Dispatches From the Suburban Zoo

Joceline, Jessica, Mary, and Shayna discuss favorite reads! They cover fiction, non-fiction, audiobooks, and the ever controversial category--books they expected to love but didn't. Listen as Shayna (and let's be honest, everyone else) tries to sneak in extra recommendations with each category. Find out what genre Mary is allergic to and what book Jess is too scared to read. 

Jessica, Shayna, Joceline and Mary share perspectives on planning activities for random holidays throughout the year, and how we get started when planning longer family vacations. In this episode, we learn about Jessica's fear of dirty hotel bedspreads, Joceline's campsite reservation fail, Shayna's 10-year birthday trip tradition, and Mary's inability to understand the simple pleasure of a hike. Also of interest: each of our high-maintenance sleep needs when traveling.

Mary, Shayna, Jess and Joceline talk about how they make vacations feel like vacations, even when the kids are there. 

Article from the Onion discussed in the episode

Adulting is easier when you have some go-to favorites in your back pocket. We discuss some of our favorite gifts, foods, clothing items, and more that we rely on over and over. Also, learn about the time that Shayna got sneezed on by an elephant, listen to us debate the purpose of compote dishes, and find out about how Jess channels her inner Moira Rose. 

Melodie shares how she used DNA testing and genealogical research to finally confirm the identity of her husband's father. The journey took 7 years, and she learned many other family secrets along the way. Also, Joceline fesses up that she has an ancestry kit languishing in her drawer, Shayna discusses her reluctance to discover any more surprises about her family history, and Jess explains why her marriage was written in the stars. 

We discuss Joceline’s adventure being stranded in the snow and how we can be adequately prepared for an emergency or disaster in non-overwhelming ways.