We Still Like Each Other

Happy Valentine’s Day! This week Stephanie and Travis are joined by Mesha and David of Finance Fails and Cocktails podcast. Mesha is an active member of the debt free community and the face behind @RefillingMyWallet. Mesha and David are high school sweethearts, 14 years later they Still Like Each Other. During that time they racked up over $100,000 in debt and just recently decided to split their finances. 

Many of us struggle to keep our finances in order, when in a relationship, money talks can be daunting. However, avoiding talking about it can lead to huge problems, as Travis reveals in his “Did You Know” segment.

Tune in to see how Stephanie and Travis’ poor money habits led to them almost being scammed while looking for an apartment.

Thank you to everyone that has reached out to Stephanie and checked in on her well being.  We often check in on the baby and forget to ask the mom if she's okay. For many women, their value is tied to their productivity. So when a baby is controlling every moment, it's easy to start feeling devalued. How can your partner help? 

Did you know that men really benefit from marriage? Stephanie says, duh and other things. 

Stephanie shares a tip on how to open lines of communication with your partner on not so easy to discuss topics. 

We all know Kanye has been firing off questionable and down right absurd remarks for a number of years, but does he have a point now in regards to his daughter's TikTok usage? 

On this weeks Oh So Y'all Can Relate, we touch on how much, if at all, should your partner intervene in family problems. We often confide in our partners and tell them our family 
trauma. This may unintentionally lead to your partner developing negative feelings for your family.

We all know the company we keep, and the social media algorithm we've curated influence our day to day decisions. But did you know divorces are contagious? This week Travis is back with his segment “Did You Know?”

We have become used to blaming “the algorithm” for what we have on our phones, but it is time we take responsibility. The algorithm is curated by our search history, our purchase history, the content we share via DM’s and stories. 

Have you ever called 911 and then realized the support on the other end of the phone isn't like they make it seem in the movies? Well Stephanie called 911 this week, thankfully everyone is okay, but she doesn't regret making the call.

You don't want to miss this weeks “Oh So Y’all Can Relate” titled: I’m A Product Of An Affair. Children of affairs are often pushed to the background. Who is to blame? Who do we hold accountable? What are the children to do about their “family” in adulthood? The layers are piled up high on this one as Stephanie shares a personal experience related to her biological father.

Travis is starting a new segment this week called “Did You Know?”. The control freak in Stephanie is a little nervous. Travis will be searching the web for relationship facts and introducing them for discussion's sake. Today’s fact ended up putting both Stephanie and Travis in the hot seat regarding their exes and former hook-ups. 

How long does a woman have to wait before having penetrative sex after birthing a baby or having a a cesarean? What we all accept as fact may be a false tradition with a cringe worthy origin story. Travis feels betrayed, Stephanie is shocked, but not surprised. 

On this week's “Oh So Y’all Can Relate?”, titled: Your Cop Boyfriend Is Not Invited To Our Wedding, Stephanie issues an apology to the person who submitted the story. It was a layered conversation that included discussions about race, policing, family dynamics, using the N word, boundaries, acceptance, and so much more. When does defending yourself become disrespectful? When people disagree and it leads to an argument, someone wants to win. This leads to low blows and sharing of hurtful words that can't be taken back. It wasn't an easy conversation to say the least. 

It’s that time of the year where your New Year's resolutions start to look like “maybe next year?” Stephanie and Travis are two weeks strong of not ordering take out, but they are already out of meal ideas. How are y’all holding up?

Stay away from rhetoric that tells you, you and your partner can never make it work. We’ve all heard about Zodiac signs that are doomed and can never have a successful relationship. This week Travis and Stephanie learned that their attachment styles, which were diagnosed by TikTok psychologist’s, could never work together. Do you think they care? 

In this weeks ‘Oh So Y'all Can Relate’ submission we discuss the threesome rule book. Is there a rule book? Threesomes are not for the weak! Of course you need the stamina haha, but emotionally, you have to have thick skin and a solid foundation of trust in your relationship before allowing others into your bedroom. Without ground rules, things can go bad before anything even happens. Tune in to hear how just the idea of a threesome has negatively impacted this couple for the past two years!

Stephanie is tired of people telling her man he looks tired! Life at home with a newborn and a 2nd grader that was home from school all week will do it to you. Anyone else having trouble keeping up with CDC guidelines? Who knows what's best anymore? These episodes are their mini therapy sessions, so let's just call it self-care. They will get done for the good of the relationship by any means necessary. 

You all will get the inside scoop on Stephanie and Travis weekly check-ins. They are only 2 weeks in with this new relationship initiative. However, they have already gained some valuable insights on their marriage. 

Lastly, we all love to hate the Kardashians, but you know they had to discuss Tristan Thompson’s new baby. We often discuss children raised in single parent households, with step parents, or  divorced parents, but we don't often hear about the children of affairs.

Stephanie and Travis were SO close to not completing this episode. First one planned, recorded, processed with a newborn. Honestly, River was great. Stephanie and Travis need to improve their time management skills. 

This week they give maybe TOO much information about Stephanie’s labor. Travis got carried away with some details. However, each episode is recorded in 1 take, so it is what it is. Travis also talks about the moment it finally dawned on him. That he is a father of 2, that River is here alive in the flesh, surprisingly it wasn't as he watched him squeeze out of a 10cm opening. 

Stephanie and Travis open up about a disagreement they have recently had. Is having your own money as a safety net pessimistic, or smart? They ultimately agree to disagree but compromise. But wait… was it a compromise or did someone just get their way? Sometimes one person gets their way because it does less harm. 

Lastly, on “Oh So Y’all Can Relate” a woman proposes to her man after waiting for a proposal for 7 years! Stephanie said she would rather rip all her fingernails out one by one before she bent down on one knee. What do y'all think? Is the tradition around wedding proposals outdated? Are we woke enough as a society that women proposing to men can become common practice? Stephanie is still very much asleep when it comes to this. 

SURPRISE! We had this episode on stand by for when River arrived. We refused to skip a week. Couldn't leave y’all hanging during the holiday’s. 

This episode is a real eye opener and mind twister as we share a very detailed ‘Oh So Y’all Can Relate’ submission. This story is full of WTF moments, red flags, and heartbreak. So join us as we unfold the layers and mind other people's business in a non-toxic way haha.

This week Travis and Stephanie have the “Santa talk” with Eli! Of course it was funny and a little sad. Christmas is already at the end of this week! Where has the year gone? Baby River is ready to enter the world, but he seems to be comfortable in the womb. 

On a much deeper and unfortunate note, they discuss the circumstances of a double murder suicide that occurred in Baltimore recently. Why is it that people aren't protected from their potential physical abusers? If you haven't already been physically hurt by someone you are often left with no protection from the law. 

Lastly, on “Oh So Y’all Can Relate” they share a story of a college girl with a boyfriend back home. College and long distance relationships are tricky. But what happens when your insecurities lead to unhealthy obsessive behaviors?

This week Stephanie and Travis are joined by Kiara Luna, LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) who is the owner of Knew You Psychotherapy. She has over 10 years of experience in this field. She is also a host, keynote speaker, and panelist who is extremely knowledgeable in various areas of mental health counseling including couples therapy. How does Kiara feel about the way Travis and Stephanie handle conflict on the show? 

With such a great resource, Stephanie and Travis ask Kiara questions such as how does generational trauma manifest in intimate relationships? What is culture specific trauma? Are we showing Eli too much love? 

Kiara also gives us very important information about varying forms of domestic violence including the red flags that signal a potential threat of violence. Did you know that neglect is a form of abuse in intimate partner relationships? Do we sometimes fall in love with who we want to believe someone is instead of who they are showing us they are?