The Rise and Hive

This week we’re talking about the reality of having a wobble… and how easy it is to get pulled into negative self talk when life feels heavy.

We both share some of the challenges we’ve faced over the last week and the importance of recognising what’s actually happening before disappearing down the spiral. Sometimes the answer is tapping into your toolbox, using the things that help you re-regulate, reset and move through the feeling instead of getting stuck in it.

We also get into our frustration with the media and the way women are so often treated as easy targets. After the recent backlash around Jemma and Stacey Solomon’s  PR trip to Miami, we unpack why tearing women down continues to be such low hanging fruit.

There’s also a conversation around deep listening after we realise there have been a few very real moments on the podcast where we absolutely were not listening to each other properly… and yes, apologies were required.

Elsewhere, Liane gives an important update on the new toothbrush situation, and Melissa delivers genuinely groundbreaking news… she has cleaned her AirPods.

As always, we finish with gratitude.

This week’s Question of the Week gets unexpectedly divisive…

Shoes on or off in the house?

What about house shoes?

Is that technically the role of a Croc?

What if you’re just nipping to the bin?

And are you actually enforcing these rules with visitors… or quietly judging them afterwards?

We also ask the important question, does the rule only apply if you’ve got carpets?

Plus, we revisit last week’s crisp debate and the nation remains split. Potato crisps are strong contenders, but can anything really beat the flavour of a maize-based crisp?

And finally… Melissa’s “no chocolate for Lent” situation needed revisiting, with some questionable bending of the rules that absolutely needs unpacking.

Short, snappy, and guaranteed to make you look at your hallway differently.

This week we’ve both been on our travels again, Melissa headed to Manchester to see Tame Impala, while Liane took on the glitter, glamour and intensity of the Open World Schools Championships at Blackpool Tower.

Somewhere between concerts, dance competitions and filling the car up with fuel, we found ourselves reflecting on what it actually means to feel rich in life, and how much of that comes down to being values aligned rather than chasing material things.

There’s also a strong Glory of the Ordinary section this week, featuring Liane’s electric toothbrush giving up on life, the emotional rollercoaster of nearly losing the electric blanket too, and a genuinely concerning moment involving what appeared to be skid-marked knickers… which thankfully turned out to be fake tan.

A false alarm, but an important one nonetheless.

Real life, small joys, slight chaos and the usual gratitude to finish.

This week we revisit last week’s deodorant debate and the people have spoken… there’s not much love for a roll on - apart from Liane’s brother-in-law, who proudly uses an unscented ladies roll on (there was judgement).

Some die-hard Dove fans are still willing to splurge, while others are only now discovering the actual price of deodorant and frankly, aren’t coping well.

Then onto this week’s important question…

Do you prefer a potato-based crisp or a maize-based crisp?

Turns out people feel VERY strongly about this. We uncover some shocking revelations around cheese and onion, confess to demolishing family-sized bags solo, and take a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a good old Scampi Fry.

Short, snappy, salty in more ways than one… and guaranteed to make you crave crisps by the end of it.

This week we’re talking about the highs and lows… or the ebbs and flows… of life, and how quickly your mood and energy can shift from the smallest things.

Comparison creeping in? Very real.

One tiny thing throwing your whole vibe off? Also very real.

We get into the power of self awareness, honest communication, and recognising what’s actually going on before you disappear into a spiral or take it out on everyone around you.

Melissa gives an update on her injured foot, which at this point is giving strong dead person vibes, while Liane brings some genuinely exciting Glory of the Ordinary in the form of a fresh bumper pack of Sharpies.

Small joys. Mood swings. Real life.

And as always, we finish with gratitude.

This week’s Question of the Week is more divisive than you’d think…

Are you loyal to a deodorant brand… or are you just following the price?

We get into it, from the reality of “natural” deodorants (good for the planet… questionable for anything else), to the absolute unenjoyment of a roll-on (why is it so wet?), and the quiet rage of the pink tax.

Melissa also makes it known… she loves the smell of man. Make of that what you will.

Elsewhere, the biscuit chat continues as house chocolate enters the conversation, and we uncover a revelation… how are you actually supposed to pronounce Blue Riband?

Short, snappy, and full of opinions you didn’t realise you had.

This week we’re unpacking Melissa’s community fundraising event… and like most worthwhile things, it came with both highs and lows.

The highs?

Fun, laughter, dancing, connection, and raising money for a good cause.

The lows?

People turning up early and derailing the prep plans… plus Melissa admitting she maybe wasn’t her best self in the stress of it all. (Liane needed to have a quiet word.)

We also meet some unexpected new podcast followers at the local cricket club, proving once again that your people can appear where you least expect them.

Elsewhere, we get into limited edition KitKats, Liane’s rekindled love affair with pickled onions, and Bragger’s Corner rightly shines a light on Melissa for completing her coaching course, Reiki course, and pulling off a cracking event.

Real life, real wins, a few wobbles, and as always… gratitude.

This week’s question of the week… and we’re not going to lie, we didn’t enjoy this one.

Would you rather have a hand for a foot… or a foot for a hand?

It raises more questions than answers. Practical ones. Important ones.

How are you picking your nose?

What’s happening with socks?

And does this completely disrupt the foot pic economy… or take it to a whole new level?

We get into it (reluctantly), and somehow commit to an answer.

Plus, we revisit last week’s KitKat debate and come in with a firm decision on whether it’s a biscuit or a chocolate bar.

Short, snappy, slightly unhinged… and guaranteed to make you question things you didn’t need to question.

Life’s been… a lot this week.

Melissa’s been in the thick of it, busy, overwhelmed, and trying to keep up, and we get into how the podcast has been her anchor.

In slightly less emotional but equally important news… Melissa has a new hoover (a Shark, no less), and what’s been happening with the old one turns into a surprisingly weighty bit of Glory of the Ordinary.

Bragger's Corner is back, and this time it’s Melissa stepping up, now officially a Level 2 Reiki practitioner.

Liane, meanwhile, has manifested an elephant. As you do.

It’s a mix of real life, small wins, and finding your feet when things feel full.

And as always, we finish with gratitude.

In this bonus episode, Liane shares her journey with vulnerability, starting from a belief that many of us carry without even questioning… that she could never.

That thought shaped more than she realised, until she decided to challenge it in a big way… signing up for a marathon after doing one run.

We get into the real stuff, the “I’m not good enough” narrative, the fear of fear itself, and the moments where imposter syndrome creeps in and tries to keep you playing small.

This is about what happens when you stop keeping those thoughts to yourself and start saying them out loud. Because when you do, they lose their power.

It’s an honest conversation about pulling back the curtain on the doubts, the worries, and the things we all think we’re the only ones feeling.

Turns out… we’re not!