curiouser & curiouser Podcast

Listen to the episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/The_Colorful_Kitchen.mp3

I loved getting to chat with Ilene Moreno of the blog The Colorful Kitchen recently, and know you’ll enjoy hearing her talk about why she switched to a plant-based diet many years ago, where her recipe inspiration comes from, and how she involves her young daughters in meal prep to help them be excited to eat colorfully. Ilene has a new cookbook coming out in December — her second! — and I’ve been lucky enough be part of a group that got early access to many of the recipes. They’re SO GOOD! (She posted this perfect-for-fall sneak peek recipe to her blog. Be sure to give it a try!) We talked about the motivation behind this cookbook (the angle is family-friendly recipes, which is amazing) and how it came together. Keep an eye for it to be available on Amazon and wherever books are sold next month! (You can actually go ahead and pre-order it here!)

If you aren’t familiar with The Colorful Kitchen blog, it’s a collection of beautiful, delicious plant-based recipes created with simplicity in mind, and geared to be dishes the whole family will enjoy. As a working mom of a toddler, I can appreciate the short list of ingredients (and the fact that they’re all easy to find in stores) — something I know many of y’all can relate to as well! You can also grab a copy of Ilene’s first cookbook, The Colorful Kitchen: Simple Plant-Based Recipes for Vibrancy, Inside and Out, on Amazon!

Ready to hear Ilene talk more about food, motherhood, photography, and more? Here we go!:

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 26 (Ilene Moreno Talks Colorful, Family-Friendly Vegan Cooking) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Listen to Episode 25 here!:

I’ve wanted to have Katie as a guest on my podcast since, well, I started a podcast, and I’m so glad it’s finally happening! (Full disclosure: Katie and I recorded this episode months ago, but life has been so busy lately that I’ve been delayed in getting it posted.) Katie: Please forgive me for the delay! (See: The “Not Right Now” Things.)

Katie and I grew up in the same suburban Atlanta neighborhood, and I always thought her family was SO COOL. After all, her mom is a prolific children’s book author who’s written some of our family’s favorite books, including Agatha’s Feather Bed and The Library Dragon.

Katie, like her mom, turned out to be both artistic and entrepreneurial in nature. She moved to New York and, after working in commercial illustration for a while started designing beautiful wallpaper. Soon those designs became a company — Grow House Grow — which ties narrative to each design (something my story-loving heart just adores!) Grow House Grow now makes more than just wallpaper, too — they also design beautiful cement tile. I’ve loved Katie’s work since she started Grow House Grow back in 2007, and it’s been fun to watch her gain well-deserved recognition along the way. She’s killing it, and getting much-deserved recognition from publications like The New York Times, Fast Company, and Design Milk, and right now she’s part of a collaboration with Anthropologie. Soooo cool, right?

I loved this quote from Katie that she gives to clients making design choices — and feel like it applies to far more than interior decor!: “Don’t put a design into your home based on what other people are going to want. You’re the only one looking at this every day, and you want it to bring you happiness and joy and make you reminisce or give you a creative spark, so that’s my intention with the wallpaper.”

Okay, ready to hear from this amazing woman? Thought so. Here we go!:

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 25 (Katie Deedy Of Grow House Grow) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Listen to the podcast episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Natural_Deodorant_Podcast_September_2019.mp3

Are you a natural deodorant user yet? (If not, I’m guessing you are hesitant to switch because you’re either unconfident that a natural deodorant could do the heavy lifting your traditional deodorant does or you’ve tried a natural deodorant or two and it just didn’t cut it. Am I right?)

This is an experience I hear over and over again, and so I wanted to embark on what I’m calling my “Super Scientific Natural Deodorant Test,” which isn’t at all scientific, but does account for the opinion of both my sister and me as we tested eight brands of natural deodorant over the course of two months. (Want to hear us talk about our experience? Check out the video below!)

But first, why natural deodorant in the first place? Here are just a few reasons I’ve chosen to make the switch:

Okay, so the case can definitely be made for natural deodorants. But how to find the right one for you? Well, Susan and I tested a few to give you a place to start, but ultimately it’s best to start trying some for yourself, too. After all, our bodies have different chemistry, and so what works great for me might not cut it for you, and vice versa. The great news is, most natural deodorant brands have awesome return policies, so don’t be afraid to try them out! If they don’t work for you, send them back and move on to another one.

Another thing to mention, before I jump into the brands we tested and our “super scientific findings” related to each one, is that if you’re making the switch from a traditional deodorant to a natural one, expect there to be a transition period. Your body will have to get used to this new type of coverage, and so you may find you’re smellier and/or sweatier at first. To help with this process, consider incorporating a charcoal-based cleanser into your armpit-cleaning routine. (I use the Beautycounter Charcoal Cleansing Bar) to help pull out impurities and detox the “gunk” that traditional deodorants can leave behind. (Because I use this bar on my face, too, I just get some lathered up on my hands and use that to clean my armpits.) I’ve also found that taking your natural deodorant with you during the day for a midday reapplication can be helpful.

Okay, here we go — the results! Below, you’ll find a video of Susan and me talking about our experience with each deodorant (because she was in town, and I thought a video would be a good way to hear us discuss our findings) as well as a quick written overview of each deodorant:

1. Meow Meow Tweet: We opted to use both the primer and cream version of this deodorant, and loved them both. We tried the baking soda-free grapefruit cream. (Fun fact: baking soda often causes irritation, so if you’ve struggled with underarm irritation in the past, try looking for recipes without baking soda.) Susan and I both really, really liked this deodorant, and the only real negative was the fact that it had to be applied with your fingers. Meow Meow Tweet does make a stick version of this deodorant, though, and I emailed them about it to see if the performance and scent are the same as the cream version. Here’s what they had to say! (I would totally buy the stick.):

2. Fat and the Moon: This cream had a nice, essential oil-like scent, but Susan and I weren’t impressed with the consistency of the product. It wasn’t super easy to apply, and the performance was only so-so.

3. Native: We went with the Coconut & Vanilla scented stick, and I was surprised that I didn’t love this one (because I know many of you do!). The scent was a little too tropical for me, and the performance (at least for Susan and me) just was NOT there. It was a stick, though, so that made the application easier!

4. Primal Pit Paste: Susan and I chose the Lavendar version of this stuff, and I did appreciate that it came with a little applicator stick (it was a tiny version of a popsicle stick) to help with getting the deodorant out of the jar (minimizing bacteria from your fingers being trapped in the jar, etc.). The consistency of this stuff, though, was strange to us. It didn’t stick together, making it tricky to apply even with the stick. Plus, Susan and I didn’t get great staying power from this one.

5. Kopari Beauty: We loooooved this coconut deodorant stick. It’s clear and goes on so cleanly. You don’t have to wait to “warm it up” like you do with some natural sticks. I also loved that the coconut scent was much more subtle than the Native one, which was really nice. It kept me smelling fresh!

6. Piper Wai: We tried both the stick and paste version of this charcoal-based deodorant, but this was a solid middle performer for us. It smells good and works pretty well, but I found others in the test that worked much better (and Susan agreed).

7. Schmidt’s: We snagged the Bergamot & Lime stick, and we LOVED this one. It worked much better for us than the Native did. It was easy to apply, but still did have some white residue to look out for. A great performer!

8. Erbaviva: Susan and I LOVED this Jasmine Grapefruit Organic Deodorant spray. It has a strong essential oil-like scent to it (not in a bad way, but it is strong), and the application is SO easy. It goes on clear and dries really quickly, and Susan and I found that it kept us fresh all day.

OUR TOP 3:

So there you have it — our super scientific natural deodorant review! If you try any of these, please let me know what you think! I’d love your feedback.

Footnote: Since this review was published, I’ve heard amazing things about the Primally Pure deodorant from lots of reputable sources. I haven’t tried it for myself (yet), but wanted to be sure to share that here. (I will say I’ve been using their dry shampoo and like it a lot!)

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 24 (A “Super Scientific” Natural Deodorant Review With My Sister, Susan!) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Chicago-based non-profit Healthy Schools Campaign has been on my radar since I was in journalism grad school at Northwestern in 2009. I was doing health and science reporting, and stumbled upon this amazing organization in the process. (I’ve written about them here before, too! I have loved keeping up with HSC through the years.)

They operate with the belief that every child deserves to thrive in their learning environments, and have several programs in place to address that belief from a variety of angles. Fit to Learn gives teachers and administrators resources to help bring health and wellness into the classroom. Green Clean Schools helps make school buildings and campuses cleaner and safer, turning them into better places to learn. Parents United pulls in parents on a journey to wellness, realizing that health extends far beyond the school building AND recognizing that more voices make for greater change.

But today, we’re here to talk about my favorite Healthy Schools Campaign program: Cooking Up Change.

Here’s the gist: Cooking Up Change is a nationwide high school competition that challenges culinary students to put together a school meal within the nutritional and cost parameters schools face daily. (Sounds fun, right? It is!)

For this podcast episode, I spoke with Sara Porter, VP of External Affairs at Healthy Schools Campaign, who manages the Cooking Up Change program (and has for more than a decade). Sara is passionate about this program, and hearing her talk about it is truly a treat.

I’ll let her take it from here, but wanted to be sure to include links to some of the resources she mentions toward the end of this episode for those of you interested in learning more about Healthy Schools Campaign (and potentially donating or getting involved in some way):

And here’s the episode!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Sara_Porter_Cooking_Up_Change.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 23 (Cooking Up Change With Sara Porter Of Healthy Schools Campaign) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

I was thrilled to get to chat with Marybeth Wells for my latest podcast episode. After all, it was an excuse to FINALLY meet her in person!

Marybeth and I have been Instagram friends for a couple of years now, and we both live in Winston-Salem. We have many of the same interests and lifestyle priorities, we know many of the same people, and we frequent many of the same Winston spots. How had we never met?? It’s kind of crazy, actually.

Marybeth is a wellness coach and content creator, and her current career emerged after she hit a place of extreme burnout working as a flight paramedic. (Talk about intense work!) Though she still pops into the first responder world here and there, now the bulk of her time is spent helping others create healthy habits and develop balance in their lives — all with strong support throughout.

But it doesn’t stop there. She’s also an amazing cook and loves creating her own (vegan!) recipes, and takes gorgeous photos (of food and other things!). These skills have led to things like teaching cooking classes at Southern Home & Kitchen and teaming up with brands like Four Sigmatic to take brand photos.

I think you’ll love hearing from Marybeth. She’s such an interesting person, and the work she’s doing is helping others live healthier, happier lives. (Be sure to follow her on Instagram to keep up with all the neat things she’s up to, including her awesome trip that’s coming up soon!)

Ready to hear my conversation with Marybeth of Living Wells? Here we go!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Marybeth_Wells_FINAL.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 22 (Chatting Wellness Coaching, Content Creation, And More With Marybeth Wells) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

(Want to take the Enneagram test? I recommend this paid version and so does Sarajane — just $12 — and I went with the RHETI version.)

I discovered the Enneagram personality test (tool, rather) several months ago, and have since been rather obsessed with digging into this assessment: what it means, what makes it different from other personality tests, how to best use it in my life, etc. That’s why I was thrilled to stumble upon the Instagram account @enneagramandcoffee a few weeks back. It’s the perfect way to scratch my Enneagram itch, so to speak.

If you haven’t checked out this account, DO IT. It features interesting information around the Enneagram, but also makes it super fun (ESPECIALLY if you know your type/know what the types mean). Here are a couple of examples of what the account’s posts look like:

Given my love of this account and all things Enneagram (I’m a 3w2, by the way), I was thrilled when the person behind the account, Sarajane Case, was up for being a podcast guest. Sarajane lives in Asheville (right down the road!), and is a business coach who found herself using the Enneagram so often with her clients (and talking about it incessantly in her personal life as well) that she decided to set up @enneagramandcoffee. Within three days — THREE DAYS — she had 100,000 followers. WHOA. (She’s now at 217,000.)

I feel like this is a clear indicator that there are LOTS OF ENNEAGRAM FANS OUT THERE.

Whether you love the Enneagram already, you’ve heard about it but don’t know your type, or have no idea what I’m talking about, this podcast episode is for you. Sarajane walks through the nine different types, talks about what in the world “wings” are, shares how knowing your Enneagram type can inform the world around you, and more.

Ready to talk Enneagram with Sarajane? Here we go!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Sarajane_Case.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 21 (Digging Into The Enneagram Personality Tool With Sarajane Case Of Instagram’s @enneagramandcoffee) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Subscribe — and listen — to my podcast on Apple Podcasts here!

Listen to this podcast episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Episode_20_-_CC_-_Brigid_Schulte.mp3

I read Brigid Schulte’s book, Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time, a few months ago, and it was one of those books that I nodded my way through and that has stuck with me in a big way. In fact, I’m relatively certain I’ve annoyed some of my friends to death with the number of times I’ve referenced passages from the book! It just hit home for me in such a meaningful way, and I think the timing for me (reading the book about a year after becoming a mom) was huge, too.

That said, this book is in no way just for moms. It’s a deep dive into our culture as it exists today and an exploration of what changes could be possible. Brigid spent tons of time researching this book and talking to experts as well as just average folks about topics ranging from the ideal worker (spoiler alert: an ideal that is not actually representative of a real person) to the importance of play as adults (and how to rediscover play) to what work/life balance looks like in Denmark to why mothers aren’t naturally more nurturing than fathers (even though culturally we often assume that’s the case) and a whole lot more.

You most certainly don’t have to take my word for how wonderful this book is. Overwhelmed is a New York Times best seller and has received rave reviews from the likes of Anne-Marie Slaughter, president and CEO of the New America Foundation and the author of the iconic 2012 Atlantic article Why Women Still Can’t Have It All, who said about Brigid’s book:

“Every parent, every caregiver, every person who feels besieged by permanent busyness must read this book. A new wave of research, experience, and insight is challenging deep assumptions about why we have to live and work the way we do. Overwhelmed is a wake-up call and an exhilarating prescription for change.”

If you’re someone who, like me, often feels driven by an ever-lengthening to-do list and who wants to be your best self in all roles, despite feeling like there’s often not enough time to go around, read this book. You’ll be reminded that many of these feelings don’t come from a lack of anything on your part, but rather of a society that isn’t yet set up to support you. Since reading Brigid’s book, I’ve developed some new views of my to-do list. It will ALWAYS be there, and so I’ve tried to ditch the “when I finish the things on my list, THEN I can be present or have fun or just be still” mentality. I still have lots of work to do, but reading about her personal experience getting to a better place with what she calls “time confetti” was incredibly helpful for me.

And so, when I emailed Brigid a couple of months ago to see if she’d be willing to speak with me for a podcast episode, you can imagine how elated I was when she agreed. The conversation was even more fun than I’d imagined it would be, and after our talk, when Kevin asked how the call went, I told him I officially had a new “girl crush” (to add to my list of amazing, inspirational, and wise women like Anna Quindlen).

I’m excited to get to share our conversation with you here today, too, and hope you’ll enjoy being introduced to Brigid if you aren’t yet familiar with her. (Thank you again, Brigid, for being willing to speak with me and, most importantly, for writing such a relatable, helpful, and hopeful book.)

A couple of quick notes before I share the podcast link: Brigid is now director of the Better Life Lab, a non-partisan think tank whose aim is “to create a culture that enables people to combine work and life in meaningful ways in order for individuals and families to thrive across the arc of their lives.” I love that mission so much, and it aligns beautifully with the foundation Brigid put in place with her book.

Also, toward the end of this episode she references a couple of great organizations as resources for getting involved in change, and I wanted to link to them here, too:

Okay, ready to hear Brigid talk about understanding “the overwhelm”? Here we go!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Episode_20_-_CC_-_Brigid_Schulte.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 20 (Dissecting “The Overwhelm” With Author Brigid Schulte) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Back in 2014, I blogged about a great website and app a recent Wake Forest grad, Nikki Azzara, had started. The blog/app was called Slender Seven, offering healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes with — you guessed it — seven ingredients or fewer.

Since 2014, that website has morphed into something pretty amazing: a new company called P.S. Snacks that creates tasty and good-for-you products you can now find on the shelves of about 185 grocery stores across the country. (They make a chickpea cookie dough in three different flavors that’s INSANELY good — and it’s good for you!)

For my latest episode of The curiouser & curiouser Podcast, I connected with Nikki to talk about where her interest in healthy food began, how things evolved from Slender Seven to P.S. Snacks, and how she’s definitely achieved her goal of NOT sitting in a cubicle every day doing the same thing over and over.

Nikki is smart, easy to talk to, and is doing big things, and I loved getting to hear about her growth since we last connected four years ago. (Oh, and there’s more that will be launching toward the end of this year from P.S. Snacks, so stay tuned! You should probably follow them on Instagram to keep up with the news.)

Ready to hear Nikki talk about how she brought healthy chickpea cookie dough to grocery store shelves around the country?

Here we go!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Nikki_Azzara_-_10118_8.18_PM.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 19 (Nikki Azzara Makes Healthy Snacking Made Delightful With P.S. Snacks) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

If you’ve been reading my blog or following me on Instagram for a few months, you’ve probably seen me post about my love for UpDog Kombucha before. (I even teamed up with the brand last summer for a giveaway!) Not only does UpDog make delicious kombucha — they’re also a local Winston-Salem brand, making them all the more lovable in my book.

Also lovable? The yoga-loving girls behind this deliciousness. Lauren Miller and Olivia Wolff initially started UpDog as a way to share home-brewed kombucha with their friends while they were students at Wake Forest, and since then it’s blossomed into a full-fledged business that’s very much NOT a home-brew situation anymore. Without taking investment, Lauren and Olivia have grown UpDog into a company that supports both of them as well as a full-time employee (and they’re looking for more team members). You can find UpDog Kombucha all around Winston, but also in places in Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, and even South Carolina and Virginia. Way to go, girls!

For this latest episode of The curiouser & curiouser Podcast, I sat down with Lauren to talk about how UpDog began, the evolution of the brand from dorm room home brew to large-scale distribution, what kombucha even IS (and what health benefits come from drinking it), what she’s learned through starting her own business, and more.

Oh, and you should absolutely connect with UpDog on Facebook and Instagram so you can follow along with their growth! If you’re local to Winston, you should also stop by the Cobblestone Farmers Market in Old Salem on Saturdays to see UpDog and try some new flavors.

Ready to hear from Lauren? Here we go!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/UpDog_MixDown1.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 18 (Talking Kombucha With Lauren Miller Of UpDog) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

I’ve been reading the blog Oh Dear Drea for at least four years, and so getting to connect with Drea, the woman behind the blog, for my latest podcast episode was almost surreal.

There I was, chatting via Skype with this person who I know a ton about, thanks to her blog. I know that her daughter, Marlowe, is a total bookworm. That she’s been dealing with the intestinal disease C. diff for the past few years. That she loves hats. That she’s a cookbook author. That she subsists largely on fruit. That her style — both as it relates to clothing and interior design — trends toward the colorful and bohemian. That she’s super funny, and shares really fun stuff (and her interesting travels and other adventures) on her Instagram Stories.

And then I got to talk to her in real time, which was such a treat.

I’m a blogger, too (duh — you’re READING my blog right now!), and so talking with other bloggers is always something I enjoy. Talking with bloggers who have a far broader reach than I do — like Drea, who currently has 55.6k Instagram followers — is especially interesting for me, because it’s helpful to hear things about the evolution of their blog, where their content ideas come from, and where they see their blog headed in the future. I always feel like I learn things and glean inspiration.

I admire Drea’s approach to her blog in a big way, because I think she’s achieved what I’m going for with my content as well: authenticity. She uses her blog (and other channels) to share her life with people, and she is incredibly discerning about the brands she aligns with and the types of things she writes about. I have so much respect for her staying true to herself throughout.

Here on curiouser & curiouser, you’ll find content that’s all over the place. Some could define it as unfocused, but I prefer to define it as multi-faceted. After all, we each have many interests and areas of expertise, and so my blog is meant to reflect that broadness that is so very human. Drea shares the same mindset with her blog, which makes me love it even more. She also, as you’ll hear in this podcast episode, isn’t 100% sure where things will be headed next with her blog, mainly because she has so many ideas and interests running through her head. This was something I found to be comforting, because I struggle with the same thing. I sit down to think about how to grow this community (or, on a broader scale, to make changes in my life), and I think of several “maybes,” but from there have trouble figuring out which road to go down. It’s nice to be reminded I’m not alone.

But enough writing — let’s switch to listening! In this podcast episode, Drea and I talked about the dietary changes she’s made to help combat her C. diff, what her family’s experience has been homeschooling Marlowe for the past few months, the travels her family has taken recently, and a whole lot more. Ready to listen? Here we go!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Oh_Dear_Drea.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 17 (Connecting With Oh Dear Drea) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.