There’s a quiet that settles in after the holidays — when the dishes are done, the lights are still glowing, and the rush finally fades into something softer.

In this episode of The Maker’s Table: Holiday Special Series, we step into that in-between space between Christmas and the New Year — the stretch where time feels slower, reflection comes naturally, and nothing needs to be rushed.

Using winemaking as a metaphor, this episode explores what it means to wait well. To trust the quiet seasons. To recognize that growth doesn’t always happen in motion — sometimes it happens in stillness.

We talk about:
• the power of the waiting season
• why refinement matters more than reinvention
• what winemaking teaches us about patience and trust
• honoring the work you’ve already done
• pouring forward with intention instead of urgency

If you’re feeling pressure to start fresh, fix everything, or reinvent yourself by January 1st, this episode is a gentle reminder: you don’t need to rush what’s already becoming something worth savoring.

Because some of the best things — like a good bottle of wine — just need time to breathe.

Crafted by hand. Rooted in home.

The days leading up to Christmas are often the loudest — full of plans, preparation, and pressure to make everything feel “just right.”

In this episode of The Maker’s Table: Holiday Special Series, we pause in that in-between space — the final days before Christmas — to talk about the quiet work of holding space for the season before it arrives.

This is a gentle, grounding episode about slowing down when the world won’t, creating emotional buffer during a busy week, and protecting your peace so you can actually feel the holiday instead of sprinting through it.

We reflect on:
• letting the shop breathe instead of rushing to finish
• turning the kitchen back into a place of presence, not pressure
• stepping outside to reset your nervous system
• what winemaking teaches us about patience and stillness
• small rituals that soften the final stretch before Christmas

If you’re feeling pulled in every direction this week, this episode is your reminder that the heart of the season isn’t found in doing more — it’s found in being present.

Next week, after Christmas, we’ll gather again for “The Bottle You’ll Want to Open in January.”

Crafted by hand. Rooted in home.

December has a way of pulling everything out of us.

The lists get longer, the pace gets faster, and even the things we love — building, cooking, creating — can start to feel like obligations instead of joy.

In this episode of The Maker’s Table: Holiday Special Series, we pause to talk about something often overlooked this time of year: the gifts makers need to give themselves.

We reflect on the quiet, grounding power of small projects, slow cooking without pressure, and the patience winemaking teaches us when life feels rushed. This episode isn’t about productivity or perfection — it’s about presence. About stepping back into the shop, the kitchen, or the quiet corners of home simply to breathe and reconnect.

If you’ve been pouring everything you have into making the season special for everyone else, this episode is an invitation to turn that care inward — even if only for a moment.

Because creating isn’t a performance.
It’s a relationship.
And sometimes, the most meaningful gift is rest.

New episodes of The Maker’s Table drop every Saturday through December.
Crafted by hand. Rooted in home.

Sometimes the best remedy for a busy season is a meal that forces you to slow down.

In this episode of The Maker’s Table: Holiday Special Series, we step outside into the cool Florida air, fire up the smoker, and talk about what slow cooking teaches us during the holidays. From Thanksgiving mornings on the Traeger to the quiet rhythm of tending a low-and-slow meal, this episode explores how cooking becomes a refuge — a way to breathe, reset, and create space in a season that often feels rushed.

We talk about:
• Why slow cooking brings calm when life speeds up
• The freedom of moving one dish outside — and how it changes the whole day
• How smoke, fire, and patience can reset your mindset
• Making space inside and outside during the holidays
• The meaning found in gathering around a meal made with intention

Whether you’re smoking a turkey, simmering a pot of chili, or just trying to reclaim a little quiet in December, this episode is an invitation to slow down — one steady breath, one steady hour, one steady meal at a time.

New episodes of The Maker’s Table drop every Saturday through December.

A seasonal series from the Third Shift Crafts Podcast.

Crafted by hand. Rooted in home.

Some of the most meaningful gifts don’t come from a store — they come from a Saturday afternoon in the workshop, a few scraps of wood, and a bit of intention.

In this episode of The Maker’s Table: Holiday Special Series, we’re slowing down and exploring the beauty of simple, heartfelt woodworking projects you can finish in a weekend. From tea light holders to rustic serving boards to tiny shelves made from reclaimed lumber, these quick builds remind us that handmade doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.

We talk about:
• How small projects can restore calm in a busy season
• Why simple woodworking helps quiet your mind
• The emotional connection behind giving something handmade
• Why “easy” doesn’t mean “less meaningful”
• How to create gifts that feel personal, intentional, and rooted in home

Whether you’ve got a full shop or just a corner of the garage, this episode is your encouragement to slow down, pick up a scrap piece of wood, and build something small — something that carries your care and your presence into someone else’s life.

New episodes of The Maker’s Table drop every Saturday through December.
A holiday mini-series from the Third Shift Crafts Podcast.
Crafted by hand. Rooted in home.

In this first episode of The Maker’s Table: Holiday Special Series, Lauren invites you into the quiet, heartwarming rhythm of handmade holidays. From late-night sanding sessions to slow-cooked meals and the patience of homemade wine, this episode explores why the things we build, pour, and gather around carry a meaning store-bought gifts never will.

It’s a gentle return to what matters most: making with intention, sharing with love, and slowing down long enough to remember why handmade traditions still anchor us during the busiest season of the year.

In this reflective, seasonal conversation, you’ll hear:
• Why handmade gifts feel more personal — and more memorable
• How building for someone else changes the way we show love
• The emotional connection between woodworking, cooking, and winemaking
• Why slowing down is the real gift of the season
• How gathering around handmade things softens the edges of life

If you’ve been craving a calmer holiday — one rooted in home, craft, and meaning — this episode is your invitation to step back, breathe, and rediscover the beauty of making with your own two hands.

The Maker’s Table: Holiday Special Series releases every Saturday through December.
Part of the Third Shift Crafts Podcast.
Crafted by hand. Rooted in home.

This isn’t just the end of a season—it’s the beginning of something deeper.

In the Season One finale of the Third Shift Crafts Podcast, Lauren looks back on what we’ve built together: sawdust-covered projects, backyard fires, homemade wine, and the slow art of crafting a life rooted in home.

We revisit the lessons behind wood, fire, wine, and life—what they’ve taught us about patience, creativity, and finding joy in the everyday—and share a few listener stories that made this season special.

Plus, Lauren gives a sneak peek at what’s ahead in Season Two: more builds, more fire-cooked meals, more honest stories from the workshop and beyond.

🎧 Whether you’re a woodworker, outdoor cook, or someone learning to slow down, this episode is your reminder that craft isn’t just what we make—it’s how we live.

In this episode of the Third Shift Crafts Podcast, Lauren explores how woodworking and outdoor cooking aren’t separate worlds — they’re both acts of connection. From the first handmade cutting board that hosted a shared meal to the everyday rituals that turn ordinary moments into memories, this episode reminds us that the things we make carry meaning long after we set down the tools.

Whether you’re sanding in your shop, stirring on the stove, or lighting the grill, this is your invitation to slow down and see how your creativity becomes community.

👉 Listen to “From Workbench to Table: Crafting Connections” now — and discover how small handmade touches can bring more warmth, intention, and joy to your daily life.

In this episode of the Third Shift Crafts Podcast, Lauren shares the unsung heroes of her creative life — the woodworking and outdoor cooking tools she truly can’t live without. From the orbital sander and speed square in her woodshop to the cast-iron skillet and digital thermometer by the grill, these are the tools that shape her rhythm and bring joy to the process. Whether you’re sanding, searing, or simply slowing down, you’ll walk away inspired to use what you already have — and love the work even more.

👉 Listen now and rediscover why the right tools aren’t about perfection — they’re about connection.

In today’s episode of the Third Shift Crafts Podcast, Lauren invites you to pause the rush and rediscover the grounding power of creating. Through woodworking, outdoor cooking, and winemaking, she shares how slowing down brings presence, patience, and joy back into everyday life. Learn why crafting by hand is more than a hobby—it’s a rebellion against burnout. With personal stories, simple 30-minute creative practices, and encouragement for when you feel like you “don’t have time,” this episode is a reminder that your life is worth savoring.

✨ Topics covered:

• Why hands-on creativity is deeply grounding

• Stories of woodworking, grilling, and winemaking as slow living practices

• Practical tips to carve out just 30 minutes a week for creating

• Encouragement for busy seasons when life feels too fast

  
  

Whether you’re sanding wood, tending coals, or watching wine bubble away, you’ll walk away with inspiration to slow down and craft life on your own terms.