Gritty Girls Podcast

On May 19, 2018, millions of people around the world tuned in to watch Prince Harry marry American actress, Meghan Markle. This was a historic event not only because royal weddings don’t happen every day, but because the new princess is a commoner and an American woman of color. Weddings are a cause for celebration, this one being no exception, and most of us watched the wedding with joy in our hearts for the happy couple. But for Christina, an American immigrant and woman of color, the wedding brought out feelings that can best be described as, well, complicated. Christina gives voice to what she feels some other women of color in America may have thinking and feeling, but may not have had the courage to say out loud. Whether your feelings were elated or complicated, tune in if you’re curious to hear a gritty take on the Royal Wedding that you may not have heard elsewhere.

On May 19, 2018, millions of people around the world tuned in to watch Prince Harry marry American actress, Meghan Markle. This was a historic event not only because royal weddings don’t happen every day, but because the new princess is a commoner and an American woman of color. Weddings are a cause for celebration, this one being no exception, and most of us watched the wedding with joy in our hearts for the happy couple. But for Christina, an American immigrant and woman of color, the wedding brought out feelings that can best be described as, well, complicated. Christina gives voice to what she feels some other women of color in America may have thinking and feeling, but may not have had the courage to say out loud. Whether your feelings were elated or complicated, tune in if you’re curious to hear a gritty take on the Royal Wedding that you may not have heard elsewhere.

It is a rare friend or family member who is completely happy with her body. We are all unhappy with some aspect of our bodies at one point in time or another. In fact, most of us devote too much mental real estate to self-destructive voices that tell us that we’re fat, ugly, not enough, etc., etc. We say enough! In addition to hearing from several friends on this topic, we invited someone who’s thought even more about this than many of us because she’s written a book about it. Jenny Wilkerson Baker, co-wrote with her close friend Sarah Blight, a book called ‘The War On Normal, How to Find Contentment in Your Post-Baby Body’. Jenny gives us all much-needed insight on how to love and embrace our bodies. This episode isn’t just for moms, though. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt that they didn’t measure up.

 

You can find ‘The War On Normal, How to Find Contentment in Your Post-Baby Body’ at amazon.com (here) and follow Jenny and Sarah on Instagram and on Facebook at @thewaronnormal.

You’re a good person. You do everything for your family and you take care of your responsibilities. You are courteous to strangers, giving to those in need, and you teach your children to treat other people with respect. However, you’re coming undone at the seams. Between your job, the lack of sleep, whining kids, needy spouse, messy house, homework help, and chauffeuring kids around town, you’re stretched thin...and all it takes is one small thing to make you SNAP! We’ve all experienced these moments, even the most docsile of us. When we do, we feel weak. Like a failure. How can we recover from these moments? Better yet, how can we prevent them?

She’s your best friend. You tell her everything and she does the same. Life’s major and minor events are celebrated together. Your families are so close that they feel like your own. Suddenly, the phone goes silent and there’s no more knocks at the door - calls aren't returned, plans are canceled with little notice, texts go unanswered, invitations are no longer extended and when you finally do touch base, she readily tells you how busy she’s been. Then one day, you realize she’s gone from your life. She acts as if the friendship never even happened and you’re left hurt and wondering why. You’ve been ghosted. Or, perhaps, you’re the ghost. It's a hard fact of life that some friendships simply aren't meant to continue. And sometimes, we find ourselves in unhealthy relationships that need to be ended. However, the wake that our ghosts leave behind can be devastating. How do we deal with being ghosted? On the other hand, instead of ghosting, how can we end a relationship with honesty and grace? In other words, how do we break up with a friend like a freaking adult?

SHOW NOTES:
Friend Break-Up Article from Buzzfeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/annaborges/why-dont-they-write-songs-about-this?utm_term=.lcw957eBA#.ch64kJGLP
Project Hope & Beyond: http://community.projecthopeandbeyond.com/

Ahh, kids...they’re sweet, they amaze us, they’re adorable, but sometimes they’re downright EMBARRASSING! Most of the time their antics are humorous and harmless, but what happens when a child’s actions cause a parent to feel shame? For the vast majority of us, our children will at some point misbehave in public— this often leaves us feeling ashamed and embarrassed. Many other parents have children who simply behave differently than most kids— this can leave those parents feeling isolated and worried about their child being picked on. This episode is all about navigating the more difficult aspects of parenting as they arise in public. In other words, it’s about those times when your child does something in public that makes you want to say, “No, that’s not MY child!” You may want a glass of wine to follow along with this one!

Most of us think we know what feminism is. We thought we knew, too. However, after Christina and I began talking about it, we realized that we both grew up with very different pictures of feminism. So we wondered...how has feminism evolved over the years? What do our friends think about it? Is feminism still relevant? Is feminism inclusive of all women, including women who choose more traditional roles? What has feminism done right and what are its flaws? This episode, while airing in March of 2018, was actually the first recording we made. And while it was recorded in 2017 just after the first Women’s March, we believe the topic is still timely and worth discussing. So, burn your bra, tell your husband to make dinner tonight, grab a cup of tea and listen in :)

Another tragedy. Another trauma. Another strike to the heart. Another life gone. Another spark to ignite keyboard wars on social media. Another thing to divide an already divided nation. Is it possible to hold a real, uniting discussion in our country anymore? Is it possible to put our political biases side long enough to come together with a common goal? What now? That's the question we are grappling with on this special episode. We've invited our social scientist friend, Dr. Kimo Quaintance, back on the show to help us gain some clarity on how we can move forward. This important and timely discussion is one that we all need to participate in, regardless of our political affiliation.

SHOW NOTES:
Cover photo: By Leslie Campbell. Photo taken of the Houston Chronicle cover story from Wed., Feb. 18, 2018, Vol. 117. No. 131
Article: Wired Magazine, ‘Inside The Two Years That Shook Facebook - And The World’ https://www.wired.com/story/inside-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-2-years-of-hell/

We have questions...fortunately, our friends Dr. Kimo Quaintance and Steve Alaniz were there to give us some answers! Women want to know...Why do men personify their joysticks? What type of touch feels best? And what’s the deal with dick pics?! Some of the answers we heard were expected and others surprised us. The guys definitely helped make this episode not only entertaining, but thoughtful. And of course, our sides are still splitting over the comments we got from our girlfriends! Men, if you’re curious about what women think about your meat thermometer, then you’ll want to tune in, too! Put on a pair of headphones...this one’s definitely not for the kids :)

Minimalism has been buzzing for a while - there are websites, blogs, books and now even a documentary about the movement. While many proponents of this movement have taken to the  extreme, we wonder how this looks for the average person who isn’t ready to sell all their possessions and move into a tiny home. We also noticed that this trend seems to be very male-dominated, but we suspect this movement is more than just a trend for hipster, white males. We hear from friends in our WDYT segment as they tell us about their thoughts on minimalism and how they would like to incorporate it into their lives. Then we chat with Leslie’s husband, Court, about how the movement has impacted him and the decisions that he and Leslie have made.

SHOW NOTES:
‘The Art of Decluttering and Organizing’ by Marie kondo
TheMinimalist.com
FlyLady.net
Netflix: ‘Minimalism, A Documentary About the Important Things