Around the Table Podcast

In this episode we chat all things Thanksgiving! Favorite traditions, family dynamics, and of course, FOOD! We also touch on Black Friday and what we're thankful for this year.

Thanksgiving traditions:

Jacey's favorite Thanksgiving pie is pumpkin. Period.
Maggie's family is bonkers about Thanksgiving. They even made t-shirts.
No turkey dinner, bottle rockets, and copious amounts of wine are all essential components.

Jacey's family spent her childhood Thanksgivings on the coast of California. Thanksgiving at the beach, anyone?
How do you deal with change in tradition?

Maggie's family has started going to Skyzone since they relocated their family gathering. Trampolines after Thanksgiving dinner....yikes!
Jacey comments on how fierce attachment to traditions can get in the way of fully experiencing the joy of the season.
Jacey shares stories of her first married holidays away from family (and Maggie shares her fears of those changes).

Holiday Family Dynamics:

We get REAL about family struggles. Why do we always seem to regress to our childhood selves over the holidays?
Maggie makes the point that if we go into family gatherings expecting conflict, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Takeaways: don't correct Maggie's grammar or tease Jacey about her pumpkin pie.

Favorite Thanksgiving Foods:

Maggie's family has a secret chocolatey alcoholic beverage called 'The Recipe.'
Jacey's favorite recipe involves butter, cream, cheese, and corn. Yum.
And another reference to the famous Harris family stack cake.
Joy the Baker has a great asparagus recipe - a perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
3 Keys to a stress free Thanksgiving meal:

Ask for help (but don't micro-manage).
Pick a few show-stoppers, and keep the rest simple.
Vary your dishes so that you have some that are made ahead, some that aren't.

Shauna Niequist wrote a great post last week with ten tips for hosting Thanksgiving

Black Friday:

We're not really into it.

BUT, we are really into gifts! So, we're going to be sharing our Around the Table Gift Menu. Launching December 2nd - stay tuned for more details (there may even be some giveaways!)

Gratitude and what we're thankful for (cue cheesy music):

We discuss the benefits of practicing gratitude.

This Real Simple article offer some great points.

Jacey wrote a super interesting blog post about others prescribing gratitude.
Jacey is thankful for: her job, her husband, Mike, deep and textured friendships, and Maggie.
Maggie is thankful for: her health, a city like Charleston to call home, and Jacey.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes and traditions? What are you thankful for?

The post Around Our Thanksgiving Table appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

In this episode, we discuss re-watching Gilmore Girls, favorite books, phone habits, emoji preferences, and gift giving ideas.

Show notes:

Congratulations to Alex, the winner of our signed copy of The Walled City by Ryan Graudin!
Like the other girls who grew up watching the CW, we've started watching Gilmore Girls again now that it's on Netflix.
Pumpkin snickerdoodles are an annual tradition for me
Did you watch House? Do you think it would still be good if you watched it now?

Literary chat

Sitting by the fireplace reading is one of my favorite holiday activities.
Did your school have an accelerated reader program with a points system?
Our favorite childhood books: Little Women, A Little Princess, and James and the Giant Peach
I host a social book group where we all talk about what we've been reading. It reminds Maggie of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
E reader, paper book, or audio book?

Phone habits

Are you a phone person?
Call or text?
This Phone Tips video from Tripp and Tyler makes some funny points about phone etiquette:

Emojis

I say a picture is worth a thousand words. Maggie sees emojis as a sign of our culture's regression. We need you to weigh in. Are you emoji pro or con?
Maybe Maggie would prefer the Nick Offerman emoji style:

Gift giving

Be thoughtful before the gift giving occasion to build ideas
Give experiences
Don't try too hard to be original

How do you choose a new books, and which ones do you recommend to us? Where do you fall on the pressing issue of emoji use? What gift giving tips do you have? Let us know in the comments or on Instagram or Twitter.

If you like our show, would you consider giving us a rating and review on iTunes? We'd appreciate it so much!

The post Episode 013: Emoji throwdown and book discussion appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

In this episode, we discuss our recent travels, Maggie's experience with Crossfit so far and other feats of strength, dog workouts, and how we make decisions.

Show notes for this episode:

We had such a fun time in Virginia at Maggie's mom's mountain house, Bent Tree!
I highly recommend making friends with a chef and charming her into inviting you to a weekend away where she cooks three meals a day for you.
Rosemary parmesan cornbread is an option! Tell Maggie you want her to post the recipe on her blog.
Chef's risotto tricks: you don't have to stir it constantly like you think, and dehydrated mushrooms soaked in chicken stock to rehydrate.
Use vanilla bean paste anytime you can.
Makeovers!!

Perks of being an adult: red wine with your s'mores

I immediately traveled to Raleigh for Making Things Happen, and then on to Chicago for Storyline.
I don't mind going places alone. Do you?
Big take away for me: goal setting doesn't have to be self centered.
Check out the Storyline Creating Your Life Plan
Mike and I explored Chicago. We found amazing food like Quartino and went to The Second City.
Stephen Colbert is the smartest, funniest human in America. Agree or disagree?
We don't watch a lot of late night since it's past our bed times, but we do catch up on YouTube!
Maggie is loving Crossfit Discovery so far, and she's training for an half Iron Man now. I've volunteered to be her coach solely because the race is in New Orleans.
Workout classes with canines: it's a thing.
The Paradox of Choice is a TED talk that explains why we're less happy with more choices.

I also wrote a blog post about it
Maggie and I are both more on the impulsive, action oriented side of decision making. How about you?
The downside to being less analytical
It's easier to steer a moving ship.

"What the heart loves, the will chooses and the mind justifies."
How do you make decisions? What are you doing for exercise these days? Let us know in the comments or start a conversation with us by email at [email protected].

You can also connect with us on Instagram and Twitter. Have a great week!

The post Episode 012: Decision making and endurance race training appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

In this episode, we talk helpful strategies when meeting new people, the negative effects of positive thinking, and how to explore a new town. We're also giving away a copy of our friend Ryan's book, The Walled City.

If you haven't had a chance to rate and review us on iTunes, would you take a minute to do that? We would appreciate it so much!

The Walled City comes out tomorrow (November 4th)! Check it out on Amazon and enter for a chance to win a SIGNED copy by tweeting us @theATTpodcast or tagging us on instagram with a picture or description of your favorite place to read. We'll announce a winner later this week.

The rest of this episode's show notes:

Jackie Pullinger is a missionary whose story can be found in her book, Chasing the Dragon.
Jacey and Maggie spent a weekend with some friends in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Few things top mountain getaways in the fall.
NYMag has an interesting article on pre-date Googling.
A Better Way to Introduce Your Friends at Parties.
Jacey and Maggie are researching BFF bracelets. Suggestions?
We spend a lot of time talking about  whether or not optimism is the enemy of action. This article claims that too much positive-thinking can impede goal acheivement.

NYU psychology professor, Dr. Gabriele Oettigen, suggests the WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) formula for success

Maggie is more big-picture while Jacey is detail-oriented. Myers Briggs helps us articulate those parts of our personalities.
Checking out James Beard award-winning chefs and restaurants is a great way to find good food in a new city.

What do you think- is it ok to Google someone before a date? What are some good get-t0-know-you questions that aren't 'what do you do?' How do you decide where to go and what to do when visiting somewhere for the first time? 

The post Episode 011: the pros and cons of Googling strangers appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

In this episode of Around the Table, we discuss Crossfit, anniversaries, marriage reviews, and morning and evening routines!

If you haven't had a chance to rate and review us on iTunes, would you take a minute to do that? We would appreciate it so much!

Show notes for this episode:

We were surprised by the older gentlemen that listeners mentioned as Hollywood crushes! The discussion prompted Jacey to reveal her older Hollywood crush: Roger Sterling of Mad Men. Not the actor- Roger Sterling. So dapper.

Maggie signed up for the introduction to Crossfit. Thoughts?
I asked Maggie if she's easily persuaded. Are you?
My husband Mike and I celebrated our sixth anniversary this weekend. It was a glorious day of eating and chatting.
I shared about the annual marriage review we do on our anniversary- a  few other 6th year marriage reflections here and a letter to newlyweds from last year
Quick version of the marriage review: highlights from the year, things you appreciate about each other, and growth opportunities
Traditional and modern anniversary gifts for each year
What's a desk set? What are your thoughts on appliances as gifts?
Morning and evening routines
We're both morning people
I'm trying to get into journaling - it's part of Maggie's evening routine
We've heard it's helpful to turn off screens an hour before sleep - Maggie's been doing it and confirms.
I use the Sleep Cycle app to keep track of my sleep (like a neurotic person)
I enjoyed this podcast. I hope you did, too!

Have you tried Crossfit? What are you morning and evening routines? How can I get to bed on time? Would you ever try doing a marriage review like we do?

Share your thoughts with us on Twitter (and use the hashtag #livetweetATT), and Instagram!

The post Episode 010: the fragrance anniversary appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

In this episode, we talk coffee shop preferences, friendships with people in different life phases, and tips for getting started when making healthy lifestyle changes. 

This week's show notes:

Jimmy Stewart is Maggie's ultimate Hollywood crush
MOPs is a national group for women with pre-school aged children. Jacey encouraged their local chapter with a talk on budgeting and becoming debt free.
Our favorite local coffee shop - Collective Coffee
In case you don't know what Radicchio is...

Is it socially acceptable to ask someone to unplug their device so that you can use an outlet?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a great resource for nutrition information
Eatingwell and Cookinglight are essential when looking for delicious, healthy recipes
Tips for crating healthy habits:

Identify problematic behaviors to change (or beneficial ones to incorporate)
Set goals (be specific)
Start small and change one habit at a time

What makes your ideal coffee shop? What are some of the biggest obstacles you face when trying to create healthy habits? 

In case you missed it, Around the Table is in the New and Noteworthy section on iTunes for our topic! Would you help us stay there by rating us, if you haven't yet? Thank you SO much for listening, and for rating and reviewing us. We so appreciate you listening and making it worthwhile for us to keep doing this week by week.

- Maggie and Jacey

The post Episode 009: “Excuse me, can I use this outlet?” appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

In this episode, we talk about football, our comforts when sick, and travel essentials. 

This week's show notes:

Maggie tells us the history behind Auburn's War Eagle chant
Wearing dresses and going to football games with a date? Who knew?
Maggie is an SEC fan, all the way
Jacey grew up an Oklahoma and 49er fan

Quote of the podcast about the community side of football:
"Even if you're not into it, it's a really good excuse to get people together."

Maggie craves junk food  and watches Disney when she's sick.
PSA: Tylenol reduces fevers. Again -- who knew??
Maggie's jam on a road trip: Krave beef jerky

Are you a football fan? What do you do to comfort yourself when you're sick?

In other news, Around the Table is in the New and Noteworthy section on iTunes for our topic! Thank you SO much for listening, and for rating and reviewing us. We so appreciate you listening and making it worthwhile for us to keep doing this week by week.

- Maggie and Jacey

The post Episode 008: football fans, sickies & travel essentials appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

Happy first week of October! This week we talk Kombucha, artisanal food, fads that have come and gone, and the pros and cons of owning a scale.

Jacey spent the majority of her week at the Influence Conference.  Don't miss out on the chance to get the early bird rate for next year's conference (through October 6th).

Jacey shared some exciting news with us: she's debt free! She'll share more about this on a future episode, but you can read more of her debt free journey here and here.

Kombucha, Kombucha, Kombucha!

Here is a link to the Synergy brand we referenced.
Janet Helm is a dietitian and contributor to WebMD and NBC who has some great thoughts about Kombucha on her blog NutritionUnplugged.

Running, yoga, and artisanal foods are health trends with staying power.

Bill Bowerman is one of the forerunners (no pun intended) of the modern jogging movement.
 Want to know where to start when searching for quality artisanal foods? Check out this year's Good Food Awards.

Maggie thinks that weighing yourself is important when trying to lose weight as a way to stay accountable to your program and monitor progress. Like anything though, it's best when done in moderation.

As a (very) general guideline, the Hamwi Formula is a good starting point for calculating Ideal Body Weight.

Pogs, Beanie Babies, Tamagotchies, oh my! What were some of your favorite childhood trends? Do you think acid wash should have made a comeback? Don't forget to leave us a comment with your thoughts or questions for next week!

If you've rated us in iTunes, thank you!! If you haven't yet, head to iTunes and do it! It helps other friends find our podcast. 

Be sure to check out Maggie's blog, The Spread!

Follow us on Instagram @aroundthetablepodcast @maggiemcdaris @thebalancedwife and use the hashtag #aroundthetable when you're sharing hospitality, community, or food-related posts- we'd love to interact with you there!

- Maggie and Jacey

The post Episode 007: Kombucha, artisanal food, and the staying power (or not) of fads appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

It has been an exciting and week for us here at Around the Table! In this episode, we talk about trips to London, weddings, and how to keep the internet from stealing your soul!

As any good podcast should, we start ours off with Glazed Donuts. Are you sensing a trend, here?

Maggie just returned from a trip to England! Here are some important things to note about her trip:

Rae Morris is a phenominal singer/songwriter and you can find her on itunes here.
Borough Market is, according to Maggie, the happiest place on Earth. Sorry, Disney World.
Maggie's British birthday celebration involved gin and tonic from a can, tickets to Miss Saigon, and a surprise run-in with her favorite Broadway actress!

Jacey had an eventful week creating an exceptional blog post about her capsule wardrobe, and hosting her Mom in Charleston.

Here is the link to the Influence Conference Jacey was preparing for.
Naptime Diaires - the Advent devotional and calendar come out on Wednesday!
Seth Godin is an author and blogger who has a lot of great thoughts on seeing your career as a series of projects.

Weddings can be great opportunites to influence your closest friends and family. Maggie's friend co-founded an organization called the Sophie Hayes Foundation and used his wedding as a platform to raise awareness and bless others.

 Maintaining a healthy perspective on the internet can be a challenge:

The internet can't love you - a more cohesive collection of Jacey's thoughts about the internet
This article from New York Magazine offers some interesting food for thought on why we feel the need to "unplug"

If you've rated us in iTunes, thank you! If you haven't yet, head to iTunes and do it! It helps other friends find our podcast. 

Be sure to check out Maggie's blog, The Spread!

Follow us on Instagram @aroundthetablepodcast @maggiemcdaris @thebalancedwife and use the hashtag #aroundthetable when you're sharing hospitality, community, or food-related posts- we'd love to interact with you there!

How do you keep a healthy balance with online life? What funny, touching or memorable stories do you have about weddings? Tell us in the comments!

- Maggie and Jacey

The post Episode 006: Do Instagram followers mean anything, and other questions appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.

It's the first day of fall! Let's have a fall themed podcast to celebrate, shall we?

We start the party talking about Maggie's freshly launched BLOG, The Spread! She'll feature one original recipe, one lovely around the table podcast post, and a local restaurant each week. You should definitely check it out and follow along!

Alternate post titles: was that a burp? / are leggings pants? / in a flurry of pins - so basically, you have a lot to look forward to when you listen to the episode!

Who wants to join our group fall Pinterest board?? Email us at [email protected] and I'll send you an invite!

Other notes of note from this episode:

In light of Maggie's blog launch, Jacey wanted to prepare her with some  common food blog comments. THIS IS SO FUNNY.

We may not need back to school supplies anymore, but business ladies need office supplies, right?!? When Target looks like Ross, we're in trouble.

Jacey's favorites:

multiple categorized notebooks
La Croix sparkling water (like it's going out of style)
Whitney English Day Designer and soon the Day Designer mini
Naptime Diaries monthly calendar printable
Ultra Fine Sharpies in all the colors
uni-ball Signo pens

Maggie's favorites:

Notes app (anyone else need it to have lines?)
Coffee thermoses
portable file folders

Fall food is the best:

Maggie is all about squash, pumpkin, and game meat. Is delicata a type? Google confirmed yes.
Try hollowing out a sugar pumpkin with caramelized red onions, gorgonzola and walnuts and bake it! You can also fill your hollowed pumpkin with this delicious soup recipe.
Jacey's fall staples are curried lentil soup and roasted vegetables.
Did you know about toasting spices?
Pumpkin granola, pumpkin smoothies and banana bread smoothies.

Fall outfits, also the best:

Maggie needed some new booties in her life, and also loves flannel shirts and rich fall hues. Bring on the emeralds, neutrals and deep reds!
Jacey is trying out a capsule wardrobe for the first time. So far, so good. She wrote a detailed post with pictures of her capsule on her blog.

ThredUP is an online consignment store, and a great option for paring down your closet for a capsule wardrobe, or anytime.
Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service. Learn more about Stitch Fix on Jacey's blog.
Shout out to Valerie (@hellovallarina) for telling me (Jacey) about Un-fancy, the website where I got all my info to build my capsule wardrobe.
If you feel overwhelmed by your closet or shopping, or like you overspend on clothes but still feel like you have nothing to wear, a capsule wardrobe might be for you!
Having fewer decisions is huge for me, which is why I love the capsule approach.

Pressing questions: Can you wear white after Labor Day? Are leggings pants? Is animal print a neutral?

If you've rated us in iTunes, thank you!! If you haven't yet, head to iTunes and do it! It helps other friends find our podcast. 

Be sure to check out Maggie's blog, The Spread!

Follow us on Instagram @aroundthetablepodcast @maggiemcdaris @thebalancedwife and use the hashtag #aroundthetable when you're sharing hospitality, community, or food-related posts- we'd love to interact with you there!

- Maggie and Jacey

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The post Episode 005: It’s a fall spectacular! appeared first on Around the Table Podcast.