#278: Favorite Things of 2025

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Emma

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You're listening to the beautiful mess podcast, your cozy comfort listen. And this week, we're recapping

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our favorite things from the past year, including movies, books, purchases, favorite memories and new

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things that we tried.

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Elsie

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Oh, right, I love a favorite things recap, because it just like gets me appreciating the year. And our next

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two episodes after this are going to be like, How did our goals go? Goal recap and then New Year's

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goals for next year. So I just love goal season. It's tis the season. Like, if you're not, if you haven't

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already been working on your goals since November, that's okay. We can't relate on this one thing. But

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like, I am, like, every day I'm in my journal making those New Year's goals, and it's the same thing

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every day. And I just like writing.

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Emma

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I was like, the first thing I did when we got to Italy, my first night alone in the hotel room, I opened up a

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new word doc. And I was like, ideas for my 40th year, because I'm gonna turn 40. And I just like writing

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little, and they're very random and mostly small, but like, yeah, we're just, it's fun to come up with, like

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goals, man. So anyway, that's the next few episodes. This one, no, this one. We're talking about

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favorite things. So we're kind of looking at the past, looking at this past year, which was awesome. So

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let's get into it. Yes. Okay, so what was your favorite movie, or movies that you watched in 2025 it does

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not have to be a movie that came out this year, but it can be okay.

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Elsie

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So my favorite movie of 2025 was weapons. I think it was considered a horror movie, but it was like a

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fun horror movie. More on the fun side. Did you watch it?

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Emma

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No, I saw the trailer because I read the premise. I gotta know how this happened. I read the premise,

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and I was like, strong premise. I would definitely want to read this book. And then I watched the trailer,

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and I was like, way too scary for me. Can't watch this.

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Elsie

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It was a great movie. And I will say, as a horror movie enthusiast, there is not a great new one every

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year, not every year, like at all. I mean, there's a new there are new ones every year, but there's not like

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one that you would like recommend and like, re watch, or like, you know, think about later. Like, that is

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like, pretty top tier for a horror movie when you're like, thinking about it weeks and months later, which I

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am with this one at this point. So, yeah, weapons, so it has Julia Garner, I think she's one of my favorite

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actors. Like, she was amazing in this movie. Yeah, I loved there's a lot of kid actors, because it's a

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movie about a classroom of kids disappearing, and that's sort of the the hook. Most of the movie, you're

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finding out what happened, and a lot of a mystery thriller too. Yes, it definitely has a mystery element. A

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lot of movies like that do not have a satisfying ending. It's very risky. This one had an ultra, ultra, ultra

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satisfying ending. So that's another reason why I loved it so much. So yeah, if you're up for a horror

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movie, if you're up for a horror movie on this week of Christmas, this week of almost Christmas, I

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recommend it. It's great. It's five out of five for me, and definitely my favorite movie of the year. And then

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the second movie I want to recommend, just for, like, a counterbalance, because I like, an oldie and a

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newie. Yeah, is I watched this was like, I don't know if Jeremy was I think he was just in the basement. I

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I don't know why he didn't watch this with me, but I was really mad about later, but I watched the 1969

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version of The Italian Job. So I know that there's an Italian Job from like, around the year 2000 or

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something. It does not look like something I'd be into. This one is is old and cute. So the thing about it, it

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made me feel like I was seeing like, when people say, like the golden age of Hollywood, I think there's

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more than one golden age of Hollywood, honestly, and it's maybe, like 100 years long, no, maybe like

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40 years long, I don't know.

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Emma

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Yeah, it probably comes in waves.

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Elsie

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Starting at the Wizard of Oz, ending in the 70s. Maybe that's maybe my golden age, okay, but anyway,

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this movie, it starts off like, kind of like whatever. It's a heist movie. It's fine, it's cute, it's old. And I

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personally just, like, just the fact that it was made in 1969. I would probably like it, because I just enjoy

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watching movies from that time, not even in my genre, typically, but it had at the towards the end of the

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movie, like a, I would say, like, probably, like a 40 minute car chase sequence, and it was like pre CGI,

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and there was like mini coopers jumping from building to building. Like, it was just so incredible. Like, I

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just have to tell everyone about it. Wow. It was just so incredible. Like, if you need a movie to watch

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with your dad, if you need a movie to watch with your husband, if you need a movie to watch was kind

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of like anyone who is a nerd or likes old stuff or likes high stuff, or, you know, I feel like this can, like, go

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in a lot of different directions, but like, the fact that I was so engaged with a car chase means it was like

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artistic. It was a very it was kind of, like, almost like a Broadway version of a car, you know what I'm

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saying, yeah, like, it was, like, very beautiful, and they just went so unhinged with it. So I thought it was

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one of the best old movies I've ever watched that I haven't really heard people talk about as much,

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because you hear, you know, like everyone talks about Rosemary's Baby, everyone talks about the

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Audrey Hepburn movies, like, there's, you know, but this one, I haven't really heard a lot, and it was just

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so delightful.

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Emma

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I kind of want to watch that.

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Elsie

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Yeah, it's fine. I think Trey would love it.

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Emma

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Yeah, we'd probably really like it. Okay, mine was the new wicked. Oh, so we talked about this a couple

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episodes back that we took the girls to the movie theater, and it was like a movie party. We were talking

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about it. So this was my favorite new movie that came out this year that I've watched. And so I should

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say I love wicked the musical, I've never read the books, but the musical, like the Broadway musical,

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I've seen it two or three times. I just really, really love it. I love all the songs from it. But here's a weird

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fact, I didn't get around to watching the first wicked so when it came out, like, a year ago, year and a

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half ago, I guess year half ago, I was breastfeeding, and I looked at the runtime, and I was like, I can't

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make this fit. I can't do it. Like, there's no way to unless I was pumping in the theater or, like, somehow,

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like, there was just no way to make it work. So I was like, All right, I can't see this in theater. I'll watch it

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later. And then, you know, because I was breastfeeding, as you might guess, I had a baby, yeah? And

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so I was just very busy this past year, and watching, you know, I think it's three hours or two and a half

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two or three hour movie is very difficult for me. Yeah, if your movie is beyond an hour and a half, I

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probably won't watch it at my home. I just don't have that much time in the evenings. After my kids go to

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bed, it's like, you know, perhaps he'll go alive. And you wrote a novel, like you don't do anything else.

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Well, there was one week my husband was out of town. I was solo parenting, and I was like, my goal

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for the evenings is I'm gonna watch wicked, probably in two to three parts, but I'll do it. And then I was

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like, Oh no, it's on Amazon, and I don't know how to log into our Amazon on the TV. I know how to do it.

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Oh no. And I was like, Oh no. I think I might also be a grandma in addition to so. So then I was like, Oh

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well, I already, I've seen the musical. It's fine. And I'll tell you it is fine watching wicked the second one,

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you're fine. If you know about the musical, you don't really need to watch the first one. It's totally fine.

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You'll you'll catch up with the story, no problem. Yeah, but I did love it, and I thought it was super

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inspiring, like how you have your horror thing. I think I'm a little bit of a musicals person. I love musicals.

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They really hit me with the feels, and I can't sing, and I've never really, like wanted to be in a musical,

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like, I'm not a theater kid in that sense. But I love watching a musical, and I just love musical. So I loved

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the new wicked five stars. Yeah, I loved it too. I thought it was really nice for me. I cried. I thought it was

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I thought the first one was beautiful, but for me, it was a little boring, like, you know, yeah, they're like,

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establishing all the relationships, yeah? Like, I was pretty much just for the songs, you know. And then

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on the newer one, it was a little more engaging for me. So I like, but I'm, I'm a total outsider, so yeah,

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and in this one, they kind of reveal the origins of the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.

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And I was watching, I was sitting next to Nova. Nova loved that. And she was just like, Oh, he's a

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scarecrow. Like, she was just, I could, you know, I was like, Oh, she didn't know. She didn't know this is

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where this was going. And it was just fun to like, I love experiencing something. Like, I wish I could find

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someone who was like, never read Harry Potter and watch all the movies with them. Like, I guess it will

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be my son when he gets older, because that's what you do with your kids. Fun to, like, experience, you

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know, when someone doesn't know it's coming in to, like, watch them take it in. It's like, really fun, yeah.

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So yeah, I was just like, listening, Nova, but just, he's the tin man, you know? And it's just, yeah, girl.

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Elsie

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Waiting for the big moments is like one of the best parts of reading Harry Potter with your kids. It's so

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amazing.

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Emma

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Oh yeah, I'm excited for that era.

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Elsie

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You're gonna love it. Okay, did you have a favorite book of the year?

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Emma

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Yes, I picked three.

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Elsie

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Three. That's fine. Yes.

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Emma

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Okay, these were my, I think top three. But I did read a lot of good books this year, and I like that we do

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a lot of book reports because I feel like fun. I don't really like having just one because I love reading so

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but anyway, here's top three that I really enjoyed this year that stood out as I was scrolling through the

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pictures of all the books I've read, because I keep it on my phone. I loved lessons in chemistry, funny

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story and the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I thought those were all so much fun to read. I was lost

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in the story as I was reading them. They were each so fun. And I think I did a book report on each of

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those. So that's great.

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Elsie

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Yeah, no, I love those books too. Actually, I don't think I've read funny story yet, so I love it. I'll have to

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keep that one on me. Yeah, you do like one. Emily Henry, yeah, one Emily Henry book a year. That's

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the perfect amount for me. I love it. I like, I'm not gonna run out too soon, which is also nice. Okay, so

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my favorite, I put like a kind of a new, like a best seller, and then I put like an old classic book. So my

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new bestseller that I read this year that loved was the wedding people. I just thought that it checked

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every box, and I have, I am a person who's obsessed with reading reviews because one of my writing

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editor coach people told me you should like read reviews for every book you read. And it like, really, it's

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really fun. So now I do it all the time, and this is one book where I feel like the reviews, the people who

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don't like it, I actually disagree with them. Usually I agree with both sides. Yeah, you know, yeah, not on

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this one as much. It's like, I think this is just like a great book, like, I think in most or all books, you have

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to accept certain things about it as sort of like, the price of entry. And I think that, like, the people who

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review this book really, really low, they just, like, won't accept, you know, like, what it is. They don't like

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how it starts. I had a hard time with the suicide actually, the actually, I agree with you, like, the way it

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starts is probably, like, on the lower part of how good. Yeah, the book gets so much she's doing the

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divorce it. I was a little bored through that part, and then I got really engaged when she started meeting

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all the wedding people, right? Yeah, I don't know. And honestly, I can't even say, like, I think one of the

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reasons why I love it so much is because I didn't feel like I was gonna love it that much. And there's a

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lot of books I read this year that I felt like were gonna be this, like, big, like, five star book for me, and

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they were, like a four, and I was like, Oh, it was pretty good. And then this book, I was like, This is

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gonna be a four, and it was like a six, like, it was just, like, so much better than I expected it to be. And

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they and, yeah, there's a lot of fun characters, and I don't know, I honestly can't say why I don't know it

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just, it's just satisfied me. And maybe it was also like the time, because I know I finished it on an

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airplane, and for whatever reason, if I finish a book on an airplane, I always just like it, like, brings it up

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a notch. You know, is that real?

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Emma

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I don't know. No, I don't feel that. Okay. Means nothing, means I'm out of reading materials. So, oh no,

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actually, the airplane always like, I like 20 people a lot too. But it is interesting because I feel like of

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everything you read, because it's not that I know every book you read, but you usually talk to me about

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reading, no, you know every book I read more on the commercial side than the literary. But it is like one

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of those that if you think it's going to be a very commercial book, you're going to be disappointed,

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because I think it is more literary and sad than you might be expecting. For that category is also one of

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those that kind of straddles the category, because a lot of people are like, this is my favorite romance.

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And I'm like, Hmm, I wouldn't call it me. This one doesn't this isn't quite a romance, but I could see why

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you'd put it in that category. I don't actually know how it's shelved or anything.

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Elsie

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I even have like problems with it. But yeah, I just loved it so much. And like some I actually think that's

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like a thing. Maybe I should become like a book club fiction person, because I think I kind of like it when

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I have conflicting feelings. Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah. Because even the things I didn't like

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about it are still, like interesting to me, so I don't know. But anyway, that was my favorite commercial

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book of the year, and then my favorite classic with you was 100 Years of Solitude. I think this is like the

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fifth time I've talked about it on here, which is fine. Ever heard of either read it a million billion years

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ago, like the first year I started reading. She was like, you have to read 100 years of solitary. I was

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intimidated by the title. I think I was, yeah, I was intimidated. And also, like, when you go to read a

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classic book, I have, okay, you just don't know what you're gonna get. You just never know what you're

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in for, and you always have, like, a perception of what it's gonna be. And it never is that, you know.

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Emma

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I also feel like you kind of need someone, or at least, to me, tell you, like a friend who like actually

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reads, and they like to read somewhat on your level, like the kinds of things that you like. That's what I

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mean. Because there are some classics that, if someone tells you to read it, and you you're like, wait a

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second, are you just snobby? This is not an enjoyable read at all. It's just a classic, you know. And then

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there's some classics, like, I would say, 100 Years of Solitude, where it's like, yeah, this is a classic for a

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reason, and it is literary, but, like, it's also a really fun read. It's out there, man, if you want to understand

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magical realism, especially, I feel like this is sort of the one this has got to be in your learnings.

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Elsie

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When it is beautiful and unhinged, it is very beautiful and very unhinged. But this is a book that I would

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say I also do fully agree with the one star reviews. The one star reviews are roasting it pretty hard, and

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it's like, yeah, it's all true. All the characters are named the same name, and it's confusing. And there's

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like, a lot of like, there's like, a literal ascension into heaven there. And like, the magic is, I mean,

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unbelievable is like an understatement. Magic is like, it's not like what you're if you, if you enjoy, like

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fantasy books, it's not going to be anything like what you're here.

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Emma

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It's more like an allegory type thing. Then, yeah, Harry Potter.

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Elsie

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It's more like reading the new Bible, yes. And it kind of has also like the pacing of the Bible, where it's

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like, in parts of it, it's like hard to get through and challenge.

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Emma

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I've read the Bible. This pacing is better, but then the things about it that.

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Elsie

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Oh, it's okay. So it's like the original, the original two characters. I really, really, really like their I

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shouldn't say it, but there's, like, some weird stuff in there. Yeah, I'm not giving this a good review at all,

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okay, but what inspired me about it, um, I think it's the most beautiful book I've ever read. The thing that

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I crave in books more than anything else is this, like, utterly, like, this kind of inspiration that just makes

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you feel, like, sick to your stomach. It's so gorgeous. Like, this book has that kind of, like, gorgeous

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writing. And I feel like any book that is inspired by this, so I feel like the Shadow of the Wind, they had

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some like, definitely parallels within, like, the magical side of it. And I don't know, I just kind of feel like,

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after reading this, this inspires a genre of fantasy, and it's the genre of fantasy that I want to be

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connected to, and I want to read all the books that have this, and there's other, you know, there's all

00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:25.000
kinds of different types of fantasy for different types of people. But, yeah, I want this, like, poetic, sad,

00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:26.000
weird, you know, kind of like the Odyssey, you know what I mean, like, it has like, elements like that.

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Emma

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We're just, like, telling you you got to read, like, Water for Chocolate, okay, you're gonna like it. It's

00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.000
weird, okay?

00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:30.000
Elsie

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And then the other thing I loved about it was one of the reviews I read said that from a Venezuela,

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Venezuelan person, and they said that they felt like it represented their history of their culture. And

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since Emma and I's mother's from Venezuela and we have little to no connection with the culture, that

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was also, like, fun and illuminating for me to experience and like So yeah, if anyone has more

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suggestions for things that would expose us to Venezuelan culture, I would also be very into that. Yes.

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And then the 100 Years of Solitude TV show, no, I haven't seen that is, it's on, I think it's on Netflix. I

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might get it wrong. It's really beautiful. And they let it. They let it be weird. They did not take out the stuff

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where he's kind of marrying a child, like this, this, yeah, they did not take out the offensive stuff, which I

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think is interesting. I don't know if I would say good, it's it's interesting. It's more interesting. Strong

00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:40.000
choice. But yeah, so anyway, loved it. And yeah, I will read more of his books if anyone has

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suggestions for that. But those are my two books of the year, very different. I did have a weird reading

00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:42.000
year, and most of the other books that were on my top list of the year, which you can see it on

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Instagram if you want to see it, but we're mostly all old books.

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Emma

00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:45.000
So Well, next, let's talk about favorite purchases of 2025. All right, so for me, this was just like a lot of

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clothing and accessories, basically nice tell us about, I must admit. So as I've mentioned, I don't have

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social media on my phone, so there are moments where I'm parenting, and I've been, you know,

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playing with our one year old for a while, and then he's kind of doing his own thing, and I'm letting it do

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his thing. So what do I do? I find myself shopping on my phone, and I don't log in to anything on my

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phone, like I'm not logged into Amazon or any anywhere, so that I don't buy anything while I'm on my

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phone. I have to think about it and buy things later. That's my rule of myself. But I do find myself like

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shopping a little bit here and there. And I'm not saying this is a good habit. I'm just telling you, as my

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friends, that this is something that I've been doing. Hey, listen, normal.

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Elsie

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Listen, we're not judging you at all. I don't give like.

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Emma

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I'm not saying it's good or bad. I just want to make it clear this is not advice. This is just something I'm

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doing. Yes, this is your favorite thing. So anyway, tell us what you bought. So I bought a lot of fun

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clothes that I love. My closet is like starting to fill up with things that are a little bit weird and colorful. So

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okay, so I'll just list a couple of specifics, just so you know some things I'm talking about. So I bought

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these lavender Birkenstock clogs that have, like, the fur on the inside, and they're really cute, and

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they're my color, and I've been wearing them a lot, and I love them. I have a I already had a green pair,

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and I liked them, but I just wanted something that they're like, dark foresty green, yeah. And I just

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wanted something that felt a little bit softer, yeah. So I bought these lavender ones. I really like them. I

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also bought this like kind of pastel lime green sweater. It's a weird color. Actually worked wicked, and I

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just feel like it really looks good on me. And I like the sweater. I like the cut of it, everything, but just the

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colors kind of weird. Like it was the weirdest color that they were offering, but it just based on getting

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my colors red, I knew it would look good on me, so I bought it, and I've gotten lots of compliments every

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time I wear it. I also bought this, like, blue sweater that's just kind of a basic but it looks really good on

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me, and it fits me really well. And I bought a whole bunch of scarves this year. I have, like, a pink one, a

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lavender one, a kind of periwinkle one, a blue one, and one of them I bought while we were in Italy. And

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I like wearing neck scarves. It's my era. And I will say, as you can probably tell from all the things I'm

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listing, I'm really leaning into shopping with my colors in mind, from getting my colors red. And we also

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have the book that we've talked about in a previous episode. And I feel like that. I'm in an era where I

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don't feel like I really have a lot of time to get ready. I don't feel my prettiest right now, and I'm blaming

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my kids, that's the short version, yeah. But I do feel like I'm getting lots of compliments on all these

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things that I'm buying because they're they look good on me because they're my color, and if they don't

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fit me just the way I want that I send them back. And I feel like, in my old age, I'm just getting I'm not

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old, I'm only 40, but I am getting pickier good. I'm finding like, what really works on my body and what

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colors really work for me, and what I enjoy wearing, and it's a lot of colorful, weird, and I'm loving it. And

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I'm shopping, and I love walking into my closet. I feel like there's so many things I want to wear. I love it.

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Elsie

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I love that too.

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Emma

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An honorable mention is my new tattoo. It is an open book so, hell yeah, no, getting a new tattoo is like,

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I think it's one of the best things you can spend money on. I mean, yeah, if you like how it turns out.

00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:27.000
Elsie

00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:28.000
I actually don't like hate most of my tattoos. So I don't. I'm very the one. I either love them or I don't

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care. Yeah, I don't. That's the way to maybe I don't allow myself to hate them, I'm not sure, but

00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:30.000
something like that. Okay, my favorite purchase of 2025 is, I got this journal from Etsy. Okay, so if you

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have Tiktok. I think it's on Instagram too, but it's really, really on Tiktok. For some reason, there's this,

00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:32.000
like, these Louise Carmen journals, and you can just get like, sucked down. It's like, its own algorithm.

00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:33.000
And so Louise Carmen is this, like, Parisian store that makes these journals. They're leather. They kind

00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:34.000
of fold over, and then they have this elastic strap around the outside, and then people put like, charms

00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.000
on them and stuff. Oh, and you have seniors, yeah, so you can stand in line in Paris, and you can get

00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:36.000
one made. And I think they're around, like, $300 they're very fancy. They're custom, you know, they put

00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:37.000
your initials, they put gold foil. They have all this stuff. Build a Bear for adults. I get it. It's build a pair for

00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:38.000
adults. Oh my gosh, that. Thank you for that. And I was looking at them. I was thinking about it for a

00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:39.000
little while, and then I decided, so they have their own sizing. And so if you do get the Louise Carmen

00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:40.000
one, you will need to, like, get refills from from them. There might be another place. But I was like, you

00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.000
know, I really like, so I just had bought, we did the The Artist's Way, our book club, and I did, I actually

00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:42.000
did pretty bad on my artist way journey. I need to do a new one this year. But I did do the morning

00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.000
pages. And I really liked the morning pages. That was the main part of it, where I like, the thing I did

00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:44.000
bad at is I didn't read the whole book. I just like, I don't know why the morning pages is a big part of it,

00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:45.000
yeah. So I've been doing the morning pages this whole time, since we started, probably in the end of

00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:46.000
summer. That has been really great. So anyway, I had just bought this huge pack of a five Moleskine

00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:47.000
journals, yeah, from wherever, and I had them all in my office. And I, like, had this, I have this, like,

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burgundy one. So anyway, and then I just, like, a five. So I was like, I'm gonna find a journal that looks

00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:49.000
like this, but fits a five so that I can have, you know, because it's like, if you like moleskin journals,

00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:50.000
they're easy to find. They, you know, you can buy them locally. You can buy them online. You can buy

00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:51.000
them in a 50 pack. You can like, it's easy. And then they also have the plain pages with nothing on

00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:52.000
them. And they have the grid pages, which I like for certain things, and then they have the lined pages,

00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:53.000
which I like for journaling. So I like to have, like, a variety of different pages. So anyway, I found on Etsy

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a place called forest nine, where they make journals that look basically the same and they fit the a five

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size. So that's what I got. And I got, I think, my initials on there. And then, as far as the charms I like,

00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:56.000
have a million charms. I'm into that kind of stuff. I love making jewelry, and I have this thing where I'm

00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:57.000
like, putting them on my frames. And so anyway, I already had a million charms, so I was like, I'll just

00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:58.000
put my own charms on. I did that. I want to hear from anyone who has had one of these and carried it.

00:04:58.000 --> 00:04:59.000
My charms are just like, always getting caught on things they snagged. My bed spread like a night

00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:00.000
murderous when I saw yours in my purse. So I think you just have to put it in a cloth cover every time

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you carry it. But even then, it's hard for me to like when I'm just sitting on my bed, it's like snagging on

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my comforter constantly. I'm not sure how to make the charms not annoying, so I'd like if anyone has a

00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:03.000
solution for that, if you've been through this exact same pain point, which is very niche, I would love to

00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:04.000
hear it. I would completely redo them if there's a way to make it better. Because I just have, like, little

00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:05.000
gold hoops right now, like what you would use to make a necklace, and that is not good. I don't think, I

00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:06.000
think that's what's nagging so anyway, that was my favorite purchase of the year. I love it. Besides the

00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:07.000
charms falling off everywhere. It's the best. And I have already replaced one of my journals inside of it.

00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:08.000
And I love that too, that it's just gonna like be a place where I can keep so in mind, I have one that is

00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:09.000
morning pages, and then one for each of my novels, and then one that's like a sketchbook, and it feels

00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:10.000
perfect and great and like, good for now.

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Emma

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She's a journal girl.

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Elsie

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Yeah, I love it. And then my other favorite purchase of the year, I just put my kitchen. It's not really one

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purchase. It is like 100 but I do think it's gonna be like, maybe the best purchase of my lifetime,

00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:16.000
because it's like, gorgeous, the gift that keeps on giving. I'm so happy. It's over, like there's no words for

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how happy I am that it's over. I'm so so so happy it's over, and I am just thrilled, and I love it, and I'm

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gonna appreciate it and value it and bond with it and all the things. Yeah, so grateful for that.

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Emma

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All right, next is favorite memory from the year.

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Elsie

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Yes, I think we might have the same favorite memory.

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Emma

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Yes, I put two. Okay, so I put first one. I'll say my one that's different from yours. Okay, so this year, my

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son, Hugo, started walking. Oh, and I know, you know, every baby starts walking, but it's just special.

00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:26.000
Yeah, it's always a special thing. It's such a milestone. And he's starting to talk to he has a few words

00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:27.000
he says, but he's really good at walking now, and it's only been, like, you know, three months. Wait,

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what words did he say? He said Dada, Mama saw him say a few, like, up, just every down again. And

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it's partly he's just imitating us. So anything that we say often, he has a version of it. And it's hard to

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really say. If you're like, he got it, or like, Oh, he's kind of giving the sound, yeah, where you're like,

00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:31.000
that's a part of talking, yeah, it is, yeah. So I feel like first words are actually a lot more nebulous. As far

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as, like, what was it? It's like, well, you know, and walking is similar, like there, it's a little bit nebulous,

00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:33.000
but I will say he definitely took his first steps at home. But there is this moment. So there's this little play

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area at our mall. We have one mall in Springfield, Missouri, and there's this play area there that is, like,

00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:35.000
right by the food court. And it's perfect for kids his age and older kids too. But it's just like, soft and

00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:36.000
there's things you can climb on, but not very high, because a lot of outdoor places playgrounds are a

00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:37.000
little bit too advanced for him at his age. So anyway, so we go to this mall play place fairly often, and

00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:38.000
one day we were there, and I was trying to help him practice his walking, his steps, because he hadn't,

00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:39.000
you know, he's working on it. And I have this video of him where he's like, really doing it, and he even

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walks, like, a little bit away from me, and then he turns around, and his little face is just like, so proud.

00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:41.000
And he kind of like, walks back. And if you ever seen a little kid do their first steps, they would kind of

00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:42.000
walk like a Frankenstein, like, just very, you know, jilted forward, yes and yeah. They're like, balancing

00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:43.000
themselves by, you know, sometimes holding things for like, sticking their hands out. But they just look

00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.000
like a little tiny Frankenstein. Tiny Frankenstein, and it's so cute. And I just have that video on my

00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.000
phone, and it was just this, like, you know, special moment of the year. And then the other thing I wrote

00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:46.000
down is going to Florence going to Italy with my friends, but I think that was yours too, so he can

00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:47.000
elaborate more on it.

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Elsie

00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:49.000
Yeah. I mean, we planned this trip, and it was a big one. It was a big one. There was lots of special

00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:50.000
moments, but I feel like the art museums, when we got to see the birth of Venus, and then when we got

00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:51.000
to tour Peggy Guggenheim's house, her collection there, was just like, I don't know it's like, I can still,

00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:52.000
like, feel it in my body. Like, yeah, you know what I mean, like, the feeling of, like, just like, full body

00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:53.000
inspiration. And I think that like to travel the world, to, like, see a painting for, I think to some people

00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:54.000
probably sound. It's kind of like, like, why can't you just look at it in a book or something? You can't, you

00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:55.000
can't, you can't. It's not the same, like you you can't really see what you see in person until you're there

00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:56.000
in person. And every painting like that I've seen, every famous painting that I've ever seen, is a little bit

00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:57.000
different than I thought it was going to be once I see it in person and, like, there's just this, like, I don't

00:05:57.000 --> 00:05:58.000
know, special character of seeing things in person that is not replaceable. So I'm really, really happy we

00:05:58.000 --> 00:05:59.000
got to do it. And then I think just the Uffizi Gallery in general was such an amazing I've never been to a

00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:00.000
gallery like that before. I do kind of like, split my interest between Renaissance art and modern art, and

00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:01.000
that also made the trip so perfect, because we split our trip into two different museums that were

00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:02.000
perfectly catered to those two niches. Yeah, so anyway, it was magical. And then, yeah, just having that

00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:03.000
friend time. We talk a lot on this podcast about, like, making friends and maintaining friendships in your

00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:04.000
30s and 40s, when you're in a time of life, of, you know, having like, Emma, you know, has a toddler

00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:05.000
learning to walk, and I have like, you know, kids who are, you know, asking me if the elf on the shelf is

00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:06.000
real, and they're literally at Chuck E Cheese right now because they're off school. Like, yeah, it's better

00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:07.000
than on. It's very easy in this 10 year period of life to lose your own interest and to, like, lose your

00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:08.000
connection with your friends, and it's very challenging to maintain those things. And I remember life

00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:09.000
before kids, like, I remember it perfectly. And, you know, someday we'll be there again, you know, in a

00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:10.000
different way we will, but I think that anyway, I'm just, I'm very thankful at this time in life. It's like the,

00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.000
probably the most meaningful possible thing to me is just like having adult friendships and sometimes

00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:12.000
even adult conversations, you know, and I think the podcast kind of counts as that. So, yeah, circle of

00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:13.000
like, our favorite message that we get almost every week that makes me cry is when people say that

00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:14.000
like they feel like we're there's their older sisters or something to that effect, like we've grown up

00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:15.000
together in some way, or, you know, we're sharing something and keeping them company while they do

00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:16.000
their yeah tours, or painting their house, or, yeah, yep, I love it. Okay. Favorite New thing you tried?

00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:17.000
Emma

00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:18.000
Okay, I wrote down too, so somewhat related to the Florence trip. So we had this tour guide twice for

00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:19.000
two different tours, and she did great. She was a great guy, and she was really sweet, but she also had

00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:20.000
these glasses, oh yeah, say the brand, Moy, Moy, mew, mew, mew, mew, so she had these glasses,

00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:21.000
mew, mew, glasses. So they had the little brand on the side, and they were just really cute. And I

00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:22.000
remember thinking, I should get some designer eyeglasses. I've never done that, so I have a number of

00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:23.000
pairs of frames, but my absolute favorite that I wear every single day is still the bond look glasses that

00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:24.000
we designed that's called Jack and Norma from years and years and years ago. I don't think you can

00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.000
get them anymore there. It's why. Someone could get them on like, eBay or posh could probably get

00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:26.000
them, yeah, somewhere used or whatever.

00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:27.000
Elsie

00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:28.000
I'm gonna put mine in a frame this, oh yeah ones, because they're so special.

00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:29.000
Emma

00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:30.000
I still love my like, I said, I literally wear them every day. So, yeah, so anyway, but I've never bought,

00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:31.000
like, designer eyeglasses, and I don't know, she just looked so cute, and they looked so cute on her.

00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:32.000
And I thought, I'm just gonna do that. I don't know why. I've never, it's never even occurred to me. So I

00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:33.000
bought a couple pairs off Ebay. I need to get my eyes examined again, because I do think they've

00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:34.000
gotten a little bit worse. And so I was like, this is the perfect time to do that, this little chore that you've

00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:35.000
been putting off, and you can get your new prescription put into these. So I got a pair of that brand. And

00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:36.000
then I also got, you told me to look at Chloe. Yeah, I looked at Chloe, and I got a pair of those too. Are

00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:37.000
they really 70s looking, or are they different decade looking the Chloe ones? No, I think they're more

00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:38.000
modern than that. They're very dainty though. And then the other ones are more, like thicker, more

00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:39.000
unisex looking, I guess. Yeah, no, I love the style you're pursuing. I feel like it's like a fancy version of

00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:40.000
Miss frazzle. Yeah, it's really, that's what I'm going for, for sure, fun. Yeah. So that's something new that

00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:41.000
I'm trying designer glasses. And then the other thing I wanted to mention, this is so random, so at the

00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:42.000
somewhat beginning of the year, I guess I've always had kind of issues with food poisoning and gut

00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:43.000
health, and so I've been trying some things this past year to improve my gut health, which is basically

00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:44.000
for me, and you should just talk to your doctor if you have issues like this. But for me, it's like taking a

00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:45.000
probiotic, vitamin every day and taking fiber. And I have things in my diet that I've always been doing,

00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:46.000
but then I added eating fermented foods more often, and I do think I've improved my gut health a lot. So

00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:47.000
one thing this year that I've been opening myself up to is eating raw fish sushi I never used to eat raw

00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:48.000
fish sushi, or any meat that was, like, under cooked or raw, in part because I just get food poisoning so

00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.000
often that it just felt like, and there's nothing wrong with eating raw fish sushi normally. And also, like, if

00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:50.000
you like a rare steak, that's something you can order. It's not insane or anything. It's just something that,

00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:51.000
for me, I was always scared of that kind of stuff, because I would just get sick from very random things

00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:52.000
all the time. And so I just felt like, Oh, I'm I'm opening myself up to more chance if I eat any of those

00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:53.000
things. So I just never really ate raw fish sushi, in part because I was scared that I would get my food

00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:54.000
poisoning, sickness stuff. So anyway, since I've been improving my gut health, I decided to give it a try.

00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:55.000
And now I really like it. I've been eating a lot more sashimi. What's the other one? Where it has rice

00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:56.000
underneath it? Nigiri. Yeah? Nigiri. I think people call it Nikiti. Oh, that's what I've always heard anyway,

00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:57.000
yeah. And I really like it. I feel like I'm getting to eat things that I never really tried before, and I'm really

00:06:57.000 --> 00:06:58.000
liking it. And there's lots of fun flavors, and my favorite is usually yellow tail. That's usually one I really

00:06:58.000 --> 00:06:59.000
like, and it's just fun. My husband really likes sushi, so I feel like I'm getting to like and he didn't care.

00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:00.000
He was like, yowler or whatever you want. But it's just nice to get to kind of share something with

00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:01.000
someone that you didn't before. And so that's been really great. And yeah, I'm very happy that I didn't

00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:02.000
give up. I've gone through a lot of phases with it over life where I'm like, oh my, my guts are never going

00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:03.000
to get better. This just is what it is, and I should just not eat anything weird ever and just accept it. And I

00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:04.000
think it's good to just keep trying things and, like, talk to your doctor, talk to someone else, go. I went

00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:05.000
and got like, a food sensitivity test. And, you know, just keep trying and learning. And you never know.

00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.000
Yeah, so, and I still don't think I have, like, guts, like, you know, whoever has the best ones, I don't

00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:07.000
know, but it's better than it used to be. I'm sick a lot less than I used to be good, and I'm happy about

00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:08.000
that. No, that's great. That sounds like a good step forward. I didn't get sick the whole time we were in

00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:09.000
Italy, and I almost always get sick when I travel, because you have to eat out a lot and, you know, and

00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:10.000
get sick the whole time.

00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:11.000
Elsie

00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:12.000
Well, maybe a pasta doesn't make you sick.

00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:13.000
Emma

00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:14.000
I did eat a lot of pasta, premium pasta and gelato doesn't make you sick.

00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:15.000
Elsie

00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:16.000
Oh my gosh, oh my god, I love it. Okay, so the thing I'm trying is watercolor painting. So since our trip,

00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:17.000
we brought water. We all brought watercolor paints because we knew Elise was going to so we were

00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:18.000
inspired by her. And I was like, hey, watercolors, and I've always kind of been like that. They're just very

00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:19.000
they're very watery. Yeah, I are. I'm always, I've always been more of and I think I maybe would like, I

00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:20.000
would think I'm gonna try gouache next link, and I think maybe that might be a good fit for me, but I

00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:21.000
don't know that is wash. I'll show you. It's more pigmented looking. But anyway, I'm bonding. I got a set

00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:22.000
of watercolors after the trip, and I was like, I'm gonna bond with and I have been, and I've been like,

00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:23.000
messing around with it and playing with it often. And I feel like it is, like, it's a very relaxing type of

00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:24.000
painting. And I think it's also good for me to have, like, a type of painting that it really is just for fun.

00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:25.000
Yeah, like, I don't think I would ever try to, like, sell a watercolor painting. I know that I wouldn't,

00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:26.000
probably probably never, but it's just, like, kind of an experiment, you know, to play with it, yeah, like,

00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:27.000
maybe I can make collages from this stuff, or maybe there's, like, you know, something in here for me,

00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:28.000
like, you have to find your, like, end of certain types of creativity. So, yeah, I just, I've never been a fan

00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:29.000
of watercolor paintings. Like, just the beautiful ones are not as beautiful to me as they are to other

00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:30.000
people. But, like, so I'm just trying to find, yeah, like, the part of it that interests me, and I think that's, it's

00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:31.000
so good to do that with things that you haven't given a chance to and I am finding something there. So

00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:32.000
yeah, that's my little pep talk. I guess.

00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:33.000
Emma

00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:34.000
I love it. I do love a hobby that stays a hobby, yes, fun, and it's cool, if your hobbies turn into jobs. We

00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:35.000
have obviously done that a lot, and that's great. But I do love a hobby that stays a hobby. It's fun. Yeah,

00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:36.000
yeah, you can feel it when it's like I love doing this, but I don't want to sell it or really even show it to

00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:37.000
anyone. This is just for me to have fun. Yes, yeah. It's just for you, creative person, Yeah, feels really

00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:38.000
good practice my religion, which is making.

00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:39.000
Elsie

00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:40.000
It is I feel that, Wow, I've never thought of it that way, but that that is a good label that I think is accurate,

00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:41.000
maybe.

00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:42.000
Emma

00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:43.000
Yeah, whenever I have a really good writing session, which I do actually want to sell my books, but It's

00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:44.000
okay, feels to me kind of like prayer.

00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.000
Elsie

00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:46.000
Wow.

00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:47.000
Emma

00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:48.000
Like it just feels like connecting with the universe is what a better way to say it. I guess that's what it

00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:49.000
feels like to me when it's like, you can tell you're really in the zone. I don't know why it feels that way to

00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:50.000
me, but I assume it's because creativity is my religion.

00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.000
Elsie

00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:52.000
That's beautiful. Okay, our last category is favorite candle. Yeah. Do you have a favorite candle of 2025

00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:53.000
but I just like, I love candles.

00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:54.000
Emma

00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:55.000
I know we never shut up about candles, but lately, so I don't know if I have favorite but lately I've been

00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:56.000
loving leaves, which is like a scent that you could buy for so long now, it's from Bed Bath and Beyond.

00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:57.000
Elsie

00:07:57.000 --> 00:07:58.000
Bath and Body Works.

00:07:58.000 --> 00:07:59.000
Emma

00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:00.000
Bath and Body Works, yeah? And it's kind of a basic candle, and I love it, yeah.

00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:01.000
Elsie

00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:02.000
So it's the Ugg boots of candles.

00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:03.000
Emma

00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:04.000
It really is, and it's great. It's so good. Also wanted to mention, I love burlap bag candles. If you're

00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:05.000
looking for a gift, check them out. They have such cool scents. And they have one that's kind of like it's

00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:06.000
in the description, because I can't remember the name right now, but it smells kind of like an

00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:07.000
anthropology store. It's really good one, but they have a ton of good ones. And then I also love, we've

00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:08.000
talked about thistle farms before. It's a company that's based in Nashville, and they're just really cool.

00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:09.000
Get on their website and read about them all. Their candles are great. But I really love their I think it's

00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:10.000
called fur needle, yeah? Or it just, it smells like a Christmas tree farm. It's incredible. It's pretty intense,

00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:11.000
and it's really good.

00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:12.000
Elsie

00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.000
Yeah, no, it's really good. And if you're like a person who's looking for a more like naturally scented

00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:14.000
option, they also have that element to it. Okay, going on the different end of the spectrum, I got a candle

00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:15.000
from Walmart that I usually buy, I swear to God, is like, it looks like an anthropology candle, like the

00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:16.000
vessel they put it in, you know, the it looks like, you know, the that's a real Walmart move volcano, yeah,

00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:17.000
the shape of the volcano candle vessel. And then they have, like, a smaller one too. So they, I just

00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:18.000
looked it up before this, and they are $10 and I think $13 so they're, like, just very inexpensive. And the

00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:19.000
scent that I like is called fresh cut Frasier. Okay, so this year I had a turning point with candles that was

00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:20.000
kind of sad. I like, could not find a fall candle that I liked, and I was like, next year I'm gonna try just

00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:21.000
going straight for, like, the cider or, like, there, there's gotta be something in there. But, like, I have, I

00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:22.000
can't do it with pumpkin candles anymore. Like, there's just something about it that, like, I can't, you

00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:23.000
know, really, pumpkin candle girl, it hated it. Like I was, like, losing my mind when I had these. And, you

00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:24.000
know, it's like, pumpkin candles are, are a thing like, so I really wanted it to be a thing, but then I just

00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:25.000
started burning my Christmas tree candles instead in like September, and that worked for me. So,

00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:26.000
whatever. And then, besides that, okay, so I have my inexpensive Walmart candle, nice. And then I

00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:27.000
have this super over priced, fancy candle, but it, but it's also a really good one. So if you like a, like, a

00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:28.000
low amount of scent, and you want it to be, like, very subtle, but like, you can smell it, but it's subtle,

00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:29.000
and it's subtle, she's not because some candles can be very overpowering, and it's like, just and in

00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:30.000
certain rooms, it depends on what room you're in, like, it's, you don't always want that. So anyway, I

00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:31.000
started getting this one, and we can find it at a local boutique, but it's the brand is called LAFCO, and

00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:32.000
it's the photoboy candle, and Elise actually recommended it. And it is just like a really good, really

00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:33.000
neutral, smelling everyday candle. I use it in my entryway, and I just think it makes the house smell

00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:34.000
nice. Emma thought it was too weak, like she was thinking it was strong enough. Yeah, so and I like, I,

00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:35.000
but I don't want a strong candle all year round.

00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:36.000
Emma

00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:37.000
I will say too, especially if you're living in a new house, or if you're new to candles, why? Hello, I do

00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:38.000
think that it kind of matters your house. Because, yeah, so in my house, I usually put my candle on the

00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:39.000
kitchen level. I have a split level house, and it's kind of like in the corner, sort of near the kitchen sink,

00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:40.000
and that's where, and it's just a good spot for us, because you can kind of see the light, and then also

00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:41.000
it's somewhere our kids cannot get at all. So because I can't put them on coffee tables, we're not in that

00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:42.000
era. It's not if my little kid can get it, we're screwed. So there are no candles low down in my house. So

00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:43.000
anyway, so I've noticed that no matter if it's a stronger scented candle or not, when I walk up to the

00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:44.000
bedroom level, right as you get to the next level, it's like really strong scent right there, and then it kind

00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:45.000
of isn't as much in the bedrooms. Yeah, it's so weird. And then if you go down in our basement, you

00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:46.000
can't smell it at all. Like there's no chance you'll be able to smell a candle up in the kitchen, which

00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:47.000
makes sense. I wouldn't really expect you to, but it's just sort of interesting. It's almost like you have to

00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:48.000
figure out the right places in your house to put candles, in addition to how strong of a scent you want

00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:49.000
from a candle, because some are stronger than others, but it's also kind of the placement.

00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:50.000
Elsie

00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:51.000
Yeah, no, ours also has that, like our entryway goes up to a stairway. It's on the second story, and when

00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:52.000
you're at the top of the stairway, you can smell the candle more than any other place.

00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:53.000
Emma

00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:54.000
Yeah, top of the stairs is like the spot.

00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:55.000
Elsie

00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:56.000
Interesting. Yeah. So, yeah, I put one only in the kitchen, like a small, tiny one by the stove, and then

00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:57.000
one in the entryway. And then I do have a candle warmer on one of our bookshelves, and I use it once

00:08:57.000 --> 00:08:58.000
in a while. And I personally, like I've heard people roasting candle warmers.

00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.000
Emma

00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:00.000
I've never tried one.

00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:01.000
Elsie

00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:02.000
Okay, let me give you my sell then.

00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:03.000
Emma

00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:04.000
I do, like the fire of candles, like the flicker.

00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:05.000
Elsie

00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:06.000
Yeah, and I get it. Like one of our friends was, like, someone gave me a candle warmer. What's the

00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:07.000
point of this? Why wouldn't you just light the candle? Okay, so here's the good thing about a candle

00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:08.000
warmer, is that if you buy a candle that's expensive, or a candle that's hard to get, like, I have this one

00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:09.000
that I buy, like, five of them, five of them at a time, because you can't buy it locally and I and it's from a

00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:10.000
candle shop, and the only thing I like is one candle. So I just buy five of them, right? Like, once a year.

00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:11.000
So if you have candles like that where you want it to last longer, you can make it last way longer, like

00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:12.000
five times as long. And you, I mean, you can warm it a million times, but I will say it's best if you do it

00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:13.000
when the wick is all the way up and new still, like, if you start doing it with, like, older candles,

00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:14.000
sometimes the wick can go down and get lost in it, and then you're all up, you know what I mean, then

00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:15.000
you have to, like, can you still warm it? Or No, yeah, you can still warm it, but then you wouldn't be able

00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:16.000
to light it again right after that. Okay? And, like, you could, you could, like, spread your fingers down in

00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:17.000
there and try to get it back out. But, like, so I usually just use it with brand new candles. And I do it for a

00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:18.000
while, and then I feel like I'm getting this, like, extra life out of them, and then later on, I'll burn them for

00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:19.000
real and be like, fine with it. So that's my thoughts on it. I think, I do think that they're good if you if you

00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:20.000
have a special candle, or a really expensive candle or something like that. But if you don't care how

00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:21.000
long your candle lasts, like, if you're getting these Walmart candles, maybe you don't need a candle.

00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:22.000
Emma

00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:23.000
Every time I buy groceries, I pick up another candle, yeah.

00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:24.000
Elsie

00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:25.000
And it's also nice for if you have a habit of, like, forgetting to blow out your candles, they have done

00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:26.000
that. I don't think burn your house down. I and most candles aren't gonna burn your house down either.

00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:27.000
Emma

00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:28.000
No, but you should blow them out.

00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:29.000
Elsie

00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:30.000
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I know a firefighter is gonna write into me now and be like, why did you say most

00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:31.000
candles can't burn your house down? All candles can burn your house down.

00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:32.000
Emma

00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:33.000
That's true.

00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:34.000
Elsie

00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:35.000
Yeah, I'm sorry. Anyway, candle warmer, take it or leave it.

00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:36.000
Emma

00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.000
But I mean, I'm interested. I just didn't totally know what's the point? What's the point? Not that I'm

00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:38.000
against them. Just, I was like, I always kind of wondered if it was like, if it was, like, if you've ever had a

00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:39.000
candle where it kind of tunnels, or like, you just feel like you're not getting everything out of it.

00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:40.000
Elsie

00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:41.000
If I ever have a candle that starts having only one side the waxes, yeah, like, it gets kind of melted

00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:42.000
down with your warmer, which is nice, yeah?

00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:43.000
Emma

00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:44.000
Like, if you don't do a good memory burn, like, if you light your candle, then you realize you realize you

00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:45.000
have to leave the house, and you're like, you know? Like, for sure, yeah, I always thought it was kind of

00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:46.000
for that. I didn't really know, though. Anyway, did we make the candle section too long? Once again, I

00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:47.000
think the answer is yes.

00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:48.000
Elsie

00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:49.000
I think it was fine. Okay, let's pass it to Nova for a joke and a fact with Nova. Hey, Nova, what do you

00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:50.000
have for us this week?

00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:51.000
Nova

00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:52.000
A meditation, a meditation.

00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:53.000
Elsie

00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:54.000
Okay, I'm closing my eyes.

00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.000
Nova

00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:56.000
It's for Christmas Eve.

00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:57.000
Elsie

00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:58.000
Okay, I'm ready.

00:09:58.000 --> 00:09:59.000
Nova

00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:00.000
First deep breaths. One more. Now that we're all calm, imagine that you are inviting your family over.

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It's Christmas Eve. The tree is twinkling. Stars are above. The stockings are hung. A warm fire's on.

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Your family's laughing, having a party, you look around even outside the brightest star that is always

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part of Christmas, stars is shining especially bright. You drink some hot cocoa. Then people start

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exchanging a few gifts. You got something you had always wanted. Then when you go up to bed, you

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think about your night, and what a lovely night it was, and you think you can't wait for tomorrow. Open

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your eyes. A few more deep breaths. Okay, now that you're all calm, it's time to end.

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Elsie

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All right, thank you for that. That was very calming, and I feel very in the Christmas.

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Nova

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And everyone I want you on Christmas Eve to thank two people for what they have done to you. And

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just think about it.

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Elsie

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That's beautiful. Thanks, Nova.

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Nova

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And I hope you're feeling in the holiday spirit. Bye and have a good week.

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Emma

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Okay, and don't forget to send us your unhinged hot takes, nothing serious, only silly stuff, and we're

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going to debate it. And you can email us anytime at podcast, at a beautiful mess.com or you can leave

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us a voicemail at 417-893-0011, we'll be back next week.