Ep. 125 Let's get ready to pivot!

December 15, 2017

All Amazon links are Sorta Awesome affiliate links

As 2017 comes to a close and we are all thinking about what 2018 might hold, we are wondering: are you ready for a pivot moment? Join Meg and Kelly as they explore the concept of pivoting in our lives, whether it's a change in work, beliefs, or relationships. We also hear incredibly powerful stories from Awesomes who have gone through big pivots and want to share their awesome advice with you. All of that plus Awesome of the Week!

Thank you to our sponsors:
Sun Basket - Get $35 off of your first order at SunBasket.com/sorta
Storyworth - Get $20 off of your subscription at Storyworth.com/awesome

Madeline L'Engle's Glimpses of Grace
AMC's Turn

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Visit sortaawesomeshow.com for show notes on this and every episode. And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook or @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram, and @sortaawesomepod on Twitter!

Ep. 124 Spilling our secrets for an awesome first year

December 8, 2017

We are going gaga for babies this week on Sorta Awesome! Meg invites co-host Rebekah to talk all things baby as they prepare to celebrate the first birthday of the littlest Hoffer baby. You'll hear Meg talk about how she (literally) wrote the book on thriving in baby's first year, and what has changed for her since her twins were born. Then Meg and Rebekah both share all of their best tips, resources, gift ideas, and more to help bring on the awesome for all in those crazy baby days!

Thank you to our sponsors Storyworth and LOLA!

H&M Body Shaping Jeans
Zack Morris is Trash

Spirit-Led Parenting: From Fear to Freedom in Baby's First Year by Megan Tietz & Laura Oyer

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
100 Ways to Encourage a New Mom by Lisa-Jo Baker
The Lazy Genius Raises a Baby
14 Things You Need for Your Postpartum Body: a pre-baby shopping list for mommy
BabywearingInternational.org
The Wonder Weeks
When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads by Dr. Barbara Luke

First Year Calendar
Teething Necklace
Modern Burlap Receiving Blankets
Swaddle Sleepsacks
Boppy Nursing Pillow, My Breast Friend Twins Nursing Pillow
13 Baby Products That Might Not Be On Your Radar …But Totally Should Be!
10 Practical Tips for a Fabulous & Affordable Nursery
Why I Don’t Use Cloth Diapers
10 Tips for Making Baby Food
I am Scared to Have 2 Kids: an update 2 years later
Breastfeeding Tips and Encouragement
SortaCrunchy: Twins Pregnancy Series

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Ep. 123 Intuition, friendship, and the future

December 1, 2017

Every now and again, we take Sorta Awesome back to our roots with a grab bag episode filled with our answers to YOUR questions! This week, Laura joins Meg to answer questions about the weird and wonderful ways friendships work in 2017, how personality systems can sometimes feel stressful, and how an episode of Sorta Awesome ended up changing their lives (and the future of the show!). All of that, plus Awesome of the Week!

Find out more about how to become a SUPER Awesome supporter!

Trello
Omega 3 at Trader Joe's
Episode 113 We don't know what we're doing

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Laura at LauraTremaine.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Extra Awesome: Holiday Gift Guide 2017

November 21, 2017

Happy holiday season, Awesomes! We know that as many of you gather with family and friends this week, you are also gathering up your shopping lists for holiday gift-giving. We hope our AWESOME recommendations will help you pick things for the naughty and the nice on your list.

Meg's Links:

Laura's Links:

Dyson Super Sonic Hair Dryer
Apple Airpods
Opal Ice Maker
Nespresso Coffee Maker
Ancestry DNA
Away carry-on USE CODE AWESOME AT CHECK-OUT FOR $20 OFF ANY LUGGAGE
Cashmere sweatpants

Kelly's Links:

Rebekah's Links:

The Perfect Gift for Anyone: Consumable Christmas Gifts
12 Gift Ideas for Parents with Young Children
Sight & Sound Theater
Pop-up sauna (NOT KELLY-APPROVED!)

Find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Find Kelly on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Find Laura at LauraTremaine.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Find Rebekah on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook or @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram, and @sortaawesomepod on Twitter!

Ep. 122 Bring the awesome to your Thanksgiving!

November 17, 2017

Alton It's our first ever Sorta Awesome Thanksgiving episode! Tune in to feast with us on how to bring so much more awesome to your Thanksgiving gathering this year. You'll hear Meg and Kelly discuss recipes, hosting hacks, best-guest tips, and the voices of some Awesomes sharing great Thanksgiving stories. All of that, plus Awesome of the Week!

aka Wyatt Cenac

tarte Shape Tape Concealer

Kelly’s symphonic Thanksgiving menu

Alton Brown's roast turkey

Edited to add: recipe for the homemade crescent rolls

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Extra Awesome: Stranger Things with Nish Weiseth

November 14, 2017

Obsessed with Netflix's original series Stranger Things? Curious about what all the hype is about? Join Meg as she and her dear friend, author, and podcast host Nish Weiseth spend an hour flailing and yelling about all the reasons everyone should be watching Stranger Things! The first twenty minutes are a broad, spoiler-free overview of the show, and after that, they dive into deep discussion of the social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of the series they can't stop talking about.

Find Nish's NEW podcast Impolite Company wherever you listen to podcasts!

Nish is on Twitter as @NishWeiseth

Washington Post: 5 80s tropes that Stranger Things turns upside down

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Visit sortaawesomeshow.com for show notes on this and every episode. And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook or @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram, and @sortaawesomepod on Twitter!

Ep. 121 Boundaries for the holidays: sane solutions for difficult dynamics

November 10, 2017

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... sorta. The holidays are fast approaching, and along with this season of joy and thankfulness, there are often difficult family dynamics to navigate. Meg and Kelly invite therapist Annie Wright back to Sorta Awesome to answer some of your questions about how to set (and keep!) healthy boundaries to keep your days merry and bright. All of that plus yummy snacking and a podcast obsession in Awesome of the Week!

SHOW NOTES:

True Crime Obsessed

Annie Wright Psychotherapy

Annie Wright: Challenged by holiday time spent with family? Explore my build-your-own holiday coping kit

Annie Wright: How boundaries impact every area of your life and what to do if yours needs work

Find Annie at her blog AnnieWright.com (along with many free resources!) and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Ep. 120 Fantastic photo organization for every Awesome

November 3, 2017

Whether you are a well-organized photo fanatic or a drowning in pictures photo mess, Meg and Laura have ideas, tips, advice, and more to help you figure out your digital photo situation! You'll hear how to fight the photo overwhelm as well as fantastic ideas on what to do with all those pictures! All of that plus Awesome of the Week!

SHOW NOTES:

Aveeno shower facial
BENEFIT POREfessional
Imagine Dragons Thunder

Chatbooks
Shutterfly
Mixbook
MPIX
Canvas on Demand
Framebridge
Project Life

Follow @laura.tremaine on Instagram to participate in #OneDayHH

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Laura at LauraTremaine.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Extra Awesome: November Book of the Month Club preview

November 1, 2017

Book of the Month Club has released the November selections! To hear about five hot reads for fall, tune in to hear Meg's preview of this list which includes name recognition debuts and new fiction from old favorites!

To find out more about signing up for Book of the Month Club, go to sortaawesomeshow.com/bookofthemonth

Ep. 119 Digital Decisions (a group show!)

October 27, 2017

Ever wonder how other people are organizing their lives in a digital world? Or how people go about protecting the privacy of their family in the age of Facebook-stalking? Meg gathered all of the co-hosts to talk through some of the biggest digital decisions we make every day, and they are all too happy to share how and why they do what they do! All of that plus a DOUBLE-DOSE of Awesome of the Week!

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Advent calendars for kids
Tim Ferriss's Tools of Titans
Smartest Person in the Room Ep 25 Eating Disorders with dietician Nicole Avila

Inkwell Daily Planner
Moleskine Planner
Nomatic Planner
Meg's favorite skinny glittery washi tape

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Laura at LauraTremaine.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

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

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

Extra Awesome: Dr. Mary Yamashita answers big questions about breast cancer screening

October 25, 2017

If you are a woman or cares about someone who is, this episode of Extra Awesome is a must-listen! Thanks to one of our very own Awesomes, Meg was able to connect with Dr. Mary Yamashita - a breast cancer imaging specialist - who is here today to share her answers to some of the biggest questions we have about mammograms and breast cancer screening. You'll hear about one of the biggest risk factors that most women don't know they have, as well as the future of breast cancer screening which may include a spa-like experience!

Find out more about Dr. Mary Yamashita here.

Find out more about SoftVue clinical trials here.

Ep. 118 The critical thing you aren't getting

October 20, 2017

You know you need it, but how much are you getting? Probably not enough! Join Meg and Kelly as they explore how not getting enough sleep is taking more of a toll than you might know. They also share TONS of great tips for getting more and better sleep! All of that plus Awesome of the Week!

To hear the original conversation that sparked this show, become a monthly supporter of Sorta Awesome! To find out how to join our team at Patreon, click on our Support page.

Kelly's Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookies

MIZON Black Snail All-in-one cream
MISSHA Super Aqua Cell Renewal Cream
MIZON Snail repair ampoule

Show Notes:

1. Learning How to Sleep Again, Lisa @ 100 Days of Real Food

2. Could some ADHD be a type of sleep disorder?

3. 8 Reasons You Don’t Feel Well-Rested and What You Can Do About It

Natural Calm magnesium powder
Magnesium spray
Megan's favorite booklight

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Ep. 117 Starbucks, spotlights, and what about those college degrees?

October 13, 2017

Long before Sorta Awesome debuted in your earbuds, we had a long list of loved (and maybe a few hated) jobs filling our time and our bank accounts. Join Meg and Rebekah as they dip back into their job histories to tell stories and share lessons learned, all while contemplating just what exactly they are doing with those college degrees. All of that, plus Awesome of the Week!

SHOW NOTES

A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness

This American Life episode #360 "Switched at Birth

Sight & Sound Theatres

Behind the Scenes at Sight & Sound: The Lighting Department

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Rebekah's AotW: This American Life episode #360 "Switched at Birth

Sight & Sound Theatres

Behind the Scenes at Sight & Sound: The Lighting Department

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Ep. 116 Stop buying cheap clothes!

October 6, 2017

Fast fashion can be lots of fun, but there are some very awesome reasons why we should stop buying those $5 t-shirts. Join Meg and Laura as they share the very different reasons that they've arrived at the same opinion - cheap clothes aren't good for you! All of that, plus Awesome of the Week!

SHOW NOTES:

Braving the Wilderness, Brene Brown
The Michalaks on YouTube (check out their About video and also try The Story Behind Our Matching Tattoos)

Sorta Awesome Episode 92Ten that are too awesome to miss!
The True Cost
Adam Ruins Everything, Episode 22 Why Fast Fashion Fails Us

Laura's guide of what to look for in buying apparel:
1) Fabric
2) Seams and buttons
3) Lining

Patagonia
Everlane
Krochet Kids
Tapered Collection
Eshakti
Rabble and Rouse
Slow Factory

Kendi Everyday

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Laura at LauraTremaine.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Extra Awesome: Osheta Moore & Shalom Sistas

October 3, 2017

We are thrilled to welcome Osheta Moore back to Sorta Awesome! You loved the wisdom and insight she shared in her first appearance on Sorta Awesome back in Episode 48, and now she is back to talk to Meg about imaginative, creative, and awesome ways to create peace and wholeness in the community around you.

Osheta's book Shalom Sistas: Living Wholeheartedly in a Brokenhearted World releases today! You can find more of Osheta on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and look for her Shalom Sistas podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 115 Ten awesome things for FALL 2017

September 29, 2017

It is now officially autumn in our part of the world, and we are officially excited to bring you another best of fall episode! Tune in to hear Meg and Kelly talk about the ten things they are counting on to be SO awesome for this fall season! All of that plus an inspiring book and playing dress-up with jewelry in Awesome of the Week!

SHOW NOTES:

Huffington Post: Don't apologize for your obsession with fall. It's science.

It Won’t Be Easy: An Exceedingly Honest (and Slightly Unprofessional) Love Letter to Teaching by Tom Rademacher

Rocksbox

Nut-free protein balls

Woodfire Candles

Dearfoams Women's Memory Foam Sweater Knit Indoor/Outdoor Bootie Slippers

Maple-Glazed Butternut Squash with Clementine and Pancetta

Vintage washed flannel shirts

Cinnamon Roll Caramel Popcorn

Meg's floral cardigan

Meg's velvet purse

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Rita

Maybelline Super Stay Matte lipstick in Pioneer

How to make body butter from A Delightful Home's Body Scrub Bible:

Makes approximately 4 ounces of body butter.

Ingredients
3 ounces cocoa butter
1.5 ounces jojoba oil
5 drops of essential oil (optional)
You will also need:
Double-boiler
Mixing bowl
Hand mixer
Container for body butter

Method
1. Weigh cocoa butter then place in the top of a double-boiler. If you are using large
chunks of cocoa butter, cut into smaller pieces to make the melting process a little
quicker. Heat over medium heat until the cocoa butter has melted.

2. Once cocoa butter has melted, remove from heat. Add jojoba oil.

3. Let cool briefly then pour oil mixture into a bowl. Leave to cool.
The cooling process can take a number of hours. You can speed things along by
placing bowl in the fridge or freezer for a little while, or sit bowl in an ice bath.
Once the oils have cooled and begun to turn opaque, it’s time to whip.

4. Using a hand mixer, whip the body butter. Whip for two minutes and let sit for another
five minutes.
Whip for another two minutes, then let sit for another five. Continue this process until
the body butter is whipped to your liking.
Once body butter is thick and creamy, scoop into jar.

A Delightful Home: Body Butter Basics e-course (use code AWESOME for 50% off at check-out!)

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Ep. 114 Smash the lies, discover the awesome!

September 22, 2017

It happens to the best of us from time to time - we suddenly realize we've been believing something entirely untrue about ourselves (or about life in general!). This week, join Meg and Rebekah as they talk through some of the lies they've been believing and how they discovered the truth on the other side of that realization. PLUS, hear from therapist Annie Wright as she gives specific, actionable advice on how to counteract negative thought patterns and start to build healthy thoughts instead! All of that, plus Awesome of the Week!

SHOW NOTES:

Roxana's Candles
(Purchase Roxana's Candles using a special Promo Code. Use the discount code awesome10 for !0% off. This code is valid once per customer, and will take 10% off every order with no minimum purchase. Roxana's Candles offers free shipping within the U.S.)

Anne Bogel's Reading People

Annie Wright: Neuroplasticity and the Critical Practice of Speaking More Kindly To Yourself

Find Annie at her blog AnnieWright.com (along with many free resources!) and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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

Ep. 113 We don't know what we're doing (WAHM woes)

September 15, 2017

Awesomes, this is an episode quite unlike any other we've ever created. We're bringing you a peek behind the curtain of podcast production, and you'll quickly agree with us that honestly, we have no idea what we are doing. Join Meg and Laura in this completely un-produced, real life, real talk conversation about how difficult it has been for them to figure out how to structure their days and get stuff done as work at home moms. No matter your own vocation, work situation, or calling, you might hear a tidbit or two to inspire how you spend your days, and you'll most certainly be able to give us some advice on how to get our acts together! All of that plus Awesome of the Week!

SHOW NOTES:

Find out how to become a Sorta Awesome listener-supporter!

Sorta Awesome is now on Spotify

Blue Grass Covers on Spotify

Gap's Live-in bra

Gap's Live-in unlined crossback bra

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Smartest Person in the Room Podcast

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Laura at LauraTremaine.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Ep. 112 Stop outsourcing your safety with Tony Blauer

September 8, 2017

“You are the First Responder in your fight.” This is at the heart of self-defense guru Tony Blauer's mission and message, and what he and his wife Jesse share in this episode of Sorta Awesome just might save your life. Join Megan and her husband Kyle as they share about a recent incident in their home that woke them up to the pivotal importance of understanding what self-defense really means.

SHOW NOTES:

Blauer Tactical Systems

VIDEOS:

Why you never see martial arts in life & death situations (language warning)

Tony's SPEAR system

Tony's ATM video

Tony's 3 Ds explained (blog post)

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Ep. 111 Our favorite meals

September 1, 2017

Hungry? You will be after this delectable episode featuring Meg and Kelly's all-time favorite meals! You'll hear them share their top go-to family faves as well as crowd-pleasers, comfort foods, Trader Joe's best picks, and decadent splurges. All of that plus Awesome of the Week!

SHOW NOTES:

Hardy Hibiscus
The Liturgists - Names

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Tacos

Cajun turkey burgers
Chicken Stir-Fry wraps
Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
Greek Chicken Kebabs
1 lb ground chicken
1 onion, shredded (a food processor works great; you want the onion almost pulpy)
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1. In a large bowl, mix all kebab ingredients. Shape into eight 4-inch-long portions on a foiled lined baking sheet.
2. Heat broiler. Broil chicken until lightly seared on both sides, flipping once. If desired, insert skewers at the end for eating fun.

Crockpot Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Simple Meatballs
African Pilaf
Roasted pork loin

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Lasagna Soup (Ep. 43)

Wild Rice Soup (Ep. 83)

Pioneer Woman’s lasagna

Ina Garten’s chicken pot pie

Momadvice Brunch-themed birthday (French Toast Souffle and Overnight Breakfast Casserole)
Sausage Quiche Squares
Pioneer Woman Perfect Pot Roast
Cheese enchiladas

Chicken Salsa Chili
All-purpose marinade: equal parts olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce

Trader Joe’s Gyro Slices

Mandarin Orange Chicken

Party Sized Mini Meatballs

Thai quinoa salad

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!