Life Lately

Sarah loved getting together with other families in her neighborhood for a potluck.

Abby is hoping listeners have suggestions for her elderly dog, Tonks, who is excited about eating.

Reading Lately

Sarah read Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It by Richard V. Reeves. For a more condensed version of the ideas check out his New York Times article Stop Pretending You’re Not Rich.

Abby listened to a classic: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

Friendlier finances

Money—the perfect topic to discuss at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. Or if that doesn’t seem like it will go over well, just listen in to us talk about it! We share our philosophy around money, how we handle finances in our families, our money hangups, and our financial goals. For more inspiration, check out some of our favorite resources:

• Mr. Money Mustache blog
• Facebook group for lower-income Mustachians
• Frugalwoods blog
• Death, Sex, and Money podcast, especially the episodes related to student debt
• Mad FIentist podcast
• Matrimoney podcast
• The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber
• You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Money by Jen Sincero
• At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider (not exactly money related, but goal related as she shares her experience circumnavigating the globe for nine months with her husband and three kids)

Eating Lately

Abby’s been warming up with slow-cooked chili, courtesy of the Instant Pot (of course). Sarah’s been loving jarred sauces from Maya Kaimal.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Life lately

Abby is excited that as of this episode we have been podcasting for a whole year! A special thank you to everyone listening for being part of it; we wouldn’t want to do it without you.

Sarah and Neil just got back from a kid-free trip to Arkansas where they hiked, caught up with old-friends, and marveled at being able to talk uninterrupted for hours at a time.

Reading lately

Abby read the New York Times article When the Revolution Came for Amy Cuddy. In an earlier episode Abby talked about Cuddy’s book Presence. Abby also liked this article about the research.

Sarah read The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein, as recommended by listener Misti. It is a YA mystery set in pre-WWII Scotland and the prequel to Code Name Verity.

Self-care

The craziness of the holidays is nearly upon us, so we thought it would be timely to think about how we care for ourselves, how we prioritize that time, and how our perspective on self-care has changed since becoming parents.

Eating lately

Sarah is warming up with Abby’s chicken noodle soup recipe while Abby is attempting to recreate her co-op’s chipotle pimento cheese recipe.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!