For the Ell of It with Ellie Topinka

Today we have a fun one, I had the pleasure of talking all about generational differences with my sweet baby niece Bella. Bella is Gen Z with an old soul and I am a immature  Millennial… so it’s a fun one. 

Generational views and differences are so interesting to me. It’s wild that we can all live and be in relationship with each other but because we are born at different times, we have such different perspectives and experiences of the world.

If you enjoyed this episode be sure to share it with a friend or share it on social media! If you haven’t already, leave a rating or review on whatever platform you listen - it’s my very favorite thing.

Thanks for being here friends, I’ll see you in two weeks.

Xo, Ell

Today we are back with one of my besties, Jessica Springer. Jessica and I did an episode back in season one about her finding out she was pregnant with her first child, but this time we are diving into a topic we all love - travel. Jessica has a super fun and successful travel blog and she has so many great tips, tricks and insights when it comes to travel.

Traveling can be stressful and it can feel like theres never enough time or money. But if you start making it a priority and finding ways to MAKE it happen, I really don’t think you will regret it.

As always friends, thanks for being here.

xoxo, Ell

LINKS

WELL PLANNED ADVENTURES - Well Planned Adventures - Travel Guides

JESSICA • Midwest Travel (@wellplannedadventures) • Instagram 

Well Planned Advenures Pinterest

Today we are going to be chatting phone/screen addiction…. Now let me first say, I know the word addict is a STRONG word, but I truly believe that I am addicted to my phone. And based on how I have been feeling lately, I think I’m finally ready to address it head on. I discuss what I've been struggling with, what I plan to do about it, and some resources to help YOU do the same if you want to join me! 

If you aren't following the podcast Instagram, be sure to follow @fortheellofit for updates, behind the scenes and more! 

As always, thanks for being here friends! 

xoxo, Ell

LINKS

Reconnecting After 7 Weeks with No Screens with Carlos Whittaker- Episode 919 - That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs | Podcast on Spotify

Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human: Whittaker, Carlos: 9781400246465: Amazon.com: Books

185 | unlocking intimacy with joey and heath - Couple Things with Shawn and Andrew | Podcast on Spotify

Aro - The Screen Time Solution For Families (goaro.com)

Today we are talking to my friend Haylee Fergusen about her journey with health, wellness & fitness. She has been through some extreme things and talk through that, so with that being said there is a trigger warning on this episode. We do discuss disordered eating and weight loss. If this is something that would be triggering or unhealthy for you to hear at this point, please pass on this episode. 

When I think about Haylee’s story I think growth. Growth in mindset, health, and emotional intelligence. She went through some very hard and dark days while doing something that many people would look at and just think “wow she’s so healthy - she’s killing it” but like Haylee explained in our conversation, you can’t always judge a book by its cover.

If you loved this episode, be sure to share it on socials or send it to a friend! If you haven’t already, I would also love it if you would leave a review or rating of the podcast on whatever platform you listen. Well, that’s all I have for you this week. As always, thanks for being here friends,

xoxo, Ell

Today I am talking with business owner and creative, Laurel Day. Laurel started her account “Do Something Lady” during Covid lock down to fill a need for connection. Something that started as a fun community slowly morphed into a fun and creative business that we talk all about. 

I absolutely love Laurel’s mission to  create, connect and inspire and to just get out there and try things for the sole mission of finding something you enjoy to do! I feel like our missions are very similar in that regard. I loved this conversation and cannot wait to try out one of her workshops! If you’re also interested in learning more about Laurel’s workshops or creative crawls, check out the links below. 

If you haven’t already, it would mean a lot to me if you would share this episode with a friend - it’s the easiest and best way to grow this community.

Well that’s all I have for you. As always, thanks for being here friends, 

xoxo, Ell

LINKS

DIY Workshops, Charcuterie, Wreath Making, Creativity, Connection (dosomethinglady.com)

Do Something Lady | Kalamazoo MI | Facebook

Laurel | Creative Connection (@dosomethinglady) • Instagram

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learning-to-love-myself-sober-with-calynne-cooley/id1675326684?i=1000631851143 

Today we are talking with my friend Danielle Francisco… Danielle is a Mom to three littles and today we discuss how she is trying to prioritize herself in a busy season of motherhood, what she misses about life before kids, mom guilt and more. Full disclosure, Danielle and I talked for 20 minutes before we realized that the recording wasn’t working and we had to start over… it was a lot for these Mom’s brains. So we hopped around a lot, but I loved this conversation on motherhood and loved learning from one of the best.

As mothers we should give ourselves a lot more grace and also make sure we are taking care of ourselves so that we can be the best we can be, for our kids, partners, family, and friends.

If you haven’t already, leave a rating or review on whatever platform you listen on, and if you know someone else who may benefit from this conversation send it to them directly or share it on socials, it would mean the world to me!

As always friends, thank you for being here. I will see you next week.

xoxo, Ell

TRIGGER WARNING: We will be discussing grief, loss, and alcohol abuse. If any of those topics would be triggering to you, please guard your heart and pass on this episode.

Today we are talking to my sassy southern bell friend, Mason Pigg. We discussed grief, and specifically about the loss of her Dad when she was in high school. I loved this conversation and appreciated Mason's vulnerability and honesty and I know you will too. 

While grief is never a super fun topic, it’s one that touches all of us throughout our lives, and the more we talk about it, perhaps we can encourage one another to grow from our grief, rather than dwell in it. I hope this episode can shed a little light on loss and if anything, encourage us all to never take time with our loved ones for granted.

If you know someone who could benefit from this episode, share it on socials or send it to them directly! If you haven’t already, be sure to leave a rating or review on whatever platform you listen… it helps this podcast and community grow and always makes my day! 

As always, thanks for being here friends. 

xoxo, ELl

Today I am excited to welcome my new friend Katie Jones to the podcast. Katie is a House of Colour consultant. We discuss what color theory is, how it can be applied to your life, and how to get started! Katie’s passion is to help everyone embrace and find joy in their unique design, using the power of color and style analysis, and she did a great job articulating that in this conversation. If you’re interested in learning more or booking with Katie, check out the links below!4

Be sure to share this episode with your friends on socials and tag @fortheellofit. And if you haven’t already, leave a rating and review on whatever platform you listen- it's the easiest and best way to grow this community! As always, thanks for being here friends.

Xoxo, Ell

Links

READY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COLOR & STYLE ANALYSIS? (flodesk.com)

House of Colour

House of Colour Southwest MI, Portage, MI & Granger, IN (@hoc_colorfullystyled)

Today we are chatting with my sweet sister in law, Natalie. Nat and I may be 10 years apart in age and very different, but we have such a great friendship and share a love for reading and books. Recently, Nat has really gotten into reading in a big way, so today we are talking all things books. Some of our favorites, opinions on whether audio books count as reading, and more! Get your pen and paper ready, You may want to take notes!

I love reading and even though I will have a newborn this summer, I am so excited to grab some new books, take them to the beach or the backyard and get lost for a little bit. Be sure to check out the @fortheellofit Instagram for more book content coming this week!

Thank you for being here, I will see you next week! 

xoxo Ell

Links

Young Adult

Barely Breathing: Donovan, Rebecca

Out of Breath (Breathing): Donovan, Rebecca

Divine Rivals: A Novel (Letters of Enchantment, 1):Ross, Rebecca

Better Than the Movies: Painter, Lynn

Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy): Roberts, Lauren

Fiction Romance

King of Pride (Kings of Sin, 2): Huang, Ana

King of Greed (Kings of Sin, 3): Huang, Ana

Twisted Love (Twisted, 1): Huang, Ana

Twisted Hate (Twisted, 3): Huang, Ana

Dreamland Billionaires Series 3 Books Collection Set By Lauren Asher(The Fine Print, Terms and Conditions, Final Offer)

It Happened One Summer: A Novel (Bellinger Sisters, 1): Bailey, Tessa

It Ends with Us: Hoover, Colleen

The Maple Hills Series (3 book series)

Fantasy

Hunger Games 4-Book Paperback Box Set: Collins, Suzanne