Good Enough-ish

Amanda and Brooke have some morning successes to report, as well as an adapted variation of the HALT acronym for introverts who relish their alone time. Then, they discuss how so much of adulting is about messaging — a.k.a., being the Chief Marketing Officer of our lives — whether it’s with how we communicate to others or ourselves. Amanda then shares her most joy-sparking footwear that...

February: it’s a doozy. Brooke is feeling the winter doldrums hard, and evidently she’s not the only one. She and Amanda keep it real, as always, chatting about what you do when you’re on the verge of losing it, paying attention to your personal warning signs, and the magical power of voice memos to (and from) good friends. PLUS: the Precious Panda update you’ve all been waiting for. Brooke then n...

After checking in on our 2023 goal-setting progress, Amanda and Brooke discuss the value of having older friends (or being the older friend) and how the experiences of those who are further along in their “eff it” journey can put our own lives into perspective. Then, Amanda shares a bit of a sticky joy-sparker — and Brooke is doing her future self a favor with a simple item that is always at-...

Valentine’s Day is coming… a holiday that requires a good enough-ish approach in many areas (and, perhaps, a little more effort in others — but only if you wanna ). Speaking of effort: Amanda also teaches us about having an Every Damn Day list, a tip she picked up from Sarah Von Bargen, and how it can be an easier concept to grasp than adopting rituals or seemingly time-consuming practices. Plus,...

You’ve more than likely heard the chatter about Marie Kondo, the creator of the KonMari method of organizing, supposedly “giving up”… but as we all know, there’s always more to a story than a clickbait-y headline leads us to believe. As one of the world’s first KonMari-trained and -certified organizers, Amanda shares her personal reaction to this media coverage, she and Brooke dive in to what it r...

Brooke has a bone to pick with ol’ Trader Joe about some discontinued favorites, and Amanda teaches us the art of sitting on a protein bar. Then the ladies discuss setting boundaries, both with others and with themselves, and how we need to get over the idea that selflessness is a virtue. Brooke then shares a new tool that has provided some relief in the midst of the cold that won’t quit, and Aman...

Content note: this episode includes discussion of weight, diet culture, etc. If you find these topics triggering at the moment, feel free to come back to this episode another time. Amanda survived the TEDx experience and lived to tell the tale! After some karaoke- and nailpolish-related banter, she and Brooke break down how Amanda found the right experts to help her achieve the TEDx goal, and how...

It’s the second week of the new year and Amanda’s newest morning practice is still going strong, while Brooke’s family has adopted a new favorite show. After a literal decade of procrastination, Brooke is also ready to take on a major photo project (with the help of Amanda’s pointers and listener accountability). Brooke then shares a foolproof makeup product she’s loving, and Amanda gives us a tip...

It’s Brooke’s turn to sound like Phoebe Buffay as she and Amanda recap their holiday seasons — which included spinning a new record with a delightful story behind it, enjoyable games for even the game-averse, and cutting or uncomplicating many things that made Christmas less exhausting. Then, they check in on their 2023 goals, big and small. Amanda reveals a joy sparker that has been a long t...

In the last episode of 2022, Brooke shares about another unfortunate pet loss (but quick bounce-back), and she and Amanda discuss goal setting, identifying a word or phrase of the year, and manifesting success. Amanda also has a Very Strong Reaction to the idea of vision boards. Brooke tells us about a new-to-her podcast that is sparking a lot of nostalgic joy, and Amanda did her aged bathroom a f...

Amanda and Brooke are celebrating an adulting task that they can continue procrastinating on; Amanda also tells us about her TEDx prep, and Brooke shares additional insights on the Five Love Languages gleaned from Glennon and Abby. Then the ladies chat about accomplishments made in 2022, celebrating the little things, and getting through another perfectly imperfect year. A particular TV genre is s...

Brooke & Amanda talk about buffalo plaid family photos, exciting new developments in the joys of curbside pickup, Good Enough-ish merch, and some exciting note-worth (and nose-worthy) science Amanda has discovered. Also: Brooke is officially a grownup now. Then, the ladies discuss the idea of scheduling fun, and easy ways to do so even when it feels hard or life feels too busy. Brooke shares a...

Amanda recently met one of her HEROES and lived to tell the tale! After some other updates — including Brooke’s mom’s skill of and affinity for freezing All The Things — the ladies dive in to airing their grievances, as is customary with the holiday of Festivus. Curmudgeons: UNITE. After sharing just a few of their pet peeves, Amanda lets us in on a tech hack that is sparking joy for her...

Good Enough-ish merch is here, just in time for the holidays! Speaking of the holidays, Brooke and Amanda share their favorite tips for cutting down on holiday stress and finding more joy, often by implementing the ol’ minimum effective dose strategy. Then, Brooke shares an eye-opening tip that is sparking some joy in her often frustrating skincare journey, and Amanda tells us about adopting a new...

The Shelly snail update you’ve all been waiting for kicks off this episode! After a few other tidbits ranging from wasp education to a new Balance Bound collaboration, Amanda and Brooke then discuss creating a list of priorities to live by in this current season of life. Brooke feels like she is just entering a new season after 10 years of very scattered, child-focused schedules, and for Amanda, d...

It’s time for an update episode! (Maybe our last one as we transition to including regular updates in our weekly episodes? It’s anyone’s guess!) We take you on a journey from nicknames, to the ever-present topic of laundry, tunes in the car, Yasso bars, celebrity crushes, Swiss Farms, snails in the freezer, wanting to become friends with your therapist, and a SLEW of other riveting topics. A fool-...

Spooky season is over and Thanksgiving is mere weeks away! After some exciting (albeit vague) teasers for some Good Enough-ish things to come, Amanda and Brooke dig into their approach to Thanksgiving. From the stress of hosting to the labor of cooking, from managing family members to accommodating picky eaters, we talk through strategies for kicking the holiday season off with as little stress as...

After Amanda shares some exciting career news, she and Brooke chat about a recent article/interview with Nora McInerny, an author, podcaster, and TED Talk presenter whose work is striking allllll the chords with them lately. There are a lot of tangents that happen, but somehow it all comes back to Nora and her latest book, Bad Vibes Only , and Brooke’s super-fandom of the relatable writer. Brooke...

After taking in a local performance of RENT, Amanda and Brooke take a musical trip down memory lane, chatting about the tunes of their formative years (and, subsequently, the music fandom trends that died with the 90s). Be forewarned: there’s lots of gushing over the Indigo Girls. Amanda also recommends a joy-sparker that has been helping her get going each morning, and Brooke shares a favor to he...

Amanda is on the mend but still a little foggy (and it’s not a Halloween special effect). She and Brooke talk about their Halloween wins, fails, and what’s good enough-ish for them right now as the spookiest day of the year is right around the corner. Brooke also shares a big upgrade that she resisted at first but has now embraced as a major joy-sparker, and Amanda lets us in on a tip for keeping...

Slack, margin, white space… whatever you call it, you need more of it. Amanda and Brooke chat about setting aside time to do nothing, leaving room for spontaneity in our lives, or designating certain chunks of time for REQUIRED FUN (no matter what, dammit). Amanda is also talking about a bit of an extreme joy-sparker for her, and Brooke shares a recent favor to her future self that couldn’t be put...

PETS. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live… with ’em? Brooke is not so much a pet person, but her kids have started asking for a puppy and she just… doesn’t wanna. (Yet.) Amanda has always had pets and her home is currently a menagerie overflowing with animals, so she and Brooke talk through the joy-sparking pros and sometimes expensive, messy cons of having pets. Brooke also shares a book series that...

Adulting is really hard, and perhaps the least fun things about it are the endless piles of paperwork and confusion regarding tasks like applying for passports, getting a new driver’s license, and creating a will. (Ugh.) Amanda and Brooke chat about taking that first step toward hard paperworky & adulty things, and a few resources for making them a bit less painless. Amanda also shares what’s...

After a brief trip down “Friends”-inspired memory lane, Amanda and Brooke dive into a discussion on personal values. Amanda recaps her own values and how she chose them, and she also helps Brooke narrow her values down in real time. See the show notes on our website for a free worksheet on Identifying Your Values . Then, Brooke shares a favorite TV show that is a weekly joy sparker, and Amanda dis...

Using failure as motivation has created a few huge WINS for Brooke in her professional life, and she’s sharing a little behind-the-scenes into the why and how. Brooke and Amanda discuss how opening ourselves up to failure in any part of our lives — from work, to dating, to parenting, and friendships — can yield incredible successes. See the show notes on our website for a free, customizable f...