Life lately

Sarah’s family is recovering from illness.

Abby is enjoying her newly-installed ceiling fan.

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Sarah loved listening to Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue and Abby was thrilled to read the third installment Talia Hibbert’s Brown Sisters trilogy–Act Your Age, Eve Brown.

Connecting with our partners

We share how we like to connect with our spouses, what forms of connection don’t work for us, and connection aspirations. Links we mentioned:

• Splendor
• Azul
• Boggle with Friends

Eating lately

Abby has perfected her spaghetti making process and Sarah is eating a lot of Trader Joe’s spring rolls.

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 trying a new skincare routine, inspired by Sherry of Young House Love.

Sarah played the piano every day in March as part of Ali Edward’s One Little Word class.

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Abby read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson and Sarah read Three Women by Lisa Taddeo.

Our camping lives

We discuss camping in our youth (including one memorable backpacking trip together in college), what we love about camping, what we could do without, and our favorites tips and resources. Links mentioned:

• Kelsey’s camping packing list
• Kitchen chuck box
• Abby’s family’s tent, cooler, techni ice, and sleeping mats

Eating lately

Sarah made an Instant Pot Oreo cheesecake and Abby’s family is enjoying kale from their garden.

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

Sarah got a new bike (after leaving hers in a park last summer–whoops).

Abby’s hens have started laying eggs!

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Sarah read The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon–an enemies to lovers romance with a podcast premise.

Abby loved the latest sci-fi novel from N.K. Jemisin, The City We Became.

What’s working (and what’s not)

Now that we are a few months into the new year we wanted to check-in with each other to find out what has and hasn’t been working in our lives. Links we mentioned:

• Yoga With Adriene 30 Day Challenge
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Linda Yan Glaser
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
• Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell

Eating lately

Abby found an easy blueberry muffin recipe and Sarah tried the TikTok pasta.

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 ticked a box on her pandemic bingo card: rearranging her house.

Sarah created new shelves on Goodreads for her family’s read-alouds and Friendlier reads (including specific shelves for books recommended by her and Abby).

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Abby read the YA fantasy novel Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko and Sarah read KJ Dell’Antonia’s novel The Chicken Sisters.

Things we hate, media edition

We spend a portion of every show talking about what we love in the books we read, but what about what we hate? We share our dislikes in books, favorite and least favorite romance tropes, books and shows other people loved but we couldn’t get into, and what we don’t enjoy in movies we watch. Links mentioned:

• Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
• Gold by Chris Cleeve
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• The War That Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
• The Power by Naomi Alderman
• Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (and the newest book in the series Court of Silver Flames just came out in February)
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Gilmore Girls
• Fleabag
• Arrested Development

Eating lately

Sarah made a new kitchen purchase and Abby had a failed grain bowl experience.

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

Neil finished building the kids’ Christmas present: a new playset!

Abby is doing a deep dive into camping gear in preparation for an upcoming trip.

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Sarah read the crime thriller Take It Back by Kia Abdullah.

Abby read Ink and Bone, the first of the Great Library series by Rachel Caine.

A week of breakfasts and lunches

We love to talk about food and share another installment of a week of meals, this time focused on our breakfasts and lunches. We were originally inspired by The Mom Hour’s episode of a week of dinners, and have previously recorded our own week of dinners and a week of snacks. Links we mentioned:

• Coconut Baobab granola
• Spicy cashew butter dressing
• Biscuit breakfast casserole
• Hero Donuts in Birmingham

Eating lately

We both share cookie recipes from Sally’s Baking Addiction: soft molasses cookies for Abby and caramel stuffed Nutella cookies for Sarah.

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’s family added kittens to their family!

Sarah’s family is hoping these are the perfect sleds (and that it snows more this year!).

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Abby read the Charm of Magpies fantasy series by KJ Charles and Sarah listened to the YA novel-in-verse Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (and can also recommend The Poet X by the same author).

Talking to kids about tough stuff

Inspired by a listener question, we discuss how we talk to our kids about tough stuff–politics, current events, race, gender, sex, cancer, and death. Links we mentioned + books our families love that we didn’t list in the show:

• Race:
  • Conscious Kid
  • Black Lives Matter book list with links to read-alouds of each book curated by Phoebe Defino
  • Own Voices in children’s literature
  • Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard, and Jennifer Zivoin
  • Ruby Bridges Goes to School by Ruby Bridges
  • The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez
  • The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
  • Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon Draper
  • I Am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos
  • Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higgenbotham
  • The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad
  • The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and R. Gregory Christie
  • We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
• Gender:
  • It Feels Good to Be Yourself by Theresa Thorn
  • Who Are You? A Kid’s Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pressen-Whedbee
• Sexuality and bodies:
  • What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg
  • It’s Not the Stork by Robie Harris
  • Amazing You: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts by Gail Saltz
  • From Diapers to Dating: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children From Infancy to Middle School by Debra Haffner
  • Girls and Sex and Boys and Sex, both by Peggy Ornstein
  • Article about parents having sex during the pandemic
  • Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education
• Other resources:
  • Visible Child Facebook group
  • Dr. Becky at Home
  • Seed and Sew
  • Janet Lansbury
• Other books:
  • When Charley Met Emma by Amy Webb and Merrilee Liddiard
  • The Rough Patch by Brian Lies
  • The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Eating lately

Sarah is becoming a Trader Joe’s convert, especially their hot and sweet pickled jalapenos.

Abby found a spinach dal her whole family loves.

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!

https://player.acast.com/59035d7c824c44014a0f451e/episodes/entertaining-ourselves-and-our-people-at-home?theme=white&cover=1&latest=1

Life lately

Sarah and Neil are having weekly meetings to check-in with each other about parenting.

Abby and her family said good-bye to their beloved cat, Zeda.

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Sarah read Kate Elizabeth Russell’s intense novel, My Dark Vanessa.

On the lighter side, Abby read Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade.

Entertaining ourselves and our people at home

We’ve had a lot of time at home, and more to come this spring. We share how we’ve keeping ourselves and our families entertained, the best and worst of our time at home, and our entertainment aspirations as we look ahead. Links we mentioned:

• Aaron’s Thinking Putty
• Boggle
• Quixx
• Azul
• Splendor
• Carcassone
• Drawful
• Codenames
• Temeraire books by Naomi Novik
• Schitt’s Creek
• Wandavision
• Bridgerton
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st by Karina Yan Glaser

Eating lately

Abby has an easy Trader Joe’s dinner to share and Sarah’s family is trying take-out from new-to-them local restaurants.

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 has been listening to The Bengsens.

Sarah’s kids have started finger-knitting, inspired by Hyacinth from the Vanderbeeker novels.

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Abby read Weather by Jenny Offill and Sarah finished This Place: 150 Years Retold, a graphic novel anthology.

Mood boosters

What better time to discuss mood boosters than the middle of a pandemic + the gray days of winter? We share our favorite mood boosting activities, products, and foods. Links we mentioned:

• Our episode on self-care
• SAD light
• Cards: tarot, goddess, and animal
• Poshmark

Eating lately

Sarah made chopped a whole lot of veggies for this roasted butternut squash and parsnip soup.

Abby combined these two recipes to make creamed spinach and eggs.

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!

https://player.acast.com/59035d7c824c44014a0f451e/episodes/state-of-our-home-disorganization?theme=default&cover=1&latest=1

Life lately

Sarah is facing down the gray days of winter.

Abby is loving Bridgerton.

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Sarah fell hard for the young adult novel You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson.

Abby read Yaa Gyasi’s new novel, Transcendent Kingdom.

The state of our home (dis)organization

We discuss our home organization wins, challenges, and inspiration. We may not have many tips to offer, but there’s plenty of commiseration to go around. Links we mentioned:

• Abby’s tool organizer
• Art storage Sarah hopes will solve her family’s craft area problems (the exact one is no longer available, but it is similar to this one)
• Young House Love
• Clutterbug podcast

Eating lately

Abby is eating lemon cookies to brighten up the winter days while Sarah is cozying up with corn chowder.

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’s building a chicken coop.

Sarah has abandoned one holiday tradition and remembered how much she loves another.

Reading lately

[one_third][/one_third] [one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Abby listened to The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue and Sarah read the Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

New year’s intentions, 2021

We reflect on the year that was, set intentions for 2021, and share some of our favorites from 2020. Links we mentioned:

• Last year’s intentions episode and our mid-year check-in
• Schitt’s Creek
• The Good Place
• Merge Dragons

Eating lately

Sarah made an alfredo sauce that didn’t break apart and Abby enjoyed Budget Bytes’ Dal Nirvana.

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!