Apparently there are a lot of basic human skills nobody actually teaches you—how to make a friend, end a friendship, change your mind, admit you're wrong, or survive being embarrassed. We discuss those, argue about what counts as normal or weird, and discover that having a podcast with your mom is, objectively, a little weird.

Let us know if giving your kids your phone password is weird or normal?!

This week on Mentally Cute, Hollis takes over as the main host and interviews his Mom's Bigfoot 200-mile race. Elle asks questions about Hollis' first day of Junior High, and lots of goofs and yawns coming off a wild week in the Elle and Hollis Household! Comments are read, and it appears we have gone up a full half a hoot!

We lost the audio recording for this week, so we are publishing the episode that I swore we would not be publishing last week!

So never say never, and join us this week for a couple of games, discussions, and talking about our pet Hampster, Scout, who passed away a few months ago, as well as digging deep into all topics with each other!

Checking in about fear, Elle's dream of performing stand-up, Hollis revealing why he stopped talking to his crush, and the true story of a rogue narwhal that nearly triggered a home-intruder investigation. We also share a few tricks for doing scary things—even when your current strategy is simply avoiding them! Listen and let us know what fears you have or have overcome!

We talk about only-child stereotypes, life between two homes, and what happens when divorced parents actually like each other. Plus: snack rankings, scary mom lectures, imaginary baby sisters, Hollis' cousin-brother, relationships, and building a family beyond the traditional picture. He reveals which parent does what during his rapid-fire questions about being an only child with divorced parents, and we want to know from listeners if our future guest will feel awkward about podcasting in bed with us!

This week, Hollis tries meditation successfully, Elle attempts Fortnite semi-successfully, and the conversation spirals into color-coded moods, "the astrologies", fake ages, and wildly elaborate birthday plans. There are Victory Royales, pickaxe battles, a stand-up comedy party. Come for the challenge update, stay for the birthday chaos. Hollis' New Fit in the Recording - Holl's current Outfit Hollis' Fav Adidas Shorts - Hollis' Favorite Shorts, Color explosion Follow the Mentally Cute Pod on Instagram Follow us on YouTube Subscribe and come play and engage with me on Substack Follow Elle on Instagram

Join us as we dive into a lively conversation about school, friendships, astrology, personal growth with Hollis, and Hollis calling adults out for asking terrible questions. This episode offers insights into navigating seventh grade, handling friend group dynamics, and embracing honesty and failure.

And why we even started this Podcast!

Chapters

00:00Introduction and episode overview

01:06Encouragement to listen to the first episode

02:02Engagement with listeners and comments03:33Weekly updates and astrology talk

06:27Preparing for seventh grade and school changes

08:46Questions about starting junior high

09:42Friend group dynamics and conflict resolution

15:04Reflections on childhood friendships and honesty

20:09The importance of honesty and bravery

21:38The value of failure and learning from mistakes

23:20Reflections on sixth grade and future plans

26:56Why we started the podcast

30:10Future episodes and story behind the name

35:24Partnering with Hollis and family goals

39:46Family challenges and fun activities

43:46Listener engagement and comments

45:33Closing remarks and moon intentions

Follow the Mentally Cute Pod on Instagram Follow us on YouTube Subscribe and come play and engage with me on Substack Follow Elle on Instagram

Reading Mom's journal entries and discussing, summer so far, and taco tech-free Tuesday with impromptu riveting movie reviews on Animal Farm (yes, we realize it's not in theaters anymore), and discussing the difference between mentally cute and mentally unstable, playfully all over the map for our first pod, but excited to be here and have guests on soon!

Send questions, requests, and needed advice in the comments or DMs Follow the Mentally Cute Pod on Instagram Follow us on YouTube Subscribe and come play and engage with me on Substack Follow Elle on Instagram

Dropping July 9th, 2026. Tune in weekly for the BTS of playful dialogues between the two of us as we navigate life and hard and easy choices, while staying connected and communicating. Comment or DM for questions, advice, recs, and we will playfully answer you.