Why Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of OJO!  With the beginning of 2022 finally rung in and celebrated, it’s time to jump into another year of opportunities, making amazing memories and the continual adjustment to a new normal!

In today’s episode, Suzanne and Michelle wrap up their holiday chats and happily shift back into conversations about everyday life, frustrations and general happenings. 

With a positive outlook on the new year, somehow this episode did not escape technical difficulties. With 15 minutes of lost audio, Suzanne and Michelle’s shared New Year’s resolution, and challenge (because they are both competitive people), still made the final cut. From New Year’s past, join in as they discuss what 5 things they are going to track in a journal…daily!  While the tasks will last 365 days, we wonder if the journal will?  In the spirit of inspiration, we invite each one of you to journal along with us!

Until next week’s episode…cheers!

In this week’s episode of OJO, join Suzanne and Michelle as they celebrate (and tackle) the last few moments before Christmas 2021. With Christmas only 4 days away, are they feeling completely frazzled and tired? Or have they settled into the lull of Christmas preparedness?  

With Christmas on the brain, Michelle is excited to jump right into Christmas cheer and trivia!  However, will her enthusiasm wane when Suzanne comes prepared with her own Christmas trivia and supporting facts?

So, please….Pop that cork because the week of Christmas is finally here!!  With all the holiday preparations falling into place, and all your hard work shining through, it’s finally time to settle in and to start enjoying the things that make you the merriest!!  

Right now is the perfect moment to let the smiles and laughs flow!! From both of us, to all of you - We wish you and yours, a very Merry Christmas and an Inspired New Year!!  We will be taking next week off to spend time with our families, but we will be back in January 2022!Until then…Cheers to all!!

Sending out a special thanks to parade.com and history.com 

For more information on orange juice optional, please check out the following websites and social media platforms:

Orangejuiceoptional.com

With Christmas quickly approaching, join Suzanne and Michelle as they discuss Holiday frazzle, overwhelm and exhaustion.  They know it’s a thing, so how are they coping with the days that now seem to be flying by?  Are they still merry and bright, or have they stepped into panic mode?  ( A small hint to answering those questions is the length of this very short episode introduction).

So, when time allows…please settle in and join the ladies as they share their experiences, and some of their coping styles and strategies. 

Also, as we move forward this holiday season (and really everyday), please remember to spread kindness. It’s contagious, and it can make a difference in the direction of someone’s day, and then spread out from there!

For more information on orange juice optional, please check out the following websites and social media platforms:

Orangejuiceoptional.com

Welcome to this week’s episode of OJO!  Join Suzanne and Michelle as they jump right into Holiday movies! From Christmas classics to childhood favorites, we all know that Suzanne has a category for it!

So cozy in with a seasonal egg nog, or a comforting hot toddy, and laugh along with them as they share their family favorites, their personal favorites, and their must watch holiday movie list!

As we walk through this holiday season, please remember to spread kindness with a genuine smile, a kind word or a simple gesture.  Kindness is contagious , and it’s needed. Especially this time of year.   Cheers to all of you, and thank you for accepting the assignment.  

For more information on orange juice optional, please check out the following websites and social media platforms:

Orangejuiceoptional.com

Special thanks to:

yardbarker.com

rottentomatoes.com

NotOn this week’s episode of OJO, Suzanne and Michelle jump right into the upcoming holiday season!!  With difficult people on her shopping list, and limited supply that is in high demand, Michelle voices her frustration with Christmas shopping this year. That frustration then begins a lively conversation about the art of gift giving.

Michelle knows that Suzanne (a shop owner who has already identified her love language as gift giving) is the perfect person to have this conversation with. As Suzanne shares her gift giving rules, her quest to give a thoughtful and heartfelt gift to those on her list shines through. 

To challenge her well thought out gift giving strategy, Michelle then uses a buzzfeed quiz to determine if Suzanne’s gift giving strategy and approach are on par. Her results probably won’t surprise you!  You’ll just have to tune in to find out what the experts say about her gift giving style. 

Now…with that shared, all you need to do is push play and settle in!  We truly hope you enjoy the energetic conversation, genuine laughter and Suzanne’s inspired and thoughtful tips on the art of gift giving. 

For more information on orange juice optional, please check out the following websites and social media platforms:

Orangejuiceoptional.com

Special thanks to 

Why Hello everyone and welcome to Thanksgiving week!! Cheers to this November Holiday and all the wonderful things that come with it.  From self reflection and gratitude, to the entertaining of wonderful family and friends, Thanksgiving brings warmth and comfort to the late days of fall. 

While most people consider Thanksgiving dinner to be the most delicious meal of the year, find out why Suzanne holds a much different opinion.  While potatoes and gravy don’t ever appeal to her, Suzanne’s Thanksgiving does always includes spinach artichoke dip (a family favorite). Michelle then happily shares that her Thanksgiving must have is Robb’s (recipe for) ‘little smokies’.  She believes most people come to her house just for this saucy treat.  (This is an episode correction: The little smokies are made with grape jelly and CHILI sauce - not cocktail sauce.  Please read that correction twice, because she got it wrong in the episode).

Now POP…THAT…CORK and settle in, as Suzanne and Michelle share what they are most grateful for this year!!  Wanting to go further than the typical or generic answers that you might get around the Thanksgiving dinner table, they challenged themselves (and all of you) to go deeper with their gratitude. From funny, to realistic and thought provoking, they both completed this challenge. 

As the episode continues, Michelle then shares some interesting Thanksgiving Day trivia and “corny” Thanksgiving Day jokes (both were found at parade.com - Thank you!!). Ever curious and needing some clarity, Suzanne researches, and then provides additional facts about some of the questions asked. 

For  this quiz,  we ask that you grab a pen, and guess along!  Much to Suzanne’s disappointment, we aren’t really keeping track of points. However, you can still listen, and then impress your guests on Thanksgiving Day.

In conclusion, and with gratitude in our hearts, we would like to wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving Day and a blessed holiday season!! As you step into this season of wonder, please remember to spread kindness with a smile, a simple gesture or kind words. Kindness is contagious, and some people need that extra encouragement this time of year. 

With all the shared and until next week…Cheers!!

Special thanks to parade.com!! All trivia questions (plus additional trivia questions) can be found in the article:  

Thanksgiving Jokes can be found at:

For more information on orange juice optional, please check out the following websites and social media platforms:

Orangejuiceoptional.com

Notes go herePop…That…Cork, and help Suzanne and Michelle celebrate the 52nd episode of Orange Juice Optional!  That’s one full year of friendship, learning curves, tangents, conversations and laughs (and it only took them 53 weeks to get here).

Join Suzanne and Michelle as they reminisce about the best parts of podcasting, and the things that have challenged them the most.  Will you be surprised to learn that technology wasn’t their only challenge?  They will also share the real reason that the listeners haven’t heard from their husbands (yet)!  With as funny as they are in everyday life, the answer might surprise you.

Then find out what excites Suzanne even more than this milestone episode.  Is that even possible?  Why yes, in Suzanne’s world it is!  Michelle agrees with her excitement and for very good reason!  

This episode will also answer a big unknown- Will there be another year of Orange Juice Optional?  

Thank you to our listeners for sticking with us as we’ve tackled our freshman year of podcasting!  It has been a journey!  An inspired journey that we have loved sharing with each of you.  Cheers everyone!  Until next week.. and yes I know, that was a spoiler!

For more information on orange juice optional, please check out the following websites and social media platforms:

Orangejuiceoptional.com

Notes gWhy hello everyone!! In this week’s episode of Orange Juice Optional, Suzanne and Michelle discuss their Christmas decorating habits!  What do you think?  Is November 1st to early to decorate a personal home? How about a retail business?

Michelle, usually known for her Christmas cheer and early (November 1st) holiday decorations, is in a bit of a funk this year. While her house is now decorated, she struggled as her heart was not fully into it.  Could she be the “Scrooge” of 2021? Could it be that turning 50 has caused a lack of energy? Could it be laziness? Or could it be just a cleaner, less cluttered approach to holiday decor? 

Listen as Suzanne tries to inspire her with the beautiful decorations that she, and her ‘Why Hello’ team, have used to decorate her shop. Suzanne and Michelle will then discuss the trending holiday colors for 2021, and even trending Christmas decor that might make some people squeamish. 

Also discussed in this episode, is the sluggish supply and demand chain that would make only a “Grinch” happy!  So as you check your naughty and nice list, shop early when possible. 

This episode kicks off the holiday season!  With only 46 days left until Christmas, continue to tune in and share in our preparations, stories and of course the tangents that have put the champagne back into orange juice!  Cheers until next week!

For more information on orange juice optional, please check out the following websites and social media platforms:

Orangejuiceoptional.com

Notes go here

While in Atlanta, she also had a scary experience at the hotel, and she shares her instinctive reaction to the event.  However, she’s not impressed by Michelle’s overall reaction to her story.  What do you think?

This episode then jumps into part 2 of everything tipping related! The ladies share their thoughts when it comes to tipping for cosmetic procedures, medical appointments, house contractors and Uber rides. 

After all tipping areas are exhausted, they circle back to a tipping etiquette quiz from buzzfeed.com (they have the best quizzes-thank you!!).  Will Suzanne and Michelle find themselves mostly in the majority, or in the minority, when it comes to their approach to tipping etiquette?  Listeners are encouraged to answer the questions along with us!  Where do you stand?  This is such a fun way to conclude this episode of Orange Juice Optional. 

For more information on orange juice optional, please check out the following websites and social media platforms:

Orangejuiceoptional.com

Special thanks to 

Feeling inspired by “a radio show”, on today’s episode of Orange Juice Optional, Suzanne would like to talk about everything that has to do with ‘tipping’.  With upcoming travel on her calendar, she asks Michelle if she has “ever considered tipping a flight attendant?”  That question quickly opens up the conversation to all sorts of tipping practices and scenarios.  Sharing stories of complicated calculations, splitting tabs and important life lessons, these two compare their own personal tipping styles.  Like champagne, the conversation flows freely and inspires a lot of laughs along the way.  With time running out, Suzanne and Michelle decide that this topic, requires a part two. 

So, with a glass of champagne in hand (and remembering that the orange juice is optional), please sit back, enjoy the conversation and relate along with them. Cheers!!