Ever come home hangry, exhausted, or "just done" with the day -- and dinner still needs to happen? This week on Traversing Tuesdays, EmKay talks about quick throw-it-together ideas for when you just don't feel like cooking.

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This week EmKay talks about making meal time easier when energy is low. From shortcuts to avoid waste to sharing how she organizes for easy meal preparation, it's all about kindness to yourself. 

The News

Rupert reports on a possible garden gnome plot and Sister Cat sleeps through the broadcast.

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Batch cooking sounds like a lot, but what if it isn't about spending hours in the kitchen with 14 food containers and a label maker? This week we explore what batch cooking can look like for low-energy real-life humans, especially those of us balancing chronic illness, fatigue, or just plain old everyday overwhelm. There's zero guilt, no pressure, and a loud NO to food monotony and Pinterest-perfect meal prep.

Trigger/ Content Advisory: This episode includes themes of pet loss and grief. Listener discretion is advised. 

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This week, we gather around the studio table to explore the idea of turning dinner into an experience at home. 

Our theme for August is Cooking and Food. In this episode, the Tuesday News Network team sets aside the Tuesday Topics section and instead gathers for a potluck dinner. Twinkle lights, googly eyes, a crocheted table runner, and interestingly garnished sandwiches -- it's a celebration of slowing down, showing up, and savoring the moment.

What's your idea of an artful dinner? Is it a solo picnic with your cat? A candle, a sandwich, and ten minutes of peace? Send us your stories.

Stay Connected

Subscribe to the The Side Path newsletter here for upcoming episode topics and more from the studio.

For bonus material and occasional bonus podcast episodes, follow along on Patreon. (There is always free content)

This week, we’re looking at journaling and self-reflection as an act of care — not just for ourselves in this moment, but for the person we’re still becoming.

EmKay shares the joy of finding notes and old journal entries she wrote that serve as reminders and moments of amusement. She also shares her thoughts on life as a garden (inspired by The Art of Stopping Time by Pedram Shojai.)

Plus: Rupert Kettle finds himself in a smooshy-faced dog paradise, Dell continues her unauthorized (and unappreciated) investigation into “the oak tree incident”, and Fenwick artfully dodges an attempted mic steal from Stephen the squirrel.

Pro Tip from EmKay – write a note to yourself where you’re going to put that thing. You may think you’ll remember, but just in case you don’t! Future You will thank you.

To get the list of show topics for August, go to Traversing Tuesdays and scroll down to subscribe to The Side Path newsletter.

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In this cozy, serotonin-friendly episode of Traversing Tuesdays, we dive into mood-boosting tools that help when the clouds roll in or motivation is stuck under the bed. EmKay shares real-life examples, gentle experiments, and a few pocket-sized tools for difficult days.

Stephen the Squirrel interrupts the news, and there is a cryptic guest appearance by Dell, whose mysterious process we're all still processing.

Featuring your usual podcast pals: Rupert Kettle, Tuesday News Network anchor reporting from the desk. Sister Cat, the window correspondent. the Friendly Water Glass, reminding us to stay hydrated. Fenwick the Snail who talks fast to make up for his slow speed.

Stay connected: Check out bonus content and behind the scenes silliness on Patreon. Sign up for EmKay's newsletter at Traversing Tuesdays for the monthly themes and topics and occasional bonus content. 

Whether you live by your planner or panic at the sight of a spreadsheet, this episode is for you.

In Episode 6 of Traversing Tuesdays, EmKay dives into the world of tracking—what it’s good for, when it’s not helpful, and how to approach it with compassion instead of perfectionism. From monitoring glucose levels while managing diabetes to capturing moments of joy, EmKay reflects on the surprising ways tracking has supported healing, insight, and peace.

But this isn’t about turning your life into a productivity project. It’s about noticing what matters to you, whether that means tracking energy patterns, mood swings, sleep quality, or just jotting down whether you ate lunch. This episode is especially supportive for creatives, spoonies, and anyone navigating chronic illness, burnout, or neurodivergent brain fog.

You’ll also hear from the whole Traversing Tuesdays team: Sister Cat offers a PSA on napping, Rupert Kettle shares a new development on the smooshy-faced dog, the Friendly Water Glass makes sure hydration and self-care stay on the agenda, and Fenwick the Snail delivers one of his most unexpectedly profound reflections to date.

Tracking might look like journaling, voice memos, emoji stickers, photo logs, or letting an app like Finch notice patterns for you. The point isn’t to do it all—it’s to find what works for your season of life, your capacity, and your needs.

This episode is about building gentle awareness. Letting go of what doesn’t serve. And holding onto the quiet, meaningful things that do.

For bonus content, visit EmKay's Patreon. Click here for the Traversing Tuesdays web site. Sign up for the newsletter on the Traversing Tuesdays web site to get the monthly episode schedule.

In this episode of Traversing Tuesdays, EmKay shares a personal story of navigating fluctuating energy, chronic illness, and the emotional toll of traditional productivity mindsets. Instead of pushing through or trying to “catch up,” she explores how to plan your day based on energy rhythms, not guilt.

You’ll learn how to recognize small energy boosts, build a flexible task system that honors both movement and rest, and shift your perspective so that naps and daydreams aren’t roadblocks — they’re strategy.

Plus, Sister Cat delivers a PSA that may forever change how you view rest, shame, and your right to reclaim stillness.

If you’ve ever wrestled with burnout, creative fatigue, or the pressure to “keep up,” this gentle episode is here to whisper: there’s another way.

For bonus content, visit EmKay's Patreon. Click here for the Traversing Tuesdays web site. Sign up for the newsletter on the Traversing Tuesdays web site to get the monthly episode schedule.

Traversing Tuesdays enters a new chapter with this episode — featuring monthly themes, cozy character chaos, and gentle systems for creative souls and spoonie spirits.

Things begin with a timely PSA from the Friendly Water Glass, before shifting to the newsroom where Rupert Kettle fumbles a birthday announcement, Sister Cat retreats into her blanket fort, and a mysterious new team member finally arrives… fashionably late, of course.

EmKay shares thoughts on journaling, planning, and how to create low-pressure productivity systems that actually support you — especially when you’re dealing with chronic illness, fatigue, or creative overwhelm.

Whether you’re a paper planner lover, a sticker hoarder, or just looking for permission to start slow, this episode has your name written softly in the margins.

For bonus content, visit EmKay's Patreon. Click here for the Traversing Tuesdays web site. Sign up for the newsletter on the Traversing Tuesdays web site to get the monthly episode schedule.

On this episode of Traversing Tuesdays, the friendly water glass shares playful, practical tips for making plain water more enjoyable — because hydration deserves to be fun. EmKay continues unfolding her story, reflecting on creativity, change, and the slow path back to herself.

Meanwhile, Rupert Kettle returns with exciting news dispatches, and Sister Cat delivers a bored field report but an impassioned call to reclaim the siesta as a sacred birthright.

This storytelling podcast blends soft absurdity, slow-living philosophy, and gentle humor for creatives, spoonies, and anyone navigating the strange and beautiful middle chapters of life.

For bonus content, visit EmKay's Patreon. Click here for the Traversing Tuesdays web site. Sign up for the newsletter on the Traversing Tuesdays web site to get the monthly episode schedule.