George and Jess Podcast

RE: Friday's episode.... change of plans. Jess bought tickets to Taylor Swift's ERAS tour. She and Clara attended in Minneapolis on Friday night. Tune in for the story, the emotion and the full review of the concert and hear about Clara's first concert experience. Jess describes the loving and accepting feeling at the show as well as why she thinks Taylor has such massive appeal. We also talk abou...

Taylor Swift is bringing her Eras tour to Minneapolis in our home state this weekend. As a huge Swiftie, Jess compares the feeling of not going to being left out of a sleepover in 2nd grade. We're talking about Taylor's appeal and why is it SO DANG EXPENSIVE to go to a concert these days. Plus, Jess' 40th birthday is next summer, we're talking about milestone birthdays and how to c...

As of recording this there are 5 people missing in the depths of the ocean aboard a makeshift submarine. A search and rescue mission is underway. We’re talking about extreme tourism and it’s appeal with the mega-rich. We also explore the possibility that this could be a distraction from something else. In the 24 hours news cycle it’s hard to know what to give your attention to. While the world hop...

Josh Madson found success in Los Angeles as a fashion and beauty photographer. The pandemic brought him to Minnesota to be closer to family. He is our guest on the pod today, we invite you to tune in for a beautiful conversation about his latest project 'Mankato Community Collage'. Josh is sharing his inspiration for the project and how he trusted the process of creating his dream reality....

We were sitting outside the other day and commenting on how relaxing it is to be surrounded by nature. The trees, the plants and flowers all creating an ideal backdrop for a peaceful afternoon. This morning we're exploring the many benefits of having live plants in your home anytime of the year!

When was the last time you thought about hacky sack? Has it been awhile? I thought so. We went to a local music festival this weekend and took the kids, Jess was trying to think of something they could do (so we didn't have to hear about them being bored 100 times) while we hung out and listened to music. She decided hacky sack was a great option. This led to her revisiting all of the mall sto...

Matt Little with The CBD Centers is our guest today, he's talking about new law changes that are coming quickly in Minnesota. He'll explain what that means for those who are cana-curious. He's also sharing details on a cool event coming up on June 24th at the CBD Centers in Mankato. The CBD Social is June 24th from 8-10pm. Come out and learn about products, growing and meet like-minded...

Is our love of clothes hurting the planet? Eco-fashion, sustainable fashion, ethical fashion...there are a lot of ways to say it and even more ways to incorporate it into your wardrobe. From farming practices, dyes, synthetic fabrics, the use of animal products and the conditions and treatment of the garment workers making our clothes - it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Jess is attend...

Many got a taste of it during the pandemic when all of our extracurriculars got put on pause, now people are actively seeking it: a slow life. A slow life is savoring the moment and finding peace and joy in just being instead of the constant drive to achieve and do. We're sharing our own interpretations of a slow life and how you can incorporate a slower pace into your day to day.

A term brought to light recently on the Today show is giving us pause today. 'Age anxiety' as a parenting later life is when you start thinking about how old you will be when your kids reach certain milestones and wondering if you'll be there to see them. Hoda Kotb, who became a mother after 50 opened up and said 'sometimes I do the math'. George became a parent to our daughter...

Finding community can be a challenge these days. Everyone seems to be running between demands and work and everything in between. We’re checking in this morning talking about finding community by experiencing what your city or town has to offer.

You know when you keep saying your doing to do something but never actually do it? That was us with meal-prepping. We'd list the benefits of having fresh, prepared food in the fridge ready to eat throughout the week but we wouldn't actually prepare it. Until now. We spent a couple hours last weekend meal prepping and we're sharing some tips and things we've learned on the pod today...

Sportswashing is the practice of using sports events or investments to improve one's reputation or divert attention from negative actions or human rights abuses. We're talking about recent news in the world golf, the statement it makes and what it could mean for the future of other sports leagues. This isn't an episode about sports, it's an episode about human rights and our global...

What would we do without the randomness that comes out of TikTok? The latest viral trend is ‘beige flags’ in a relationship. It’s those things that could be endearing at first, but might get weird later. Is it a real thing or had social media been telling us we need to find ‘the perfect partner’?

Dopamine detoxes are trending on social media. So what is it? It's stepping away from the digital 'happy pings' that you reach for all day without noticing. Like scrolling Instagram or Tik Tok or refreshing your newsfeed. These seemingly harmless habits can actually have negative effects and people are sharing the benefits on social media of taking a break for a few days or up to a wee...

Jacob Drummer from Drummer's Garden Center is our guest today. Jacob has grown up in his family's garden center and is studying Horticulture at the University of Minnesota. Jacob is sharing tips and insight to make your yard, garden and landscape look fantastic this growing season. With the expected forecast of hot and dry weather, we talk about how to prepare for a potential drought this...

How nutrition affects your sleep, specifically saturated fat and sugar. We're talking about the findings of a recent study this morning. As well as exploring why so many adults struggle with sleep issues. In a completely unrelated topic, nude pickleball is apparently trending.... seems like something we should discuss on a Friday.

'A name, a name - the pressure of a name' - Kit Deluca, Pretty Woman Can we all agree that the responsibility of naming another person is a lot of pressure? George came across a story about a woman (named Jessica) who just decided to change her name. That got us on the topic of our own names and the power of a person's name. From popular to unique - how your name shapes you.

Some people plan their summer family vacation months in advance - not us. Nope, we're wild like that. Living on the edge. It's June tomorrow and we haven't planned a thing (SEND HELP). Seriously though, summer really snuck up. So, with the dog days on the horizon we're sharing a list of popular road trip destinations. But really it's an excuse to fantasize about the trips we re...

We had a chill weekend that included seeing The Little Mermaid, checking out our downtown sculpture walk, some swimming and vehicle shopping. Jess has had her eye on the new Ford Bronco since it was released in 2021. She decided to test drive one this weekend. Not surprisingly, she loved it. George says it’s not practical and compares it a midlife crisis vehicle. Jess says she wants a vehicle that...

There seems to be division all around. Television to social media, it’s hard to avoid disagreements. We’re talking today about conflict, and how each of us handles it. (Hint: it’s very differently)

Episode 300! Has this felt like a really long week for anyone else? Must be the nice weather and anticipation of the long weekend! Target’s return policy on items from its own brands has gone viral with people returning piles of worn out kids clothes for full refunds. We’re talking about that plus the conversation veers to the impact of low cost clothes on the planet.

Mike Drummer is our guest today on the podcast. Mike is the developer who has plans to bring MN Adult and Teen Challenge to Mankato at the former location of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. A public hearing on the zoning of that property is scheduled for Thursday, May 25th. This project has drawn a lot of public interest due to its location next to Loyola Catholic School. This interview is a goo...

The summer travel season is here, what is your destination? We're talking about popular travel destinations and finding that diamond in the rough 'undiscovered' cities that are up and coming or maybe not even up and coming - yet. Like Asheville, North Carolina before it was trendy. Any suggestions?

You buy a cool gift for your kids. It's in a box a fraction of the size that the final product will be. *Some assembly required Jess thrives with a good book of instructions. George is a 'glance and hope' kind of guy. We successfully built a driveway basketball hoop this weekend, we're sharing the experience and previewing some exciting guests coming up this week! It's almost t...