Splurging and saving

We discuss our general approach to purchases, three areas or items where we've splurged or saved, categories where we'd like to splurge or save more, and our splurge regrets. Links mentioned:

• Female altar form sculpture
• Swimsuit from Unique Vintage
• Jade yoga mat

Life lately

Abby just got back from a weekend away with friends.

Sarah gives an art shelf update, which she first talked about in our state of our home disorganization episode. The one she bought is no longer available, but it is similar to this one.

Reading lately

Abby read the YA fantasy novel Legendborn by Tracy Deonn and Sarah listened to Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.

Eating lately

Sarah enjoyed corn and green chili enchiladas from the Dinner Illustrated cookbook.

In an unexpected twist, Abby is recommending a vegan cheese dip. To make, toss the following in the blender:

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 3/4 Cup Oat Milk (her friend uses Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 4 cloves garlic

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life lately

Sarah’s family is recovering from illness.

Abby is enjoying her newly-installed ceiling fan.

Reading lately

Sarah loved listening to Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue and Abby was thrilled to read the third installment Talia Hibbert’s Brown Sisters trilogy–Act Your Age, Eve Brown.

Connecting with our partners

We share how we like to connect with our spouses, what forms of connection don’t work for us, and connection aspirations. Links we mentioned:

• Splendor
• Azul
• Boggle with Friends

Eating lately

Abby has perfected her spaghetti making process and Sarah is eating a lot of Trader Joe’s spring rolls.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our camping lives

We discuss camping in our youth (including one memorable backpacking trip together in college), what we love about camping, what we could do without, and our favorites tips and resources. Links mentioned:

• Kelsey's camping packing list
• Kitchen chuck box
• Abby's family's tent, cooler, techni ice, and sleeping mats

Life lately

Abby is trying a new skincare routine, inspired by Sherry of Young House Love.

Sarah played the piano every day in March as part of Ali Edward's One Little Word class.

Reading lately

Abby read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson and Sarah read Three Women by Lisa Taddeo.

Eating lately

Sarah made an Instant Pot Oreo cheesecake and Abby's family is enjoying kale from their garden.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now that we are a few months into the new year we wanted to check-in with each other to find out what has and hasn’t been working in our lives. Links we mentioned:

• Yoga With Adriene 30 Day Challenge
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Linda Yan Glaser
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
• Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell

Life lately

Sarah got a new bike (after leaving hers in a park last summer–whoops).

Abby’s hens have started laying eggs!

Reading lately

Sarah read The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon–an enemies to lovers romance with a podcast premise.

Abby loved the latest sci-fi novel from N.K. Jemisin, The City We Became.

Eating lately

Abby found an easy blueberry muffin recipe and Sarah tried the TikTok pasta.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Things we hate, media edition

We spend a portion of every show talking about what we love in the books we read, but what about what we hate? We share our dislikes in books, favorite and least favorite romance tropes, books and shows other people loved but we couldn't get into, and what we don't enjoy in movies we watch. Links mentioned:

• Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
• Gold by Chris Cleeve
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• The War That Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
• The Power by Naomi Alderman
• Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (and the newest book in the series Court of Silver Flames just came out in February)
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Gilmore Girls
• Fleabag
• Arrested Development

Life lately

Abby ticked a box on her pandemic bingo card: rearranging her house.

Sarah created new shelves on Goodreads for her family's read-alouds and Friendlier reads (including specific shelves for books recommended by her and Abby).

Reading lately

Abby read the YA fantasy novel Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko and Sarah read KJ Dell'Antonia's novel The Chicken Sisters.

Eating lately

Sarah made a new kitchen purchase and Abby had a failed grain bowl experience.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A week of breakfasts and lunches

We love to talk about food and share another installment of a week of meals, this time focused on our breakfasts and lunches. We were originally inspired by The Mom Hour's episode of a week of dinners, and have previously recorded our own week of dinners and a week of snacks. Links we mentioned:

• Coconut Baobab granola
• Spicy cashew butter dressing
• Biscuit breakfast casserole

Life lately

Neil finished building the kids' Christmas present: a new playset!

Abby is doing a deep dive into camping gear in preparation for an upcoming trip.

Reading lately

Sarah read the crime thriller Take It Back by Kia Abdullah.

Abby read Ink and Bone, the first of the Great Library series by Rachel Caine.

Eating lately

We both share cookie recipes from Sally's Baking Addiction: soft molasses cookies for Abby and caramel stuffed Nutella cookies for Sarah.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking to kids about tough stuff

Inspired by a listener question, we discuss how we talk to our kids about tough stuff--politics, current events, race, gender, sex, cancer, and death. Inspired by a listener question, we discuss how we talk to our kids about tough stuff--politics, current events, race, gender, sex, cancer, and death. Links we mentioned + books our families love that we didn't list in the show:

• Conscious Kid
• Black Lives Matter book list with links to read-alouds of each book curated by Phoebe Defino
• Own Voices in children's literature
• Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard, and Jennifer Zivoin
• Ruby Bridges Goes to School by Ruby Bridges
• The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
• Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon Draper
• I Am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos
• Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higgenbotham
• The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad
• The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and R. Gregory Christie
• We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
• It Feels Good to Be Yourself by Theresa Thorn
• Who Are You? A Kid’s Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pressen-Whedbee
• What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg
• It's Not the Stork by Robie Harris
• Amazing You: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts by Gail Saltz
• From Diapers to Dating: A Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children From Infancy to Middle School by Debra Haffner
• Girls and Sex and Boys and Sex, both by Peggy Ornstein
• Article about parents having sex during the pandemic
• Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education
• Visible Child Facebook group
• Dr. Becky at Home
• Seed and Sew
• Janet Lansbury
• Other books:
• When Charley Met Emma by Amy Webb and Merrilee Liddiard
• The Rough Patch by Brian Lies
• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Life lately

Abby's family added kittens to their family!

Sarah's family is hoping these are the perfect sleds (and that it snows more this year!).

Reading lately

Abby read the Charm of Magpies fantasy series byKJ Charles and Sarah listened to the YA novel-in-verse Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo.

Eating lately

Sarah is becoming a Trader Joe's convert, especially their hot and sweet pickled jalapenos.

Abby found a spinach dal her whole family loves.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entertaining ourselves and our people at home

We've had a lot of time at home, and more to come this spring. We share how we've keeping ourselves and our families entertained, the best and worst of our time at home, and our entertainment aspirations as we look ahead. Links we mentioned:

• Aaron's Thinking Putty
• Boggle
• Quixx
• Azul
• Splendor
• Carcassone
• Drawful
• Codenames
• Temeraire books by Naomi Novik
• Schitt's Creek
• Wandavision
• Bridgerton
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st by Karina Yan Glaser

Life lately

Sarah and Neil are having weekly meetings to check-in with each other about parenting.

Abby and her family said good-bye to their beloved cat, Zeda.

Reading lately

Sarah read Kate Elizabeth Russell's intense novel, My Dark Vanessa.

On the lighter side, Abby read Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade.

Eating lately

Abby has an easy Trader Joe's dinner to share and Sarah's family is trying take-out from new-to-them local restaurants.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mood boosters

What better time to discuss mood boosters than the middle of a pandemic + the gray days of winter? We share our favorite mood boosting activities, products, and foods. Links we mentioned:

• SAD light
• cards: tarot, goddess, and animal
• Poshmark

Life lately

Abby has been listening to The Bengsens.

Sarah's kids have started finger-knitting, inspired by Hyacinth from the Vanderbeeker novels.

Reading lately

Abby read Weather by Jenny Offill and Sarah finished This Place: 150 Years Retold, a graphic novel anthology.

Eating lately

Sarah made chopped a whole lot of veggies for this roasted butternut squash and parsnip soup.

Abby combined these two recipes to make creamed spinach and eggs.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The state of our home (dis)organization

We discuss our home organization wins, challenges, and inspiration. We may not have many tips to offer, but there's plenty of commiseration to go around. Links we mentioned:

• Abby's tool organizer
• Art cabinet Sarah hopes will solve her family's craft area problems
• Young House Love
• Clutterbug podcast

Life lately

Sarah is facing down the gray days of winter.

Abby is loving Bridgerton.

Reading lately

Sarah fell hard for the young adult novel You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson.

Abby read Yaa Gyasi's new novel, Transcendent Kingdom.

Eating lately

Abby is eating lemon cookies to brighten up the winter days while Sarah is cozying up with corn chowder.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.