On this week's episode Melanie and I talk about my snow days here in Birmingham, her playroom clean-out in San Antonio, and our thoughts about the upcoming national championship college football game. We also discuss a couple of epiphanies I experienced this past week (and, as a follow-up to our last episode, one of them is Wicked-related). 

As if that weren't enough, we have an exciting heating pad update / development, and it's Melanie's turn for Five Favorites. 

Enjoy, everybody!

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- Pat McAfee and Marcus Freeman

- Riley Leonard

- Aggie Baseball is preseason baseball #1

- Mississippi State is preseason baseball #18

- the heating pad of my life

- IKEA Kallax shelves

- Perry's preferred Wrangler pants

- Hearth & Homestead whipped tallow balm

- LMNT sparkling water

- Inn Beauty age-defying duo

- Maya Chia The Great cleansing oil

- Linnea diffuser in lavender / rosemary

- Boll and Branch - use this link for 15% off your first order of sheets plus free shipping

- Honeylove - use this link for 20% off sitewide

- Hungryroot - use this link and code BIGBOO for 40% off your first box plus a free item in every box for life

- Drink LMNT - use this link for a free sample pack with your order

Clearly the Lord is up to something in 2025, because on this episode Melanie shares a tip for cooking with a rotisserie chicken, and I talk about seeing a movie that I had been resisting because of its rampant popularity (so sorry, I'm weird, still haven't seen Titanic, etc.). On top of that, we recap our exciting New Year's Eves ("exciting" is a relative term, but alas). 

We also get an exciting update on the health of Melanie's scalp, and it's my turn for Five Favorites.

Hope you enjoy!

- Join Us on Patreon

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- Fayetteville Live Show Tickets

- Anthropologie half-zip fleece

- "the cutest shirt" that I ended up ordering

- glazed buttermilk donut cake

- French 75s

- French 95s

- Marcus Freeman

- cream cheese chicken enchiladas

- Wicked movie soundtrack

- stainless steel tablespoons

- giant heating pad

- Williams Sonoma classic stripe dishtowels (here's a backup link if you need it)

- By Anthropologie classic long line coat

- AlvaQ oversized sweatshirt

- Lume - use the code BIGBOO for 15% off

- AG1 - use this link for their special offer

- Dwell - use this link to download the Dwell app

- Thrive Causemetics - use this link for 20% off your first order

It's our first regular episode of 2025, and we're off to a strong start with some inconvenient (though entertaining) challenges. The Aggies lost their bowl game, one of Mel's refrigerators has gone on to its eternal reward, and the Shankles have had some unexpected visitors in their laundry room. VIVA LA 2025!

We also reflect on our words / phrases for 2024, discuss our words and phrases for the new year, and it's Melanie's turn for Five Favorites.

- Join Us on Patreon

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- Fayetteville Live Show Tickets

- Las Vegas Bowl

- our Favorite Favorites episode on Patreon

- One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

- Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

- Bagster at Lowe's

- 2025 Low-Level Goals episode on Patreon

- Cole at the Pop-Tarts Bowl

- A Fine Sight to See 

- Conair 2-in-1 steamer

- Rubbermaid 28-piece storage container

- OSEA Dream Night Cream

- Grace for the Moment Daily Bible

- makeup brush cleaner

- AG1

- Dwell

- LMNT

- Zbiotics

When we recorded this episode, Melanie was making cinnamon rolls, and I had just completed a grocery run full of vegetables and several different kinds of sugar. In other words: Christmas Day is upon us, and on this episode we talk about all of our last-minute preparations and even some plans that have gone awry. It's also my turn for Five Favorites.

Merry Christmas, everyone - we are so grateful for you, and we hope your Christmas is full of time with the people you love the most!

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- the cinnamon rolls Mel likes to make

- the Chex Mix we both like to make (I use Dot's Pretzels and add the Gardetto rye chips)

- Ouida Wednesday squash casserole

- sweet potato casserole (I use half and half, not evaporated milk - and no cinnamon)

- "Jesus Can Work It Out" with Dianne Williams

- JazzTX in San Antonio

- A&M (and Mississippi State) to be featured on SEC football show

- "Tourniquet" by Zach Bryan

- Libro.fm - a great way to listen to audiobooks

- The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

- Dinner with Vampires by Bethany Joy Lentz

- James by Percival Everett

- Black Doves on Netflix (not for the children)

- Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake

- Aerie cozy long sleeve oversized boyfriend tee

- Catrice Instant Awake under eye brightener

- OneSkin peptide topical supplement and skin longevity age reversal eye cream

- Mrs. Meyer's dish soap in peppermint

- AG1 - use this link for a free welcome gift, a bottle of D3/K2, and 5 free travel packs for new subscribers

- OSEA - use code BIGBOO for 10% off sitewide

- Drink LMNT - use this link for your free sample pack with any order

- Boll & Branch - use this link to get 25% off plus free shipping on your first order

'Tis the season to record an audiobook and do a little bit of hostessing - or at least that's what Melanie and I have been up to this past week. On this episode we talk about our college kids' laundry situation (it's bad here in Birmingham), what we've been reading and watching, and why Melanie needs a new rug in her dining room to help with podcast recording quality.

We also discuss a fantastic concert I went to this past weekend, and it's Mel's turn for Five Favorites.

Hope you enjoy!

- Join Us on Patreon

- Our Amazon Shop

- Melanie's new book

- Helen in Birmingham

- Leslie Odom, Jr.

- Leslie Odom, Jr.'s Simply Christmas

- Courtney DeFeo's podcast

- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

- All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

- The Dutch House by Ann Patchett audiobook

- Polo on Netflix

- No Good Deed on Netflix

- Cold Case: Who Killed Jon Benet Ramsey on Netflix

- Shark Pro vacuum mop

- v-neck batwing sweater

- Quince cotton cropped cable knit sweater

- Varley Hawley half-zip sweatshirt

- Frank & Eileen Shirley oversized button-up

- Helix - use this link for 20% off plus two free pillows

- Lume - new customers get 15% off with code BIGBOO

- Thrive Causemetics - use this link for 20% off your first order

- Trust & Will - use this link for 10% off plus free shipping

Since college football is starting to move into the rearview mirror just a tiny bit, this week Melanie and I discuss our end-of-year Spotify and Apple Music info, we consider my new maximum volume hair product strategy, and Melanie talks about an audiobook she absolutely loved. 

We also take a look at what's ahead for both of us this week, and it's my turn for Five Favorites.

Hope y'all enjoy! 

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- Georgia vs. Texas

- College Football Playoffs field of 12

- Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lentz

- A Fine Sight to See playlist on Apple Music

- A Fine Sight to See playlist on Spotify

- T-Pain's covers album

- Color WOW Raise the Roof Thicken + Lift Spray

- Color WOW Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer

- Color WOW Dream Cocktail Carb-Infused Leave-in treatment

- R+Co Dallas Thickening Spray

- Dan in Real Life

- Leslie Odom Jr.'s Simply Christmas

- Kate McLeod Sleep Stone

- Goddard's jewelry cleaner

- Burlbero Rocky Mountain sherpa fleece vest

- Southern Living's coconut cream pie recipe

- Menus: A Book for Your Meals & Your Memories

- Thrive Market - use this link for 30% off your first order plus a free $60 gift

- ZocDoc - use this link to download the ZocDoc app for free

- Storyworth - use this link to save $10 on your first purchase

- AG1 - get a free bottle of D3/K2 and five free travel packs with your first order

This week Melanie recaps her time in College Station - though she wishes the game had gone a different way - before we break down our respective Thanksgivings and I lament the Egg Bowl (on top of lamenting a two-win season for my Bulldogs). 

Melanie also shares a flat tire situation she had to deal with, and it's her turn for Five Favorites.

Enjoy, everybody!

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- Texas at Texas A&M

- "The Yellow Rose of Texas"

- Mississippi State at Ole Miss

- Georgia Tech at Georgia

- Cheese Gal salad

- The George Hotel in College Station

- June's Journey

- our bonus podcast episode with Cole Cubelic

- Weem hair and skin gummies

- Long duster cardigan

- Smartphone photo printer 

- Lavender tea tree eye cleanser 

- Trader Joe's Stepping It Up spicy snack bar mix

- Turtle Beach - use code BIGBOO for 10% off

- AG1 - get a free bottle of D3/K2 and five free travel packs with your first order

- Honeylove - use this link for 20% off

- Maya Chia - use code BOO15 for 15% off

Earlier this week Melanie and I recorded with our friend Cole Cubelic for a Patreon episode - and then Cole's audio upload proceeded to get caught in an internet no-man's land for several days. This morning, though, we got news from our friends at Riverside.fm that they were able to recover Cole's audio, so I put together a quick bonus episode in the event that you're bored / traveling / curious about Cole's Thanksgiving (and football) favorites.

Plus, much to our delight, Cole shares his thoughts on tomorrow's football game between the Texas A&M Fightin' Aggies and their arch rival, the Texas Longhorns.

Hope you enjoy!

- Join Us on Patreon

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- 2024 Big Boo Holiday Gift Guide

- Fayetteville Live Show Tickets

- Melanie's cornbread dressing (and her broccoli rice casserole recipe)

- strawberry pretzel salad

- ending of Oklahoma vs. Missouri

- Oklahoma vs. South Carolina

- Alabama vs. Vanderbilt

- Read & React with Cole and Roman Harper

- Cole's podcast, The Cube Show

Melanie and I spent our weekend in the loveliest village on the Plains, so this episode is chock-full-o-details about our time in Auburn, including our shenanigans with Caroline and Ella and the Aggies' unfortunate loss in four overtimes. FOUR OVERTIMES. 

We also discuss all the fun we had in Birmingham, and it's my turn for Five Favorites.

Enjoy, y'all - and Happy Thanksgiving!

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- The Valley Hotel in Birmingham

- Helen in Birmingham

- Davenport's in Birmingham

- Gus Mayer

- At Home in Homewood

- Botanic in Opelika

- A&M at Auburn

- braided hair ties - pack of 100 for less than $10

- sausage ball scoop

- Pilcro foil sweatshirt

- BaByliss travel hair dryer

- Claire Bella towel wrap

- Maya Chia - use code BOO15 for 15% off

- Helix - use this link for the exclusive November offer

- Factor - use code BIGBOO50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month while your subscription is active

- AG1 - use this link for a free bottle of vitamin D3/K2 and five free travel packs - a $48 value for free

This week Melanie and I talk about the latest with college football, the latest with what we're reading, and the latest with my very early Christmas decorating. We also discuss the fact that Melanie and Caroline are headed to Alabama this weekend so we can take a little road trip to the loveliest village on the plains. 

On top of that, I share some of Hazel's most recent issues (the separation anxiety is real), and it's Melanie's turn for Five Favorites.

Hope you enjoy!

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- Our Amazon Shop

- Auburn's eagle crashes into press box

- Florida beats LSU

- Georgia beats Tennessee

- The Wedding People by Alison Espach

- What in the World?! by Leanne Morgan

- All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

- Mood Christmas Edition by Jon McLaughlin (I said the wrong last name when Mel and I were talking!) 

- Jonathan McReynolds "Sent Me a King"

- The Speckled Beauty by Rick Bragg

- Dan Campbell on leadership

- full length fleece plush robe

- Goop Beauty salt scrub detox shampoo with rose hip oil

- retro stripe tube socks

- J. Crew long sleeve knit pajama set

- sequined a-line dress

- Honeylove - use this link and save up to 50% off sitewide

- AG1 - use this link for a free bottle of vitamin D3/K2 and five free travel packs

- Thrive Market - use this link for 30% off your first order and an additional $60 gift

- Lume - use code BIGBOO for 15% off your first purchase