Cozy Conversations with The Sister Project

Welcome back, WIFs. This week, the sisters are talking about something wildly underrated: whimsy. Not optimizing your life. Not fixing yourself. Not becoming better. Just…enjoying it. We get into why adults are so serious, how tiny moments (like drinking water from a wine glass) can shift your whole mood, and why you might need a solo playdate more than another self-improvement routine. Lauren and...

Welcome back, WIFs. It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re talking about it in a way that actually feels… doable. We’re joined by licensed therapist Ben Shabad—who, fun fact, won a Jeremy Allen White look-alike contest back in 2024 (we had questions). From phone addiction and constant scrolling to boundaries, habits, and slowing down in a fast-paced city like Chicago—we also get into someth...

Welcome back, WIFs. It’s been seven years since Lauren and Michelle lost their mom—and today, they’re talking about it. Their “dead mom era.” Not overly heavy… but real, honest, sometimes funny— the way grief actually lives inside us. In this episode: Early memories that stuck (the little, random ones that somehow mean everything) The final days—what shifted, what they noticed, what they felt Sitt...

Welcome back, WIFs. April is Stress Awareness Month, and we’re talking about the kind of stress most of us live with… and call a “busy week.” The low-level, always-on kind. The kind that leaves you tired but wired. The kind your nervous system treats like a real threat—even when it’s just an email. In this episode, we break down what stress is actually doing to your brain and body, the subtle sign...

Welcome back, WIFs. Middle children are going extinct… so basically, one of us is endangered. So naturally, the next logical step? We’re heading to the moon. Casual. This week, we’re zooming all the way out—like lunar flyby levels out—and talking about the kind of perspective shift that makes your everyday worries feel a little… smaller. Because after watching humans travel farther than we’ve gone...

Welcome back, WIFs. Are we the only ones who… kind of miss quarantine? Stay with us on this one. Because while that time was undeniably heavy, uncertain, and at times really hard… there was also something about it that felt slower, simpler, and—dare we say—cozy. This week, we’re taking a walk down memory lane and unpacking the unexpected nostalgia we feel for a time when the world quite literally...

Welcome back, WIFs. What if the reset your brain has been craving… isn’t a new routine, but simply less time on your phone? This week, we’re diving into something that feels both uncomfortable and wildly freeing: breaking up with the scroll. After just one week of using “The Brick,” we’re already noticing the shift - from waking up without social media to realizing how much calmer, clearer, and mo...

Welcome back, WIFs. What if the best self-improvement hack… isn’t a habit, a routine, or a morning ritual - but a best friend? This week, we’re cozied up with our current obsession (Moka lattes with oat milk ) and diving into something that feels both obvious and wildly overlooked: friendship as wellness. We talk about why having a best friend is: healing grounding fun (like, belly-laugh fun) comp...

Welcome back, WIFs! This week, Lauren and Michelle settle in for a cozy catch-up that quickly unfolds into one of the most iconic and tragic love stories of the 90s. After sharing a little “life lately” — from the emotional rollercoaster of soccer tryouts to the reminder that luck is the residue of hard work , plus a few oddly relatable moments around misophonia and the subtle ways we’re learning...

Welcome back, WIFs! This week, Michelle and Lauren cozy up with one of their oldest friends from childhood — writer, storyteller, and stand-up comedian Bridget McGuire. What starts as a casual catch-up quickly turns into the kind of conversation that only happens when friends who grew up together start reminiscing about the good ole days. The sisters and Bridget take a stroll down memory lane, rev...

Breaking news: Michelle and Lauren deliver their official State of the Being address. Welcome back, WIFs! This week Michelle and Lauren kick things off with their  weekly beverage experiment … which quickly turns into a total fail and leads to some classic sister story time (including Lauren’s brief vigilante era). Hot Topic The sisters dive into the current  state of being. Official diagnosis?  N...

Welcome back, WIFs! This week we’re setting the cozy mood and talking about something that clearly struck a nerve — the pressure to constantly improve, optimize, upgrade, biohack, and basically turn your entire life into a self-development experiment. Inspired by a reel that sparked a big response, we’re unpacking why so many women feel tired of being told they are a project to fix. This isn’t ant...

Welcome back, WIFs! In this deeply honest and inspiring episode, Lauren and Michelle are joined by their friend, legal expert, community nerd (her words!), and founder of Posey Law Group, Stephanie Posey. We settle in for a cozy catch-up before diving into a conversation that feels grounded, brave, and beautifully real. Stephanie shares her journey to five years of sobriety—what led her there, wha...

Welcome back, WIFs! In this cozy and delightfully unfiltered episode, sisters Lauren and Michelle settle in for one of those conversations that reminds you why laughter is sometimes the best medicine. After a sisterly catch-up and reflections on what they’re caring less about lately - the sisters lean into the importance of trusting your instincts and speaking up, even when it’s uncomfortable. Lau...

What if success isn’t something you achieve once—but something you renegotiate over and over again? In this episode, Lauren and Michelle invite you into a slower, more honest (and occasionally spicy) conversation about what success actually looks like when you stop measuring your life by job titles, salaries, and nonstop productivity. From inherited expectations to burnout, motherhood, money, and...

Welcome back, WIFs! In this cozy and emotionally rich episode, sisters Lauren and Michelle settle in with oat milk cortados and reflect on what they’re caring less about lately—overcommitting, anxiety-fueled overthinking, and saying yes when the bandwidth just isn’t there. After a comforting catch-up filled with cozy gatherings, board nights with friends, and the joy of simply being together, the...

Welcome back, WIFs! In this cozy winter episode, sisters Lauren and Michelle sip a nutrient-packed shake and chat about what they’re caring less about this season—from the pressure of no-chip manicures to unnecessary judgment and noise. They catch up on wardrobe shifts, the joys of clothing rental and vintage shopping, and then settle into Winter Survival: Part 2 , sharing thoughtful, research-bac...

Welcome back, WIFs! In this cozy catch-up episode, sisters Lauren and Michelle reflect on the sweetness of the post-holiday pause, sip Costco hot green tea, and talk about what they’re intentionally caring less about—from anxiety-inducing college admissions noise to that pesky whisker. They share why the week between Christmas and New Year is pure magic, unpack a meaningful New Year ritual that le...

Welcome back, WIFs! Today, we’re joined by our wonderful friend, creator, and fellow podcaster,  TJ Booth , host of the  Sober Gay Guy  podcast. This cozy conversation is filled with honesty, vulnerability, resilience—and yes—a  delici ous mocktail. We revisit one of the most important questions we asked TJ last time: “When you’re thinking about quitting drinking, where should you start?” TJ wasn’...

Welcome back, WIFs! In this festive Holiday Special, Michelle and Lauren settle in with cozy drinks, snowy-night stories, and all the magic (and melancholy) that this season brings. From a perfect snow-filled crafting night with Mia to Lauren’s new “traveling drink system,” the sisters share the simple moments that have been filling their cups this December. They dive into the traditions and histo...

Welcome back, WIFs! In this heartfelt episode, sisters Lauren and Michelle sit down with longtime friend and talented filmmaker Blake Tamarkin. From a festive ice breaker (yes, chocolate-covered peppermint almonds!) to the creative journey behind his latest film, Third Wheel, Blake shares the inspiration, challenges, and joys of working vulnerably with family. They dive into creative doubt, Hollyw...

Welcome back, WIFs! In this cozy catch-up, Michelle and Lauren settle in with ginger-molasses cookies, share a big holiday announcement, and dive into the whirlwind of real emotions that come with this season of life. From a beautiful Naples wedding with lifelong friends to navigating holiday prep, mom-grief, and the emotional toll of the world right now, this episode is equal parts heartfelt, hil...

Welcome back, WIFs! Grab your coffee and settle in for another cozy chat with Lauren and Michelle. This week, they welcome fellow SJC Wildcat and podcaster Jimmy Maley, from The Maley Way Podcast, for a heartfelt, funny, and refreshingly honest conversation about boys, men, their mental health - and why empathy is actually the most badass trait a man can have. Together, the trio digs into mental h...

Grab your peppermint tea and settle in — Lauren and Michelle are back with another cozy, laughter-filled catch-up that’ll make you want to slow down, care less, and do a little more of nothing. This week, the sisters dive into Michelle’s  Sip & Rip Retreat  (a.k.a. the coziest girls’ getaway of the year) — complete with bracelet ceremonies, decoupaged shells, and a surprisingly delightful alco...

Lauren and Michelle are back with a cozy reminder to do less and enjoy more this holiday season. From slowing down and caring less to embracing the art of doing absolutely nothing, this episode is your permission slip to simplify the season. Things kick off with laughter over Kim Kardashian’s latest creation—SKIMS merkins (yes, pubic wigs are a thing again)—before diving into Michelle’s first-ever...