Pull up a chair, y'all — this one's a keeper. This week Paul and Laurel sit down with their friend Nicole Kirkland-Smith, the

author behind the brand-new children's book Pancakes with Nona: A Silly Messy Adventure — the first book in her

"Adventures with Nona" series.

Nicole spent 22+ years in early childhood as a leader, social worker, and artist, and she poured all of it into a book that gets

little ones out of their seats — gathering ingredients, stirring the batter, flipping pancakes, and picking their favorite toppings

right along with Nona.

We talk about the real-life niece who inspired the whole thing, what it takes to go from "I have an

idea" to a printed book in your hands, and why the messiest moments with the kids in our lives are usually the ones we

remember most.

Whether you're a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, or you've just got a story of your own you've been sitting on — this

episode is full of heart, a few laughs, and a whole lot of encouragement.

Grab Pancakes with Nona: A Silly Messy Adventure on Amazon and at pancakeswithnona.com. Perfect for ages 3–7.

That's Doing Life, Y'all!!

[email protected] @Acoupleofokiesdoinglife on Facebook & @okies918 on Instagram

#PancakesWithNona #ChildrensBooks #ReadAloud #ACoupleOfOkiesDoingLife

#DoingLifeYall #NewAuthor #StorytimeAdventure

We didn't start out as the couple with money figured out — not even close. In this one, Paul and Laurel get honest about the credit-card years, the spending that ran the house, and the day we finally cut the cards up and started over. Thirty-one years in, we've learned that money fights are one of the biggest reasons marriages fall apart — and that turning it around has nothing to do with the label on your shoes or keeping up with the Joneses (spoiler: they're broke too). We're talking about learning to save after learning to spend, killing the comparison game, and why building wealth was never about being rich — it's about freedom. If you're starting out tight or digging out of a hole, this one's for you. Broke is a season, not a sentence, y'all.

New episodes of A Couple of Okies Doing Life drop monthly. Find us on Facebook & Instagram. That's Doing Life, Y'all!!

#marriage #money #budgeting #debt-free #faith #family, #Oklahoma #couples.

Nobody hands you a manual for raising good humans — you just do life and try not to mess 'em up too bad. In this episode, Paul and Laurel pick up where "Raising Boys to Be Men" left off and dig into the how: being warm AND the boss (the parenting shift everybody's talking about in 2026), the no-phone summer that's got families going analog again, why the most-searched parenting idea this year is actually privacy, and how grit and grace get built one hard thing at a time — with a little faith holding it all together. Honest, funny, and straight off the porch.

📚 Grab our Oklahoma Fun! coloring & activity book on Amazon — a screen-free win for the kids and grandkids.

https://a.co/d/0bQ4WoVu

📖 Laurel's book, Laughing Through the Tears — laughingthroughthetearsbook.com

https://a.co/d/0dvZ5BVi

📩 Got a story or a topic? Email us: [email protected]

❤️ Follow us on Facebook & Instagram: @Acoupleofokiesdoinglife — and please follow + rate the show, it helps more folks find us.

That's Doing Life, Y'all!!

Raising Boys to be Men, Stories, Mistakes, and moments that made us proudest. This one's for every parent in the trenches and every grown kid who needed to hear "I'm Proud of You"

Oklahoma Fun! Color & Activity Book https://a.co/d/00DYaWJa

#ACoupleOfOkies

#Raising Boys

#PodcastLife

#OklahomaLife

#DoingLifeYall

June is everything in the Palladino house! Fathers Day weekend, Michaels 26th Birthday, our 31st Anniversary, and Marley Rae turns 2. Plus the launch of our very first Oklahoma Themed Coloring and Activity Book. We also just got back from Destin, FL. where tropical storm Arthur shut down the Gulf of America all week - Double Red Flags. The Palladino's and McClary's took over a pontoon, found hermit crabs, got ice cream from a ice cream boat at Crab Island, explored Seaside and Baytown and enjoyed dinner at AJ's and last but not least the grand daughters got buried in the sand and then proceeded to bury Uncle Jordan. That's Doing Life, Y'all!!

Grab Oklahoma Fun! on Amazon: https://a.co/d/00rygLcE

Email us: [email protected]

Find us on FB & IG @Acoupleofokiesdoinglife

Starting Over in your 50's isn't just physical - It's relational. Friendships change. Marriage Deepens. And Finding Your People again takes Courage.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

Check out Laurel's Book: Laughing Through the Tears at laughingthroughthetearsbook.com

In this episode, Paul and Laurel sit down with Kevin and Sandy Burr to talk about Marriage, building a business together, and raising a family without a manual. From navigating challenges to staying aligned through seasons of growth, this conversation is full of real life insight, honesty, and encouragement for couples playing the long game.

Be sure to listen through the end there is a bonus segment - live blooper.

#Kevin&SandyBurr

#Laughingthroughthetearsbook

Starting over isn’t easy—especially in your 50s.

In this episode, Paul and Laurel get real about returning to training for the Marine Corps Marathon—the aches, the setbacks, the mental battles, and the small wins that keep them going.

They talk about the pain of rebuilding endurance, the discipline it takes to stay consistent, and the powerful moments when everything clicks and the runner’s high takes over.

This is a conversation about resilience, marriage, and choosing to do hard things together—no matter your age.

We take a moment to check in and wish everyone a Happy Easter, shout out a Happy Birthday to our oldest son Jordan Palladino and provide updates and share that guests will be joining us starting later this month.

We have an Intro Song!!!

In this episode of A Couple of Okies Doing Life, Paul and Laurel talk about the power of stacking wins—the small, consistent choices that build strong marriages, steady faith, and lasting momentum. From everyday habits to long-term goals, they share how choosing discipline over motivation and consistency over perfection can completely change your trajectory.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or waiting for a big moment to turn things around, this episode is your reminder: you don’t need a dramatic shift—you need a decision today.

Because when you stack the small wins… you start winning the long game.

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