✨ SHOW NOTES

This week, Melissa and David record the podcast from a hotel room that looks just enough like a prison cell to make Melissa whisper the truth. Between Thanksgiving drama, burst water pipes, and half the house flooding, it’s a miracle these two made it to the microphone at all.

You’ll hear the full breakdown of:• The Great Post-Thanksgiving Flood of 2025• Remi and Rocco’s ongoing life hashtag DRAMA• Melissa taking over her mother’s Thanksgiving traditions as Gene battles exhaustion• A dressing recipe that nearly caused a family split• David’s stovetop stuffing betrayal• Stranger Things Season 5 pajama-only viewing• And Melissa’s birthday wish — involving Amazon, high school kids, and the exact kind of generosity that makes David panic

Then… the water-in-your-mouth guessing game.Yes. Someone nearly drowned. Yes. Melissa spit. Yes. David complained.And yes — you’re absolutely going to laugh.

🔥 EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

* Recording the episode in a hotel cubby that “looks like prison”

* The entire house flooding the morning after Thanksgiving

* Remi coming home from college exhausted and emotional

* Melissa taking over Thanksgiving prayer and dressing duties

* The saga of stovetop stuffing vs. “proper” dressing

* Stranger Things watch-party that only required pajamas

* Melissa’s birthday wish: helping overlooked high school students

* The Amazon Wish List project explained step-by-step

* Giving Tuesday and why Melissa wants THIS instead of gifts

* The chaotic ChatGPT “water-in-your-mouth” word game

* David nearly waterboarding himself

* Final goodbyes… and Melissa picking Woodfired Pizza for her birthday lunch

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS & TOPICS

00:00 – Recording from a hotel “prison cell”02:00 – Why Melissa avoided filming before they left03:40 – The Thanksgiving flood disaster05:15 – Remi & Rocco’s teenage drama06:10 – A different kind of Thanksgiving with Melissa’s mom not well08:00 – Who gets to pray at holidays (and why the UPS man almost did)09:50 – The dressing vs. stovetop stuffing controversy13:00 – Nap traditions & dominoes14:00 – College kids coming home exhausted15:45 – Stranger Things Season 5 viewing17:30 – Melissa’s birthday announcement18:00 – Beautiful Yu ad read (per transcript)21:25 – The Lavender Fields latte disaster23:00 – Melissa’s birthday wish: the high school Christmas project24:00 – How the Amazon Wish List works26:00 – Giving Tuesday explained27:30 – Why Melissa cares so deeply about these teens29:00 – Substack promo29:40 – The chaotic water-word game33:50 – David nearly drowning35:25 – Final wrap-up & Woodfired Pizza lunch

🔗 LINKS MENTIONED

🎒 High School Students’ Amazon Wish List → https://bit.ly/hswishlist25

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