The Rise and Hive

It’s been an emotional time for Melissa as her son Christopher turns 18 and she starts to prepare for the very real reality of him leaving for university. There are big milestones, big feelings and plenty of moments that have caught her by surprise. It gets us talking about how often we’re taught to gloss over the hard stuff, keep going and put on a brave face rather than actually feeling what’s there. Melissa is determined to break that cycle and give herself permission to feel it all.

In the Glory of the Ordinary, Melissa’s electric toothbrush has finally kicked the bucket, so she turns to Liane for some very important toothbrush guidance. Listener Ann is playing catch-up after the school holidays and is horrified to discover that Melissa has gone on the water meter.

We celebrate some fabulous women doing big, bold, brave things in Braggers Corner and, as always, finish with gratitude. 💛

This week’s question comes from listener Chris, who wants to know: is there something you do for luck that you think is completely normal, but other people might find a little bit odd? Are you a believer in old wives’ tales, superstitions and lucky rituals, or do you think it’s all nonsense?

Melissa is firmly in the believer camp, saluting magpies and picking up pennies whenever she finds them. Liane, meanwhile, has absolutely nothing. No rituals. No lucky charms. Not even a quick nod to a passing magpie.

We also revisit last week’s question about where the line sits between complimentary and criminal, and it turns out you lot are taking considerably more from hotel rooms than a few miniature toiletries. Frankly, you’re a bunch of raging kleptomaniacs. Liane then has her own confession to make, revealing a history of accidentally stealing from Asda. Please don’t ban her.

As always, we’re asking the questions you might not admit to answering in public. 🐦🍀😂

⚠️ Warning: There is swearing in this episode.

This week we’re joined by Hannah F#cking Holt, speaker, coach and breathwork practitioner. Hannah has spent August challenging herself to show up, put herself out there and say yes to the opportunities that scare her a little. And it’s already paying off. She’s applied to TEDx because, in her words, she’s going to be on that stage. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right?

We pull back the curtain on the moments when Hannah has felt doubt and insecurity, what she does to check in with herself, and the power of actually feeling your feelings rather than trying to push them away. It’s a conversation about self-trust, taking the shot and backing yourself before you have all the evidence.

And, naturally, we get Hannah involved in the ongoing bin saga, where she delivers the shocking news that Dorset has had food waste bins for SIX YEARS. Six. Years. We’re still processing this.

Hannah puts herself firmly in Braggers Corner and, as a fully fledged Gratitude Queen, has absolutely no trouble joining us for our favourite way to finish the episode.

This week we're checking into the hotel and asking a very important question... where exactly is the line between complimentary and criminal?

What’s fair game to take from your hotel room? Tea, coffee, biscuits, toiletries? And what about the dressing gown? Surely nobody genuinely thinks that belongs in your suitcase... do they?

We also revisit last week's emoji debate and discover there is still a lot to learn about how people are using these tiny little symbols. Melissa's son Christopher even joins us on the Hive Hotline to reveal just how thrilled he was to tune in and discover the details of his mam's sexting emoji habits. Turns out he does listen!

As always, we're asking the questions you probably shouldn't ask at the dinner table. 🏨😂

This week we're reflecting on the joy of women coming together without ego, competition or the need to prove anything. After a lovely catch-up with an old work colleague, we're celebrating the glory of being a secure woman in your 40s who can genuinely champion other women, dress for happiness and still experience the girlhood joy of messaging your pals before an event to ask... "what are you wearing?" At the risk of sounding 12, obviously.

Elsewhere, Melissa has exciting Glory of the Ordinary news in the form of a new deodorant scent, while Liane is still fuming that Melissa forgot to bring the giant leek they both acquired from Kylie's allotment. And in Stardust and Soil, Melissa attempts to drag Liane out of the soil by sprinkling crystal stardust over her at a crystal and new moon event. Liane, it should be noted, did not have a neutral face.

We celebrate some brilliant humans in Braggers Corner and, as always, finish with gratitude.

Secure women. Happy outfits. Crystal stardust. And one missing giant leek.

This week we're asking a question that says more about you than you might think... what's your favourite emoji?

Are you loyal to a classic 😂? Throwing hearts around like confetti? Or are you one of those people using a 👍 and completely unaware that some people consider it the rudest response known to mankind?

We also revisit last week's question about bedtime cuddles and can confirm that Kylie might have been right... they do seem to be largely a thing of the movies. Some of you enjoy a little pre-sleep cuddle, but once it's time for actual sleeping, it's strictly back to your own side of the bed.

And because we're nothing if not committed to getting to the bottom of the important questions, we also bring in a fact check on the mythical swimming pool dye that supposedly exposes anyone who wees in the water. Is it real, or have we all been living in fear for nothing?

As always, we're tackling the big issues. One emoji at a time. 😂👍❤️

This week we're talking about miscommunication, assumptions and the simple fact that, despite what we might expect, none of us are actually mind readers. When Melissa changed the podcast recording plans without telling Liane, we both made our own assumptions and a minor misunderstanding became a reminder of just how often miscommunication happens when we don't simply say what we mean.

There was also cheesecake drama, with Liane still fuming after Melissa promised to bring some and forgot. A chance encounter with Jolly John while we were out taking photos got us reflecting on the power of being open to conversations and connections, and where a simple hello might lead.

In the Glory of the Ordinary, Melissa discovers she's completely missed the memo that the bottle recycling bins have disappeared and bottles now belong in the blue recycling. We celebrate some brilliant humans in Braggers Corner and, as always, finish with gratitude.

Assumptions. Cheesecake. Unexpected connections. And one very confused recycling system.

This week's question comes from listener Kylie, who has a theory... bedtime cuddles are purely a Hollywood invention and nobody is actually doing it in real life. For Kylie, it's a hard no. No nightly snuggling, no romantic falling asleep in each other's arms, thank you very much.

But what about you? Are bedtime cuddles a genuine part of your evening routine, a fleeting moment before someone rolls over and steals the duvet, or are you firmly in Kylie's camp?

We also revisit last week's shower debate and the results are in... 99.9% of you are weeing in the shower. And frankly, the overwhelming theme is efficiency. Why make two trips when you can get the job done while you're already in there?

As always, we're asking the questions you didn't know you needed answering. 🛏️🚿😂

This week we're talking about the different seasons of life we're all moving through and how strange it can feel when the people around you seem to be in completely different chapters. We unpack society's obsession with the life checklist: house, marriage, kids, career... and how easy it is to convince yourself you're somehow behind if your life doesn't follow the expected timeline. Spoiler alert: you're not. You're exactly where you are, and there is no one-size-fits-all route through life.

Melissa is also riding the energy of the Lions Gate Portal, ready to sprinkle her stardust into Liane's soil, while Glory of the Ordinary delivers another major milestone: Melissa has a water meter. We celebrate Linzi and Mel in Braggers Corner and, as always, finish with gratitude.

Different seasons. Different timelines. No one is behind. 💛

This week's question comes from listener Lisa, and it's safe to say she's not messing about when it comes to efficiency.

She wants to know... do you wee in the shower?

Lisa admits she's fully embraced the art of multitasking. Since getting a new bathroom (and no longer having a shower over the bath), she's not only weeing in the shower but brushing her teeth at the same time. Peak efficiency... or too far?

We also revisit last week's swimming stroke debate, and the results are in. Breaststroke takes the gold medal by a country mile, with most of you admitting it's less about technique and more about keeping your hair dry.

As always, what starts as a simple question quickly spirals into a conversation you never thought you'd be having.

Get in touch with your verdict... no judgement (well... maybe a little). 🚿😂