Dolly and Dalai

Tonight’s Cocktail: 🍸 The 9 to Pink

Three years later, Dolly & Dalai are finally back — and somehow, we both ended up in Texas.

For our comeback episode, we’re skipping the polished life update and pulling questions out of a bowl instead. Nothing is off limits: being single in this season of life, dating younger men, intuition we probably should’ve listened to, toxic traits, chemistry vs. love, moving across the country, learning to live for ourselves, and what happens when you finally stop shrinking to make other people comfortable.

We also happened to film on 9/25 — Dolly Day — so naturally we're dressed in pink, drinking pink cocktails, and raising a glass to Dolly Parton.

A lot has changed in three years. So have we.

Some of it is hilarious. Some of it gets surprisingly deep. And some of it probably should've stayed between best friends.

But where's the fun in that?

A little bling. A little zen. Zero boundaries.

⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 — We’re Back: Three Years Later
05:03 — Catching Up: What’s Changed?
10:55 — Toxic Traits, Men & Bad Decisions
16:12 — Dating at This Age
22:26 — Becoming Unapologetically Yourself
28:23 — Choosing Yourself & Actually Living
37:02 — Love, Chemistry & Losing Yourself
46:39 — Dating in Texas + What’s Next

This one actually has a really strong underlying theme beneath all the dating and cocktail chaos:

What happens when women reach a point in life where they stop living according to who everyone else expects them to be—and start choosing themselves?

That's the heart of Dolly and Dalai episode 20.

Moving, aging, bodies, dating, sexuality, being alone, friendship, parents, adult children, healing, confidence and starting over—but they all keep coming back to the same idea:

We still have a lot of life left. We're going to LIVE it.

We want YOU in the conversation.

Tell us what you want Dolly & Dalai to talk about next. Send us your dating disasters, friendship dilemmas, questions you wouldn't ask anyone else, or the situation you need two completely different best friends to weigh in on.

And if you're glad we're back, subscribe, follow, share the episode and come hang out with us.

👑☮️ HANG OUT WITH US

Dolly & Dalai
Instagram: @dollyanddalai
YouTube: Dolly & Dalai
TikTok: Dolly & Dalai

Michelle | Dalai
Instagram: @michellerenee
TikTok: @themichellerenee
🎵 Michelle Renee on Spotify

Teri | Dolly
Instagram: @terikledford

More from Michelle
🎙️ Soul Wide Open Podcast
📖 Nine Days: Living With My Soul Wide Open After Violent Trauma

In this episode, Dolly and Dalai share their top red flags and deal breakers and discuss why sparks alone are not enough to sustain a healthy relationship and that it's crucial to listen to the red flags that may be overshadowed by excitement. Join the hosts as they navigate the intricacies of relationships in this humorous and insightful episode.

Episode Details:

[00:06:07] Red flags in dating.

[00:11:23] No friends.

[00:15:46] Living situation and roommates.

[00:17:10] No hobbies.

[00:20:26] Insecurity in relationships.

[00:24:00] Cheap is really, really hard.

[00:27:48] Shots on a first date.

[00:30:42] Four key problem areas.

[00:33:16] Need for alone time.

[00:38:37] Sloppy appearance on a first date.

[00:40:04] Put effort into appearance.

[00:45:03] Being friends with exes.

[00:46:45] Red flags and deal breakers.

Quotes:

"Oh my gosh, if you're not in love with our fricking flag, you're out."

"First sign of no hobbies and no friends, I'm out."

"I'm looking for somebody that is less encumbered."

"And if you hate Trump, can't go there either."

"Because I'm thinking of everything else that's going on, what does your house look like? What does your laundry pile look like? What is it you didn't care enough about this first date to make more of an effort?"

"You're expecting to find a fabulous woman with that?"

"So if that's your best foot forward, I do not even wanna see the 10 steps back"

Stay in touch:

Instagram: @dollyanddalai

Uncovering a Hidden Health Issue: The Shocking Truth About Vaginal Atrophy.

Sexual health and awareness are so important as we age. Our bodies are changing and yes, ladies, that means your vagina too. In this episode, Dolly and Dalai dive right into the topic of vaginal atrophy, discussing the lack of conversation around this issue. They express their frustrations with doctors not informing them about the condition and the importance of addressing it. The hosts also touch on the significance of prioritizing women's health. Tune in to learn more about this often overlooked topic.

The details:

[00:01:32] Vagina atrophy and its effects.

[00:05:02] Vaginal atrophy and menopause.

[00:10:09] Decrease in estrogen causing atrophy.

[00:13:30] Saving and maintaining vaginal health.

[00:19:04] Vaginal atrophy and HRT.

[00:22:41] Aging and body image.

[00:25:03] Painful sex and communication.

Quotes:

"Now I'm back on vaginal estradiol trying to save my vagina."

"Atrophy of the VaJJ. What the hell? What is that?"

"I just knew I had to try to fucking save it. I had to try to keep it looking more like a grape versus a raisin."

"Okay, I can't believe no one told me about this years ago. Not a doctor, nobody, never even heard of it."

"Get the information you need, do whatever it takes to save your vagina. Save your vagina."

"Just keep digging. Keep digging. It's there somewhere, honey. I'll let you know when you get there. It's like a gold mine. Just keep digging."

Stay connected:

Instagram:

@dolllyanddalai

@_michellerenee_

@terikledford

When Dalai got almost a million views and thousands of comments on a Tik Tok video, she noticed two things.

1. Very few people read captions.

2. People were confusing fear based on past trauma with racism.

This episode is all about the importance of listening, not judging others based on your own trauma, or generational trauma, fear, racism and how one split decision can have a major impact!

Grab some popcorn.  You'll need it for this potentially controversial episode.

At this age, is dating just a distraction?  We, as usual, are not in total agreement on this topic and talk about why, and so much more in. this episode. What we do agree on is that when you. do choose to date as a single middle-aged woman it can be both exciting and challenging. It's a time to rediscover yourself and what you want in a relationship. Here are a few tips to help you navigate the dating world as a single middle aged woman:

The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the process of getting to know new people. 

Good luck!