody a little bit of context, um, I have known Kelly through blogging for a long time. I'm trying to do the math in my head, like the dinosaur age. I know, yes.

In blogging years. Okay. So I started blogging in 2006. I feel like I have known you through blogging, I feel like, at least since 2007. Does that sound right? That's when I started blogging, and I was [00:02:00] probably commenting on your blog before that because it was probably 2006 when I discovered the world of blogging.

Yes. And that there was this whole community that was forming out there. So I read blogs for a while and commented on them before I started my own. Do you realize as you're saying that, I'm like, that was almost 10 years ago. What on earth? Yeah. It wasn't. I cannot even deal with that. Was Eliza born, do you remember if Eliza was born when you started reading?

I do feel like. But like a toddler, like a baby. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So anyway, I have known Kelly through blogging for a very long time. We have traveled in the same blogging circles for many years and have gotten to know each other through. Um, through our writing and those types of things, and, um, have gotten to develop an even deeper friendship offline.

And truly, truly, Kelly is one of those big sister I never had people in my life. I am always looking to her for advice and handholding and hair petting of various [00:03:00] natures and for various reasons. So, yes. Anyway, and a lot of kindred spiritness. Yes. Kelly is also an e n F. like I am. Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. . And she's also married to a very strong definitive I N T J.

Mm-hmm. like I am. Mm-hmm. . So Kelly and I have lots and lots of conversations about relationship dynamics and how personality affects this and that. So we will probably in the future, completely geek out on personality stuff with you all. Oh, I hope so. Be prepared for that. She, Kelly. I know I can always go to her with any kind of personality stuff, not just related to our type and our husband's type, but we both just are pretty fascinated by that.

I think it, it's maybe it's part of the E N F P thing, I think, right? Yeah, I think so. And just being fascinated by all of life's little quirks. Yes. And beauties and really diving into it when you have the chance. Yes. So it's been a. Journey, and I've loved walking that road with you. Yes, yes, yes. Okay, so we are actually going to just go ahead and get started [00:04:00] on our first episode together.

So excited. So we're gonna start as we start every episode with sharing our awesome of the week. I know Kelly has something that she has brought. I'm gonna, I do. I'm gonna throw mine out there first because I feel like Kelly's is probably better than mine. this week. I doubt it. Yeah. We'll see, this is the first time I'm very nervous.

My hands are shaking. Oh goodness. No need to never stress over the awesome, because , that's what makes it awesome. Yeah. Okay. So my awesome of the week is actually that last week I got a new box from Stitch Fix. Hmm. Have you done Stitch Fix? I can't remember. I have not done Stitch Fix. Okay. But I'm super familiar with the concept.

Yes. Yes. I mean, it's, it's pretty well known in the blogging world, especially in this sort of mom blog world mm-hmm. in which we travel. Um, so this was probably, I, I'm thinking back, I think this might have been my fourth Stitch Fix box. Um, I'm thinking, yeah. So, um, I had [00:05:00] seen blogger. Talk about it for months and months and months before I decided to try it.

I was a little skeptical, to be honest. Um, because first of all, I'd heard that the prices were a little bit more than maybe I'm used to spending on clothes. Let's be honest. , I am such a, uh, I'm such a tight wad when it comes to clothing for myself. And I think growing up with, um, there was four kids in my family when I was growing up and my mom was a super bargain.

So I feel like, you know, I'm not one to go and just pay retail prices for something. I want to hit the clearance rack and get the best deal possible. Mm-hmm. . So I was skeptical about that. And then I was also a little skeptical. Skeptical because I know, um, you know, I just had read on their. Website, a lot of, you know, information, their FAQs and stuff.

And I knew that they only go up to, um, size 14 in their sizing. Mm-hmm. . And I was like, oh yeah, that's kind of, that's where I am. And then it's just a really hard body size [00:06:00] to fit. But I have to say, every single time I have gotten a fix, I have been completely wowed by how, like on the money they were with what they.

Awesome. And so you like your new box. I like it. Now I do have to say I only kept one thing, which that sounds funny. Like I'm so excited. It was my awesome of the week. I got one thing, , but for each of the things like, um, there was, there was each piece that I ended up sending back, like one of them, they always send a little accessory, which right.

I don't know. I could probably ask them not to send accessories, but I'm always hopeful. Okay. Next time they're gonna send us the right thing. Right? Right. Um, but this time they sent a, a necklace that was really beautiful, but it was like a really delicate dangly chain. Okay. And I was like, that would last two seconds with my toddlers and it would be destroyed.

So, um, and then the other things, like they sent a pair of jeans and plus it, I, I do need to put back in my notes, that's one thing I do love about Stitch Fix is you [00:07:00] leave notes for your stylist and they really, truly, or I feel like they really, truly. listen to, uh, to what you're telling them. Um, jeans are like super hard for me and I don't even wear jeans that much for everybody.

Yeah. Yeah. They always have great brands and really cute things, but like I just don't wear jeans very often. So that was kind of like, oh shoot. That was my fault. I forgot to stick a note in that said, no jeans please. Um, one was a dress that I ended up sending back that was darling, and it was completely my style, but it was just a smidge too.

Okay. Um, another one was a top that was really cute, but it was plaid. And I have a lot of plaid in my closet already. Yeah. But, so I ended up keeping this really gorgeous, like really rich, um, blue. I don't, I feel like there should be, like I, uh, if I was a fashion blogger, maybe I would have the vocabulary to describe this blue, but it was really, really pretty, uh, blue Doman top, which I have never tried a doman top on.

Um, on the rack I was really, I don't know. Okay. I know that term, but describe it for me. [00:08:00] Okay. What is the Doman top? Okay, I'm gonna, well, first of all, I'm gonna leave a visual in the show notes because I will destroy this explanation. that. So it's a casual type and it's kind of slouch. And then it has, and I'm showing you, Kelly and I are watching each other, we're talking to each other on Skype right now.

So I'm showing her, but it kind of has like this, um, extra material drap like a draper. Yes. Drape under the arms. It's just like a really relaxed fit. Um, and it was beautiful. And as soon as I put it on, I was like, this is totally a keeper. So even though I only ended up keeping one thing, there's something that just about the surprise of like, here's a box of clothes that I get to try on, um, and try on in your home, in my home at a time when no one's bothering you.

Yes. You know, you don't have to do it in a changing room where you're like, get down, don't, don't touch it. Don't crawl under the air. Right. Yes. Don't touch that. Don't lick that. Put, get it outta your mouth. Kelly, don't like that. Kelly has four kids like I do. And is familiar, familiar with [00:09:00] the struggle? Of trying to shop for clothes for yourself with your children along.

Yes. So yes. Anyway, that was my awesome the week. I love Stitch Fix. Another thing about Stitch Fix too is that they just now have come out with a petite line and also maternity. You're kidding. You can now do your maternity shopping through Stitch Fix Genius. That is absolutely genius of him. Yes, I. Super thrilled for them that they're doing that.

I don't know that I will ever use the maternity shopping service as I don't think you will. figures crossed, right? Yep. Fingers' cross. We're not gonna go that direction. Yes, but that's super smart for them. Yes. Because you know their audience, right? They do. Yes. And I do feel like a lot of. Younger than us women use Stitch Fix.

Mm-hmm. . And so that's definitely, definitely a great ad for them. I did email to ask them, you know, I love that you expanded into petite and maternity. Do you think you'll be expanding into a plus sizes anytime soon? They said it's something that they're constantly working on. They don't have a, a timeline that they could give specifically right now, [00:10:00] but that that's something they are very aware of and they're working with their sources.

So I'm hopeful that sometime that they'll Yeah, bump out into plus sizes as well. Right. Anyway, I loved it. I got new clothes, I got a new top, and it's beautiful and it makes me happy every time I look at it and every time I put it on. And I bet it's something that you probably would not have picked out if you were in a store.

Oh, and I think that's what Stitch Fix does to people. It kind of pushes you outside of maybe your normal comfort zone. It, it really does. Yeah. And I do have to say, I have heard people say, Ugh, I didn't like Stitch Fix. I felt like they totally missed my style. I have to say this. When you sign up for Stitch Fix, they take you through this process where they kind of like give you sample outfits.

Like, would you, how would you rate this? How willing, you know, how much does this match your personal style? Those types of things. And that's helpful. But I think what has really made the difference for me is I have a really, um, like I'm super active on Pinterest in pinning to my own personal style board.

Okay. I basically only use Pinterest now for [00:11:00] recipes and clothes. , . Hey, you just have prioritized that's what you've done. I have. You specialized. Yes. I have curated my Pinterest time down to two priorities for me. Um, but I really do very often pen to my Pinterest style board. That link is in my Stitch Fix profile.

all of my stylist so far that you get a little card with their explanation of why they picked what they did. You get a styling card where they give you visual ideas of how to style each piece. I love it. So helpful. I actually keep the styling cards just because their ideas are super cute and you can like, well, I can, I mean, I guess in my mind just sort of like think, okay, I'm not keeping this particular piece, but I have something similar in my closet, right?

And I could totally style it this way. So I feel like I'm sort of cheating the system a little bit. Like I'm getting like real stylists ideas. On how to style different pieces. But I do feel like they really do look at my boards a lot. Almost every single box they'll say, I saw, you know, I saw that you pinned this really similar dress, [00:12:00] like the dress that they sent this time.

This looks really close to something you had just pinned. So that's why I chose this for you. So I think that having. , a Pinterest board like that, or some kind of something where you can be like, this is the style that I like. The more information you give your stylist, the better your fixes are. I feel like.

So, right. I have spent, I think that's the beauty of Pinterest really. Yes. Is that you can kind of collect these things in a really simple way. Totally. Digitally. Mm-hmm. Hmm. that can help you see Yes. What your style really is. Or help a stylist. Yes. Really see what your style is. Totally, totally. So even though going back to what you asked, I would never have picked up this top.

Again, I just felt like, well it's, it's kind of a s slouchy drapey look and with my particular body type, I don't know how that's going to look. I probably never would've picked it up off the rack, but when I actually put it on, I was like, oh my gosh, this is darling. Where have you been all my life? Yes. So anyway, so I am loving it.

That's my awesome, uh, the week. Awesome. Okay. So here's my awesome of the week. Okay. And it goes to [00:13:00] your Pinterest. When you said your boards. Yes, I have come down to clothing and food. Yes. My awesome of the week is food. Yes. Bring it on, bring it. So we're just gonna do a really, I was trying to think it's, it was hard for me.

I will, I will share this. It was hard for me to pick a first awesome of the week because, I kind of see a Lego movie in my head. Everything is awesome. It was hard for me to narrow it down to one thing, but this is what I thought. If I was sitting across a table, a literal table from you at a coffee shop.

Yes. And I thought, what would I wanna tell you? Something that has been in my life that has been super practical and has made me happy. Mm-hmm. , it has been. A dish that I found this winter, bring it on. And it's a healthy meal. Okay. And my family likes it. Yes. That's huge. Right? It's not just me. I have a, you know, I like a lot of things, but the kids are like, yes, no, no, thanks.

Mm-hmm. . Yes. What is that? Yes. So it is a Chipotle laed, Turkey meatloaf. Oh my gosh. And you serve, it's amazing. I know. [00:14:00] Mashed sweet potatoes. Oh gosh. And really right there, that could be a meal. You could. right there. Yeah. You could, um, like supplement it with some other veggie or, you know, bread or whatever you wanna do.

Yes. I can think on the pictures of it. They just have it with like limes if you wanna just be ultra healthy. But here's the thing is it's got Turkey. Yes. So it's kind of a different, sort of a meatloaf. Yes. But it's really super simple to make. It's got that Chipotle. Oh my gosh. You know adobo Yes. A wonderful Mexican seasoning and you, you glaze it with that love.

And then you put it in the oven on a tray. I actually, here's my little secret. The recipe says, and we can I'm sure in the show notes. Oh yes. Put a link right to the recipe. Totally. The recipe says like most meatloaf, they want you to cook it in a bread pan. In a loaf pan. Yeah. Yeah. But I read years ago that, of course the best part of meatloaf is the crusty stuff.

Oh yeah. On the outside. Yeah. So just shape it like a loaf, like shape it into a brick. Okay. And. That way. So you don't even put it in a loaf pan? No. What? What kind of pan do you use then? [00:15:00] I just put it on a tray, put it on a baking sheet put, and the juice doesn't dribble out everywhere a little bit. I put tinfoil down.

Okay. Cuz I don't even like to scrub, so I put some tinfoil down. Okay. And I shape it into a loaf and then you glaze it with the sauce, you know, with whatever. In this case, it's a Chipotle sauce. and a little bit of the liquid comes out, but not much. It's amazing. And it does get, then you have, oh, I guess since it's Turkey, it's doesn't have the fat, it's already lean.

It doesn't have Right. It's leaner than most. Okay. I was thinking about a, a ground beef meatloaf, but yeah, I bet. A Turkey meatloaf. But I've done ground beef that way too. Okay. And it works. It still works. So, I mean, you, my life a little bit, the juice, but you know, you get all that crusty. Yeah. Yum. Crunchy, salty stuff.

So that's their, and then what they have you do is just around on the same pan, in the same oven, you bake sweet potatoes okay? At the same time. So you can put it all in the oven at once and go help with homework or , break up a fight or whatever you need to do. Yes, . Well, dinner is cooking and then you come back the last few minutes of when the [00:16:00] meatloaf is cooking.

You take those baked sweet potatoes out and you, you know how. Baked sweet potatoes are really easy to peel. Yes. The peel gets all yes, yes. Pulls away from the flesh of the potato. Mm-hmm. So you peel those, throw those potatoes in a pot and just use a masher and mash 'em up with some olive oil and salt.

And they are wonderful. I mean, the whole meal, I'm, I'm actually kind of all hungry now. I, I have to describe myself into, sounds delicious. I'm like, can I go to the store and get some Turkey? So I. Right, the meatloaf tonight. That sounds amazing. And it was just fun. It was kind of a different sort of meal. I think that's why I liked it.

Yeah. Was you know, Turkey meatloaf with also this kind of Mexican inspired sauce. And it's kind of a, to me it's a springy sort of thing cuz you wanna put cilantro with it. Okay. I know we have a cilantro difference, but get your cilantro away from me, me . You don't have to, you don't have to put cilantro on.

Do not. Delicate Daylan. So for people who don't like Solano, totally optional, you do not have to put soap on your meatloaf. That's not what I'm saying. Thank you. Thank you. But lime. [00:17:00] Lime is almost a necessity, like squeeze lime on the whole thing. And so it's kind of that spring like we're all coming back to life.

Yes. Wake up your taste buds. Ooh. Yeah. And hopefully your family likes it sort of a meal. Yes. That sounds incredible. We will totally link that because I'm going to be making that this week. I am just, Starving. That sounds so good. . Um, okay, so let's talk about kids and meals for just a second. Really fast. I did, I mean, this is just off the cuff, but so you, like I said, you have four kids, um, and, and they range in age from four and a half.

Four. And he would tell you yes, four and a half. Gotta get the half age. They're very important. Yes. To 13. So now, I mean, you've moved past toddlerhood. Mm-hmm. . So you have your kids around the table. Do you do the whole. , you have to do a no thank you helping kind of thing. If it's not their favorite, like, you know, I fall victim, especially in toddlerhood to just like, , what will they eat here?

Yogurt and fruit for every meal. Maybe some [00:18:00] peanut butter and milk. I mean, if they'll eat it, I'll serve it. And now, especially now that I have two toddlers, and I know that's terrible. I shouldn't be doing that, but it's just so much, you know, I get so stressed out when they're not eating anything. But, but one great thing, the, the girls you know, at 10 and seven and a half are, you know, they understand like, this is.

you will eat and this is what you are offered. And you know, if you don't eat now, you're gonna be hungry later kind of thing. Like you, they've moved into that place of mentally being able to understand that. So yeah, it's not a, not a concern anymore. So at your house though, how does it, because I know you're a pretty in vitreous cook.

I feel like I am. Yeah. So how does that go over? We haven't talked about yet, but my husband who travels lots of times. Yes, yes, yes. So that's made a difference in how I approach mealtime with my kids too. So I'll take, I'll tell you, this is what I do when he's gone. Mm-hmm. , I cook more kid-friendly sorts of foods.

Okay. I think about what will they eat right and what [00:19:00] not necessarily that everybody's gonna be jumping up and down about. Right. Right. Because That's right. They, you know, it seems like there's never one thing that they're all excited about. Mm. But generally speaking and meals that are fairly easy for me to cook.

So this could probably be a whole other show because I've had to develop Yeah. A, a whole repertoire of recipes Yes. That I can tackle, but that aren't, when KO first started to travel and the kids were younger, I will say this, I think that makes a difference, that they're a little older. It was survival mode when he was gone.

Oh, absolutely. So it was grilled cheese. Mm-hmm. and pancakes and waffles and chicken nuggets. Yes. Ad nauseum. Yes. , but I got tired of that. And then I thought, this is half of our life at this point. You know, we, we don't wanna be eating this way all the time. So I had to kind of find a compromise. Yes. So the weeks that he's gone, I cook a little bit more kid friendly.

Okay. The weeks that he's home, all bets are off as far as they're concerned. And I, they know that I've said that. I'm not cooking for you anymore. I'm cooking for our whole family. Yes. And to expand. [00:20:00] P beyond just orange foods. Right. Which is what they would eat. Right. You know, mac and cheese and Cheetos and all the things that are orange.

Mm-hmm. that are unhealthy. , of course not, not carrots so much. Although they do like that, not so much with the carrots and the, yeah. Right. Mm-hmm. , they just happen to be orange. They're not, they don't have the soul of orange food that they're looking for . But when he's home and I'm cooking this kind of food that they may or may not like, We have kind of staggered rules.

Okay. So for the four and a half year old, our rule right now is he has to try a bite. Okay. Right. So like the No thank you. Helping is what we call it. Yes. So yes. Right? Mm-hmm. . So last night it was St. Patrick's Day. That's the time we're recording this. Yes. I made. A cabbage dish that was new to me. Mm-hmm.

because I feel like I should . Yeah. I have Irish in my blood. It was your responsibility of course was Yes. And we're not gonna eat corn beef. Like that's one. I'm gonna draw the line there. Okay. I was making mashed potatoes and I was like, I should make cabbage. So I made this cabbage dish, and that's a whole [00:21:00] other topic, but my kids were.

Let's say not enthused about the cabbage. Actually my husband, who will eat almost anything, was not enthused about the cabbage . You were like, I regret this decision. Yes, . So I ate a lot of cabbage for dinner last night cause I went all go to waste. But I said, you know, just one bite. So they, you know, they tried it and my daughter, the one who is the oldest one, she's 13, she said.

That's not as bad as I thought it would be. . That was like the best compliment we could get. But she tried it. She didn't have to eat everything on her plate. Um, other nights when I'm not making something that's brand new, that's cabbage for our older kids who are 14 and 11, our rule is you eat it all like you can if you're gonna get a treat now.

So we say if you're gonna eat all your food mm-hmm. that I'm putting on your plate, fruit, vegetables, you know, protein. , then you can get a treat. But I don't know, sometimes we just vary on whether they can actually just walk away and say, I'm not hungry. Right. Or I don't want to eat it. Right. Right. Um, the seven year old, she can walk away mm-hmm.[00:22:00]

and said, I'm the, a treat is not worth eating. Sure. That Yes. Yes. And the four year old for sure. Yes. And he walks away a lot of nights affect his new thing, he'll eat what he wants, whatever it is. Mm-hmm. if it's the meat or the potatoes, and then he'll say, I don't wanna treat, I'm done. Yes. Yes. Because.

Right. So that's how we tackle it is kind of in an age thing. Because you're right. When they're little, to some degree, you do just have to be wise. And yes, maybe this is because we both have four kids. Yes. But you say fight your battles. Yes, totally. Where you want to fight them. Mm-hmm. and don't, don't fight every battle all the time.

You'll just. Collapse. Exactly. That's so true. And especially by dinnertime. Like I don't have a lot of fight. I don't have a lot of fight in me and, and whatever I do have left, I gotta say for bath and bedtime. So , there's just some practical reality there. So, you know, you said, I feel bad even saying this, and I'm thinking you shouldn't feel bad, sister, because this is the way of women.

Yes. And we know we give each other graves. Yes. And we say, You know, ideally yes, we would all be sitting down to a completely organic, [00:23:00] no carb. Yes. Right. You know, dinner every night. And that's just not reality all the time. So we do the best we can. Totally. Okay, well thank you for that insight. That's really good.

And you know what, I think maybe we should in the future, do a segment where we talk about like best kid, kid-friendly meals that you know in the repertoire that you go back to over and over. , we'll, we'll uh, sort of put that on the shelf for another day cuz that I'm sure is super interesting. Okay. Okay.

So as you all know who are listening at this point, uh, for each of my regular co-hosts, I've put together a short interview to introduce them to you all so you can get to know them better since they're going to be with us on a regular basis. So right now I'm going to go ahead and start grilling Kelly.

She's now officially in the hot seat as I ask her these things. And again, if you have missed the very first show of sort of awesome, you can go back to the very first episode and I answer all of these questions [00:24:00] as well, so I'm not making. Reveal anything that I haven't also revealed to you all. So you can go back to that first episode and hear my answers to these questions.

But for now it is Kelly's turn. . So Kelly, I want to start with asking you, if you wouldn't mind, to take five minutes to just kind of tell us your life story. And you know, as both of us as e nfps, this is basically the question that we wanna ask every single person that we ever meet. Like, amen. Let's sit down right here where we are.

And I just need to hear your life story really quickly. . Yeah, so, so it's a good exercise for us to try to do it. Yes it is. Instead of just ask other people to do it. Exactly. Okay, so five. Your life story. Here we go. Okay. So when I was thinking about this question, because you so graciously were Yes, I did.

Able to prepare me a little bit Yes. So that I didn't have to, right now deer in the headlights. I was thinking, you know, one of the things that I really love is regionalisms, you know, the, all the different ways that our country's different. I mean, the whole world. You can talk about cultural [00:25:00] differences forever with me.

Love it. Because it's just super fascinating. That's so fascinating. So I thought I would tackle it a little bit that way because I've moved. a little bit. So I was born in Cincinnati, which I never knew that, which is Yes, it, it's, I actually lived in northern Kentucky, if you know that region. It's divided by the Ohio River.

So we lived across the river, but the major city there was Cincinnati. Okay. I lived there when I was little. Um, my father was a pastor. Mm-hmm. , he's retired now, so that's why I say was, but he was a senior pastor our whole lives. I am the oldest of four. Mm-hmm. . So I was born, actually, my mom gave birth to me.

I think the day. before or the day that the church actually voted him to be senior pastor. Oh, wow. And he was in his twenties and it was a fairly large church. Oh, wow. So it, they kind of laughed. They said, you kind of gave us legitimacy, you know, , , yes. I'm a father now I can do this. Yes, yes, I can handle it.

So we were there, um, for a few years. We moved when I was between second and third grade, um, to Dallas and lived there for a year. Okay. . [00:26:00] I don't have a ton of memories of that area, but of course I say, that's why I can truly say y'all. Yes, which, and it goes right off your tongue like it does. Does.

Especially now that I have so many friends. Yes. Like you who say it genuinely, authentically. Yes. I say it all the time now. People look at me funny in Minnesota where I live now too, like, but I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. I can say y'all and all y'all, all y'all. It's true. Mm-hmm. . Okay. Because I lived in Dallas for one year people, so back off

Um, when I was 10 we moved to Minnesota, and this is where I live now. It's not where I've always lived, but, um, this is really the place that, because I was in fourth grade, you know, there was just a. Becoming still for your life? Of course. Oh yeah. So even though I remember that transition of childhood, this is really my home.

So because my dad was a pastor, I think a good thing to note in my life story is that I grew up. really deep inside the American Evangelical Christian bubble. Mm. Because I was at church every time it was opened. [00:27:00] Right. And my parents were, uh, big believers in Christian schooling. So I went to Christian schools, okay?

Mm-hmm. . So I did that when we lived here and really only knew people, you know, that believed like I did, right. Um, and it wasn't until I was in high school, I was in ninth grade and I started to get to know kids more of my youth group at my church. And their faith, which is a big part of my life, um, seems so much more genuine than anybody that I knew at my Christian school.

So I switched at that point to public school and it was so good for me. Like I look back and it was. It woke up my faith, it made so many things become real to me. Sure, sure. That's, let me, let me interrupt you and just ask really quickly, I never knew that part of your story. Mm-hmm. , did you, like, how did you app approach your parents about that?

Did you, did you just out and out say like, I feel like my public school friends, you know, challenge me more in my faith. Or if they were already big believers in Christian schooling, how did that transition? on their end? That's a good question. [00:28:00] It's a really good question. And I think it was scary for them.

Honestly. My brother who's three years younger than I and I both went to them the same year. Wow. And said, we went out. And the funny thing was is that up to that point, of course, Christian school is a sacrifice for almost any parent. Just that because it's, sure. You know, there's not, transportation's usually not involved.

Right. They were driving us and tuition is expensive. Sure. And so they used to kind of threaten. You know, as parents do in a nice way. I mean it in a nice way, but like, if you don't, do you wanna leave the school? Oh no, please don't let me, make me leave the school. My God, don't make me go to, don't make me go to public school with the heats, with the people who are gonna ask me, you know, to do horrible things.

So they always, you know, that was the, the way that our relationship was. And then all of a sudden in one year, my brother and I both went to them and. We need to get out. So it like the paradigm shifted for them? Yes. Okay. And they, they saw that we, we asked for different reasons. I was pretty honest about my faith.

Mm-hmm. Saying, you know, I feel like this is a stagnant puddle mm-hmm. Over here. Mm-hmm. And I need to [00:29:00] get out into a bigger pond. And my brother just wanted to place. Sports cuz our Christian schools didn't have any . Yes. Those completely legitimate reasons. Totally. Gotcha. Totally . So that was how it happened and I think that on, uh, to their credit, it was a little scary for them to Sure.

Send us off. I was a sophomore and he was a middle school to, you know, the big bad public school. Yeah. But really I look back at that and I'm so glad they. enabled us to take that step because it was so important to my faith and to my relationship with God and how I viewed the world. It was a really good step.

So Awesome. I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt, but I just, just as a parent. Oh, just think, cuz you know, you and I have talked about schooling stuff a lot. It's always on my mind, so that just really struck me. I never knew that you had approached them about leaving Christian school to go to public school.

So, okay. Sorry. Didn't mean to get you off track that. No, it's, it's, you know, we can go back cuz that actually, just seeing that God was bigger mm-hmm. than I had imagined. And being with people, it was so refreshing to me to be with people who. All believe the exact same thing. I was ready to do that, you [00:30:00] know?

Yeah. Yeah. So the, the funny thing in some ways is that I went back to a Christian college Yes. To get my degree, and I actually even went a year early. In Minnesota, there's a program called Post-Secondary Education where you can obtain college credit, you can actually go to college and the state pays for it.

Sure. Okay. So my senior year of high school, I went to college full-time because I knew what I wanted to do, Uhhuh, . And that was a thing that was kind of funny about me actually. I had like, Different careers. That's very emc, right? I, I was like, okay, how do I choose one? People are going, what am I gonna do with my life?

And I'm like, I have two. I have, I need more lives. . I need more lives to get done. All the things that I wanna do. Yes. But I relate to that 1000%, yes. Okay. Yes, I know you do , but my thing, my number one was journalism. So I wanted to go and tell other people's stories. I loved the medium of, um, especially video journalism.

So that's what I did. So, um, went to school, got my degree in journalism and. Pretty quickly got married. My husband and I, uh, before I had [00:31:00] graduated from college, we got married and as soon as I was done, we were like, we are so outta Minnesota. It is like so dang cold here. Yeah, we're outta here. We are done.

And so we moved like to the opposite end of the spectrum Phoenix. That is, that's what to do. That's radically different. And it didn't really go all that well. I wouldn't say that it is a recipe for success in any way. For you to grow as a person or as a married couple. , yes. So that was a chapter that is a little dark, but we eventually, we were only in Phoenix for about half a year.

We moved to San Diego and then we were there for about 10 years. Oh my gosh. Um, and I love California, really? Minnesota is where I grew up and where I live now, but my personality is pretty evenly split between mm-hmm. . , kind of my Midwestern up north roots and my California spirit. Yes. Because California is my people like, yes.

You know, no hose wearing flip flops, suntan. Mm-hmm. hang out by the beach, whatever man, whatever. And so Good. You are a gorgeous blonde too, [00:32:00] so, and I will have, you'll. You all will be able to see her picture on , uh, the co-host page. So, um, but yeah, I mean, you look like California for real. You do so well, I'll take that as a compliment because I'm, I'm sure when y'all moved out there that.

you probably got mistaken as a native bec. I mean, seriously, like you just have that sort of aura about you. Yes. In some ways. And I think that especially because the personality fit. Yes. Um, so I, I worked in, I was always a waitress, like through a food server, through college and even high school to make money.

So I was there too. It was a good job to go back and forth. You know, when you move to new community and are looking for a job you can almost always find, yeah. waiting tables sort of job. Sure. Mm-hmm. . So I worked at a group of community newspapers in San Diego that were right along the beach. Oh my gosh.

So there's all these little beach towns. Ugh. And so I just, you know, just drinking that in that culture of California and I just thought these, this is like home to me. It really is. Yeah. So I loved being there and I loved working. Eventually I [00:33:00] worked most of my time there at the NBC station as a TV news producer and loved it kind of got burned out.

So, um, producing new segments. Mm-hmm. , that's what you did, right? I produced new shows, actually. New shows. So like the whole half hour. Okay, so I'm just gonna again, derail you. You're gonna wanna kill me by the time. Totally fine. This is over. So what, it's gonna take more than five minutes. That's all . Just like what would it, what would your typical day look like then?

Like were you, were you actually doing any like interview type things or were you. , just like the nuts and bolts of production. What, what was, what would that mean to produce a new show? Well, I, the first thing I always told people when they found out that I worked at KS D, they would say, oh, well I see you on tv.

I'm like, only if something goes drastically. Well, like my point. Only if the studio's on fire , right? Like, or maybe I'm running behind somebody. Woo. Uh, my job was to. as a producer of a newscast, you are in charge of the whole newscast, so [00:34:00] you're deciding what stories Okay. Are gonna run in your newscast, what order they're gonna run in.

Okay. To some degree, possibly What reporters cover what, although you work as a team with the other newscast and the assignment desk, who's actual like command central of a newsroom, they assign Okay. Stories to reporters and photogs. Okay. Who go out and actually, you know, get the information. Occasionally.

I did do interview. over the phone, or I would write up a list of questions if it was a shorter story. Mm-hmm. , I could say to a photographer. You know, we don't really need a reporter's presence on this. Mm-hmm. , because a reporter puts together what's called in any other business. It would be called a story in TV news if a reporter does the whole thing, it's called a package.

Okay. And so a reporter when they, you know when the anchor tosses the reporter? Yes. And the reporter says, thanks, Bob. Here's what's breaking tonight. And then they, they go to a whole story that's called a package. Okay. So they would produce that whole thing if it's a smaller thing that the anchor just reads mm-hmm.

mm-hmm. . And there might be a little sound bite from somebody. , I could do that in the sense that I could write up my [00:35:00] questions, send it with a photographer who would just ask it and bring it back, and then they would edit the tape to go under. what the anchor reads. Gotcha. But what my job was mostly was to write.

I wrote the intros, I wrote the, a lot of the other stories. I had writers who worked for me as well. And then also the biggest, and this is kind of the funnest part of TV news, but also the part that kind of fries you is you're responsible for ordering the show and also dealing with any interrupt. Or breaking news stories.

Oh, okay. So you could, in the morning meeting, say, well, I think this would be a great story, and then I'm gonna go this, and then I'm gonna do this and this and this. But it's constantly changing. And inevitably, if a half an hour before your show, there's a car wreck, an accident, or let's be honest, this was Southern California.

Michael Jackson was seen on the freeway somewhere. Yes. Oh my word. Deploy the helicopters. Break up your show. It does not matter that there are people hungry in Africa anymore. Michael Jackson is on the freeway. People , you're, you're like scrambling. Yeah. Okay. And so you would have to like on the fly right [00:36:00] then?

Yes. Reorder the whole show that you'd already Yes. Ordered out and, and find new tape and what's coming in. And you're also talking to your anchors. You know, if you've ever seen a TV show or a movie with like holding their ear, the holding. Wait, I'm hearing this. So we're the voice in their ears, like telling them going, you're the voice.

We're the voice in the. You have connected so many dots with just that sentence. Okay. So that's what I did. I, I was really a writer and you really, in the sense of producing, taking many d disparate parts and putting them together. That's what I did. Okay. I love it. Okay. I never knew, I knew that you worked behind the scenes and news, but I didn't know that that was specifically what you were doing.

Yeah, that is amazing. Get back to your life stories. Yeah. So, so that's what I did. But because of that, you think about that kind of pace. Yeah. And I love that kind of piece. Like it was though. Yes, exactly. Yeah. And you don't really, you know, like in a lot of professions, and certainly ours is not, and , how do I say this about, make it sound bad.

There are people who work 24 7 who are noble, who are doctors and EMTs. Yes. And we're like, [00:37:00] you know, TV news people, but yet we did work 24 7. You didn't have Right. You know, people worked overnights. You never had holidays that were for sure off and that sort of thing. So just the hours were hard on, again, on our marriage and just on me.

Yes. So eventually I actually went and took a completely. Different pace. Job at a Christian college in San Diego called Point Loma Nazarene University. They're also right on the beach. Beautiful campus, and I did media relations there and then went from there to be what I think is probably described as the worst high school teacher in the history of the world.

You hold that title, everyone else can relax. I do. Yes, exactly. That is me for at least a year and a half. I love teenagers. Actually met my husband because we were youth group leaders. Mm-hmm. and. How car teach high school. I could teach high school . I know. And it was a high school, that was a private high school that actually had media.

So I'm teaching media, so I'm like, I'm not responsible for somebody. Right. Who's actually has to take this skill in the sense of like reading, writing, taking, you know, ACTTS, this is an elective, [00:38:00] right? Yes. And I was abominable at like, I've had no teaching methods, no experience, no curriculum. Oh my word. It was so bad.

It was an utter disaster, but it was, it taught me a. I'm a better person than today, than I used to be. Really? I mean, and I did have fun and I had, um, some amazing students and so it wasn't like it was a total disaster, but it's, it was, there were some very trying moments, let's just say. So at that point, something happened that really changed the trajectory of our lives, and it was something that we had not really pursued.

And that was, I got pregnant. Okay. And we had spent the first, we had been married for about eight years at that point. Did not want kids. Like that just was not gonna be our thing. Whoa. And. We, as they say, pulled the goalie like, well, why not? Let's just see what happens and boom. And what happened was, and what happens happens

And so I got pregnant and was very, um, okay, I guess we're doing this. And Natalie was born. [00:39:00] and when they laid her in my arms mm-hmm. , I honestly think something in my DNA shifted. Mm-hmm. Because I had spent, you know, almost 30 years of my life up to that point going, kids, whatever. Yeah. No. Part of my life dream and here was this little baby placed in my arms.

Mm-hmm. . And I looked down at her and I thought, oh. . I had never fallen in love so fast. So hard. Oh my gosh. I'm gonna cry. That is so beautiful and so true, so and so, so true. It's true. And I don't think it's that way for every parent, you know? Sure. It always happened that way, but it happened that way for me and all of a sudden, I could not imagine doing anything.

Mm-hmm. . But being a stay-at-home mom, the thing that I had always sworn I would never do. Right. Like even under threat of torture. Yes. And I loved it. So since Natalie was born, we moved back to the Midwest, to the Minnesota area, and then eventually to the Twin Cities when she was not quite two. And then, so we had three other kids, as you said.

We have four. Yes. So we have Connor and then Taylor, and then Kiran. So there's Girl, boy, girl, boy. Yeah. We're now 14, 11, 7, and four and a. And [00:40:00] a half and I've been at home with them, um, ever since Natalie was born. Wow. As a stay-at-home mom. And really, I've said this to a number of people, one of the biggest surprises of my life and I thank God smiling at me like, yep.

I so know better than you, is that I have loved it. Yeah. I love being home with my kids. Love it. Love it. And so, um, Corey as you mentioned earlier, just cuz I'm sure this will come up in future episodes, Corey has a job and has had for quite a while it seems like, um, where he travels a lot. Yes. During, during the week.

Um, and so that I'm sure plays a huge role in just the dynamic around the house. So yeah, he's always traveled some, but it was probably, I would say the last. Five or six years that it really got to be almost a every other week sort of schedule. Right, right, right. when, and like you said, that's kind of a, a whole separate show because of what the dynamics of that does to your family and all of that.

It does help a [00:41:00] lot now. Mm-hmm. that our kids are older. You know, when the little babies, oh my gosh. Just so desperate to get a break and yes. We didn't have family who lived near us at the time. Right. So you know, you just on your own. Yes. As a single, I'd say solo parent because, so parent, I have so much respect for my friends who are true single parents.

Yes, yes. Who don't even have a spouse to talk to at the end of the day, or worse, have a spouse who wants to yell at them at the end of the day because of. Custodial rights and that sort of thing. So yes. Um, you know, it's not, we're not on that same level. Mm-hmm. , but yet solo parenting requires its own sort of magic.

Yes. . Yeah, definitely. Definitely it does. Okay. Well that might even play into what I'm gonna ask you next, which is, you know, all of us have things going on. Like we can all certainly sit down and give you a run. On the wonderful, beautiful things that are going on in our lives, but all of us have our challenges that we're facing down every day too.

So I wanted to ask you, what are some of the challenges that you're facing right now in this current moment in life? I think the biggest [00:42:00] challenge. Is kind of, it goes from what I was just saying, which is that I have kids who are now four and a half to 13 mm. And so I'm out of that toddler stage and that baby stage.

And there's, as much as I loved my babies, I was just looking at some old video this morning of ki my youngest just a couple years ago, and he's this chubby face little guy and he's like, ha, mama, you know how they talk and you're all, oh, it's so sweet. But, but. , it's wonderful to be here. I will say that as well.

Yes. Yeah, to just be able to have a little bit more autonomy and I feel a little bit of freedom coming back to me that I've just not had Sure in a long time. But with that, the challenge that I'm facing is that I have all these different age kids, and so my life is getting ready to change in really dramatic ways this year of 2015, because.

next school year in September, when everybody goes back to school, I will have a high schooler, brand new. Mm. Ellie will go to high school. [00:43:00] My second will go to middle school, and then my baby will go to kindergarten and it will be all day, every day, kindergarten, which none of my kids have done. Yeah. Up to this point.

So I that I feel like my whole being right now is focused on the fact that these last few months of this school year, Are all that I have left of life as I know it. Yes. As I've come to say this is, I've been at home and we've all, even up till now, we all still have the same start time for school. Mm-hmm.

you know, so basically, anyway, my kids get picked up for the boss at eight 30 and school starts for, even since Natalie's at a Christian school. Mm-hmm. , um, even though she's in eighth grade, she still starts at eight 50. You know, we're just, we've been on this same routine for a long time and I've always had somebody at home.

So Kiran goes to preschool a few mornings a week this year, which again, that was life changing. Yes. First time I even had some time. Yeah. To myself, that wasn't like paid childcare. Right. Um, but. I feel this weight of change that's coming like a wave that's coming towards you and you can see it [00:44:00] approaching and you know, it has all kinds of energy to it.

Yes. And you're going, oh, I just wanna surf it. Well, yeah. So I'm, right now, I'm just enjoying the relative calm that we have and, and destroying up all this energy Yes. For the new life stage that approaches me. Yeah. I can't wait to see what the coming months are going to bring for. , that's going to be really huge.

Really huge. Right? Because not only does it change my kids, but I'm thinking then do I go back to work? And, and if I do, what do I do? And it's just, I think that when you have, especially young children, you look down at them. Mm-hmm. , and I think that's the way it should be. But it's like, right now I feel like my eyes are starting to look out.

Yes. On the horizon. And I haven't really looked out . Yeah. You know, in a sustained sort of way. For a long time. For a long time. I cannot wait to see what is around the VIN for you. I love that idea of the like, like a wave. I love that. Mm-hmm. , that's so, so appropriate. So, okay. Well the last thing I wanted to ask you then is [00:45:00] what.

is the thing that you are just always talking about, that you have so much enthusiasm for that you're so into that you find you are always bringing it up to people whether they wanna hear about it or not. , oh my word. Okay. So I laughed at this question cause I thought, I bet I could take a survey of my friends.

Yes. And they would. The right thing. Yes, yes, yes. Which is really, okay. Well we've already talked about food, so I'm gonna say, obviously I love to talk about food and recipes. I love to cook. Yes. So, you know, my awesome thing in the week is a demonstration of that. But the other thing that is kind of geeky, that I will talk anybody's ear off is weather

I love to talk about the weather. I love the. I'm fascinated by it and my friends joke, but they are not really joking that they will call me and say, I don't even watch the weather anymore, Kelly. Cause I will call you and say, so do I need a sweatshirt on Friday or not? [00:46:00] Kelly has texted me to be like, you know, you're under a tornado warning, right?

And sometimes I don't. And I'll be like, well, thank goodness that Kelly knows true story people. And if you just wanna send me your, you know, zip codes, I will also be watching the weather for you because this is what I do. That is amazing. Have you always, like, as a kid, were you into it? Is this something that developed when you worked in the newsroom?

Tell me the history of your obsession with weather. You are the only person I. I know cause that's why I see I sing is weather. This is called Burying Your Most Geeky Soul on the interwebs people. Yes. Um, I have always been obsessed with weather and I think, you know, do you look back with it at your childhood self and just feels so much like she was so.

Pitiful in some ways, but yet you love her so much? Oh my gosh, absolutely. Yes. Because I look back at some of the things I did when I was, you know, upper elementary, maybe middle school age, like I used to tape, this is dating me. I [00:47:00] taped things on the, on the pcr? Mm-hmm. , no, no, no, no. Not even the vcr, like on my actual tape recorder.

Would. On your boombox? Yes. On my boombox, I would tape the intros to TV shows and I recorded like all of the 80. Best TV shows, like the A Team, the Cosby Show, the Facts of Life, which we weren't even allowed to watch. Like all of these, yo I know, it's the whole like, you know, Christian sub sort of thing.

That's just really weird. But I, I taped all of these, like that was my, you know, like I made that a mission like one summer. So somewhere in my basement I have an actual tape. Oh my gosh. Of all of these like things, and I would keep it on pause, then I would unpause it. Oh my gosh. And I would hold the boombox up to the tv.

This is the best thing I've ever heard, , and like I've made my own radio station. K L L Y. Oh my god. . . So this is the child that you were talking about, right? So it should not surprise you that because I grew interested in the weather and my dad grew up on a farm, so I think he was also interested in weather and probably passed it to me.

[00:48:00] Real information. No, that is, that is legit. Um, yes. My mother-in-law grew up on a farm and she is very sensitive to the weather. Not like, I mean, I wouldn't say that she geeks out of it. Not like she, like, she keeps an eye on it way more than I do. I think that that does influence because as you know, people who are in agriculture know you are really Yes.

Um, The actual wins of Fortune Yes. Literally and metaphorically, uh, influence your, your, uh, profit and, and these types of things in a very real way. So I do think that that has a big. Part, it's your life. Yeah, and I think probably here in Minnesota, you know, we're so far away from the moderating effects of the ocean.

Yes. That just like Oklahoma to some degree, we get all kinds of weather. So it is a big thing. If you live in a place like San Diego, I love, see, I love you San Diego, but there's no weather there, there's no, there's no weather there. And so it's just gorgeous. Every single day it is. You get up and check the weather.

It's a gorgeous day in San Diego. Every day it's San Diego. So true story, because I [00:49:00] worked in TV in both markets in Minneapolis and in San Diego. You know, Minneapolis, the weather is so important. We can put a commercial break in the middle of the weather because people will stay tuned. Yes. To find out what else is happening.

There's so much news to report. Right. In San Diego, the weather was the very end of the newscast. It got maybe two minutes on a very good day. Lots of times it was 20 seconds because I'd say Joe and we had the only, at the time, the only meteorologist in San Diego worked at our station, like a real licensed, I went to school for this meteorologist.

Mm-hmm. . Not just a cute person, not the cute girl. Not the cute weather girl. And I'd say, I'm sorry. You know, I feel for you. I mean, I am a weather geek. I would sit in his little office and we would talk weather and I'd say, but how long does it take to say Sunny and 70 the rest of the week? , see you tomorrow folks.

Yeah. That's all it is. That's all it is. Right. But here in the Midwest it's important and it's always, oh my gosh, changing. And it's dramatic. It's dramatic. Well, I don't know if Corey's told you this. I know he spent some time in Oklahoma City, um mm-hmm. in Oklahoma City. . Like the weather is the thing. Yeah, like that's, we don't have, um, cable anymore.

I [00:50:00] don't really watch tv, but you know, just growing up here, like everything leads with the weather. And when we have storms, even when I was growing up, it used to just be tornadoes, but now it's even thunderstorms or you know, if we're gonna have a big snow event, like network TV shuts down, they stay on local coverage.

It is a thing in Oklahoma City. In Oklahoma. Yes. So I can only imagine that you would be like completely, just like . I'm looking at your face right now in your life. , you're just being, I'm so sorry thinking about it. I am. I really am. And I will say this, this is true. I kind of moved back to the Midwest from San Diego.

because it was, I, I needed more weather, I needed more going on, so I regret that decision about this time of year , I'm like, you know, actually [00:51:00] 70 and sunny Kelly was really nice. It is really not something you would leave. Yeah, it did get kind of boring and yeah, as a kid, I, I remember a summer where I kept my own weather stats all the time and I would call the airport weather line, ah, to get the official, like weather.

Mm-hmm. and I would record it in my notebook. And they didn't record, um, they didn't report, I'm sorry, relative humidity back then. Uhhuh, . And I needed that for my own little. Brainiac mind. And so I would like wait, they would say, if you have further questions, please go to the line. And I would end up with somebody at the airport who took the weather and I'd be like, every day,

So what was the relative humidity today? And then I would record it. And you know, after about a month of that, they started to report the relative humidity on the actual line . So I think I may have actually changed the course of weather in Minnesota. It did change the course of weather Minnesota, single-handedly that completely redeems your short stint as the worst high school teacher.

The history Yeah. Of life. I would like to think so. Yeah. But yeah, I, that's what I will talk about. I could talk about it forever to anybody. That's [00:52:00] fantastic. I just love to find out what your weather is today and all, all of it is, it's amazing. I love it. I love it. You're, like I said, you are the only person I know with that much enthusiasm for it, and I, it almost, it's, it like inspires me to be like, I should know what's going on.

with the weather in Oklahoma City? No, you don't need to. I'm a, I'll cover that for you. You tell me what I should be watching. There's so many things that I don't know. Apparently my brain has this big slice out of it for weather and I need other people to tell me. So we should just all specialize. We should.

I will specialize in Netflix. And binge watching shows and you will cover us on the weather and I'll, I'll alert you if you're binge watching that you, maybe you need to go to the basement , because there isn't Megan. Turn off Netflix and go downstairs. There's an F four tornado headed towards you. Megan . I love it.

Oh my gosh. Okay. Well I could keep talking forever. Yes, as can you, I'm sure we could do this all day, but we are gonna have to go ahead and wrap it up. Yep. We have [00:53:00] reached the end of our time for today, but really Kelly, I am so looking forward to getting to have you on here on a regular basis. Looking forward to the Kelly shows.

Um, you know, we, you and I have talked about, and, and I've talked about too in the intro of this, , a big part of our, um, uh, show is going to be answering listener questions. Do you feel like there's, and I'm really putting you on the spot at this moment, but do you feel like there's certain categories that you can really speak to?

I mean, whether, obviously, obviously obviously, but other sort of general categories that you really do like to, um, speak to or that, that people could sort of direct their questions, like their Kelly questions? Um, oh. , I would say the things that interest me. Mm-hmm. . So maybe those are the things just because I've lived my life with these interests.

Yes. You know, are food. I love to talk about food. Okay. Right. I obviously do love to talk about weather, but you know, I love social media. Ooh. Okay. I love mm-hmm. teenagers. Yes. Um, so I'm kind [00:54:00] of excited to have a real one in my house now Yes. And see how that goes. Parenting. Cause I know how to relate to them as a youth leader, but now I'm a, I'm the mom.

Yes. Yeah. So that, um, I, I love to talk about child rearing in general. Okay. Um, because I've done it for a lot of my life. Yes. So I don't, many years by any means, think that I have like the lock answer on. . But all of those things and just relationships like we've talked about, personality things I think are so interesting.

Yeah. When you factor that into how to get along with people, so really, you know, I think that's part of the E N F P magic. I could talk about anything and be really happy about it. Yes, me too. Awesome. And that's why I think our. , this podcast, you and I has gone the longest of all of them so far. I'm so sorry.

I love it. I know, I love it. That's, it won't happen all the time. I will try to be, I don't know, not locations, let's don't make promises we can't keep, yeah. . Okay. Okay. I'll go with that. Okay. So I'm gonna let you go ahead and go and get back to your day, but thank you so much for taking time to sit down and get [00:55:00] our first episode done.

We are, yeah. We have lots of. To come where we're gonna be rocking that E N F P magic, so. Yep. Okay. Well I hope you have a great rest of your day. Thank you. Talk to you later. You will. Okay. Okay. Bye.

Thanks so much for joining us today on Sorta Awesome. You can find Kelly around the web or on her blog@lovewellblog.com. She's on Twitter and Instagram as at Kelly lovewell. Just as a reminder, you can head on over to sorta asa megan.tumblr.com for today's show notes, which include pictures and links from today's discussion.

While you're there, click on the Ask us link to submit your questions for us to answer in an upcoming episode. You can follow the Tumblr for updates on the show or sign up for the mailing list at tiny letter.com/sorta. Awesome. Awesome. I have to give a shout out to the band Proger for allowing us to use this song Strut for our In and [00:56:00] Out music.

You can find out more about ER's, nasty Beats and pretty chords@progermusic.com. I'll meet you back here next time as we discover, explore, and discuss all the things that make life sorta amazingly awesome.

Ep. 02 Meet Laura!

I am SO STOKED for this episode of Sorta Awesome! In it, I get to introduce you to one of my closest friends and most favorite people on the planet - Laura Tremaine of Hollywood Housewife. She’s walked red carpets home and abroad, traveled with humanitarian organizations to Sri Lanka and Haiti, and her beautiful home has been featured on Design Mom and on the show Tanked. And now, she’s in your ears as a regular on Sorta Awesome!  

 

Today, we talk about just how long we’ve known each other, share the awesome happenings in our lives (Laura’s is astronomically more exciting), and she owns up to the one thing she is always talking about!

PS - there were a few audio issues on my end in this episode, a few moments of echo here and there. Hopefully it’s not too distracting. Thanks for bearing with me as I get the hang of this! 

 

SHOW NOTES:

1) Hollywood Housewife: everyone can wear red lipstick

2) Pictures from Laura’s trip. (read more here and here)

3) Shauna Niequist’s Savor (affiliate link) 

4) The full story of Laura’s move to LA and how she met and fell in love with her husband

5) Gorilla Flicks, on Twitter

Find Laura on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

As always, thanks to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut! Find more about Progger on their website and at BandCamp

Feedback on today’s show? Leave a comment below (click the Notes link) or find me on Facebook or Instagram!

02_Ep_02_Meet_Laura____Sorta_Awesome_Podcast

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, I'm Megan Teets and this is sorta awesome.

In this episode, I'm introducing you to my very long time, very dear friend, Laura Tremaine of Hollywood housewife.com. Today Laura sets the standard for awesome of the week sky high by sharing about a life-changing trip. She recently. I ask her to give us her life story in just about five minutes, and she confides in us.

The one thing she is always talking about. I can't wait for you to get to know her more. So let's dive right [00:01:00] in.

Hi Laura, how are you? Good, how are you? I am doing so good. I am so, so, so excited to get to talk to you. Me too. Thank you for having me. Yes. Okay. I'm going to give everybody just a little bit of introduction about how you and I know each other. Oh dear. Uhhuh, . I know. Be nervous. Um, you all most likely know Laura as the Hollywood housewife.

Um, I have known her as one of my closest and dearest friends since I was 16. Uh, Laura and I met through some unfortunate high school shenanigans that involved things like swapping and sometimes stealing boyfriends . Yes, we did. Yes, we did. But on the other end of that, as all great friendships prove all of that silly boy drama faded away eventually.

did [00:02:00] it. Yeah, . Thankfully it all faded away the way that, uh, friendships do when you find a true heart friend. . Um, Laura and I did go to high school together. We were in show choir together, which means that we have, uh, done things like changed in the backseat of moving vehicles together. . Yes. Probably more than once.

Yes. Um, we also went on a high school show choir competition cruise to The Bahamas. Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. . Yes, we did that. Was wearing sequins, by the way. Wearing sequins and red lips. Yes, I have to tell you all, if you know Laura and you know her writing at Hollywood Housewife, you know that she actually is the master of the red lip, and I mean that seriously.

I will put a link or two in the show notes so that you can also experience her, um, her mastery of the red lip, but. , what many of you do not know is that probably one of the [00:03:00] first times that Laura ever put on red lipstick, probably from a Mary Kay Tube. I was right there beside her in the show choir rehearsal room when we were, yes, but children, And a new era was born and a new era was born.

Um, okay. So yes, she is one of my dearest friends. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding. I would have been a bridesmaid in hers except for the fact that I had a three week old at the time. Uh, and that was heartbreaking for me. But we have known each other so long through so many life changes. Um, as life went on, we kind of lost touch for just a little bit, but then reconnected happily in adulthood and, um, we're closer than ever.

I think. When I started thinking about who to ask to be part of this co-host team as we get sort of awesome up and off the ground, Laura was of course a very natural choice for. The show. So again, Laura, I'm so excited that you are joining me in this so, so, so excited. Thank you. It's just gonna be fun. Fun, I can tell.

So [00:04:00] much fun. And the stories we could tell maybe through the years, maybe we'll tell stories on each other, but not today. . Or maybe not, maybe not. Let's go with maybe not . Something. Some things are better left in the closet. . Okay. , as we will every week. We're gonna start with the awesome of the week. I'm gonna kick this to Laura because Laura's awesome this week is really and truly, it's, it's one of those life-changing things.

This is gonna, I mean, honestly, Laura, you're setting your, your standard pretty high for awesome of the week on this show, because I don't know, or if you're gonna be able to talk this, it's, it's a pretty big deal. So I'm gonna kick it to you so that you can share with us what you have had going on. That was pretty incredible.

Okay. My awesome of the week is that I just got home two days ago from, um, a really pretty life-changing trip to Israel. Amazing. Amazing. With a group of women bloggers, a lot of, a lot of [00:05:00] people that, um, , I just have admired or read for a long time. And so to be able to do this kind of a trip with people like that was really amazing.

Um, we did a lot of the holy sites. We went to, um, the probable place where Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and then we went to Jesus' birthplace. Wow. Um, you know, the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Olives. . Um, we hit all of those things, but then we also had like this really deep, uh, education mm-hmm. from all walks of life there in Israel.

We heard from Christians, Jews, Muslims, rabbis, housewives, professors, um, just this generals in the army, like just this really wide interesting mix of people who. , um, local. Mm-hmm. and who are experiencing [00:06:00] life in the holy land in the midst of conflict. Right? Yes. It was so intense. I bet it's so intense. I bet.

Um, so my awesome of the week will not always be quite that awesome. Yes. But it was, it was really. I didn't know what to expect. You know, a trip like that. There's a, like a lot of high expectations. Sure, yes. Um, there's also some anxiety to do a trip like that without your family. Oh gosh, absolutely. Yes. Um, so all of those things, but now that I'm home and still sort of processing it, um, I really, really think it was gonna be an important trip in my life.

Mm-hmm. not just. . I mean, I hate to put it this way, but it's sort of touristy . Well, sure, absolutely. I've, I've always heard that, that it's amazing and, but so surreal in how it's both so, um, spiritual and, and almost mystical, but at the [00:07:00] same time, like kind of almost. Campy in some ways, in, in terms of the tourist of it, and it's, it's like almost a little bit kitchy, like mm-hmm.

there's souvenir, you know, right. Souvenir kiosks Right. Outside of where, um, the place is marked as Jesus's crucifixion. Right? Yes. To me, that was so surreal to be like, this feels. , Jesus, Disneyland, . Um, and yeah, that was weird. That felt so weird and it, and it did not feel, um, the kind of reverence I was used to upon reflection.

There is a reverence there, there is a holiness there because, um, there's so many people who have come from all over the world. Mm-hmm. Right. To. stand in that place, right? Yes. So that, that in itself is a reverence, but it's just sort of, I was expecting [00:08:00] like, I don't know, like a Catholic church type of reverence, like a silence.

Okay. And a, um, you know, um, what's the word? Like, just like a, a heavy feeling or something like that, and, right. And so I was really sort of thrown off. No one had prepared me that it was so touristy. Mm mm. . Mm-hmm. . Um, so, but they, they weren't all, not all the sites were that way. We had a beautiful day at the Sea of Galilee, um, that is, was quiet and beautiful and, um, and then also we just happened by, I think this was accident.

I don't know. But, um, we did go to Bethlehem and go to, uh, the place where Jesus was born to the manger. Oh, wow. Yeah. Right to the mentor. It, it, it had a much. It had more of what I was expecting in terms of, uh, you had to be quiet in that space. Okay. Right. And, um, it's an [00:09:00] instant, a cave and it's often depicted as a barn.

Not so much a barn, actually a cave. Just so you know. . Okay. No, I did not know that. I, it's a rock cave. Okay. It's awesome. It's really, really cool. And it's, like hay in a barn. Let me ask you this, and I am completely revealing my ignorance of the Holy Land sites. I honestly dunno that much about it. But so like for example, in Bethlehem, is that site controlled by like the Catholic church, the Orthodox church, or is it controlled by the state of Israel?

Um, like who, like sort of oversees specifically that. in, so I don't, don't, it's really interesting, um, the guide that we had explained, the history of it, I don't wanna muck it up too badly. Okay. Okay. But basically from my understanding, um, five branches of the church sort of control it. So there's like, okay.

I I can't name all [00:10:00] the Coptic Christians, the Greek Orthodox Christians, the Okay. Egyptian. I don't, I, I can't, uh, I can't name them all. Okay. Without revealing my own ignorance. But five branches share these, these sites. Okay. Um, which is why they're decorated very differently. Like, it's like one corner is decorated in a certain mm-hmm.

Um, old, old way. And another is Decorat. You know, these are just different parts of the world that have converged. Sure. Which feels very strange to an American. To an American. Sure. It feels very strange. Mm-hmm. . Um, so they sort of share this area and then for a while, I don't know if this part's is true, but for a while, , the Mus, the top Muslim clergy oversaw it just because that they were like a neutral party.

Isn't that interesting? That is interesting. Yes. I did not know that at all. Wow. And they, so the five Christian churches [00:11:00] that um, are, that um, share the responsibility, the responsibility is to keep it clean. Okay. And, um, you know, they have these different. sort of sections that they're, um, allowed to take care of.

Mm-hmm. , but then they're sort of overseen. , a neutral party, if you will. Interesting. Huh. That is so interesting. I just wondered if, um, who oversaw the specific site, um, sort of set the standard for decorum at that site? Like if mm-hmm. , you know, like if the, if the major site was more church controlled, if they could be like you, you know, like the Vatican or whatever, like here there's a certain.

Like this is the standard for tourist behavior here. Whereas, you know, I don't know about the other sites, um, if that had anything to do with it, but it sounds like, so it sounds like this sort of five branch. Uh, governing body, I guess you could say, um, oversees the main sites there. Is that kind of what you're saying?

They do. Okay. And they can't. So there's, [00:12:00] um, so if there's like a repair that needs to be done, like say like a stairs, a piece of the stairs is broken or something like that, they won't repair it because they can't seem to all agree on how to repair it best. Oh my goodness. Wow. , it's, there is sort of a, it's very complicated.

It's very complicated, and there's like a deadlock Mm, um, of decision making, if you will. Oh, wow. So, yeah, it's really interesting. I mean, there was a lot of little details to that that we don't even need to go into, but yeah, it was, our guide was giving us a lot of that information and it was so fascinating.

But they were like, you know, this, this is no small thing. Like this isn't like, um, you know, repairing a government building, like this is the holiest site in the world. Right? Right. Three major religions converge in Jerusalem, right? Yes. Mm-hmm. . So these sites mean something different to people. Mm-hmm. and they care about them.

Yes. [00:13:00] Yes. So it's no small decision to be like, oh, we'll just fix the stairs or whatever. Like it's not like that. Right. It's really inter It's really interesting. Wow. I mean that is, that like supersedes awesome by so many levels. Like I said, I mean, you are like setting the bar for yourself really, really high

I know, I know. It's not normal. No, it's not normal. It's, it's incredible. And like you said, a a once in a lifetime and life ta life-changing kind of trip to get to go on. So it really was, it really was. And I was with people who know the Bible far better than me, who know their current. history about, um, Israel and Palestine and the conflict there who know all of those things better than me.

So I was totally surrounded, not only but the people that we heard from, you know, as lecturing to us, but also the people on the trip where everyone was just so smart and educated and Right. I just was like soaking in knowledge at every turn, which is awesome. And also exhausting. Exhausting, I'm sure. [00:14:00] Yes.

Yes, but I mean, but what an opportunity. Right? Amazing. Like what an opportunity. I'm sure you'll be processing that for weeks to come. For sure. Yes. Okay. Well thank you for telling us all about that. That is incredible. Um, I'm gonna switch gears to my awesome of the week, which actually has a connection back to you.

I did not plan this intentionally, but it actually does, uh, my awesome of the week is a brand new release from Shauna Ni. , her newest Book Saver, which is a devotional book. The subtitle of the book is Living Abundantly Where You Are as You Are. And the way this connects back to Laura is I was actually introduced years ago.

Years ago, I feel like I was early to the Shawn Equis fan train because Laura, you introduced me to her, I feel like it was back in 2008 with her first book of collected essays called Cold Tanger. . I feel like you maybe either sent it to me or you were like, you have to read this, one of the two. [00:15:00] Oh, I've been a Shauna like advocate for so long.

Yes. Yes. Because you've known Shauna, like since you were a kid. Is that right? So, well, Al a teenager. We were a teenager. Okay. Um. , we were summer camp counselors together. And just as a side note, she's the one who led and put together my trip to Israel last week. Yes, yes. So we have stayed friends, um, all this time.

I mean, you know, the internet has helped that. But we became friends in, we were counselors together at the same summer camp in Missouri when I was 18, and she's a couple years older than me, and she was my very first exposure to.

being a different kind of Christian. Mm-hmm. . So like how we grew up, I thought that you to be a Christian woman, there was like a way. Yes. There was just the way . And to clarify, for those of you who aren't as familiar with Laura and I in our background, Laura and I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma. And I guess you could say our, our [00:16:00] Christian background would be, uh, a pretty conservative strain of evangelicalism.

Um, with some slight differences, but, um, but yeah, so that's our background. So you're saying that when you met Shauna, she sort of, um, gave you the first role model that, um, that living out a Christian life could look a little different maybe than what we had been exposed to in our tiny town in the Bible belt?

Yes. She was like a hero to me. Like she had tattoos and. Listen, you know, listen to certain music and read dark literature and all these things that I wanted to do. I do not have tattoos. PS ? Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Not at first. Um, no, actually I have no desire to ever have a tattoo, but I had never even seen like that you could do it this other way.

So she has been a, and this was before she was even writing, right? Like writing books? Mm-hmm. years before. Mm-hmm. . Um, she kind of changed the way. changed my [00:17:00] trajectory if I'm real honest. Mm-hmm. , um, that you could, and she introduced me to Anne Lamont. Mm-hmm. at that time. Mm-hmm. . Um, and I was like, oh my gosh.

There's another way. . Yes. No one had ever told me that there was another way, ever. Right, right. So she's been a powerful person in your life. Um, when I read Cold Tangerines, I fell in love with her writing immediately. I love, I love her style of personal essay. Mm-hmm. , it's so warm and inviting and approachable, but it's never like strictly or.

overly sanitized. I feel like she does an an incredible job of talking about hard things with a way that is so it's not off-putting, but it's also not just like the Sunday school answer to things. Like, no, I feel like she just invites so much. Authenticity. I, when, when I read Cult Tangerines, I, it was one of the first times, um, that I had really approached the idea of reading something that has some spiritual background that wasn't just [00:18:00] like, wrapped up in a, a pretty bow, I mean, cult has a beautiful, um, message to it, but it wasn't just like that, you know, sort of over and over again, ending up in the Sunday school place of.

Um, no, it's beautiful. Did you read, you know, my fa I have not, I have not dug into Savor yet. I just got it. Mm-hmm. yesterday. But, um, I will say her book last year or two years ago is just one of my favorite things ever. Bread and wine. Yes. Did you read and wine? Yes. Oh yes, absolutely. Yes. So good. Yes. And so what Saver does then to go back to my awesome the week is Saver, is it takes, um, little snippets of her essays through the years through cold tangerines and bittersweet and bread and wine.

And then there's also new material that she has written just for this devotional. So what you get. For each day of devotional. I feel like it's just the right amount of devotional for me right now. It's um, it's a snippet of scripture. It's two paragraphs, again, just like things that have been taken from her past work or something [00:19:00] new.

And then there's a closing thought and all of it goes right back to that subtitle of just really living where you are and really experiencing the fullness of life as it is right now. And then again, to talk about red and. , there are recipes thrown in. One of Shauna's things that I think she does so well is talks about how pivotal hospitality is, but that you don't have to overthink it.

It doesn't have to be this overwrought thing. It doesn't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to be planned out. And certainly, you know, she talks about how this works in, in her day-to-day life. Certainly they do, um, with her group of friends, she does, you know, fancy dinner parties and. Of things that are fun and are a little bit more formal, but she really celebrates the everyday extension of hospitality.

And so that theme also runs throughout the book. I've, I just got it a few days ago as a review copy. I've been looking through it and I absolutely love it. It's really something I've been looking for for a long time. Again, [00:20:00] um, I unfortunately tend to be a little bit cynical about women's devotionals. . I have not found one that I like for a long time.

As, as Laura might know, we, we share some Syno sy here. Well, a Bonus to Saver. A Bonus to Saver is that it is, um, so pretty like on your shelf. Yes. Gosh, it's gorgeous. The aesthetic of it is beautiful. Beautiful. I know. It's the most beautiful book. I feel like it's, it's the perfect book to give as a gift because Absolutely.

It's just so pretty. It's so pretty. It really is. So, yeah, it's, it's a great thing to pick up for yourself or to give as a gift, and, and it's, when it's a devotional for every day of the year, it's, it's fantastically done and it is completely awesome. So that is why I wanted to share that this week. So that's a good one.

Okay. So Laura, what I'm doing with each of you. Wonderful. Amazing. Co-hosts is I'm asking you all a series of three questions just so that listeners can get [00:21:00] to know you all a little bit better. Mm-hmm. , um, in the opening show, I already answered these questions, so if you are curious what my answers to these questions are, you can go back to the very first show on sort of awesome and hear what I had to say about these things, but I'm making each of the co-hosts into your answering these as well.

So the first thing I would love to hear from you, and I know the listeners would love to hear from. Whether they read you regularly already or if this is the first time they're getting to hear you, I would love it if you could give us your five minute life story. My five minute life story. Okay. I can do this.

Yes. Um, I grew up in super, super small town in Oklahoma of about 4,000 people I lived out in the country. Um, and then when I. School age. I ended up going to school in the next town over, which is where I met you. Mm-hmm. . Um, it's a, a little bit bigger town, about 25,000, [00:22:00] which is about average, larger than average in Oklahoma.

Mm-hmm. . So I had a pretty conservative, um, uh, a storybook aspect to my childhood, I feel like. Mm-hmm. , a close-knit family, community, um, that kind of thing. I. went to college in Oklahoma and studied abroad in England, and that was my first kind of eyeopening opening experience where I realized I just wanted to do something different.

Um mm, mm-hmm. . So I, as soon as I graduated college, I moved to Los Angeles. Yes, you did. So unseen. I had packed, been here, packed the car, and went out. And past my brother's diesel truck, by the way. That's right. Yes. I forgot about that. You did all, all of my belongings in a old refrigerator box in the back of my brother's [00:23:00] diesel truck, and we drove out here.

I had never been here. I did not know anyone here. I did not have a job. I, I was completely clueless. I don't know why I did, said, said things, but I. and that was August of 2001. Okay. And then obviously in September of 2001, um, was September 11th where I had only been here a month. I was still jobless.

Mm-hmm. , I still barely knew anyone and, you know, had this sort of, was our country going to war? Should I go home? I'm so far away from my family. Right. . And that ended up being a really big moment for me when I decided to stay. Yes. Pivotal? Yeah, pivotal. Pivotal because I think I could have gone home easily.

Mm-hmm. and made and made a beautiful life and had babies and it would've been a different happy ending. But, um, I decided to stay and then by the end of that year I got a job at mt. A quick, like a short term job at mtv, [00:24:00] um, just as a production assistant, which is like the. Mm. Rung on TV ladder. Yes. And my producer on this little tiny show for Tom Green, um, asked me to come do a movie for Paramount that he was doing after the first of the year.

And I was so starry-eyed to do a feature film for Tennis Paramount. And so I said yes, like barely, without even knowing what the project was. . and I came back, um, after Christmas that year to start that movie. And the movie was Jackass. Mm-hmm. . Yes. I was horrified, , because I just need to clarify for everybody really quickly.

Laura is one of the most clean cut people in terms of, well, in terms of a lot of things, but I have, again, have known her for many, many a year. I can count on one hand how many times I've heard her use any. crass [00:25:00] language and I would still have fingers left over. I mean, it's, it's very rare. So I can just imagine the whole thing playing out as you find out what the project is.

I'm pretty prissy and proper. Yes. Less, probably less. I mean, definitely less. So now, and I'm 35 years old and yes, whatever, but at 22 I was, yes, very prissy and proper. Um, and so I was just, just absolutely beside myself to be. It's dirty, dirty show. It's dirty, it's filthy , which is basically like men doing very like potty humor and yes, naked humor and just, I just potty humor more.

Yes. Disgusted . Um, but there was a really cute director, . This is so cute. The director is such a, so cute, so charming. Uhhuh , and. Oh, I just got a big old [00:26:00] school, school teacher type crush on him. Yes. Not right away. I, I'm summing up kind of years of, yes. Not years, but, you know, I worked on that movie and got to know him a little bit and, um, we just became friends for a couple of years and then I went on to work with, um, Jeff, is his name

He's gonna be, who in this story will become my husband? Yes. . Um, He, after the, after that first year of making that movie, which was, which was his first movie also, um, he did TV shows and I went on to work on those and eventually we started dating and then eventually we got married and. I had done a lot of TV by then.

I had worked on some shows for Fox and the CW and, and lots of other reality TV shows, and I was very burned out on it. I did not want to, to do television production anymore. Right. So he and I got married, um, and because his work schedule is so intense, we decided I would not work at, at the beginning of our marriage.

And, um, [00:27:00] We had two babies. I have a five-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son. Yes. And they're also darling, they are beautiful if I do say so myself. Yes. And we, um, live in Los Angeles in a neighborhood called Los Feas. It's sort of East Hollywood and, um, and that's it. He's, my husband's still making TV in movies.

I'm blogging and traveling and momming and wiping and yeah. And here you are, the Hollywood housewife. Yeah, that was five minutes. You're good. That was really good. Oh yeah. Perfect. . So, so when people tell, so I, when I meet people and they ask about my blog or whatever, and I say it's called Hollywood House Life.

And I think people just sort of blank stare for a minute, but it's literal. I'm like literally, literally, You are the Hollywood housewife. , yes. Yes. Love it. Love it. Um, yeah, and one of the things, I can't remember where this is on your blog, or even if it is [00:28:00] still on your blog, but you talk about being married to your husband, just kind of like in a, you just kind of toss up the statement who's nothing like you would expect.

Didn't, didn't you use that phrasing to describe him on the podcast? I do use that phrasing to describe him, and I do have to say that too. Um, Jeff, He's incredibly charming and so personable, and I think, you know, anybody who's familiar with his movies, um, may think that he, um, sort of has a, a sort of single-minded interest in a certain kind of humor.

But in reality, Jeff is just like super interested in people and their stories and that that shines through so much in person. He, he's one of those people that has that gift where when he's speaking to you, he, you know, or when you're just in conversation with him, he can make. , like open up and feel like he's really interested in what you're talking about.

And he's a fantastic storyteller. And I know that, um, that storytelling in general is something that you guys, um, are both interested in. Um, one of many shared interests for sure. He is [00:29:00] wonderful. He is a much people judge him because of his work is, you know, naughty . But I am like, no, no, you have it wrong.

He is a much better person than I am. . He is so non-judgmental. He would invite anybody. Anybody. Absolutely. Since you are home, home into our life, he's very. Solid. Absolutely. Like when you meet him, you're just like, this is who you call when your car's in a ditch or whatever, like Oh yeah. He's incredibly solid, steady, wonderful person.

And I just basically, Lucked out. I, I wouldn't call it luck by the way. I you, you added a little hustle in there to, if I lucked out, I mean, manipulated him into marrying me

Oh, okay. But so even though here you are the Hollywood housewife and you have, um, a, a wonderful life and a beautiful home [00:30:00] with gorgeous children and, and an incredible husband, even you, the Hollywood housewife, you have c. That you face in your life every day. And so that is the next thing I wanted to ask you about, like just what are some of the things that you find are really challenging you right now, whether they're situations or um, philosophical things.

What are you up against right now? That's a challenge. Um, we have a lot of challenges. And, and, and then personally I have two. I have one sort of shallow level and one deeper level. Um, , my deeper level is my faith is changing a lot. Mm-hmm. , and it has been for a long time, but I was just able to ignore it.

Sure. Um, when life got busy and when you have little tiny babies and, um, I had just put a pause on the things about my faith that troubled me. , I am unable to do that any longer. So I am just [00:31:00] experiencing, I'm trying to read a lot and, um, correct, yes. And pray and meditate and talk to people who I value their opinion on these topics.

Um, and I'm just wrestling with that these things are changing and letting go of, um, how I felt in the. Right. The letting go has been a lot harder than the clinging to the new. Interesting, interesting. I'm, it's a scary thing thing. It's so scary. Yes. Um, it's was, it's easy for me to clinging to, uh, new things.

I'm embracing new schools of thought. It's harder for me to admit that I, um, might have been wrong or misguided about things in the past. That has been, that's very difficult for me. Sure. , that's an ongoing process, and I don't even wanna speak to it in detail because it is so deeply ongoing, but Right.

That's, but it's been hard. I mean, it has been, it has been really hard for me [00:32:00] in the past couple of years. And then on the lighter note of challenges, um, as anyone else who might have a husband who's in freelance work or u unsteady work or seasonal work,

We just have logistical challenges. My husband may shoot a movie this summer. He may not. Mm-hmm. , it's not up to him, and we don't know. You know? Right. Yes. , the commercials that he makes, and a lot of the things that he creates, the schedule of those things and where they shoot in the country or in the world are not up to him.

Right. Always. And so we are at the whim of someone else saying, and now you have to go here for two weeks or longer. Right, right. Yeah. So, um, a lot of the projects that he has lined up from now until the end of this year are just in the air. And so we can't plan much. It's really. . We can't plan family things, we can't plan.

Um, you know, we're sort of just always, and it's, it's [00:33:00] always that way, right? This is, yeah, that's normal. That's the way it's normal. But I'm sure even though that's how it's always been and you don't foresee it ending, that doesn't make it any less challenging, right? No. Actually does not get, it's not, you do not get used to it.

Well, I mean, I guess maybe some people do. I do not get used to it. and it is the biggest source of, of stress for me is just not know. Right. What next week is gonna look like. Right, right. Yeah. That's, that's a pretty huge thing to have open-ended all the time is like literally not knowing where your husband will be in the country or on the planet in some cases.

Um, and then you're at home and you're trying to manage your own professional work. You're managing your family schedule, um, the kiddos and all of those types of things. Um, to never really be able to like concrete know. , this for sure is happening at this time. Yes. Yeah. And things have to [00:34:00] change, you know, I mean, Jeff has had to miss family vacations.

He's had to, um, you know, we've had to change big major trips or life events. We've had to rearrange them at the last minute. Um, so that is, is, you know, on the one hand it's a, it's a blessing that he, in this economy and in this town where it's difficult to work that. has an abundance of work that, that we have to Sure.

Stuff around for. Absolutely. Yeah. On the other hand, with tiny children and, you know, busy lives outside of his work, we are constantly reshuffling and I'm constantly apologizing to people and, you know what I mean? Like it, that's, I, that's our, our shallower. Logistical challenge in my life right now. Right.

At the same time, I think, like you said, that I think a lot of people can relate to that depending on what each person or family has going on. That that is, um, that can be a really big thing to try to work around and, and try to, um, try to have [00:35:00] just like some, some. Feelings of stability or maybe you have to create your own stability in the midst of that type stuff.

So, okay, so last question and then you're off the hook for this week anyway. Right. Ready? Last question, all of us have are things that. We are just like super into, I mean, I think every person, once you dig a little bit, and I love to do this to people, is to kind of find out what their thing is. Uh, that the, the thing that they really dig, that they just are always talking about, whether they even realize it or not, it's always coming up in conversation to the point maybe they're, they're friends and family are sometimes like rolling their eyes like, okay, and here we go with this again.

Um, and so I know everybody has one. I would love to hear, Laura, what is your thing that you're always talking about? Or do you have more than one thing? It's blogging. Blogging. I am always talking about blogging it . You know what, it's so funny now that you say that I, I did not know you were gonna answer that and I, but I [00:36:00] mentioned that you and I reconnected in adulthood.

Do you remember that? When I still lived in Texas and I had been blogging for maybe, , I don't know, two years at that point that you called me and that was like our first long conversation that we had had in a long time. You were like, tell me about blogging , and it's been something that you and I have talked about basically nonstop for the past, I don't know, seven years or so.

Megan, I am obsessed with blocking. I'm obsessed with it and not just my own blog, although I can definitely obsess over my own blog, don't get me wrong. Um, but just like blogging as a medium, other people's blogs, the, the blogging temperature, like what's happening? Yes. And blogging as a whole. Mm-hmm. , I can nerd out about blogging, in fact, in Israel last.

um, Tish Oxen Rider, yes. Was on that trip as well. Mm-hmm. . And we'd had this whole week of like heavy topics, war and [00:37:00] religion and all this. Yes. And I sat next to her at a dinner and we ended up talking about blogging and I was so happy. I bet. I was like, oh, yay. Let's talk about advertising and at subscribers, like, I was just giddy.

And what podcast do you listen to about blogging, about blog. Yes, we talk, we talked about logging for an hour and I was, I was completely rejuvenated. I bet, I bet. And what's funny is I am significantly scaling back on my own blog. I haven't posted in two weeks, which I think is like, I think that is the longest I've gone for you.

Oh my goodness, yes. The longest I've gone in like five years maybe. Yes. Without, um, like setting an intention. Yeah. Yeah. And, but even, even as I'm scaling back on my own blog, because I'm trying to pursue. Uh, bigger writing projects. I, I'm still, I find that I'm still passionate about like, the general topic of blogging.

I think that it has changed [00:38:00] communication. Yes. Um, and social media too. Blogging and social media, those things, I sort of see them as hand in hand really? Yes. I'm a real advocate for women and I think that it has changed the way that women tell their stories. Oh, that's a great point. Yeah, definitely. Even, even more than men.

Um, although I'm men are definitely affected by blogging and social media of, of course, too, but I've seen it so much in women and moms and, yes. Yeah, I just think it has radically. given people a voice who thought that they didn't have a voice. Mm-hmm. . Yeah, absolutely. Or who never even considered wanting a voice, but now that they have one, they realize they have things to say.

Yes. Um, and I just think it's changing. I think that it's blogging and social media that's changing all these conversations that's happening in our country with race. You know, different political [00:39:00] questions, environmental things. I mean, all, every big conversation that's happening in America right now is, is happening online in some capacity.

Yes. And I. Like to just observe. I participate in it daily, but I also really like to observe it as a whole. I, I just nerd out about it. I, my family, no, no one in my family has any care of social media. No care. So no care. The care is zero. And not even Jeff, right? Like that is not even his realm. Is that right?

Like in terms of. Jeff has three website. He checks every day and that's it. Yes, he does not do social media even though he has for his businesses and and TV shows and things. Those things have really. wide fan bases. Sure. Yeah. And he does not, I mean, he's not on Twitter, right? No, he is not on Twitter, which is so surprising to me because so many people in, in that industry, like that's, that's sort of the backbone of their [00:40:00] presence.

But Jeff is just like, no, thanks. His, now his production company is mm-hmm. , um, his production company is called Gorilla Flicks. Yes. And they are on Twitter and they tweet things. Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. . But that's mostly, , you know, people who write for him or work for him, and sometimes it's him, but it's not like him.

He's just maybe telling them yes what he just is not into any of that. And I just bore him to tears. Literal, please stop talking tears. Over my love, my love of all things internet. Yeah. I mean, it's fascinating and, and the amazing thing about it is it's so self-renewing in that there's always the next thing to be talking about.

Right? I mean, it's not, it's so non-static that it's a new conversation every day practically. There's, I know. Which, if you're into it is so exciting. Yes. Like it's always changing and sometimes for the good, but. [00:41:00] Even if it, the tide changes in a way that is. quote unquote bad. It's still fun to talk about.

I still wanna talk about it. Yeah, absolutely. So fun. You and I have been to two blogging conferences together. I know you've been to more certainly. Um, and those have been such fun trips because I also can completely, and I mean completely nerd out about all things social media. So those were really fun trips that we took together because, uh, we spent a lot in our, I mean, a lot of time talking about the ins and outs of it.

You know, it's so fun when you connect with people that share your thing, because you would think eventually that we would get tired of talking about it and be like, eh, let's move on to something else. But so far that has not proven to be the case. That is not true. We just keep talking about it. We text each other.

Yes. Yes. Almost daily of like, did you see this? Did you read this? Yes. Um, yeah. Or if I think maybe you haven't seen it, I let you know. You need to go [00:42:00] see this. Yes. Yes. It's a huge touchpoint in our friendship, which has been, I mean, we could certainly probably do a whole show about that, about how engaging in social media, uh, can both foster and maybe in some cases hurt friendship.

But that, again, we're running out of time, so we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll chase that rabbit down a trail another day. We should. Cause I have big, I know, big fat thoughts on that. It's a completely fascinating topic, so we'll make a note. We'll, we'll come back to that. But in the meantime, That's the thing that you're always talking about is blocking every day.

Every day. And the great thing too is because of the way the internet works, you can find people like you can find you. And I have found our own little like sort of secret corner of the internet where there are other people who are equally enthusiastic about talking about this stuff. And it's, yeah. Yes.

But I also encounter people who are not enthusiastic and who stare at me like I am. . [00:43:00] The dumbest W . Yeah. . So when you find someone who does not think that your passion is dumb and clinging, cling to that person, flinging is all you got. Yes. Yes, yes. Okay. Well, okay, now, so speaking of online life, uh, let's run down the list of where people can find you on the internet, starting with your blog, which is, my blog is Hollywood Housewife.

It's hollywood housewife.com. , where else do you And I am there. Uh, in general, I'm there several times a week. Right now. Like I said, I'm been traveling, but in general, I'm there several times a week, but I'm also daily active on Twitter and Instagram, where my handle is Hollywood, H Wife. Mm-hmm. . Okay. On both of those, right.

And mm-hmm. . Twitter is more off the cuff. I'm sort of more, more current events. Instagram is, um, I, I love, I. Obviously a visual diary, kind of of our family life. And [00:44:00] then, um, I'm also a huge Facebook lover and my Facebook page is facebook.com/the Hollywood Housewife, the Hollywood Housewife on Facebook.

Okay, Laura, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I know you are super busy. I know you're still trying to settle back into your time zone. Traveled across the world and you're getting ready to do some more traveling. So I am so, so, so thankful that you took some time to do this today. This was so fun, Megan.

I loved it. This was so fun. And we have many shows ahead of us to discuss all of the awesome going on in life. So I think that's it. Do you have any other things to throw out there for, for people, or did we cover all the bases for. We covered all that my brain can handle on this. Awesome. Perfect time to wrap up.

Okay. So we will talk to you again very, very soon. Great. Okay. Bye bye.[00:45:00]

So everyone, thank you for joining us here at Sorta Awesome. Just as a reminder, you can head on over to sorta asa megan.tumblr.com for today's show notes, which include pictures from Laura's trip to Israel, as well as a link to her story of moving from Oklahoma to Los Angeles and how she met and fell in love with her husband.

While you're there, click on the Ask us link to submit your questions for us to answer. In an upcoming episode, Laura and I would be thrilled to tackle your questions on friendship and fashion, makeup recommendations, and the entertainment industry, books and blogging. You can follow the temper for updates on the show or sign up for the mailing list at tiny letter.com/sorta.

Awesome to join the discussion on today's episode, find me on Instagram at Megan. That's T I E TZ or facebook.com/sorta crunchy. I have to give a shout [00:46:00] out to the band Proger for allowing us to use the song Stret, as in and Out music. You can find out more about them and their nasty beats and pretty chords@progermusic.com.

I'll meet you back here next time as we explore, discover, and discuss all the things that make life sorta amazingly.

Ep. 01 - Meet Rebekah!

Hey all! In this episode of Sorta Awesome, I’m introducing you to my dear friend and show co-host Rebekah Hoffer of Simply Rebekah. We had such a great time recording this episode! In it, you’ll get an overview of Rebekah’s life story (including the very fun, very unusual way she met her husband) as well as hear about what is challenging her right now and what topic she is always talking about. Rebekah is just one of my very favorite people and I know you are going to love her as much as I do!

SHOW NOTES:

1) Your goofy co-hosts:

2) Voxer - we LOVE it!

3) In Your Eyes, Amazon

4) Rebekah’s love story

Infamous dorm room window:

Rebekah and Nate in college (reunited after she lived in Guatamala for three months!):

5) Rhett and Link, Good Mythical Morning

Will it donut?

Will it pizza?

As always - Progger! Thank you to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut.

Find more of Progger’s incredible music on their website, at BandCamp, and on Facebook and Twitter!

So glad to have you along this week! Coming up next, you’ll meet my very long time friend Laura of Hollywood Housewife whom I have also somehow managed to talk into co-hosting with me. See you back then!

01_Ep._01_Meet_Rebekah

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, I'm Megan Teets and this is sorta awesome.

On today's show, I'm introducing you to one of my co-hosts, Rebecca Hoffer, of simply rebecca.com. In this episode, Rebecca is going to reveal to you the sort of surprising thing that she is always talking about. She also tells a story of a somewhat awkward, potentially unsafe situation that ended up with a happy ending when she met the man of her.

But first we're gonna kick things off with our awesome of the week. [00:01:00] Hey Rebecca, how are you lady? Hi, Megan. I'm good. How are you? I'm good. I am so excited that we have finally made time to sit down and do this. So excited. Yes, I have been waiting and waiting and I can't wait. Okay. Before we even dig in, Rebecca doesn't know I'm going to say this, but I just want to, uh, let everybody know that if it were not for Rebecca, you all would not be listening to the sort of awesome podcast at this moment because a couple of things.

First of all, when I first started to talk about starting a podcast, I had a couple of names in mind and I floated them out to some friends. Um, and I got a lot of good positive feedback. And I had landed on one that I really liked a whole lot. Um, and Rebecca was one of the vocal minority that kind of was like, you know what?

I don't really love that name for you. Yeah, I really did not like it. No, I know. And at first that was hard to hear cuz I was pretty attached to the name. I had settled on that. Thankfully, Rebecca is one of [00:02:00] those friends who will say the things that need to be said. And she and I talked through on Voxer.

I don't know if you all use Voxer. It's a fantastic, amazing app, especially for extroverts like Rebecca and I who have a lot of words. Anyway. You love Voxer? Yes, we vox a lot. We talked through it on Voxer and Rebecca helped me think through tons of names and helped me settle on sort of. Awesome. So if you're loving the idea of sorta awesome, you have Rebecca to thank.

If you think it's way, you're welcome, I guess, . I was happy to help. I have been very excited about this podcast, so yes, yes, yes. Sorry for my negative opinions, but I'm really happy with the new name. Totally. Seriously. Everybody needs somebody in their life who will be like, Hey, you know what? No, I don't think so.

that's not for you. And Rebecca's that person in my life. Seriously. I know if I need an opinion in someone that's gonna tell me the truth, I turned to Rebecca. So, okay, so speaking of sorta. One thing that we are going to do on this show is we're gonna open [00:03:00] with a segment called Awesome of the Week. And each week both I and the person I'm talking to will bring something that's sorta awesome that has, uh, happened to us, something that we've done, something we've listened to, that we want to share with each other and share with you all.

So this week I'm gonna let Rebecca kick things off with her Awesome. Of the week. So tell us what you got. I am ready. Okay, so my sort of awesome for the week is the movie In Your Eyes. Okay. I watched it on Netflix. Uhhuh, . It's also available on Amazon. You have to pay like four or $5. I looked that up if you wanna watch it on Amazon.

Okay. But the reason why I love this movie, it's a romantic movie. Oh yes, of course. And the reason why I loved it is because there was a focus on this mental connection. Mm-hmm. between the two characters. Okay. And let me. The plot line a little bit. Okay. It's a little strange. Okay. And to be honest, it's some parts of it are a little bit lame because here's what it [00:04:00] is, there's these two people who live across the country from each other.

Okay. One's on the east coast, one's like out west somewhere. Mm-hmm. . And they have this ability where their minds are connected that they can see. What the other person is seeing. Okay. And they can hear what they're hearing and they can sometimes feel what they're feeling. Okay. So for example, the one guy got like hit in a bar by somebody.

Mm-hmm. . And then the girl could feel that from across the country and like knocked her on the floor. Whoa. Okay. So kind of maybe a little lame, a little cheesy, right? So I was browsing through Netflix. I'm like, there's no way this movie is gonna be any good like this. This is so far-fetched. This is just not gonna be good.

But it had amazing reviews. Hmm. So I was like, oh, okay. I'll trust the Netflix community . So, which is a scary proposition that can go either way on you, you know what I mean? Yeah. So I, I watched it and I [00:05:00] fell in love with this movie, and I became so obsessed and the more that I thought about it, The more I realize that it's all about the mental connection and how sexy that is.

Whoa. Okay. Because here's, here's the thing. This is my problem with most like romantic comedies. Sure. Okay. Yes. They go straight from like first kiss into the bedroom. Right. Right. Or you might have like a period piece, like from way back in the day. Mm-hmm. and to, you know, the leading lady and the man like look at each other from like, The room.

Yes. And then they share like five sentences. Right. And then he's asking for her hand in marriage and I'm like, where did that connection come from? Like Right. It that, that just doesn't really work for me. Okay. And in reality, neither of those situations, the romantic comedy straight into the bedroom or the staring at each other from across the room, now we're getting married scenario.

Neither one of those look like my love story, right? Yes. So, [00:06:00] The reason why I loved in your eyes so much is cuz it felt like this celebration of the mental connection and the build that naturally happens. Mm-hmm. between two people as they're pursuing each other. I like it and it felt like I was back in my dating days.

And like getting excited again about my husband and the mental connection that we had right now. We could not see like through each other's eyes, right? I mean that's like scientific weird . Um, yes, I think we can establish that , but I just loved that. That mental connection that it was celebrating. That's awesome.

Yeah. It felt so different to me. Yeah. I loved that. Is it a recent movie? I don't, I've not heard of it, but I am completely out of the loop on movies. Okay. So it's an independent film. Okay. And it recently was released, but it was released straight to like online distribution. Oh, wow. So it wasn't ever in the theater.

Okay. So you can watch it on Netflix or you can watch it on Amazon. [00:07:00] And I loved it in your eyes. Okay. Okay. There, there are some parts there like, oh no, no, this is a little layman cheesy, and I'm not sure I totally love the ending, but man, Like seeing a real mental connection build between people. It's like worth celebrating your own love story.

Okay, awesome. I will put that in the show notes for this show so people can check it out. And I have to say I'm intrigued. I Well, yes, most definitely. It's worth the watch. Check it out. Now, did you watch this by yourself or did Nate watch it with you? I watched it by myself. Do you think that. Couples could watch it together?

Or is it more a chick flick genre? Well, it's definitely a chick flick. Like I think you gotta know you're a guy. Mm-hmm. my guy. I think he would've liked it, but the like somewhat cheesy part about, you know, seeing each other, right. Each other's world. I mean, that might be a little farfetched for some guys to be able to Gotcha.

Cling onto mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. . I don't know. I thoroughly enjoyed it all by myself, but you know, [00:08:00] if Okay, if the listeners watch it with a significant other, I wanna hear about it. Yes. And I wanna hear how it goes over. Yes, definitely. We do need follow up on that. That is so true. Okay. Thank you. That is very awesome.

I love it. I am gonna check it out myself. What are you bringing to the table this week? Okay, awesome. Of the week also has to do with Netflix, so I mean, I guess we can. Awesome. Kind of agree that Netflix is awesome across the board. What did we do before Netflix? I mean, seriously? Um, I don't know. Okay, so Netflix, house of Cards.

Original series. You watched it? Have not watched it. Okay. Have not heard of it. So Kyle and I, uh, have watched House of Cards. It is a Netflix original. We watched the first two seasons as they were released. Um, we, I think we've actually watched all of Netflix's. Original productions. I'm gonna have to double check on that.

I don't wanna lie to anybody, but, um, this is one that we checked out specifically because both of us are huge fans of Kevin [00:09:00] Spacey, um, who plays the lead in it. Frank Underwood and his wife Claire Underwood is played by Robin Wright, who most people of our generation know as the Princess Bride. and she has had a wonderfully and remarkable, uh, wonderfully celebrated, remarkable career since then, since the Princess Bride.

So, um, it's a political story. We watched the first few seasons. It kind of shows Frank Underwood, um, Kevin Space. He is not a good dude. He is a politician from South Carolina and we watch how he navigates the political landscape in Washington and all of this sort of, , like dirty backhanded. Mm-hmm. , um, un just like the gross underworld of Washington that, you know, probably is pretty true.

Yeah. Yeah. Um, and so you watch him, uh, through the first three seasons, the first two seasons as he sort of on his trajectory to power. Well, by season three, which Kyle and I just watched this past week, and [00:10:00] that's why it's the awesome of the week for me. Um, he has all of his political conniving has paid off and he is in the white.

So it follows Frank and Claire, as you know, as he has taken over in the White House and all of the different. Things that he sort of, all of the seeds that he has planted along the way, both good and bad and a lot of bad, are really coming to fruition. Um, the first two seasons, I have to say, I was not like totally in love with it.

I thought it was fantastically done. I feel like Netflix does a great job with all of their originals, but it wasn't like something that I was gonna just go on and on talking about how much I loved it. season three was amazing. And it's interesting that you were talking about relationship dynamic in your, uh, awesome of the week with that movie.

Yeah. Because what I really liked about season three, and it's one of those things where the more I think about it, like we finished it a few days ago, but the more I think about it, the more. I love it because it really looks at the marriage between Frank and Claire, [00:11:00] what it has been in the past, and what being in the White House does to their marriage, some things.

Oh, interesting. Yeah, it's super, super interesting. Um, some surprising things happen, and it's one of those things where, I don't know if you feel this way, cause I know you have done a couple of Netflix binges where you just watch this series all the way through. Mm-hmm. . Oh, honey. Yeah, . It's one of those things where it's like, I wish I could talk to somebody about, I need to talk about season three of House of Cards right now.

I just finished it, but. The thing about Netflix, you were talking about Netflix community is like everybody's watching different things at different times. Oh. And you can't, you don't wanna like put on Facebook anything that would spoil it for anybody, but Oh, no. No time. I feel like I need to have a major debrief with somebody.

So if you are out there listening and you have finished House of Cards through the end of season three. And you wanna talk, let's figure out a way to talk about it. Because I have many thoughts on season three of House of Cards. That is my awesome. Of the week. So, well question for you. Do you feel like you need to have a [00:12:00] natural interest in politics or how all that works in order to appreciate the show?

Absolutely not. Although it, it's hard for me to say that because I do enjoy a good political thriller. I do. Um, I enjoy even just like, I don't know, do you watch Scandal? It's no sort of centered. I've seen it like flipping around. Okay. But it's centered around White House politics too. I don't know. Maybe I do like it more than I would've ever thought that I did , because now I'm thinking of several things like the West Wing.

I really liked that. I don't know that you would have to really be into politics so much as just, um, you know, character study. Like I said, Kevin Spacey and really to some extent his wife. She's not necessarily. Like morally bad, like he is, but she is, um, very cold and very calculating both of them are, and so just watching how all of that, like I said, just the fruits of all of that play out in season three.

Mm-hmm. super interesting. Just in terms of. [00:13:00] Human storytelling, so, okay. Well I will have to add that to my next Netflix. Yeah. Binge list. Yes. It's good for binging. It is. It is. Okay. So in the future, what we're going to do in our second segment of the show is take questions from you all the listeners, and I'm gonna tell you at the end of the show how you can get those questions to us.

That we will be doing our best to give you some awesome answers for, but since we don't have any questions from you to answer yet and because I want each of you to really get to know your co-host team here at Sorta Awesome. I have started out with some questions for each of my co-hosts, so we're gonna move into the q and a segment, and this q and a is focused on Rebecca.

So Rebecca. I would love to hear from you, first of all, just give us a rundown. Could you give us your life story in about five minutes or less? [00:14:00] Okay, here we go. Here we go. I grew up in Ohio, in a Christian home, on a farm. Hmm. Um, I have two siblings who are 10 and 12 years older than I am. Oh. Which, Yeah. So that had a little bit of an interesting dynamic.

Yes. You know, the, the baby of the family by extreme. Okay. I don't think I ever knew that about you. I knew you had siblings, but I did not realize that age difference was there. That is so interesting. Okay. Go ahead. Yeah. And I, I feel like that really does make a difference in how you grow up. Yes. So, you know, I spent a lot of time playing with imaginary friends doing Saul and dance shows for imaginary audiences.

Right, right. Things like that. Um, and then, you know, moving into high school, I got involved more in theater, um, moving away from imaginary audiences to real audiences, real life audiences. Real life audiences. Really fell in love with theater. Um, that's also when I went on my first missions trip. Um, my parents and I, we went to Honduras.

[00:15:00] For a little bit of time, uh, to work with people in a dental clinic to help Okay. People with their dental and health needs there. That's also where I had my first kiss. Just an interesting, whoa. Was it factoid about me? Was it somebody on the, uh, mission trip with you or was it one of the Um, I, he was like local.

Staff. Oh my goodness. I know. Scandalous, right? Yes. scandal. I'm terrible. Anywho kissing for Jesus, um, is what Rebecca remember about her life story. . Exactly. I'm such an example. . Okay. Then, you know, then I went to a private Christian college in Virginia. And in what school was there? Where do you feel like you can tell us?

I went to Eastern Mennonite University. Eastern Mennonite University? Yeah. I grew up in a, in a Mennonite home. Okay. But now, see, there's different kinds of Mennonites. There's like the Mennonites that dress in very conservative clothing. Wear like bonnets and stuff. [00:16:00] Mm-hmm. . And then there are Mennonites who look like me.

Okay. Which is. more mainstream culture. Um, e exactly. Mm-hmm. . I was gonna say normal, but that's a really like, egotistical way of describing how they look. . . So I went to that Christian school, um, and one of my first most important memories of that college, uh, my freshman roommate, We went walking one day through the campus trying to meet people and you know, just get familiar with the campus.

And there was this guy hanging out his window of his like first floor dorm room. Mm-hmm. , and he was playing guitar, which he did not know how to play. Oh, wow. and making up songs and beckoning to anybody walking by to come crawl through his window. And my roommate and I, being the naive new freshman that we were, we're like, okay, we're trying to meet [00:17:00] people.

Uhhuh, , Uhhuh, . So we crawled through the window. Wow. That was a safe thing to do for sure. Well, it was, it's a small community and Christian, it was another, so it was fine, but the room was filled with this awkward collection of guys that for some reason seem like they were all a whole lot taller than me.

I'm like five two, and they, I just remember being very loud music. It was kind of dark and there was a lot of really tall guys in that room, and I was like this. So I feel concerned for freshman Rebecca right now, . Well, it was awkward more than anything. Mm-hmm. , it's not, not a very good environment to like get to know people.

You know? You can't hear anything. Right. Right. Yes. And you can barely see anybody. Mm-hmm. . So anyway, my, my roommate and I left, but the highlight of that story is that I ended up marrying the man that was beckoning me to crawl, crawl through his window. Oh my goodness. And. [00:18:00] My roommate also married a man that was in that room.

Wow, okay. Isn't that crazy? So, moral of the story, take a chance, crawl through the window. Yes. You might meet your mate. That is the key to getting your RS degree be open to window crawling. Exactly. I'm so glad that that story had a happy ending cuz that could have gone south really badly. Well, yeah, I mean it was a pretty tame campus but it definitely was strange.

So then the rest of my college was spent, um, studying video production and theater. More traveling around the world. I did a ton of traveling in college, some because of required requirements with my college, some not. Um, and you know, I just fell madly in love with my soon to be future husband. Nate. Yes.

So after college, um, I moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to Nate and his family so that we could spend some time dating close together cuz [00:19:00] we actually spent quite a bit of our dating time apart doing long distance. Oh, that because of, that's so fun. It was not fun at all. Right? He did a lot of international missions.

I was doing a lot of, um, international travel and I think we spent, by our two year anniversary, we had spent an hour. Or sorry, a year and six months apart from each other. Oh gosh. That's hard. It was hard. So I moved to be closer to him and eventually we were engaged, got married. I started working for a travel agency, which was a nice office job, but I felt like my creativity was.

Dying inside and I was desperate for a change. Yes. I can see how that would stifle the creativity right there. It Oh, . Help me . So I started working for a professional theater in the area. Mm-hmm. and I worked backstage there. Okay. I actually worked in the catwalks during the shows. Amazing. I [00:20:00] still own a ton of black clothing from that.

I bet you too, Thomas. Yes. I worked there until I had Grace, so, okay. Even at nine months pregnant, I was like up in the catwalk moving around. Or a rockstar. Yes. Oh, I'm totally, totally a rockstar. Totally. So after Grace, um, my daughter was born, I became a stay-at-home mom. Okay. And I really started missing the outlet, my extrovert.

Self Yes. Of like talking to my coworkers, expressing my opinions about things. Mm-hmm. , uh, sharing all of my wonderful knowledge about things. . Yes. And so I decided to start a blog, to start spewing all of that somewhere else. As you do. So all of us have , , so I started writing@simplyrebecca.com. Mm-hmm. . And that's where I focus on like natural living tips.

Mm-hmm. , how to save money on things. Yes. And General Parenthood things you're good with the frugal stuff. Frugal hacks. You're good. I'm frugal to the core. [00:21:00] You are. It's just, it's like naturally like part of me. Yes. So it's just kind of the way that I'm wired. Mm-hmm. , I hate to spend money. Mm-hmm. . So, you know, I, over the past several years I've been working to grow that.

My husband Nate, is the director of a homeless shelter. And these days, you know, we're spending all of our time navigating the joys and challenges of raising little ones. Yes. Um, you have another child too, right? Yes. After Grace, um, we have Noah, so Grace now is five and a half, and Noah will be three next month.

Oh, sweethearts. They're darling . You can say that. Cuz they're napping. Right? . Right, exactly. . So you know, I've learned that like I'm the happiest when I'm being creative. Yes. And I always thought that that would be me, like on the stage, but I'm learning more and more these days that that doesn't necessarily have to be.

Through acting, but that I also can grow my inner creative self through my blog and my writing and my photography. Mm mm-hmm. and [00:22:00] even just like coloring with my kids and reading story books to them. So that's what I'm working on and embracing. Totally. I love it. That is a fantastic life story. And I have to say of all of the stories I've heard of how I met my spouse, yours is, yours is in the hall of.

That's pretty fantastic. In fact, didn't you, you wrote a whole series on your blog about it, right? I did, I did. Do you think we can grab that link for the show notes in case somebody wants the, the more than five minute version? Most definitely. Awesome. I, yes. You know, I'm biased, but I think we have a pretty unique love story with, we're gonna go ahead and say that window with the window, the, and all the traveling Yes.

And how all that worked out. So Yes. Yeah. I, I love my love story. Okay. We're gonna pop that into the show notes for sure. Next question for you, and you kind of maybe hit on a little bit of it, um, in, in finishing up your life story there, but what are some of the biggest challenges that you're facing just in, in personal life right now?

[00:23:00] Um, personal, professional, just whatever. Right. What are some of your challenges that you're facing at this moment? Well, I would say a, a big overall struggle is, balancing the work. Yes. With the blog. Mm-hmm. and Life and my husband and I feeling connected amongst the chaos of the kids and his long hours, you know, and I think that's something that a lot of people can relate to.

Oh, absolutely. Um, yeah. , I would say like a really specific current struggle of like today is just trying to learn how to discipline my kids. Yes. And how they're so different. Grace has always been so eager to please mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. and so eager to do the right thing and respond very well to. Pretty mild forms of discipline.

Mm-hmm. , and then there's Noah . Yes. And yeah. Then there's Noah . Yes. No, that sounds exactly like my oldest two. Oh, yes. Oh, well then you need to teach me girl, [00:24:00] because. I discipline him and he just screams at me, stop it. Mommy . And he's just like not impressed. And he does this thing where like he's hitting now when he's angry.

Oh, the hitting, please. No, you can't do this. I know. I mean, he's two. , but like, uh, you know, discipline just is never, it's never fun. And then Right. Trying to, okay, well let's figure out, does this method work or this method? Yeah. You know, it's just, it's, it's a struggle. Gotcha. I mean, those, those years when the kids are little and it's like all day, every day, hands-on, like correcting and encouraging and redirecting and all of that, it.

Exhausting. So yeah, I really can be, you can see that that would be the challenge of the moment. So I hear you on that. And staying connected amongst the chaos for sure. Amen. Yes. Okay. One more question for you, if you don't mind, . [00:25:00] Sure. Too bad I have you trapped. You must answer. Um, so I think all of us, all of us on a very human level have a thing that we're like just, we're really.

Like we stick it so hard and once you get us started talking about it, it's hard to get us to shut up. Um mm-hmm. , anybody who knows me knows one of my things is personality type stuff. I love to talk about it. Oh yes. Especially Myers Brigg stuff. Uh, I think. Everyone in my life probably rolls their eyes so hard.

Once I start going, well, you know, that is actually really appropriate for your type . My husband loves his heart. Oh, I think that's so fascinating. I love when you go on your little tangents. I've learned so much from you. I do go on a tangent. I sure do. About it. So, okay. So anyway, to take it back though, to talking to you, um, what, what is something in your life that you're just always talking about that you're, that you dig so hard and that you're always, um, you always have a lot to say to the people around you [00:26:00] about it?

Well, I think the easy answer would be my blog or my kids. Sure. Yeah. You know, yada yada, right? Um, but what I really love is if I can find someone to talk about reality TV, or YouTube. And the sad thing is this is like going back to your House of Cards problem. Like nobody cares about the reality TV show that I'm into.

And so I'm like just silent. Assessing in my mind, like wishing I could spew all these thoughts out about The Bachelor. The Bachelor, Bachelor for Rebecca. She's tried to talk to me about The Bachelor, and I just, I'm not into it. or Big Brother. Do you watch Big Brother? Oh, I don't, again, no. I feel like, I feel like I miss, here's the thing, how you're, you're younger than me by quite a few years, right?

Well, not that many. I'm 37. How old are. You left that you left that out of your life story, . I'm [00:27:00] 33. Okay. See now I really do. I feel like that is a big enough span of time. I feel like with Big Brother especially, I just missed the, I missed the cultural boat on that. Um, I feel like people that are younger than me love Big Brother.

It's been on for a long time, hasn't it? It really has. I've watched every season except for the very first one, and I think it's like, . I think this was like season 16, this past summer or something. Oh my gosh. Wow. So obviously a lot of people still dig it. How can you not find anyone to talk ? I don't know.

The next time I make a new friend I'm taking applications. Yes. You must be into the Bachelor whole franchise. Big Brother. You gotta watch really dumb YouTube videos with me. I mean, I, I need the outlet. Yes. It, but it's so ridiculous. Nobody, nobody cares. But for some reason, I just really do . Now, I'll tell you what, now I'm not into the Bachelor of Big Brother, but you have.

Brought me a vision to the dark side of YouTube, okay? Mm-hmm. , I, [00:28:00] I only have you to blame and also thank for that , because You're welcome. You, um, well, one, one YouTube channel. I don't even know how to use the right vernacular here. Channel, channel, channel, channel, okay. That I love so much that I actually watch with my girls a lot.

Now is re link. Oh, do you have a name for their show? I just, we just call, right? Good Mythical. Oh yes. Good. Mythical Morning. Yes. Good. Mythical Morning. I should have brought that for my awesome of the week because my girls and I love it. We watch it together. It's um, Family friendly, which a lot of stuff on YouTube, it really is.

That's funny. Is not so much stuff that you would wanna watch with your kids, right. As you I have discussed. Um, but good mythical Morning is amazing and the girls will pop off with all of this like trivia and all kinds of things. I'll be like, where did you learn that? They're like, good mythical morning

That's funny. You know, just this morning I actually was watching it in bed with Grace before we crawled out of bed. Yes, it is so funny. She doesn't always [00:29:00] get it. I mean, grace is five, so there's some things that like, she doesn't quite get right. But it's, it's safe and they're entertaining and energetic and it Yes.

It keeps their attention. Yes. In fact, I had to take the girls to the dentist on Tuesday and they had, they didn't have like, side-by-side appointments, they were back to back. Mm-hmm. . So, um, Stacey had gone, gotten her teeth cleaned and checked and all of that, and then we had to wait for quite a while. , uh, did some stuff with Eliza and she's like, can I please watch Good Mythical Morning on your phone?

And so we just sat there in the waiting room and we were just giggling to ourselves. We were watching one, I think it was one of their Wille donut episodes where they put, I love Ridiculous. Their Food Challenges Donut, Willett Pizza. They are the best. . So funny. And see, I feel like I am the last person in.

Family to come around to YouTube. My husband has his channels that he loves to watch, his things that he's into. The girls definitely do. They love, I've told you this before, they love to watch, um, like [00:30:00] Minecraft gamers and that has kind of expanded into other gaming. Iha Cup Quake is their like person they love so much.

I know you're like . Um, who? Chef? Well, those gaming channels, like they're really popular. Yes. And it's just crazy. You can find anything on YouTube, but really anything that is what I did not realize. I thought YouTube was mostly just. Like America's funniest home videos type stuff. Like people filming themselves.

Funny cats. Yes. Doing stupid things, funny cats, babies falling down, whatever, , and then they put it on YouTube for a long time. I really and truly thought that's what it was until my husband and my daughters started getting into it. And I was like, huh. And so anyway, bring in it all back Retin Link. Good mythical morning.

That is something that, um, that we've been enjoying so much. Um, so all of that is to say, You need to keep up your evangelism for YouTube because there is stuff out there. Yeah. Or I need new friends or something. I don't know. [00:31:00] I need an, I need an outlet to talk. Yeah. Clearly. I'm gonna jump to that conclusion.

Okay. That's, that's the answer to my problem is that I get all new friends, , sorry. Sorry to any of my real life I know. May choose to listen. In the meantime, your real friends are like, thank you for that . I hope have you more if you watched Big Brother. Yes. Uh, that's awesome. Okay. Um, I think that was all I was going to ask you.

Yes. I'm pretty sure that was all I was going to ask you. That is super informative and if, hey, if you're listening and you also enjoy the YouTube or. The Bachelor in Big Brother, you're gonna wanna find Rebecca because obviously the woman needs someone to talk to about these things. , please. I will be taking applications for friendships.

Okay, you may email me Rebecca, speaking of where, of people tracking you down to talk about these things, right? Where can we find [00:32:00] you on the worldwide web? Where's the best place to to hook up? Well, I am simply Rebecca everywhere. My blog is simply rebecca.com, and then you can find me there on Facebook and Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, um, but Rebecca is spelled r e b e k a h.

That's right. It's a little tricky. A little, a little tricky. Yes. I think if you. . I think if you would search for it, the traditional spelling with two C's, I think you would still find me, but it's, it's with a K a H. With a k a H, yes. Mm-hmm. Okay. I'm sure you've probably not had to spell that a million times in your fair life.

Oh, I have to every, yeah. And my last name, I have to spell my last name too, which is not hoffer. It's not that, it's, it's exactly how you would think that it would be spelled, but people are like, I'm sorry, what? Huh? It's just not that. Since you're, um, spelling it as a little untraditional, do you ever get mispronunciations, like people look at it and they don't recognize that it's Rebecca?

Or do people [00:33:00] generally figure that it's Rebecca pretty quickly. I think they, they figure it out. But I've had a lot of like strange misspellings because people know that it's not Oh, right, right. A normal way. Yes. So they spell like all kinds of ways. Mm-hmm. like with two Ks or like Yes. C in a K and like Hs in different places.

random H is thrown in. Yeah. Yeah. So it, yes. Yeah. No, I, I get that totally. Um, my first and last name also are a little tricky on the spelling. Megan, I, I think. It's like the simplest way to spell Megan, m e g a n. Um, but the pronunciation throughout my life, I have had so many people call me Megan, which is the one version of my name, and apologies to any Megans who are listening.

It's, it's lovely, but it's so different from well and to my ear anyway. It's so different from what my name actually is. That it really bothers me. Egan. Yes. Meen. Mm-hmm. . And of course, my last [00:34:00] name's kind of a nightmare, so I find that I spell first and last name. I just, I don't even wait for people to ask anymore.

I just, I don't either. You just gotta go for it. Yes. Yeah. So you are simply Rebecca with a k a h.com? Yes, ma'am. Is the blog. That's correct. And we can just find you. Anywhere on the web from the anywhere and everywhere with some Rebecca. Okay. Well I'm gonna totally put that in the show notes as well. Um, anything else that we need to, to disclose about you or something that, that people need to know?

I don't think so. Okay. I think we've kind of covered all the grand. I mean, I feel like when you tell people your life story, you kind of, yeah. There's really nowhere else to go from the earth

Okay. And I definitely am going to link to the love story as well because that is well worth the time to read it. So Fantastic. Okay. Awesome. I am so thankful that you are joining me at this, and I'm so thankful that you have been [00:35:00] behind the scenes. Cheerleading and booty kicking me along the way. . Oh, it's been fun.

It, I've loved it to get this show up and going, so thank you for joining me in this. I'm so thankful. Thank you, Megan. Okay, we will talk later. Bye. Bye.

So everyone, thank you for joining us here at Sorta Awesome. Just as a reminder, you can head on over to sorta awesome megan.tumblr.com and click on the Ask us link to submit your questions for us to answer in an upcoming episode. Some areas Rebecca is particularly knowledgeable about include frugal hacks for family life, breastfeeding, cooking, family meals, especially freezer cooking and other frugal cooking tips, um, as well as all things reality tv.

You can follow Thet for updates on the show or sign up for the mailing list at tiny letter.com/sorta. Awesome. As always, special thanks to the band Proger for [00:36:00] allowing us to use their incredible song Strut for our in and out music. Check out the show notes for more information on Proger, and I'll meet you back here next time as we explore, discover, and discuss all the things that make life sorta amazingly awesome.

Ep. 00 Introducing Sorta Awesome

Hooray!!!

Finally.

FINALLY! After many delays and a learning curve much steeper than I anticipated, I am so thrilled to tell you that the podcast is up and running and ready to go!

Ep. 00 is an introduction to the podcast where you’ll hear my hopes and dreams and swirly visions for the future of the podcast and learn who will be co-hosting with me. I’ll also share more with you about myself including my five minute life story, the biggest challenges I am facing right now, and the thing I am ALWAYS talking about.

Thank you for listening!

Show Notes:

Former blog - SortaCrunchy

Spirit-Led Parenting book (affiliate link)

Find me on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for the Sorta Awesome Mailing List

Progger! Thank you to Progger for allowing us to use the song Strut.

Find more of Progger’s incredible music on their website, at BandCamp, and on Facebook and Twitter

Amazing, wonderful, sassy, brilliant co-hosts!

Rebekah of Simply Rebekah

Laura of Hollywood Housewife

Kelly of Love Well

TRANSCRIPT:

[00:00:00] Hi everyone, I'm Megan Tietz and this is the very first ever episode of Sorta Awesome.

Hi guys. Welcome to the show. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be introducing you to this brand new project today. Some of you are listening because you know me through my writing. Or maybe we've met each other through social media through the years, but some of you have maybe just stumbled across the show, maybe because you were attracted by the shiny gold glitter.

Um, or maybe the [00:01:00] word awesome, just really speaks to you. , and actually if you're here because of the glitter and the word, awesome, come sit by me because I have a feeling that we are going to be really good friends. However you found this show, welcome. I am truly so glad that you're here. To give you just a tiny bit of background on who I am, I spent the last eight years.

blogging@sortacrunchy.net. I blogged there from 2006 to the end of 2014. I closed my blog at the end of 2014 because I was feeling pretty burnt out on the medium of blogging, and I was really ready to start some new projects. And this project, this podcast is the first one that I am finally releasing into the.

So why the name sorta awesome. Well, first, the easier explanation is the word. Awesome and sadly, . That's just sort of one of my trademark words I've been using and overusing the word awesome. Going all the way back to high school. I probably should have outgrown that word [00:02:00] by now, but I haven't. And so here we are.

It is a word that I use all the time to describe all kinds of things. So Awesome. Was kind of, um, Well, it was, it was a good pick to describe what my plans are for this. Also because as an E N F P, those of you who are into Myers Briggs, uh, personality types, I'm an E N F P, and as such, I really genuinely believe that everyone has innate sense of awesomeness.

I see the best in people and I am passionate about helping people dig in and find the awesome that is already there within. Now what about the word sorta? Well, like I said, the name of my blog was sorta crunchy. That came from the fact that when I first started blogging, I was just starting to dip my toes into the world of crunchy or, um, natural living parenting practices.

Um, and I chose sorta [00:03:00] because, I really, truly believe in the freedom of doing stuff halfway , and I don't mean that in the negative sense at all. What I find in my life is that I have a tendency if I'm not careful to believe in doing things all or nothing, um, either doing something full on a hundred percent, totally all in or.

Giving up and not doing it at all. But when I embrace the freedom of sorta, then I realize that I can adopt things into my life that work for me and simply let go of the things that don't work for me. And that was where sorta crunchy came from, and I've really stuck with that sort of philosophy. And applied it to a lot of things in my life.

I know for some of you that might have a negative con connotation of doing things halfway, but for me it allows me the freedom to try new things and not worry about being perfect at it, not being worrying about being dogmatic about it, [00:04:00] just giving something a try and seeing where we go with it. Um, so instead of being full blast all the way on one extreme or doing something not at.

Where you miss out on lots of rewards if you just don't try and just give up early. Um, then sort of is, it's a great word and it's a great way to approach life. I really like the fact that the word sort of, for me, it honors the fact that all of us are in a journey. All of us are. Um, Sort of the SumTotal, I guess you could say, of our past experiences, the things that we've learned in our past, and combine that combined with what our dreams and hopes and our potentials for the future are from the day that we are born, from the time we take our first.

Breath. We've left the sort of the 0% part of the spectrum behind us. We are constantly learning and growing and engaging in the world around us, but none of us, not a single one of us, have [00:05:00] arrived to the point of being 100% perfect, all knowing, all knowledgeable in anything. And I really feel like the word sorta really honors.

So that is how I came up with a name, um, sort of awesome for this project and for, um, a lot of the things that I'm going to be working on in the weeks and months to come. I have a very good friend who helped talk me through this process and I'm so thankful for her help that we could land on that. I truly believe that all of us are capable of noticing and experiencing and living all of the awesome things that are around.

and sorta is there to remind us that it's not all awesome all the time, that's for sure. But the potential for awesome is always there. I guess you could say that. That's the driving mission of this podcast to embrace the freedom of sorta in the pursuit of awesome. [00:06:00] So what can you expect from this show?

I'm planning for it to be a once a week. , um, for the most part, each episode after this will have a co-host. I've asked three friends of mine, Laura Tremaine of Hollywood housewife.com, Kelly Gordon of love well blog.com and Rebecca hoffer of simply rebecca.com. to join me and they're going to co-host on a rotating basis.

So there'll be one co-host per show. Now that leaves about one show a month, when either I'll have a guest co-host and I may even do a few shows solo. We'll see the start of each show. My co-host and I are each going to share with you all are awesome of the week. This is gonna be an an item that we've picked to share with you.

That could be anything from a book we're reading to a. , um, a song that we are really digging, a blog post that really spoke to us. A TV show or a TV [00:07:00] series, even something that happened to us in real life. Just something to share with you. Something that we hope will bring you something awesome to check out or think about or relate to.

Just something that, to bring into your life. In that way. And then, and most importantly, we each show will contain a question and answer segment where we take your questions and give our best shot at answering them. And I'm gonna talk more about that and at the end of the show,

And so today's show is all about introducing this show to you, all the listeners, and each of the three next episodes of the three upcoming episodes are going to be shows where I introduce you all to each of my co-hosts. And to do that, I'm going to ask them a series of three questions that will just give you an overview of who they are, what their background is, where they're coming from, and those types of things.

I thought, I figured it's only fair if I'm going to put them in the hot seat and grill them a little. About [00:08:00] themselves and, and who they are that I should do that as well. And this will give me an intro, intro, a chance to introduce me to you if you aren't familiar with who I am or what my background is.

And maybe even some of you who have been reading my blog or I've read my book are familiar with me. You might even learn a few new things about me as well. So the first hot seat question is the five minute life story. I am a huge believer in. Um, finding out the life story of people. In fact, I have been very guilty of this practice of when I, uh, become friends with somebody and meeting with somebody for the first time, or even just kind of grilling people at dinner parties at other social functions.

I love to dig deep and just find out from the beginning a little bit about each person's life story because I think that that helps us really shape. Our understanding of each other. So I'm going to be asking each of my co-hosts to share their five minute life story. So I'm going to dig in and give you a brief overview of my life story as well.[00:09:00]

I was born in June in Houston, Texas, in the middle of the heatwave and the air conditioner in my parents' apartment had gone out. Um, I totally and completely blamed that fact for the, uh, fact that I am a complete warm weather person. I cannot. Bear to be in cold weather, and I think it's because I came from such a hot and humid beginning, but, so I was born in 1977 in June in Houston, Texas.

I'll save you the math. I am 37, almost 38, and I'm a Gemini. I am also the oldest of four kids. I'm the oldest of four kids that who were born in the span of about six years. You can imagine that my parents, uh, stayed very busy for a very long. . I grew up all over Oklahoma in different small towns around Oklahoma.

I graduated from high school in 1995, and then I went to a small state school here in Oklahoma called East Central University. I went to East Central while all of my [00:10:00] friends, all of my friends, went off to the University of Oklahoma or other universities. I didn't know a single friend when I left for college.

In retrospect, now I have to say I highly recommend that starting over. With a brand new, fresh, clean slate at the age of 18 can be a very beautiful thing. So I went to school and, uh, majored in English with an emphasis in secondary education in the spring semester of my freshman year. I met a very cute and very funny football player named Kyle, and we started dating and, uh, Nine or 10 months later, we got engaged and we have been together ever since We got married the summer between our junior and senior year of college.

We stayed there in that, um, small town where our university was for a few years after because at that point Kyle had decided that he wanted to pursue college coaching. So even though I had graduated with my [00:11:00] degree in education, I decided to start my master's work and I started to do that. To get a master's in education in library media science.

However, I did not get to finish it because before either of us could finish our graduate work at East Central Kyle got a job as a graduate assistant at Texas Christian University or TCU in Fort Worth, and we moved to Fort Worth in 2001. Kyle started coaching at TCU and I got a job teaching high school.

I. Junior and senior English at Burleson High School. Best known as being the home, um, and alma Mater of Kelly Clarkson of American Idol Fame. In fact, I was teaching at Burleson during that season when she won American Idol. It was all very exciting. . So I taught there for three years, junior and senior English.

I loved it. I absolutely loved it. And then in the spring of 2004, Kyle got a job as an assistant coach at Texas State University in San Marcos. And so I finished out teaching that spring semester and then I moved down, um, to [00:12:00] San Marcos with him. And I never went back to teaching because right before I finished the school year, uh, we found out we were expecting our first.

and so I just never went back to the classroom after that. Um, Daisy, our oldest was born in January of 2005, and while we were still in San Marcos at Texas State, our second daughter, Eliza Joy, was born in September of 2007. . After our second daughter came along, it became pretty clear to Kyle and I that although we loved being part of the collegiate coaching community, and Kyle was fantastic at what he did, he loved coaching, loved being around the kids.

It just became very clear that coaching is, um, it's an exciting. Career and it's an exciting profession to be in, but it's pretty hard on family life. There was a lot of time, a lot of time spent at the office and on the field and traveling for recruiting. And so after lots of prayer and thought, um, Kyle left coaching and became an a financial advisor.

Another [00:13:00] reason for Kyle leaving coaching was that we lived very far away from our families at that time. And you know how it is once children come along, um, sometimes there's that part of you that just wants to be back close to, um, close to your own parents and your siblings and really get to enjoy, um, your, your, your raising kids near your folks.

Not everybody does that, of course, but it was important to Kyle and I to do that so, He became a financial advisor, the firm he was working for moved us back to Oklahoma. We lived in a, um, beautiful small town out to the west of Oklahoma. for four years, and that is where I did a lot, a lot of my online work, a lot of my blogging happened there, my writing for other blogs.

Also, while I was there, a friend and I, uh, my friend Laura Oyer and I signed a contract to write a book. Um, and we did, we wrote that book , and it was released in April of 2012. That book is called Spirit Led Parenting From Fear [00:14:00] to Freedom in Baby's First Year. And basically it's in a nutshell, it's a baby book that says you don't need any baby books to know how to make the best decisions.

For your new baby that you can trust the work of the Holy Spirit moving in your heart to know how to make the best decisions as a new parent. So, um, let's see. Also, so that was in April of 2012, when that book came out in May of 2012, our family moved to Oklahoma City where we live now. Kyle transferred to a different financial advising.

and a month later we found out we were pregnant again. I had just turned 35 and we thought we would just give it a try and see what would happen if we added one more kiddo to our family. Um, to our surprise that one more kiddo came with an identical twin brother, and in February of 2013, our third and fourth children were.

John, Kyle and Mack are our twin toddlers. So that is my family, and that's where we [00:15:00] are right now. I think that kind of catches us up on my life story. Um, again, I spent many years being a writer and a blogger. Um, but towards the end of 2014, I just began to really, really have the, just kind of gnawing, um, I don't know how to say it.

Idea. I just couldn't, couldn't shake the idea that there was something else out there that I wanted to do other than writing. I've been writing in one way or another through creative writing, through school, through college for a long time, since I was in elementary school, and I just really was ready to, to take on something new to grow, to really push myself to explore something new.

And so that's why I closed my blog at the end of 2014. and it just, all of the signs we're pointing towards starting a podcast as taking that on as the next big project. And so that brings us to the second hot seat question I'll be asking my [00:16:00] co-hosts, and that is, what current challenges are you facing in life?

So to answer that myself, there is no doubt that the biggest challenge I feel like, that I'm grappling with every. Is how to continue to pursue creative pursuits, how to create content, how to pursue what I feel like is a driving mission for my life and a purpose for my life. In the midst of every day, mothering with four children, 50% of whom are toddlers, , I don't have very much free time at all.

So that is something that I'm continually working on, um, refining and tweaking my daily schedule to create time and then to protect that time as time that is for me where I can engage these pursuits that bring fulfillment and bring direction to my life. It's something, like I said, I feel like every single day I'm.

How am I gonna [00:17:00] make this work? Just yesterday, I had so much that I, uh, work that I had wanted to get done on the podcast, and of course, that would be a day when both boys skip their naps. Nap time has been for a while now, the time that I spend working on. my stuff. And so when they both skip naps, then it's becomes a challenge to figure out how that's going to work, uh, how I'm gonna sort of change plans and work around it.

And so that brings us to the last hot seat question that I'm gonna be asking my co-hosts as I introduce them to you. And that question is, what is the thing that you are always talking about? What is the topic that you are just so interested in that you find yourself bringing it up in conversation to friends and family.

In fact, friends and family might be getting a little tired of you bringing it up all the time. . As I think about the answer to that question, one thing is abundantly clear. I am super, super into personality types. I alluded to this earlier. I'm [00:18:00] very into the Myers-Briggs system. I discovered it, gosh, probably five or six years ago, maybe.

It's been longer now, and I, I checked it out because I recognized that my husband and. Extremely different personalities, extremely different, and yet we've been married for, um, almost 17 years. We have navigated ways to get along to understand each other, but through Myers Briggs, I really wanted to dig deep to understand myself better and to understand him better so that I could kind of figure out, I see things this way because my brain works this way, yet his brain works this way.

And so he responds to information This. . I really love Myers Briggs because it helps us understand on a cognitive level, , how we understand the information that we're taking in, into our brains, into all of our senses, how we respond to it and why. And I think that's kind of, um, a trait of ENFPs. We overall are a type who really like to get [00:19:00] to know people.

We like to make connections. We like to solve the puzzles of people and how they work, why they do what they do. So personality stuff is something that you will always find me talking about. Um, I, I. Try to slip it into conversation with friends. My closest friends, I've figured out their types or I've basically twisted their arms until they've taken a, um, an internet version of the Myers Briggs, uh, test.

And once I know their type, then I can, and I can and do often, uh, say, well, you know, because you're this type, then you are seeing it this way, and those types of things. So personality stuff, that's something that's going to. Quite a bit. I can almost promise you on this sort of awesome podcast. So that brings us to the end of me talking about myself.

Thank goodness. Let's wrap this part up. And I just wanna say again, thank you so much for checking out, sort of awesome. I'm so glad that you're here. And as I mentioned towards the beginning of the show, the heart and the soul [00:20:00] of the show sorta awesome is going to be a q and A segment where you all, as listeners, submit questions to us and we basically just take a stab at giving you our best answer.

Um, We wanna cover all kinds of topics. Everything from parenting and marriage, all kinds of family life issues to personality stuff like I just mentioned. Um, pop culture things, movie recommendations, book recommendations. Um, Gosh, you name it. We want to cover it in the q and a segment of the show. This won't work if we don't get any questions.

So what I wanna do is direct you to where you can submit your questions to sorta awesome so that we can take a stab at answering them for you. If you will go to, it's going to, I'm gonna take you to Tumblr. Some of you may be pro Tumblr, some of you maybe have never even clicked on the site, but this is gonna be super easy.

Whether you're a pro or a novice at Tumblr, I'm gonna send you to sorta awesome Megan. So it's [00:21:00] sorta s o r t a, awesome Megan, m e g a n, dot tumblr.com. Once you click on. Page and it's very, we're we're bare bones operating. It's sort awesome Megan, right now. Um, there's not a lot there, but you will see, um, a place where you can click on the link that says, ask us.

That will take you to a question box and you just type in your question. There's even an option for you to ask the question anonymously. You can check that box. If it's a question that's a little bit sensitive, maybe you don't wanna reveal. Who you are in asking the question, that's totally fine. You can check that box and that will submit the question to us and we will take your question on in an upcoming show.

Again. That's sorta awesome, Megan. Dot tumblr.com. If you are good at tumbling or if you just like to follow blogs in general, you can follow my Tumblr there. Either follow it through your Tumblr dashboard or if you subscribe to blogs through service like Feedly or Blog Levin, you can subscribe to sort of [00:22:00] awesome Megan as well.

Other places you can find me, you can find me on Facebook for now at facebook.com/sort of crunchy. Hopefully in the future we'll be switching that name over to sort of awesome. But for. You can find me, it's sort of crunchy. On Facebook, on Instagram, I'm Megan underscore tees. That's m e g a n underscore, t i e, tz.

And if you would like to sign up to get updates on the show when each new show comes out, other things happening for sorta awesome, you can go to tiny letter.com/sorta. Awesome. And sign up for my mailing list there. I'll include links to all of those in today's show. And finally, I want to say thank you so very much to the band Proger for allowing us to use their incredibly amazing song Strut as our in and out music on sort of Austin.

I'll get you some more information about Proger also in today's show notes, and I think we're gonna go ahead and wrap it up. I will meet you back here next time as we explore, [00:23:00] discover, and discuss all the things that make life sorta amazingly awesome.