Friendlier

We share how we plan meals and grocery shop, including what's working and where there's room for improvement.Life latelyAbby tried furoshiki to wrap Plum's birthday presents--a success!Sarah is loving attending local theater productions.Reading latelyAbby loved Royally Screwed by Emma Chase. Special thanks to listener Katie for the recommendation! Sarah read How to Stop Time by Matt Haig. If you want a more in-depth discussion, check out the Girl Next Door's book club episode.Eating latelySarah has another Budget Bytes favorite: vegan red beans and rice.Abby tried out two Asian dishes--beef with broccoli (a success!) and lo mein (might need some tweaks). Sarah tried this lo mein recipe and loved it.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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We share our favorite ways to treat ourselves, when we are most likely to indulge in treats, and frugal treats we love. And we reference this blog post: Treat Yourself: More Like Defeat Yourself by Mrs. FrugalwoodsLife latelySarah shares her distaste for vacation planning.Abby’s cats are feeling cozy in their new heated bed.Reading latelySarah read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green and Abby flew through Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin.Eating latelyAbby has been enjoying frozen chocolate and almond croissants from Trader Joe’s.Sarah’s whole family loved this enchilada casserole.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We discuss into everything pregnancy related: what we loved, our biggest challenges, cravings and aversions, favorite splurges, and the resources we recommend.Maternity underwear from Kindred BravelyPregnancy pillowThe Longest Shortest Time podcastMindful Birthing: Training the Mind, Body, and Heart for Childbirth and Beyond by Nancy Bardack and the accompanying guided meditationsExpecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know by Emily OsterLife latelyAbby is loving prenatal yoga, both as a student and a teacher.Sarah is happy to have invested in pelvic floor physical therapy.Reading latelyAbby loved Nicole Chung's memoir All You Can Ever Know and Sarah finished The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.Eating latelySarah is thankful the internet saved pizza night with this no-yeast pizza crust recipe.Abby's whole family is enjoying chili nachos.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us

We discuss our clothing buying and wearing philosophy, how we shop for clothes for ourselves and our kids, our biggest clothing challenges, and how we feel about the whole enterprise. Links featured in this episode:Buy Nothing groupsPoshmark KidizenThredUpStitch FixLife latelySarah shares a routine that is working for her family: grocery shopping on Fridays.Abby laments that she is too pregnant to tie her shoes.Reading latelySarah read The Eating Instinct by Virginia Sole-Smith and Abby listened to Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (the sequel to Beartown).Eating latelyAbby enlightens us about the different Girl Scout bakeries.Sarah made a cozy dish in the winter: cheesy cauliflower potato soup.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

BudgetingMany people use the new year as an opportunity to reevaluate their finances and set financial goals, so we thought it would be a good time to explore budgets and how they work in our families. We share our budgeting philosophies, challenges, tips, and resources.Our episode on financesOur Freaking BudgetFrugalwoods Frugal MonthHome Budget appPersonal CapitalLife latelyAbby is using a new strategy to help Plum nap.Sarah is now organizing her passwords with LastPass.Reading latelyAbby read The Cactus by Sarah Haywood and Sarah enjoyed Jasmine Guillory's romance novel The Wedding Date.Eating latelySarah made dragon noodles for an easy lunch.Abby upped her yogurt game by using the Cabot brand Greek yogurt as a starter.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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The new year is often a time to evaluate old routines and establish new ones. We share our feelings about routines in general, what routines we have in our lives, our routine aspirations, and routine fails.AND we are getting ready to put new groups together for the Friendlier Reading Experience where we’ll connect you with four or five other listeners to form your own virtual bookclub. If you are interested, be sure to sign up by the end of January.Life latelySarah and Abby share recaps of their holidays.Reading latelySarah read Becoming by Michelle Obama and Abby read Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.Eating latelyAbby made a strata that froze surprisingly well.Sarah was inspired by the Great British Baking Show to make her first yule log.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We reflect back on 2018, look ahead to 2019, and share some of our favorites from the past year.Visible Child article on graciousness and corresponding Facebook groupBlack PantherTo All the Boys I've Loved BeforeThe Marvelous Mrs. MaiselThe Good PlaceThe Great British Baking ShowKindred Bravely maternity underwearTub shroomBumble Ride Indie TwinLL Bean slippersLife latelyAbby is officially debt free!Sarah shares a milestone: first lost tooth for HP!Reading latelyAbby read the first book in a trilogy: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison. Sarah read Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver.Eating latelySarah discusses the correct way to make hot chocolate.Abby made baked brie with puff pastry.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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We take a look back at our reading life in 2018: our challenges, our wins, and our favorite books of the year. We’d love to hear your favorite books of the year!FictionSarah: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne, An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor TowlesAbby: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and This Is How It Always Is by Laurie FrankelNon-fictionSarah: Louise Penny’s Gamache series, Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Outdoor Design by Charles Montgomery and Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew DesmondAbby: Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of PregnancyMost enjoyableSarah: Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and From Twinkle With Love by Sandhya MenonThe Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and Hamilton’s Battalion: A Trio of Romances by Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, and Alyssa ColeMemoirSarah: Educated by Tara Westover, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brow

Graceful quittingWe share why neither of us are quitting averse, our most memorable quitting (and not-quitting) moments, quitting regrets, gracefully quitting relationships, and our thoughts on quitting books and television shows.Freakonomics episode on The Upside of QuittingTwitter thread about setting boundariesLife latelyAbby successfully completed her longest solo-parenting stretch to date!Sarah is headed into a cold-weather camping weekend; wish her luck!Reading latelyAbby read Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, the first book of a fantasy fiction triology. Sarah stepped outside her usual genre and listened to the classic novel Another Country by James Baldwin.Eating latelySarah is searching for simple lunches to incorporate into her family's life.Abby is looking forward to eating roasted cranberry sauce, both on Thanksgiving and for many days after.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 @friendl

With the holidays upon us, we thought it would be the perfect time to take a step back from the madness and discuss simplicity. We share how we try to find it in our schedules, stuff, relationships, and holidays. Resources we mention in this episode:Simplicity Parenting by Kim John PayneCohesive Home podcastMinimalist Moms podcastJoshua BeckerClear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen KingstonOur episode on minimalismLife latelySarah's loving relaxing weekends with her family.Abby is struggling with a moth infestation.Reading latelySarah read How to Be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute by K.J. Dell'Antonia and Abby finished Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.Eating latelyAbby's happy to meal plan again after not being excited about food in the first half of her pregnancy.Sarah experimented with adding cocoa to the best chocolate chip cookie recipe to make chocolate chocolate chip cookies.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comm

Naming humansIn honor of Abby's announcement, we wanted to share how we chose our children's names, our naming styles, names that got away, and our favorite naming resources.Appellation MountainSwistleNameberryOne Bad Nugget Facebook Group (must be a member of the One Bad Mother FB group to join)Baby Name Wizard Name VoyagerLife latelyAbby has big news: she's pregnant!Sarah is on a spending spree in preparation for winter.Reading latelyAbby read a duology by Laini Taylor Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares. Sarah finished the Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. If you want to learn about segregation and housing but aren't ready to commit to the book, check out this interview with the author.Eating latelySarah is loving Dots pretzels and considering ordering in bulk.Abby made a jazzed up version of the traditional baked potato: fiesta lentil potatoes.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. T

We're going meta with this episode and talking about podcasts: what we love about them, when we listen, and all our favorite shows. We'd love to hear your favorite listens so we can add them to our rotation! Shows we mention:Harry Potter and the Sacred TextNPR PoliticsGirl Next DoorFood Psych (some favorite guests include: Lindy West, Fiona Sutherland, and Alan Levinovitz)Death Sex and MoneyCohesive HomeStreamlined MotherhoodHighs and Lows (listen to Abby's episode here)She's All FatMore PerfectWe Live Here (especially their most recent episodes on housing)Still ProcessingMinimalist MomsYour Parenting MojoConversations With People Who Hate Me (episode on the term Latinx)What Should I Read NextReading WomenNot By AccidentBut Why?Sparkle StoriesLife latelySarah's been digging up weeds and planting native plants in her front yard.Abby shares the ups and downs of her recent trip to D.C. for a conference.Reading latelySarah read My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan and Abby read Everything Happens for a Reason: And Othe

Friendship logisitcsWay back in Episode 14 we talked about friendship, but we wanted to revisit the subject with a focus on how we maintain friendships and how that's changed since becoming parents.Life latelyAbby shares her family's new toilet paper: Who Gives A Crap!Sarah is reveling in how much smoother the school year transition has been compared to last year.Reading latelyAbby has more romance to share, this time in the form of Hamilton's Battalion, a collection of three novellas by Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, and Alyssa Cole.Sarah read Girls and Sex by Peggy Orenstein, which felt particularly timely in light of the Supreme Court hearings.Eating latelySarah made a dairy-free chicken pot pie.Abby shares a brie and apple sandwich, inspired by the Fido restaurant in Nashville.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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information

We discuss how we approach food with our kids, what our dinnertime routines look like, and family favorite meals we didn't expect.Links and resources mentioned:Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating resources:Food Psych podcastEllyn Satter InstituteThe F*ck It DietBody Positive Panda on InstagramKeekaroo high chairCurry potatoes and eggsLentil loafLife latelySarah's happy to be reunited with her Chacos after having them re-soled.Abby shares how she and her family prepared for Hurricane Florence.Reading latelySarah read Educated by Tara Westover and Abby read the middle-grade novel The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine.Eating latelyAbby made pizza bagels--easy and delicious.Sarah loved this lemony lentil soup as recommended on the Girl Next Door Podcast.And don't forget to check out two great shows from our friends Melissa and Kate: Cohesive Home and brand new show The Streamlined Motherhood Podcast.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our shownotes, email us a

From hair (we both have so much!) to skin-care (what exactly is a toner anyway?), we share our style and beauty routines and how they have changed over the years. We'd love to hear which aspects of beauty and style are worth the effort for you, and which aren't. Links featured in this episode:Photo on Tumbler that features this quote: "In a world that profits from your self-doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act."Frugalwoods blog post and bookErnie BuffaloLife latelyAbby shares Plum's transition from the Guava Lotus travel crib to a floor bed.Sarah has a new dishwasher, which--gasp!--actually washes dishes.Reading latelyAbby continued in the romance genre with Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient.Sarah read The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir.Eating latelySarah put in the effort to make a Greek salad (why is chopping vegetables so hard?!).Abby's enjoying homemade seltzer, courtesy of Andrew's home brew supplies.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpod

We share details of our summer--the good, the bad, and the never-do-again (I'm looking at you, split red-eye flight with a toddler). We cover our childcare situations, swim lessons, and the ups and downs of traveling with kids. Leave us a comment to share what worked (or didn't) for your family this summer!Life latelySarah's loving using these new containers for her kids' lunches.Abby shares how entertained Plum is by these water beads.Reading latelySarah read The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer and Abby finished Nell Scovell's Just the Funny Parts.Eating latelyAbby's family has been eating Instant Pot baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce.Sarah tried to make sushi, but ended up with sushi bowls, which happily turned out to be just as satisfying less work than rolls.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and

Kids and screensWe talk about screens and media--what we watched as kids, how our families handle screen time, and our favorite resources and recommendations. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the issue and if you have any media we should be sure to check out.Screen Time as a Feminist IssueLifecake appBabiesOK Go!Sparkle StoriesBut Why?Brains, On!Life latelyAbby has entered the world of e-readers with a new-to-her Kindle.Sarah shares the tale of two hikes from her recent trip to Colorado.Reading latelyAbby tried a new genre: romance! She loved Tessa Dare's A Week to Be Wicked.Sarah read An American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield.Eating latelySarah has been upping her popcorn game and making a version with chex mix seasonings.Abby's whole family is enjoying tuna salad--a perfect summer food.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! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-ou

Have you ever wondered how we produce Friendlier? Wonder no more! In this episode we share the backstory of starting the show (including our original failed concept), what we do to prepare for each episode, our recording set-ups, and the editing and post-production that gets Friendlier to you. We mentioned lots of links and resources, but if you have other questions please reach out; we'd love to pass on what we know.Other resources:Behind the scenes episodes from the Girl Next Door and the Mom HourKelsey's blog seriesEquipment:MicrophonePop filter (It makes such a difference in sound quality!)HeadphonesMicrophone standSound and art:Freesound for sound effectsYady Kates for our logo and headerAudrey for intro and outro musicPrograms:Voxer for brainstormingSkype to connect during recordingAudacity to record our files and for editingGoogle Docs and Drive to share outlines and audio filesPippa for hostingLife latelySarah's embracing summer--swim lessons, travel, and endless park time.Abby deleted Facebook from h

We share how we made and continue to make decisions around at-home-parenting, what frustrates us most about the cultural narratives around these choices, and how we see things evolving as our kids get older.Life latelyAbby recounts all of the effort that went into to setting up a rock box for Plum.Sarah is celebrating being two-toilet family again. Bathroom renovation, complete!Reading latelyAbby worked her way through a poetry collection: Oceanic by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.Sarah thoroughly enjoyed From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon.Eating latelySarah made a mushroom quiche based on Mark Bittman's recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.Abby prepared fancy sandwiches: brie and turkey on focaccia, topped with either garlic aioli or cherry preserves.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Since we are at the mid-point of 2018, we wanted to take some time to reflect and check-in on our intentions for the year. We share what is going well, what has challenged us, and what we hope for in the second half of the year.Life latelySarah learned about the trait of high-sensitivity (thanks, Abby!) and read The Highly Sensitive Child by Elaine Aron.Abby describes her plumbing woes.Reading latelySarah read the Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan and Abby completed the All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life) by Deborah Harkness.Eating latelyAbby's been eating spaghetti carbonara--a family favorite and Andrew's signature dish.Sarah's family is enjoying these banana muffins as a hearty breakfast or mid-morning snack.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our shownotes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.