We dissect our youthful expectations for the most romantic day of the year vs the reality that is Valentine's Day as a married grown-up with kids. We dive into Valentine's Day growing up, what it is now, and the mess, pressure, and frustrations that come with school Valentine's Day celebrations. We also give out our awards for Best Valentine's Day Ever, Biggest Letdown, and Cutest Valentine.    

This week's episode has us discussing a reframing of gift giving, Dry January, the frustrations of joining a national wellness organization, kids' sports, and our fascination with pandemics. 

This episode comes to you from Brussels. We talk with Guillaume about his job at the Brussels Opera House, his planning (or lack thereof) of his life, his move from Paris to Brussels, the moment when he finally felt like an adult, and how he and his husband balance each other. 

This is our inaugural episode of Suburban Updates, our mini-episode between interviews. We share how we're doing with our New Year's Resolutions, our Beer Me Strength Moments, the culture we've been consuming, and what's been sparking joy in our lives. 
We discuss snow days, Hood Politics Podcast, travel planning, and how we're doing with our arbitrary fresh starts. 

In this episode we talk to Addy. Addy is mom to four beautiful children, three of them with her, and "a daughter in Heaven," as she puts it. Addy shares the joy she finds in being a mom to her children as well as the grief she continues to experience after her third daughter passed away at 24 days old. Addy discusses the emotions and support she experienced through her pregnancy with her third daughter and the impact her daughter's short life continues to have on her and her family.
CW: Infant loss, Trisomy 18
Addy's Blog
Hope Mommies

In this episode we talk with Erika Modrak, the author of Resistant: A World Divided. Erika wanted to be a bestselling author since the age of nine but focused on gymnastics for most of her childhood. When she broke both arms, her Olympic dreams were shattered, but the characters of Cat and Wren, the main characters in her recently released novel were born. We talk with Erika about the twists and turns her life took after she had to give up gymnastics and how she finally realized her dream of publishing a book. 

Also, a bonus segment: our arbitrary January fresh starts. 

In this bonus episode, we share the expectations we held for New Year's Eve vs the reality that is actually New Year's Eve. Our discussion ranges from taffeta to Times Square, casinos to falling asleep on the couch before midnight, bold romantic gestures (that NEVER happened), and more. 
We thought this would be a mini episode, but we had so much fun talking about our New Year's Eve experiences that it ended up being about as long as a regular episode!

In this episode we talk to Kate, who serves on staff with the campus ministry Intervarsity, and operates DC Justice Tours, walking tours devoted to sharing lesser known pieces of Washington DC's history. Kate is also a mother, a wife, and a scholar committed to serving all those around her. 
We also discuss a 12 year old's struggle with stage makeup, the Mr. Rogers movie, the book Raising Good Humans, mindfulness, and Erika Modrak's book Resistant: A World Divided. 

In this episode we talk to Marcia, a mom of two who never expected to live her life in Nebraska. Marcia shares the story of how and why she went from a cell biologist in Northern Virginia to a business owner in Nebraska. 
Also: the perpetual sharing of viruses, sparking joy through movies of our youth, and going to concerts.

In this episode, we interview Gracie's first college roommate, Shayleen. Shayleen opens up and discusses everything from her mother's unexpected death, to placing her daughter with a loving family in an open adoption, to her experiences during protests, to breaking into a gas chamber at a concentration camp.
Content Warning: the Holocaust, domestic violence, parental loss 
Also: the HVAC guy, the joy of being together, and Dolly Parton's America