It's December and the perfect time for an all-Christmas edition of The Carpool Podcast! Kelly is kicking it off by reviewing her notes from last Christmas. Then it's on to ideas to get you into the holiday spirit that are either free or super inexpensive. Festive Christmas pillow case anyone?!?! 

Next, it's time to make Christmas assumptions based on the car you drive. Which drivers are more likely to have their Christmas shopping already done? Who is most likely to have a real Christmas tree? They all make sense. 

Finally, it's a Christmas edition of Industry News with Chevy's newest commercial that will make you cry and holiday meal ideas in Ditch The Drive-Thru. 

Today's episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠Clean Simple Eats⁠⁠. Use code 'Carpool10' at checkout to get 10% off your order. ⁠⁠CleanSimpleEats.com

Kelly and Lizz are feeling good post-Thanksgiving, or is it the new lighting? Either way today's episode is FULL of content! First, prepare to be jealous as one of the moms has all her Christmas shopping done thanks to Black Friday sales. Then, Kelly and Lizz break down their notes from the family Thanksgiving. No harvest Caesar salad - bad. Mimosas - good! 

This week's advice questions starts off with the kindest words Kelly and Lizz have ever received. A mom of almost four is looking for advice on what to expect when #4 arrives and Kelly has some encouraging words for anyone getting ready to expand their family. 

Industry News is SPICY today with big stories in auto. First, there are ten EVs getting dropped for 2026 and Kelly has the full list. Then, Tesla has decided to add buttons to their cars navigation system. Finally, congress is looking at rolling back safety requirements in cars to help the price point. Should you be worried? 

Finally, if you're looking for some tangible takeaways to help keep your family organized and save some money, Kelly and Lizz have a GREAT guest on the show today! Natalie is a mom of five homeschooled kids that shares her home cooking and kitchen tips on Instagram. She shares how she manages everything from cleaning the kitchen, getting laundry done and her #1 tip: PREP YOUR PROTEINS! Plus, she has a Ditch the Drive-Thru pizza recipe that you're going to want to make your next go-to meal. 

It's a post-turkey day, recording before turkey day, Black Friday special episode! Lizz has a new gym and needs to get some pet peeves off her chest. Why all the grunting? Speaking of pet peeves, Kelly has some people in her DMs that are being haters over her Christmas plans and she is not having it. Don't expect her to just ignore those DMs! She will fight back!

With it being Black Friday, it's the perfect time for Last Three Transactions! Trying to figure out what to get your friends and family this year? Here are some GREAT ideas:

There's a new 'Dancing with the Stars' winner and it's time to break it all down. Do Kelly and Lizz agree with who took home the mirror ball?

There's some hot tea in Industry News this week! A female crash test dummy has FINALLY been created and another kind of dummy of the influencer kind is pulling apart a brand new Jeep!

FINALLY! After talking about her non-stop, Kelly and Lizz are joined on the podcast today by the one and only Merrick White! This is the woman who has changed the way both ladies think about style and what to wear on a daily basis. They discuss Merrick's point system, the items every woman should have in the closet and what you need to be buying this Black Friday.

Follow Merrick on Instagram @merricksart

KRIS-mas List:https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/3019284

Big things are on the horizon for the Car Mom as a website is in the works! Kelly and Lizz have been spending a lot of time getting ready for the launch and some amazing new features, including an official Car Mom rating system and viewer ratings. Just consider them ladies in tech right now!

At home, both families are getting ready for Thanksgiving. There will be one major change to the menu this year as Kelly can no longer have her favorite autumn caesar salad thanks to that pesky anchovy allergy. Will she find a suitable substitute?

It's all about car advice questions from the listeners this week. First, a mom needs advice on a new car after a crash left hers totaled. A second mom needs advice on the perfect car for her family after delaying getting an official "mom car."

Moving into Industry News, Motortrend has named the SUV of the year. Did they get it right? Then, Kelly and Lizz have a LOT to say about this week's "Dancing with the Star" elimination. They are HEATED!

Kelly is all business today in her business casual best and making mandated dress codes for Lizz. Will Lizz comply with orders? 

Deer hunting season has started and ended for the Stumpe household. Tyler got his buck on the first day out, which was exciting for Kelly to have her husband back home with the family to help out around the house. But then that excitement ended and Tyler was put to bed.

Meanwhile, Lizz spent the weekend in Indianapolis for the Marine Corp Ball. Matty is now in love with the city and is adopting the Colts as the team they will root for this season. But not everything was sunshine and roses as a bad Uber ride ended the evening early for Lizz. 

There is advice coming from everywhere this week. First, a sweet moment with George leads to a great lesson on helping your kids follow their dreams no matter what they are. The Detail Shop has some green linen pants that are going to change your fall wardrobe. Finally, in advice questions Kelly has your playbook for the perfect party with friends both old and new. If you're planning a "Favorite Things" party this is a MUST listen! 

In Industry News, Audi is trying to make a Land Rover rival. Will it work? Amazon is teaming with Ford to sell used cars. Why Kelly thinks this is the future of automotive sales! 

Finally in Ditch the Drive-Thru, if you're not making hot dogs in the crockpot or pulled pork nachos, what are you doing with your life? 

Have you ever heard Kelly talk about the Nissan Armada? There is a very specific reason why as she reveals today on the Carpool Podcast. Turns out, she is NOT a fan and there are many reasons why. 

Moving on the biggest topic of the episode, getting your house winterized and not in the way you are thinking. Kelly and Lizz are not talking about pipes or updating heating systems. Today they are talking about how to get your house ready to keep the kids busy for the cold winter months. Chances are you're going to spend many hours at home with the kids stuck inside. Are you prepared? Kelly and Lizz share the activities they are prepping to keep the whole family entertained.

A quick Industry News has all the details on the 2027 Kia Telluride redesign. What are Kelly and Lizz most looking forward to? Then it's on to a 'Dancing with the Stars' recap and all the predictions Lizz has made that have come true. Finally in Ditch the Drive-Thru, Lizz is obsessed with an enchilada sauce and Kelly is back on her BBQ chicken pizza grind. 

The new podcast studios are up and running. Are Kelly and Lizz ready to introduce themselves as podcasters? It does sound a little better than 'influencer'. Either way, they are ready to make 2026 the year of The Carpool Podcast! 

Kelly is starting things off strong with a Fast Lane Philosophy that will get you thinking. "Don't compare your start to someone else's middle?" This leads into a conversation on comparing yourself to others on social media, finding the right sources and learning from those that have done it all.

It's been a while, but the Millennial Word of the Day is BACK! Do you know what an "Unk" is? Lizz has an explanation. Luckily, it's not as annoying as the 6-7 craze...

Kelly and Lizz both have products in the Detail Shop that you're going to want to hit 'add to cart' on. First, Kelly is obsessed with the new dry shampoo she recently tried. But not so obsessed with the med spa facial she recently tried out. Lizz is working on getting out of her ugly era and the beef tallow she recently tried seems to be doing the trick. 

An advice question came in from a mom that is on a journey to become a truck mom. Is there a good electric truck she should look for? Since they are on the subject of cars, it's the perfect way to transition into  Industry News with the Top 10 Best Selling Cars of 2026. Did your favorite make the list?

Finally in Ditch the Drive-Thru, Lizz is making Pesto Chicken Pasta and Kelly is raining on her parade. Then it's time for 'Dancing with the Stars' predictions. Will Andy finally go home?!? 

Technology woes aside, it's time for another episode of the Carpool Podcast! There's so much to talk about today including BIG merch updates, the Sexiest Man Alive and excitement for 'Zootopia 2.' Plus, the games that are helping Kelly get through her post-allergic reaction brain fog.

It's been a while, but Kelly has a new fast lane philosophy that might take a couple minutes for you to figure out, but it's totally worth the journey. Then, some great advice questions that have Kelly and Lizz helping a Chick-Fil-A owner spend $70,000 on a new car and helping a new grandma to find the perfect car for her.

It's time to talk about 'Dancing with the Stars' and with the contestant count dwindling, it's time to really focus on who should go next. It should be Andy, but will it? Also, something needs to be said about celebrity guest judges.

In Industry News, both Ram and Hyundai are ramping up their line-ups significantly. Ram has their first SUV on the way and Hyundai will have 4 truck models by 2030!

Today's episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠Clean Simple Eats⁠⁠. Use code 'Carpool10' at checkout to get 10% off your order. ⁠⁠CleanSimpleEats.com

Happy Wednesday! While you're listening to this episode, Kelly is out drinking wine and Lizz is bridesmaid dress shopping. But before any of that, Lizz needs to again stop the rumors. She is NOT pregnant despite what the Halloween costume said! Speaking of Halloween, they both have notes from trick-or-treating that needs to be discussed. Why do people have giant decorations and then don't hand out candy?

With winter on its way, a listener has written in to get some advice on winter hosting. Since Kelly is fully in her hosting era, this is the perfect topic to bring up. Both she and Lizz have hosting in their future and share some great ideas you're going to want to pay attention to. It's kind of a micro-hobby and speaking of micro-hobbies, it's time for an update on what Kelly and Lizz are working on. Have they made any progress?

In Industry News, it's time to discuss GM getting rid of Apple Play. Why are they doing it? Will it be an upgrade or a downgrade?

Then in Ditch the Drive-Thru, there are a lot of dishes Kelly and Lizz have to share. First is a delicious lasagna soup, then a dip that made their Halloween night and the beginnings of Novembeef.

Before they go, Kelly and Lizz have to make some 'Dancing with the Star' predictions!